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ENVIRONMENT

I see Christ in others, and they can see Him in me.

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A FAMILY RESOURCE VOL. 4, ISSUE 6

M O N T H L Y

modeling

Illus

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by A

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© 2013 David C. Cook. All rights reserved.

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DEBBIE GUINN | EDITORthe Tru Team | Costa Mesa, CA

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It’s as easy as 1 ... 2 ... 3 ...

1 Start by deciding on a day and time that works well for your entire family. It can be an evening, afternoon, or morning. Just

commit to building this time into your family’s natural rhythm. (It’s usually best to build this time around a meal!)

2 Look through the HomeFront Monthly and see what stands out. Choose one or two experiences that you would like to

incorporate into your family times this week. Don’t feel burdened to complete all the activities at once, but carefully select which ones will fit your family best. Each month of curriculum provides more than enough experiences to last you throughout the month.

3 Remember to HAVE FUN! Strive to make each gathering unique to your own family as you enjoy spending time with God

and each other.

How to Use this Resource

Editor’s Note

As parents we have all experienced it—that dreaded moment when our child repeats an action that is far from our finest moment. Mine came when my oldest daughter was three years old. We were at a family gathering and she was sitting and brushing her dolly’s hair. Innocent enough, until she yanked the doll’s hair and with a very harsh voice yelled, “Hold still!” I wanted to crawl in a hole. Not exactly the behavior I wanted her to repeat.

I recently saw a Facebook post from a fairly new father: One of life’s greatest compliments is that my son copies everything I do. One of life’s greatest fears is that my son copies everything I do. It is true, what we do speaks louder than anything we say to our children. This is why Paul tells us, “Be imitators of God” (Ephesians 5:1a). We have nothing to fear when we choose to follow the examples that Christ modeled for us. He is perfect!

In this issue of HomeFront you will find a beautiful example of a mom who modeled forgiveness to her son in the Storytelling section. Our Prayer section has a model of a prayer that has been prayed for centuries, while God’s Word this month focuses on Paul becoming a spiritual father to the church in Corinth—a father that modeled Christ’s love and grace.

We are human. We will never do everything perfectly but we can choose to allow the Holy Spirit to guide our lives and transform us into the models we desire to be for our children. Models whose actions speak as loud as their words.

"What you do speaks so loud that I cannot hear what you say." - Ralph Waldo Emerson


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VERSE OF THE MONTH Memorizing Scripture can be an incredible practice to engage in as a family. But words in and of themselves will not necessarily transform us; it is God’s Spirit in these words that transforms. We come to know God more when we are willing to open our hearts and receive His Holy Spirit through the words we memorize. Have fun with these verses and think of creative ways to invite your family to open up to God as they commit these verses to memory.

ELEMENTARY VERSE

“Let your light shine before men, that

they may see your good deeds and

praise your Father in heaven.”

Matthew 5:13

PRESCHOOL/KINDER VERSE

"Nobody should seek his own good,

but the good of others." 1 Corinthians 10:24

ENVIRONMENT

MODELING

MICHELLE ANTHONYFAMILY MINISTRY ARCHITECTthe Tru Team | Costa Mesa, CA

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Biblical content needs a practical living expression in order for it to be spiritually impacting. Knowing is the “what” while MODELING is the “how.” This environment serves as a hands-on example of what it means for children to put their faith into action. Ephesians 5 says, “Be imitators of God as little children.” We know that children love to imitate, so what do we as parents want them to imitate? As a parent, one of my deepest desires is for my kids to imitate God’s Truth. MODELING, then, becomes an expression of that. We become living representatives of what that Truth means whether as a parent or a volunteer.

We are people who have experienced God’s love through Christ and God’s forgiveness in the model of Christ. He was and is our living example. The environment of MODELING serves as a hands on example of what it means for both our children and us to put this faith into action.

This month, as you model for your family what it looks like to live out a compelling and authentic faith, our prayer is that your view of God’s Truth and love would be on display for others.


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FAMILY FOOD TIMERecipe

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The kitchen can be a wonderful place to create the environment of MODELING. Children can watch and learn as you set the example of how to create recipes. The following recipe takes a lot of patience as you wait for the syrup to reach a very hot temperature. Then the fun begins as you model how to mold and shape the popcorn balls and then allow your children to do the same. Each family member may then choose to add a favorite treat to distinguish their own popcorn ball.

