Little Kids in Big Church

Our church is quite small, and Little man is one of the few (and sometimes the only) little one his age. I haven't really liked the idea of having someone miss worship service to watch my one kid, so I have opted, since he was born, just to keep him with me. Something that was almost necessity, has become something I'm starting to feel quite strong about. At the very least, it's become something I quite enjoy.  I really enjoyed reading this article, and when the time comes and Little Man is old enough for children's chapel, I may make the decision for him just to remain with me.
It's been a learning experience, to say the least, with having him sit (or stand) quietly where he is. I'm no where near perfect, and he's nowhere near perfect. Just recently I had to take him out, when he wanted to whine-loudly. If you are a part of a small church like me, or perhaps you would just rather have your little one with you, here are some tips and activities for little ones from baby to toddler.

Baby-6 months:
I didn't know when I had it good! This stage is easy and hard at the same time. Babies cry, sleep, get hungry sometimes when it's the least convenient. The best thing at this stage is getting a schedule for your baby that will allow you to sit through church. It doesn't always happen, and my husband and I would swap Sunday Morning/Night Service, so that we got at least one a piece. What worked for me was letting Little Man nurse and nap during Sunday School, and be awake during church.

6-12 months:
Things get easier at this point, at least in predicting your baby's schedule. It's also easier than the future, entertaining your baby. At this stage I had touch and feel soft and board books and quiet baby toys. Here are some of my favorite books:


I also liked the 'Is that my..." series from Usborne, for touch and feel books. These are still entertaining him today!

12-24 months:
Here is the hardest time to quietly entertain, in my opinion. One of the things that helps is when you read your child a story, make sure they sit for the entire thing. This will get them used to being quiet and letting someone else talk. At this point they are more likely to start getting bored with just looking at books, but too little for more of the toddler quiet play. Things like stickers, crayons, quiet toys, Cars, little people, etc. are good for this stage. And I'm going to own up to this-but my child ate plenty of those Puffs during this stage! Those things can keep them busy!

2-3 years:
Ahhhhh....We are back to an easier stage! You might be thinking, "What about the 'Terrible 2's tantrums?" I'm not saying it's always great, but at this stage, your child should know when you mean business, and know that church is not the place to get very loud. Also, when you take your child to the nursery if they act up, make them sit in the chair with you and not let them get up. Then the nursery will not seem like the fun option during church. They will want to go back to the pew where they can at least play with their toys! Here are some of my favorite quiet toys and activities:
I love the little 'go' packs from the dollar store. They have a lot of the Disney movies that my son likes.
Also at the Dollar Tree they have those sticker scenes that can entertain for a long amount of time!
Pipe cleaner activity

*My son loves the Water wow!! This entertains him for a long time!
This can be paired with books, stickers, legos, cars, etc. I have a church bag that I try to change out each week so that there is something new and exciting. I also have a few things that he only does at church, so it feels special

4-6 years
Here are the unknown years for me, but I can tell you what my parents did for me and my siblings, and what I plan to do with my little boy. At this point, especially if they are being schooled (by you or elsewhere), they should know how to sit and be still. Because they still haven't reached the point of finding sermons very interesting, coloring books, tracers, and sticker books are really great. Most of these things allow you to listen to what is being said. I was six when I came to know the Lord, so I can tell you that little ears hear more than you give them credit for! Also, make learning about the Bible something you learn about every day in your home. My little boy is not yet 3 and he will tell me when he hears a familiar name or story being told by the preacher. The key is not only making your child quiet so others can hear, but the activity not so engaging that they don't hear what's being said.

7+
I believe that once a child gets saved, it's very important that they listen to the sermon. After they join the church, they are just as much a member as anyone else. This is key growing and maturing time for them. This means that you need to make church going, and Bible time at home a priority, if you want your child to see it as such.
That being said, this is a good time for sermon note taking. When they are just learning to read and write, maybe they can draw a picture of what is being preached about, and maybe a sentence or two of what they learned. The sentences can get longer and the drawings can become more doodle-ish (I myself am a doodle note taker. It helps me to think!).

So there you go. Some tips on helping your child stay with you during church. Of course, I am not against children's chapel (my son went just this last week!), and if you feel like you need to then by all means. I will encourage you to ask your child what they learned and have them pay attention in class. God's Word is so important, and teaching your children young is so important! Let me know what you do to keep your child with you in church.

Peppa Pig Party for Boys...on a Budget!

