These fun, engaging, NO PREP word work activities help students practice their words effectively and are the perfect option for your 1st or 2nd grade class!

This week we discussed Lydia. I used bolts of different purple cloth for the visual, which the kids really liked. They took home purple cl...

Get more ideas about hidden US travel destinations that are way less touristy than other places! Great for family road trips or weekend getaways!

This post is a request from a comment. I have listed the order of the lesson posts for Acts with the links for your convenience to find them. If you are teaching the book of Acts, this list of links help make finding everything easier. Please note: This has the list of original Acts lessons first. Newer versions will be listed also with the blog post photo, but both posts have different ideas & printables. Sorry, this page is missing pictures. They will be added soon. Click here to see the updated visuals for Acts. Click on the title to see the post: The Holy Spirit on the Day of Pentecost Ananias & Sapphira Newer lesson is here Stephen Newer lesson is here Philip & Ethiopian Eunuch Newer lesson is here Peter Freed From Prison newer lesson here Peter Heals Dorcas & Aeneas Newer lesson is here Cornelius & Peter's Dream Newer lesson is here Saul Blinded by the Light Newer lesson is here Paul Leaves Damascus by Basket Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Paul & Elymas the Sorcerer Newer lesson is here Paul & Barnabas in Antioch Newer lesson is here Paul Heals Crippled Man in Lystra Newer lesson is here Timothy Newer lesson is here Lydia Newer lesson is here or here newest lesson is here Paul & Silas in Prison Newer lesson is here newer lesson is here Paul Preaches @ Mars Hill in Athens Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Aquila & Priscilla Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Eutychus Newer lesson here Demetrius & Evil Books Burned Newer lesson is here Agabus Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Paul Captured in Jerusalem Newer lesson is here Paul's Nephew Saves Him Newer lesson is here Paul Before Felix Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Paul Before Festus & King Agrippa Newer lesson is here Newest lesson is here Paul Shipwrecked Newer lesson is here Paul Gets Bit by a Snake on Malta Newer lesson is here Paul Arrives in Rome Newer lesson is here Paul's Life Review Click here to see all the Acts worksheets. Click here for the ORIGINAL Acts passport link to print your weekly passport. The Travels of Paul Passport was updated! It is smaller to look like a real passport, easier to print, and has more printing options. Click here to see the newer version. The newest passport with stamps is here. Click here for the Acts lapbook printables. Click here for the visuals for each lesson that can be for a bulletin board, flip chart, etc.

I came up with this idea when I was working on the 12 Disciples egg carton printables.

"Worms in Dirt" may not sound appetizing, but the taste of this easy dessert will make you a believer! These chocolate pudding cups are decorated with crushed cookies and gummy worms, to make a creepy-crawly treat that kids will love to help make and eat. This recipe doesn't require any cooking and comes together in

Free Bible Maze: Shipwrecked | The story of Paul's shipwreck on Malta. Fun for kids to print and learn more about the Bible.