Directions:1. Coat a large heatproof bowl with butter, vegetable oil, or cooking spray and place popcorn in the bowl.

2. Combine sugars, corn syrup, water, vinegar, and salt in a medium saucepan. Heat to boiling over medium-high heat, stirring until sugar is dissolved, about 2 minutes.

3. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly until mixture registers 260°F on a candy thermometer (or until small amount of mixture dropped into very cold water forms a hard ball).

4. Reduce heat to low; stir in butter until melted.

5. Immediately drizzle syrup over popcorn and stir continuously with a rubber spatula, until popcorn is thoroughly coated and cool enough to handle.

6. Using buttered hands, tightly press mixture (it may still be a bit warm) into 3-inch rounds.

7. Place on waxed or parchment paper to cool completely.

• Food coloring for colored popcorn balls

• Edible glitter

• Melted white, milk, or dark chocolate (drizzled)

• Melted peanut butter or butterscotch chips (drizzled)

• Candies, such as candy corns, jelly beans, red hots, etc.

• Nuts (peanuts, walnuts, pecans, pine nuts, etc.)

• Chocolate or white chocolate chips

• Peanut butter or butterscotch chips

• Toffee bits

• Sprinkles

• Mini or regular M&M's

• Graham cracker pieces

• Dried fruit

• Sweetened flaked coconut

Ingredients:

9 cups plain popped popcorn (about ½ cup unpopped)¾ cup granulated sugar¾ cup brown sugar (packed)½ cup light corn syrup½ cup water1 teaspoon white vinegar¼ teaspoon salt¾ cup butter or margarine

Popcorn Balls Prep time: 30 min. Yields: 16 popcorn balls

BE PATIENT. STEP 3

TAKES AT LEAST 10-15

MINUTES.

Popcorn Ball Decorations and Add-In Ideas


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Taking out the unpopped kernels is key. An easy way to do this is to use your hands to scoop the popped popcorn into another container. All of the unpopped corns will fall to the bottom.

If using add-ins, add them after you combine the popcorn and caramel. Stir well, then form into balls.

It's easiest to form popcorn balls while mixture is hot.

Resist the urge to over-pack your popcorn balls. Tightly packed popcorn balls are hard and not very tasty.

I Can...Can You? At meal-time allow each family member to model a behavior or action for other family members to copy. Have fun making it a challenge!

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ConversationStarters

For example:

I can drink my whole glass of milk....................................................I can eat with my opposite hand.......................................................I can tell a “Knock, Knock” joke.......................................................I can make a fish face......................................................................

Can you?Can you?Can you?Can you?

After playing, ask your children what are some behaviors that they see you do that they model. Have them give you specific examples. Then share with them some of the behaviors and traits of Jesus that you have a desire to model. Discuss as a family where you think you are

Get your children talking…

doing a good job and where you might need some improvement. Talk about how following Jesus is a challenge even for adults. Pray together asking God to give you the strength to follow Jesus and the example He set for us.


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by T

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Repetition is fundamental in almost any learning so when you are attempting to teach your children use repetition!

BEGINNINGS (AGES 3 & UNDER)

Get up Lie down Sit at home Along the road

“These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.” Deuteronomy 6:6 & 7

GET UP

This month, as you wake up, start your day with this rhyme to the tune of Itsy Bitsy Spider. Allow it to serve as a reminder that we can see Christ in others, and they can see Him in us.

Let's all follow JesusWherever He may goOthers will see usAnd may want to know

Why we follow JesusAnd how He loves them soSo let's all follow JesusWherever He may go


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Instruct all players to have a seat and arrange everyone in a circle, facing each other. Each

seat in the circle will be a different animal. Designate one person to be the King Elephant and then assign the other animals. If you wish, you can let players choose their own animal and invent their own gesture for the animal. Otherwise, typical motions for the animals are:

Alligator

King Elephant involves a little bit of silliness and is a lot of fun. The goal of the game is to become the King Elephant, the head of the circle.

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n GAME TIMEKing Elephant

Younger & Older Kids

King Elephant is a rhythm game in that you must successfully stay on

beat. Depending on the chair you are currently seated in, each person adopts an animal gesture (as described above, or you may create a new one). The task is to correctly do your animal signal when called upon, and then to make another animal’s signal to try to get that person to make a mistake.

