{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Making LOVE Come Alive

She had nothing. Nothing but a life filled with sin. Nothing but an alabaster jar filled with perfume.

 

Jesus was having dinner in the home of Simon, the Pharisee. Surrounded by the religious leaders of the day when she showed up. Uninvited. And obviously unwanted.

Right there at the dinner table, she washed Jesus' feet with her tears and poured out her expensive perfume onto his feet. A repentant sinner, anointing him with the only valuable thing she owned.

Seeing what she had done, Simon said, "if this man were a prophet, he would know who is touching him and what kind of woman she is -- that she is a sinner."

To which Jesus replied, "Two men owed money to a certain moneylender. One owed him five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. Neither of them had the money to pay him back, so he cancelled the debts of both. Now which of them will love him more?"

"I suppose the one who had the bigger debt canceled."

"You have judged correctly...Therefore, I tell you, her many sins have been forgiven-- for she loved much. But he who has been forgiven little loves little."

What is it that you value? What have you been holding onto, keeping for yourself, putting above your relationship with God?

This woman loved Jesus so much, she gave everything she had. What a beautiful testimony of faith.

Everyone who loves has been born of God and knows God. Whoever does not love does not know God, because God is love. This is how God showed his love among us: He sent his one and only son into the world that we might live through him. This is love: not that we loved God, but that he loved us and sent his Son as an atoning sacrifice for our sins. {1 John 4:7-10}

Family Activity for the Week...

Gather together and have each family member tell one thing that they are going to do this week to show love to Jesus and others. One of the best ways to show love is to put another person before yourself. Sacrifice something for them in the same way that Christ made the ultimate sacrifice for us on the cross. Give up something for them.

Leave me some comments to let me know what you did and how it went. I will be praying for you!

Don't forget to hang your Love fruit on your Fruit of the Spirit tree and display it in your home as a visual reminder for your family this week, as you focus on love in your home. Go here to download the printables that go with our Making the Fruit of the Spirit Come Alive in Your Home series if you missed our introductory post last week. And go here  for Cat's tutorial on how to make your fruit printables into glass pebble magnets, so that you can hang your tree on the refrigerator.

Happy Monday, friends! Invite your friends to join us next week as we talk about JOY! :)

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Wide Spectrum of Mothering

Happy Monday!  My husband, Scott, spoke about the legacy we leave as parents (and grandparents, aunts and uncles, teachers, etc.) yesterday and included a special prayer for Mother's Day.  One of the things that he pointed out was that Mother's Day doesn't always bring happy memories for everyone.  For some people it is the most painful day of the year.  For some, it's the first Mother's Day without their mom.  For others, it's the first Mother's Day without their child.  For others still, it's a reminder of the longing they have every day for a child of their own.  This really spoke to me, as I was in the middle of celebrating my first Mother's Day as a mother of two, with a sweet daughter added to our family this year.

After we got home from lunch, I saw this picture below. "The Wide Spectrum of Mothering" by Amy Young was read at a local church during their services yesterday and I thought it was so fitting...it was exactly what Scott had spoken about.  I thought that it was worth sharing today, as a reminder that everyone is going through something and needs prayer for their certain situation!  Will you join with me in praying for each of "those"listed below? 

Have a wonderful week as you bring hope into your home though the One who brings us all hope!

About the Author: MJ Smith has her little corner of the internet to document her family, their home and their adventures - and any crafting that occurs along the way - over at 517 Creations. She has the greatest job in the world: being a stay-at-home momma of a wild and wonderful little boy and a sweet baby girl, and is married to Scott, a pastor, which often makes for such a fun (and crazy) life!

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Parent/Child Dates

This past Friday when I picked Little A up from school, I took him on a "date" to get ice cream...just the two of us!

I was frustrated because I feel like I don't get enough quality time with my oldest baby anymore...it is never just me and him. I get Little E to myself alot because he is still at home and then Little A joins us after school. Anytime the kids are split up, it is usually Little E with me and Little A with Big A, that's just how it works out most of the time.

