Reading the story of the Last Supper brought Judas to center stage.

Why would someone betray Jesus?

11yr, "Maybe for money."

Have you ever been unkind to a friend? Why would you make that choice, the choice to be unkind?

11yr, "Maybe you were mad."

5yr, "Because my friend wanted to play dogs and I wanted to play house."

8yr, "Because they were annoying or because I was in a bad mood."

We can think about what Judas might have been experiencing when he made the choice to turn away from his friend. Maybe he was mad, or annoyed that things weren't going the way he wanted, or was in a really bad mood.

Let's think about our friendships again. Is there a way that we can be kind and forgiving?

Jesus died for all our mistakes and he brings healing to broken relationships.

We prayed together, focusing on asking for forgiveness. We also prayed for blessings for those friends we may have hurt. We are thinking of ways we can be especially kind to our friends.

Any ideas?

We are going backward through the Easter story, it seems. It works for us because of the questions that have been coming up.

5yr, "Did everyone not like Jesus?" came up yesterday as we talked about the Last Supper and Jesus coming death. So, today we are reading Matt. 21:1-11.

We are going to sing lots of songs that praise God. Each kid will choose one, in turn, and we will sing until we run out of songs, or until we run out of time (which is more likely!).

How did you praise God today?

This week we are talking about how the season of Lent began. When was the first time that Easter was celebrated? What happened before that? We talked about the Last Supper.

Why did Jesus and his disciples celebrate this meal together? We talked about the first Passover. The true story is in Exodus 12.

This morning we read Mrs. Katz and Tush. (We are going to get some more books from the library about Passover as we explore how Passover and Lent are connected.) Then we reflected on what the Jewish people may have experienced, going from slavery to freedom.

We are free too! We are celebrating our freedom from sin in Jesus.

After the 5yr suggested yesterday that we give up something, another idea occured to my 11yr.

11yr, "When we give up something important, it's like saying that that thing is not an idol. Or if it was an idol, it's like saying God is more important."

5yr, "Let's give up everything that starts with the letter S." And interesting idea, but not really the focus we are looking for.

If Jesus is the king, he is the only one on the throne! Today we are thinking of things that we might have as idols. We are trying to be really honest with ourselves. Tomorrow, we will give up that thing.

We are thinking about it (and talkin about it) for the whole day. It is sometimes hard to be honest with ourselves and it might be hard to set aside something that is really valuable. We want to be faithful.

We are also thinking about how good God is to us.  When we think of his goodness, it's not so hard to let go of worldly things. We are reading Ps. 33.  Our creator God is amazing.

Devotion written by my 5yr:

Pray to God because he is helping us get through Lent.

We should give up something to help us pray more.

If you can, visit someone old and share about why we have Lent. Tell them John 3:16. Or we could make cards for them!

You might want to ask your kids to plan an idea or activity. It definately creates interesting discussion. And they might be excited to help do something that is usually seen as an adult activity. They may feel very honored. What a blessing to them!

We used coffee filters to make butterflies as we talked about how Jesus death makes all things new.

Cover your table with paper.

Use markers to decorate a coffee filter.

Use a straw to drip water on your coffee fiter and watch the color spread.

After they dry, fold like a fan and clip in the middle with clothes pin, paper clip, twist tie, or anything you might have around the house. Spread the wings and they are ready to hang.

Read 2 Corinthians 5:17.

You even might try to memorize it. We used this fun, countrified, kid version from the Donut Man. Follow the link and click on the song.

http://www.donutman.com/?page=cds&album_id=201312

Our posts come out later in the day on Tuesday because our morning schedule doesn't allow for a morning post.We talked about the sign that was put above Jesus' head announcing the the world that he was the king of the Jews. We talked about Jesus being our king. What does that mean to us?

5yr, "We should send him letters if he is the king."

Grandpa pointed out that Psalms are kind of like letters to God.

We read some Psalms that showed the power of God like Ps. 121 and 135.

This is not the direction I expected the converstion to go, so I think we will talk more about Jesus being our king tomorrow.

Talk with your family about the our mighty God. Let us know how your converstions went.

Read the resurrection story aloud or make it into a family skit. We did ours this morning after Dad had left for the day. You might have to adjust the parts.

