I See Ya!

Below is a repost from my blog that I wrote in 2015.

As I've been thinking over the last few weeks

of this Christmas season, 

this post is what kept coming to mind.

In the last few months, 

our family has been in a struggle,

where it has just felt as though a million things

have been pressing in on us.

When that happens, it's easy to wonder if God sees,

even when you know that you know,

that HE not only sees but HE also cares

and is working on our behalf.

The last couple of weeks,

God has really made HIMself known

through people and circumstances 

that we never would have guessed.

The only thing we can do is...

look up, smile, and say,

"I know that was YOU, God, Thank you!"

(repost 2015)
Has this ever happened to you?

Did you stop long enough to notice?

I'm still laughing at how this happened to me just today!

I was getting ready for church yesterday,

you know standing in the closet with my hands on my hips,

trying to make something different appear.

It was a little cool,

so each outfit I thought about wearing
had to come with a thought

about which sweater to drag along

(because it would be 80 degrees after church).

I remember standing there thinking,

"A JEAN JACKET WOULD GO GOOD WITH THAT.

I SURE WOULD LOVE A JEAN JACKET."

It was only a passing wish.

I quickly grabbed the old stand-by yellow sweater
and headed to church.

And now part 2 of the story.....

I LOVE hand-me-downs!

You know free clothes that other people
(preferably your friends)

don't want or don't wear anymore.

Well, I have a friend at school who gives me her clothes.

Every season she cleans out her closet and saves me a stash.

I LOVE IT!!

I guess you know where this story is going don't you?!

Yep, the last thing I pulled out of the bag was.......

this jean jacket!!

Yes, I immediately looked up, smiled, and thanked God.

I knew it was HIM!

The moral of the story is this.....

God is faithful!

HE will always meet our needs.

But, for me, today, HE was showing me that HE can

and sometimes will, meet our frivolous wants too.

I could have lived without that jean jacket,

but HE chose to love on me today,

through a simple act of a friend,

through a simple denim jacket.

I see ya, God!
Thank you!

Sharing the Good News

This week in Bible Study,

we are talking about missionaries,

the different jobs they do,

the places they serve,

and most importantly the message they share.

We made bookmarks with the

"Good News"

and practiced being missionaries

by visiting other classrooms and

sharing John 3:16 with them.

It made us realize that the job of a missionary

is not always easy, but SO important.

If you can use these, just click on the picture

to grab your FREE copy.

Run the Race

I love that the Bible is so relatable. 

That we can find so many different topics in 

the Bible that address whatever we need at the time

(& that includes fun topics like SPORTS).

Several years ago, I did a whole sports theme

in my classroom. As I was preparing it for 

my public school classroom, God allowed me to

write this unit even though I was not able to use

it at the time.

RUN the RACE

focuses on Hebrews 12:1-2 where Paul

compares the discipleship journey

to a race as well as the understanding that intense training

& discipline produces strength & endurance.

It includes an original rhyming story that I wrote,

that can be printed and made into a class booklet.

*poster version of the story

*devotion plans

*Hall of Faith matching activity

with cut and paste recording sheet

and answer key

*Help? or Hinder? situation cards

with a writing activity

*Sports in the Bible activity

with Scripture references to look up

matching activity

recording sheet & answer key

*word search page

*Eternal Crowns activity

Scripture references to look up

matching activity

recording sheet 

poster (also answer key)

*other verses related to sports

(Clink any of the pictures to head to my store.)

I pray that this unit will be helpful

as you share God's Word with your students.

First Week of Bible Study

Are you still laying on the beach somewhere?

Well, we are right in the middle of our
first full week of school, 

and our first week of Bible Study.

We aren't starting our full curriculum until next week, 

so I made a fun activity to get us started.

I wanted them to start thinking of people/stories
they already knew from the Bible,

and how every story in the Bible points to Jesus. 

So I made this cross with familiar Bible people/stories.
I made several copies (for small groups of students)
and cut them into pieces for a puzzle.

I had the kids work together to assemble their puzzle.

When they finished, we discussed what they knew

based on the pictures on the cross.

It was so great!

Everyone had something to contribute.

Even students who knew very little about the Bible 

were able to talk about "the Baby Jesus" 

or the "boat with the animals in the flood".

And then other students were able to 

fill in almost all of the details.

I left them with a black and white version 

to take home and color.

It was a great kickoff to Bible Study for the year.

If this is something you can use,

you can pick up your FREE copy here!

Noah's Ark

Who doesn't love the story of Noah?

You know the cute part with all the sweet animals 

floating along happily on the boat?

Do you think it was really like that?

Can you imagine?

The true sounds and smells of so many animals

all together in one place?

I don't know so much about the cute and sweet part,

but I do know that Noah was obedient to God

even when God asked him to do something strange

that would mean something awful for so many.