This file folder game (FFG) will be as review and the students can take home. Stephen if found in Acts 5-6 Introduction: Scripture is Acts 6:8-8:4. We have studied about Jesus dying on the cross and after He rose from the dead, He talked with His disciples and told them to go out and make disciples from all nations. Jesus said to baptize them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit and teach them to do all the things I have taught you. Remember that I will always be with you. (Mark 16:15) Lesson: Peter and John and Stephen were some of the people who did what Jesus commanded. They went about healing people and preaching about Jesus. They were beaten and made fun of. When they were brought to the chief priests and asked why they kept doing what they were told not to do, they answered that “We obey God instead of men!” They taught DAILY in the temple and in every house, preaching and teaching about Jesus being the Savior. The word of God spread. Today we will be talking about Stephen and how his works for Jesus and his death introduces us to Saul, who we know as Paul. Read today’s Bible verse: "Now Stephen, a man full of God's grace and power, did great wonders and miraculous signs among the people." Some of the Jewish leaders were arguing with Stephen about what he taught. They just couldn’t stop him from preaching, so they secretly told men to say that they had heard Stephen say offensive words against God. The Jewish leaders got the people all worked up and Stephen was brought to the Jewish council. They had false witnesses come in and tell lies. Sounds like how Jesus was brought in and crucified, doesn’t it? Everyone sitting at council thought Stephen had a face of an angel. The high priest asked if this was true, and Stephen began by telling the council about Moses and about how God delivered the Israelites. He talked about Abraham. He talked about Joseph and his father Jacob and how they were saved from the famine by God. He talked about David. Use Picture Visuals here: Moses, Abraham, Joseph and David) This is the short version, I use the long version to review Old Testament men. Insert the info at the end of this lesson for those men here. Pictures and lesson are at the end. He told the council they were stubborn, because all those people knew about God, but they wanted to do what they felt like instead of what God says to do. The men shouted out and plugged their ears! They ran at Stephen and took him out of the city to stone him. The men that were witnesses in the temple were by law supposed to throw the first stones. Those witnesses laid their coats at the feet of Saul. The clothes they laid at Saul’s feet would have been the outer coat that would get in the way when they heaved the rocks at Stephen. As the people were stoning him, Stephen called to Jesus to “receive my spirit”. Stephen was ready to go to heaven with Jesus and he asked Jesus to forgive them for what they were doing to him. This is the first time the Bible talks about Saul, who we are going to study. We know him as Paul. This was the persecution of the Christians. They were killed for telling others about Jesus. People left Jerusalem and went to other countries teaching about Jesus. As we read Acts 8:3-4, we see that Saul was very destructive for the church. he went into people's homes and dragged men & women to prison. He approved of Stephen getting stoned to death. And those who were Christians, went everywhere preaching the word. Take Stones (I just picked these out of the decorative rock bed at the building, but they can be purchased at Dollar Tree) Let them paint or write on the stone the word “Forgive”. Talk about how Stephen forgave the men who hurt him and even asked God to forgive them. This original idea was found here. This is the front cover and inside of the FFG. The cards for each Bible man Stephen talked about are stored in the pocket on the front cover. I make my pockets for the pieces sideways, because my FFG's are stored like files, and they are carried by the kids like files, so parts do not fall out as easily. But, it's your choice how you glue it on your folder. This is a twist on a bulletin board I saw on Pinterest, but I like the FFG for review better. Here is the link to print it. If you'd rather just a worksheet, you can print it here. Click here to download the worksheet. You can find all the Acts worksheets here. Click here to download the updated visuals. The visuals for Acts 6 & 7 are all included. All are not shown. Click here to download the pictures to color. (These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.) Notes for Stephen's talk about Bible people: The high priest asked if the people were telling the truth with their accusations and Stephen began by telling the council about Old Testament Bible people: A. God told Abraham to go to a new land. Which he did. God promised him a son. God gave him Isaac. He would be the father of all nations. His descendants would be like the stars in the sky! Which they are! B. Then, Isaac had Jacob. And Jacob had 12 sons. We know them as the 12 tribes of Israel. Do you remember Joseph? His brothers were so jealous because Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors. They sold him and Joseph was taken to Egypt. God gave him "favor and wisdom". Pharaoh, the King of Egypt, made him Governor over Egypt. So he was given a lot of power in Egypt. God was watching over him! Joseph sent for his father, Jacob, during a famine, and they were able to be together again! All these men are found in the book of Genesis. C. And then Stephen talked about Moses. He is in Exodus and it's over 400 years later. (They think about 430.) God had Moses and his brother Aaron take the Israelites out of Egypt. After the 10 plagues, they left Egypt. God also gave them the 10 commandments. We will have a lesson about Moses later. D. Stephen then talks about David. He fought the giant Goliath. He was also a king for 40 years. David's son, Solomon who was the wisest man that ever lived, and was king after David's reign. E. Stephen finishes up with Jesus. He calls Jesus 'The Just One'. You can print the 12 Sons of Jacob here. You can print the other posters here. Click here to download the lesson. Bible Verse: Acts 6:8 Passport: Jerusalem Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.

This bulletin board is from a request for The 12 Apostles of Jesus decorating ideas. You can see my lesson for more ideas here. But, for this bulletin board, you will need to add the title, and fish net if you wish. It is very cheap at Dollar Tree or try your local party store in the Spring. I let it drape down past the bulletin board. This can be used as a wall deco, or on a door also. The Disciples are as tall as a sheet of regular paper. I printed everything on white cardstock, cut it out and laminated it. There are labels for each man, and I do have each labeled with their name as I used them, but I did not put names directly on the men in case you preferred to switch some of them around. Which, if you look closely at the board, I did trade some of them around once I was putting them on the board! I also added Jesus with a scripture poster that I like to use with the Disciples. You can print everything here. Here is the adult bulletin board I made for the hallway. The heavier fishnet I used really gives it the pop!

