Literacy and Language Development Ideas and Resources

Merry Christmas!

12/25/2016

Ornament:  Nativity Scene
Scripture Reading: Luke 2:1-10; John 3:16-17
Songs : Go Tell It on the Mountain, Joy to the World, Away in the Manger

Today is the day! Jesus is born! Today we celebrate Jesus becoming a little baby. You know, Jesus is different from us. He is God’s only Son – in fact, Jesus was alive when the world was created, living in heaven with God the Father. Jesus had been alive from the beginning of time, just as our Advent Jesse tree mentioned on the first day. But on Christmas Day, we celebrate His coming to earth as a baby in the manger!

    Do you remember how we talked about sin coming to the earth to spoil God’s perfect creation? God planned for Someone to come to take away that sin. Jesus, God’s Son, was willing to come and be our Savior. That’s why the angels sang so gloriously on that first Christmas Day! Jesus has come to take away the sin of the world!

   That sweet little baby lay in a manger – a feeding place for animals – in a stable, because the town was so crowded for the census that there were no rooms for Mary & Joseph at the inn.

    Sometimes in our lives, especially during the busy, beautiful Christmas season, there are a lot of people and activities that could make our lives too full to think about Jesus very much. But, if we realize how important Jesus is…believe in Him, ask Him to come lead you through life, He will! Let’s make sure to make room for Jesus in our hearts and lives! He is wonderful!

Welcome Jesus! Happy Birthday! Thank You for being willing to come to earth as a baby to be our Savior. Please help us remember to make room in our hearts and lives this Christmas, and every single day. We love You! Amen.

Merry Christmas!

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Advent: Looking into the Greatest BOok of All, December 16th

12/16/2016

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Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.
Ornament: A lamb & staff (Reminds us Jesus is our Good Shepherd)
Scripture Reading: John 10:11-16; Isaiah 40:11
Songs: The First Noel, Away in the Manger

Remember King David? If you remember, when he was a young man, he was a shepherd boy. He watched his father’s sheep, and even killed a lion and a bear to protect them! David was a musician, and he even wrote a song about being a shepherd – Psalm 23 in the Bible! David would do anything to take care of those sheep, protect them, and provide clean water and grass for them.

    You know, we have a Shepherd too. We have someone who protects us – like a Shepherd, tends to our needs – like a Shepherd, and knows each one of us by name – like a Shepherd. Jesus can even look right inside our heart, to know what we feel and believe. He is always watching over us, never sleeping, and he cares about each one of us so much.

     When we listen to him, and want to follow Jesus – we are His sheep! In the New Testament, Jesus says that He is our Good Shepherd. We can trust Him. No wonder we are anxious to celebrate the birth of Jesus – He certainly deserves celebrating!

Questions:

Do sheep need a shepherd? Why? What might happen if they don’t have one?
Do we need a shepherd? Why? What would happen if we didn’t know Jesus?

Prayer: Dear Good Shepherd, Thank You that you lead us, protect us, watch over us, and are always there to help us. Thank You for your care for me. I do trust You! In Jesus’ name, amen.

Looking Forward to Christmas!

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Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, December 15th

12/15/2016

1 Comment

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: A dove with a crown – (Because Jesus is the Prince of Peace!)
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 9:6-7; John 14:27
Songs: Hark the Herald Angels Sing, I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day, Let There Be Peace on Earth

For hundreds of years before Jesus was born, there were men called prophets that brought God’s message to the people of Israel. The prophets reminded the people of what God wanted them to do, to be good and kind. The prophets reminded the people to worship only God.

      But more than that, the prophets also reminded the people that God had promised them a Savior. The people of Israel could have hope for the future, no matter how many troubles they hand, because God was sending them a Savior.

     In the Old Testament, we can see how many different names the prophets called Jesus. They called Him Wonderful. They called Him Counselor. They called Him Mighty God. And, they called Him the Prince of Peace. Can you think of other names for Jesus in the Bible? (The Good Shepherd, Light of the World, Son of God, Son of Man..)