As a result, we have decided that every Friday morning Big A will take Little E to get donuts, just the two of them and every Friday after school, I will take Little A to get ice cream...or really whatever they want, but so far it has been donuts and ice cream!

It is such a blessing to be able to spend some quality time with each one of my babies, doing things they enjoy, bonding and talking without the distraction of the other one. It is precious time together and I highly suggest you try it with your children as well!

Fridays work best for us because it is Big A's day off, but you find whatever time works for you and find out what your child would like to do. Once a week works for us at this point, but that may not work for you...maybe start with once a month. Children grow up way too fast and I know I will always cherish these memories together and will never regret the time spent with each of them!

Do you have any ideas for parent/child dates? What has worked for you?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: 7 Creative Ways to Display Scripture in Your Home

As you know, I think it is so important for families to display scripture in their homes. I believe these displays help us to keep our focus on the truth and are a shining light in this dark world. They also serve as a reminder for us to hide God's word in our hearts, a protection against the devil's schemes and the lies of this world.

With that in mind, I thought today would be as good a day as any to show you some creative ways to display scripture in your homes!

A wooden sign...

Source: mydesignhearth.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A stack of books...

Source: lessthanperfectlifeofbliss.blogspot.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A canvas...

Source: charlotte-march.tumblr.com via Worthy of the Prize on Pinterest

A pillow...

Source: etsy.com via Mariela on Pinterest

A wall decal...

Source: etsy.com via Kathy on Pinterest

A banner...

Source: sparksinthekiln.blogspot.com via Tracy: The Crafty PolkaDot on Pinterest

A printable...

Source: shanty-2-chic.com via April on Pinterest

What about you? How do you display scripture in your own home?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Picture-Smart Bible

I had heard about The Picture-Smart Bible when it was first developed several years ago. Then, in May 2010, I had the opportunity to see the program at a convention, and I was instantly hooked. In fact, I took advantage of special convention pricing and purchased the complete set for our family.

So, what is The Picture-Smart Bible? According to the program website, it "is an innovative approach to 'seeing' Scripture as a total entity. This Genesis-to-Revelation course is designed to help participants learn, remember and teach the themes and concepts in each book of the Bible...and have fun in the process!" In other words, it's a complete Bible curriculum presented in a unique format that will engage young children, youth, and adults alike in such a way that they'll actually remember key scriptural ideas.

The Picture-Smart Bible is unique because, unlike any other Bible curriculum of which I'm aware, it's been designed to appeal directly to the powerful picture-smart element in every person's brain.

Specifically, Dan and Juanene Peters, the creators of the program, have developed a one-page blackline drawing to represent each and every book of the Bible. Each drawing incorporates images for all the key events and concepts presented in the book, and detailed notes help a teacher walk her students through a systematic, engaging study of the text. As the teacher explains a particular idea, students activate their brains by tracing and/or coloring the appropriate parts of the drawing until the entire page is colorized as directed. If desired, a student can then use the completed illustration to explain his understanding of the book in his own words, and, thus, activate another powerful memory tool. And, when pictures for every book have been finished, each student will have an illustrated, personalized summary of all of Scripture.

I found with my daughters that taking several days to go through each book was most conducive to absorbing and remembering. So we've chosen to incorporate it as an occasional supplemental homeschool activity - one, I might add, to which they always look forward. As a result, we finish a handful of book pages a year and will be able to enjoy our study for years to come. Others I know have chosen to use The Picture-Smart Bible as a daily component of their homeschool curriculum and, thus, produce completed keepsakes after just a couple of years. In either case, students can look back to a book's summary sheet at any time when they're engaged in other Bible study, so it's a tool they really can use for a lifetime.

