7 Creative Ways Your Child Can Reflect On The Weekly Sermon

7 Creative Ways Your Child Can Reflect On The Weekly Sermon

  

Reading Time: 4 min 4 sec

 

Have you ever bemoaned the fact that your kids attend church on Sunday, only to forget what they learned by Monday? Have you ever desired to work with the church in the spiritual development of your kids but you don’t know how?

 

Parents are the primary spiritual influence in the lives of their children. Children learn experientially, and your living example teaches them (better than any sermon) what real relationship with God looks like.

 

However, we can’t raise them to know and love God in isolation. God created us to live in community with one another.

 

Hebrews 10:24-25 says, “And let us consider how we may spur one another on toward love and good deeds, not giving up meeting together, as some are in the habit of doing, but encouraging one another—and all the more as you see the Day approaching.”

 

Participating in the greater church community is foundational to the spiritual development of our children. However, it can be challenging (if not impossible) in a large group setting, with a limited amount of time to provide enough space for children to respond to the lesson.

 

At home, each kid has time to respond and reflect in a way that fits their personality without feeling rushed. This is crucial because it gives our children time to wrestle with the stories and ideas taught at church. And it allows room for the Holy Spirit to transform our child’s heart

 

It is so important that both the church and parents work together as a team in raising children who know and love God.   They each have critical roles to play in order for our children to grow in their walk with God.  We are truly better together.

 

So how do we partner with the church in raising children who know and love God?

 

Here are 7 creative ways to interact, reflect, and reinforce what was taught at church on Sunday morning.

1. Reflective Conversations

2. Time With God 

3. Act Out the Story 

4. Take A Breath

5. Talk To God 

6. Re-tell And Play

7. Art Experience 

 

 

1. Reflective Conversations 

 

Use the car ride home from church every week to talk about what was discussed at church. This is a great way to interact with what was taught while it is still fresh.

 

The point of this conversation is to allow your child space to listen and respond to God’s still, soft voice. Pose a question and give your child time to respond and don’t interrupt. This is all creating elbow room for the Holy Spirit to transform your child’s heart.

 

You can receive your own copy of 7 Reflection Questions to Ask Your Kids After Church below! These questions are a great jumping off place to help you have deep conversations with your kids (with zero prep). 🙂



 

 

2.  Time With God 

 

I would encourage you to sink into the story with your child. Don’t feel rushed. If led, spend an entire week on the passage. You can do this by reading the passage of scripture several times.

 

1st Time) Read the entire passage.

2nd Time) Pay attention to new perspectives

3rd Time) Ask God to highlight a word or phrase.

4th Time) Reflect on the word or phrase and ask the Father to speak to you.

 

Ask: What is the Lord inviting me into?  How can I respond?

 

3. Act Out The Story

Read the story through once, then act out the story together. This is an amazing way for children to not just read but actually interact with the story.  Any props that you find from around your house always make a fun addition.

 

Ask Questions Like:

a. What jumps out at you in this story

b. What do you think the main character was feeling?

c. Where do you see God at work in this situation?

4. Read and Imagine 

 

This is a great way for children who are easily distracted to enter into a Biblical story. When they interact with the story in a new way it reminds them that this isn’t a fairy tale but that it actually happened. By engaging with the story, as it is read aloud, children are free to engage their senses and imagine what it was like to actually be in the story.

 

Read the Bible passage to them slowly. Encourage your child to close their eyes and imagine that they are a part of the story.

Ask:

a. What can they see

b. What do they feel?

c. What do they hear?

d. What can they smell?

e. What do they taste?

5. Talk To God 

Find a place in your day when you are not rushed. Invite God’s presence and ask him to help you be present to him during this time.  Spend some time in silence (start with one to two minutes) just hanging out with God.

Tip: Set an alarm on your phone so you can also be present to God during this time instead of monitoring the time.

Close out your time of silence by praying for anyone the Holy Spirit brings to mind.

 

6. Re-tell And Play

 

Invite your child to re-tell the story in their own words using puppets, and dolls.  You can even have your children use popsicle sticks or paper bags and make their own puppets. This is another wonderful way to experience God at work in their own hearts and in the Bible.