When teaching the story of Noah in class,

I certainly use the cute and sweet images,

but it's important to get students to the reality of what

was truly going on.

Genesis 5:32-10:1

If you are ready to teach Noah, 

your timing is just right for my updated learning packet

(and a FREEBIE).

It's a HUGE packet with over 90 pages and 16 activites
including reading, language arts, math, science, etc.

One of the activities is a memory verse puzzle

The verse is Genesis 6:22.

It's a fun way to help your students learn the verse.

 

Here's a sneek peek at the whole packet.

And now the FREEBIE....

It's a making words activity that practices "ar" words.

Click on the preview below to get your copy.

I hope you find something helpful here

as you get ready to teach the story of Noah to your kids.

Giveaway Day #4

Congratulations to Beth!!

If that's not you, you still have one more chance to win!

Today is the last day.

Click on the rafflecopter link below.

I hope you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Day #3

Wednesday's (June 28, 2018) winner has been announced!

Congratulations Dina!

If you didn't win, you have another chance!

Click on the rafflecopter link below for a chance to win today!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway Day #2

We announced a winner for yesterday's giveaway!!

Congratulations to Ana S!

If that's not you, no worries!

We're doing it again today!

Click on the rafflecopter link below and enter to win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Relax and Enjoy a Giveaway!

Hopefully you're out of school and finally able to relax!

You've worked so hard, that some friends and I
wanted to treat you with a chance to win some $$$$.

All you have to do is sit back, relax and
click on the rafflecopter below.

We are giving away
not 1,

not 2,

not 3,

but 4!!!!

Teachers Pay Teachers gift cards.

We will be giving away one a day starting today!
The rafflecopter will be open from 12:00am until 11:59pm
each day (Tuesday through Friday).
You will need to enter each day.

So settle in and start clicking :)
I hope you win!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Hurry Back Here Tomorrow!

You don't want to miss what's happening tomorrow.

Check back here for details :) 

Ready to Enlist?

I might be telling my age....
but when I was a kid I LOVED the song,
I'm in The Lord's Army!

Did you learn that song?
Do your littles know it?
It's an oldie, but it's still good.

(Click the pic to listen - YouTube link.)

Several years ago I wanted to do something with the song,

& God took it & turned it into a whole military-themed unit.

Anyway....

since Memorial Day is coming up,

I thought you might like a craft/bulletin board activity.

It's part of my Lord's Army packet,

but you can get the pattern FREE right here.

(Click on any of the pictures to grab a pattern.)

I use the paper pattern to make a sturdy pattern on 

card stock so that it's easier to trace multiple copies

without the pattern going to shreds.

(A crafty parent told me to use empty cereal boxes.)

I also label the pattern pieces with the part name

and the suggested color.

(One year we found camo wrapping paper

and those were very cool.)

That helps students when they are tracing their own pieces.

Cut them out...

I never cut out pieces for my students unless

they are very tiny pieces.

My goal is not a perfect product that looks exactly like mine.

With them cutting, it usually means that

their final products have a LOT of character :) 

Assemble....

They could be assembled and glued onto 

construction paper (and then add a background)

or they could just assemble the character.

Details...

Finish up with whatever details they choose

(faces, scraps for camo, boot laces, etc.)

These make a great bulletin board.

If you're interested,

here is a preview of the entire unit.

Don't forget the click any of the pictures above

to grab your FREE craft pattern.

Ordering the Old Testament

"Is it Kings and then Chronicles?

Chronicles and then Kings?

Which of those minor prophets comes first?

I KNOW that Genesis comes at the beginning."

Has this ever been you?

Your students/kids?

(The older I get, the more it is ME!)

Many years ago, I made a packet of cards 

(along with section dividers)

to help my students begin to sort and learn the 

books of the Old Testament in order.

(and it was ugly, awful, so I just updated it)

I think that learning the sections,

then learning the books in each section

makes it so much easier for our kids (and us) to get the order right.

This activity could be used in many ways,

whole group, small group, etc.

But I mainly used it as a literacy station.

EVERY TIME I used this in a station,

they always wanted the laptop so they could listen to....

(click on it for the YouTube link)

If When you get sick of hearing this song over and over and over again,

 they could simply use a Bible to help with the order until

they are at a point of doing it without help.

I also made several recording sheets to help along the way.

There are sheets for each section and then a huge,

name all the books recording sheet

(this is a time-consuming activity 

so I spread it out over several visits to the learning station).

I also made a cute poster to hang in the classroom.

And if you have made it all the way to the end of this post,

then it is yours for FREE.

(click on the poster to get your FREE copy)

Hopefully this will be a great help to you and your students.

P.S. "Malachi is last for sure."