From A to Z: Letter L

Even when our kids are young, there are so many new and perhaps hard and sad situations that we need to help them navigate. As a mom, I don't always have the wisest words or the best advice. But I do know the source of the wisest words and the best guidance--God's Word. 

We have such an amazing tool to bring to the table and share with our kids. If they are afraid, we can remind them God is with them. When they struggle with sin, we can teach them about God's forgiveness and grace. When they worry, we can share with them that God cares for us. God's Word gives us hope, light, wisdom, and direction. 

The Letter L is about how God's Word Lights Our Way. 

My favorite part of this lesson is creating a special "lighted" experience with our little ones (there are a number of fun suggestions!). We chose to do a candlelit dinner and it was magical (except for the number of times I had to tell them not to blow out the candles! Ha!).

As you work through the letter L lesson, I hope that you have the chance to share with your children the beauty of the Bible and how much hope and light it brings to our lives. 

Have a good one!

Nicole

From A to Z: Letter K

Bring out the Christmas tunes and twinkly lights (even if it is May!) because this lesson is all about how Jesus is our King. I love both the trueness and imagery of Jesus as our King--our great rescuer who brought us into the Kingdom of light. 

This week key verses is one of my favorite verses:

"For he has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins." Colossians 1:13-14 NLT

This letter K includes making paper crown (keep it simple or make it fancy!), reading the story of Jesus' birth, and acting out the animals in the stable. 

ps. If you need some fun tunes for this lesson, tune into the Color + Kindness Kingdom of Light playlist (it's one of my favorites!). Or, of course, turn on the Christmas music just for fun :) 

Have a good one!

Nicole

From A to Z: Letter J

I always feel like explaining the gospel to my kids should be easy, but honestly, I often find myself stumbling through it, over-explaining, and then feeling like simplicity and beauty of gospel (that we are separated from God because of our sin. YET! God loves us so much that He rescued and redeemed us!) gets lost in all my blubbering.

So, this lesson was a good one for me. It helped me walk through the gospel with my oldest in a visual and hands-on way. Of course, as a very literal child, he explained that our hearts are actually still red, not white...so, that brought up the concept of our spirit vs our actual heart. 

Letter J is about how Jesus came to the world for you

The craft in this lesson, although so simple, has been one of my favorites. It was fun to gather materials and make a Gospel color book (plus, it makes a great resource to go back and review what we learned). My hope is that as you read about Jesus' death and resurrection, make your book, and paint your letter J, you'll have many opportunities to share the gospel with your little ones.

If you want to add a good book to read during this lesson, I'd recommend The Garden, the Curtain, and the Cross. You can read our review over here.

Have a good one!

Nicole

From A to Z: Letter I

Letter I is about how we are made in God's image. As an adult, I'm still trying to wrap my mind around this one! Yet, I think it's a core truth to know and remember--especially when teaching our little ones about respecting and valuing themselves and others. 

Our favorite part about this lesson was making homemade play dough. I've tried a lot of play dough recipes, but this one is my favorite. I've tweaked it and tried it many times--and I hope you like it as much as we do. My biggest loved watching the play dough form in the pan--going from a liquid to a sticky ball. It gave us a chance to talk about how God formed Adam and Eve and how He made them like him. After the dough had cooled, I brought out some peg dolls, rocks, and a plastic snake. Without prompting, Luke was making the "bad" tree, telling me bits about the story of Adam and Eve, and adding lots of interesting details ;)

Letter I also includes reading the story of Adam and Eve, playing "mirror," and making a leaf-filled letter I. It's not part of the lesson, but drawing a self-portrait would be a fun activity this week too :) 

Here are some other resources you may enjoy (ps. some of these are affiliate links)

• Read God's Very Good Idea. We love this book! Not only is the story wonderful, but the illustrations are delightful! Plus, it shares the gospel and how we are made to love God and love others.
• Or pick up When God Made You (such a sweet book!)
• Maybe instead of a fairy garden, you could make your own Garden of Eden. How fun would that be?

Have a good one!

--Nicole

From A to Z: Letter H

Going through letter H has been a fun one! Not only that--it's a Bible truth that I can always use a reminder of: God is our Helper

As a momma of two young boys, I often find myself whispering this prayer "God, I need your help. I can't do this alone." And you know what? God meets me there and helps me--just like He helped David defeat Goliath. This is also an encouraging truth for our kids when they feel unsure or afraid of doing something new--we can remind them that God helps us. 

The letter H lesson includes grabbing your helper and baking some yummy rock cakes (they remind a little of a cookies and muffins combined), reading the story of David and Goliath, and stamping with rocks. 

Some other fun resources for this lesson to try (ps. some of these are affiliate links):

• Watch Dave and the Giant Pickle
• Draw your own giant Goliath
• Make your own stick slingshot

Have a good one!

Nicole