 

7. Art Expression

This is a wonderful activity that can be used with children of all ages.  Invite God’s presence and ask him to highlight a word or picture in the passage.  Encourage your children to close their eyes (limits distractions) and listen to you read the passage slowly, twice.

Invite your child to draw, paint, or color whatever or image was highlighted for them. After they are finished spend some time talking about their creations.  

 

 

Grab your FREE Deeper Guide to The Beginners Life and join our community of moms who are hungry for more of Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their children.

 

What about you? What is your #1 issue when it comes to helping your children experience a life with God?   Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest!

 

How to Stop Abdicating Your Spiritual Role as A Parent

How to Stop Abdicating Your Spiritual Role as A Parent

  

Reading Time: 5 min 40 sec

 

As Christian parents we all want our children to grow up to know and love God. We want them to behave well, get good grades, and live a moral life. We believe that if we can only keep them in a church, they will develop a faith that will keep them from drugs, teenage pregnancy, and overall bad decisions.

 

We quickly fall into the trap of believing that it is the primary role of churches to develop the spiritual lives of our kids. Our feelings of inadequacy and perceived lack of time and energy drive us to make sure our children are being taught about God from the professionals.   

 

So we jump from church to church desperately trying to find a children’s program or youth group where our child can truly connect.  We find safety in the belief that our role begins and ends with a ride to church and money for summer camp.

 

This mindset is doing a great disservice to our families.  Studies have shown year after year that parents, (not youth pastors) are the number one influence in the lives of their children.

 

As a former youth pastor, let me be completely honest with you, it is impossible for pastors to raise children to know and love God because we only have them for an one maybe two hours a week.

 

There is a reason why God encourages us as parents to take a primary role in the spiritual life of our children. “Start children off on the way they should go, and even when they are old they will not turn from it.” Proverbs 22:6  A life with God is modeled for kids by their parents, who live life with them.  

 

The church still plays a crucial role in the spiritual development of your child. However, it was not meant to serve as the primary spiritual influence in their lives.

 

So how with all of our misgivings, inadequacies, failures, and humanness do we raise our children to know and love God? 

We are going to be talking about three ways that we parents can serve as the primary spiritual influence in the lives of our children.

1. A With God Life

 

2. You Are Not Alone

 

 

3. Take A Breath

 

 

1. A With God Life  

 

I was engaged in small talk at a birthday party, when another mother interjected, “Oh, my. Now I know where your children get it.” I looked at her puzzled, “Get what?” I ask. “Their manner of speech. They sound just like you.”

 

As parents, whether we like it or not, our children pick up not only our mannerisms, but our outlook on life. When we make our relationship with God a priority it sends the message (louder than all our rants) that God is to be taken seriously. 

 

Your actions literally speak louder than your words. When you make the choice to spend time with God, to pray, to wrestle with real-life problems with God in front of your children, you are helping to set the foundation for their spiritual development.

 

In Deuteronomy 6:6-9, Moses tells the Israelites to, “Write these commandments that I’ve given you today on your hearts. Get them inside of you and then get them inside your children. Talk about them wherever you are, sitting at home or walking in the street; talk about them from the time you get up in the morning to when you fall into bed at night. Tie them on your hands and foreheads as a reminder; inscribe them on the doorposts of your homes and on your city gates.”

 

When a life with God is a priority, not an afterthought, not something we work in into the margins of our lives, our children sit up and take notice.  When you live your relationship with God in front of them, you are giving them tools for the rest of their lives.

 

This can be as simple as natural conversations about God. Apologizing when you have blown it. And treating your spouse with respect.  Our children need us to care and invest in our own spiritual development.  Our life with God speaks louder than all the sermons in the world. Trust me, I should know. smile

 

2.  You Are Not Alone

 

Okay, before those feelings of discouragement and pressure threaten to overwhelm you know that you are not alone in this parenting journey. You don’t have to have all the answers (it’s better if you don’t). Woohoo!

 

God has given us the gift of the Holy Spirit. When we don’t even know that our child is struggling, he does. He knows exactly what our children need and when they need it. Our job is to partner with the Holy Spirit in inviting our children into a life with God. He is the one who works in their hearts as they come to know God.

 

“As they are ready, children construct or form their understandings for themselves, with the gracious presence, encouragement, and guidance of God’s Spirit.” Catherine Stonehouse and Scottie May, Listening to Children on the Spiritual Journey.

