Category Archives: Parents Ministry

Parent ministry: Parents become very supportive when they know what you are doing.

Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Between?

Lyn.jpg

by Charissa Ee
Firsts & Lasts, What Happened to the In Betweens?

A couple of weeks ago, my best friend Audra posted a photo of her daughter Lyn in her first dress. I was oohhing and ahhhing because it was such a sweet photo. But it got me thinking a bit about the firsts in my life.

We celebrate all the firsts in our lives. First smile, first steps, first time on potty, first birthday, first words, first day at school, first boyfriend, first kiss, first job, first car, first credit card, first child, first, first, first.

That wasn’t the end, when I was watching the Emmys on re-telecast last night, they honored ALL the men and women who have passed on. This got me thinking again. We celebrate the first and the lasts of our lives. What happened to the in between?

We have this saying, it doesn’t matter how you get to your destination as long as you get there. Can I suggest to you differently? Maybe it does matter whether take the scenic road or the Autobahn. I think it didn’t make a difference in my grandparents’ day but I think it does now for us because we’re so obsessed in getting there first. Not only are we obsessed about getting to our destinations first but we want to be there in the fastest time possible.

The bible is full of stories of men and women who have taken the scenic routes of their lives. Most often, we think about the pain that comes with a detour. We don’t think of how beautiful it can be.

Getting to our destination is not God’s top priority. The process of getting us there is equally if not more important than our destination. That’s because when we go through the right processes, when we finally get to our destinations, we’ll be the person God has intended for us to be.

Just like a lump of clay that first has to be pounded and slapped around before it can be thrown onto the wheel. When it gets on the wheel, it is molded. After that it’s left to dry and then fired in a kiln. When the first round of firing is done, colours can be painted onto it. After which it is put back into into the kiln for another two times before we see the final product.

Often times we admire these works of ceramics but we have no idea what great pains it took an artist to create a beautiful work of ceramic with its intense colours. God is like an artist that creates us for a purpose. Most ceramics are molded into plates, vases, cups etc. They are of purpose and we enjoy the use of them. Likewise God creates us in the same manner and He enjoys using us for His pleasure.

I was recently reading up on Moses and now I’ve moved onto Nehemiah. Both had their days in their scenic routes of their lives. But I like Nehemiah’s attitude.

Nehemiah’s my man these days. He has an attitude worth imitating. From Nehemiah 2v2, we read that the King could tell that Nehemiah was visibly sad. It was SO obvious that he asked Nehemiah what he wanted.

I don’t think the King would have bothered if Nehemiah had been throwing temper tantrums or been a complainer during his years of service. He was the best cup bearer he could be. If there was such a thing in Nehemiah’s time as best service award, he would have gotten it.

We’re all currently in our in between years now. Can I suggest to you to live out your life like God depends on it?

When we live our lives with such an attitude – life’s the best, our scenic routes suddenly take a different turn. We stop to smell the roses, enjoy a nap under the oak tree and sink our feet into the first spring grass.

You know what, I’m so enjoying my scenic drive these days that I’m taking as many “snap shots” of my drive. Do that and you’ll be amazed at the roads Christ is taking you.

What a drive!


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200 page e-book that explains everything you need to know when planning your very own object lessons. It contains 90 fully developed object lesson ideas and another 200 object lesson starter ideas based on Biblical idioms and Names / Descriptions of God.

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Famous Biblical Mothers

Activity
Make a list of famous mothers from the Bible. Eve, Naomi, Hannah, Elizabeth, Mary, Rebecca, Sarah and many others come to mind. You can tell each of the Biblical stories and then discuss how our own mothers are in many ways like the Biblical mothers.

Game Idea
Place the name of a Biblical mother on the back of each person. Each person must identify the Biblical mother placed on his/her back by asking others yes/no questions. Some of these mothers may be too difficult for some youth.

Game Idea
See how many of the Biblical mothers kids can correctly identify from the descriptions. Make it a competition between two teams.

BIBLICAL MOTHERS
Naomi
She was the Mother-in-law of Ruth. Ruth accompanied Naomi to her homeland saying ‘Where you go, I will go, where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God.’ She guided her daughter in law into a marriage with Boaz.

Hannah
She was the wife of Elkanah. She was childless for many years, but after much prayer, became mother to Samuel the prophet. She dedicated him to the Lord and brought him a linen ephod every year. After Samuel, she became mother to three more sons and two daughters. 1 Samuel 1; 2:1, 21

Elizabeth
She was the Mother of John the Baptist, who prepared the way for the Lord. She was Mary’s cousin and a godly woman who in her old age, God allowed her to give birth.

Sarah
She is the wife of Abraham and gave birth to Isaac when she was over 100 years old. Isaac was the father of Jacob, the father of the twelve tribes of Israel.

