The Blessing Bags Project - Helping Kids Help the Homeless

"Truly I tell you, whatever you did for the least of these brothers and 

sisters of mine, you did for me."

(Matthew 25:40)

Whether we're heading to doctor appointments, or simply wanting to check out the latest museum exhibits, there are a few streets in our neighboring city where we are certain to encounter homeless individuals.

My heart always sinks when I see the needy.  Most often, our family really tries to go out of our way to meet those people, to ask them if we can buy them a meal or anything else they may be in need of. But, when we are running late to our destination, I can't help but think to myself, I wish I had something (other than money) to give them as we're passing by.

This past fall as I was running out of Wal-Mart, late getting home to relieve the babysitter, I spotted a homeless woman wondering through the parking lot.  I had no cash, and no time to run and get her a hot meal.  As I dug through my bag of groceries trying to collect as few things to offer her, I wished I could just put my life on pause and take her across the street for a hot meal.

When I arrived home, I shared with the boys my encounter with the woman, and asked them straight up, "What do you think we can we do as a family to be more helpful?" After a little bit of brain-storming, George suggested that we make bags of small necessities that can be kept in the van and offered to the homeless whenever we are out and about.

I loved his idea.

While Steve and I are thankful that Benedict and Andrew are old enough to volunteer at a local soup kitchen, it's more of a challenge to find ways that our younger children can serve the needy, too.  This was an answer to that challenge!

George and Henry hard at work.  I love it when they don't know they're learning!

We decided to pitch the idea of creating the "Blessing Bags" to our CC community, and they graciously agreed to help out.  George, Henry and I spent just a few hours over a week's time gathering supplies, collecting donations, and boxing up all of the goods for our assembly line.

With many helping hands, our little homeschool community was able to assemble fifty blessing bags in just minutes.  All of the kids were so enthusiastic and did such a great job completing the project!

These are the items we included in the bags:

- one pair of black socks

- hand warmers

- small package of Kleenex

- toothbrush and small toothpaste

- sugar-free gum

- trail mix

- chap stick

- hot chocolate packets

- $10 Wal-Mart gift card

The bags themselves were purchased from Oriental Trading, and most other items were either donated or purchased at Sam's Club.  I also purchased some inexpensive tags at a craft store and stamped on each side of them the saying: May the comfort of God's love fill you with hope and peace. 

Thinking about making the bags with your own family, church, or school community?

Many businesses, especially big-box stores, will be happy to donate items if you request them far enough in advance. Share your story with friends and family, and more than likely someone will want to pitch in! One request that is pretty simple is for the toothbrushes and toothpaste.  Don't be afraid to ask your dentist for these items.

Just a few days after assembling the bags, I came across a very helpful article which included details on how to make care packages for the homeless.  After reading it which items are appreciated, and which ones are best left out, I felt like we did a pretty good job choosing the items for our bags, but maybe we'll consider including a few different items next year.

I hope the blessing bags can become an annual tradition for our community.  Perhaps you, too, can initiate the project in your own family, homeschool community, church, or neighborhood! 

Meet the Masters ~ An Art Program for Homeschooling That You'll Actually Use!

When it comes to the topic of homeschooling, one of the questions I'm often asked is how I choose the curriculum materials for our school, and which resources are my favorite.  I always hesitate to give a direct answer to that question, because I've used so many different resources over the years, some with success and some without.  Another reason for my hesitation is because when it comes to selecting a curriculum for your kiddos, it really boils down to a matter of personal preference, your style and method of teaching, and the educational goals you have set for your students.

There are a few books, however, that I have enjoyed using consistently for several years, with great results and I'm always happy to suggest the use of those.  I like to be sure that whatever text I recommend is well-tested and successfully applied before I sing it's praises to others.  

Today I'm excited to share a curriculum for art that I came across last fall and have thoroughly enjoyed implementing in our classroom this year, and will use for years to come.  It's called Meet the Masters.  

In the past, I've relied upon the Child Size Masterpieces as the basis of the art portion of our curriculum, and while the boys have gained a good perspective on the various periods of art, names of artists and can recognize a number of famous works, the application, the tactile, the "fun" part of the lesson was always missing.  I would try to come up with my own little art projects from time to time, but consistency was always a difficult discipline for me with our full schedule of activities, and thus, art was often sidelined from week to week.

Thankfully, the discovery and implementation of the the Meet the Masters program into our curriculum has brought the beauty of art back into our weekly lessons in a way that we all look forward to and enjoy very much!