 

So how do we partner with God? We can do this by creating elbow room for the Holy Spirit to move. We can create opportunities by slowing down and inviting Gods to speak to our hearts, through prayer, quiet, conversation, and reflection.

  

3. Take A Breath

As parents, we need to understand that children learn by experience, not data. As much as we would like to fill their head with all these facts about God, they need to experience the lavish love of the Father, in order to have a living breathing relationship with him.

And so, the phrase, “Just because I said so” doesn’t work in the spiritual formation of your child. We need to allow them to wrestle with real-life issues. Information about God and the Bible is an important part of our faith. However, at this stage in their spiritual journey, experience is how they encounter a relationship with God.

 

“Children are most like adults in their feelings. They are least like adults in their thinking. More information does not make them think like us.” Catherine Stonehouse

 

When children have an actual relationship with God, they make decisions of faith. Here are some practical tips to create elbow room for the Holy Spirit to speak to your child. 

 

 1. When reading a Bible story or passage do not be quick to point out the moral. Allow your child space to think about the story. Trust that the Holy Spirit is planting seeds.

 

2. Model talking to God like a friend. Trusting him with the little and big stuff of life. All throughout the day. No deep voice required. smile 

 

3. Spend some time in silence.  Tell your child that you are going to spend some time being quiet and just spend time with God. Remind the children that he is present with them right now.

Pray and Invite God’s presence and allow for a short period of silence (start with a minute). Close with a short prayer.

Talk to your child about their experience. If they didn’t experience anything, let them know that it happens. Tell them that they brought God great joy by showing up to spend time with him.

 

4. Allow your child to interact with the story in a variety of ways. You can use toys, puppets, food, drama, books, and art etc.

If you want to know how to get started in living a deep life with God; grab our Deeper Life Beginners Guide (below). And join our community of moms who are hungry for more Jesus in their lives and in the lives of their families. 


 

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

Amazing And Affordable Curriculum Ideas for First Grade

  

Reading Time: 10 min 32 sec

 

I don’t know about you, but I love planning for a new school year.  It can feel like a treasure hunt as I comb through various places to find just that right tool to help learning come alive for my child.  I have compiled a list of my favorite resources for a Pre-K and 1stGrade student below.

 

As interest-led, eclectic homeschoolers, we seem to thrive on borrowing from all the different homeschooling approaches and blending it up into something that fits our family just right.  (Yes, it does sound like we are the smoothie of the homeschooling community).  

 

I have found that boxed curriculum doesn’t work for my family. I would find a curriculum that I thought would be a good fit, shell out a couple hundred dollars, only to find to out that I loved the math, was “ehh” about the social studies, and absolutely hated the language arts program.

 

I came to understand that I know my child, I know their strengths and weaknesses, I know the vision and values of my homeschool, and I have found that I am the best person to hand select curriculum. By choosing your own curriculum, you also get a lot more control over the price tag.

 

Our goal is to foster a love of learning in our children. We do that by surrounding them with stacks of beautiful books, interest-led unit studies, interesting people, a plethora of games, real-world experiences, and tons of time spent outdoors.

 

We do use some textbooks, but we don’t feel compelled to finish each one for the sake of completion. We watch carefully for signs of burnout, and might switch to a different tool or resource midway through the semester.

 

We also try to “teach” most subjects together as a family (with the exception of reading lessons).  My children are close enough in age that this really worked well for our family. I say “teach” because a lot of what we do is very interactive, so it also fits our Pre-K child’s attention level.  I have never put together a formal teaching plan for Pre-K because I found that they pick up what they need to know just by living life. smile

 

Here is an overview of some of our top affordable curriculum resources for a 1stgrade (and Pre-K) student.  I have only listed the resources that we have LOVED!

 

I hope this serves as some inspiration for your homeschool adventures this fall! Happy Treasure Hunting! 

 

1.    Language Arts

2. Mathematics

3. Science

4. Social Studies

5. Bible 

6. Art & Music 

1. Language Arts 

Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons

 

This is such a stress-free, zero prep, way to teach a child to read. This book employs the steady, drip, drip, drip mentality. IT WORKS! I love how this book includes not only reading but writing lessons as well.  Worth its weight in gold! 

