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Showing posts with label Printables. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Printables. Show all posts
For several years now we've celebrated Reformation Day, and while we could do the same things each year and my kids would be perfectly happy, I like to change things up a little to keep the day interesting for them. So this year, the night before Reformation Day, I locked myself in my room for a couple of hours and threw together a spur-of-the-moment plan.
I had been mulling over our options all day, and the idea for this scavenger hunt just came to me. Everything in this post I threw together in an hour, and I was a little unsure if it would come together, but my kids loved it and it also led to some good conversations about theology and the gospel!
You can read more about why we celebrate Reformation Day here. All of my Reformation Day posts, including many more ideas for marking the day, can be read here.
Organizing The Scavenger Hunt
For this scavenger hunt, I hid a series of clues that when put together spell out the word "REFORMATION". On each slip of paper I wrote a household scavenger hunt clue adapted from this website, but any household clue hints will do! Hints like these led the kids from clue to clue, but in between searching for each clue we would pause and do activities related to the corresponding letter in the acronym REFORMATION.
The activités for each letter of the acronym are listed below. I also created a printable of all this information which you can download below, but keep in mind you may want to get all the links opened in your browser ahead of time so you have them ready before your kids start finding the clues.
Resources You Will Need
1. Reformation ABCs. In addition to the printables above, you will need the book Reformation ABCs by Stephen Nichols. I centered the scavenger around this book and you will need to read the corresponding pages in the book for several of the acronym letters. If you are willing to put a little work in to research some of these topics yourself, you could make do without buying the book, but it is a fun one to have around!
2. Optional: Another book or video about Martin Luther. For an optional book option, you can also get another book about Martin Luther to read to your kids so they have more background information about this central figure of the Reformation. We read this Martin Luther pop-up book, because I think it is a great one to introduce Luther and the Reformation to my littler kids in a way they can more easily understand. You may also consider watching the Torchlighters Martin Luther episode, which is a great introduction for kids!
3. Optional: Printed Music For Hymns. I included three hymn options in this scavenger hunt, and I have the lyrics included in the printable I created, but it's sometimes nice to have the sheet music. I recommend downloading "Hymns To The Living God", which is a free hymnal from G3. All three of the hymns are included, and you can print out the corresponding pages by referencing the index at the end of the hymnal. You'll need:
-A Mighty Fortress Is Our God
-O Worship The King
-O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing
4. My Reformation Day Scavenger Hunt Printable. This document includes all the information below which you can print as your parent "cheat sheet", the REFORMATION acronym that you can cut into strips and hide for the clues, and lyric sheets for the hymns.
5. Optional: Supplies for the fortress craft. I was excited to find this great craft (originally recommended to me in this blog post), you'll want to get the supplies for that ready ahead of time if you choose to use it. One significant item is toilet paper rolls, so start collecting those before Reformation Day!
6. Candy or another easy snack reward. To keep my kids excited about the scavenger hunt, I built in some small snack moments. We used candy, but any quick snack food will do!
7. Dirt/worm pudding, or another Reformation Day treat. There are lots of ideas out there, but worm pudding is a favorite of our family! You could also do marshmallow hammers, or door-shaped cookies, etc. This is a fun final reward to wrap up the scavenger hunt!
All the rest of the information for the scavenger hunt is included below, or once again, you can download the printable that includes all this information here!
R is for the Rhine River
-Read “R is for Rhine River” from Reformation ABCs.
-Locate the Rhine River in an atlas and see which countries it runs through.
-Eat one candy from the reward bowl!
E is for Erasmus
-Read this: Erasmus published a version of the New Testament translated into Greek and Latin directly from old manuscripts, because of a movement called “ad fontes”, which means “back to the sources”. This was an idea popular at the time of Luther - many thought to get the most accurate information, they should go as close to the original source as possible, especially regarding ancient documents. This movement eventually led to the reformers searching for the truth about what was going on in the church by going back to THE source - God’s Word! Erasmus unintentionally influenced Luther and the Reformation.