Mom: On the first day of the week,

Kids: That’s Sunday.

Mom: very early in the morning,

Kids: Maybe before 6:00

Girls: the women took the spices they had prepared

Kids: Not pepper! Aaaachooooo!

Mom: and went to the tomb. They found the stone rolled away from the tomb, but when they entered, they did not find the body of the Lord Jesus.

Girls: While they were wondering about this,

Boys: suddenly two men in clothes that gleamed like lightning stood beside them.

Girls: In their fright, EEEEEEEK!

Mom: the women bowed down with their faces to the ground,

Boys: They probably got dirt on their noses

Mom: but the men said to them,

Boys: “Why do you look for the living among the dead?

ALL: He is not here; he has risen!

Boys: Remember how he told you, while he was still with you in Galilee

Mom: The angles were reminding the disciples of what Jesus had told them a week before the transfiguration.

Kids: ‘The Son of Man must be delivered over to the hands of sinners, be crucified and on the third day be raised again.’ ”

ALL: Then they remembered his words.

Today we read Isaiah 43:1-2

 But now, this is what the LORD says—
   he who created you, Jacob,
   he who formed you, Israel:
“Do not fear, for I have redeemed you;
   I have summoned you by name; you are mine.

 When you pass through the waters,
   I will be with you;
and when you pass through the rivers,
   they will not sweep over you.
When you walk through the fire,
   you will not be burned;
   the flames will not set you ablaze.

Try reading it just a few lines at a time and asking your kids what it means to them.

We were encouraged by God’s great love for us.

We decided to try to say encouraging things to each other all day long!

We are using an activity from our “Lent Tree” today.

Emphasize God’s loving desire to redeem sinners. Bump into each other and say, “Oh, excuse me. I’m sorry.” And let the other person practice saying, “I forgive you.”

Then try to carry it over into real life. Keeping it fun and light, encourage you kids to try to catch every little mistake they make and ask for forgiveness. We have already had quite a few laughs. We have also had a few tender moments.

Isn’t it a blessing to know that God is so very ready to forgive?

How was your day of prayer (and fasting)?

5yr, “I prayed a LOT!”

8yr, “I thought about God whenever I thought about the computer.”

11yr, “Honestly, I didn’t think about God very much. I just was frustrated that I couldn’t check my email.”

So, we discovered that fasting isn’t a magical key to closeness with God. We discovered that you have to be intentional about praying while you are fasting.

We read Isaiah 58:4-6
4 Your fasting ends in quarreling and strife,
   and in striking each other with wicked fists.
You cannot fast as you do today
   and expect your voice to be heard on high.
5 Is this the kind of fast I have chosen,
   only a day for people to humble themselves?
Is it only for bowing one’s head like a reed
   and for lying in sackcloth and ashes?
Is that what you call a fast,
   a day acceptable to the LORD?

 6 “Is not this the kind of fasting I have chosen:
to loose the chains of injustice
   and untie the cords of the yoke,
to set the oppressed free
   and break every yoke?

We talked about what the verses mean to us, then we made a plan.

Today we are not giving up something. Today we are doing something for someone. We are going to bake some cookies for our shut-in neighbor. Though it is only a small thing, we wanted to remember that our lives should pour out God’s mercy to those around us.

In some ways, it will be a sacrifice. The kids will have less play time. I will have less time to get things done. It will be a good reminder to us that Jesus gave himself to show us mercy.

Fasting…Part 3

(Actually, I’m not really counting. But “part three” sounded better than “fasting, again.”)

Our family is going to give up one thing today. As a whole family, we are going to give up something together. We are doing it together, as the people did in the story of Esther.

We are praying for people in Japan, especially those affected by the tsunami. We are praying they are cared for. We are praying for those who are missing. We are praying for those who have lost loved ones and all their worldly possessions. We are praying that God will bring his Word to more people there.

We are thinking today about our God, the giver of all good things. And we are asking Him to pour His Spirit of hope on Japan.

Romans 8:31-32

What, then, shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He who did not spare his own Son, but gave him up for us all—how will he not also, along with him, graciously give us all things?

Join us in praying (and fasting if you would like).