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No internet. No running water. No electricity. Just lots and lots of fresh air. Just yourselves and your surroundings for entertainment. Pure adventure, right? Read on for some practical advice for overnight backpacking with kids

These Lydia Bible crafts are quick and easy. They make great Sunday school projects.

Paul teaches Lydia about Jesus. We learned about the purple fabric that Lydia made and why it was so important and expensive.  Click here to download these updated posters. Review: We learned last week that Barnabas decided to take Mark and go a different direction to preach about Jesus. Paul took Silas and Timothy to travel to other churches and preach about Jesus. Remember, Timothy was younger, about 15 or 16 and his mother and Grandma taught him the Old Testament. Paul taught him about Jesus. Paul had a vision one night. The man in the vision begged Paul to come to help them in Macedonia, so they left for Macedonia the next day. Click here to download Luke Poster. Then, Luke started traveling with Paul also. Read Acts 16:8 & 10. So, we also learned last week that when Luke is traveling with Paul, the Bible says we and us, but when Luke is not with Paul, Luke says them. Remember, we are studying from Acts and Luke wrote it. There are several photos of today's view of Neapolis and Philippi. These photos, and more are @ http://www.padfield.com/photoindex.html and are used with permission by David Padfield. Philippi felt banner change for the tent and prison for next week Lesson: Scripture is Acts 16:12-15. Now, Paul has Silas, Timothy & Luke traveling with him. They traveled 10 miles to Philippi. The Roman roads were paved here, and there are still parts of them there now! They had been in Philippi, which is in Macedonia, for some days. On the Sabbath day, they went out of the city gate to the riverside. People gathered together there to pray. The city of Philippi didn't have enough Jewish men to have a synagogue, so the people went to the river to worship. It was mostly women worshipping there. They would pray, study the Old Testament laws from scrolls and talk about what they had read. This would have been a great privilege to have a man there to teach them. After they had sat down, they talked to a woman they had met there. One of the women that was there worshipping was named Lydia. She already believed in God and didn't worship idols. She sold purple fabric. Let's talk a little bit about how she made the purple fabric, and why it was so expensive. I have cut pieces of purple cloth and shells on the front table for the kids to pick up when they come in to class. They do their passports and pick up whatever I have for them so there is not time wasted handing out things. And, if there are choices, like the shells, they can pick before class. And, first come, first picking! Purple cloth was very expensive. The reason it was so costly was that it was difficult to make. The dye for the cloth came from a shellfish. Purple dye had to be gathered drop by drop from the veins of certain shellfish found only in this area of the Mediterranean. The little bit of juice was white while it was in the veins of the fish, but when it was exposed to the sun, the liquid changed into bright purple and red colors. It took thousands of seashells to make a yard or two of purple cloth. It took a lot of work to catch enough shellfish to dye even one garment. It was a statement of status, power, and wealth in Roman times. The beautiful cloth was mainly used by members of the royal families and Roman senators who were required to have a purple band around the edge of their togas, or robes. (This info gathered over years of research, and I do not know exact origins.) Lydia listened to Paul. Lydia and her household were baptized, immediately, and then she begged Paul, Silas, Timothy and Luke to go to her house to stay. This worksheet is a concept chart. As you are reading through Acts 16:11-15 with the students, they can fill in the facts that are stated. This includes the color (w/o logos), black & white and a teacher's answer sheet. Click here to download. When I make these, I use the Accucut diecut machine to cut the (large) shells for the outside. But, I have included the outside, as you can see, and the inside. Once I glued the outside on, I trimmed a little of the inside so it would look nicer, but that is just me. Because, actually, the kids will be cutting and gluing these, so I won't be trimming theirs. Here is the color printable. Here is the black and white printable. Please note, though, that I used the same cream shell for the inside because I couldn't find a plain outline of a shell to use, and you couldn't see anything if I used what is available. You can print in grayscale if you want to. Click here to download. Click here to download the lesson. Bible Verse: Acts 16:14 Click here to download these visuals. Not all are shown. Click here to download the pictures to color. (These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.) Passport: Philippi in Macedonia You can find the free Lydia visuals at Free Bible Images. (Used with permission) Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission.