Poetry For Young People

This is an entire series, that we have used as a part of our weekly poetry tea times. Each book is a compilation of age-appropriate poems from famous poets throughout the years. The Emily Dickenson book was our favorite.

 

Read-Aloud Rhymes For the Very Young

This was a fun book that I would use in addition to the Poetry for Young People series as a part of our poetry tea time.  This book really helped to spark an interest in poetry in my children. They found it very engaging and often hilarious.

 

Cahier d’ecriture-Handwriting

I have always loved the beautiful style of handwriting from France. This book is all in French (you don’t need to know French to use it) and it teaches the fundamentals of great handwriting.  My children have used it a little bit each day and it has so improved their handwriting skills. 

 

 

Story Cubes

 

This is a fun game that uses visual prompts to help foster the imagination and inner storyteller in your child. There are nine cubes with six images on each cube. Each person rolls the cubes and creates a story based on the images. My children have laughed their way through this game.

Reading

 

We read literally hundreds of books, so it would be impossible to list them all. Here are a couple of our top favorites from this past year.

 

A World Full of Animal Stories

 This is a beautiful book full of folk stories from different countries around the world. This book not only sparked great discussions but also introduced the children to different cultures and ways of thought.  One of my children literally couldn’t get enough of this book. Win!

Favorite Audio Books

 

Audiobooks are my favorite way of not only expanding my children’s vocabulary but introducing them to great literature. Children can comprehend far above their own current reading level when they don’t have to take the time to sound out the words. Start small with Curious George, Madeline, or Amelia Bedelia, and transition into longer books like A Bear Called Paddington.  I have found that Audiobooks (when you have young children) work really well in the car when you have a captive audience.

 

Foreign Language

 

YouTube was our friend this year. We loved utilizing a Year of French with Tonton videos.

2. Math

Logic Lollipop Series

 I knew I wanted a supplement to our many logic games. WOW, these books are image-based, fun and perfect for young children. We actually went through the entire series in one year (there are three books) because my children were obsessed with it. LOVE!

 

 

Math Workbooks

We used several math workbooks that I grabbed from our local Dollar store. The workbooks were not necessary (we teach math many different ways) but my kids asked for them, so why not!  They were short, fun and covered the basics of simple math.  You can’t beat $1.00 for a math workbook! 

Life of Fred Series 

Is an amazing alternative to a traditional math book. Written in story form, it follows the adventures of a 5-year-old prodigy named Fred who shows children how math applies to real life.  At the end of every chapter, there are several math questions that pertain to the lesson for your child to answer. My children love this series and beg for more “Fred, Please”!

Games

Here is a list of our favorite math games from this year.

Math Picture Books

(Check out this article for a list of our favorite Math Picturebooks)

  1. Science

The Periodic Table: Elements With Style  

My children wanted to learn more about the Periodic Table thanks to a Magic School Bus Episode on Chemistry. This is a fun book that has one-page profiles for each of the elements. My children loved finding the elements on the Periodic Table each day. Great Resource!

Magic School Bus Chemistry

This kit sparks a love of chemistry. It includes 51 experiment cards and tools, and an observation notebook to record results. You do have to provide some of the supplies. My kids had so much fun conducting experiments. This is a great way to encourage a love of science.

Games

 

Wildcraft

Wildcraft is a group game where players learn how to identify wild herbs. This is a cooperative game where everyone works together to travel to the top of the mountain to collect Huckleberries for Grandma.

Throughout the game, players run into various first aid crisis, and they learn how to identify 27 different wild plants and how they can be used to treat various medical issues.  This a great game that my children have played again and again.

Here are some more of our favorite STEM games.

DVDs

Here are our favorite shows that spark a love of Science. Animated Hero classics has dvds for a number of different scientists.

 

4. Social Studies

Around the World Stories

We LOVE AWS! This 30-minute audio story series focuses on a new country and culture every four weeks. It combines geography, social studies, history and language arts in an engaging format that sticks with your children.

This has been one of the best resources I have ever purchased for homeschooling. My children ask MULTIPLE times a day to listen to their favorite stories. You can choose from three different packages (Europe, Asia and Artist series).  It also includes a parent guide for additional resources. LOVE!!