F is for Fortress
-Luther wrote the great hymn “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”. Let’s do a fortress craft together! Younger kids may also enjoy this coloring sheet.
-Read Psalm 46 and talk about how God is our fortress in times of trouble.
O is for Oxford Martyrs
-Read “O is For Oxford Martyrs” from Reformation ABCs.
-Read Acts 5, and take note of Acts 5:41. Why do you think the disciples, and later on the Reformers, rejoiced that they were counted worthy to suffer for the sake of Jesus?
R is for Reformation
-Look up the word "Reformation" in the Websters 1828 dictionary.
-Now read about the Five Solas of the Reformation on Got Questions.org. How did the Five Solas address different problems in the Roman Catholic Church?
-Luther hoped to reform the Catholic Church and bring it back to God’s Word. Was he successful? Do you think there are any things in Christian churches today that need “reformation” to be more in line with God’s word?
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
M is for Martin Luther
-Read “M is for Martin The Monk” from Reformation ABCs.
-Optional: Read another book about Martin Luther or watch this Torchlighters Martin Luther episode.
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
A is for “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”
-Let’s sing Luther’s great hymn!
-Eat a candy from the reward bowl!
T is for Tyndale
-Read “T is for Tyndale” from Reformation ABCs
-Eat a candy from the bowl!
I is for Indulgences
-Read “I is for Indulgences” from Reformation ABCs.
-One of the major complaints Luther had for the Catholic Church was regarding indulgences. He rightly thought it was disgraceful that the clergy were telling the people they could purchase a proverbial “ticket to Heaven” (ie: less time in Purgatory) with money. Read the Five Solas again if necessary, and discuss the what the gospel is. How are we truly forgiven and saved? In light of that, can you see why indulgences were such a terrible distortion of the true gospel?
O is for “O For A Thousand Tongues To Sing” or “O Worship The King”
-Let’s sing one (or both) of these hymns together!
-Read about some of the ways that Luther changed church music (scroll down to where it says “Church Music”). Talk about how we have some wonderful hymns, like the one we just sang, because of the reforms Luther made in music.
-Watch a video about how Luther changed the way we sing in church.
N is for “No Other”
-One of the greatest moments of the Reformation was the Diet Of Worms, when Luther declared:
I cannot submit my faith either to the pope or to the council, because it is clear that they have fallen into error and even into inconsistency with themselves. If, then, I am not convinced by proof from Holy Scripture, or by cogent reasons, if I am not satisfied by the very text I have cited, and if my judgment is not in this way brought into subjection to God's word, I neither can nor will retract anything; for it cannot be either safe or honest for a Christian to speak against his conscience. Here I stand. I cannot do otherwise. God help me. Amen.
Let’s discuss that quote - what did Luther mean when he said “Here I stand, I can do no other?” (As some versions of the quote are rendered). What was he standing on?
-Read the “B is for Bible” page of Reformation ABC’s. How is the Bible like a treasure map? And what (or who) is the great treasure it’s meant to lead us to?
-Let’s pray and thank God for His word, for how the Reformers bravely stood on the Word of God and recovered the gospel. And let’s thank God for saving us by grace alone, through faith alone, in Christ alone, to the glory of God alone!
-Finish up with our Diet Of Worms treat (or other special Reformation-themed snack)!
You can download a printable with all this information here!
Enjoy!
Happy Reformation Day!
We actually have been celebrating Reformation Day all week, because today is busy with church and other activities. But really, is there a better way to mark the day than to fix our minds on Jesus by worshipping at church? Sounds like a great way to celebrate to me.
For my last day of my 31 Day Blogging challenge, and as a little Reformation Day gift, I am sharing a free prayer journal I've put together!
Last week, after I was reading in the book Face To Face: Praying The Scriptures For Intimate Worship by Kenneth Boa, I decided to look for a prayer journal printable I could use to write down my prayers as I read through the Scriptures in that book. I was hoping for something that followed a similar prayer format, but I didn't find anything, so I decided to make my own.
These prayer journal pages have a section for each type of prayer covered in Boa's book:
Adoration:
Praising God for Who He is.