Well tonight we officially started our first Easter activity. The kids have Easter parties on Monday and Thursday at "school" and need to bring pre-filled plastic eggs. I went to Wal-Mart and bought some stampers and tonight I filled the eggs and the kids put stickers on them. Since our Sundays are always busy we got ours ready tonight! Reid picked a lot of Benny the Bull (a character from Dora) and Lightning McQueen stickers for his eggs. He had fun for about 10 eggs and then he decided to hang out on the couch. Lilly probably would have put stickers on thousands of eggs! She was a sticker-sticking machine! ( ; She did some princesses, some sports, some Dora, and some cross stickers. These are the stampers. I am kicking myself because Oriental Trading Co had free shipping one day this week and I meant to order their "He is Risen!" stamps for a lot cheaper than these but I forgot. Oh well these are cute too! Our finished eggs ready to be hidden! I would love to tell you that I talked about Jesus at all while we did this but that would just be a lie. Don't worry, though, because we have some activities this week that focus on the real meaning of Easter this week! I am hoping to do an activity each night (like I did with the advent calendar before Christmas). Reid's awesome teachers sent this basket home with him for us to do the Easter story this week. I am so thankful that he has such great teachers to love on him! This is what was in the basket along with instructions and a verse for each day. Sunday--palm branch--John 12:12-14 Monday--little lamb--John 1:29 Tuesday--butterfly--Ephesians 2:5 Wednesday--towel--John 13:1-5 Thursday--cup and crackers--Matthew 26:26-28 Friday--cross and nails--Matthew 27:32, 35, 50 Saturday--stone--Matthew--27:59-60 Sunday--empty Easter egg--Matthew 28:1-2, 5-6 I love this idea. I am looking forward to doing it each night with the kids. I found these awesome toddler/preschooler resurrection eggs off of Pinterest (also all of the following ideas came from there as well). There are six eggs that we will make as we tell the Easter story. There is a little poem that goes with them, too. I LOVE these and I feel like they are much more on Lilly's level than the traditional resurrection eggs. We are doing these in my KDO class, too. I love this stained-glass cross. Last year my only Easter goal was for Lilly and Reid to know that every time they see a cross it should remind them that Jesus loves them. So I am excited to make these with the kids and have them hanging on the window. That is still my main goal for this year, too. We are going to make this little Resurrection Garden too. I know they probably won't get the real meaning behind this yet but I know Reid will love playing in the dirt and with rocks. We will be making yummy resurrection rolls. I am so excited because these sound so cool and so yummy!! The rest of the activities are ones that I am hoping to get to as well! I like this Empty Tomb Craft. I also love this Caterpillar to Butterfly activity too. I didn't know until this year that the butterfly is an Easter symbol. The first stage is the caterpillar which stands for His life on Earth. The second phase begins from the cocoon stage portraying the crucifixion and burial of Jesus. And the third stage is the butterfly representing His resurrection and beautiful new life. This is a fun homemade soap activity that goes along with Jesus washing the feet of the disciples. I may let Lilly practice her cutting skills with this palm leaf activity. I am excited about all of these Easter activities. I know we probably won't have time to get to them all but we will have fun trying! Well we spent the day working in the yard and now my allergies have gone crazy. I am sooo thankful for the discovery of Cepacol!

