This week we discussed how the “friend” will come when Jesus dies.. the Holy Spirit will come to help us 1. recognize sin 2. point us to truth 3. make sense of Jesus and 4. help us honor and obey God
We talked about like having a baby may be hard, but there is joy after the pain.
ch 17. It is finally “time”
ch. 18 Jesus is seized in the garden. Judas points the Roman soldiers to the garden and shows them who Jesus is. Jesus finally says “I Am”.. which also mimics the moment God revealed himself to Moses in the burning bush as “I Am. Peter cuts off the ear of the guard and Jesus heals it. Peter denies Jesus 3 times before the rooster crowed.
We used paper plates and scrap florals/ things from the yard to make a garden of gethsemane.
We are going to be more intentional with Easter this year. I felt convicted about how much we focus on Christmas, but if Jesus had just been born and not died.. he would just be a man and my sin would still separate us from God. But our entire faith is based on the fact that he died and rose again conquering death and the grave so that I can receive the gift of intimate relationship with God and eternal life.
Here are some things we’ve done in the past and loved.. and some new things we are interested in doing this year!
Leading up to Easter there are a lot of Bible study plans available on you version bible app– here are 2 I found that i like. The first one is for younger ones (or kids that can’t sit that long) and it comes with a video. The 2nd one would be more for middle school and up.
seder placemat: have kids draw the people coming through the parted waters or baby moses in a basket
passover centerpiece: make a representation of the exodus using various crafts/ materials- we used lego people
seder plate: something that represents the bitterness of slavery (maybe grapefruit, salt and vinegar chips), the salty tears (salt water, capers,, God’s provision (egg), mortar for bricks (apple sauce, yogurt), passover lamb (chicken nuggets, turkey)- you can use ANY food to represent these things… or set them out in the center of the table
wine or juice (4 little cups): symbolizes freedom
matzo/ breaking of bread
fun games and things to represent plagues, music, red scarf over door step other ideas here (bowling the 10 plagues, passover detective (tell the story with some mistakes, and see if the detectives can find them, edible plague basket, seder grab-bag game etc)
5. Resurrection Party– This is the day our debt has been cancelled, that our savior rose defeating the death and the grave, conquering evil and shame, and gave us a new life in Christ. We should celebrate like no other!
Bingo cards– i print at office depot on cardstock! you can upload online and pickup curbside
music playlist – click here for my spotify playlist (rattle by elevation worship, homecoming by cory asbury, come out of that grave by bethel & brandon lake, living hope by phil whickham, man of sorrows by hillsong worship, graves into gardens by elevation worship, come alive by the belonging co.)
Jesus washes the disciples feet – I had the kids pick random cards- “W” for washer and blank for the person being washed. I set up bins with soapy water and set out chairs and towels. We hadn’t discussed the scripture yet, so it was funny to see how they reacted. I loved that each of it felt like how each disciple felt. Even Peter, who was like heck no.
Jesus confirms Judas will betray him and peter will deny him.
The new command to love one another.
Here’s a coloring page with clip art images from our reading
I printed some activity pages and coloring sheet for this lesson. We also had prizes for kids that volunteered to pray out loud for us. Every meeting, I’d ask someone to open or close us in prayer and i’ve explained how easy it is and it’s just talking to Jesus. So this time, I had some candy for those that volunteered… i’m hoping they will continue to gain confidence praying out loud in a group.
SUMMARY | John 11- The Death of Lazarus
Jesus’s friend Lazarus is sick and dying, but Jesus did not come right away. Going to see Lazarus meant death for him. The Jews were trying to kill him for healing on the Sabbath day. Upon receiving the message, Jesus says that this will not end in death and it will bring glory to God. On the 3rd day He says, “it’s time” to go to Bethany (where Lazarus was).
Martha goes out to meet Jesus and says he didn’t come in time. Then Mary. 11:35 “Jesus Wept.” (we emphasized that this is the shortest book of the Bible and it’s easy to memorize.) Jesus is super emotional. He has compassion and love for them. He hurts when we hurt. Jesus prays and then calls Lazarus out. He came out. (I asked all the kids to show me what face they’d have if they saw Lazarus come out. Many believed, but some went to tell the Pharisees.
Hey everyone! If you’ve found this post, you’re most likely interested in Bible Journaling! That’s awesome! This is my way of doing it.. I’m learning along the way what helps! Just doodling the Bible with your kids is doing Kingdom work! Right now, YOU are their main representation of Jesus. Our job is to point them to Him. You are prepping the soil of their hearts- making it rich with truth.
To start, there’s a video at the bottom that helps you see the over view of the first half of John .. I watched this and took notes. We have been doing a chapter a week.. the kids last about 30-40mins. Each week I read the passage (typically the Passion Translation or The Message) and find clip art images that go with the reading.(I attached a PDF you can use if you would like!)
To start, I tell the kids they can color the picture, they can cut it out and glue it in their bible or sketchbook, or they can draw it. They can draw something like it. They can draw nothing like it. Then we talk about colors and feelings. I ask what color would they use for mad? happy? sad? (They all have something different to say–which is fine!). They can underline words that stick out- like people/places/ actions. They can rewrite a verse. They can make bubble letters of a word and color it in or make designs. I keep a stack of paper, gel pens, colored pencils, markers, glue sticks, hole punchers, and different paper.
