Do You Fight Change?

Reading through Jacob’s life story reminds me of the many changes we face as we journey through our different seasons of life. I loved being at home with my preschool children. We were involved in different groups in the community and church so something was always going on. I loved seeing their development and being so involved in their lives.

But I was also happy to see them off to school. Over the years teachers and peers influenced my kids. I had a different role to play. I could still be there for them and guide them in their choices and enable them. I could still be a big part of their lives even as they went to university and entered the work force.

The change I found hard to accept and work through was when they married. I was thrilled for each of them to find such a wonderful partner but I knew my role was changing dramatically. I didn’t mind the empty nest but my husband and I no longer were their emotional support. And although that’s how it should be, it left a hole in my life. But it was also for good because it then became a special time for my husband and I to bond more closely.

Jacob didn’t always go through his life’s changes smoothly either. He was happy at home with his mother who favored him. He cheated his brother and had to leave home so his brother couldn’t kill him. He met the girl of his dreams and then her father gave him her sister for his wife instead. He didn’t always make good decisions.

So he was cheated by Laban his father in law.  He also cheated his father in law. He became rich but then his brother-in -laws became jealous and he had to move on.  God used all of these things to further circumstances in Jacob’s life to bless him and make his name great.  During all of these events God taught  Jacob to listen to Him and obey Him.

To Share with Your Children:

Nothing that happens to you is by co -incidence. Every thing has to have God’s OK before it happens in your life. Did you know that?

When you were careless and broke your leg He could have prevented it. Or when your seemingly best friend started a bad rumor about you He could have chosen to stop it before it hurt you. He allowed them to be and then used them to show you something special that you might not have learned other wise; something good.

He doesn’t make the bad or difficult things happen in your life but He sees them coming and decides if He will allow them. Then He uses them for good to mature you and grow character in you. That’s how He makes you the person He wants you to be. The catch is that you have to accept trials and problems in your life and see them as stepping stones to being the best person you can be. You have to choose to be obedient to God- do the right thing- and then He uses these  for good in your life and those involved.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 14: Today read:
Genesis 30:1-31:16
Matthew 10:1-23
Psalm 12:1-8
Proverbs 3:13-15

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

True Inner Beauty

In Genesis so far we have read about some beautiful women. Sarah, Rebekah, and Rachel are all described as beautiful. In The Living Bible Rachel is described as shapely, and every way a beauty. I’m glad God brings beauty into His writing about people.

We may be born beautiful but good health practices help us maintain beauty as we grow older. We all want to be healthy and yet we don’t want to be caught up with our physical appearances so we forget about inner beauty.

One of my favorite writers, Stormie Omartian, writes about her seven steps to health, youthfulness, and vitality in her book, Greater Health, God’s Way. I like how she writes about how proper exercise and pure food combined with prayer and fasting are the way to true outer and also inner beauty.

She starts off with Step One: Peaceful Living. Proverbs 14:30 in the NIV says, “A heart at peace gives life to the body.” And in Philippians 4: 6 and 7 we read, “ Be anxious for nothing, but in everything by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known unto God; and the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

So how does one attain peace? The only true way to peace is having a right relationship with God. Hopefully our outer beauty is reflected from our inner beauty which comes from closeness with God.

Sharing Bible Truths with Your Children:

In our society we all value good looks. If God has blessed you with attractiveness, thank Him, and be glad about it. But being handsome or beautiful is not the highest standard in God’s books.

When God sent Samuel to choose a king to replace Saul, who by the way was good looking, He gave specific instructions about looks.

“But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature, because I have refused him. For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart.”
I Samuel 16:7

What God does require of us is a beautiful heart. If you ask Jesus Christ to cleanse your heart and forgive all your sins, He will come into your life and grow His character in you. Then you will have inner beauty, which He truly values.

He invites you to come. “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For My yoke is easy and My burden is light.”

