Misconceptions about Worship

June 9, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

We often have a lot of misconceptions about worship.

For a long time my idea of worship was what I saw in church in my small town in Poteet, Texas. I grew up initially in a Methodist church. When we sang, we sang the first, third and fifth verses. A friend of mine in a Presbyterian church only sang the first and fourth verses. When I was old enough to drive – age 16, I attended a Baptist church. They sang all the verses most of the time, but usually split the congregation into women and men on different verses.

So, the difference for me and worship was the difference between Methodists and the Presbyterians and the Baptists; the Methodists had the third verse, the Presbyterians cut that one out, The Baptist had them all, but only the women were allowed to sing some of them. Then there was the Church of Christ right next door to the Baptist church. They sang the same songs, but didn’t have any music. And there were also the charismatics, they not only had music, but they danced!

There was also a difference in Communion. In the Presbyterian and Methodist church you went forward to receive communion. In the Baptist church they brought it to you then passed around a bag and asked for a tip! At the Catholic Church down the street, you weren’t even allowed to touch it and were fed by a priest.

Methodist preachers tended to be boring and monotone. The Baptist preachers seemed to think the congregation was hard of hearing and shouted a lot. In the charismatic churches, the congregation seemed to talk as much as the pastor!

Yet, these were not worship, but merely differences in how worship was expressed.

What is worship to you? Would love to hear your definitions of worship.

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

This 170 page resource not only provides 52 of the world’s most popular group icebreaker activities and games, but also includes lesson ideas and discussion questions to smoothly transition into conversations about the issues common to most groups.

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Youth Sermons

4 Reasons Youth Stop Attending Worship

June 5, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

If you ask youth why they don’t attend worship, there are four common reasons given.

The sermons are not seen as relevant to the lives of youth.
As preachers of God’s Word, we often take time to explain how God’s Word relates to employees in the workplace, to parents in the family, and to lost people outside the church, but we rarely explain to youth how the Bible relates to their situations. It is natural because the majority of our congregation is comprised of adults. But we need to remember that youth also need to hear stories and illustrations of youth in real-life examples and applications of God’s Word in the lives of other youth.
Youth often feel stereotyped.
When youth are mentioned by pastors or other worship leaders, too often it is with negative stereotypes of behavior that needs to be corrected rather than desired behavior that needs to be encouraged. In our sermons we need to balance correction and rebuke with praise, encouragement, and exhortation.
Youth often feel that they are not understood or feel misunderstood.
Youth are eager for church leaders who make an effort to step into their world and understand teen life, youth challenges, and the needs of youth. They want church leaders who are open and ask questions, giving youth opportunities to voice their views, share their ideas, and express their feelings.
Worship doesn’t make a difference in the lives of the adults they know.
Youth have a hard time dealing with the gap between what people say and what they actually do, especially when it comes to parents and other significant adults in their lives. They don’t expect perfection, but want to see living examples of lives being transformed by God’s Word and by adults in the congregation that do more than give lip service to living as a Christian.

If we address these four issues in our messages and in the way we live our lives as Christians, youth are sure to sit up and listen the next time we share a sermon from the pulpit.

For more Ideas on Reaching youth in worship check out Creative Sermon Ideas.

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Youth Sermons

Youth Sermons: Answering the Questions of Youth

June 4, 2011 kensapp 1 Comment

Sometimes it is difficult to find ideas for sermon topics that will interest your youth and have them sit up in their seats and intently listen. One of our responsibilities as youth ministers (or youth pastors) and teachers of God’s Word is to help translate the timeless truths of God into the context of today’s youth. To do this, you need to know the questions your youth are asking. One way to do this is to simply ask your youth to anonymously write down some of the questions they have about God and spiritual matters. You are sure to get lots of ideas from your youth.

Sample Questions for Youth

What are some of the questions you have about God as a youth?
What are some of the struggles that youth today have in living for God?
What is difficult for you in your Christian walk?
What is one question you would like to ask God?
What are some the things in the Bible that you find difficult to understand?
What are some of your doubts about Christianity?