 

Give Your Child the World: Raising Globally Minded Kids One Book At A Time

 This book is a must-have resource for every homeschooling family. It is an amazing time saving tool that helps you gather the best children’s literature from around the world. It is full of curated book lists that are based on age range (4-12) and organized by country.

Draw Europe

This is a wonderful (and FUN) step by step tool to not only memorizing but learning how to draw Europe. We used this book over a semester and would draw a couple of countries a day. It has been amazing to see how much my child has become familiar with European geography. This is only one book in an entire series on different countries and continents

Games

DVDS

Travel With Kids

We LOVE this series. In Travel with Kids, you follow a family with two little boys who travel all over the world.  Children are exposed to different cultures all from the comfort of home. My children want to travel the world due to this series.

4. Bible

My First Hands-On Bible

I appreciated this children’s version of the Bible because instead of paraphrasing it actually uses Biblical text.  This was a well-loved Bible for many years.

 

Praying In Color Kids Edition

Have you ever heard, “But I don’t want to pray? I don’t know what to say? I’m embarrassed to pray out loud?” This is a revolutionary resource for children who want another try another way to spend time with God. 

The author Sybil Macbeth gently leads children in understanding what prayer is, common prayer problems, how to pray, and step by step of how to pray using art.  Love it!

DVDS

What’s In the Bible Series

These videos are part of a 13-part series that helps kids big picture look at the Bible as a whole. Phil Vischer (the creator of Veggie Tales) pulls out all the stops as he invites kids to wonder, explore and discover the Bible in a whole new way. It is full of fun characters, interesting questions, great animation, and of course fun music.

 

Nest Bible Animated Classics

We have really enjoyed the Animated Bible Classics. These videos are a great complement to devotional time as they allow children to see Bible stories happen right before their eyes. There are thirty-six different stories and they are geared towards ages kindergarten-third grade.

Picture Books

The Boy And The Ocean

 Oh, my word, hands down, probably my favorite Christian picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, the words are life-changing, and what an amazing book to pull out at bedtime.   The story draws parallels between Gods creation and his vast love for his children.

God’s Great Love for You

 This book is all about Gods overwhelming love for his kids told in such an imaginative way. Written by Rick Warren, the book shows a young girl on different adventures discovering God lavish love. The illustrations are adorable and though the book can be read to girls and boys, the book is specifically geared towards young girls.

Shh… God Is In the Silence

This book is a great introductory book to one of the ways that we hear God’s voice in the silence. In a time where we value filling up every available moment with something, this counter-cultural book reminds us that God was in “a gentle, quiet whisper”.  (1 Kings 19:11-12).

  1. Art-Music

The Amazing Musical Instruments

This book is very comprehensive and is a wonderful foundation for understanding the history and sounds of major instruments.

This resource really breaks down the parts of a classical orchestra into bite-size pieces and allows you to really appreciate the contribution of each instrument.  This is an interactive book that comes with a CD-ROM so you can hear different sounds and songs from different instruments.

Impressionism By Linda Bolton

This is a great behind the scenes look at Impressionism. Each artist has one or two pages full of background info, and samples of their most famous works of art. We would focus on one or two artists a day and then supplement with more hands-on activities. Great resource!

 

Games 

Van Gogh and Friends Art Game

This is a fun memory game that focuses on Post-Impressionists.  We use this as a memory game, although it is designed to be played like Go Fish or Concentration.   It really helps the kids learn the names and works of art of the different artists. It covers Van Gogh, Gauguin, Cezanne, Seurat, Rousseau, and Toulouse-Lautrec.

CDS

Classical Kids Series

This is a phenomenal series!  You get to know different classical composers, through a captivating story set to that composers’ music. This series has helped spark curiosity, and a love of classical music in the hearts of my children.  We listen to this series, again, and again!

 

Beethoven’s Wig

This is a great sing-along series set to classical music. The lyrics are filled with facts about the composers and are hilarious.  My children can now identify classical music because of this amazing series.

Kids Meet Composers

This cd covers twenty different songwriters and their most famous pieces. Each song starts with a dialogue between the narrator and children, where you learn some history and fun facts about the composer. This is an amazing resource if you are studying various composers.

