Our Wall

Here are the projects we have done so far to memorize Bible verses (click to see the list that will take you to each project).  They hang proudly on our wall and we look forward to adding more to it!  A-I done!

I will praise you

 I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.  Psalm 139:14

I had a different plan for this week's Bible verse for the letter "i," but changed my mind while at Bible study today.  We usually do a take-home craft and this was sitting in front of me, perfect for the boys to learn and it started with the right letter!  Perfect! 

I used the mirror shapes from the church and let the boys color on one.  Then they got to put glue on the back to hold the foil in.  I wrote the verse on the foil and we said the verse.  I came up with a few motions to try to help them remember the verse and plan to go over and over it.  I want them to know that they were wonderfully made by the Creator of the universe! 

Hear O Israel

Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4

My husband and I went to Israel last year.  Check out the page I wrote about our adventures here.  It was a great time and I'm so glad that we got to go.  I just love to learn more about Israel, Jewish culture and the Jewish religions.  They are God's chosen people!

This verse has been a little more difficult to learn because of the repetition.  We have worked on it for a few weeks (although we haven't consistently been working on it).  He now likes to mix up some of the other verses in this one (he does it with other verses too--As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord Jesus Christ and I will be saved). 
I was trying to think of a good activity to do with this one and thought about a number 1 then maybe an ear.  I finally sat down and looked up a picture of the land of Israel that I was going to print off and write the verse on.  Then I saw the flag and thought that would be easy.  We just glued blue construction paper on a white paper, but I could see you painting it if that's your thing too.  I did most of the work on this one.

God is Love

God is love. 1 John 4:8

I decided to go with something super easy but fundemantal for our "g" letter.  God is love.  His love is neverending and he loves us all so much that he sent his son to die for our sins.  He is love.  Period.  This was obviously very easy to memorize.  He also has a "God" verse for Awana (although he memorized the verse and then refused to return to the class--God loved us and sent his son (and Jesus loves me)). 

To make the heart (around Valentine's is when we did this activity), I let him paint on a piece of cardstock.  He just loves to pain.  Then I cut it out in a heart shape and wrote the verse in the middle.  It was a little wet or got water on it. 

May you experience this verse today in a new and profound way!  

For Nothing

For nothing is impossible with God! Luke 1:37

When trying to think of an activity or visual for this verse, all I could think of was a "no" sign, so I went with it.  I tried to explain to the boys that God can do anything and what exactly this verse means.  Although they probably don't grasp what it means exactly, it's definitely in their mind and they will remember it in the future.  It's short and easy to remember.  At first it was hard to say "impossible," but they've picked it up now! 

Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right."

D told me that he didn't like this verse from day one!  That made me laugh because he didn't really even understand what it meant. 

I couldn't think of any craft to do with this one really either.  I had D look through a magazine for pictures of children.  By the way, Women's Fitness has no pictures of children!  So the boys colored a C and glued a picture on it.

The motions were rocking a baby for "children," pointing to your ear for "obey," sign language open hand with thumb on forehead for "parents," pointing up for "in the Lord," and holding up your right hand for "this is right."  Doing the motions does seem to help him remember them some. 

Do Unto Others

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This has definitely been the most difficult verse so far.  I think the wording of it is hard for a little one to grasp and I can't come up with motions to help.  However, this has been the easiest to do a lesson for.  Just search for "golden rule" and you've got a thousand lessons!

I came up with the idea to make a little paper doll chain and write the verses on it.  It probably means nothing to D, but I think it's cute.  The other lesson we did (which he probably didn't understand) was coming up with "nice" things to do for people and writing them on petals.  Then we made a little kindness flower with the verse on it. 

We still haven't mastered this verse and we work on it pretty much every day.  The other verses sound great though!!

Every Good

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above."

We learned this verse on Valentine's Day, so we were able to talk about gifts a little bit more than a normal day.  I got out a birthday bag and put some gifts in it that God has given us--a picture of the family, a truck like Dad's, the Bible and a dollar.  We talked about these gifts and how God has given these and many more to us.  They are perfect and they came from him. 

I cut out a little "gift" and wrote the verse on it for our craft.  I also introduced D to the song we sing at church that goes with this verse--"Father of Lights." 

 

I don't have any motions for this verse other than to point up at "above." 

Believe

"Believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." 

I wasn't feeling very creative and couldn't figure out what little craft to do for this one, so we made a cross.  I then realized we had LifeSavers in our candy pile!  This seriously saved the lesson and helped D remember the verse.  Plus now he begs for a candy every time he says the verse.  There was one glued at the bottom for one night.  He ate it off first thing the next morning before I got out of bed!  He always needs a little help with the word "believe" but can do the rest, however he says, "and I will be saved!" 
The motions which he doesn't usually do are pointing to his forehead for "believe," pointing up for "the Lord," doing sign language for Jesus Christ which is pointing to both palms, and pointing out for "you." 

Our A Bible Verse

We started our ABC Bible Verses today with an easy one--Joshua 24:15. 