The reasons why I have become so fond of the Meet the Masters series is: 

1.  It is simple and very easy to implement in your classroom (just gather your supplies!*).
2.  The depth of biographical detail of each artist is perfect - informative, but not overwhelming.
3.  The lessons can be subscribed to via the internet, and that is the medium through which all lessons are accessed (no more cumbersome books!).
4.  Lessons can be subscribed to based on age/grade (however, since we have multiple grades, I selected the advanced level and modified it for the younger ones).
5.  At the end of the computer tutorial, a complete application with detailed instructions are ready to be printed out and applied in the classroom, focusing on the form and technique of the artist you've just studied.

This semester, we've enjoyed learning about Mary Cassatt, Pier Mondrian, Vincent Van Gogh, Claude Monet, and Pablo Picasso, just 5 of the 35 artists that can be studied in the program!

To enrich the lesson, I have the boys research the following:

1.  Famous musical artists who composed and performed at the time of the art master we're studying.
2.  Major historical events (here in the U.S. and in the country of the artists origin as well) that took place during the period in which the artist was working .

Finally, the boys assemble their notes into a brief biographical report on the artist, along with photocopies of a few of his/her most famous works. Their artist portfolios are then placed in in a three ring binder that we have designated just for art.  I like to print out a few photos of the boys enjoying their own art creations that they may tuck inside their notebooks as well.  The notebooks make a nice representation of what the boys have learned over the year and can be easily filed away in case you ever have to prove that you actually did educate your children while they were at home *wink*!

* If you don't live near a major art supply store, many of the materials can be found on Amazon or Rainbow Resources.

Classical Composers Part II - Listener Appreciation (Includes Free Printables!)

Welcome to Part II of this series on how to make classical music a part of your classroom! While Part I showcased a way to create a budget friendly visual aid of composers for your room, Part II is focused on the methods that I use to introduce classical composers and their works to my own children.  I welcome your feedback and suggestions in the comment section below!!

Many art and music programs in schools across the country are being cut due to budget constraints.  This is a tragedy and fills me with great sadness, because vocal and instrumental music were undoubtedly the highlight of my school years, and I know first-hand the fruits that the arts can bear in children's lives.

While I am thankful that the boys are able to take violin and piano lessons, and our oldest participates in orchestra, I believe that their appreciation for music can expand within the classroom as well.  Lord knows we spend plenty of time listening to everything from classic rock to country during moments of leisure - my kids love to play d.j. in their free time!  It's only fair that we also expose them to other genres of music, particularly those of the great classical composers.

The boys often listen to a variety of classical composers during the school day as they work (read about the benefits here), but I also have a more formal and specific method of "training" my little students' ears to recognize and appreciate specific artist's compositions. (Please keep in mind that this is a simple, introductory format, not intended to thoroughly cover all composers or periods of music.  It is only meant to be a platform from which the students may "grow" into greater music appreciation.) The method is simple, yet rewarding:

1. COMPOSER SELECTION:
Select a list of your favorite composers (our list below is just one example), from any or all of the classical music periods. Note: Classical is a period itself, but the term also used in a general sense to describe the genres of music listed below. 

2.  INTRODUCTION:
Introduce the artist by reading a brief biography of him.  We typically learn about one per composer per week. If you can, offer the children a visual aid.  Many can be found online, in books or you can view ours here.

3.  SELECTION OF WORKS:  
Choose one or two pieces that the child might associate with the composer, and listen to them in their entirety or simply choose shorter excerpts that are most popular.  You may wish to create a playlist of the songs so that they are easily accessible, or check your local library for audio resources. You Tube also offers recordings and/or performances of many composers' works.  

Famous Composers Worksheet - Printable Version

4.  CREATE A NOTEBOOK:
Older students may be challenged to take notes on the artist and his compositions (view our printable worksheet here).  While the music is playing, the students may write descriptives of the piece which might include its tempo, whether it's a fugue or minuet etc., prominent instruments, the mood of the music etc.  Those notes can then be compiled and bound into a notebook with a cover page to be saved and kept in the student's records.

Famous Composers Timeline Images - Printable Version

5.  CREATE A MUSIC PERIOD TIMELINE:
Creating a timeline is optional, but fun.  Kids can make a large one to hang up in the classroom, or a small one to keep with their notes.  Students may wish to cut out pictures of the composers that they are studying and add them to the timeline for visual interest. Label the timeline with the following musical period dates (you may also include 21st century if you are including modern composers in your study):

Baroque (1600 - 1750)

Classical (1735 - 1825)

Romantic (1815 - 1835)

20th Century (1850-1950)

6.  LISTEN, RECOGNIZE and ENJOY!!

With the introduction of each new composer and their chosen works, the children will be more likely to gain familiarity with the music the more often they hear it.  Play the songs each day, and ask the children if they can name the piece, the composer and the period in which it was written.

