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.

#faithwalking

#faithwalking

Steve and I have talked about this so many times. 

We've talked about how "we/people" say that we trust God and that we are walking by faith, 

but are we really? 

I think the answer is......

when we're REALLY doing it, you KNOW it!

And the rest is just "church talk."

Here's what I mean......

We say we "trust God" with our finances, 

but put the light bill on a credit card before the payment is late.

We say we "trust God" with our kids, 

but barge in to solve their problems before we let God do the work that HE would choose.

So many of us (yes, me) take matters into our own hands

before we allow God to do HIS work,

to complete HIS plan for us.

We put our faith in earthly things like credit cards and other people.

Everywhere I turn lately, I run into Abraham.

Abraham trusting God,

leaving his homeland,

leaving the familiar, the comfortable, the planned,

not knowing where he was going,

going with only the assurance that God would be with him.
Abraham truly did some faithwalking.

Abraham (for the most part) walked with God,
waited for God to give direction,
waited for God to provide.
Even though Abraham had periods of waiting
(for the promised son),
times when it looked like God would be late
(almost sacrificing Isaac),
God did not fail him.
God provided (a new land, a son, a lamb).

I want to be like Abraham, I want to trust God like that.

Right now, Steve and I are truly faithwalking.
We have some things in our life that we are waiting on God to solve.
For some of those things there are no earthly solutions.
Only the intervention of God will do.

But for others, I can see how WE could fix them.
But where is the faith in that?

So my prayer is to not crack during the faithwalking.
I don't want to cave in and run to earthly solutions.
I want to hold steady until God shows HIS way and not mine.
I want to wait patiently for God, who is faithful.
HE will come through.

#faithwalking

DO NOT!

How many times have we read this verse?
How many times have we been obedient to it?
Yes, obedient.
Did you catch the key word in the first line?
COMMANDED

I usually take this verse as a cheer,
a coach's pep talk at half time,
"you can do it, now go show me what you've got!"

But that key word in the first line is not just an encouraging word,
not a word to rally the troops.
It says....COMMANDED.

What's the COMMAND in this verse?
be STRONG
be COURAGEOUS
do NOT  be terrified/afraid
do NOT be discouraged.

How's everybody doing with that?
Me?
Well, I do great with that when things are going well,
when things are going my way.

But how are we doing when things are not going "well"?
No place to live in 30  29 days?
No deposit?
Just lost your job?
No money to pay the light bill?
Kids running wild?
Someone you love is sick?
How are we doing with that command during those times?

Because the truth is.......that's when it counts,

that's when we really find out where our faith is.

But let's be honest.
When those hard times come most of us can be found with our heads hung down,
whining to anyone who will listen, crying, complaining,
wringing our hands, worrying, the list goes on......
All of those things are bad for us,
but they are also bad for those who are watching us.
What does it say to lost people when they see us falling apart?
I think it says that we were trusting in earthly things, earthly security.
I think it shows them that we say we trust God but we don't really mean it.

So how do we fix that?
We do what God told Joshua to do in these verses.
Obey the law, keep it always on your lips, meditate on it.
(Joshua 1:7-9)
The answer is the Word.
We need to be in the Word.
How's our quiet time? Our Bible study?
Are we spending time with HIM in HIS Word?
That's where our strength comes from. Instead of looking at our problems and seeing problems,

let's look at them and call them opportunity.
Opportunity to draw closer to HIM.
Opportunity to trust HIM.
Opportunity to point others to HIM.
Opportunity to prove to anyone who is watching that our God is real,
that HE will come through, in HIS time and in HIS way.

And remember,

HE PROMISED TO BE WITH US.
What else do we need?

What Did You Get?

If you've run into family or friends,

you've probably heard the question,

"What did you get?"

Not only has someone asked me,

but I have also asked several people since yesterday.

Christmas is exciting,

we are excited about what we got,

and also excited about what they got

(especially if it was something they really wanted).

But as we are asking our loved ones what they got this year,

maybe we should be pondering what we GAVE this year.

I had the special privilege of giving a gift yesterday

that moved someone to tears.

THAT brought more joy to me than anything I got.

So my question for all of you this Christmas is,

"What did you GIVE?"

Joy to someone who is hurting?

Forgiveness to someone who has wronged or hurt you?

Love to someone who is lonely?

A listening ear to someone who is troubled?

Understanding to someone who is misunderstood?

Time to someone who needs a friend?

I pray that as this Christmas season slips away,

that we're reminded of the joy that giving brings,

that we continue to look for ways to GIVE.

I hope that your Christmas was life-changing,

for you and for those around you.

Manna

Yep, MANNA.

You know manna,

God's daily provision for the children of Israel

as they wandered in the desert.

Manna is a word we use a lot at our house.

It's the word we use when things start to look too big,

when things get overwhelming.

God brings us back to the word, MANNA.

HE reminds us that HE's got it,

that HE's for us,

that HE will provide for TODAY and 

that the long haul is in HIS hands.

(I need the reminder so much that I made a little sign to hang in the house.)

My man was at work so I had to use (got to use)
my granddaddy's old saw <3 

Anyway, it's not about my little sign,
it's about remembering that I shouldn't worry about tomorrow,
I shouldn't be focusing on the big picture.
I need to be focusing on HIM,
trusting HIM for every step of the journey,
one day at a time,
MANNA.

A Brand New Story.....

Teachers in my district are all heading back to school today,
and for the first time in 25 years.....I am not.
If I'm honest I have to say that I'm
a whole lot thrilled that I don't have all of that work
weighing me down,
but I'm also a little anxious
(wondering if I will have enough coffee money).

In all seriousness, the bottom line is #faithwalking.

At the end of the school year,
Steve and I felt like God was releasing me from full-time teaching.
So I turned in my notice.

While we have no idea what's next,
we do know that HE will let us know.

In the meantime,
I'm thankful to finally have time to focus on my writing
and my TpT business.

Today starts a brand new story for me.
I absolutely cannot wait to see how HE writes it.

"My calling is to press my face into the shoulder blades of Jesus 
so that wherever HE leads I will go." 
Margaret Feinberg