These are just a few sample questions you might ask. Make it simple. I’d recommend you don’t ask them all at once. Just ask one new question every couple of months and you’ll have lots of Ideas for your youth sermons as well as some great ideas for youth Bible Studies.

WHY NOT add some questions of your own to the comments. If you are a youth, let us know some of YOUR questions. If you work with youth, what are some other questions you might want to ask. Please add them to the comments at the end of this post. I’d love to hear your ideas. ~Ken

Here are some of the questions my church youth were asking:

How can I prove God exists now? That he is real? (THIS ONE WAS THE MOST COMMON in my youth)
What should I do when I am discouraged because prayer is not answered the way I expect?
What happened to 1st century Christian’s miracles? Why don’t they happen today?
How do I deal with temptation?
What does it mean if I don’t feel God?
What do I do about bad habits I am unable to give up?
I seem to get stumbled more by Christians. Why is that?
What do I do if media, peers, and laziness hinder my Christian life?
What are the sins the Bible says can’t be forgiven?
Will God forgive unforgivable sins?
Is the tribulation scary for Christians?
Will I really be happy in heaven?
How do I know that I have really accepted Jesus Christ as my Savior?
How do I know that I am going to heaven for sure?
How do we know that if we accept Christ we will get to heaven? Don’t other religions also say the same?
How come even though I prayed about it I cannot draw nearer to God?
How do I know that “God” is the god we are talking about?
How come the Bible Study Guide “Experiencing God” never worked for me?
When will I truly know that this is a work of God?
Why is life unfair?
Why isn’t God there in my worst periods of time?
What do I do about distractions in life?
Why is being a Christian so hard?
We do Christians seem so obedient?
It’s not cool to be a Christian. What if I don’t fell like being a Christian?

Looking over this list, you might find some ideas for your youth sermons. But it would be even better if you ask your own youth. Why not do that this week!

With YOUth on my heart,
Ken

And, if you are looking for some other ways to bring your youth sermons to live, why not check out the latest ebook from Creative Youth Ideas – Creative Sermon Ideas!

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Humor

Kid’s Instructions for Life

May 31, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Never trust a dog to watch your food.
Patrick, Age 10

When you want something expensive, ask your grandparents.
Matthew, Age 12

Never smart-off to a teacher whose eyes and ears are twitching.
Andrew, Age 9

Wear a hat when feeding seagulls.
Rocky, Age 9

Sleep in your clothes so you’ll be dressed in the morning.
Stephanie, Age 8

Never try to hide a piece of broccoli in a glass of milk.
Rosemary, Age 7

Don’t flush the toilet when your dad’s in the shower.
Lamar, Age 10

Never ask for anything that costs more than five dollars when your parents are doing taxes.
Carrol, Age 9

Never bug a pregnant mom.
Nicholas, Age 11

Don’t ever be too full for dessert.
Kelly, Age 10

When your dad is mad and asks you, “Do I look stupid?” don’t answer him.
Heather, Age 16

Never tell your mom her diet’s not working.
Michael, Age 14

Don’t pick on your sister when she’s holding a baseball bat.
Joel, Age 12

When you get a bad grade in school, show it to your mom when she’s on the phone.
Alyesha, Age 13

Never try to baptize a cat.
Laura, Age 13

Never spit when on a roller coaster.
Scott, Age 11

Never do pranks at a police station.
Sam, Age 10

Beware of cafeteria food when it looks like it’s moving.
Rob, Age 10

Never tell your little brother that you’re not going to do what your mom told you to do.
Hank, Age 12

Remember you’re never too old to hold your father’s hand.
Molly, Age 11

Listen to your brain. It has lots of information.
Chelsey, Age 7

Stay away from prunes.
Randy, Age 9

Never dare your little brother to paint the family car.
Phillip, Age 13

Forget the cake, go for the icing.
Cynthia, Age 8

Icebreakers Ahead: Take It To the Next Level

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Youth Sermons

The Art of Preaching Youth Sermons

May 31, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

“You do not know how paralyzing that staring of a blank canvas is. It says to the painter, you can’t do anything … Many painters are afraid of the blank canvas, but the blank canvas is afraid of the really passionate painter who is daring.” ~ Vincent van Gogh

The blank canvas represents so many possibilities. In fact, to many, it can be outright intimidating. Hands poised above the canvas. Pallettes of wonderful colors waiting to take on so many hues and vivid passionate colors. There is incredible power, but also great apprehension in the waiting. What will be created? Will I have the right perspective? Is it true to my vision? Did I see it right? – The depth, the fill, the background, the highlights. Will I get everything right? Will they understand? And more importantly, will it stir up their hearts and excite a response?