 

Picture Books

 

Anholt’s Artists-Laurence Anholt

This author through fun stories brings to life famous artists throughout history. We have learned so much about art and history from this series. I love this series because the author does an amazing job of sparking curiosity, and a love of art in children.

 

Katie and Ella Bella Series By James Mayhew 

James Mayhew is another great author/illustrator that makes classical art, and ballet accessible for kids. They will never see art as boring after growing up reading his stories about the adventures of Katie and Ella Bella.  The illustrations from the Ella Bella Ballerina series are stunning. An amazing resource for helping children engage in and love art history.

Drawing Books

DVD

 

 What about you? What are your favorite ways to foster a love of learning at home?  If you try any of these resources, let us know! Leave a comment, and don’t forget to follow Most Important Workon Pinterest!

 

 

12 Kid Approved Gifts that Focus on the True Meaning of Easter

12 Kid Approved Gifts that Focus on the True Meaning of Easter

  

Reading Time: 4 min 56 sec

One of my most favorite memories growing up is visiting my grandparents’ house and participating in a massive scavenger hunt to find my very own Easter basket. Even though the basket was pretty much always hidden in the dryer, it was an amazing time of fun, excitement, and it ended with a basketful of chocolate!  

 

As a follower of Jesus’ the celebration of Easter is the most important day of the year. Jesus death and resurrection are foundational to our faith.   If Easter is so important, what are we communicating to our children when we condense it down to fancy outfits, beautiful eggs, and tons of candy?

 

I am not saying banish your Easter traditions. Instead, what I am saying is that what if we intentionally moved the focus from candy to Jesus? Can you imagine our children experiencing Jesus’ over the top love for them as they come to appreciate his sacrifice on the cross in a whole new way?  

 

Children go deeper in their faith, and own their faith through experiential learning. By watching you, experiencing life in a family and church context, they are being told each day what is really important.  Easter is a huge opportunity to pour into the spiritual lives of our children. So how do we do that?

 

Intentionally invite Jesus into what you are already doing. Instead of giving an Easter basket or gift, full to the brim with chocolate, what if you included some items that would turn your child’s eyes towards Jesus?  Instead of hurrying past Lent without much of a thought, what if you took some time to journey through an Easter devotional or watched a video of Jesus’ death and resurrection together as a family?  These small steps make a POWERFUL impact on the lives of your children.

 

Today, we are going to be talking about twelve amazing resources that you can use to help turn your family’s eyes towards the true meaning of Easter this year!

 

1. Devotionals 

2. Toys 

3. Books 

4. Journals

5. Art 

6. DVD’s

 

 

Good Dirt by Lacy Finn Borgo

1. Good Dirt: Lent, Holy Week & Eastertide

This is the BEST devotional I have found yet for kids during Easter. The devotional is very doable for each day (it’s about a half a page). The devotional covers Lent, Holy Week and Eastertide and is written from an evangelical perspective.

I really appreciate how each devotional is broken into four sections:

– Till (Prayer)

– Plant (Meditate on Scripture)

– Water (Reflect)

– Weed (Examine)

As you travel through lent, this is a great resource to serve as the foundational piece of your day.

Jesus Doll

2. Jesus Doll

My children LOVE this doll! They sleep with it every night and it serves as a tangible reminder that Jesus is always with them. One of my children told me, “I know I don’t have to be afraid (of the dark) because I hold my Jesus doll and remember that Jesus is in the room with me.”  This doll is perfect for a young-elementary child because it is not huge and will be easy to carry around.

The Jesus Storybook Bible

3. The Jesus Storybook Bible

 This is a phenomenal paraphrased Bible for kids. The text is age appropriate, the illustrations are captivating, and the overarching story focuses on God’s never ending, never giving up, always and forever love for his kids.  I have read what feels like HUNDREDS of Bibles (okay, a little overdramatic here) and I haven’t found one yet that comes close.

4. A Picture of Jesus

This is huge!  When you place a special picture of Jesus with a child or a lamb in your child’s room it is a daily reminder that Jesus is always with them. It is also a huge reinforcement that Jesus is priority in the life of your family.  For years, we have asked our children, Who is that that lamb that Jesus is holding? And they shout out, that’s me!