For additional study you might want to consider:

Learning about the various instruments in the orchestra, studying the evolution of certain instruments throughout the various periods of music (i.e. harpsichord to piano), and discussing how history and culture influence music styles.

Supporting Resources:

Internet: Musically Speaking, Classical Net, Classics for Kids

Books:  10 Fantastic Recommendations (Many of which we own and enjoy.)

Audio:  Classical Kids Series (perfect for young students) and Music Masters Series (May be purchased individually.)

Video: The Composers' Specials Though I'm not a fan of videos, this one comes highly recommended by elementary music educators.)

OUR SELECTION OF COMPOSERS and THEIR WORKS: 

(all composers are linked to Classics for Kids)

Antonio Vivaldi:
* Excerpts from the Four Seasons (Concertos #1-4)

Johann Sebastian Bach:
* Brandenburg Concerto
* Mass in B Minor

George Frederick Handel:
* Messiah
* Water Music

Joseph Haydn:
*  Emperor's Hymn
*  "Surprise" from the London Symphony

Ludwig van Beethoven: (since he is the children's favorite composer, we are listening to more of his compositions!)
* 5th Symphony
* 9th Symphony
* Moonlight Sonata
* Fur Elise

Frederick Chopin:
*  Fantasie Impromptu
*  Polonaise in A Major

Johannes Brahms:
*  Hungarian Dance #5
*  Lullaby

Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky:
*  Swan Lake
*  1812 Overture
*  Dance of the Sugarplum Fairy

Classical Composers & Willie Nelson Part I

"Hey Ben, this looks really good, but mom forgot to put up a picture of Willie Nelson.  

I mean, he's important too."

-Andrew

Ever since I was little, I have loved music.  Years of participating in vocal and instrumental music classes from middle school through college has fueled a life-long joy for all types of music (except or saggy pants rap - 'sup wit dat?? What??? Honestly....), particularly classical, bluegrass and jazz.  

Last week I was in one of those let's just change things around in here a little bit moods (which typically happens about every other week, or whenever a Pottery Barn catalog arrives in the mail).  We spend a lot of time in the classroom, and it seems to me that "freshening things up" helps keep our minds and hearts fresh with motivation to the end of the school year.  I always start with rearranging because it is a cheap way to make rooms in the house feel new. However, even after I had muscled things around a bit, the room still needed something different.  And, by different I mean cheap yet snazzy.

Since we typically spend the last month of school diving deeper into the arts in some fashion, I thought that creating a picture wall by the piano of a few famous classical composers might add a little visual interest to our classical music ear training lessons (more about that coming your way in part 2).

Creating the wall was very easy and the best part was that 
it only cost around $10.00!!  
Here it is, step-by-step: 

1. Google images of your list of favorite composers and copy the images onto a word processing document.

2.  Add the composer's name to the image along with his date of birth/death.  

3.  After printing the image onto white card stock, slip the pictures into 8 1/2" x 11" document frames (I found mine at Wal-Mart for $1.98!)  

4.  Then, after taking a few careful measurements, hang the pictures in pairs on the wall by order of the composer's birth date.  

Easy peasy!  I like the simple, clean look of the arrangement, and it makes a nice focal point next to the piano. This project is so affordable, you could study a variety of genres of music and create a wall for each genre.  I would like to have a collection of famous American composers, jazz artists and, by popular request, country greats, which of course will include Willie Nelson. {Smile.}

If children grow up listening classical music, they will truly develop a great appreciation for it, and as they get older, and it will seem less "boring" and more inspiring to them. Our littlest one, Charlie, loves to sit and color while listening to my playlist of favorite classical pieces.  Bach is is favorite (he lets us know this when he sings along to the music!)

Part II of this post will include my simple method for ear training, a list of pieces that every child will benefit from knowing/recognizing, a printable activity page for older students to fill in with notes on various composers, and ideas for encouraging and fostering an appreciation for classical music in your students.  Stay tuned!!

Flashback Friday ~ Hands On Learning With Beans, Rice and Construction Trucks

I woke up early this morning with the goal of writing a thoughtful blog while the house was still in a state of slumber. Two minutes after parking it at the computer, I hear footsteps.  No, no, no, go back to bed, pleeeeease!  Henry peeks his head around the corner, "Can I sit on your lap Mom?  Will you make me waffles, Mom?  Can I tell you a story, Mom?....." {Sigh.} He snuggles up, morning breath, rooster tail hair, fuzzy jammies.  I wrap my arms around him and say, "Sure."

Since I am going to go and make waffles, and listen to a great story now, I've come up with an alternative blogging plan for you...

In place of something new and fresh and thoughtful, I'm recycling.  Vintage blog today, from the homeschool files, inspired by Henry (of course).  But, you don't have to be a homeschooler to enjoy it, you just have to be a mom, dad or grandparent who likes to spend time with their kids/grandkids.