Fingers on the keyboard. Pen poised above paper. You know how it feels. That sermon slot in the program says to you, “You can’t do anything.” But God says, “You can do all things through me.” Relax, set it aside for a moment. Let’s remember why we are here. We are here to deliver His message, we are the brush in the Master’s hands. Yield to him. Like a brush on a palette of paints, your life will take on the colors and hues of the experiences of life. More importantly, you will take on the colors and hues of God’s passions as well.

All artists desire to create greatest masterpieces. But rather than dabs of paint touched to a piece of canvas, the masterpieces we yearn for are changed hearts touched by God.

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Creative Teaching Ideas

Solomon’s Measurement of Life. Is Life Meaningless?

May 26, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Scriptures

“I thought to myself, “Look, I have grown and increased in wisdom more than anyone who has ruled over Jerusalem before me; I have experienced much of wisdom and knowledge.” Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom, and also of madness and folly, but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind.” – Ecclesiastes 1:16-17

“I denied myself nothing my eyes desired; I refused my heart no pleasure. My heart took delight in all my work, and this was the reward for all my labor. Yet when I surveyed all that my hands had done and what I had toiled to achieve, everything was meaningless, a chasing after the wind; nothing was gained under the sun.” – Ecclesiastes 2:10-11

“So I hated life, because the work that is done under the sun was grievous to me. All of it is meaningless, a chasing after the wind. I hated all the things I had toiled for under the sun, because I must leave them to the one who comes after me. And who knows whether he will be a wise man or a fool? Yet he will have control over all the work into which I have poured my effort and skill under the sun. This too is meaningless.” – Ecclesiastes 2:17-19

Infact, right at the start of Ecclesiastes, Solomon says “Meaningless! Meaningless! ” Says the teacher. “Utterly meaningless! Everything is meaningless!”

Materials
Obtain some flexible rulers or make them from cardboard. IKEA has some flexible rulers and you may be able to ask them for some for your class of youth.

What to do
Have youth measure things with their rulers… maybe have a length scavenger hunt… give youth several measurements and they have to scour the room and find the objects that match the measurements… first to get them all correct gets a prize.

Take it to the Next Level
Have Youth then write the standards of measurement that people use to evaluate their lives. In today’s scripture we see some ways Solomon measures life. You might give them some helpful scriptures to write on their rulers. Talk about how those standards are corrupted when the measurements are wrong. Then everything gets measured incorrectly.

When our measurements of ourselves (pride), expectations (jealousy), comparisons with others, and timing (patience) are wrong it messes up our results. When we measure life by wealth, by pleasure, by excitement, we discover it becomes meaningless, monotonous, and futile. Our standards for measurement must be exact and based on God’s Word or every measurement we make will be wrong. God’s Word is to be the ruler for our life. When we use other things as rulers our measurements come out wrong.

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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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Devotional

Devotional: New Car Christianity?

May 16, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Congratulations. I am giving you a brand new car. It’s reliable, efficient, and runs well. It can take you anywhere you need to go.

Are you excited?

But there are a couple conditions.

You are only allowed to use the car one day per week. The rest of the week it must remain at my home and you are not allowed to use it.
The one morning per week when you can use it, I will come to your house and pick you up. You can ride with me in the passenger seat and follow me wherever I go. We will only go the places I want to go and do the things I want to do. After a few hours, I’ll drop you off back at your home until our special day next week when we will do the same thing.

Unfortunately, this is the same thing we do when we become Christians.

We give Jesus our life. We have a new life, filled with possibilities. All things are possible. Jesus can take us to incredible new places and enable us to do things we never dreamed possible. He can take us anywhere we need to go.