The rhythm to maintain is set by the person who is King Elephant. He or she can alter the speed as desired. Everyone follows the rhythm of a 1-2-3-4 pattern, where 1 is a pat on the knee, 2 is a clap, 3 and 4 are the animal signals. The person does his or her own signal (animal gesture and noise) first, followed by another animal’s signal. So for example, a round could look like this:

King Elephant starts rhythm: knee pat, clap, elephant signal, King Elephant signals a different player: knee pat, clap, bear signal, Bear continues: knee pat, clap, bear signal, Bear signals another player: knee pat, clap, fish signal, Fish continues: knee pat, clap, fish signal...and so on.

When people fail to keep the rhythm or make a mistake on their signal (e.g. do a signal when they aren’t supposed to) then they go to the end of the circle and everyone moves up a seat. The goal is to try to be the King Elephant by knocking out anyone in front of you. Be sure to get everyone to make funny animal sound effects when they do their signal, too.

Chicken Bear

Setup How to Play

hold one arm out, extended away from your nose, while the other arm wraps around and holds your nose.

join both of your thumbs together and flap your hands like a bird flying.

place your hands under armpits and flap your arms.

extend your arms out in front of you, with one hand facing up, and the other down, and clamp them both together like an alligator’s jaws.

hold your two hands out like giant bear claws.

connect your hands above your head like a circle, make a growling face like a lion’s roar.

make a slithering snake movement with one of your arms.

clasp both your hands together and imitate a fish swimming upstream.

puff cheeks, while pulling your ears out.

wiggle one bent finger.

King Elephant -

Bird -

Chicken -

Alligator -

Bear -

Lion -

Snake -

Fish -

Monkey -

Worm -


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e STORYTELLINGModeling ForgivenessGrowing up in a Christian family, I was taught to apologize if I did something wrong, and then ask for forgiveness. The intent behind the lesson was great, but as a child, I didn’t fully capture the reason to ask for forgiveness: the desire to let the Holy Spirit work in my heart. Often, it was to appease my parents, and merely echo back what I was being told to say.

Now, as a parent, the idea of modeling forgiveness is one that has sifted and churned in my brain and heart over and over. How do I teach my boys about forgiveness? How do I emphasize the importance of allowing God to touch their heart so that they have a desire to ask for forgiveness, instead of muttering a couple of quick words, only to return to whatever game they are playing?

Recently, the opportunity for our family to practice forgiveness came up quite a bit. Our oldest son had recently turned three, started Pre-School, and had a serious case of the “I don’t want to’s!” It seemed whatever we asked of him, he would choose to disobey.

Frankly, I was getting tired of it, and my patience was running thin. One day, I completely lost it and yelled at him. It was not one of my finest mom moments. And the look on his face was enough to quiet my tone. The small whisper of the Holy Spirit also hushed me. How was I modeling a sweet spirit? I took a moment to gain my composure, and prayed as I walked toward his bed. Sitting next to my little man, I held his hand, looked into his light blue eyes, and apologized for yelling at him. I explained that I had lost my temper and reacted, instead of praying first for God to transform my heart. And then I asked him if he would forgive me. Instantly, he hugged me, and offered forgiveness.

A couple of days later, as I attempted to put both of our boys down for a nap, again, our oldest was choosing not to obey. He had gotten out of bed multiple times, yet he was clearly tired. He stood in the doorway, fists clenched, his chin pointed in the air, and screamed at the top of his lungs, “I do not want to take a nap!” It was not his finest moment. Immediately, my instinct was to react, but God reminded me of my promise to pray. And though it wasn’t easy, I remained calm, and told him I was very disappointed in the way his heart was acting, and then went downstairs. It was quiet for a very long, 10 minutes.

And then I heard his footsteps. He looked up at me, and with everything his three-year old soul could muster, apologized. I knelt down to look in his face and thanked him for apologizing, and asked him what he was sorry for. For screaming, and having a disobedient heart, he said. And then paused. His eyes looked straight into mine and he asked if I would forgive him. I hugged my little man, eagerly forgave him, and thanked him for letting Jesus change his heart. Before going back in his room, he turned to me, smiled, and reminded me that he forgave me, too! Just in case, I hadn’t remembered! It was the most beautiful reminder that God can speak to the heart of a three-year-old, and stir a need for forgiveness. My oldest had sought forgiveness, the same way I had done, only a couple of days earlier.