Matthew 11:28-30

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21. If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it. We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010. I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 13: Today read:
Genesis 28:1-29:35
Matthew 9:18-38
Psalm 11:1-7
Proverbs 3:11-12

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

When Parents Disagree

 

Ten year old Sandy stood still and listened as her mother listed all ten reasons why she couldn’t go to her friend’s sleepover.  The main reason was it was a school night but her mom had misgivings about letting her go because she didn’t know the family. 

After dinner that night Sandy brought her father a second piece of dessert and then in front of her mother sweetly asked her father if she could go to the sleepover.  Her father did not know her mother had said she couldn’t.  So he immediately said; “Yes. Of course.”  Obviously it had happened before and Sandy knew how to play her mom against her dad.

Has that ever happened to you? Here are some steps you can take to prevent it from happening again.

As parents, never contradict each other in front of your child. Parents need to show a united front. Talk to your spouse without your child around.  Plan what you will do when just such a scenario happens.

 My husband and I would speak up right away and let the other know the situation had already been dealt with.  He would then tell our child he didn’t know I had made a decision.  He stood by my decision and apologized that he hadn’t discussed the question with me first. So eventually our children learned pitting one parent against the other didn’t work.

In the Bible we read of Isaac and Rebekah not only pitting their boys against each but deceiving each other as parents.  There was a time when I had a hard time respecting the Patriarch Isaac because of this weakness of having a favorite.  But God revealed people in the Bible just as they were in real life.  He never sugar coated them.  I like that because it tells me He accepts me when I’m weak in an area and fail.  He still uses me and works everything out for good; His and mine.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 12: Today read:
Genesis 26:17-27:46
Matthew 9:1-17
Psalm 10:16-18
Proverbs 3:9-10

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Handling Sibling Rivalry

January 28, 2009
How can we handle sibling rivalry among our children? As parents we might have good intentions and a strong desire to raise children that get along well.  But we need more than that; we need good thinking (understanding) and strategy (knowledge and wisdom).

Don’t enforce harmony.  It only causes deeper problems.  Your children will see it as you picking favorites.  Face it; our prejudices from our upbringing always play a role in such situations.  Instead, allow your children to work out their differences to an acceptable solution. Just see to it that they don’t hurt each other in the process.  Teach your children the values of great families and let them know you expect them to live up to them.

Your children can get along.  They can learn to love, protect, and develop each other.  Teach them to value each other’s special abilities and talents.  Encourage them to do special unexpected nice things for each other. They can be each other’s best friends.

Esau and Jacob portray strong sibling rivalry. Jacob went as far as to cheat his brother out of the blessing that the eldest should receive. God did choose Esau to serve the younger, Jacob, but Isaac and Rebekah encouraged sibling rivalry by choosing favorites.  Isaac’s favorite was Esau because he enjoyed the venison Esau brought him but Rebekah favored Jacob.  Choosing favorites drove a wedge into Isaac and Rebekah’s relationship.  They didn’t confer with each other about their sons’ future and Rebekah even deceived Isaac.
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 11: Today read:
Genesis 24:52-26:16
Matthew 8:18-34
Psalm 10:1-15
Proverbs 3:7-8

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Am I as a parent totally responsible for the immature outcome of my child?

              January 27, 2009

A mother, my good friend, once shared with me how she struggled with the outcome of her son, Pete.  She thought she had been a good mom and she certainly loved her son; she had spent a lot of time with him and yet he constantly underachieved. He even lost friends, academic goals, and sports opportunities because of this character flaw.  So this mom wondered if she had failed him as a parent or if the responsibility lay on her son, Pete’s shoulders alone.

As we continued to chat over coffee, I discovered that she and her husband had constantly covered for Pete during his growing up years. When Pete brought home bad report cards his parents felt guilty.  They didn’t want to be too harsh with their son so they let his excuses be a way out for them to deal with Pete’s underachieving.  If Pete said the bad grades were a result of the teacher being unfair they immediately went to straighten out the teacher. His parents had neglected to let him bear the consequences of his actions and decisions so Pete never learned to act responsibly.