     See the dove in today’s ornament? That dove reminds us of peace. The dove is a very peaceful bird – not a predator (hunter), but gentle. And the crown? What do you think the crown means? (a king or a prince – a member of the royalty)

     We are so glad that Jesus is our Prince of Peace! Some kings here on earth want to lead their people into war, or to take over other countries. Only King Jesus comes to teach us to love and care for each other, and to live in peace.

     Questions:

When Jesus came as a baby, did he bring an army? (No! Although He had all of heaven's might angels to call, He came in peace.)
What does the dove in our ornament mean? Why? (The dove is a peaceful bird – gentle, not a hunter. It reminds us that Jesus is the Prince of Peace, and we are to be peacemakers.)

Prayer: Dear Lord, please help us remember that You are the Prince of peace, and only You can bring peace in our lives. Help us to follow You, and try to be like You, showing kindness & love and bringing peace. Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas,

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Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, December 14th

12/14/2016

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Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: The Lion & the Lamb - (Reminds us of Peace)
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:6-10
Songs: Joy to the World, Peace like a River, I’ve Got the Joy, Joy, Joy, Joy….

What do you see on this ornament? (Lion and lamb) Do they seem to be happy together? (yes) Is the lion hurting the lamb? Does the lamb look scared, like it is running away? (No) Is that what happens in the world today if a lion gets close to a lamb? (No!)

     Do you remember when we first talked about God’s creation, we said the world was perfect before sin came into the garden? When God first made the earth, the animals lived together peacefully. There was no fighting, or death, before sin.

     Well, one day, our world will be like that again. God will restore peace to the world. There will be no hunger or fear. Lions, lambs, wolves, rabbits, and even people will all live in peace. There won’t be any crime or sin or death. God will make all the creatures get along.

     You see, God still has a plan! Jesus is coming again, to reign over creation. In that peaceful world, all of God’s children will get along. There will be no more war and no more pain. What a wonderful place that will be for everybody! Until then, we should be peacemakers wherever we are in the world - at home, at school at work - and we can tell others about Jesus – our soon and coming King!

Questions:

When will the lion and the lamb be friends?
What is a peacemaker?
How can you be a peacemaker in your home, school, or work?

Prayer: Dear Heavenly Father, Please help us find ways to bring peace to our world. We look forward to the day when Jesus reigns in peace and there is no more hunger or fear anywhere. Thank you for loving us so much! Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas,

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Advent: Looking into the Greatest book of all, December 13th

12/13/2016

0 Comments

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: A stump with a green shoot and leaf
Scripture Reading: Isaiah 11:1-5, John 1:14a
Songs: O Come, O Come, Emmanuel; Mary, Did You Know?

God has a plan for EVERYTHING. Long before Jesus was born, long before even King Josiah was born, and long before David the shepherd-king was born …there was a young man named Jesse. Do you remember that name? He was the son of Obed–Ruth’s son! Jesse was Ruth’s grandson.

      Well, Jesse had seven sons, the youngest was David, who grew up to be the king of Israel. God had a great plan for David…and for David’s family!

       This man, Jesse, is where we get the name for our advent tree – the “Jesse tree.” You see, the stump of this ornament represents Jesse, and the green new leaf (can you guess?) … the green leaf reminds us of Jesus. Jesus is the new life that came from the old royal line of Israel.

     The old royal line of Israel was actually really evil. Josiah was the last good king. That family of kings was like a tree that God cut down. Israel was conquered by another country. They were taken captive – taken away.

     People waited a long time for the birth of a savior. We celebrate advent because we are waiting too! We are waiting for Christmas – the day we celebrate the birth of Jesus!

     It’s hard for us to wait for Christmas for a few more days. Can you imagine waiting for a savior for years and years - or lifetimes!? The people of Israel waited an awfully long time for the Messiah, the Christ – for Jesus!

Questions:

Who is the stump (Jesse)
Who is the green leaf? (Jesus)

Prayer: Dear God, thank You for sending Jesus. Thank You for always having a plan! We are so grateful for Jesus. Please help us live lives that are pleasing to You. Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas,

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Advent: Looking into the greatest book of all, December 12th

12/12/2016

1 Comment

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: A Scroll – (To remind us of when Josiah found the law!)
Scripture Reading: II Kings 23:1-3; Psalm 119:105
Songs: The B-I-B-L-E & Joy to the World

Psalm 119:105 says the Bible – God’s Word – is like a light for our path. That is an interesting thought, isn't it? The Bible is like a light that keeps us on the right path! Just like it would be hard to walk on a forest path without a flashlight or lantern to light the way, it is so much more difficult to walk through our lives without God's Word to show us how to live. God’s Word is so important to us. Can you imagine if we didn’t have it at all? How would we get to know God?

    Well, that was just what happened to a descendant of King David’s – King Josiah. Now, Josiah was only eight years old when he became king. That's why he is sometimes called "The Boy King." His father and his grandfather had been very wicked kings, and the people of Israel had stopped following God. In fact, Israel had completely forgotten God. They didn’t love God; they didn’t worship Him. They had started worshipping idols instead.

    King Josiah wanted to serve and worship God. He decided to send some men over to the temple to clean it up, so the people of Israel could worship God there again. While the men were cleaning up – guess what they found? An old scroll – part of the Bible!

    Their Bible had been lost a long time. When King Josiah opened the scroll, he realized that they should not have been worshipping idols all this time! He stood in front of everyone, and read the Word of God to them. The people were very sorry for their sins and turned back to worship God once again!

King Josiah brought God’s people back to Him…but he still couldn’t save them from sin. One of his descendants would come someday to do that – Jesus!

  Questions:

What important thing was found when King Josiah had the temple cleaned? (an old scroll which was part of the Bible)
Why does God want us to read His Word? (To know Him better)

Prayer: Dear Father God, thank You for Your Word that helps us to know you better. Help us understand and obey You through Your word. In Jesus’ name, amen.

Looking forward to Christmas,

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Advent: Looking Into the Greatest BOok of All,December 11th

12/11/2016

0 Comments

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: A Slingshot–(To remind us that David established the Royal Line)
Scripture Reading: I Samuel 16:1,13; 17:1-9, 40, 45-50
Songs: Only a Boy Named David, While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks

The little baby Obed we learned about yesterday grew up. He had a son named Jesse…and Jesse had a little baby boy named David. This little boy, David, was the youngest of his brothers, and he was trained to take care of his father’s sheep. David was strong, a good musician, and had a good heart.

     God had decided that this young shepherd boy would someday grow up to be the king over the people of Israel. One day, this young shepherd boy heard that a giant – a powerful giant – named Goliath had come to fight God’s people, Israel. All the soldiers were afraid of Goliath. Goliath was a fierce fighter, bigger and stronger than the other men. David was not afraid. He knew that God’s spirit was with him, and he went out – not with a spear, not with a bow and arrows – but with a little slingshot, the same slingshot he probably used to chase off the wolves and lions and bears who tried to bother his sheep. David put a stone in that slingshot, hit Goliath right where he aimed, and killed that giant fighter.

      Later, David became king because he obeyed God. He did sin, like all people. But while David sinned, he also told God he was sorry for his sin. In fact, he wrote songs about needing forgiveness. Some of those songs are now in our Bible, and are called Psalms! Through King David, Jesus was in the family line to be our King.

Questions:

Why were all the soldiers afraid of Goliath? (Because Goliath was so much larger and stronger than they were. Goliath had a reputation as a might warrior.)
Why wasn’t David afraid? (David knew that God was with him.)

Prayer: Dear God, thank you for the example of David. He went to battle when You said to do so, He repented when he was sinful, and he wrote beautiful Psalms in You Word. But even more than David the king, we thank you for our King – Jesus! Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas,

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Advent: Looking into the greatest book of all, December 10th

12/10/2016

1 Comment

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest Book of all.

Ornament: A Sheaf of Wheat – (To remind us of Ruth & Boaz)
Scripture Reading: Ruth 1:16; 2:5-17; 4:14
Songs: Jesus Loves the Little Children, or Go Tell it on the Mountain

Years after the people of Israel had entered the Promised Land, there was a woman named Naomi who wanted desperately to go home to the Promised Land again. She had left because of a drought.