But when we give him our life, we place conditions on it.

You can only have my life, but only one day a week – on Sunday. The rest of the week my life is mine to live as I wish.
On Sunday, I’ll decide what church activities I will attend and Jesus, you can be there with me. But remember, I am in charge. I am in control. You are merely a passenger as long as it is convenient. You cannot make decisions. All the choices are mine to make.

Then after you have had your time with me I’ll take my life back and see you again next week. If you are lucky, I might give you a call once in a while, but only if I need something.

Have you given Jesus a car, or have you given him your life?

MORE IDEAS? See “Creative Object Lessons”

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Parents Ministry, Youth Ministry

Youth Self-Image: Primary Influences

May 12, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Self-Esteem and Self-Image are issues that all youth have to address. During the teenage years, the primary developmental task for youth is discovering their identity, their life purpose, their mission in this world. Youth are asking the question, “Who am I?” and “Why am I here?”

One step to helping your church youth deal with these critical questions is in understanding some of the primary issues that influence a young person’s self-esteem or self-image.

Here are seven primary factors that effect a youth’s self-image.

1. Age that Youth Physically Mature
Youth progress to different stages of maturity at different speeds. Guys tend to be a little behind the girls in maturity, but every youth is different and growing and maturing at a different rate. In relation to their peers, there will always be some youth that are a little behind their peers and some that are a little ahead. Interestingly this is often tied to their physical maturity. If they mature physically earlier than their peers, because they look more like adults, people often treat them more like adults and these youth tend to generally develop a fairly positive self-image. Youth who mature physically a little later than their peers, still look more like children and are treated by adults as children. These youth who mature a little later often feel misunderstood and more likely to have negative self image and maladjusted behavior.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Don’t treat youth differently based on physical maturity. Treat everyone of a specific age group the same as mush as possible, both in leadership responsibilities as well as in other interactions. Don’t single out those who are a little behind in physical maturity, not give all the leadership and responsibilities to those who are more mature.

2. Physical Appearance
Youth are very peer conscious. They are always comparing themselves to their peers. While some may strive to be different, most prefer to hide in the crowd, to blend in with their peers. For most youth, If they look different from their peers they see themselves as being strange and potentially inferior. This is especially true for the primary sexual characteristics such as body hair, breast development in the girls and muscle and genital development in the guys. Even if they are more attractive because of their male physique or feminine curves it can still lead to a poor self-image simply because they see themselves as different from their peers. Physical differences such as a large nose, or bigger than usual ears or even being too thin or simply a little bigger than their peers can lead to inferiority issues. When it is a physical defect or even simple things like acne or rashes it can still have a negative impact on their self-image. The more embarrassing or unusual he difference, the greater the impact.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Do not draw attention to physical differences among youth, especially if it is something that could lead to embarrassment of any kind. Try to avoid activities that highlight the differences and always be affirming to youth regarding their appearance.

3. Sex-Appropriateness
Sex-appropriate characteristics are essential for a healthy self-esteem among youth. This includes appearance, interests, and behavior. Guys that appear a little more effeminate and girls that appear too masculine tend to have problems in self-estem. Youth have nicknames for them such as a “sissy” for a less masculine guy and “tom-boy” for a less feminine girl. Some youth have more trouble forming a healthy self-image if they aspire to occupations that tend to be dominated by the opposite sex. For example, hair dressers are often seen as a woman’s job and construction work is often seen as a man’s job. Finally there might be specific mannerisms and interests that again are commonly associated with the opposite sex. These can also be hurdles for them to overcome in developing a positive self-image.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Try not to reinforce stereotypes for jobs and behaviors. Avoid masculine / feminine comparisons and instead treat everyone as brothers and sisters in Christ. Always affirm youth for who they are and for what they do as an individual rather than as simply a guy or a girl. Always try to include sports and activities that balance out the need for both guys and girls on each team. Always try to have a variety of positive role models serving within your youth ministry team including singles, couples, and people from a variety of occupations and walks of life.