Confession:
Asking forgiveness for our sins against God and others.
Renewal:
Asking God for help against temptation and for personal renewal.
Petition:
Requests for yourself.
Intercession:
Requests for others.
Affirmation:
Agreeing with God's will in prayer, and submitting to His will.
Thanksgiving:
Praising God for what He has done.
There are 31 of these daily prayer pages in the document, so you only have to print once and you should have enough pages for one month's worth of prayer time.
I included pages to record prayer requests, including check boxes for marking off each time you prayed, a place to write applicable Scripture verses for that request, and a place to record when the prayer was answered or to carry it forward to the next month. I put in a few pages with Bible verses on prayer as well!
I also highly recommend purchasing Face To Face if you struggle with prayer time as I often do. Though the prayer journal can be used easily without it, I've found this book so helpful for adding Scripture to my prayers, reminding me of important areas to cover in prayer, and keeping my mind focused (which is always a prayer challenge for me)!
Download the prayer journal here!
I hope you enjoy the prayer journal - it's my gift to you! Thanks for hanging out with me this month, friends! I have more posts planned for the next few weeks, so stay tuned.
I think this might be the latest I've ever gone without sending my Christmas cards.
I am very fond of Christmas cards. December is the only time of year when my mailbox (I almost said "inbox" - sheesh) is flooded with happy mail, and it cheers me up every time I receive a new card to open. I like thinking that by sending out our cards, I can give a little bit of that cheer to people I care about too.
This year I am trying to personalize our cards a bit more. I love photo cards, and usually that's the route I go with our Christmas cards, but I also realize that it's not as personal. It's a printed card and photo, and unless someone leaves room to write on the photo card, everyone gets the same one.
I had a bunch of old-school Christmas cards lying around and decided to use them this year. I'm going to tuck our photo inside with a handwritten note. I can't guarantee that the notes are all going to be particularly meaningful, but they'l be written in my own hand, and I think that's something.
Another thing I love about Christmas cards is that they can also be a chance to encourage other believers by pointing them back to Christ during this hectic Christmas season. It is so easy for the true meaning of why we are celebrating Christmas as believers to be lost in all the festivities. Handwriting my cards gives me a chance to give a little Christian encouragement. These are a few of the verses that I think are wonderful to tuck inside your Christmas card.
"For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; And the government shall be upon His shoulder, and His name shall be called Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince Of Peace." Isaiah 9:6 (ESV)
"And she gave birth to her firstborn son and wrapped Him in swaddling clothes, and laid Him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn." Luke 2:1 (ESV)
"And the angel said to them 'Fear not, I bring you good news of great joy which shall be for all the people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.'" Luke 2:10-11 (ESV)
"My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior." Luke 1:46b-47 (ESV)
"...And they will call His name Immanuel, which means 'God With Us'." Matthew 1:23 (ESV)
"And we know that the Son of God has come and has given us understanding, that we may know Him who is true...He is the true God and eternal life." 1 John 5:20 (ESV)
"This is how God showed His love among us: He sent His one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him." 1 John 4:9
"Thanks be to God for His indescribable gift!" 2 Corinthians 9:15 (NIV)
These verses are wonderful ones to write or type on your Christmas cards and newsletters, but I've also been working on something else...
A couple years ago I opened an Etsy shop to sell Bible verse card printable for labor and for new moms, but I have been really wanting to make a printable set with Bible verses for the Christmas season. Something that can be tucked into a Christmas card as a little extra, something that can be attached to a present as a tag, something that will point back to Jesus. Cards that can be used as a bookmark, or used as a tool to memorize Scripture around the Christmas season.
I finally made these Christmas Bible verse cards this year, and I'm really happy with how it turned out! I used an app to create some watercolor "winter woodland" illustrations - each card has a unique watercolor image on it, along with a Bible verse.
These come in a full size set, which are 4.5 inches wide, and a smaller set with are 2.75 inches wide. I think the large set would be a nice addition to a Christmas present, and the mini set are perfect for tags, bookmarks, or tucking inside a Christmas card!
