Debbie and Glady discovered that they were both preparing the same lessons, Gladys for Father’s Day in Peru, and Debbie for a mini -Vacation Bible School in St Bernard Parish, LA.
Enjoy teaching the children The Wise Man and the Foolish Man song (Matthew 7:24-27) in English and Spanish; plus, learn lyrics to go with Psalm 1 too.
Scripture records the story of young King Rehoboam, King Solomon’s son, who began to reign after Solomon’s death. The people of Israel wanted to know how he would lead the country. He sought the council of the elders and then he sought the council of his buddies? Whose council do you think he followed?
If you guessed his buddies, you are correct. This led to the majority of Israel rebelling against the king except for the tribe of Judah. It’s not wise to listen to the council of the less experienced, especially in important matters.
When I was just learning how to live life as an independent adult, I faced a challenge in my life. I struggled and worried about what to do for days and weeks. Finally, one day, I saw a Bible verse on the front page of the Mobile Press Register (back in the day when it was a regular feature). The scripture verse said, “Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct your paths.”
I tore the verse out of the paper and tacked in to my wall above the stove. I purposed in my heart that I would live by that verse and trust God with my problem. As I committed my life to trusting God, suddenly a transformation happened in me and also my environment around me. Instead of worrying and fretting, I had peace and rest. Instead of bitterness and revenge, I had love and forgiveness. Wow! What a difference looking to God for guidance made in my life.
This verse is a passage that the Lord brings to my remembrance time and time again as I face challenging situations in my life. What a blessing to know I don’t have to take matters in to my own hands, I can rest and trust in the guidance the Lord gives me.
How do I get that guidance? We can talk more about that next week!
I encourage you, when you face a major life issue, don’t look to social media or YouTube videos for advise look to the Lord! You cannot go wrong!
Here’s a wonderful way to help kids remember the 10 Commandments.
Dear Family,
Last week we talked about the Shema and God’s message to “Listen-up!” Why is God’s Word so important? You can find 176 reasons why in the longest chapter in the Bible, Psalm 119. All 176 verses of Psalm 119 emphasizes the value of reading, knowing, and meditating on God’s Word.
Did you know? In the original Hebrew language, Psalm 119 was an acrostic poem divided in the 22 Hebrew consonants. So the first letter of verses 1-8 each began with ‘aleph, verses 9-16 began with beth… and so forth, making it easy for Hebrew children to memorize.
Phil challenges folks to memorize the entire Psalm 119 for a nice reward. Are you interested? So far, Phil has no takers. However, if anyone is interested, Michael, has a head-start, I taught him Psalm 119:105 when he was just four- years old.
Psalm 119:105 is a favorite passage. When this passage was written, a lamp was very important to help one along paths in the evening. In biblical days, they had no street lights or electricity. The lamp helped folks on their journey one step at a time.
That’s how God’s Word benefits our lives too. Whatever challenges or trials you are facing; God’s Word can light your path. Spending time in God’s Word each day and committing verses to memory, will give you a treasure of wisdom coming from the creator of the universe.
For example, Phil is still dealing with serious pain seven weeks out from his back surgery. We would have fallen into depression, despair, or discouragement had it not been for the comfort and support of God’s Word plus family and friends praying for us.
Tip: Teach Psalm 119:105 to your child, watch the above video to learn motions to help make learning fun.
Challenge: Memorize Psalm 119:105 and Deuteronomy 6:4-7, begin storing the treasure of God’s Word in your heart.
Once, Ethan (our son), left us with a gift of FOUR cases of Forever Sharp paring knives. We used them as gifts for a very long time! Now, we only have two left. Do you need one? lol
The knives remind me of a passage in the Bible called the shema found in Deuteronomy 6:4-7. Shema is a Hebrew word meaning listen up. When you say, “Listen up,” to someone you are implying that what you are saying is important. God is saying, “Listen up,” to us. God wants us to know that hearing His Word is of great importance not for Him but for us. Also, He instructs us to diligently teach His Word to our children. As a mom, grandma, and great-grandma, I to want to testify to my kids of what a treasure God’s Word is for us all. I know we can all learn and grow together.
The knife reminds me of this passage because of the word, diligent in the passage (some translations use the word impress). Diligent is translated from a Hebrew Word that implies to sharpen, whet, or hone. The Forever Sharp knife never needs sharpening but we are not like the knife! We get dull (spiritually) doing life… working… watching videos…playing video games. We need to take time to sharpen our spiritual life through God’s Word and prayer.
How can we do that? Spend time each day reading God’s Word, memorizing Gods Word, and encouraging each other. We can share a verse of scripture, something we’ve learned at church, or even saw on a Christian YouTube video. All these efforts will help hone us or sharpen us and others (especially our love ones) in the world we live in.
Tip for children: With children, we teach verse 5 using motions for Lord (point up), heart (form heart a heart shape with your hands), strength (hold both arms up like flexing your muscles), Deuteronomy (hold palms together facing upward like an open book), 5:6, (hold up fingers for six and five). What a great verse for kids to memorize!
Challenge: If you haven’t already, download the YouVersion application. The app has great resources to help you explore and discover God’s Word. We LOVE the One Year Bible Reading plan and use it daily.
Thank you so much for your support for GiveNOLA 2021. Read our 2021 report here:
One special treat for GiveNOLA 2021 was the opppurtunity to participate in the CEF 2021 Internaitonal Conference. At the conference, we connected with Lyn Oerting (Longbeach, MS) and Gladys Burgos (Lima, Peru). Watch this brief video to hear one way GiveNOLA Day donations make a difference.
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