Have a great weekend, everyone!!

*   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *   *  

If you are a fellow homeschooler with a varitety of ages/grades in your home, you know that it can be a challenge at times to keep everyone either focused on their subjects or occupied (little ones) with something both creative and entertaining.  

Teaching a household of boys has motivated me to learn more about the Montesorri Methods of educating, because boys in particular seem to thrive in a hands-on learning enviornment.  There are so many great ideas for teaching that can be found online, through various blogs and especially on Pinterest. One idea I found suggested the use of beans and rice as a type of indoor substitution for a sandpile. I thought this was a great suggestion, and that it could easily be incorporated into our classroom.

So, last winter, when the weather was too cold to be outdoors, I took a cue from Henry and his love for construction trucks, and came up with a simple lesson to teach: 

* the difference between left and right and the recognition of the two

* the relationship between up, down, top, bottom as an introduction to opposites

* number identification and counting

Now that the temperatures are heating up outdoors, we've brought out the activity again for those afternoons when the heat is unbearable.  Another bonus to this activity is that Henry can set it up and put it away on his own. Yay! 

Here is an example of the concepts I used to teach (the lessons were VERY short, because four-year old boys just want to play!)

THE SET UP:

* I used an old baking tray (you can see it is well-seasoned!) to help contain the beans and rice, but you could use a dry erase board, or any other platform of choice. A roll of butcher paper taped to the floor would also work well.

*I wrote on the tray with a dry erase marker, but it still took a little effort to get the marks scrubbed off, so be aware of that before you get started.

*Large bag of beans, rice or other small dry food works well, and can be reused. We swept up the beans when we were finished and stored them in a plastic bag.

*We used Henry's set of mini-construction trucks, purchased at Tractor Supply.

ENGAGING THE ACTIVITY:

(Hint: Be sure to talk a little bit about the activity BEFORE you dump the beans onto the tray, otherwise you might lose your teaching moment!)

1.  Have your child place their left hand on the "L", right hand on the "R."  Then, aks them to place a vehicle on the "L" and drive it over to the "R."  You can repeat this several times, moving vehicles back and forth until they begin the recognize the difference between left and right.

2.  Now, it's time to break out the beans!  Dump a pile on the Left side of the tree and ask your child to move all of the beans from the Left side of the tray to the Right side.  Henry selected the bulldozer for this task.

3.  We used the same method for the up/top, down/bottom tray. Point to the top, point to the bottom, park the construction equipment at the top, then at the bottom etc.  Now, use the beans, moving them to the distinct areas of the tray.

4.  The methods are basically the same for the numbered quadrants, except I had Henry place one load of beans from the dump truck on the 1, two piles on the 2, etc.  Of course, you can teach any numbers that you like. This was his favorite lesson of the three.

For further enrichment, you could pair the activity with a related picture book. Here are a few that we like:

The Construction Alphabet Book

Good Night, Good Night Construction Site

Construction Countdown

The Power of Words - A Lesson from Proverbs for Kids

"Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks." 

~Matthew 12:34

This is the last verse from scripture that I read the other night, at the close of a very long, loud, crazy day.  The words hit me hard as internally I wrestled wearily with the rising temperature between the boys.  I know that at some point every parent deals with fighting siblings, and exchanges of heated, unkind words, but for whatever reason, that day, I felt like I was the only one in the world who had to deal with such things. Oh the things we tell ourselves....

The verse from Matthew played over and over in my mind as I shifted from side to side trying to find a peaceful place to fall into slumber.  But, my mind refused to rest, as thoughts of how to handle the all-too-frequent unrest between 5 masculine personalities kept me awake.  So, then, the game of making mental lists began:  Research effects of barometric pressure and food dyes on attitudes and emotions.  Check Pinterest for creative punishments, incentives for good behavior and printable charts to keep track of everything.....

An hour later, what should have been my first resort became my last.  Prayer.

What can I do, Lord?  Out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks?? More like shrieks!!  Your kids are driving me crazy, Lord! I need a little help here.  The constant conflict collisions are beating up my heart and my house.  This isn't normal, this isn't them. I don't understand what's going on.  Please, give me something, anything that I can do or say to get them back on a brotherly track.

The next morning, rising before the rest of the tribe, I was very motivated to come up with and to share  a tangible lesson on the power of words with the boys.  Over the weekend, on my long run, I had listened to a podcast from Focus on the Family on family communication.  Recalling bits and pieces of it, I soon wrote out a lesson, one that I know for certain was Divinely inspired, as it was way too early (before coffee even!) in the day for me to come up with any great ideas on my own.