Mary
She is the Mother of Jesus and it often remembered for her answer faith when she asnwered the
angel Gabriel. ‘I am the Lord’s servant. May it be to me as you have said.’ (Luke 1:38)

Bathsheba
She was the mother of Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived. She is mentioned in Jesus’ family tree – Matthew 1:6 -‘whose mother had been Uriah’s wife.’

Eve
She is known as the “Mother of mankind” because she was the very first mother.

Rebekah
She ensured that the more righteous son, Jacob, receive the patriarchal blessing from his father, as the Lord intended (Genesis 27).

Abijah
Her son Hezekiah was a king who did what was right in the eyes of the Lord. 2 Chronicles 29:1, 26:5 , 2 Kings 18:2

Jochebed
When the Pharoah an gave order to kill all the baby boys of the Hebrews, she hid Moses for three months. “By faith Moses’ parents hid him for three months after he was born, because they saw he was no ordinary child, and they were not afraid of the king’s edict” (Hebrews 11:23). (See also Exodus 1-2)

Rachel
She was the mother of Joseph who had a coat of many colors.

Azubah
She was the wife of King Asa and was the mother and godly influence of Jehosaphat. It is said that “he did what was right in the eyes of the Lord” 1 Kings 22:42, 2 Chronicles 20:31

Jedidah
She was the mother of Josiah who succeeded his father as king when he was only eight years old. He reigned for almost 31 years. Josiah’s father was a wicked king but Josiah was godly, again attesting to the influence of a godly mother. 2Kings 22:1,2

Use these example of Biblical Mothers for Mother’s Day or at another opportunity to recognize mothers.

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Baby Animals

Introduction
As we celebrate mother’s day we are reminded that God created us through mothers and that mothers are all around us in creation.

Every mother knows her baby—but do you? Take the quiz!

A mother horse gallops with her ______________.
The mother cow gives milk for her _______________.
A baby tiger hunts food for her _________.
The mother hen looks for worms for her _____________.
The mother dog plays with her ______________.
The mother duck swims with her ______________.
The mother cat catches a mouse for her ______________.
The mother goat nibbles grass with her __________.
The mother pig is busy caring for her ____________.
The mother sheep calls her ______________.
The mother fox hunts for her _______________.
The mother kangaroo keeps her ____________ in her pouch.
The mother deer lies with her _______.
A mother frog takes swims with her _________.
The mother bear takes care of her ________.
The mother donkey runs with its _________.
A mother eagle brings back a worm for it ________.
A mother Ferret takes care of it’s _______.
A mother goose swims with its _______.

Answers
pony, calf, cub, chick, puppy, duckling, kitten, kid, piglet, lamb, pup, joey, fawn, tadpole, cub, colt, eaglet, kit, gosling

Variation
Write the names of the animals and baby animals on cards and place them on the backs of the children. Then they must ask “yes” or “no” questions and try to find the baby that matches with the mother.

Variation
You can place the cards on a table and play a concentration style card game. Kids turn over two cards. If a mother is matched with the baby animal they can go again. If not they turn the cards back over and the next child turns over two cards. The child with the most cards at the end wins. As a variation you can get photos of parents and children and paste them to cards or photocopy them on cards. Then they must also match mother and child.

Variation
“Battle” also known as “slap”– Add animal cards (see website below for more animals and babies) as well as duplicates. Shuffle and deal the cards into two equal piles. Divide the class into two teams. Each team chooses a person to turn over cards. Each team turns over a card at the same time as the other team. When the two cards go together the first person to slap the top of the discards in the center gets all those cards. If they slap the stack and the cards do not match, the other team gets all the cards. The team can shout directions for its player and help them to determine when to slap the deck. Once the deck has been slapped, the next person from each team turns over the cards. The game is over when one team obtains all the cards in this manner.

Variation
Have each child bring a stuffed animal. Put them all put in a pile. Then one by one mothers are blindfolded and they have to find their child’s stuffed animal without looking!

Variation
“Name That Animal”- This is a fun game for small children just beginning to learn their animals. Pass out animal stickers or small stuffed animals, and have the kids imitate the animal they receive. You might write the names of a baby and a mother. Then by imitating the animal they have been given they most find the mother of that animal.

More animals and their babies can be found at
http://www.EnchantedLearning.com/subjects/animals/Animalbabies.shtml
They also list the names for groups of animals such as a pride of lions.

Application
Each animal has a special name for its baby. Your mother gave each of you a special name as well. And God knows each one of you by name. Just as mother animals take care of thier babies, your mother takes care of you. Take some time to thank your mom for taking care of you.

Get Creative Youth Ideas: "Holiday Collection" ebook Holiday Collection
Games and Activities in Celebration of common Holidays.

Creative Holiday Ideas has over 300 pages of ideas to help you plan your next New Year’s Day, Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, Father’s Day, Halloween or Fall Festival, and Thanksgiving event. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for all these holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection