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CAMP NOAH IS THE PLACE TO BE!!!
"See" ya in a week!! |
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or not, but I’ll update either way.
VBS: In my opinion, it went very well. I had nine kids my first night. I must admit to being quite on edge that night, and I’m not sure why; but by the end of the evening, it had gone well, and I was settling down a bit. There were anywhere from six to eight students for the following four sessions. I hope it taught them a few things. To be honest, I wasn’t sure I had it in me when I first agreed to take on the task. Now that it’s over, I’m so glad we did it. It encouraged me a lot and gave me a much needed lift. I so appreciated our parents who supported the effort. A lot of hours went into the prep, so it’s nice to be able to actually use what you’ve prepared. I am sorry for some who were sick and were unable to attend. I saved all their handouts and gave them to their mothers. I hope they enjoyed going over it at home.
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OUTING WITH DAD: My day out with my dad went very well. We visited with six shut-ins in all and enjoyed lunch together. It was NOT Cracker Barrel this time. (BOO!) He had a craving for a salad bar. When we couldn’t find a Golden Corral (which is what he wanted), we settled for Big Boy. Their salad bar was pretty good. I have since found the Golden Corral near us, so I hope we can have another day. He had so much energy that day, but the last two or three have not been as good. He’s very tired and isn’t sure why. Despite that, he pushed himself to both services yesterday and a visit to a funeral home for a member who passed away.
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NEXT UP: Camp NOAH. I can’t believe we leave on Saturday, and I have almost nothing prepared. I put together some thoughts for evening cabin devotions; but now that VBS is over, it’s time to start baking. I exercised first this morning, and then I headed out to purchase supplies. I think I’m ready to start. It doesn’t seem quite so hot in the house today, so timing is perfect.
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AFTER THAT: It’s back to work for me already the Tuesday after we return. I had hoped for a little vacation, but we’ve run out of time. Guess I’ll get some rest after I get back to work? Something's wrong with this picture. :)
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IT’S TIME: Those cakes won’t bake themselves, so I’m off to the kitchen. I love hearing from you all, so . . . talk to me. :)
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I spent at least three hours at the Cuyahoga County Public Library Parma South Branch this afternoon. I needed a nice, quiet, COOL (we have no A/C in our house) place to study. I was pretty confident I would be ready for our summer Bible study next week until last evening. Fortunately, I had two good helpers. There were ten 2, 3, and 4-year-old kids around this “itty-bitty” table in this “itty-bitty” room. Plus it’s HOT, even with a fan. (Not complaining as I hate winter. Truthfully, I don’t do well in either extreme. So why do I live in NE Ohio? That’s another post. :) )
I’m not complaining about my little ones either. Many a congregation would love to have such a “problem.” They are sweet and good little kids. I couldn’t help but think about those games at Chuck E. Cheese’s (haven’t been there in many years and don’t miss it either) where you take the mallet and knock the crocodiles down. For every one you knock down, two more pop up. That’s kinda the way it was last night. Anybody got a SOFT mallet you could send me? I do have at least one mom who reads my blog. I’m JUST KIDDING. As I said, they are sweet, good kids. But they are kids, and that must be remembered when working with this age group.
BTW -- you can zone out at any time. I’m using this as a means to “talk” out some of my thoughts in preparation for this task. I don’t want anyone to feel compelled to read all this.
The material’s theme is “Castaway Bay – Where Faith Conquers Fear and All Doubts are ‘Cast Away’ ”. It compares being marooned on a desert island to our lives here on earth. Many challenges present themselves when lost on such an island, and they must be accepted and met to survive. You have to find food, water, shelter/covering from the elements, etc.
This earth is like a deserted island in that we are only here for a time. If we expect to be “rescued” and taken to “safety”, we have to accept and meet the challenges for survival. This study sets forth five challenges, uses Biblical stories for discussion, and ways to make application to our lives. If you think a study on the nursery school level will not give you anything to think about, you need to think again. Better yet, try teaching them!! It is very rewarding.
My first challenge is to be prepared for this class. Not only the physical challenges of lifting, moving, and keeping up with little ones, but being prepared mentally to transition from one activity to another smoothly. Gotta keep their attention or you’ll lose ‘em. We want to get as much Bible knowledge into those little heads as possible as they are bobbing up and down. It’s an awesome responsibility, and I’m thankful I have good helpers standing by.
The first challenge for our survival on the deserted island we call earth is to see God. (I Kings 19:1-18) These little ones first have to believe there is a God. This lesson tries to help them see God through nature and His creation. The story is about Elijah. When he felt like he was the only one serving God. He found he had to look in the right places to see Him.
The second challenge for our survival is to know God. (II Chronicles 34:1-33) We get to know God through His word. The emphasis for these little ones is to understand the importance of our Bible. The story is about young Josiah. How the word was lost for so long, and the people really did not know who God was or anything about Him. We must keep our Bibles handy and open to know God.
The third challenge for our survival is to trust God. (II Chronicles 20:1-24) Little ones trust their parents, Bible class teachers, and other adults in their lives to lead them in the right direction. They need to learn to trust God all the more. The story for this lesson is about Jehoshaphat. He trusted God when He told him to take his people out to meet the armies of the enemies without any weapons. God said He would see them through victoriously, and He did. God will take care of us, too, if we trust in Him as Jehoshaphat did.
The fourth challenge for our survival is to obey God. (II Kings 5:1-14) Little ones learn to obey their parents and others with authority over them. They have to learn to obey God’s authority, too. The story for this lesson is Naaman. Naaman did not appreciate Elisha not coming out in person to meet him. He felt like something great should have been done unto him. He was asked to do the simplest thing, and he was unwilling. It was not until he repented and did the will of the Lord that he was healed. Hopefully the children will understand the need to obey for their own good.
The fifth challenge we will study for our survival is that of sharing God with others. (Jonah 1:1 - 3:5) They need to learn at a young age not to hide their faith, even if it might be a little hard sometimes to admit it. The story for this lesson is about Jonah. He was unwilling to share God with the people of Nineveh. He suffered greatly (and caused the others on the boat to suffer, too) because of his unwillingness to do as he was told and go share God. This last lesson encourages them to tell others about God. Even if it’s doing something as simple as inviting a friend to services when they are just a little older.
There are a number of songs, action rhymes, and other activities to help make application of these lessons to their little lives. It amazes me just how much they can learn – even as young as they are.
There could be as many as 13 on any given night/morning. Please pray for me. I am helping mold these little ones. I want to do the best I can to lead them in the right direction.
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I doubt anyone is still reading, but just in case someone scrolls to the end just to see if there is an end . . .
My dad has to have his monthly blood tests done tomorrow. These are just routine checks. I asked him if he thought he was up to another day of visiting and lunch out. He pretty quickly said he was. I’m thankful he’s doing well enough at this stage to do that. Should be another good Daddy/Daughter day. Yum-yum!! Another chance to eat at Cracker Barrel. :)
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glitter-graphics.com
This was the advice she gave me when I put up my last “super buzzy” post. I don’t have any real roses, so this one will have to do. I was feeling overwhelmed with VBS prep, camp prep, graduation potluck prep, and daily living. I tend to get worked up by looking at the big picture. Once I broke it down, dug my heels in, and got to work, I started getting a lot accomplished. This is not only doable, but I am feeling good about it. Everything is going to be just fine.
Hope you’re having a good week.
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