Here is the scripture-based teaching that I shared with the boys last week on the power of words to hurt or to heal, to inspire or to injure, to bring gladness or gloom to the heart.  I hope that you don't have a need for it in your home, but if you should, may it be as helpful to you and your children as it has been to us...

Out of the Abundance of the Heart the Mouth Speaks: 

A Lesson on the Power of Words

ITEMS YOU WILL NEED:

* 2 white, medium-sized bowls

* 1 can of clear soda, any flavor and maraschino cherries if you have them

* 2-3 sweet, yet nourishing foods such as honey or maple syrup

* Vinegar

* 2-3 foods that are sour, bitter and/or hot such as pickles, jalapenos and coffee

* One dry sponge, cut into a heart shape

* Lined paper and pencils for the kids to write with

* Bible

1.  Set out the two bowls (preferably white, to make the differences between the mixtures more visible), and use the bowls to separate the foods (sweets in one, bitter/sour in the other) as pictured above.

2.  Open the bible to Matthew 12:34, and set the heart-shaped sponge on top.  Read the verse to the children, then ask them to explain what they think it means.  

3.  After reading the verse, set the two bowls of  food in front of the kids. Then, give each child a piece of paper and ask them draw a vertical line down the center of the page creating two columns, one for the sweet and one for the sour/bitter/hot.  In each column, have the kids write words that describe the contents in each bowl.  They may describe not only the flavor, but also the feeling of the food in the mouth (hot, painful, sour, sweet, bubbly, yummy etc.).

5.  Next, tell the children that they are going to make a mixture in each bowl using the ingredients that you've provided, keeping separate the sweet from the sour/bitter.  In the sweet bowl, place ONLY the cherries and the soda, NOT the honey or other sweets you may have chosen.  This will be important when you begin the biblical teaching.

6. The children will begin to freely express their reactions to both mixtures, which will be very entertaining! Crinkled noses display feelings of being grossed out over the crazy sour potion, it's pungent odor and unappealing appearance. Soon, they will move away from the sour, hot and bitter mixture, and move toward a more enjoyable experience of the delicious smell of the sweet, bubbly soda with cherries.  This is the foundation you hope to create to demonstrate the point that our words can be like these two mixtures.  

7.  After the mixing is over, hand one of the children the sponge that you have cut out. Explain that each day, when we wake up, our heart is like a dry sponge that will naturally soak up whatever it first comes into contact with.  Will it soak up sweet, life-giving, kind words, or it will it be cast into hot, sour, bitter, and negative words?  What are our conversations within the family like? Which mixture do my words most closely resemble?

8. Next, explain to the children that now you are going to look to the scriptures to see what God has to say about the importance of the words we speak. Using your list of Proverbs (see below), allow the children to take turns reading one passage at a time out loud, and sharing what they think the verse means.  

9.  After you are finished reading, direct the children back to their papers with the two columns. Have them consider which words would go in the sweet/sour/bitter column, and which words would go in the sweet column.  (For example, "I hate you" or "You are stupid" and "I love you" or "Great job!" respectively.)

10.  Next, ask the kids if there are any words that they regret saying?  Words that they would like to take back, or be forgiven of?  Then, read this passage from Acts 7:59-60 (the words of St. Stephen as he was being stoned to death.):

And as they were stoning Stephen, he prayed, "Lord Jesus, receive my spirit." and, he knelt down and cried with a loud voice, "Lord, do not hold this sin against them."

11. Give the children an opportunity to share what lesson they can learn from St. Stephen about forgiveness.  His words of forgiveness and love were very powerful, even more powerful than the stones that brought him to his death! While positive words of love and encouragement are sweet like the soda, so are the words "I'm sorry" and "I forgive you!"

12.  Finally, give the children a few minutes to write down their own positive phrases that they want to make a resolution to practice. (A couple of my boys wrote: "How can I help?", "Are you okay?" and "I love you!" One even wrote: "Who cares about being right, let's just get over it and be friends!")

Passages From Proverbs:

(There are many, many more, these are just the few that I chose!)

A gentle tongue is a tree of life, but cruel words crush the spirit. 15:4

The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit. 18:21

There is one whose rash words would deeply as a sword, but the tongue of the wise brings healing. 12:18 

Gracious words are like a honeycomb, sweetness to the soul and health to the body. 16:24

A soft answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger. 15:1

Do you see a man who is hasty in his words? There is more hope for a fool than for him. 29:20

The tongue of the wise commends knowledge, but the mouths of fools pour out folly. 15:2

Whoever restrains his words has knowledge, and he who has a cool spirit is a man of understanding. 17:27

Whoever covers an offense seeks love, but he who repeats a matter separates close friends. 17:9