You can buy these sets of eight printable Bible verse cards in my Etsy shop for $3!
Happy Christmas, friends!
I hope these little cards will be an encouragement to you to look to Christ for your Christmas joy this season!
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If there is one thing I have learned about motherhood, it's that we all transition into it differently. Some sail into motherhood on a cloud. Everything comes easily, and they enjoy every minute of it. Others crash into motherhood with a rude awakening, and it looks nothing like they thought it would.
But every mom I know would say how much she loves being a mom, and one look into those precious little faces just puts everything into perspective, no matter the entrance into this mothering journey.
Still, I can guarantee there will come a time when you need some encouragement as a mom. Maybe it's right away when you just need to make it through one more sleepless night, or maybe it will be a couple years down the road when you have a rough day and worry you are messing your kids up. Sometimes you just need that extra boost to remind you that the work you are doing has significance. Every ounce of energy you put into you kids matters, more than you think. It matters to your kids, and it matters to God.
So to help remind you, I wanted to share some Bible verses that I find encouraging on those days when mothering is hard. If you are in a rough patch, I hope these will bring you some hope! And if you are feeling like you have this mom thing down, just tuck this post away for a time when it doesn't feel so easy.
I have broken these down into times of day - I know I need different reminders in the morning than I do in the evening. Memorize these verses so you can bring them to mind when you need them (you can even teach them to your kids while you are at it)!
For The Morning
"The Lord's loving kindnesses indeed never cease, for His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness." Lamentations 3:22-23 (NASB)
I love this verse for rough days, because it reminds me that no matter how badly I mess up, the Lord loves me and tomorrow is a fresh day.
"This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad in it." Psalm 118:24 (NASB)
The best wake-up verse you could ask for!
"See how great a love the Father has bestowed on us, that we should be called children of God; and such we are." 1 John 3:1 (NASB)
When you look at the cute little faces of your children, remember that the Lord loves you even more than you love them!
For Mid-Day
"Whatever you do, work heartily, as for the Lord and not men, knowing that from the Lord you will receive the inheritance as a reward. You are serving the Lord Christ." Colossians 3:23-24 (ESV)
Motivation to keep going strong - because when we are serving our families, we are really serving Jesus!
For The Evening
"Do all things without complaining and disputing, that you may become blameless and harmless, children of God without fault in the midst of a crooked and perverse generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world." Philippians 2:14-15 (NASB)
When you are starting to feel "the witching hour" (i.e. the hour before dad gets home when everyone goes crazy), remember this verse. I don't know about you, but I want to be a light in the world, and be an example to my kids by not grumbling when I feel like it. Still working on this one.
"Rejoice always, pray without ceasing, in everything give thanks for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus for you." 1 Thessalonians 5:16-18 (NKJV)
Rejoicing usually comes more naturally in the morning when I am refreshed and energetic! I typically need the reminders to rejoice and give thanks more in the evening, when I am tired.
For The Middle Of The Night
"When you give to the poor, do not let your left hand know what your right hand is doing, so that your giving will be in secret; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you." Matthew 6:3-4 (NASB)
This verse is about giving to the poor, but the concept of being seen by God when we give sacrificially without drawing attention to ourselves is also encouraging to me as a mom.
"May the Lord reward your work, and your wages be full from the Lord, the God of Israel, under whose wings you have come to seek refuge." Ruth 2:12 (NASB)
My prayer for you, friends! Seek refuge in Him, be faithful in this work of loving and training your children, and may the Lord reward your work!
Somehow I find it easier to remember a verse if it is printed on a pretty card, and I am excited to now be offering these printables in my new Etsy shop! The file with the entire set is only $3! Please check them out here. These cards also stack well with my printable verses for labor.
I am so grateful for all of you who take time to read my musings, and I hope you enjoy these cards and find the verses an encouragement like I do! Enjoy!
I am so grateful for all of you who take time to read my musings, and I hope you enjoy these cards and find the verses an encouragement like I do! Enjoy!