5. The Boy And The Ocean

“God’s love is like the ocean, my little boy,” she said. “It’s always here. It’s always deep. It never ends. God’s love is special.”

Oh my word, hands down, probably my favorite Christian picture book. The illustrations are beautiful, the words are life-changing, and what an amazing book to pull out at bedtime.   The story draws parallels between Gods creation and his vast love for his children. I love how Max Lucado, portrays parents who include God in everyday life. Both boys and girls will love this book.

God's Great Love For You by Rick Warren

6. God's Great Love For You by Rick Warren

This book is all about Gods overwhelming love for his kids told in such an imaginative way. Written by Rick Warren, the book shows a young girl on different adventures discovering God lavish love. The illustrations are adorable and though the book can be read to girls and boys, the book is specifically geared towards young girls.

Writing To God Kids Edition

7. Journal - Writing To God: Kids Edition

This book is an amazing and creative resource full of journal prompts that guide children in learning how to talk to God.  This book has 35 different prayer journal exercises and it covers prayer topics on events that happen during the day, emotions, praise, thanks, pain, and using their five senses.  Your child comes to find out that you can speak to God about EVERYTHING, and has actually practiced doing just that throughout the book. Love it

Praying in Color Kid's Edition

8. Journal - Praying in Color - Kid's Edition

Have you ever heard “But I don’t want to pray? I don’t know what to say? I’m embarrassed to pray out loud?” This is a revolutionary resource for children (and adults) who want to try another way to spend time with God.  The author, Sybil Macbeth gently leads children in understanding what prayer is, common prayer problems, how to pray, and step by step of how to pray using art. This has been an amazing resource for children and students who have felt inadequate or have had a hard time concentrating when it comes to prayer. Love it!

The Bible Doodle Book - Amazing Bible Pictures You Can Complete and Create!

9. Journal - The Bible Doodle Book

This doodle book has 100 unfinished drawings and stickers for children to complete.  I love it because the children can use the prompts to help them complete the drawings. You can use the drawings/prompts as a complement to your daily family devotions. A creative way to engage with the Bible!

Blank Journal

10. Journal

Choose a journal (with no lines) for your child to write or draw prayers that can be especially for this Lenten season.  After a lot of searching, the best journals seem to be found at your local craft store. Let me know if you find a great journal somewhere else!

The Animated Passion Trilogy

11. DVD - The Animated Passion Trilogy

This is a great visual retelling of the Easter story for preschool-elementary age kids. Something about a video allows the children to really experience the life of Jesus in a whole new way.

Matthew - Visual Bible

12. DVD - Matthew: Visual Bible DVD

This is a wonderful movie for older elementary children who are emotionally ready to watch the crucifixion and resurrection. It is not as graphic as the Messiah but I would still preview it ahead of time to make sure your kids are ready for it.

How to Choose Home Decor that Sparks a Love for Jesus

How to Choose Home Decor that Sparks a Love for Jesus

  

Reading Time: 4 min 39 sec

Have you ever walked into someone else’s house and knew what they were about with once glance? 

 

I will never forget when my husband and I went house hunting many years ago. We entered a home and in a couple of rooms, there were small crosses above the doors. They were small and not in your face, but you noticed them, and immediately you knew that faith was important to this family.

 

Whether it’s your favorite sports team, your children, miniature trains or the latest design trend, your house speaks volumes about who you are and what you value.

 

I have always resisted putting up “religious” décor in my house. For one, I was totally traumatized growing up in the era of glass figurines and sappy Christian art. I also didn’t want my house to feel dated and not fit my design “aesthetic”. Ha! So I totally dismissed “religious” art as a) something old people do and b) something I would never do… until two things happened.

 

1) My husband mentioned that he wished we had some art that reminded us of our faith in our home. That conversation went over well.  (SHOCK and HORROR were my reactions. Did I even know my husband?! )

 

2) We had kids… 

 

It’s amazing the lengths we will grow and stretch all for the sake of these helpless babies. I was reading a book on the spiritual development of children and a point the author made really jumped out at me.  She said that “Pictures have a powerful impact on children, and it is important for parents to know what they are seeing.” Catherine Stonehouse, Joining Children on the Spiritual Journey.

