Friday Faith Builder

Wow!  Summer is here!  Do you have plans to spend time with family and friends?  How about one-on-one time with your kids?  Do you and your family have fun and creative ideas of how to spend time day-to-day for the next few months? 

If you have yet to think about what fun moments and activities your family might share together, consider asking everybody for a few ideas.  Also, talk about how much screen time your kids will be given this summer.  Young people spend an average of seven hours and thirty-eight minutes every day between computers, cell phones and television--that totals 53 hours a week!  A good number of those hours could be used in creative pursuits, serving opportunities, and sharing quality time.

Read, play a game, or design a craft instead of watching TV.  Turn off cell phones during meals.  Leave the computer off for an evening or two each week and take a walk or visit a neighbor.  When you are in the car, leave the stereo off and talk, sing, or play silly car games. 

This summer, tune out the TV and tune into God and one another.  Remind your kids that God can always be accessed anytime and anywhere.   Pray and ask God to help you all use your time wisely and celebrate summer!

  

Pastor Lisa

Picture of the Week

May 19 & 20 was volunteer appreciation in KiDS COR! All our volunteers got free cake! Did you know it takes hundreds of volunteers to run KiDS COR? We are so thankful for all our volunteers!!

Grow. Pray. Study.

Early Childhood GPS

K - 2nd Grade GPS

3rd - 5th Grade GPS

Enjoy!

Friday Faith Builder

Next week, our family will celebrate our youngest daughter completion of elementary school and our oldest daughter completion of middle school.  (Our middle daughter gets to hang out in middle school for her second year.)  That means that beginning in August, we will have two kids in middle school and one in high school!  And I will be greatly missing elementary school.

I love holiday parties and school carnivals. I adore beginning band concerts and lots of art projects.  I appreciate knowing the teachers really well and knowing they know my kid really well.  And yet, life moves on.  I am learning that though these stages of life are over, the next ones bring gifts and joys of their own.

I will have fun watching our girls try new activities at school and discover what they do and don’t enjoy.  I will see them meet new people and find out what friendship does and doesn’t mean.  They will learn how their faith matters to their everyday lives and how it applies to the choices they make.  They will also be learning more about how to cook meals and clean house! (That will be their favorite, of course!)

Ecclesiastes 3 states, “To everything there is a season...”  And tears and joy are a part of them all. Give thanks to God for your children.  Ask His blessing upon them as they grow.  And welcome His blessings for you, too. Celebrate life!

-Pastor Lisa

Video Of The Week

Our Sunday night 2nd graders spent the past 6 weeks working on the Lord's Prayer to give as a gift on Mother's Day. Below is the final cut of the video they worked so hard to create. Many thanks to Mr. Bill, Mr. Dan, Miss Jen, and Miss Amanda for the extra time and effort they put into this video!

Grow. Pray. Study.

Early Childhood GPS

K - 2nd Grade GPS

3rd - 5th Grade GPS

Enjoy!

Friday Faith Builder

Deuteronomy 5: 16 states, “Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, so that you may live long and that it may go well with you in the land the Lord your God is giving you.”



God has named honoring our parents as one of the Ten Commandments. Often we think about our children honoring us (at least I do!:) but as adults, we are called to honor our parents, too. As Mother’s Day approaches this weekend, how can people of all generations focus on honoring their mothers? (If your mother has passed away, consider choosing a mother figure or other mother-like relative in your life and honor her in your mother’s memory.)


Write her a letter appreciating her unique qualities


Thank her for what she has taught you


Bring her flowers in her favorite colors and types


Spend time listening to her stories and wisdom


Schedule some time to share in an activity of her choosing


Ask her forgiveness for a time when you have hurt her


If appropriate, thank her for sharing her faith with you


Cook her some meals and put them in her freezer


Bake her favorite cake and sing, “Happy Mother’s Day” to her


Ask how you can pray for your mother and follow through by doing it


This Mother’s Day and every day, let us be faithful to fulfill God’s commandment to honor our mothers.

-Pastor Lisa