DIY "Wood" Signs

VBS is right around the corner and I found a cool way to make some signs.  It's a Survivor theme, so I wanted a fake wood without the cost or weight of real wood.  Here is a step by step way to make signs!

I got plain white foam board at the Dollar Store!.  I can make 2 signs from 1 piece of foam board.

Cut the foam board in half and trim the 2 pieces all around.  Making some deep cuts on the side.  And then make lines and creases with the scissors to give it a wood look.

I happen to have some wood finish stain in the garage and just used that to "paint" it.  It gives it a real wood look and fills in the creases well.  Use extra on the sides so you see no white parts of the board.  It really gives the edges an almost burnt/darker look, making it authentic looking.

Wait for it to dry.
























Then Paint your words.

My Marriage is on the Rocks!



 

 

Yes, my marriage is on the rocks.....Biblical rocks that is.  Jesus the Rock, the rock of forgiveness, the rock of joy, the rock of submission, the rock of self-control, and the rock of love.  The unity of marriage is getting weaker and weaker as days go by.  Couples, Christian or not, are giving up on their vows. Satan is after marriages stronger than ever, so we have to be diligent more than ever to be in prayer and in God's Word, and shut out the world.  A world that is telling you that you deserve more, a husband who helps more, or plays with the kids more, who tends to your needs more...those are Satan's whispers of discontent.  See them for what they are..lies!   Let's just set the flaws of our husbands aside for now...let's look at you.  What rocks are you building on???  Personal dreams, climbing the corporate ladder, diet and exercise, getting that degree, vacations and large home??  There is nothing wrong with wanting or having these things.  But if you are putting them before your husband, then the downward spiral begins.  Our husbands deserve our respect, even when you think they don't deserve it.  When we stand on the rock of self-control and submission, then God can work amazing and beautiful things in our marriage thru our attitude and behavior.  Stop pouting, complaining, picking fights, and nagging..When we bring our selves willingly and joyfully under the leadership of our husbands, those dreams can happen in a healthy and respectful way.

Are you holding onto bitterness for things that were said in a heated argument or careless jibing?  You need to stand on the rock of forgiveness.  God does not say forgive only these certain things.  He just says to forgive. And forgive again.  And forgive again.  And forgive again. If you truly forgive, then you are not bringing it up ever again. 
⁵ But if anyone has caused grief, he has not grieved me, but all of you to some extent—not to be too severe. ⁶ This punishment which was inflicted by the majority is sufficient for such a man, ⁷ so that, on the contrary, you ought rather to forgive and comfort him, lest perhaps such a one be swallowed up with too much sorrow. ⁸ Therefore I urge you to reaffirm your love to him. ⁹ For to this end I also wrote, that I might put you to the test, whether you are obedient in all things. ¹⁰ Now whom you forgive anything, I also forgive. For if indeed I have forgiven anything, I have forgiven that one^[a] for your sakes in the presence of Christ, ¹¹ lest Satan should take advantage of us; for we are not ignorant of his devices. 2 Cor. 2:5-11

Are you mad that he doesn't meet your expectations??  Why are you putting expectations on an imperfect man.  Our help cometh from the Lord.  He shall supply all our needs.  Stand on the rock of joy.  Don't waste another day being mad at your spouse because he didn't take the garbage out.
Restore to me the joy of Your salvation, And uphold me by Your generous Spirit. Psalm 51:12

You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore. Psalm 16:11

Are you "falling out of love" with your spouse?  Then you need to choose to love even when you don't feel like it.  Continue honoring him, respecting him, and submitting to him.  Serve and love him as unto the Lord and you will not come back empty.
that they admonish the young women to love their husbands, to love their children, Titus 2:4

 
I am reminded of the foolish woman in Proverbs who tears her house down.  Our foolish behaviors can destroy a marriage quickly.  Don't be that woman. Bring honor to your husband.  God can restore your marriage thru your biblical attitude and behaviors.
Marriage takes alot of work, but it is so worth it. Standing on those Biblical rocks will bring you closer to a beautiful, passionate, loving, and respectful marriage with your spouse.  Fight for it.  Desire it.  Pray for it. 
I will be praying for you my friends.  Give it to Jesus. 







