Every year as Christmas creeps closer and closer, I am filled with anticipation for the joy of the season, but also anxiety sets in as I wonder if I will be able to get everything done in time. From preparing kids for Christmas plays, to hosting and attending parties, to determining the perfect gifts for each family member… it’s a crazy time of year!
What do your kids love about Christmas? Mine love decorating the Christmas tree (my husband’s least favorite part), making, icing, and eating Christmas cookies, and spending time with their cousins… Christmas is fun and full of exciting activities, but with so much to look forward to, if we are not careful, it can become easy to loose sight of the main reason for Christmas.
With Thanksgiving around the corner, it’s fun to think of something special to give our kids to celebrate the occasion. I enjoy giving my kids Thanksgiving books and books about thankfulness. Reading books together on thankfulness is a great way to encourage our kids to be thankful and get them excited about celebrating Thanksgiving!
Knowing and Loving God, Reflecting His Character, Serving with Kids
Pearce Family Discipleship Highlight
I enjoy hearing creative ways that other families disciple their kids to love Jesus and follow in His ways. Although each family is unique, we can all glean ideas and wisdom from each other, so I thought it would be beneficial to hear from some families as to what Biblical resources and approaches they have found effective in encouraging their children in Christ-like ways.
Devotionals, Knowing and Loving God
Keeping God First While On Vacation:
Keeping God First While On Vacation:
A Family Vacation Devotional
Recently we had the opportunity to take a family vacation with some friends on a cruise to the Bahamas! We had such a wonderful time with our family and friends and enjoyed God’s beautiful creation all around us. There was only one thing missing… we wished we had a family vacation devotional to do with our kids over the trip to encourage us to keep our hearts more focused on the Lord and His ways!
One of my favorite activities during the summer months is reading chapter books with my kids. I enjoy snuggling on the couch as we read the next chapter and discuss what we can learn from it. There are some great, classic books out there, but lately I have been searching for some good Christian chapter books with a message of faith. We know a few, and I reviewed one of them below, but I asked some friends (and some of their kids) to tell me their favorites and why they liked them.
Last summer I led a small group of teenagers at Camp 220 with my church. I had heard many great things about this camp and how teens’ lives had been dramatically changed, and I wanted to experience it first hand with the students from my neighborhood Bible club. It was an unforgettable experience, to say the least.
Have you ever wished you could eliminate those countless hours of screen time on long road trips? What if you could give your kids a constructive activity that the whole family enjoys? I know books are great, and we encourage our kids to read in the car as much as possible. It’s also important to use some car time to talk or play family games, but it’s nice to have other options as well. One of the activities we enjoy on road trips and when traveling around town is listening to audio dramas: stories that come to life through the character’s voices and sound affects without the visual input.
While it’s fun to buy chocolates and other Valentine’s gifts that show our kids we love them, we can also buy gifts that remind them how much their Heavenly Father loves them! With this in mind, here are my favorite Valentine’s gifts for kids to lead them closer to the Lord!
As Christian parents, if we know from heart the greatest commandment, then we understand that the most important thing we can teach our kids is to love the Lord our God with all their heart, soul, mind, and strength, as Jesus teaches.