Saturday, January 6, 2024

Outgoing Mail: January


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This new year I am continuing the monthly faith-themed letter series. The kids who are 14 and under are learning about the names of God, based off of Diane Stortz's book, I Am: 40 Reasons to Trust GodSunday School Zone sometimes has some great activity pages! The beatitude page I got here, and the Lord's prayer page here.


✯✶✰☆ Teacher ☆✰✶✯  by Diane Stortz ~~ John 1:38 "They said to him, "Rabbi" [which means Teacher], "where are you staying?"" ~~ From Matthew 5-7; Luke 6. When Jesus visited a town, He often went to the synagogue to teach about God. People loved to listen to Him, and crowds began to follow Him as He went from place to place. One day Jesus went up on a mountainside and sat down. He called His disciples to Him and began to teach them. Everyone listened to what Jesus had to say. Jesus taught about God's kingdom. "God blesses you when you depend on Him," He said, "and when you want what is right and good. So be kind and forgiving, and always follow God." Jesus taught about helping others. "Let your light shine so others can find God and follow Him too," He said. "Give what you can to help those in need, but don't make a show of it. Don't give to get praise for yourself." Jesus taught about how to treat enemies. "love the people who are mean to you," He said, "because God loves every person. Pray for your enemies, and do kind things to them." Jesus taught about money. "Spend your money on what is good," He said. "Use it to help other people. Don't keep your money just for yourself. If you love God, you can't love money too." Jesus taught about worry. "God takes care of all the flowers and the little birds," He said, "so He will certainly take care of you! You don't need to worry. Make God and His ways the most important things in your life. Then God will give you everything you need." Jesus taught about prayer too. "Pray like this," He said, "Our Father in heaven, may your name be kept holy. May your Kingdom come soon. May your will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us today the food we need, and forgive us our sins, as we have forgiven those who sin against us. And don't let us yield to temptation, but rescue us from the the evil one" (Matthew 6:9-13). Jesus had so many good thing to teach His followers! He gave them an important rule we call the golden rule: "Whatever you would like others to do for you, do that for them. This is how God wants you to live." And Jesus reminded everyone that God is good, "Ask, seek, and knock," He said. "God is your good Father. He wants to give you good things, and He will!" ~~ Jesus was often called Teacher. His students were His disciples. They listened to Jesus' words, and they watched what He did. That is how they learned to do th things that please God, and that is how we learn from Jesus too... There were many teachers in Israel, but Jesus was the wisest and best. When He was only 12 years old He amazed the temple teachers." 



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I am continuing with a study on the book of Proverbs for the older kids. I am including a helpful journaling page with each letter. I also included a Psalm 37:4 coloring page. 


Hello Friend!

The author of the Proverbs study shares:

"PROVERBS 2

Proverbs 2:9-10: "Then you will understand what is right and just and fair—every good path. For wisdom will enter your heart, and knowledge will be pleasant to your soul."

Understanding God's goodness doesn't just help you make godly decisions in your head; it benefits your entire being deep into your heart and soul!

If someone were to ask you, “What’s pleasant to your soul?” what would you say? The first thing that comes to my mind is the view from a mountaintop in Hawaii. My fiancĂ© and I hiked up a mountain to watch the sunrise, and it was unlike anything I'd ever seen before. I felt incredible peace, thankfulness, joy, and contentment.

That's how godly wisdom will make you feel! It puts your soul at peace when you understand who God is and who He's created you to be. If your heart is filled with worry, anxiousness, fear, or sadness, start with getting to know Jesus better. His truth will be pleasant to your soul.

Have you allowed God's truth to reach the depths of your heart?"

Psalm 37:4 shares that in God we will find all the desires of our hearts. Do you turn to God when your heart feels empty and lonely? God is always there, available to love and support and care for you.

Name


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Happy Writing!