5 ways to Mother Your Motherhood

Being a mommy, either of young ones or big ones, your motherhood takes a beating.  I seem to take the brunt of Lego fights, complaining about getting the bigger broccoli and the sassy lip service.  My mothering attitude starts to go swirling in the toilet and then I start acting like the 4 yr old, complaining about the complaining and my lip service is less then stellar. My Motherhood needs Mothering.  Why do I let the 6 yr old get the best of me...I am the adult..right???  I should respond in soft , yet firm tones, and quote Scripture in order to correct the behavior. Umm...sure...sometimes...

I need to apply some nurturing to my motherhood.  It needs to be treated like a child who is needing some correction.  Before you should start your day of motherhood, give it some good mothering so it can hold up under the most difficult of days.

-Smother your motherhood in Scripture and Prayer daily- Who else is going to understand your motherhood more than our Heavenly Father.  He is in our shoes on daily basis when dealing with us :) He knows all too well when His children forget the rules, disobey and treat other unkindly.

-Be Careful what you say--because when you say it, it may not seem so bad. But when your child repeats exactly what you say, it comes back 10x more sassy and disrespectful.  I am sometimes taken aback at how I sound through the lips of my child.  Mother your words, watch them and talk like you want to be talked to back.

-Choose to be Happy--If I see my child moping around and grumpy, more than likely, I have been grumpy. I need to Mother my attitude and put a smile on my face.  Turning on worship music or contemporary Christian music really lifts the frowns upside down in this house.  I need to be proactive about creating an atmosphere of Joy and Thanksgiving in my home.

-Get enough sleep and eat well--This is a daily mothering we give our kids, so we need to mother ourselves too.  You need to be rested and get the sleep you need to be the mom you need to be.  If you are living on coffee and donuts for 3/4 of the day, then that will tilt your motherhood in the negative direction.  We need to set the example.

-Relax. Play. Say "yes" sometimes.  --I sometimes see my girls get stressed and ready to blow up at their sister over the smallest of errors.  I say, "Relax, it's OK."  But, I actually need to follow my own advice.  We need to relax and say it's going to be OK.  Yes, we have a To-Do list a mile long, the flowers need planting, and I need to go to the grocery store.  Breathe. Sit down, read a story with your kids.  Then have them help with your to-do list, they love to plant flowers with you too, and maybe let daddy do the grocery shopping :) Enjoy being a mother. Say "yes" when they want to run thru the sprinklers.
You want to see them giggle...run thru the sprinkler with them.
Your kids want to see you enjoying your motherhood.  So take the time to Mother your motherhood, because it will effect generations of mothers after you.

Homeschooling Fail = Mommy Fail

Seeing this practically broke my heart.  A total homeschooling mommy fail!  I failed as a mommy and as a teacher.  I failed my daughter.  These feelings have been plaguing me all day.  My daughter has completely forgotten she even wrote that distressed S.O.S message to me in her math book just this morning, but it has been following me around, whispering to me...

you're not smart enough to teach...
you're not not doing it right...
you're messing up your kids...
they won't learn a single academic thing from you....

And then due to all my feelings of inadequacies, I was short with her the rest of the morning. Oh, how I have let her down.  This funny, smart, sensitive and compassionate daughter, who challenges me to be a better mommy and teacher daily...and I fail to meet those challenges constantly.

At the end of my frustrating day, I sit back and I try to think what she needs.  What is it that I must teach her..I look to Scripture to help me find what it is I need to equip her with.  To my surprise, I did not see anything about Algebra, special blend sounds, cursive or state capitals...

This is what I found....

Teach her God's commandments- Deut. 6:6-7
Teach her to love Jesus - Matthew 22:37
Teach her to be a light -Matthew 5:14
Teach her to be a friend- Proverbs 18:24

This is what I want for her foundation!  There is so much more to teach from Scripture that I want my girls to learn.  The other things will come, bit by bit, in time.  But my main focus needs to be teaching my girls to love Jesus, love others, kind words, laugh , be joyful....and

                                                             play and eat ice cream!

So my dear sweet daughter, mommy may not be very good at fractions and I don't know the capital of Turkey...but I will always love you.  I promise to teach you and to show you God's Word because that is the foundation that will carry you through relationships, jobs, family and life. Always remember....
Jesus will never fail you.

Halloween Alternative.........