This lesson is intended for preschool, but there are new printables here that could be used for early elementary also. Saul was not nice to the Christians. Saul was also called Paul and he grew up in Tarsus. He was a Jewish leader and was very smart. He was glad to see people being put in prison because they believed in Jesus. Saul was still following the Old Testament rules. Saul was in Jerusalem, and he went to the high priest. He wanted permission to bring back anyone that was teaching about Jesus. He wanted to make sure the Christians were in prison. Saul went from Jerusalem to Damascus. It would take Saul and the other men with him several days to arrive in Damascus. It was close to noon, and they were close to Damascus, when suddenly a light came shining around Saul from heaven. The light was brighter than the normal afternoon sun. Saul fell to the ground and Jesus said to him: “Saul, Saul, why are you persecuting Me?” Saul asked, “Who are you, Lord?” And the Lord answered, “I am Jesus, whom you are persecuting.” Saul was shaking! He was amazed and asked, “What do you want me to do?” He was told to get up and go into the city and then he would be told what to do. The men that were traveling with Saul just stood there speechless! They heard someone talking but couldn’t see anyone! Saul stood up and opened his eyes, but he couldn’t see anything. The other men led him by the hand and took him to Damascus. He was there for three days. He couldn’t see and he didn’t eat or drink anything. Saul did a lot of praying. He had some time to think about what he had been doing. There was a disciple named Ananias in Damascus and the Lord came to him and told Ananias to find Saul of Tarsus on Straight Street. He is praying and waiting for you to come. Ananias replied that he has heard of Saul of Tarsus! He is putting Christians in prison. Jesus told Ananias that He has picked Saul to tell others about Him. Ananias did what Jesus told him to. He went to see Saul. He laid his hands on Saul and told him that Jesus appeared to him on the road to Damascus and sent me to give your sight back to you. Immediately something like scales fell from Saul’s eyes and he could see. Saul immediately stood up and went to be baptized. Scripture for this lesson is Acts 8:3; 9:1-19. I knew I needed to make a map for this lesson, since the kids love them. The stand-ups are great to use for review also. Issues with my PDF maker created the front page with one of the pictures messed up, but all the printables are perfect. Anyway, this includes the color and black & white. Click here to download. These Flip Books are quick and easy and great to use for review. Just one page to print and you can prepare them, or the students can. This includes the color and black & white. Click here to download. My students love using the Dot Markers. We have them use the Dot Markers first so they can dry before the end of class. This download includes the black & white for the students and a completed color version for the teacher's visual. Click here to download. Where is Saul? Song with a one-page visual. Just print on cardstock, fold on dotted line and it's ready to use. Just turn around as needed. Click here to download. Click here to print the lesson. Click here to download the updated visuals. Not all are shown. Click here to download the pictures to color. (These are the same as the visuals but are black & white.) Click here to see the early elementary lesson and printables including a Tri-Fold Visual.

Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. . . [God] handed out gifts above and below . . . [God] handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to tra…

Teaching your kids all about the Fruit of the Spirit is such a fun lesson with the right tools! We have a ton of Fruit of the Spirit Crafts your kids will love. Join us for a feast of ideas.

Out of the generosity of Christ, each of us is given his own gift. . . [God] handed out gifts above and below . . . [God] handed out gifts of apostle, prophet, evangelist, and pastor-teacher to tra…

This is a favorite in our youth group. We might play it 4 times a year. Supplies: Glowsticks (two per player, one for each wrist). One color per team. 2 Larger glowsticks (or many connected to form a giant ring) This will be a flag. How to Play: Its capture the flag but it's done in the dark

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What happened to the 12 disciples of Jesus? A question everyone asks when they get to the end of the book of Acts.