7 Quick Takes: 7 Sweet Sayings From Yesterday

While in many ways yesterday was just an ordinary day in our home - school, sports practices, orchestra, chores etc., etc., we did make time to squeeze in a few Valentines Day activities.  This included baking, reading a story about St. Valentine, making cards and Henry asking me all day, "Did you get me a Balentine?? Followed by, "It's okay if you didn't get me one Mom, I'll just take a toy, like some Hot Wheels or sumpin' like that, kay?...kay, Mom??.....Mom, Mom, Mom......{sigh}"

One of my favorite school projects we worked on was inspired by a creative idea that I found on Calicos and Cupcakes.  There, I found a simple fill in the blank poem about love.  Since we homeschool, the writing project was easily incorporated into our lessons as we reviewed the five senses, and also similes and metaphors. At first I thought that I might need to guide them a little bit through the activity, but to my surprise, they whisked the papers out of my hands and dove right in.

I highly recommend sharing this idea with your kids - their answers will either leave you in stitches or in tears.  I experienced both - and today I'm sharing my favorites.  Each poem contained five lines beginning with a phrase that they had to finish:

Love looks like:

Love smells like:

Love tastes like:

Love feels like:

Love sounds like:

These are my 7 favorite responses:

1.  Love looks like:  My brother Henry when he is giving (George). When does he do this? I mean, absolutely!

2.  Love looks like: Rain on a dry day. (Andrew) That's a farm boy!

3.  Love smells like: Bacon. (Henry)  And, that is why I love you, my child!

4.  Love tastes like: Warm hot chocolate on a cold day. (Ben and Andrew)

5.  Love feels like: A hug when you want one. (Andrew) Unlimited supply, right here, baby!

6.  Love sounds like: A symphony. (Ben) You and I, we bond over a little Beethoven!

7. Love sounds like: My Mom. (George)  Melt. My. Heart.

15 Ways to Experience a More Meaningful Lent

"I’m participating in the Keeping LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013, hosted by

Raising (& Teaching) Little Saints, Truly Rich Mom and Arma Dei: Equipping Catholic Families. We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE. Please scroll down to the end of the post to see the list of link-up entries.”

 ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~

How beautiful it is to give up this life for the life!

~ St. JoseMaria Escriva 

Let's just go ahead and admit it - nobody likes Lent. Just say the word Lent out loud and you'll find that it is almost always followed by a sigh of discomfort.  Kind of like the word exercise to those who hate to sweat or babysit to those who find children annoying. 

For me, Lent always conjures up flashbacks of my childhood.  No sweets, no TV, no anything fun.  Just church, lots of church, ashes on the forehead, and weird fish dishes, and quiet and gloom. All my siblings and I could do is countdown to Easter Sunday. (My parents were great teachers and always set a very pious example for me. I was, most likely, focused on other, less important things as a child.)

Despite all of the negativity attached to Lent, it really does have a deep and beautiful purpose. It's not just a season in the church's liturgical calendar that you have to "get through" in order to have chocolate again. The Christian isn't forced to do any of these things - giving up meat, fasting, mortifications, ashes on the forehead.  The church doesn't hold a hammer over our head and say, "Do it, or else." Participating in the sacrificial preparations for Easter are intended to be freeing, not binding. 

 

I am deeply humbled by the truth that Christ willingly died for us, for our sins.  He gave himself up to be crucified.  The power of perfect sacrifice is ever stronger than that which He could have exuded if he had chosen to wield His power over everyone and every situation.  In the same way, God doesn't control us, he has given each of us a free will, and it is through our willingness to unite our sacrifices to Christ, no matter how big or small, that we participate in His life, death and resurrection.

 

In my mind, there is but one purposes to the Lenten season:

Unity with Christ.

This season of contemplation, examination and preparation wakes up the soul, and invigorates our fervor as Christians to walk with Christ and to desire Heaven more deeply. 

Experiencing Lent as a family can be challenging.  We are all busy with activities, school, sports, meetings and appointments.  But, coming together for any amount of time each day can bear beautiful fruit in your family.
  

Need a few ideas?  Here is our list of favorites:

1.  A couple of years ago, I found this idea for a crown of thorns made out of salt dough.  Toothpicks are placed in the dough to represent the thorns.  When the children do an act of sacrifice or a good deed, they can take out one toothpick and place it in the "thorn" jar that is kept in the center of the crown.  

2. The crown of thorns is a painful and sometimes difficult image (especially for little ones) to grasp.  Here is an extended lesson to the crown of thorns project that will help children see that Christ's crown of suffering was bore out of a deep love that led Him to an eternal crown, a glorified crown, a heavenly crown: For every toothpick they remove from the thorny crown, allow them to place a jewel into the "jewel" jar.  Then, on Easter, the children can use the jewels to decorate a beautiful crown for Jesus.  You can find a king's crown printable template here.  Print it out on quality card stock and cut them out ahead of time so that they are ready for the children to decorate on Easter.