There are so many Christians out there wanting a Halloween alternative for their kids...a church harvest festival, a fluffy and cutesy costume party, or just stay home and hand out candy! A lot of us have been there.  I certainly was growing up. But I also didn't know what it was really about, and now knowing what I know, I have decided to not participate. I'd like to share the best alternative....there is no alternative!
There is no place for believers to participate in a holiday dedicated to Satan and his followers.  You can attach the name of Jesus on it, dress up as Moses and celebrate within your church doors, but you are celebrating a demonic holiday. Black and white.  We are called to be separate from the world, and not look like it in any way, shape or form.  Satan must be giddy to have believers participating in his favorite holiday. 
Most say, "It's for the kids."  or "It's night of harmless games and treats.".  "It's not a Halloween Party, it's a Harvest Party(but come dressed up in a fun costume, there will be a contest later)
Halloween is not Snoopy, princesses or SpongeBob Square Pants....that is the cover. Satan likes to make things look pretty and fun...to cover up the truth. 
Dressing up on this holiday, handing out candy,  trick or treating, and celebrating is a pagan ritual.  Trying to evade demons. It's history is horrifying. You may have your own reasons or justification, but I urge you to dig deep into the origins and push aside the mini-snickers bar and take the mask from your eyes and see it for what it really is.  Evil. 

Genesis 2:17

but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil you shall not eat, for in the day that you eat of it you shall surely die.”

 

My hubby recently did a sermon on the two trees in the garden.  Tree of Life, and the Tree of the knowledge of good and evil.  We are presented with options, who we will obey and follow.  God said not to partake of the tree knowledge of good and evil.  I am sure that tree had some yummy looking fruit on it, looked harmless enough...but the truth is...God said NO!  Too many Christians today are partaking of the fruit of that forbidden tree.  An evil we were never supposed to be exposed to..a choice that causes death.

Let's stop trying to justify evil deeds.

3 John 1:11

Beloved, do not imitate what is evil, but what is good. He who does good is of God, but he who does evil has not seen God.

This has been on my heart.  God is calling you to draw close to Him, which means leaving the things of the world behind, because those things separate us from Him. 
   
Romans 12:2
And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, that you may prove what is that good and acceptable and perfect will of God.

I don't want to come across judgemental  or harsh.  I wasn't even planning on publishing this, it was my own personal "writing rant".  But it happened.  
God has to reveal this to your heart.  You have to be the one to WANT to know where this holiday comes from and where it leads.   Take the time to discover the Truth for yourself.

Twin Cities Field Trip Ideas

I have been homeschooling for only a couple of years, and it has been so much fun.  I live in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota and there is so much available for homeschool groups. We have yet to duplicate a field trip.  Here are my top 10 favorites:

1. Minnesota State Capitol.  The children were in awe of the structure and grandness of the building and enjoyed the tour.  They even got a view from the top of the Capitol overlooking St. Paul.

2. MAD Science.  Professor Dude came to our local library meeting room(local library meeting rooms are FREE of charge. Great place to meet up!)  He gave us a fun filled, hands on and silly lesson on electricity!  They have lots of themes to choose from! They have a set fee, but the more families you gather, the cheaper the individual charge.

3. TWINS Stadium Tour.  Wow! Did the kids really enjoy this.  I did too!  We got a wonderful tour of the whole building, structure and workings of the it.  We got to walk around the field and had  science lesson on baseball.  They even got to have a little batting practice!

 4. U of M Raptor Center.  This was a fascinating field trip.  Displays of these amazing birds and how God designed them was great to learn about.  The kids particularly loved when the birds pooed on the floor and ate dead mice :)

5.St Paul Riverboat Cruise.  This was such fun!  We got an education tour of the river and saw a bald eagle on the way.  The kids even took turns sitting up front with the captain!

6. Berry Hill Farm, Anoka MN.  We just did this one for fall.  It was a beautiful farm with a lot of space for the kids to play.  They had a small variety of animals, a hay stack for kids to climb, wagon ride with a fun interactive trail , and a large interactive corn maze!  I loved it for being more Harvest themed and not Halloween.

 

 

 



7. Coon Rapids Dam.  My kids were able to attend this one without me, but they loved it.  They even got to do a scavenger hunt.

 

 

8. Stepping Stone Children's Theater, St. Paul.  We love the theater!  We got to watch Tom Sawyer at this theater and loved it.  We also attended Children's Theater Co. and Stages Theater in Hopkins, MN!

