A.C.T.S. (or Not-So-Lazy Summer Days!)

Posted on May 20, 2013 by

Ah, summer. A time for taking it easy. Days at the beach or the lake or simply relaxing in the backyard. A time to kick back. And no one looks forward to summer more than children.

I can remember starting the countdown to summer vacation right after the school Easter break. Unfortunately, once it arrived, summer always sped by way too fast. Before I knew it, I was back in school, writing my essay on what I did over the summer.

How would you like to involve your kids in something really big this summer? Something they’ll remember for years to come? Something they’d be proud to write about for their “What I Did Over the Summer” essay when they go back to school?

This year Focus on the Family is sponsoring A.C.T.S.! – A Call To Serve. Through this summer program, they are hoping to encourage thousands of kids across the United States to make a commitment to serve their family, their community, and even their world. A.C.T.S. has two goals: to facilitate over 50,000 hours of service, and to donate 500 lambs for Operation Christmas Child.

Interested? Here’s how to learn more: 

The program is organized in three “Acts”:

  • Act One: Serve
  • Act Two: Share
  • Act Three: Enter to Win! 

Contest entries may be submitted from June 1 through August 16, 2013. Prizes for winners range from a one-year subscription to the Odyssey Adventure Club to an expense-paid missions trip. Official contest rules are found here.

Help your children help others this summer. Regardless of how the contest turns out, everyone will be a winner!

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How to Pick the Best Summer Activities for Children

Posted on May 18, 2013 by

As Christian parents and grandparents we have the awesome responsibility of guiding our children and helping them to find summer activities that support family and Christian values while educating, entertaining, and promoting fun and relaxation. Whether you are planning vacations, camps, or summer and vacation Bible schools, here are some tips to help you make the best choices for your children and your family.

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  • Research Christian or summer camps carefully. Choose those that support your religious and family values and take care to find reliable recommendations from other parents, pastors, or teachers. Consider qualifications of those that will be in charge and who will have the daily responsibility for your child. Think about how they handle emergencies, what experiences they will be providing for your child, and how the cost of the camp fits in with your family budget.
  • Talk to your children about what they want to participate in for the summer and what skills or interests they may want to explore. Some children do well with time away from home for these experiences such as camp but  others would do better being home with activities in the community where they can participate with neighbors or friends. Avoid over booking or planning your child’s summer. Too many activities can lead to exhaustion, irritability, and mood changes.
  • Help children to plan activities that include an aspect of serving others. It can be a simple as volunteering at a local nursing home, collecting cans for recycling, or raising funds for an important cause. Using summer time to participate in activities that serve others less fortunate shows our children how important it is to serve people, protect the environment, or give back. There is nothing better than blessing others with selfless giving.
  • Help children to discover the joy of quiet time. Quiet time can be a time for renewing, reading, meditating, or sometimes just taking a nap. Children learn to be comfortable with quiet time to pray, work on a craft or hobby independently, or to simply listen to the sounds of nature or the quiet voice of God. They also learn that they do not have to be entertained every minute of the day by others. Quiet time activities can be age appropriate and can be done alone or as a group. The main focus is to help children recognize the need to rest and renew.
  • Think safety when planning any summer activities for and with children. Not only should parents think about equipment safety, food safety, and environmental safety but also who your children spend time with and where they spend time. Older children choose many of these activities and their friends. Parental guidance helps them to make good choices. Know who your children’s friends are and what adults they are around. Be engaged and involved in those that have connections to your children to have the best chance of keeping them safe at any age.

Summer is a great time for vacation Bible school, church or summer camp, day trips, and working on new hobbies or activities. Work with your children to find things that they like and enjoy but that will help teach them service and gratitude while having fun. Encourage reading and skills that keep them ready for the new school year yet won’t bore them or discourage their enthusiasm for learning. Keeping these tips in mind will help your kids to have a fun and safe summer while honoring Christian family values.

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Repetition and Building Upon Past Teaching Points

Posted on May 17, 2013 by

againEmily Gravett has authored a book about a little dragon who wants his mommy to read the same story book over and over. As a parent, I can certainly identify with this poor mother who only wants her little dragon to go to sleep so she can call it a night, too.

It is suggested, however, that repetition offers some advantages. In a University of Sussex study, it is suggested that repetition in reading is “more likely to lead to a child acquiring new vocabulary.” You can read the details from this study by clicking here. Psychologist Dr. Jessica Horst, who led this study, says, “”This research suggests that it’s not the number of books, but the repetition of each book that leads to greater learning.”

Over the past three weeks, the Sunday school children and I have been discussing getting to know God. We started out in the Book of Jeremiah, Chapter 9 where it says,

24But let him who glories glory in this,
That he understands and knows Me,
That I am the LORD, exercising loving kindness, judgment, and righteousness in the earth.
For in these I delight,” says the LORD.

As part of this lesson, the children learned a new word, the Hebrew word “yada” which means to know (to have intimate knowledge of).

The following week, I started off by asking this children if they remembered this special Hebrew word. Most knew it began with the letter “y” but couldn’t recall the word.

On the second week of the lesson, we talked about having a heart of longing to know God like the Psalmist says in Psalm 84:10,

Better is one day in your courts
than a thousand elsewhere;

Since one of our favorite hymns is based upon this Scripture message, the children easily recalled it and were able to remember it the following week when we went back to it. In addition, when I asked them the Hebrew word we had learned two weeks ago, most were able to tell me it had four letters and started with the letter “y.”

Last week when we met, they were able to recall the entire Hebrew word “yada,” while learning about the worth of knowing God and heard Paul’s letter the Philippians found in Chapter 3 versus 2 -6 on how everything Paul knew before was trash compared to knowing Christ. They were also easily able to recite the previous week’s memory verse from Psalms.

Have you used this method of repetition in your home or church? How successful has it been for you?

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