Forgiveness, our family is learning, is a matter of the heart and a softening of the will, to that of the Holy Spirit’s. It’s not simply doing the right thing, or saying the appropriate words, but desiring to have reconciliation and peace with others, through God’s strength. When our family seeks forgiveness, we first pray that the Holy Spirit would touch our hearts, so that we don’t simply say the right words, but remember the reason to forgive. With God-transformed hearts, our family can better forgive, and ask for forgiveness.


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by B

ryan

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GOD’S WORDFather PaulIn the bustling and affluent port city of Corinth, a melting pot of numerous cultures that was equally rich in its economy as it was in pagan influence, the good news of Jesus Christ had arrived!

God used the Apostle Paul, along with some confidants Priscilla, Aquila, and Apollos, to help a group of people discover the life-transforming gift of God’s amazing grace. Soon after their great new-found hope, the people began meeting together regularly, under the guidance of the Holy Spirit and direction of Paul and his team. God had created something new and established His bride (the Church) in this depraved and lost town of Corinth.

But as the Church grew and started living out their new-found faith in their immoral surroundings, gradually, subtly, they began to conform to the culture and lifestyle of the world. Soon, the Church in Corinth was not representing Christ the way it was intended to. Being first generation Christ- followers, God knew that what the Church desperately needed was a model. Someone who would walk before them, and be a real-life illustration of what it means to love God and others.

What better example of love, devotion, and service to Christ, than Paul? But Paul’s life wasn’t always the best example. He had gone through a major life-changing transformation that enabled him to be a resource to the Church of Corinth. Paul once lived a life riddled with sin, enslavement to the law, and the persecution of Christians, but because of God’s life-giving forgiveness and love, Paul was able to become one of His biggest advocates. He valued his salvation even more, having once been a Pharisee ordering Christians to death, and now pleading with people to become Christ-followers. Paul’s heart broke for the unbelieving, and he strived to tell anyone he could about the Good News.

Paul was not interested in simply being another guide to the Corinthians, he saw himself as their spiritual father, a father who they could look up to and follow in the midst of their culture and lifestyle of the world. A father who would not only encourage them, but bring accountability and discipline to them at the same time. Paul knew that as he made every effort to love God with all of his heart, soul, and mind that he would be giving the people around him a tangible model of Christ. He understood that as he embraced more and more of Christ’s love and grace in his life, the people around him would be encouraged to do the same.

God used Paul’s words and life to model what it looks like to be a Christ follower. As the people of Corinth followed Paul’s example they followed Christ.

Read 1 Corinthians 4:15-16 & 11:1 as a family.

4:15-16 - For though you have countless guides in Christ, you do not have many fathers. For I became your father in Christ Jesus through the gospel. I urge you, then, be imitators of me.

11:1 - Be imitators of me, as I am of Christ.

Here are a few things to think about and discuss:

• Why do you think Paul asked the people to imitate him?

• How does following someone who is modeling Christ, help you follow Christ?

God used Paul in countless ways to show others who Christ was, in both his words and actions. The way that Paul lived his life helped others around him love Christ more.

Having models in our life is huge. They help pave a path for us to follow. hey give us tangible experiences for us to apply our faith in Christ.

As a family, ask one another about the models in each other’s lives.Who is a model in your life?

What makes the person a model?

Who has been a model to our family?

What makes this family a model?

Now, together as a family, sit down and write an encouraging letter thanking the people and families in your life for being a model to your family. Be specific. Let the people and families know what precisely has encouraged you and your family.

God using us to show others who He is, is what MODELING is all about. How does God want to use your family to be a model? Spend some time praying and asking Him to reveal to you how He wants to us your family to show Him to others.

HEAR IT

DO IT


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WORSHIPBurning With PassionIntimidation. Confrontation. Persecution. Our brothers and sisters in China are constantly under the threat of the government for one simple reason: worshipping Jesus.

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Yet no matter the suffering or struggles, nothing—not even death itself— can keep these faithful Christ-followers from responding to the goodness and faithfulness of God.

Although religious practices are not completely outlawed (as long as they are officially sanctioned by the government), it is the so-called “house churches” that are illegal in China. Experts estimate some 70-120 million people belong to these underground fellowships.