4. Names and Nicknames
Youth are sensitive and embarrassed if their peers judge a nickname unfavorably or if they are given nicknames that are meant or even implies ridicule. Nicknames can often stick with a person for life.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Nicknames and labels are to be avoided at all costs as they tend to highlight the negative. If you hear a youth using negative labels or nicknames, encourage them to use more positive ones. Set the example yourself by using positive labels that affirm the positive qualities in each youth.

5. Family Relationships
Teens who have very close relationships with a particular family member will identify most closely
with this person. As such, they tend to desire similar personality traits. This can be positive or negative. They say that if you want to know how a guy will treat his wife, look at how he treats his mother. If you want to know how a girl will treat a future husband, look at how they treat their father. At the same time, this desire to be like the most-liked parent can be detrimental if it goes over the line of causing sexually ambiguous behavior and characteristics. Lack of positive family relationships and positive role models can also cause problems for youth regarding their self-image.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Have a variety of role models serving on your youth ministry team. Singles, dating couples, young couples, couples with children, couples with teens, and couples that have been married for a long time all help youth in affirming their own identities and coming to a positive self-image. Provide opportunities for youth to form significant bonds with others outside their immediate family. This gives them a broader perspective on things to appreciate in their own families as well as helps them to have a variety of models in choosing how they will develop their own relationships and their own identity in those relationships.

6. Peers
Peers place a primary role in the identity formation of youth. During the teen years they start looking outside the immediately family for keys to their own identity. Peers influence a youth’s personality in two primary ways. First, what a youth believes about himself is often a reflection of what he perceives that his peers believe about him. Second, a youth is often under a lot of pressure to conform to the personality traits and behavior that is approved by his peers.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Try to create an environment with yourself, your volunteers and the rest of the youth that is affirming and supportive for the youth. While peer pressure can be negative, it can also be very positive. Affirm youth as leaders and who are good role models. Help to mentor those who need a little more help. Make affirmations and recognition a regular part of everything you do in youth ministry. And when possible, without embarrassing the youth, make that recognition public to the rest of the youth.

7. Level of Aspiration
Everyone has dreams and goals and aspirations. Youth are often asking the question, “Why am I here?” “What is my purpose in life?” “What is the meaning behind my existence?” But this is also a tricky area when it comes to youth with fragile self-esteem. They need to have big dreams and goals to drive them forward, but if the dreams are too big they can experience failure and great disappointment. Mistakes and failures, if not handled just right can lead to anxiety and feelings that they are not good enough or even the thought that “I am a failure.” At the same expectation that are too low leads to mediocrity and become without purpose, wandering through life without direction. It has been said that the bigger our dreams, the bigger we become. But also has a greater risk of failure. We need to help youth to be realistic in their aspirations, but at the same time not to be complacent to live only in their comfort zone. Youth who are realistic about his or her abilities will gain greater self-confidence with each success and, with it, a better self-concept.

Implications and Ideas for Youth Ministry
Always challenge youth to dream big but also be realistic dreams. Youth need champions in the youth ministry, people who will cheer them on in their dreams and support them and encourage them in both success and in failure.

By the way, this is not only useful for youth, but it’s great information for parents of youth to consider as well.

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Humor

Worst Mother’s Day Gifts from Youth and Husbands

May 7, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

Mother’s Day can be a wonderful celebration, but it is also a very dangerous day for youth and fathers. The biggest peril is buying a Mother’s Day Gift. After all, everyone is supposed to know what she wants. Unfortunately, it’s not always so easy.

So, whether you are a youth or the husband, here are some Mother’s Day gifts to avoid. Of course there are mothers who do love some these gifts, but for the most part, the rest of the world’s mothers would be delighted if you carefully avoid them.

Hopefully this list will keep you out of trouble, but then again, mother’s also have this uncanny desire to be different, to be an exception to the norm, sometimes just to keep you guessing.

Of course, regardless of what you get her, she’ll tell you how much she loves it. After all, she’s your mom. But later, when you are out of site, she’ll wonder why her son or daughter or husband couldn’t think of something more personal.