3. Choose a story to read aloud together.  This doesn't necessarily have to be a Catholic/Christian book.  Perhaps it could be one where the characters demonstrate heroic virtue by way of sacrifice. Our older kids (3rd grade and up) have really enjoyed Redwall by Brian Jacques.  There are also many short stories in the Children's Book of Virtues.  We like to keep a book basket in our living area during special seasons in the church.  This is very handy if you are giving up television/video games during Lent.

4.  Consider adopting a child that you can support as a family with financial resources, prayers and letters. Sometimes being mindful of the needs and sufferings of others can put our own struggles into perspective.  We have adopted two boys, Patrick and Juan Diego, through CFCA. You can find more information here.

5.  Pray together.  I know it seems so simple, but often the greatest sacrifice that we can make on a weekly basis is the sacrifice of our time.  Praying with your children, even for a short amount of time each day, is unifying for the family.  Maybe you will learn a new prayer, or perhaps choose a bible verse that you would like to memorize together.  

6.  Pick a service project to do together.  Consider shoveling snow for a neighbor, volunteering at the local food bank or soup kitchen, visiting the elderly, or delivering a meal to someone home-bound.  Let the kids help decide what you will do.  If you are giving up Saturday morning cartoons or a day of shopping at the mall for Lent, it helps to put something sacrificial in it's place, or else you might find yourself looking for another source of comfort or entertainment to replace whatever it is that you gave up. 

7. To  build upon the idea of growing in the virtue of generosity, now is a great time to introduce your children to the beauty of almsgiving, an act of religious virtue where one offers help in some way to the poor, above and beyond their weekly tithe.

8.  Get to know Christ through the Word.  For families on the go, an easy way to do this is to listen to an audio version of the daily readings. You can find them here (just click on audio version and select the corresponding date). 

9.  The Stations of the Cross is a traditional form of prayer that Catholics often pray together on Fridays at their local parish.  If you find it difficult to make the trip to church, you can still pray this beautiful prayer as a family at home.  I found this amazing idea from Joyfilled Family. They use candles with a printable picture to mark each station. Our family truly looks forward to lighting the candles and praying these beautiful prayers during Lent.

{Photo/Project Credit}

10.  If you have little ones in the home, crafts can sometimes be a perfect way to make something as difficult as the mystery of Christ's suffering, death and resurrection simpler for them to take part in.  I love the website Catholic Icing.  There are oodles of great ideas there! 

11.  We are all, by our natures, comfort seeking creatures. That part of our nature is in some cases necessary for survival.  So, encouraging children to embrace the idea of sacrificial giving isn't easy.  I decided this year to offer the boys a way of seeing their sacrifices "bloom" into something beautiful.  Because, as Christians, we believe that each person's personal sacrifices have merit, and when offered to Christ, He will give our sacrifices life. 

To begin the activity, I created this quote: 

These tiny seeds lie deep asleep.  But, when planted in the soil of sacrifice, they will awake and bloom as resurrected flowers of love! 

Below the quote, I scattered a few illustrated seeds that the boys can cut out.  Each time during the week that a child offers some small sacrifice, he/she can cut out a seed and put it in their specific pot. About half-way through Lent, have the child count his/her seeds and replace them with real seeds.  Those seeds will then be planted in their pot and cared for throughout the remainder of Lent. By Easter, the plants should be sprouted and can then be enjoyed indoors or transplanted outside when the weather warms up.  We chose Morning Glories, because they are symbolic of the Resurrection. To encourage the little ones with this project, it might be helpful to create a list of sacrifices that they can choose from.  They can even help you make the list.  Some of ours include:

- Picking up toys for a sibling.

- Making bed without being asked.

- Give up playing with a toy or game so that another may use it.

- Clean up room without being asked.

- Serve another family member at supper time.

- Pray for a family member.

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12.  Have each child select a quiet space that he/she can go to every day for twenty minutes in the home to have quiet time with Our Lord.  Older ones may read the bible, recite their favorite prayers, journal or simply be still and listen. For little ones (3-6 years old) they might just read or look at story books about Jesus or their Children's Bible, or color pictures for Jesus.  Need some story ideas? Check out this list.  Another resource is Holy Heroes.  These are fantastic audio stories of saints.  A coloring book can be purchased to accompany the stories.  Our kids love these, and often listen to them in the afternoon during my personal prayer time.