“Much of it works on a ‘sight unseen’ philosophy where as long as they stay ‘underground,’ they are largely left alone,” says James C*, an American who recently moved with his family to Beijing to reach out to the people there.“But if they begin to exert some independence, the government tries to suppress them.” This could mean eviction from their homes, harassing members, or even putting leaders under house arrest.

Christians in China are always practicing their beliefs under much pressure and scrutiny. Ultimately, it forces them to truly assess their beliefs and ultimately requires them to make a decision that is truly committed to Christ.

“They don’t have the freedom to waver or to be fickle with what they believe,” James says. “Once a decision is made, they know it can be life altering, if not life threatening.”

It is this kind of devotion and faith that is reminiscent of what the Apostle Paul writes about in his second letter to the Corinthian church.

“We now have this light shining in our hearts, but we ourselvesare like fragile clay jars containing this great treasure. This makes it clear that our great power is from God, not from ourselves.

We are pressed at every side by troubles, but we are not crushed. We are perplexed, but not driven to despair. We are hunted down, but never abandoned by God. We get knocked down, but we are not destroyed. Through suffering, our bodies continue to share in the death of Jesus so that the life of Jesus may also be seen in our bodies.

Yes, we live in constant danger of death because we serve Jesus, so that the life of Jesus will be evident in our dying bodies. So we live in the face of death, but this has resulted in eternal life for you.”

--2 Corinthians 4:7-12 (NLT)

“It’s been inspiring to meet local Christians who are fighting the propaganda of their government,

societal norms, and familial expectations to live for something higher,” says James. “My desire is that I can learn from them and that we can mutually sharpen one another.”

This month, be encouraged by the believers in China as they model a passionate and fearless devotion to the Lord. Then, embrace the freedom you have in worshipping Jesus whenever, wherever, and however you choose. Create space for your family

to worship God allowing your thankfulness to spill over; tell God that you are thankful

for your freedom to worship Him. Then, pray together for the people in China. Pray for their protection. Pray for courage and strength.*Name has been changed for security reasons.


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TRADITIONSSummer CampingEvery summer, for the past seven years or so, our family has packed up the tent (and so much more) into our van and headed to the beach for a week of camping. It has been a relatively inexpensive way to take a family vacation with our four kids. And after all these years, it has become somewhat of a tradition in itself.

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Just reserving a site at this busy, coastal, Southern California camping spot is an adventure. It’s booked six months ahead and we always celebrate getting the site or band together in figuring out what to do if there are complications. God always helps us come up with something, though, and once the packed van pulls into the camping spot, the real traditions begin.

We get the tent up first to make sure we have adequate daylight to see everything. The kids all help unload the rest and set up our site. They’re usually simultaneously collecting their favorite rocks because painting them is something we do every year. Once everything is set up and in its place, the next tradition is finding pennies or random coins and running them up to the train tracks. This involves a family hike where we enjoy the scenery along the way and comment on how things look different or similar from the year before.

The rest of the week holds a series of similar traditions like the long bike ride, nightly fires and S’mores, the open-flame popcorn pan, exploring “the cave,” surfing, paddling the kayak around the buoy, and

going into town for an ice-cream. It’s a week we never forget and continue to look forward to every year!

My hope as a parent is that as I model this tradition to my children they will then in turn begin this same tradition with their own families one day.

A TRADITION IS THE HANDING DOWN OF STATEMENTS, BELIEFS, LEGENDS OR CUSTOMS FROM GENERATION TO GENERATION. WHAT TRADITIONS ARE IN PLACE FOR YOUR FAMILY? WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO PASS DOWN TO THE NEXT GENERATION? IT IS ALWAYS FUN TO CREATE NEW TRADITIONS WITH EACH GENERATION.


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TRADITIONSFollow the LeaderIn his letter to the Corinthian church, Paul says, “Follow my example, just as I follow the example of Christ” (1 Cor. 11:1). What a privilege that as parents we get to model what it looks like to follow Christ for our children. Each day we are given countless opportunities to model what Jesus taught as we love the Lord our God with all our heart, soul and mind while loving others around us with this same love.

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This month, we have a few fun and creative ways to help our children practice putting their faith into action as they follow our example and what we model for them.

1. Tape the butcher paper down in an area you want to do this activity.

2. Place the colors of paint on separate paper plates.

3. Gently brush the paint on the bottoms of family members’ feet.

4. Parents walk first across the white paper, leaving painted footprints for the children to follow. Children walk across the paper leaving their footprints.