     But Naomi had lost everything. Her husband and both her sons had died. One of her sons’ wives, Ruth, refused to leave her. Naomi had been living in Ruth’s country, far from her family. So when Naomi decided to go back to Bethlehem, Ruth went with her. She could have stayed in her own country with her father and family, but she chose to go to Bethlehem with Naomi. Ruth loved Naomi and did not want her to be alone.

     Ruth began to love God. She took care of her mother-in-law Naomi, and she worked in the wheat fields to get enough for them to eat. After the pickers harvested, Ruth would pick up the wheat that had been dropped or left behind. She worked hard every day. Out in the wheat fields, a man named Boaz saw Ruth. He admired her for coming to Israel to take care of Naomi.

   It turned out that because of the law in that day, Boaz was Ruth's "kinsman redeemer." That meant that he extended his protection and care over her. Boaz and Ruth were married and they had a child named Obed. Naomi & Ruth had family again – they were both so happy! One day, one of Obed’s descendants would be an even more wonderful child. Can you guess what his name will be? (Jesus)

Questions:

Why did Ruth leave her home and family to go with Naomi?
How did God provide for Ruth and Naomi? (Wheat, Boaz, Obed)

Prayer: Dear Father God, Thank You for the example of Ruth. She had absolutely nothing of value in this world except love. She gave love and care to Naomi, and by her kindness she honored You, God. Please help us to be loving, kind, and caring to our family and friends, too. In Christ’s name, Amen.

Looking Forward to Christmas,

1 Comment

Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, Dec.9th

12/9/2016

0 Comments

Dear Friends, I know we come from many different traditions and faiths, but for those of us who are reveling in the advent season, I thought it might be fun to post an advent tradition here that my family has enjoyed for years. We love to walk the kids through Scripture, helping them understand the cohesiveness of the Bible and its references to Christ from Genesis through the Nativity. If you would like to join us, I will be posting each day's devotion right here!
Each day consists of a short Scripture reading & devotion to discuss, a downloadble ornament for the kids to color and hang - either on your tree or on a garland somewhere - and a few songs to choose from. Many of the songs can be found in hymnals, if you play a musical instrument, but they can also be found on YouTube or Godvine - and it's fun to sing along! Finally, a prayer closes out this 5 minute time. This is a great start towards helping your children grasp the basic outline of the Greatest

Ornament: A cluster of grapes
Scripture Reading: Num. 13:1-2, 17-23, 27. Ps. 103:2
Songs: God is So Good, Showers of Blessing, Count Your Many Blessings, or Joy to the World

What is this? (Grapes) Have you ever seen a bunch of grapes that was so enormous that it would take TWO MEN to carry it? Wow – those would be BIG grapes!

    Well, after the people of Israel left Egypt, when they got almost to the land God had promised them, Moses decided to send twelve men into the land as spies. They were supposed to let the people know what was there. They saw those enormous grapes, for one thing! They brought them back for everyone to see.

    Two of the spies – Joshua and Caleb – told the people that the land was full of blessings God wanted to give them - big, juicy, blessings! But, guess what? Ten of the spies told the people of Israel that the enemy living in the land was too strong for them.

    The people of Israel were afraid. God told them to go in and take the land, but they were afraid. He told them He would take care of them, but they would not go. They disobeyed. They listened to their own fear, instead of listening to God.

    It took forty more years before the children of Israel obeyed and God took them into the Promised Land. Even though the people of Israel disobeyed, God was faithful to them. He waited. He still was planning to bring our great Savior Jesus out of this family!

     Questions:

Why didn’t the people want to go in to a land that was so full of blessing? (They were afraid.)
What is the cure for fear? (Really trusting in God)
What are some of the blessings God has given us?

Prayer: Lord, You are so good! Thank you for the blessings you give us! Please help us trust you more. Just like you led the children of Israel into the Promised Land, lead us every day. Amen.

Looking forward to Christmas!

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Merry Christmas!

Advent: Looking into the Greatest BOok of All, December 16th

Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, December 15th

Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, December 14th

Advent: Looking into the Greatest book of all, December 13th

Advent: Looking into the greatest book of all, December 12th

Advent: Looking Into the Greatest BOok of All,December 11th

Advent: Looking into the greatest book of all, December 10th

Advent: Looking into the Greatest Book of All, Dec.9th

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