Mother’s Day Gifts that Youth to Avoid

Anything Vaguely Related to Weight
No matter how much mom talks about wanting to lose weight, Mother’s Day is NOT the day to give her a loving hand with her love handles. Forget the diet books, the exercise equipment, the membership to the slimming salon. Nothing says “I love you, Mom” quite like anything that hints at weight loss, getting healthier, or looking better. Stay away from anything designed to let her know where she could use a little improvement.

HINT: Don’t use Mother’s Day to buy a mom a scale, a tape measure, or anything that even vaguely suggests that mom is not incredibly beautiful just the way she is!

Clothes
Clothes are a lose-lose situation. If they are too small, she’ll think she’s fat because she can’t wear them. If they are too big then she’ll be offended that you think she is so fat. And don’t event mention colors and fashion.

HINT: Clothes are best avoided at all costs unless you taker her shopping!

Anything for the Bathroom
The rose scented bubble bath that you bought her last year is still under her bathroom sink, unopened. So is the one from the year before that. Scented soaps and bath gels carry a subtle hint that mom stinks and needs to bathe more often. And, you will be grown and have youth of your own long before mom finds the time for a relaxing soak in a Bubble Bath!

HINT: Avoid bath soaps, shampoo, bubble bath, and shower gels

Cleaning Supplies
While mothers often complain about how much easier it would be to clean the house if they had the new Tornado 2000 vacuum cleaner that sucks up every speck of dust in sight, or that new self-wringing mop from the infomercial on late night TV, Mother’s Day is not the day to entertain her cleaning needs. Anything used to clean doesn’t say “I love You, Mom” but instead hints that she isn’t doing enough around the house to clean up after the youth and kids. Even though you are trying to get her something to lighten her workload, the last thing she wants to be reminded of on Mother’s Day is that she is the same level as a live in maid.

HINT: Why not clean the entire house for your mom on Mother’s Day. She might pass out in shock, but at least she’ll have a smile on her face.

Household Appliances
Don’t give mom gifts that make her work harder. Mother’s Day is about appreciation and relaxation, not cleaning appliances and sanitation. Its not about a new washer, a steam cleaner, a sewing machine, and most certainly not about the new iron. And if you are replacing something that’s broken — it doesn’t even count as a Mother’s Day gift. Giving appliances for Mother’s Day is like your boss giving you work to take home on the weekend.

HINT: Surprise her with the appliances on another day of the year, just to say “I love you.” And instead of simply presenting it to her all wrapped up in a box, take it out, use it to get the job done, then tie a bow on it. Mom will love that you helped out more than the fact that you got her a gift.

Things for the Kitchen
Just because mom admired the new turbo toaster that not only toasts but also butters the bread, doesn’t mean that mother’s day is the her special day to get one. After all, how often does she make toast for herself? Sure, these appliances might make her life a little easier in the kitchen, but you’re the one she cooks for anyway!

HINT: Avoid anything that hints at the kitchen – bread makers, knives, food processors, blenders, can openers, salt and pepper shakers, pots, pans, aprons are best avoided. Surprise her with them on another day!

Something on Your Personal Wishlist
Mother’s Day is not the day to kill to birds with one stone. Who’s going to spend the most time glued in front of the new 3D LCD TV? Nor do they want sports equipment, or anything for a car. If you are a youth who already has a driver’s licence, why not take her shopping.

HINT: Moms don’t want basketballs, sports shoes, soccer balls, new windshield wiper blades, floormats, unless they have a true passion for such things.

Anything that’s Alive and Needs Mom’s Help to Stay Alive!
If it poops, slithers, or crawls and needs to eat or drink, it is probably not a good idea. Houseplants that need care are probably out too. Maybe a tree or a rosebush planted outside that requires little care would work if she likes such things. Mother’s gave gifts like these send the message: “Hey mom, you don’t have enough to do. Taking care of the pets and watering the plants will keep you from getting bored around the house while I am at school!” We all know that eventually, she’ll be responsible for taking care of them!

HINT: Flowers are ok, as long as they are given together with something else. Given by themselves they just reveal that you thought about a Mother’s Day gift for the 5 minutes it took to put it on your dad’s credit card.