Responsibility lies with both the parent and the child but in different ways at different stages of our children’s lives.  When our children are young we have full responsibility.  Our children then begin to assert themselves, learn tasks, and begin to take ownership of their lives.  About at the time our children become teenagers we can begin to be an influential part in their lives instead of a controlling one. Then when our children reach their late teens, they should be able to take over complete responsibility for their behavior, finances, morality, and relationships.

Even in their late teens, as parents we still provide safety and love, and structure experiences to help our children mature.  Our children’s role is to respond to these situations, take risks, maybe fail, and learn from their experiences.  We need to show parental authority and our children have to be careful not to take responsibility for our feelings. Ultimately, in the end, our children will be evaluated on how he responded to what life brought him. However, as parents, we want to help our children respond in such a way that they grow, change and forgive. 

 
In Proverbs 3 Solomon gives us good advice on guiding our young children.  The formula is found in a nutshell in verses 4, 5, and 6, “If you want favor with both God and man, and a reputation for good judgment and common sense, then trust the Lord completely; don’t ever trust yourself. In everything you do, put God first, and he will direct you and crown your efforts with success.” [The Living Bible]
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 10: Today read:
Genesis 23:1-24:51
Matthew 8:1-17
Psalm 9:13-20
Proverbs 3:1-6

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Don’t Expect Your Child to be Perfect

        

I remember a time in my sweet daughter’s life that no matter which restaurant we were at, before we even said grace, she would drop her fork on the floor.  After awhile it became a joke in our family.  It was during those years when she was growing so quickly it affected her co-ordination.  It would have been cruel of me to demand her not to drop her fork again.  No one’s perfect, especially not us as parents.  And yet some parents seem to expect perfection in their children 

Perfection is different than excellence.   If you are looking for perfection you are not allowing your child to be human and make mistakes.  Every child at times will have messy hair, a messy bedroom with an unmade bed and spill his glass of water.

But excellence is another matter. Expect the best of your children; challenge them to do their best.  If we inspire them to reach for high but realistic goals they will often reach those expectations or at least achieve a lot more than if they are not cheered on by us.
Praise them when they do well in a subject they struggle with in school; encourage them in the process as they strive to do better each time.  And don’t create what I call ‘perfect little worlds’ for them, protecting them from real life’s problems and pitfalls.  Just be there to guide them so when they leave the nest they know how to handle responsibility and make good choices.

In our Genesis reading today Abraham had to let go of his son Ishmael.  How hard that must have been; not being able to be there for him and teach him to be a godly man.  But God used this for His plan like He uses all things for good in our lives, and He provided for Ishmael and grew him to be a great nation.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 9: Today read:
Genesis 20:1-22:24
Matthew 7:15-29
Psalm 9:1-12
Proverbs 2:16-22

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Why doesn’t God Hear My Prayers for My Children?

Tanya felt crushed as she dusted her son’s room.  She couldn’t understand why he had talked back to her with such hostility just before he ran to catch the bus for school.  It wasn’t like him.

As she ran the Swiffer over the desk’s drawer fronts she pushed the second drawer to close it properly.  Something seemed to be stuck inside of the drawer and it wouldn’t close. She opened the drawer to rearrange the articles inside so it would close.  Then she sucked her breath in, in shock.  Was this paraphernalia to do with drugs?  Surely her 13 year old son was too young to be involved with drugs! They had a close relationship. Surely he would have discussed it with her or left some hints.

Tanya was especially upset because she prayed constantly for her children; that God would meet their needs.  She felt a resentment toward God envelope her. Why didn’t he keep her son safe when she prayed so faithfully?

As parents we all experience Tanya’s situation at times. We can’t isolate our kids from life and its dangers nor should we.  Children need to learn about the dangers of life and taught how to deal with them.  But if God cares about us and our kids why doesn’t He seem to hear our prayers? 