But it's not just for homeschoolers. Families whose kids attend school outside the home use The Picture-Smart Bible for family devotions, utilizing it to build both Bible knowledge and family unity. And it's also an excellent resource for Christian schools, Sunday school classes (for children as young as four or five all the way through to adults!), and youth groups; in fact, if a school or church adopted The Picture-Smart Bible for use among all its members, I daresay it would be the most Bible-literate organization for miles around!

Of course, whether in a family or within a school or church, the goal is not mere knowledge. But the fact of the matter is that we must know Scripture in order to really know the Lord, and I can't think of a better tool than The Picture-Smart Bible for parents and teachers who really want to engage kids in that process. Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Tina Hollenbeck and her husband Jeff are raising two daughters and have another waiting for them in the arms of Jesus. Before becoming a mom, Tina taught English to immigrant kids in public secondary schools for nine years, but now she cherishes her role as an at-home wife and mother and also advocates passionately for homeschooling. Tina writes regularly for her blog, Being Made New, and is also the staff writer for Celebrate Kids, Inc, a Texas-based ministry to parents and educators. In addition, she’s developing a public speaking ministry of her own, and is available to address homeschoolers, women’s groups, and young people on a variety of topics. In her spare time, Tina enjoys singing on her church’s worship team, exercising, and scrapbooking.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Devotional Resources for Families

Hey everyone! I hope you are all having a fabulous Monday! I must admit that this has been an exhausting week for my family, but a truly wonderful one too. Life Action Revival Ministries has been at our church the past nine days, and although the long nights with little ones can be hard, God is using this time to richly bless my heart and remind me of how very easy it is to slip into a "mommy routine" and lose sight of spending daily time seeking Him.

Life Action has shared a lot of great resources with us this week, and the librarian in me thought that this would be the perfect time to pass them on to you. Enjoy!

Together: Growing Appetites for God by Carrie Ward

This mom knew she needed to get deeper into God's word, and she brought her young children along for the ride! They started reading through the bible together when her oldest was just 4. It took them 5 years the first time, and now they are on their third reading together. I have started reading this book, and it is really encouraging my heart to step out and do something big like this with my children!

The Princess and the Kiss and The Squire and the Scroll

I haven't read these yet, but they are two books (one for girls, one for boys) that are meant to give parents a resource for teaching their children about purity from a young age. They sound like a great resource to me!

 

This may be a book you have already seen: Having a Mary Heart in a Martha World by Joanna Weaver. As a young mom (with more kiddos on the way), it is so easy to let the needs of my family and household replace my time with God. I mean, they need me, right? Laundry is important and they have to eat, right? Well, yes. But really, we have no excuse for allowing those things to take God's place in our hearts! The words on the front of the book say "Finding intimacy with God in the Busyness of Life." I can't wait to read it and see what God does in my heart. I hope you are blessed by it, too!

Do you have any devotional resources for families that you recommend?

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Amanda writes about family, crafting, and everything in between over at her blog, The McLife. She is a Texas girl by birth living in Mississippi with her husband, Mike, and two sons, Max and Ben. In a past life she was a school librarian, but now she spends her days as a stay-at-home mom and wouldn't have it any other way.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: The Ministry of Presence

This past weekend, my daughters hosted a sleepover for nine of their friends. Actually, this was the second of what appears to have become an annual event for our family, and we ended up nearly doubling the guest list as well as extending the festivities for an additional six hours compared to last year.

Getting ready cost me extra cleaning time, as well as time for shopping, cooking, and baking. It also cost a fair amount of extra money to buy food to feed all those girls for three meals and a rather substantial "tea party." It cost my husband and me a lot time and effort to supervise and guide the girls from early Friday evening through mid-afternoon on Saturday. And it cost us all clean-up time afterward.

But I wouldn't have it any other way.

Way back when my girls were toddlers, a Titus 2 woman in my life advised me to make my home a place where my kids and their friends would want to hang out. She noted that, while I'd likely be able to trust my kids' well-being in the homes of a few other families, I'd be wise to nurture relationships with my children and their friends so they'd choose to be in our home more often than not. I'd know they were safe, and I'd be available to provide necessary guidance and direction. She said it'd be easier to allow them to gather elsewhere - but, of course, wise isn't always easy.