Please note that these printables were previously offered as a gift to my newsletter subscribers before being listed on Etsy. They are no longer available as free printables, but are available for immediate download after purchase at the link above. Thank you!
But I'm going to change things up a bit and give a little present to my newsletter subscribers anyway!
I have been wanting to memorize more Bible verses (though it's been challenging to follow through with how busy things have been the last couple months!), and I think it is so much easier to memorize verses if they are printed in a pretty way.
I remember the first time we pulled up to the church that looked like something out of a storybook. Painted white with green trim, steeple with a bell, a merry-go-'round and swing set out back. I stepped out of the car somewhat nervously, trailed behind my family on the way in the door, and sat next to my sister as I smoothed out my yellow floral Easter dress.
Last weekend, I attempted to make some patriotic fudge. I made it once a couple years ago, and it was pretty and yummy, so I wanted to attempt it again so I could share the recipe.
I love Valentine's Day.
I know to a lot of people it is just a Hallmark holiday, a holiday companies make up to encourage us to spend more money and buy more cards. But I like the idea of showing the people in your life that you love them - our husbands, but also our kids, our family, and our friends!
Valentine's Day was always a family affair for us growing up - Mom and Dad went on their date, but every year they would have some sort of surprise for us too. Sometimes it was candy, sometimes it was stuffed animals, once it was even a new Adventures In Oddyssey set! But I love that they did that. I think it would have been easy to become depressed about having no romantic prospects every Valentine's Day since I didn't have a boyfriend (Derek) until I was 18, but my parent's gifts made Valentine's Day something fun. I want to do that for my kids, and for the other people in my life that are important to me.
I had so much fun making Valentine's for Wyatt and Gwen's little friends last year, so I decided I wanted to create a Valentine printable again this year, just for fun. This is what I came up with.
I drew this little Valentine. The phrase came from a magnet that I have had on my fridge for a long time. I think it's a cute pun. I printed up the graphic, cut it out, and taped it to some card stock using pink, glittery washi tape that I got for a dollar at Walmart. I thought these valentines would be especially cute with a coffee-related gift, so I bought some Starbucks Via packets and taped one to the back of each valentine. A Starbucks gift card would be great to include with these too.
I am planning on giving this to my mom and sister. I might even sneak one into Derek's work bag during Valentine's week, even though we will still do something special to celebrate!
And as a little pre-Valentine's Day gift to my readers, I am giving you these valentine printables for free! You can download them here (light pink variation) and here (dark pink variation). I hope you have fun with them, and if you think of any other creative ways to use them, I'd love to see!
I also thought these would be cute to use for a "I'm thinking about you" card, so my newsletter subscribers will be getting the non-valentine version to use for any occasion! If you would like the non-valentine version, sign up for my newsletter. The February edition is coming out next week, so sign up quick if you would like that version as well!
A couple years ago, before Gwen was born, I came up with a list of Bible verses that I wanted to read for encouragement during labor. Of course, I didn't end up using them that time, because Gwen decided to come so quickly! I did, however, use them when I had Clyde - two in particular.
I repeated these two verses to myself during the last part of my labor with Clyde, and I loved that I could fill my mind with God's truth while I was in so much pain.
When I picked these verses for labor, I chose some because they seemed appropriate for labor and delivery, but many of them I just picked because they were verses that I have held close to my heart over the years - ones that have encouraged me at times when I needed it.
I felt like it was time to update the printables I originally made for these verses, so I made some new printables that I wanted to share with you!
These printables are now available in my new Etsy shop! The file with entire set of 10 cards is available for $3. Check them out here!
After I made these printable I got them printed up to test them out, and I realized that I kind of love having cards of these verses for day-to-day life - to remind me to focus on the Lord through even the little challenges. So whether you are having a baby and would like to use these cards for the purpose I originally intended, or whether you choose to print them up for your home or personal study, I hope you'll find them an encouragement and reminder of God's love for you!
Please note that these printables were previously offered as a gift to my newsletter subscribers. They are no long offered as a free printable, but can be downloaded immediately after purchase in my Etsy shop. Thank you!
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