Over the years I have found there is a very effective way to pray for my kids.   I began praying God’s Word back to Him. God says His Word, the Bible, is “living and powerful, and sharper than any two-edged sword” [Hebrews 4:12] .  God also says that His Word shall not return to Him void, but it shall accomplish what He wants. [Isaiah 55:11]  As you pray for your child include an appropriate verse in your prayer. One such good verse if Psalm 34:17; “The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.”

We need to pray for the present concerns but also for the future.  Often it’s praying against the effects of past events that makes the big difference to allow God to work in our children’s lives. It helps to make an extensive list personalized for each child. Yes, it’s a lot of work. Effective prayers are hard work and take our time and energy. When we only pray glibly and forget about it God sees we are not taking Him seriously.

Abraham was not afraid and did not hesitant to intercede for his nephew Lot whom he felt responsible for.  God heard his prayer but not in the way Abraham expected.  That’s how it is for us.  Sometimes God answers our prayer in a round about way which brings Him the glory and brings us into a closer relationship with Him.  We still get the joy.
              
Genesis18: 23 to 25 and 19: 29 The Living Bible
“Then Abraham approached him and said, “Will you kill good and bad alike?  Suppose you find fifty godly people there within the city – will you destroy it for their sakes?  That wouldn’t be right!  Surely you wouldn’t do such a thing, to kill the godly with wicked!  Why, you would be treating godly and wicked exactly the same!  Surely you wouldn’t do that!  Should not the Judge of all the earth be fair?”…
“So God heeded Abraham’s plea and kept Lot safe, removing him from the maelstrom of death that engulfed the cities.”
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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 8: Today read:
Genesis 18:16-19:38
Matthew 6:25-7:14
Psalm 8:1-9
Proverbs 2:6-15

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Disciplining Your Preschooler in Public

   Jan 24, 2009

Five year old Emma stood in the middle of the candy aisle, arms crossed across her chest, defiance etched in her sweet baby face. “I want candy!” she screamed for the third time, so loud that her mom was sure everyone in the supermarket could hear her.  Her mom had ignored Emma these three times but knew she had to deal with it. Everybody was staring.  “Well, alright; but just this one time.  Next time remember, no candy.”

I cringe whenever I witness this scenario or scenes like it.  I want to run up to the parent and say, “Don’t you know you’re letting your five year old manipulate you?  She’s smarter than you.  She knows how to handle you to get her way but you don’t know how to handle her.”

You don’t have to allow yourself to be controlled by your children.  You don’t have to give your children everything they demand or want. Emma thought that if she embarrassed her mom in public she would get her way.

We as parents are responsible for teaching our children appropriate behavior and self control.  There are three simple rules to follow to discipline your preschooler no matter where you are.  The first one is don’t give a command unless you are prepared to enforce it.  The second one is give the command only once and be sure it’s heard. The third one is be consistent and follow through with the command.

Even when you’re in the store or another public place make sure you’re in a position to follow through before you issue a command. Emma’s mother should have said, “No candy today.  If you scream again we will stop shopping and I will take you out to the car.  When we get home you will have a time out.”

God has rules too. Sometimes we try to manipulate Him.  We go through all the actions but our heart is not in it.  We do it for show to impress people.  We figure if we practice all the spiritual disciplines He will bless us with the things we love. 

Matthew 6

“Take care! Don’t do your good deeds publicly, to be admired, for then you will lose the reward from your Father in heaven. Verse 1
“And now about prayer.  When you pray, don’t be like the hypocrites who pretend piety by praying publicly….. where everyone can see them. Verse 5
“If your eye is pure, there will be sunshine in your soul.” Verse 21

God does not lower His standard to accommodate our selfishness and inappropriate behavior.  He gives us the power and enables us to meet his righteous standard.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 7: Today read:
Genesis 16:1-18:15
Matthew 6:1-24
Psalm 7:1-17
Proverbs 2:1-5

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Helping Your Child Make Good Decisions

 

Do you worry that your children will make a bad decision that will affect the rest of their life negatively? Or do you see them being called into their school’s  principal’s office because of behavior problems?