After reading on Thursday about the entire Jewish community fasting for Esther, we talked about what that might have been like.

11yr, “The queen could execute anyone who wouldn’t fast, but she wouldn’t do that.”

What if you were just a regular worker, minding your own business, and suddenly someone tells you to fast for someone else? What would your attitude be like? Would that be hard to do?

8yr, “If everyone is fasting, the farmer could save some of his grain.”

What would it have been like if Esther was one of your best friends?

What if it is really easy for someone to fast? What if it is really easy to give up something for Lent?

Matthew 6:16-18

When you fast, do not look somber as the hypocrites do, for they disfigure their faces to show others they are fasting. Truly I tell you, they have received their reward in full. But when you fast, put oil on your head and wash your face, so that it will not be obvious to others that you are fasting, but only to your Father, who is unseen; and your Father, who sees what is done in secret, will reward you.

We made faces like the hypocrite. We acted like them, strutting around being proud of our “sacrifice.”

We pretended we were followers of Jesus, not even mentioning that we were fasting

If you give up something for lent, what should your attitude be like?

We also talked about the people in Japan, who did not give up things, but lost things. We are praying for them.

I don’t know exactly what is going to be happening around here in the next couple of weeks. I think we might be giving up some things. You don’t have to. Fasting is not mandatory. Either way, join us in the Lenten journey.

What are you giving up for Lent?

After talking about fasting, we tried to make it more personal. I asked the kids what they wanted to give up for lent. The first answers around here included:

chips (which we rarely eat)

cleaning

homework

The 5yr yells, ”I’m not giving up ice cream!”

So I rephrased the question. “Why do other people give up things for Lent?”

5yr, “Because they are crazy.”

11yr, “If we give up something that takes time, we have more time for God.”

Time. I think that’s one of the hardest things to give. And my 11yr went on to say that we should give time as a family. We can give up something and spend that time focusing on God.

So we are giving some time every morning. We are spending that ime each day just talking about spiritual things, reading the Bible, and praying (and writing this blog together).

So, while we are going to continue thinking about how fasting might be a part of the next 40 days, we took today to just talk. I asked 5yr, “What do you think God does all day?”

She said, “I don’t know, but I do know he LOOOOOVES Justin Bieber.”

These are good conversations to have! God does love Justin because God loves the world, and he sent his son into the world so that all might have salvation. Including Justin.

Here are some other questions we talked about.

            What are some qualities we appreciate in each other?

How has God made each person in our family unique?

How do you know God loves you?

Rom. 6:23 “…gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord.”

Romans 5:8 “God shows his love for us in this way: while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.”

Give up time doing something else, and focus on God. Ask your kids a question or two. Tell them God loves them. He loves you too!

Let us know what comes up!

Fasting: What It’s All About

In a season when many people give something up, our family wondered what the Bible had to say about fasting. Why did people fast in the Bible?

We looked up these verses and tried to use our own words to explain why the person fasted. (Complete verses and our responses are at the end of the blog)

2 Samuel 1:12

2 Samuel 12:15-17

2 Chronicles 20:2-4

Ezra 8:21

Esther 4:16

Jonah 3:4-6 

Matthew 4:1-2

There are many more examples of fasting. And there are examples of how not to fast.  But, we thought it might be good to start here.

 

Ask your kids, “Why might we give up something in this season?”

(Here is what the kids in our home came up with)

• We know we are sinners.
• We are forgiven because of Jesus, but fasting might help us recognize our sin and be more thankful for Jesus.
• To remind us that Jesus fasted.
• We can spend time with God.
• God might use that time to prepare us for ministry or for fighting temptation.

Let us know what you came up with!

2 Samuel 1:12 They mourned and wept and fasted till evening for Saul and his son Jonathan, and for the army of the LORD and for the nation of Israel, because they had fallen by the sword.

(when they were sad because someone died)

2 Samuel 12:15-17 After Nathan had gone home, the LORD struck the child that Uriah’s wife had borne to David, and he became ill. David pleaded with God for the child. He fasted and spent the nights lying in sackcloth on the ground. The elders of his household stood beside him to get him up from the ground, but he refused, and he would not eat any food with them.