During discussion, I go super slow and have the kids pick out the image that might go with the word I’m saying or sentence i’m reading.
Last week, we incorporated episode 7 of “the chosen” at the end. It is free on Tubi network. It is about Jesus’s ministry and the calling of the disciples. We watched the one about Nicodemus.
Below you can find a summary for today’s reading.. and some downloads to color! Enjoy!
Ch. 4 (V1-42) is about Jesus cutting through Samaria on his way from Judea to Galilee. This was a place that was typically avoided by Jews. They were considered “bad” because they had married people outside of God’s chosen people. Jesus sits at a well, while his disciples went to get lunch. A woman approaches and he begins to tell her about his water that satisfies. He tells are about her past, and he tells her he is the Messiah. She tells her village about him and they all come to hear and believe, too.
Also, your kids will love learning about Jesus the most from YOU! It also helps keep you accountable in reading on your own. There’s nothing like sharing the Bible and making it come alive for your kids! You got this!
Getting towards the end of the year, I think about January Goals. They are pretty much always the same. I want to do something that starts the new year off feeling good. I want to gulp down veggies after indulging. I want to get excited about working out. I want to draw closer to God on a daily basis. I want to take care of my body, heart, and soul.
I have tried multiple cleanses or drinks (some much less $$$ than this one listed) but you can’t beat Living Kitchen’s drinks. If you look at the ingredients, most other juice cleanses contain SO much cucumber and are limited on taste. Living Kitchen’s is the perfect balance of veggie combined with just the right amount of sweetness. I felt energized all day long. And they are having a buy 2 get 1 free sale!
After drinking SO much coffee (or wine) to get through the season, these white strips work wonders on my teeth.
HSM Core. I’m obsessed. Combined with diet, I think it would be hard NOT to get abs taking this class. It is SO good. If you’re looking to tone, like interval training, and want a challenge this class is perfect. They have a good schedule, too.
I have already started this devotional. There are 365, and each day is about 1 page. It is very thought-provoking and a good start to my day. He also wrote a parenting book I highly recommend! (parenting with the 14 gospel principles). Hoping my husband and I can read that one together this coming year.
Steam cleaner. Need to refresh my carpets more often. We try not to wear shoes upstairs and not to have food/drinks, but sometimes you’re in survival mode and rules slip. I borrowed our neighbors, and now I’m ready to get my own. You need a whole day… and a babysitter ha!
Microblading. Brows are a must for me. I filled them in every morning, and that just takes so much time and precision! I decided to go with the semi-permanent microblading procedure after researching all the benefits. I drove to Natasha in Raleigh, because her portfolio was the best I had seen. You have one initial appointment (that lasts about 2 hrs) and then you come again 4-6 weeks later for another fill in or assessment. They last for up to 2 years. And if you get it done before the 2 year mark, she’ll do it again for half price! I LOVE getting up in the morning or after the shower!
I bought some things a long time ago from SheIn, but it took like a couple months to get here (from China? I think). I recently read a blogger post that said hers came in less than a week! It’s so cheap, I had to place an order and see what the deal was.
I got all of these items for around $115.. and it came in just a couple days!
oh hey little photo bomber! ha!
I love the emerald green color- so great for fall/ christmas time. It is my new “neutral” i’m introducing into my closet. This sweater is super warm.. I’m waiting for some cooler weather to wear it.. it’s a little too stuffy to wear inside and the material isn’t 100%.
Blush + Cranberry is my favorite holiday color combo right now.. I sent this color palette to all of my mini session clients this year and I can’t wait to see how it all looks! This shirt is obviously a fave.. and I love it paired with the Dorothy Perkins Skirt I got a couple years ago.
don’t mind my dusty mirror!
Blush + this cider color are so cute! I love this combo.. my only concern was the pockets on the rear are pretty high.. but for $9 i’ll keep it. This is a Medium for size reference and the sweater is once size fits all.
I love this yellow Dolman dress.. it looks more yellow/gold in person (and with better lighting).. I think i’m wearing this for our Christmas card photos with a black hat? Plus, it has pockets! I might have to get it hemmed though- it is sold out right now 🙁
From Pinterest
This sweater was the perfect color.. but the arm pits feel really low and I don’t really like that it feels like it might fall off.. i’ll probably send this one back because of the $26 price tag
Tried out this recipe from Half Baked Harvest in my vitamix and it was so delicious! I wasn’t sure how I would like this crazy combo of sweet potatoes, maple syrup, cayenne and cheddar. I was thinking it could be amazing or it could be weird.
I bought precut sweet potato chunks and roasted them earlier in the week with coconut oil and thyme (357 degrees for 45min) and kept them in the fridge until I was ready to use. It cut the recipe time down by so much– easily made in 20mins or so.
I did the maple syrup and cinnamon in a pot as directed, but I put the sweet potatoes and stock in my vitamix. Once the syrup was done, I poured it through the top along with the other ingredients (apple cider, thyme, nutmeg, stock, etc). Then I set the blender to the soup setting.
When it was done, I opted for the full fat coconut milk (substitution for cream and no bourbon) and blended for a few minutes at 4-8. Then added grass fed butter and cheddar through the top as it continued to blend.
I served with a piece of sunflower bread, but I definitely want to see if I can get my kids to eat it with those suggests cheesy cinnamon sugar twists! If not, who wants to come over? haha!