5. Observe the footprints displayed on the paper, they will serve as examples of what it looks like to follow the model set before us by our parents and Christ.

*Discussion: Note that the prints go in the same direction and that the children knew the way to walk because of the example modeled before them. Remind your children that Jesus modeled the way to walk through life in The Big God Story. Perhaps there is a place you could hang your creation to serve as a reminder this month!

• A LONG PIECE OF BUTCHER PAPER

• TAPE

• VARIOUS COLORS OF TEMPERA PAINT (ONE COLOR PER PERSON PARTICIPATING)

• PAINTBRUSHES

• PAPER PLATES

• EVERYTHING LISTED IN OPTION ONE EXCEPT PAINT

• A DIFFERENT COLORED MARKER FOR EACH PERSON PARTICIPATING

What You'll Need: What You'll Need:

How To:

How To:

Option #1 : The Messy One Option #2 : The Less Messy One

Follow the option one instructions except instead of painting the bottom of the feet, use markers to trace around the feet to leave footprints. Feel free to write in the footprints the qualities Jesus modeled for us (grace, service, love, peace, prayer, trusting God, etc.).

Other options: Simply wet the bottoms of your feet with water and walk along dry places of sidewalk to reveal wet footprints on the ground. Trace each family members’ foot on different colored construction paper and mount them from biggest to smallest on top of each other.


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PRAYERThe Jesus Prayer

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aura

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er• Begin by praying “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have

mercy on me, a sinner.” Invite your children to repeat

the words.

• Pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.”

Invite your children to repeat the words.

• Pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy.” Invite

your children to repeat the words.

• Pray “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God.” Invite your

children to repeat the words.

• Pray “Lord Jesus Christ.” Invite your children to repeat

the words.

• Simply pray the name “Lord Jesus.” Invite your children

to repeat the words.

• Pray the entire pray, “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God,

have mercy on me, a sinner” one more time and invite

your children to repeat the words.

The environment of MODELING reminds us that we can see Christ in others. One of the primary places our children will see Christ modeled is through us, their parents. When I think about modeling a prayer life for my children, I am reminded that in addition to showing them how I talk to God, I also have the gift of prayers from so many others in the faith community. Our Christian tradition has a beautiful history of prayers prayed by others who love Christ.

One prayer that I love praying both by myself and with my family is called “The Jesus Prayer.” The author of the Jesus Prayer is unknown, but the history of this prayer can be traced back to sometime in the 4th century AD. This prayer has been a part of church tradition ever since and is still used by many today. How amazing to think about praying words to the Lord that other Christians have been praying throughout history.

As we model our prayers after others who loved Jesus long before us, we can also be reminded that we are a part of a faith community that has been alive and active throughout history.

This month, take some time to gather your family together and pray The Jesus Prayer. Begin by explaining to your children that you are going to model your prayer after a prayer that Christians have been praying for a very long time. Invite your children to pray the words of the prayer after they have heard you say them.

The words to the Jesus prayer are simply “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner.” Tradition is to pray the prayer again and again, taking out a few words each time to focus on the deep importance of each word of the prayer. The beauty of this simple prayer is that it can be prayed quickly and repeated often. Many Christians use it as a way of pausing throughout their day to refocus on the presence and truth of God in that moment.

Close your time by explaining to your family that, while the words of this prayer may seem simple, they focus on some very important truths of our relationship with God. We are all sinners, and need Jesus’ great mercy in our lives every single day.

IF YOU CHILDREN ARE OLD ENOUGH, YOU MAY WANT TO

TRY HAVING THEM WRITE THE WORDS TO THE JESUS PRAYER

ON AN INDEX CARD TO KEEP WITH THEM THROUGHOUT THE MONTH. ENCOURAGE THEM TO

KEEP THE CARD WITH THEM (MAYBE IN THEIR POCKET, IN

A WALLET, OR IN A BACKPACK) AND PRAY THIS PRAYER IN

MOMENTS WHERE THEY HAVE A FEW SECONDS TO CALL ON GOD.


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si MARRIAGE Win WinI grew up in a family where my dad said the phrase, “Do as I tell you, not as I do.” I can remember thinking, “This makes no sense to me.” It never did and un-fortunately there were many things my dad did that weren’t so good that I also ended up modeling myself, especially as a father.

