BEING A BLESSING

By Sheila

                                                                                                                           

There are some days when I’ve just about had it. Recently, when baby-sitting a friend’s two preschoolers for the day, I realized how much one can forget in the six short years since both of my girls have been out of diapers. On that day, the three-year-old got into the paints when I wasn’t looking. 

I discovered him sitting on top of the kitchen table, making interesting designs on his clothes, and took one look at him and decided he was too far gone to interfere with now. 

TEACHING KIDS TO PRAY: THE FIVE FINGER METHOD

By Sheila

When Katie was two, we were teaching her how to say grace. She had just finished up when Keith leaned over and whispered to her, “tell Mommy she’s pretty.” Katie promptly put both hands together again, closed her eyes, and said, “Dear God, please make Mommy pretty. Amen.”

But most of my girls’ prayers tend towards this: “Thank you that we had a good day today. Please help us to have fun tomorrow! Amen.”

Granted, it’s not that bad, but you know what I mean.

And I have decided this isn’t good enough. So here is our plan to really teach them to pray:

What Causes Kids to Hate Attending Church?

by Dale Hudson


Dale Hudson gives his quick list of what 
will make a child bored, disgruntled, or 
irritated in a kidmin class.

• Lessons that are not age-appropriate.

• Sssshhhhhh!!!  Sit still and be quiet!!!

• Long services.

• Lessons that are not relevant to their life.

• Teachers who do all the talking in class.

• When no one knows them personally.

• Music that is too "babyish."

• Music from 1950.

What Makes a Kid Unique? by Orange Leaders

by Bre Hallberg 

Did you know that the fittest kids in America are graduating from Naperville high schools? According to the book Spark by John J. Ratey and Eric Hagerman, this is not a random result, but an intentional health fitness model that requires students to exercise every morning within their target heart rate.

And not only are they the fittest kids, but upon graduating high school these kids are given both a diploma and a 14-page document that explains their physical goals, their accomplishments and what they need to do in order to maintain a healthy lifestyle as an adult.