Due to the flood issues, we didn't have Family Time for 2 weeks -- (it's hard to have Family Time when the kids aren't here!) :) Anyway, we're all together again and so last night we had Family Time. We took a break from our Verse Book because this week is Holy Week and we wanted to take some time to talk about the importance of this week and Easter.
Last year we started the tradition of talking about Easter using the Resurrection Eggs that you see below in the picture. They are an excellent tool to help you share the importance of Easter with your kids! There are 12 eggs with a 'symbol' in each egg that helps tell the Easter story. It was a very precious evening...as we opened each egg I shared with them the verse that went with the object and then we talked about what it meant and what Jesus might have been feeling.
We talked about how Jesus prayed and prayed and asked His best friends to pray with Him that what was going to happen wouldn't have to happen, but that most importantly Jesus said, "Not my will, but Yours be done"...while praying, while praying He realized his best friends fell asleep...I asked Josiah how he would feel if he knew that in 15 min. he would be run over by a car and that after asking us to pray for him we all fell asleep or decided to do something else. Would be feel precious and special? Probably not...
As we talked about Judas betraying Jesus...His good friend...I asked how they would feel if their good friends (naming some of their good friends) did that to them. It made them think...opening each egg, reading the verse and talking about it allowed for some great conversation and very precious moments.
Then later as we talked about the whip, I explained what the whip actually looked like...and asked them how they thought Jesus felt after having His best friends fall asleep, having another good friend betray Him, being whipped and beaten, having a crown of thorns put on His head and being left on the cross to die...feeling alone...no words were needed...Josiah had tears coming down his face...I asked him why he was crying and he couldn't speak. He has always known how much Jesus loves him and often talks about Him being his friend, but I think last night was the first time he truly realized what his 'Friend' did...the sacrifice He made to show His love and obedience to the Father which in turn proved His love for us. You can't talk about Easter though without talking about the most exciting part of all...the part that makes our God amazing...the fact that Jesus didn't just die...we all die...that isn't the most amazing part about Easter...but the fact that HE ROSE AGAIN...that, is the miracle of Easter! I asked Josiah to close our time in prayer and it was precious...I will forever remember this Family Time. After our time was over they went up to Dan and said..."He Is Risen" and of course Dan responded..."He Is Risen INDEED!"
Last year we started the tradition of talking about Easter using the Resurrection Eggs that you see below in the picture. They are an excellent tool to help you share the importance of Easter with your kids! There are 12 eggs with a 'symbol' in each egg that helps tell the Easter story. It was a very precious evening...as we opened each egg I shared with them the verse that went with the object and then we talked about what it meant and what Jesus might have been feeling.
We talked about how Jesus prayed and prayed and asked His best friends to pray with Him that what was going to happen wouldn't have to happen, but that most importantly Jesus said, "Not my will, but Yours be done"...while praying, while praying He realized his best friends fell asleep...I asked Josiah how he would feel if he knew that in 15 min. he would be run over by a car and that after asking us to pray for him we all fell asleep or decided to do something else. Would be feel precious and special? Probably not...
As we talked about Judas betraying Jesus...His good friend...I asked how they would feel if their good friends (naming some of their good friends) did that to them. It made them think...opening each egg, reading the verse and talking about it allowed for some great conversation and very precious moments.
Then later as we talked about the whip, I explained what the whip actually looked like...and asked them how they thought Jesus felt after having His best friends fall asleep, having another good friend betray Him, being whipped and beaten, having a crown of thorns put on His head and being left on the cross to die...feeling alone...no words were needed...Josiah had tears coming down his face...I asked him why he was crying and he couldn't speak. He has always known how much Jesus loves him and often talks about Him being his friend, but I think last night was the first time he truly realized what his 'Friend' did...the sacrifice He made to show His love and obedience to the Father which in turn proved His love for us. You can't talk about Easter though without talking about the most exciting part of all...the part that makes our God amazing...the fact that Jesus didn't just die...we all die...that isn't the most amazing part about Easter...but the fact that HE ROSE AGAIN...that, is the miracle of Easter! I asked Josiah to close our time in prayer and it was precious...I will forever remember this Family Time. After our time was over they went up to Dan and said..."He Is Risen" and of course Dan responded..."He Is Risen INDEED!"