My wife Becky and I talked about how we would raise our children and we both agreed we would not use the phrase, “Do as I tell you, not as I do.” We knew instinctively that telling children one thing but modeling another would never be an effective way to raise a child.

Conflict is unavoidable for couples, so when Becky and I had differences we felt it was important to model a way to handle them that showed respect, love, and compassion. We decided early on that finding a win-win solution would be the way we would end disputes.

I often forget to close the door that leads from our garage to our laundry room. It was an ongoing annoyance to Becky but I would always seem to forget. In turn she would forget to turn off our electronic components for our TV and recorder, which was annoying to me. After sharing our frustrations with each other we came up with a win-win solution. Whenever I found the electronics on I would merely turn them off and not mention it to her in a disrespectful way. Whenever she would find the door from the garage open she would close it and not make an issue of it to me. We had found a win-win solution that was of great benefit.

We modeled this kind of conflict resolution for our son (more times than we would have liked). Our son got married three years ago to a beautiful girl named Khara. One night when we were out to dinner with the two of them, they were telling us about a conflict. I remember the response my son shared, “Dad we were struggling with an issue and Khara and I found a great win-win solution.” I smiled inside. He had caught it! Our children will do as we do, not as we tell them, so remember to model your legacy well.


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by D

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n GLOBAL Where In the World is ...

China is approximately 3,705,000 square miles. It is slightly smaller than the United States of America. China shares land borders with 14 countries. Going clockwise from the top they are: Mongolia, Russia, North Korea, Vietnam, Laos, Myanmar, Bhutan, Nepal, India, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Tajikistan, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan. It is also bordered by the Pacific Ocean and the South China Sea.

Now that we know where in the world China is, let’s meet and greet its people.

There are 1.3 billion people who call China their home. It is the world’s most populated country. One out of every five people on earth come from China.

If you lived in China, you would eat a lot of rice. Because of the growing population, food has been hard to come by at times. Meat was so scarce that you might eat dishes prepared with shark fins, seaweed, frogs, snakes, and even dog and cat meat. You would most likely eat a lot of noodles. Chinese noodles can be made from wheat, rice, or beans and they come in all different widths. Dragon-beard noodles, for instance, are so thin they would quickly dissolve if you cooked them in water. Instead, they are fried in oil and served crispy.

If you went to church in China you would most likely go to a Buddhist Temple.

Awakening a compassionate heart and a global mindset in children for people beyond the boundaries of their own neighborhoods.

Did you know? • China has a policy that families are limited to only one child and are fined if

they have more than one. • Ice cream was invented in China in 2000 BC, by packing a milk and rice

mixture in the snow. Marco Polo took the recipe of ice cream and noodles back with him to Europe.

N

SEW

“NI HAO”(Pronounced NEE HOW)

To talk with your friends in China, you would speak Chinese.

To greet someone in Chinese you would say...

POPULATION:

1,300,000,000

LANGUAGE:

Chinese

RELIGION:

80% Buddhism

3-4% Christian

1-2% Muslim

China

Mongolia

Russia

India

Kazakhstan

PacificOcean

1

23

4

5 6

98

10

1. Kyrgyzstan2. Tajikistan3. Afghanistan4. Pakistan5. Nepal

6. Bhutan7. Myanmar8. Laos9. Vietnam10. North Korea

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BLESSINGModeling Love

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HomeFront Weekly: Don’t forget to grab your HomeFront Weekly: A resource to getparents and kids talking about God’s Word together.

A BLESSING CAN BE A PRAYER OF COMMISSION, A BIBLE PASSAGE OR WORDS OF ENCOURAGEMENT. BLESSINGS CAN ALSO BE SPOKEN OVER A CHILD FOR THE PURPOSE OF DECLARING GOD’S PROTECTION, JOY AND WISDOM OVER HIM.

BLESS

Parents, bless your children by having them close their eyes while you read this short verse over them:

We love because He first loved us.(1 John 4:19)

Begin praying, asking God to reveal to your family some examples of how He first loved you. Take a few moments in silence to reflect. Close your prayer by asking God to show your family ways to love as He has loved you.

After praying, have each person share the examples God brought to mind and discuss together how your family can love each other with the example that God has set for you.

PRAY


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What’s Happening in Your FAITH COMMUNITY?

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