My son loves Peppa Pig, but unfortunately for those of us in the US, it can be challenging to find Peppa party supplies for girls, let alone for boys! Pinterest was scoured, my thinking cap put on, and a thorough search made for Peppa supplies around our town.  If you are like me, with a little boy who adores Peppa Pig, but limited on supplies and money, here is the post for you.

Party Supplies

If you've read my post on how to save money on birthday parties , then you'll know that one of the ways I save money, is by buying just a few things on theme, and for the rest, just buy things in the colors that go with it. This time, I decided to use yellow, blue, and red. These colors are very prevelant on Peppa, and great for a boy. None of our big stores carried Peppa party supplies, and I didn't want to buy the entire set (or pay shipping!). I found a few things at a local party store, and bought cups, plates, and a banner. I only bought cups and plates for the little ones, and bought the rest in solid colors.

Cake

I am normally a DIYer with the cake, but to say that the cake was a disaster would be an understatement. We wound up getting a plain cake with border from Albertsons, and I piped the decorations on top and added the Peppa figures. My son thought it was the most amazing cake ever, and it wound up being economical and simple. I also made some homemade cupcakes with themed colored icing.

Party Favors

I didn't get any pictures of this, but I found an 8 pack of bubbles on sale that had the colors I was going for. It only cost me $2 or $3 and then I printed out this printable I found online , cut around the pink border and glued it onto some card stock in the color scheme I was using. I wrote "thank you" on the back, punched a hole, and put it together with some curling ribbon. I had favors for just a few cents per kid!

Party Food

I only went on theme for a few things. The cake, cupcakes, and muddy puddle pudding! It made it look cute, but I didn't have to invest a lot of time or creativity.  We had the party in the afternoon, so I only did desserts. Pinterest does have some cute ideas (pigs in a blanket, anyone?) on savory food ideas.

Other

My son had a George shirt, as well as a George stuffed toy. We had some balloons, and some wooden letters that spelled TWO to complete the decorations. If you want big and extravagant, there are certainly some great ideas to achieve that. However, if you are going for cute, but on budget, I hope I have helped give you some ideas!

Wait Patiently for the Lord

Reading the Chronological Bible this year has made David's plight, as he runs away from Saul, come to life. They put the correct Psalms with the same stories that you read, and you hear David's voice as he goes through this very low time in his life. He pleads with God to work, and fast, but when he gets his chance to kill Saul, he doesn't, and says that he is waiting on the Lord. It seams David's trials helped him to achieve patience and trust in the Lord. 

My own little trials seem small in comparison to David's, but I feel his words as I read them. After a miscarriage this past December, and the months turning into a year of praying for a little one, I continually pray that I'll be able to echo these words 'Wait patiently for the LORD. Be brave and courageous. Yes, wait patiently for the LORD.' (Psalm 27:14)

I want things on my time table, but God needs me to wait, to trust him and His plan. I want certain things, but the Lord seeks that I would be content in what He has already provided. As each month goes by I pray for peace and joy when I am asked when I'll have another baby. I pray for peace and joy when others announce their own joy at expecting one of their own.  Ever since the day I found out I was losing my little one, I was given such peace about it, and it helped me get through it. I pray that I continue to seek that peace, that the Lord gives me that peace through every month. 

Maybe this is what you needed to hear, maybe it's just for me, but it helps me to write thoughts like this down. I pray that it encourages and helps someone today!

Is the World Coming to an End?

With the presidential election here in America, being very close, everyone is worried. As Christians especially we feel like we are entering a bleak world with either candidate, and that America will never be 'great' again. We worry about our children and the lack of morality in which they will grow up. If we don't have a God fearing leader, the world will come to an end! If this has been your thoughts, here lately, let me encourage you, and perhaps challenge you with this verse. 

"Jotham did what was pleasing in the LORD's sight. He did everything his father, Uzziah, had done, except that Jotham did not sin by entering the Temple of the LORD. But the people continued in their corrupt ways." 2 Chronicles 27:2

2 Chronicles notes the ups and downs of Judah. One king would be godly, the next would do great sins. During this particular time, Judah had, had two kings that were fairly Godly and did what was pleasing to the Lord. And yet, as this verse states, with a Godly leader the people still acted wrongfully. In our eyes, they had all the makings of a Godly nation, but with a lack of spiritual maturity in the people, it made the people as a whole corrupt. 