 

9. Sea Life at MOA.  Normally this is an expensive trip! This is where you take advantage of being a homeschooler!  In the Fall and Spring, they offer a homeschool day!  Only $5 a kid..whoohoo! Such a cool field trip!

 

10.  Rum River Art Center.  We don't have a formal art class, so I am excited to do this trip in a few weeks.  Due to the various ages of our group we are doing a session on water color painting.  They will teach us about an artist and do our own painting based on that artists technique.

    ** I also looked in Northern Clay Co. and Leonards Basement, but they started their lessons at 6yr and up for their classes and the pottery wheels were for 9yr and up at the clay company!

 

Some other trips we have done:

 Aamot's Apple Orchard

 Eveland Family Farm

 Como Zoo

 Science Museum

 MN Zoo

 YMCA Swim day



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Torah Boot Camp VBS Overview

 

 

Our Torah Boot Camp VBS was our best one yet! The kids had SO much fun and they are still talking about it weeks later!  Here is an overview of how we set things up!

Lesson:
Day1: Physical and Spiritual Training: Exercising Godliness.  Focused on Salvation on the first day. You can't even think about entering a battle with Satan unless you have Jesus as your Savior!
Day 2:Following Orders: Obedience!
Day 3:The Battle: Stand Firm; Armor of God
Day 4: The Victory!!!

Decorations:
 Army Crates: plain cardboard boxes, spray paint army green and stencil words like; God's Army; Brave; Stand Firm; Bibles; in yellow. I made 20 of them and stacked them all around the room.

 

 

Sand Bags:  I had someone from our congregation that works for the city get me actual sandbags. I just stuffed them with newspaper to fill them out.  Stacked them all around the front of the stage.

Station Signs:  We had various stations for the traveling company's to help divide the kids up.  We had the Mess Hall, Torah Drills, BaseCamp, Field Training and the Craft Bunker.  I got firm posterboard at the $1 Store, spraypainted, and stenciled the words.

Army Gear: We had donations of army jackets and other gear.  We also had access to a very large canvas Army tent that we set up outside for our craft bunker.  We had hats for all the adults.  I also got hats for all the kids at www.haloheaven.com .  We also had camo paint set up at the beginning of each day so the kids could camo up.

 

Even I got into the fun!!

 

We also had a Barracks. We set up "lockers" for each kid to place their hat each day and their "dogtag" name tag.  They also placed their crafts their too for safe keeping. The Barracks consisted of 2x4 lumber shelves placed on cinder blocks. We had about 3 shelves and we used camo duct tape to write their names.

 

Staff and Companies:

For each station I had a "Sergeant", an adult who ran the station.  Then each company represented an age group and color.  They marched to and from each station with their flag and a "Staff Sergeant" (a teenager) who accompanied them everywhere.  So then each station had the adult and a teen helper every time.
4yr= Aleph Company(Orange)
5-6yr= Bet Company(Purple)
7 yr= Chet Company(Green)
8-9yr= Dalet Company(Blue)
Each child's name tag had their corresponding color.

Bet Company with Staff Sergeant Hannah

(purple Flag and "dogtag" nametags)

 

 

Army Cadence:
Of course we had to have our own army cadence to have the kids march to every day.  But you have to practice up on your drill sergeant voice!
"I don't know what you've been told" (kids repeat)
"Torah is God's Word of old" (kids repeat)
"Read it, say it and obey it" (kids repeat)
"Bow your head and meditate it" (kids repeat)
"Sound Off"(Drill Sergeant)
"Torah" (kids answer)
"Sound Off" :(Drill Sergeant)
"Is Life" (kids answer)
"Sound Off" (Drill Sergeant)
"Torah is life--IS LIFE! (kids answer)

We also downloaded a bugle call and played it when they needed to return to Base Camp!

Physical Training:
What kind of Bible Boot camp would this be without some PT!!!!!!

 

 

 

Stations: 
The companies assembled together for Standard Procedures(rules), PT, Worship, Lesson and Skit. Then we break off into our 15 min. rotation stations.
Torah Drills: where the company's practice sword drills, Bible verse, and Hebrew Aleph Bet
Mess Hall- company's rest for snacks and drinks
Field Training- Company's meet outside for a game
Craft Bunker-company's gather for a fun craft