Here D is showing the motions we came up with to help us remember the verse:

  

We also made a little house, colored it and wrote our Bible verse on it.  We are going to go over this one and all the others at night during dinner. 

He did such a good job!  I hope he remembers it tomorrow!! 

2012 To Do List



Used under Creative Commons
by puzzlescript



I don't make resolutions, but I sat down tonight and started thinking of things that I need to do this year differently than I've done in the past.  I decided to write them down and then share them on this post.  What's on your list? 

Read at least 3 books to the kids daily

ABC Bible verse weekly

Read story/devotional at night (dinner)

Read the daily Bible

Exercise at least 3 times a week

Pray

Drink 8 glasses of water daily

Straighten up the den, common areas daily
Clean bathrooms weekly

Change sheets weekly

These are the projects I need to finish up soon:

Prayer board
Menu board
Laminate meals, games
E's quilted stocking

ABC Bible Verses

So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night or getting up in the morning. Deuteronomy 6:5-7

Used under Creative Commons
from jamelah

I am taking this command seriously this year and planning to teach my children Bible verses.  I have gone through a few websites and created an alphabetical list of 80 verses that I plan for all of us to learn this year.  I hope to accomplish this task by doing the following things for each verse:

Look verse up and highlight in the Bible
• Write verse on a card with a picture representation
• Craft to go along with each verse
• Song, video or rhyme that goes with the verse if there is one

I am going to try to come up with the ideas off the top of my head and record what we've done on here.  I am hoping to do about two verses a week.  Feel free to share any ideas you have for any verses or activites, songs, etc.  I think it should be fun and in the end, we will have learned 80 verses as a family if all goes according to plan! 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Ask and it shall be given you. Matthew 7:7
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
As for God, his way is perfect! Psalm 18:30

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31
Be strong and courageous. God is with you! Joshua 1:9
Be kind to one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Every word of God is pure. Proverbs 30:5
Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17
Every knee will bow before me: every tongue will acknowledge God. Romans 14:11
Even a child makes himself known by his acts. Proverbs 20:11

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17
Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10
For nothing is impossible with God! Luke 1:37
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

God is love. 1 John 4:8
Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Psalms 48:1
“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good.” Jeremiah 33:11

Honor your father and mother. Matthew 19:19
Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4

I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against God. Psalm 119:11
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God James 1:5
In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life:” John 14:6
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalms 34:13
Know that the Lord, he is God! Psalm 100:3

Let us love one another for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Mark 12:30
Listen to advice and accept instruction. Proverbs 19:20

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Psalm 100:1
Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
My help comes from the Lord. Psalm 121:2

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:39
No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

No man can serve two masters...Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

Oh Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:12

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: Hebrews 13:17

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Psalm 95:6

O God you are my God. I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you. Psalm 63:1

Praise the Lord. Psalm 103:1

Peace be unto you. John 20:19
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good: his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

In Quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Let every person be Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:19

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:7
Surely God is my help. Psalm 54:4
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Psalm 143:10
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5
They word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it. Proverbs 16:22
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture 1 Timothy 4:13

Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:2

Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master. Nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16 With God we will gain the Victory. Psalm 60:12

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:19

Wait on the Lord. Psalms 27:14

“We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworth—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Let us eXalt his name together. Psalm 34:3

Let us eXamine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

I will eXtol thee, my God, O king: Psalm 145:1

EXamine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39

Zion heard and was glad. Psalms 97:8

“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:5

Bible Lesson Plans Week 1

This week I decided to take some of the stuff I've been learning at my Bible study and make little lesson plans for my little guys (21 months and 3 years old). It didn't take that long to plan and I'm sad I didn't start them earlier! Better late than never. Here is what we did this week:

On Monday, we talked about God is Good. This was before I came up with a lesson plan. So the boys used their stampers and stickers to decorate a paper that said, "God is Good" with a smiley face.
Then I found a lesson plan template for the next lesson. On Wednesday, we talked about "God Made Everything" from Genesis 1:1. We watched a DVD that went along with our Bible that talked about creation and had little song called "God Made Everything." Then we talked about how God made colors and read a book called God Must Really Love Colors. That evening, we went on a walk and took a paper sack to collect things that God made. They had so much fun doing this--sticks, rocks, flowers, leaves, etc. When we got home, my husband drew (I have no artistic abilities) an acorn on the paper (because I had seen it elsewhere, but any shape would work or no shape at all) and the boys glued their items to the paper. At the top I wrote "God Made Everything Gen. 1:1." It is now hanging on #1's door. It was a fun activity and they seemed to really love it!


I had three lessons planned for this week, but we didn't get to the third. Guess it will carry over to next week!

Here is the lesson plan that I used (designed for toddlers):

Story/Verse, Song/Rhyme/DVD, Learning Activity, Craft, P.E., Special Activity

We didn't do all of the activities with each lesson, but that will be the future goal in a relaxed setting. If you're interested in specifics about any of the books, DVDs, etc., please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you. We did use the Read 'n' See DVD Bible.