IOU Coupons and Homemade Gifts
Offering free housecleaning, dishwashing or to walk the is nice. But shouldn’t dad and the youth be doing these things once in a while for mom anyway? Anyway, when was the last time a mom successfully redeemed a coupon for these services. Life’s busy schedule always seems to get in the way. And somehow the redemption always seems to be requested at the busiest times. Homemade gifts are just as risky. Moms usually treasure the thought when you are really young, and they may stay on the shelf for public display, long after you have grown up and left home. But as your grow older, homemade gifts will be fussed over and displayed for a while, but them placed in a drawer and forgotten unless they are really well done. And this includes anything that has “#1 Mom” written on it. They are great for yard sales, but every other mom has one just like it.

HINT: Personalise gifts when you can, but be very careful with picture frames, homemade jewelry, and arts and crafts.

Things Mom Needs
There are always things that Mom’s need. A new towel, sheets for the bed, diaper bags, craft supplies. The list is never ending. But Mom’s deserve something SPECIAL on Mother’s Day. If it is something she needs, save ot for another day. These kinds of things should be provided as needed anyway. And a new computer probably isn’t the best either, though she might enjoy an ipad 2. Anyway, everyone knows you want the new computer to play the latest online games and chat with your friends on facebook.

HINT: Instead of giving her something functional, get her something extravagant for mother’s day. It doesn’t have to cost a lot, it just needs to be out of the ordinary.

E-Gifts and Cards
We live in the internet age, but Mom’s won’t find virtual gifts very endearing. “Dear Mom, I cared enough to send you the very best e-card!” Mom likes the joy of opening a present and holding something real in her hands. This includes online games, facebook additions, computer wallpapers and emails. And you ought to be giving her digital photos on a regular basis anyway! A simple text message is even worse.

HINT: It’s always best to meet her in person and present a physical gift, even if it is your presence, rather than give her anything digital. If you want to give her something digital, why not give her that sheik new smartphone, a digital picture frame loaded with all your favorite photos or a nice new digital camera. Just make sure you are buying it for her, and not for yourself!

The Absolute WORST Mother’s Day Gift
Don’t get her anything at all, don’t do anything with her, or completely forget that today is her special day! Nothing says “I love you” like forgetting about the very special woman who spent years changing your diaper, packing your lunch and yelling at you to “clean your room” while quietly cleaning it for you while you were away at school.

HINT: Even if you have to buy her a last-minute gift, and break all the rules above, never show up empty handed on Mother’s Day!

Be sure and wish your Mom a wonderful and Blessed Mother’s Day!

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 Mother’s Day celebration or youth event in honor of mothers. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do with your youth in celebration of the various holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

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Humor

Things Mother Would Never Say

May 5, 2011 kensapp Leave a comment

On Mother’s Day we take the opportunity to thank our mothers for all the advice and care they have given to us over the years, especially during our years as children and as youth. But a mother is a mother forever!

As something a little different, why not add a comment by clicking on the comment link in the box at the bottom of this post and share a real word of advice given to you by your mother.

“How on earth can you see the TV sitting so far back?”
“Yeah, I used to skip school a lot, too.”
“Just leave all the lights on … it makes the house look more cheery.”
“Let me smell that shirt — Yeah, it’s good for another week.”
“Go ahead and keep that stray dog, honey. I’ll be glad to feed and walk him every day.”
“Well, if Ron’s mamma says it’s okay, that’s good enough for me.”
“The curfew is just a general time to shoot for. It’s not like I’m running a prison around here.”
“I don’t have a tissue with me … just use your sleeve.”
“Don’t bother wearing a jacket – the wind-chill is bound to improve.”

And be sure to let your mom know you appreciate her this Sunday for Mother’s Day!

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 Mother’s Day celebration or youth event for mothers. If you’ve ever wondered what you’re going to do for Mother’s Day and other familiar holidays and how you’re going to do it, this resource is for you.

=> Tell me more about the Holiday Collection

Creative Youth ideas: 1700+ Resources for youth leaders, pastors, ministers to help plan camps, retreats, and meetings using games, illustrations, Children's Worship, Bible Studies, object lessons, sermons, creative ideas,creative activities