She was right, of course.

I'm not a big fan of sleepovers in general. I know from my own childhood that they can be great fun. But I know from personal experience that the conversations and activities at such events aren't always wholesome, healthy, or God-honoring. And, sadly, I also know that sleepovers can sometimes be fodder for luring kids into hurtful, soul-damaging encounters.

I would, indeed, trust my girls to playdates and even sleepovers at the homes of a couple of close family friends. Of course, even then I err on the side of caution by asking lots of questions about planned activities and how the parents expect to be involved. But the beauty of hosting an event in my home is that I already know the answers - and I know my girls (and their friends) will be safe...body, mind, and soul.

It's not that my husband and I hover; in fact, we let our daughters take the lead in terms of directing the flow of an event they host. At the sleepover, my main, visible task was simply preparing food at the prescribed times.

But we provide the crucial "ministry of presence." That is, though we give the girls and their friends a wide berth, we are available. And we keep our ears and eyes attuned to anything that might require adult intervention. I even camped out in the same room for the actual sleepover portion of the festivities rather than leave the girls alone to their own devices. After all, though my daughters and their friends are lovely, trustworthy young ladies, they are still prone because of their youth to become unwittingly caught up in folly (Proverbs 22.15). So it's a parent's job to provide a better path whenever necessary. And we can only do that when we're present.

You may or may not feel comfortable with sleepovers. But I would urge you to consider making your home a place where your maturing kids will choose to gather with their friends.  And be sure to practice the "ministry of presence" when the kids are there. You're not aiming to become one of the gang, so to speak. But you want your kids and their friends to know they've got an ally in you. And they can only know that if you welcome them in and remain available for them while they're there.

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Tina Hollenbeck and her husband Jeff are raising two daughters and have another waiting for them in the arms of Jesus. Before becoming a mom, Tina taught English to immigrant kids in public secondary schools for nine years, but now she cherishes her role as an at-home wife and mother and also advocates passionately for homeschooling. Tina writes regularly for her blog, Being Made New, and is also the staff writer for Celebrate Kids, Inc, a Texas-based ministry to parents and educators. In addition, she’s developing a public speaking ministry of her own, and is available to address homeschoolers, women’s groups, and young people on a variety of topics. In her spare time, Tina enjoys singing on her church’s worship team, exercising, and scrapbooking.

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: Love One Another Family Focus

Last year I decided to add a little extra 'umph' to our fam's Valentine's Day celebration. I wanted the day to be about our love for one another and not just about candy, presents and flowers... even tho those things are pretty fun to get and give!!! So, I set out and 'puked' Valentine's decor all over the house and set up a themed table in our kitchen that would get us all thinking about what we truly meant by saying... I love you!! (See past post here). This year I wanted to keep the tradition going and add to it!! About 3 months ago I signed up for a monthly mailer from Jones Design Company that sends out printables, note cards, and scripture cards that are themed for each month!! I have loved the materials so far and they have really helped me to add that extra bit of meaning I was looking for to our family's holiday traditions. Here is what I am going with this year....

Team Lewis' theme for Vday 2013: Love is...

I want our boys and my hubs/I to really see what Love is in our lives. It's easy to think and rely on the fact that Love is a given, but sometimes Love can be taken for granted, not shown enough, or basically be put aside out of selfish tendencies! I am so excited to see how this theme will go over with our boys... I am sure we will learn a lot, laugh and realize some of our definitions of what 'Love is' are vastly different at Casa de Lewis!!!

This week our kitchen table scripture card reads this...

John 13:34

Love One Another...