Table of Contents hide Most Important Skills for Sea Kayaking 1 Learn how to make a bilge pump 2 Stay visible on the water 3 Scout ocean surf in your kayak 4 Construct a tow line 5 Try the sea kayak scramble self-rescue 6 Understand marine VHF radio use 7 Re-enter and roll your kayak In recent years, adventurous paddlers and expeditioners have shown that you can go just about anywhere there’s water in a sea kayak. From Antarctica to the Grand Canyon and beyond, with the right training and preparation the world is your oyster. We present seven of the most important skills to master in order to stay safe, comfortable and on course while sea kayaking. [ Browse the widest selection of boats and gear in the Paddling Buyer’s Guide ] Most Important Skills for Sea Kayaking 1 Learn how to make a bilge pump Having a way to empty your flooded cockpit is essential when you’re far from home. Some sea kayakers use foot-operated bilge pumps, while others use electric. Build your own bilge pump. | Photo: Doug Alderson You can build your own battery-operated kayak bilge pump using about $100 worth of parts available at your local electronics or marine supply store. For more, follow our easy instructions to Build Your Own Battery-Operated Kayak Bilge Pump. [inlineads code="custom_ad_1"] 2 Stay visible on the water Whatever the conditions, it is crucial to stay visible on the water. Sea kayaks are small compared to the various other crafts on the water, and for your safety and the safety of others. Bright paddling clothes are extra important on a dark, rainy day. | Photo: Ryan Bonneau The high-visibility mindset is an essential skill, from picking the right clothing and paddle color to choosing the accessories that make you more visible—especially in foggy or hazy conditions. Read on to learn What You Should Wear To Be Seen On The Water. [ Paddling Buyer’s Guide: See all apparel ] 3 Scout ocean surf in your kayak If you choose to paddle in exposed coastal areas, you’ll have little choice but to launch or land your kayak in a surf zone. Breaking surf represents one of the greatest challenges to any paddler. Learn to assess beaches to determine where to land. | Photo: Paul Villecourt It’s vitally important to choose the right beach for prevailing conditions because surf is an incredibly dynamic and powerful environment that offers both amazing play possibilities and potentially devastating beat-downs. Watch and learn How To Scout Surf In Your Kayak. [inlineads code="custom_ad_2"] 4 Construct a tow line A kayak tow line is a vital tool to have in your rescue kit. It can make rescues easier, less complicated and faster. Leon Sommé shows how to build a sea kayak contact tow line. | Image: Adventure Kayak/YouTube Leon Sommé of Body Boat Blade International shows you how to make your own in our video on How To Build A Sea Kayak Contact Tow Line. [ Read more: Best Throw And Tow Bags ] 5 Try the sea kayak scramble self-rescue Knowing how to rescue yourself after a swim in the water is an important skill. This is especially true if you kayak alone or will be going on open-water trips or undertaking big crossings. James Roberts of the Ontario Sea Kayak Centre demonstrates a sea kayak scramble self-rescue. | Image: Adventure Kayak/YouTube The pros at the Ontario Sea Kayak Centre demonstrate how to Master The Sea Kayak Scramble Self-Rescue. [inlineads code="custom_ad_3"] 6 Understand marine VHF radio use If you are spending extended periods of time on the water in your sea kayak, you should know the fundamentals of communication by marine VHF radio. Every open water paddler should carry and know how to use a marine VHF radio. | Image: Adventure Kayak/YouTube These radios are key for emergencies or to communicate with other watercraft, especially on large, open bodies of water. Brush up on your communication skills with our Marine VHF Radio Essentials. [ See also: How To Boost Your VHF Range ] 7 Re-enter and roll your kayak Ever taken an unplanned swim on your sea kayaking trips? If you’ve exited your kayak, the re-enter and roll is the fastest self rescue, increasing your confidence and safety on the water. Follow these step-by-step tips that make performing a re-enter and roll in your kayak simple and straightforward. | Image: Adventure Kayak/YouTube Learn how to rescue yourself with step-by-step tips from experts at the Ontario Sea Kayak Centre. It’s simple and straightforward with our video on How To Re-Enter And Roll Your Kayak. The world is your oyster with these key skills for safe sea kayaking. | Feature photo: Watcherfox/Adobe Stock

Wow... long time no posts, huh! Sorry about that. It's been a wild ride at our house, particularly the last 12 weeks or so. Thanks for being patient while I was away - and for being so supportive to me and my family. I have gotten the most heartfelt and genuine letters of encouragement from many of you - letters that I will keep and always treasure. You all have been a huge part of my support system and I appreciate that so much! Many of you know that I have a FB Page where I've been sharing our Cancer Journey (HERE)... and about a week ago I shared the beautiful, clear picture that's been forming in my mind about life and this quote summed it up perfectly. Plus, since I tend express myself graphically, after all... MY computer IS my canvas - this is what I made. Monumental - actually, as this was the first thing I've designed in forever and let me tell you... IT FELT SO GOOD TO BE BACK AT MY COMPUTER!! As soon as I designed it, I knew immediately that this quote would fit in nicely with my "Sunday Sentiments Series" and thought that posting the image here might be a nice way to begin easing back into designing and blogging again. Here's what I wrote on Eric's "411" Page... Hi, Friends... My sister and mom have encouraged me to share a few things I've learned and experienced in hopes it'll help our friends and family understand a little bit about what it's like to ease into life after cancer. I think the easiest way to describe it - is before Eric got sick, we had a huge plate of commitments, tons of activities dawn to dusk (and beyond) and were a very busy and involved family. When Eric was diagnosed, both the first time and the second, we were forced to strip and cut all unessential things in order to cope with and juggle the heavy and unpredictable load that lay ahead. We re-prioritized every detail of our lives. We had to let go of a lot of worthwhile and great things, but also got to purge the unnecessary activities that diverted our focus and re-focused it all on THE most important things - which was Eric, his care, our fight and each other. Where we stand today, in emotional recovery as a family, it's been a very euphoric experience for me particularly as I re-evaluate life with a new perspective. I look at my plate, which is now filled with all the best, most important things with intense gratitude. I know what's important to me, I have new ideas on how to best spend my time, I have set new goals and have a new vision on how I want to move on and grow from this experience. I love Eric and our kids more than ever, I have a fine-tuned respect and love for life and what our purpose is here. It's difficult to describe, but it's a clarity like I've never had before - and possibly one of the greatest gifts after experiencing an intense fight for life with a loved one. I now want to fill my plate back up in a more thoughtful and intentional way. What a beautiful opportunity this is to carefully choose what we, as a family, and myself individually, allows back onto our plate. And you know what, maybe it won't be with all the old regular stuff. Longing for our old normal is not healthy, we'll never get back to that - it's impossible, cancer changes you too much. Some of what was important before seems less important now. What we will evolve to and find over time is a new, but better normal. One that hopefully reflects what is most important in life and one that is not clouded with glittery distractions and unnecessary crazy. Eric's physical recovery will take time, lots of time - but as he rebuilds his stamina and strength each day, I feel a great desire to make sure that when he's finally able to emerge into his own new normal, that our family will be strong, focused and ready to move on to great things together. Please PIN and DOWNLOAD YOUR QUOTE {HERE}! Get the full "Sunday Sentiments" Collection {HERE} - there are over 40 now! Much love... Don't miss new printables, freebies and discounts! FACEBOOK, INSTAGRAM, PINTEREST or SUBSCRIBE TO MY NEWSLETTER SHOP NOW | WHAT IS SCRAPBOOK MAX? | TERMS OF USE | DISCLOSURE | CONTACT