13. If your kids are giving up something such as toys and video games for Lent, make a sacrifice box. Also, help them to think beyond just giving something up.  Sometimes adding a task or offering to their daily routine can also be sacrificial. For example, picking up their room without being asked, saying a prayer each day for someone in the family, doing a chore for someone else, etc.  Also, giving up something, doesn't just have to mean something physical.  How about giving up a bad habit such a whining, complaining, name calling, a negative attitude, not responding promptly to parents etc.? 

14.  We all love to countdown to exciting and joyful events.  Make a calendar for your children and hang it on the fridge.  I like this one from Catholic Icing:

The pretzel is symbolic of fasting during Lent

15.  Finally, since I haven't yet mentioned anything about giving up candy, pop, or other special treats for Lent, I will say that these types of fasting are always a good idea. May I suggest doing it together as a family (our family gives up sweets)? And, if the children want to partake in more of their own "giving up" sacrifices, do not discourage them!  To help the kids get through those long 40 days of no sweets or treats, remind them that the church does not discourage celebrating feasts of distinction during Lent, such as St. Joseph's feast day (March 19),  or St. Patrick's feast day (March 17).  It is appropriate to enjoy special foods on these days, and your kiddos will enjoy having those feasts to look forward to, and perhaps even help plan and prepare for!

How does your family celebrate Lent? Do you have any special traditions or memories from your childhood? Please share in the comments!!

Check out the Lent reflections participating in the Keep LOVE in LENT Blog Link-Up 2013! We'll be sharing different ways, tips, stories and real-life experiences that will help us focus on Lenten sacrifices, prayer and good deeds, and how to carry them out with LOVE instead of a GRUMBLE.  Discover new Catholic blogs to follow!

Equipping CatholicFamilies: Keep LOVE in LENT

Call Her Happy:40 Simple Lenten Activities for Kids

Lenten Love: Little Acts of Love

Building Rocks

Grow the Roses: Keep Love in Lent

Family At The Foot Of The Cross: Loving Service

Catholic Homeschooling Joy: A Lenten Activity

JOY:Keep the Love in Lent

Twenty Tuesday Afternoons: Tuesday # 11: Pancake Tuesday / Keeping Love in Lent

Campfires and Cleats: Why a Failing Lent Really Isn't

Harrington Harmonies: Make a Lenten Holy Hour

A Mommy of Three:Good Deeds for Lent

Loving the Semi Country Life: Lent:special time to reflect and keep the love in lent

Written By the Finger of God: A 7 Step Lenten Plan

Mommy Bares All: Giving Up and Making Space for Love this Lent

The Irish Lassie Shop: Seek God Everywhere

Hand-Maid with Love: Living Lent, Loving Lent

Words On Heaven: IN THE DESERT FOR 40 DAYS

On The Way Home: Keeping LOVE in Lent

Homeschooling with Joy: Keep Love in Lent

Mountain Grace: Keep Love in Lent

Eyes On Heaven: I am Choosing to Live

Joy Alive in Our Hearts:"God's Love at Work"

Life of Fortunate Chances: Love is Fun: Keeping Love in Lent

Fifth of Five: Keep the LOVE in Lent

I Blog Jesus: for Praying our Loud!

Overflow: Loving Lent with Little Ones

This Cross I Embrace: Keep LOVE In Lent

Sole Searching Mamma: 15 Ways to Experience a More Meaningful Lent

Catholic All Year: My Biggest Lent Fails and How I Learned Mortification...

Four Little Ones: Keeping Love in Lent

Gaels Crafty Treasures Keeping Love in Lent

Bear Wrongs Patiently: Lent for the Scrupulous

Rosary Mom: Keeping Love in Lent

LoveLetters 7.10: Teacups {Keeping the Love in Lent}

Little Saints in the Making: Keep Love in Lent

Blessed with Full Hands: Keeping love in Lent- Praise Him

Normal Chaos: Our Own Personalized Lenten Journey

These Little Blessings: Gifting Love this Lent

The Cajun Catholic: The our Father; a lenten reflection

Truly Rich Mom: Keeping Love in Lent... Even When It Is Difficult

GATHERING GRACES:Keeping LOVE in LENT

SaIsa Pang Sulyap - Fullness Of His Love

LiturgicalTime: Keeping Love in Lent - Finding Balance

Grace Loves Iggy: love in lent

Sacred Oysters: Empty (Keeping LOVE in LENT)

Tercets:Make Heart Rosary Decades to Pray for Others

The Diary of a Sower: Our Lenten Prayer Tree

A Living Garden -- Giving for Others with Love: Keeping LOVE in LENT

Homegrown Catholics: Motivated by my childrens' activities {Lent}

MyBroken Fiat: Keeping Love in Lent... Barely

Journey to Wisdom: Keeping Love in Lent: Bands of Love

Softening My Heart: An Anniversary Lesson duringLent