 

Children are experiential learners, you can tell them what to believe and how to walk it out, but that advice only becomes formational through experience and the power of the Holy Spirit.  My thoughts were immediately drawn back to my previous conversation with my husband. 

 

What would it look like if the items in our home were a constant reminder to

turn our eyes towards Jesus? 

 

There are so many things that distract us from spending our time on the most important thing, a love relationship with Jesus.  I wanted my children to grow up  knowing from the time they were born that they were deeply loved by God AND experiencing his lavish love for them.

 

I realized that I could partner with where my children were at developmentally by intentionally choosing items that communicated our family’s values, and the importance of a relationship with Jesus in our lives.

 

With the help of the Holy Spirit, we can begin the process of turning our homes into havens. A safe place where after a long day we can come and refocus our attention on Jesus.

 

What does a haven look like for you?

 

Shocker of shocker my life was transformed by having these little objects as reminders to STOP throughout my day and refocus my attention on Jesus.

 

As always, let’s get practical about how to make this happen in real life. We are going to be talking about how to:

  1. Intentionally Evaluate

 

2. Create Beautiful Empty Spaces

 

3. Make a Visual Spiritual Road Map

 

So let’s get started! 

1. Intentional Evaluation 

 

When I first started this process, I walked through my house and took a hard look at the general makeup of each room; what was on the walls, the decorations, the furniture etc.  

I asked myself these questions:

 

  1. What story does this room tell?
  2. Does that story align with our family values?
  3. Do I need to remove or add something from/to this room?
  4. Does this item/room spark joy or draw my heart towards Jesus?

 

You need to go through the process of asking yourself these questions otherwise you will be sending conflicting messages to your family and others.

 

What do the items in your home tell you

about your family values?

 

2. Create Beautiful Empty Spaces

I realized after walking through my home that I had bought a number of things just to fill a spot. The items were nice but they did not especially bring me joy, they were just …there. 

 

I am talking about the ascetics of a room not how many ice cream scoops you have crammed into that drawer.

 

Remove items that either:

a) Don’t fit your values

b) Don’t draw your heart towards Jesus

c.) Don’t bring you joy

 

Give yourself a pat on the back! Woohoo! You are that much closer to creating a space that is rich with meaning.   

 

Do not rush to fill those empty spaces, but practice patience by waiting to find the perfect item for that spot (or no item at all).

I actually had a number of bare walls (in my main living spaces) and spots in my house after completing this exercise.  It was actually a challenge for me to be okay with having an “unfinished” space. 

Prepare yourself to have conversations with friends and family who want to know if you are redecorating? 🙂   It is always a fun conversation to talk about how you are in the process of creating a haven for your family.

 

 3. Make a Visual Spiritual Road Map

The word curate as a verb means to, “to collect, organize, select and take charge of”.  I encourage you to see yourself as the curator of a gallery, lovingly choosing each work of art with care.  These items do not fall into your hands overnight, it is a journey.  

 

I would look for items that have a personal story, spark joy or draw your heart to Jesus. For instance, it could be a landscape that reminds us of God’s creation or my child’s artwork from Sunday school. Each piece will look different, feel different, but as long as it turns my/or my child’s eyes towards Jesus it accomplishes its goal.  When you do add pieces intentionally place them in high traffic areas around your house. 

 

Some Ideas* to get you started: 

*Etsy is a great starting place for finding specific and one of a kind décor.

  1. Pictures of Jesus with Children  (place in kids rooms)
  2. Landscapes
  3. Stars
  4. Toys
  5. Crosses
  6. Candles
  7. Photos or Mementos
  8. Rocks or Tactile Objects
  9. Wall Art

 

Over time you begin to create a visual spiritual roadmap in the rooms of your home.

I can walk through my house noticing specific items and reflecting over where I/or my family was in our journeys towards Jesus when I chose that item.  It’s a beautiful reminder of how God has been at work in the quietness and craziness of our ordinary days.

What about you? What are your favorite ways to curate an atmosphere of Joy and Jesus?  Please feel free to leave me a comment and don’t forget to follow Most Important Work on Pinterest

 

Want to Dive in Deeper? Check out these Resources:

 

  1. Liturgy of the Ordinary – Tish Harrison Warren

  2. Organized Simplicity – Tsh Oxenreider you try any of these activities, let us know! Leave a comment, and don

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