50+ Things to Do with Bored Kids in Summer

Running out of things to do with the kids yet? I found a bazillion things to do on the internet. Narrowing them down to fit here was difficult. Some of these make great science projects. I won’t jabber on, so I can leave space for all the links and suggestions. So, here we go: * Instructions for things to make. 1) Make your own lava lamps http://slsmithphotography.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/06/lava-lamps-summer-fun.html 2) Make a city using masking tape * Let the kids go wild with a roll of masking tape. They can tape over the carpet, the furniture, wherever you allow, to make roads …

Share

50+ Things to Do with Bored Kids for Summer

Running out of things to do with the kids yet? I found a bazillion things to do on the internet. Narrowing them down to fit here was difficult. Some of these make great science projects. I won’t jabber on so I can leave space for all the links and suggestions. So, here we go: * Instructions for things to make. 1) Make your own lava lamps http://slsmithphotography.typepad.com/my_weblog/2010/06/lava-lamps-summer-fun.html 2) Make a city using masking tape * Let the kids go wild with a roll of masking tape. They can tape over the carpet, the furniture, wherever you allow, to make roads …

Share

Teach Kids Hospitality

Do you enjoy having friends over for lunch or hosting a neighborhood Bible study? Is your house where family gathers on Thanksgiving? Or, maybe you’re the one who opens her home for the Christmas cookie exchange? If you said yes to any of the above, chances are you have the gift of hospitality. Be hospitable to one another without complaint. 1Peter 4:9 The first nonfiction Christian book I ever read had to do with hospitality. Written by author Karen Burton Mains, Open Heart Open Home is still one of my favorites. I wasn’t raised by a mother who thoroughly enjoyed …

Share

Who’s Driving Your Tractor?

Walking by the table where my nativity was displayed, I paused.  My grandson, Logan, was quietly playing with the wise men, camels, sheep, and donkey; as I had told him he could. He had moved the hay from the “barn” and back into the “barn” with his green John Deere tractor several times.  I wasn’t sure how I felt about that at first.  The mess and all.  But then I realized…what else would a three year old think you were supposed to do with hay.  However, then I noticed baby Jesus wasn’t in His manger.  Before I could say, “Where is …

Share

Preparing Your Kids To Be Mission Minded

Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Matthew 28:19 NLT Missions trips will change your life. They will wreck you. You will never be able to look at poverty the same again. You will be compelled to do something about it. Your days of sitting by thinking there’s nothing that I can do to help will quickly be erased from your thought process…you will be determined to make a difference. One day. One child. One step at a time. That’s what has happened …

Share

Kids & Chores – No Reason to Be Tired

Is your house a mess? Would you be mortified if a friend stopped by without calling first? Are your children at an age where they can go to the potty by themselves? Have they figured out how to use the TV remote DVD player, or  your home computer? Then, there’s no reason your little darlings can’t help you around the house. Martha Stewart would not be impressed with my shower, nor would she praise me for my windows –still, my home is in good enough shape for company. I learned early on as a mom of four children, I had four …

Share

Remind Your Kids Who They Are

 Youth group summer camp begins tomorrow morning. Grace and Samuel’s bags are packed and sitting by the front door. They are so excited they can barely stand it. We have a family tradition whenever we say our goodbyes. Whether they’re going on a play date or staying overnight at their Papa and Nana’s house- after reminding them to behave, we whisper to them, “Remember who you are and Whose you are.” When you give your heart and life to God, you are on of His children. With that comes not only a new life but an abundance of promises He has made to …

Share

Teaching God’s Word Doesn’t Have to Be Hard

I’ve been working on a new book for moms and one of the questions I’m often asked is this, “How do you teach God’s word to your kids?” Here is an excerpt from my book Modern Moms © and its perfect for everyday moms like you and I wanting to led our kids to Jesus. 🙂  Being in central Nebraska, I am smack dab in the middle of farm country. In fact, most of my friends have grown up on farms or are married to farmers. Don’t even get me started about football around here either (We still don’t really get it). Husker …

Share

A Mother’s Heart…The Smell of Freshly Sharpened Pencils

“It’s wonderful to be young! Enjoy every minute of it!” (Eccl. 11:9a TLB)         Those of us in, ahem, our later years were deprived. Deprived? Yup. We didn’t have things like… air conditioning computers videos or DVDs chat rooms and social media big screen TVs (or color for that matter) games like Wii text messages iPods cell phones – ‘cause the only blackberries we had came out of grandmother’s garden! Forced to be outsiders, we actually got exercise by running around playing tag, kick ball, or roller skating. We circled the neighborhood subdivision on our bikes until …

Share