I take from this, that it is not the leader who determines how a country will go spiritually, but it's people! You can have a preacher for a president, but if the people don't fear the Lord, it won't do any good. Let's focus on our own homes first. I want Christ to be front and center in my family, regardless if Trump or Hillary gets the presidency. Our church family should be next in our priorities. Godly communities help strengthen the nation, because they are the source of outreaches to the people. If our local church is doing its job, it should be reaching out to the poor, defenseless, the weak, and the broken. While doing this, the local church (people make up a church, therefore, it's the people inside it that) carries out the great commission, by sharing the gospel, teaching and making disciples of the community and throughout the nation and world. 

Let's be encouraged that no matter who gets the White House, God is on His throne. We don't have to give up the good work, just because the leadership of the nation is not Christian. Instead, it should encourage us to work all the more, in our homes, churches and communities. 

Toddler Tested: Pinterest Activities

If you read my other blog posts, you'll know that I like books, puzzles, finger paint, blocks, and other activities to entertain my little man. However, you know, sometimes I want to think a bit outside of the box. Not often, which is why I only have three things to share, but there are those days.  Here are three activities we've done that I found on Pinterest. I'll share the pros and cons; what worked and what didn't.

Drive in Movie

In theory this sounded like the cutest idea, ever! Here is the link I found on Pinterest, and what an adorable thing it seemed! I wasn't going to do a projector or anything, just a normal movie, but it was raining that day, and I thought this would be a fun project before so much media time. 

Pros: He liked decorating it! This part was a success! We used finger paint, so it's a bit transparent, but he didn't seem to mind. This gave us probably 20 minutes of messy fun. 

Cons: I needed a bigger box. Little Man did not like curling his legs, so I made a hole for his feet. Even then, he didn't like being in the box so he was out two seconds after this picture. If you have a bigger box handy, then this might work!

Colored Soap Foam Sensory Activity

I used a recipe with half and half water and dish soap, cornstarch, and food coloring that's mixed with a blender on high speed. I put 1/3 cup of water and dish soap and that filled half a large plastic container. I threw in some bath toys, a whisk (his favorite thing to play with when I wash dishes), shovel, and some cups. 

Pros: He thoroughly enjoyed himself! He likes to play in the bubbles when I wash dishes, and this just brought that to a new level. However...

Cons: The food coloring stains! He was almost naked, so it didn't hurt any clothes, but we had a graduation rehearsal to go to in the evening, and we both had blue hands. He had blue on his legs and arms as well. My solution would probably be to either put less, or none at all. He seemed to enjoy the bubbles part of it, and I think he would enjoy it just as much color free. 

Using Paper Towel Tubes to Paint

This last one is a bit of a no-brainer. There aren't really any cons, but I thought I would share, because it's a fun idea, and its easy. Just save your toilet paper tube or paper towel tube and let your little one dip it in paint and go to town. In all honesty, my toddler enjoys using his hands, probably the most, but he had fun with this. You can use a lot of things as tools to paint with, so take inventory around the house for things that can be used. Here is an example of The Very Hungry Caterpillar painted with paper towel tubes.



What are some of your favorite Pinterest activities for toddlers?

Toddler Tested Summer Toys

I am starting a new 'Toddler Tested' series. Today's post will be about toys that my son has played with and really enjoyed. Hopefully this helps you figure out some fairly inexpensive ways to entertain your kid this summer! I am not paid by any of these companies, so you are getting my true honest opinion.

Bubble Mower

This thing. This toy has been played with, and played with, and played with! If you read my post about things to do with pre-toddlers ,then you will know that bubbles are a big hit around here. Add a tot sized mower that my son can push around and bubbles come out, and you have a complete winner! You can find it at Walmart for $15.  It comes with an itty bitty amount of bubble mixture, but a small amount lasts pretty well. I must add, the brand of bubbles it comes with, is the brand of bubbles you want to use to refill. I tried some that I already had, and although it worked, it didn't work as well. No worries though, the brand it uses is very inexpensive!

Splash Mat

I am from the south, and it gets hot. I mean 90 degrees in May kind of hot! Water is always a go to on hot humid days. This next toy was found last year at a garage sale or resale shop, still new in the box for a whole dollar! Unfortunately this particular splash mat is no longer in stock, but there are some similar on amazon. If you want something where your toddler can cool down, a small pool, sprinkler, or splash mat can do the trick!