Such a simple command... No? Ha.... You would think??? Sometimes when I read this verse I can picture God throwing his hands up saying... 'Come on people... It's not that HARD!!!' :))) For me, this verse hasn't always been prevalent in my actions nor in my heart. I would put myself first, think selfishly of my wants before anyone else's and I definitely didn't think it was necessary to Love at all times. It's simple though... Loving is easy when you chose to do just that, LOVE! Love through the ups, the downs, the times when all you want to do is walk away. Be Love, show Love, and give Love first before you give anything else... especially before you give your opinion!!! Ha... try that for a day or so, before you judge or speculate or throw your own opinion out there... simply just give love and acceptance!! I bet you will cut the negativity in half by mid day!!! I am not perfect at this, Lord knows I still struggle at loving, but isn't that what it's all about? Trying each day to love more, to give more of yourself so that the world that surrounds you is a better more loving place??? Give it a go.... We are!!! 

From our Team to Yours... Love One Another.

Always - Abbey

Go here for more ways to make God apart of your everyday life and home, and be sure to link up your own ideas below!

About the Author: Abbey Lewis started her blog A Moments Peace just one year ago as an outlet to be creative, and to have a place for her boys to look back and see the real her! It has been that, times 100!! Abbey lives in Texas with her husband and two sons. She loves her family, her faith, her friends and she tries to put a positive spin on any thing that God has in store for her! Feel free to stroll through her blog, Sonic drink in hand, because she believes every thing is better when you have a Sonic drink!

{Hope for the Home} Linky Party: One Word Resolution

It is the first {Hope for the Home} post of 2013 and I am so excited!!! Excited to see what God has in store this year! It was such a blessing last year...not only to my family, but to the many others I heard from who reaped the benefits of joining us in our efforts to make God apart of our everyday lives and homes!

Now that we have completed an entire year of this series and have seen how God is blessing it, I have decided to add a linky party every Monday, so that you can link up your own ideas for finding God in the everyday!

Go here to get an idea of the types of posts we are looking for and to see the previous posts in the series. All I ask is that you link back to this blog in your post and be sure to link directly to your {Hope for the Home} post (not to your general blog), so that people can easily find it. As time passes and we start getting link ups, I will feature my favorites each week!

I am not much for resolutions. I usually get overwhelmed and quit. So two years ago when I discovered the one word movement, I was so excited. It simply gives me one thing to focus on in the new year. One thing that I want to accomplish. One thing to filter everything else through to make sure that I stay on track and am not adding anything to my life/schedule that does not fit with my God-given purpose and goals.

I suggest you consider doing it too. That way you can head into the new year with a goal, but without setting yourself up for disappointment, failure and frustration.

Go here for 5 tips to help you decide your one word, making sure to give it much thought and prayer. You want to be sure your word is God's word for you.

My 2013 word is REACH. I explain why here, where I also give you an overview of my word from last year.

My friend Melanie at Only a Breath is giving away free blog buttons with your one word on it! Simply send her an email at melanie@onlyabreath.com telling her your word, the color you want your word to be (to match your blog), and if you want the black button backgroud or white (pictured above).

You can also purchase a one word necklace from Lisa Leonard with your word on it and wear it all year long as a reminder!

Image courtesy of Lisa Leonard

I also love the idea of displaying a piece of art (or maybe a framed print) in your home, so that you and your family and all who enter can journey with you.

Here are a few ideas...

Easy DIY Art  Image from We Are THAT Family

Word of the Year Art Image from We Are THAT Family

So, whose with me? Tell me your 2013 word!

May God bless you as you seek  Him in your everyday lives and homes this year!

About the Author: Erin Vick Franklin is the founder and director of Worthy of the Prize. Erin has a BBA in Marketing and Management from TCU and a Masters of Christian Education in Church Recreation from Southwestern Seminary. She is a published, award-winning author and poet. Purchase her book Worthy of the Prize Sports Camps: A Church's Guide to Implementing an Effective, Community-Reaching Christian Sports Camp to be used as an outreach tool for your church or mission organization. Erin is the wife of A, a Worship Pastor, and a work-at-home-momma to 2 crazy little boys, a and e.