Christmas Break

For most of you, your kids are off of school for the next two weeks. Here are some fun ideas of things that you can do with them while you have them home:

1) Have a movie night - pick a movie as a family, make some popcorn and enjoy together!

2) Go sledding (if we ever get snow of course :)...)

3) Board Game Night - choose a board game as a family

4) Walk around your neighborhood at night and look at all of the lit up decor on the houses

5) Pizza Night - Buy the supplies to make your own pizza's, let the kids pick out whatever toppings they want. Make the pizza's together and enjoy. While you are having dinner go around and say one thing that you are thankful for this month.

6) Make cards to encourage neighbors, friends, or family

7) Find a local soup kitchen and help serve a meal as a family

8) Go to the library and have everyone pick out a book they want, then go home and spend some time individually reading your "book of choice". Make some tea or hot chocolate and enjoy the quiet time together.

9) Spend some time together setting goals as a family for the next year - what are some things that you would all like to do together within the next year for your neighbors, community or church?

10) Everyone dress up warm and go outside to make snowmen and snow angels.

Let me know what fun things you do over break with your family! Merry Christmas!

Influence

Influence. There are people in our lives that influence us in ways we will never forget. People who bring us to Christ, people who develop friendships with us, people who share there hearts with us, the list can go on and on. There are people in our lives that we influence ourselves through teaching, babysitting, friendships, relationships, etc.

There is one woman I want to focus on today that has made a huge influence in my life. Some of you know her and some of you were not able to get to know her. Through the last 6 years I have been able to do ministry with her, I have been able to laugh with her, I have been able help take care of her and her family, I have been able to go through sickness with her. She has this amazing heart for children and for serving. My favorite memories of her is from camp. She came every year with me to our 1st-2nd grade week, and she would have this gentleness with the children that was really touching to see. The kids just loved her.

What I admire the most about her is that she never gave up on God throughout her entire battle with cancer. Whenever I had the chance to spend time with her she always had hope and she always trusted. Deb Brown was an image of a child of God.

I am so thankful that she was a part of my life. She influenced me in ways that I can not explain. Honestly, I am jealous that God gets to have her now, but I know that she is loving it with Him.

Influence. Sometimes people influence us in ways that will make an impact for a lifetime and they don't even realize it. Deb Brown is one of those people. She will never realize the influence she had on so many.

Parent Time

I can hardly believe that it is December already!! This month we are learning about compassion - caring enough to do something about someone else's need. The bottom line for this past week's lesson is: God saw our greatest need. Whose needs do you see?

So many times throughout this holiday season we tend to worry and think about getting the tree up, putting lights outside, getting the best deals on gifts, making the right cookies, how to pay for everything... and the list can go on and on.

This week take some time with your child(ren) to brainstorm people in your neighborhood or people that live close by that may not be able to shovel their driveway this winter, or who may live alone, or a family that may need some extra help. Figure out what you can do for those people and figure a time to serve them. It can be shoveling snow, making cookies for a neighbor, sending a card to someone in need, etc.

Take some time out of your day with your child(ren) to think of the needs of others. Let me know what you do and how it went!

BiteBack Campaign

I just counted the final numbers of the money that your children brought into KidZone. Throughout the month of November we have been doing a BiteBack Campaign through Compassion International - for every $10 your children brought in it paid for 1 mosquito net for a child in Africa. Our goal was to purchase 25 nets. The numbers are in and your kids brought in enough money to purchase.... 39 NETS! Thank you for partnering with us to help your kids raise money for this cause!