Chalk Bucket

This next toy can be found at your local Walmart for $10. Sidewalk chalk for ten dollars? Hear me out, this is not your ordinary chalk bucket! This includes stencils, various colors and shapes (eggs, balls, 'paintbrush', etc.), and various chalk holders to draw with. It's really cool and really fun! I love the very bright colors. I am just going to admit this here: I enjoy this toy as much as Little Man!So if you don't mind your toddler 'helping' you color your highly artistic endeavors, this is a great bonding toy!

Other tried and true toys:

Balls

Big dump trucks

Various kinds of Bubbles

What are some of your toddler's tried and enjoyed summer toys? I would love to hear! 

Next post will be on Toddler tested Pinterest ideas. 

Going Beyond the Facebook Comment

They did it again. Someone posted or commented something that called Christians idiotic bigots. Your fingers fly faster than your brain. You hurl even worse names at them, and tell them how God is going to judge the entire world one day in fire. They'll be in hell, and they won't be calling you a bigot then!
While this may not be you (but, unfortunately I've seen this so many times), it just hurts us when people call us mean things. In the world of angry emojis and sitting behind our computers in our comfortable homes, calling people out seems like the way to go. I mean, should we just sit there and allow our fellow Christians to be called all sorts of vile names and not retort? Why? Do we think we will win those people to Christ or to 'our side' by a random stranger going 'Your a terrible person, you are going to hell unless you repent'? Dare I say this?
I don't believe your comments are helping anyone, if anything you are dragging the Christian name in the mud right along with those hurtful comments you are so eager to refute.

Here is what I'm not saying: You should stand back and do nothing. On the contrary, I believe we are using Facebook to help ease our consciences instead of doing what we know we need to do. I am also not saying we shouldn't use Facebook to share the gospel. I love sharing verses and blog posts (and write and share blog posts!) about how great my God is! I believe it's a great tool, but I believe it's just one of the tools we should be using (and not using to retaliate with hurtful words to others' comments).

What should you do then, while people are calling you names and dragging the name of Christ in the mud? Here are my suggestions:

Get Into a Local, Bible Believing Church

What? What does that have to do with anything? Did you know, the church sits in a community? Did you know that it's the church's command to share the gospel, and disciple those who come to Christ? Did you also know that you can become part of that process?

Get into Sunday School, and maybe teach a class. Get involved in outreach programs, VBS's, disaster relief efforts, etc. Show your community what a Christ centered church looks like. 

Raise Your Children in the Lord

While the schools may have your children for a good chunk of the day, you still have an obligation to teach your children the Bible and what it says. While salvation is the most important thing to teach them, teaching your children to be strong in the Lord is also very important. So many times I see kids rejecting what they've learned in church as soon as they hit college, but I believe it can also be (but not always) because they weren't taught at home, or because the parents weren't living out an example. Do you want your kids to follow Christ? Put Him first in all you do. ALL you do. That includes ball! and ballet, and whatever else that can come between you and Christ. 

We are raising the next generation. While our world is trying to fill their heads with gender confusion, easy sex, 'live how you want to' mottoes, it is our job to teach them what the Bible says. We can't do that if we aren't in the Bible ourselves, or not getting our children into the Bible. 

Show Love

This is not to be confused with tolerance. Love these days equals accepting whatever is going on. However, we are to show the love of Christ to all. Romans 12:9-21 says best what a Christian ought to do:

9 Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; hold fast to what is good.10 Love one another with brotherly affection. Outdo one another in showing honor. 11 Do not be slothful in zeal, be fervent in spirit, serve the Lord. 12 Rejoice in hope, be patient in tribulation, be constant in prayer. 13 Contribute to the needs of the saints and seek to show hospitality.

14 Bless those who persecute you; bless and do not curse them.15 Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep. 16 Live in harmony with one another. Do not be haughty, but associate with the lowly. Never be wise in your own sight. 17 Repay no one evil for evil, but give thought to do what is honorable in the sight of all. 18 If possible, so far as it depends on you, live peaceably with all. 19 Beloved, never avenge yourselves, but leave it to the wrath of God, for it is written,“Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord.” 20 To the contrary, “if your enemy is hungry, feed him; if he is thirsty, give him something to drink; for by so doing you will heap burning coals on his head.” 21 Do not be overcome by evil, but overcome evil with good.

What would happen if Christians would live these verses out? I am praying for revival in our land! Let's get off our phones and into communities. This has convicted me, and I pray it convicts you.