As Christian moms we want to help our kids make sound decisions.  We need to teach them the concept of right and wrong early and continually.  A good way to start is by memorizing and talking about each of the Ten Commandments.  This is how they learn that the Bible defines right and wrong and they are responsible for choosing right.  Most of the problems in our lives come because of ours or someone else’s bad decisions.

Proverbs reminds us that we all must bear the consequences of our mistakes.  “For you closed your eyes to the facts and did not choose to reverence and trust the Lord, and you turned your back on me, spurning my advice.  That is why you must eat the bitter fruit of having your own way, and experience the full terrors of the pathway you have chosen. For you turned away from me – to death; your own complacency will kill you. Fools!  But all who listen to me shall live in peace and safety, unafraid.” Proverbs 1: 29 – 33  [The Living Bible]

Lot is a good example of this verse.  He was greedy in choosing the fertile land with disregard of what was left for his Uncle Abram.  He didn’t ask God but chose out of his own understanding.  As a result he ended up next to the infamous cities of Sodom and Gomorrah.  He was constantly harassed by them and eventually even taken captive by them.

Lot also did not deal with the problem and ended up losing everything he owned, even his wife.  Complacency can keep your children from growing spiritually.  If your children don’t ask hard questions, ask them yourself; in this instance with Lot and Abraham.  Why did things seem to go so well for Abram but not for Lot?  Why did Lot make bad decisions?  Why was he greedy and Abram so generous?  Challenge your children to dig deeper and to grapple with spiritual issues.

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I want to walk with you spiritually this year, inviting you to read the Bible through from cover to cover; from Genesis 1 all the way to Revelation 22:21.  If that sounds too difficult for you and your kids, you can join in again after you have taken a break or join us for the days you’re up to it.  We will start on Sunday, January 18th and finish Saturday, January 16, 2010.  I promise that you will understand the Bible in a much deeper way if you read it through from cover to cover in a year’s time.

Accept my challenge to read the Bible through in one year chronologically, including the Old and the New Testament.

Day 6: Today read:
Genesis 13:5-15:21
Matthew 5:27-48
Psalm 6:1-10
Proverbs 1:29-33

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This devotion is copyright protected and all rights are reserved worldwide. You are free to use this devotion with your family or with your class. However, it may not be reprinted or republished in any form without written consent from Ruth Willms. If you would like to request permission to republish this devotion, please contact Ruth at ruth.willms@gmail.com

Make Family Devotions Exciting with Devotions for Families That Can’t Sit Still by Carolyn Williford

When you call your kids for family devotions, do they roll their eyes and say, “Boring….” ?  Family devotions with your kids can easily become routine, repetitive, and unimaginative.

If you’ve been looking for a way to liven up family devotions with your kids, Devotions for Families That Can’t Sit Still by Carolyn Williford might help.  This family devotional book will capture the imagination and creativity of your children, even if they have always been bored with that family time called “devotions.”  Even your children who enjoy the reading, praying, and sharing type of devotionals will find this change in approach refreshing.

The action-packed devotional guide would be too exhausting to use every night.  Williford suggests having family devotions one night a week, making it a fun family time everyone can look forward to.

The devotions were written for kids ages 5 to 12 but they can easily be adapted to use with  younger or older children.  Even though they’re written as “family” these activities could also be used for kids’ clubs or other children programs.

Williford is very precise in giving basic, easy to follow instructions, even listing the materials needed for each devotional activity, so you can prepare ahead of time.

She suggests starting each devotional time with a short prayer, then a Bible reading, followed by the main activity and ending with closing prayer. But you adapt the session to any format you wish for your own family or group.

The exciting devotional activities include laser tag or darts, creative writing, nature hike, scavenger hunt, Bible charades, building with Lego or blocks, scientific experiments, art, clay or play doh, music praise night, magic tricks, servant jar, and games.  This devotional book even offers an extensive section for holiday times including Children’s Day and preparing for vacation by burying the Grouch.

For parents and teachers who want to rekindle kids’ excitement about spending time with God, Devotions for Families That Can’t Sit Still could be a great resource to add to your home library.

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