Sure, the water's cold, but the colors will blow your mind.

Enjoy our free Bible Quiz: Road to Damascus. Fun for kids to print and test their knowledge. Printable homeschool resources and activities.

For the second session of our Under the Sea Theme junior church series we focussed on Fishers of Men. The play session worked very well for this session, particularly craft and play dough. Resources to accompany the play dough were lolly pop sticks, match sticks, gems, goggly eyes, shells and drinking straws. There was no instruction to make fish, other than the first child saying what shall I make and being told "You can make anything you like, you may want to make something relating to what you think we are doing today, but it's up to you?" They looked around the room and made fish, the results were pretty amazing... Shape punch fish, the children were provided with blue paper cut into A5, coloured paper, shaped punches. There was an example of a made fish on the table (this is the first week I have provided example crafts, but really engaged the children) Paper plate fish left over from last session but made available and a few children accessed, good for recapping last session. Sock fish, these turned out lovely! Fish pond fishing biscuits: rich tea, blue icing, s'mores gold fish, pretzel sticks and strawberry laces (the last two items are not on this picture) Blow up boat in a scene with fishing game. To act out the story, independently or in group time World twister, to link to Jesus' great commission which we touched on in the group time Habour scene, was used last session but not accessed so changed to table worked much better. These crafts were made in response to the story/ group time f

This is one of the oldest traditional Polish recipes but it is definitely a challenge to prepare this at home. Fun fact: Sekacz can last six months!

Timeline of Jesus' Life | Bible Review Looking for a fun way to review a timeline of Jesus' life? I made this timeline for my kids to use after we had completed several lessons on Jesus' life. Using this timeline is simple. Print on card stock, cut between the two fish, and scramble the timeline. Kids work together to place the events of Jesus’ life in order. Another idea is to print off two or more copies and have teams race against each other to see who can assemble the timeline first. This makes a great review lesson for Sunday school after a unit on Jesus' life or holiday game (like Christmas or Easter). This timeline is geared for 3rd-6th graders but could be used by older students as well. There are 22 events of Jesus' life for kids to put in order. Enjoy! Thank you for visiting my store! Please follow me by clicking the green star on my store's homepage for freebies and updates. And don't forget to earn TpT credit by rating this purchase. Like this idea? Check out these other products: Trivia Games Life of Jesus Trivia Game Bible Trivia Game | Apostle Paul's Life Lapbooks Armor of God Lapbook | Ephesians 6 Noah's Ark Lapbook Jesus' Last Week Lapbook | Bible Lesson Fruit of the Spirit Lapbook | Sunday School Lesson or Bible Lesson Silly Sentences Word Games Christmas Nativity Story Silly Word Game Easter Game | Sharing the Good News About Jesus Sunday School Lessons and Ideas Road to Emmaus Sunday School Lesson Passover and the Seder Plate Queen Esther Missionary Stories David Livingstone | Christian Missionary to Africa Amy Carmichael | Christian Missionary to India Hudson Taylor | Christian Missionary to China Thanks for visiting my store! ************************ Please check out my Blog or follow me on Pinterest

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