(when he was looking for help, asking in prayer, wanting something to happen)

2 Chronicles 20:2-4 Some people came and told Jehoshaphat, “A vast army is coming against you from Edom, from the other side of the Dead Sea. It is already in Hazezon Tamar” (that is, En Gedi). Alarmed, Jehoshaphat resolved to inquire of the LORD, and he proclaimed a fast for all Judah. The people of Judah came together to seek help from the LORD; indeed, they came from every town in Judah to seek him.

(when help or advice, for a whole group of people)

Ezra 8:21 There, by the Ahava Canal, I proclaimed a fast, so that we might humble ourselves before our God and ask him for a safe journey for us and our children, with all our possessions.

(humbling, asking for safe travel for family, fast about smaller things too)

Esther 4:16 “Go, gather together all the Jews who are in Susa, and fast for me. Do not eat or drink for three days, night or day. I and my attendants will fast as you do. When this is done, I will go to the king, even though it is against the law. And if I perish, I perish.”

(for anyone who asks)

Jonah 3:4-6 Jonah began by going a day’s journey into the city, proclaiming, “Forty more days and Nineveh will be overthrown.” The Ninevites believed God. A fast was proclaimed, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth. When Jonah’s warning reached the king of Nineveh, he rose from his throne, took off his royal robes, covered himself with sackcloth and sat down in the dust.

(they want salvation and to be rescued, they knew they were naughty and they were sorry, repentance, they knew they were wrong)

Matthew 4:1-2

(Jesus fasted! He didn’t do anything wrong. The Spirit told him to. Maybe he wanted to spend time with God. Maybe God was getting him ready to face the devil. Maybe it was preparing Jesus to minister to others.)

Today has already been packed with laughs. I don’t know if that is quite appropriate for Ash Wednesday, but kids are just too funny!

This morning we were talking about ashes.

8yr, “Instead of a cross, I want pastor to paint it on like war paint.”

We talked about why we use a cross. The kids decided it is a good choice because it reminds us that Jesus died on the cross.

5yr, “And ashes are black which is almost the color of brown which is the color of the cross.”

That comment was quickly followed by, “Why don’t they just use brown washable paint?”

“How about wine? For Jesus blood, like in communion?”

8yr, “If you use wine, it might not show up on your head.”

Then why ashes? We talked more seriously about ashes, a symbol of death. It is a day when we are reminded that we die too. And that sin brought death into the world. Maybe we mark ourselves with ashes to show we are sorry. Maybe it shows humility as we recognize the greatness of God and our own limited number of days.

We read Ps. 90:12 (Teach us to number our days, that we may gain a heart of wisdom.) Each of us took turns praying for hearts full of wisdom.

How did your talk about ashes go?

LENT. When I asked my kids, "What is Lent?" I got these answers.

My five year old said, "What? I don't know."

My eight year old said, "It's where you fast or give up something."

5yr, "I run really fast."

8yr, "It's like Ash Wednesday. Ash Wednesday is not fun and Lent is not fun."

5yr, "It rhymes with BENT!"

My eleven year old said, "Lent is a time to focus on God and set aside other things in the world."

Lots of questions came up! Why do we give up things during lent? Why do we put ashes on our heads? Do other people give things up too?

We started a great discussion today that I hope will continue through the entire season. Then, 11yr said, "Let's send a blog so other people can do this too!"

So we are starting this lent devotion blog. Every day, we will share what we do or talk about. You can do and talk about the same things. Then tell us what you learned (or what you found funny). We are not experts. We are a family who loves Jesus and wants to learn more about him so we can serve him. And we are guessing you are the same kind of family!

Ask your kids what they think LENT is all about! Tell us about it. And, look for our next post on Ash Wed.

I am just wondering, letting this thought roll around in my mind.

Mark 3:14 says Jesus chose 12 disciples "that they might be with him."

It is the "be with him" part that stood out to me. I think he was going to be shaping them and teaching them to lead his church. I also think it was a sort of hands-on mentorship that he initiated.

But I also wonder if, maybe, he wanted to just have some good friends around. Maybe that seem trivial in the light of the great work he was accomplishing--saving all humanity.

Still, I like to think Jesus understood my need for a friend. What do you think?