12.06.2017

Let the Little Children come- Review

I love when I get things to better teach my sunday school kids, today I am sharing with you " "LET THE LITTLE CHILDREN COME" GOSPEL TRACTS

Let The Little Children Come aims to provide effective gospel tracts and evangelism tools and resources for children.
It is the hope that these tools and resources will help you in conveying the powerful gospel message to children.
these gospel tracts are all specially designed to capture and hold the attention of children, while not distracting them from the core message of salvation through Jesus Christ.



Each Wordless Bracelet comes with the cord, beads and a cute card explaining what each bead stands for:



Each pack comes in a sturdy zip up bag and contains the following items:
  1. John 3:16 Animated Tract
  2. Gospel Buttons Flip About
  3. The Most Amazing House Pop-up Tract
  4. Wordless Bracelet Kit
  5. The True Story of Christmas Animated Tract
  6. The Lost Easter Egg Pop-up Tract
  7. John 3:16 Flip About
  8. Silicone Salvation Bracelet
  9. Where’s Everybody Going? Animated Tract
  10. Wordless Book

So as I am writing this post I am conjecturing what I could do with these Tracts. I came up with a whole bunch of ideas:

  • Pass them out to trick or treaters
  • Use them at a Trunk-or-Treat gathering
  • Share them with your child's classmates at Sunday School
  • Use them in your office or place of work
  • ETC 


Baking up Christmas

...for we have seen his star in the east,  and are come to worship him.

Matthew 2:2

When I make Christmas sugar cookies with my kids, I always try to explain to them why a certain cookie shape is something we use to celebrate Christmas.  I especially like to make sure they understand the shapes of the things from the Christmas story like the star and the angels.

With all the commercialization of Christmas, I think it's important to remind our kids of the true meaning of the Christmas story.  I just think that baking with your kids during the holidays is a great way to add in some tidbits to remind them of the reason we worship Christ.

Since it's already close to that time of year that we'll start our holiday baking, I began thinking about making cookies with my mom and grandma again and those cookie shapes, and I was impressed that we could all do with a little reminding to worship Christ.

We talk about it so much around Christmas and how Jesus was worshiped as a baby, but what are we doing in our lives to worship Christ all year long?  I guess we could all do with a little baking up of Christmas long after the holiday ends.

Here are some cookie shapes to help us do that baking.

1  Star Shape

In order to worship Christ fully, we need to let Him be the 'Star' of our lives.  We've got to give Him full control and not our flesh.  Let Him shine the brightest.

"So then they that are in the flesh cannot please God.

But ye are not in the flesh, but in the Spirit, if so be that the Spirit of God dwells in you. Now if any man has not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of his.

And if Christ is in you, the body is dead because of sin; but the Spirit is life because of righteousness.   Romans 8:8-10

2  Candle Shape

To really bake up Christmas we need to remember that others need Christ too.  Our lives have got to shine their brightest in order to be the witness that we need to be for Christ.

Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven.   Matthew 5:16

3 Christmas Tree Shape

We need to be reminded of the Old Rugged Tree.  Having a heart of gratitude for what Christ did for us on the cross of Calvary can really help us bake up Christmas.  Reflecting on how Christ suffered for our sin can give you a new attitude of worship.

He is despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not.

Surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows: yet we did esteem him stricken, smitten of God, and afflicted.

But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed.

All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD hath laid on him the iniquity of us all.
Isaiah 53:3-6

4  Stocking Shape

We've got to remember Who fills our stockings.  Christ is the one who places those blessings in our lives.  We don't have to write him a letter like Santa Claus.  We can just bow our heads for a prayer.  He's there with us.  He knows what we need.

Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning.  James 1:17

5  Wreath Shape

We have to be growing in Christ in order to worship Him fully.  We need to be in church, study our bibles, and have a strong prayer life in order to show that green growth.

But grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ...  2 Peter 3:18

6  Sleigh Shape

Baking up Christmas requires getting on board!  Get active for Christ.  Get behind your pastor.  Be involved in your local church events.  Don't get stagnant.  Be a part of the work of Christ.

But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only...  James 1:22

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us,

Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.  Hebrews 12:1-2

7  Gingerbread Boy/Girl Shape

When we realize that Christ makes us a whole woman, we can really bake up Christmas.  We have to realize that the things of the world and other people cannot make us happy or whole.  Only Christ can do that.

And ye are complete in him, which is the head of all principality and power.  Colossians 2:10

Conclusion:

Some of us have been baking up the wrong things in our lives.  We bake up bitterness, selfishness, and things that don't reflect that we are worshiping the Christ of Christmas.

Jesus Christ came to be our Savior and was born on that first Christmas long ago.  We who've accepted Him as Lord should live in a way that we serve Him and worship Him.

We need to bake up Christmas in our hearts and lives every day so others may know that there is a babe who was born to take our sins and that they may come and worship Him too.

So, what are you baking up?

12.05.2017

The pratical side to preparing for parenthood


When you first find out what you’re pregnant, you can often spend your days getting excited about a whole host of different things. And while you will have your worries, you know that there’s a lot you now need to think about occupying your mind with. Because there really is a lot of planning to put in place. Not only is your body going to change, and the natural effects of pregnancy will no doubt take their toll on you, your mind is going to be busy too. But it doesn’t have to be all bad. In fact, it can be quite fun.

Yes, you’re going to have the cute and cuddly things to think about, like the little booties, but they’re not the only things that can be enjoyable to plan out. It’s easy to think that when you start to set serious, things need to be boring. But that’s not necessarily the case. Because when you’re pregnant, there are a lot of practicals things that you need to plan out and prepare for. Yet they don’t all have to drive you insane or be hard to do. As long as you have a handy list together of what you need to do, you can make sure that you get yourself ready for parenthood and enjoy the process of doing it too.

Pink Or Blue?

The first thing that you’re going to need to work out here, is whether or not you want to know the sex of the baby. This isn’t something that everyone wants to know, but it sure can help with the planning process. If you want to keep things traditional, then still stick to that, because you really don’t have to color code anything at all. But if you’ve always wanted to go with either pink or blue for most of your decisions, then you’re probably going to want to find out which you’re going to have.

Crib Choices

With that decision made (or not made), it’s then on to some of the bigger decisions. The first you can face is which kind of crib you want. Choosing a crib can actually be quite tough. Because it’s not just as simple as picking one that you like the look of, you have to make sure that you get something safe, practical, and suitable for their age range too. Some cribs will last them longer than others, so this is a factor you will also want to take into consideration.

Nursery Decor

Then it’s onto decorating the nursery. Sometimes, this can be one of the most exciting parts for you. If you love interiors, then it’s obviously going to be something that you’ll love, but it’s made all the more special when you know your little one will be in it soon! So, you’re going to want to pick out the perfect nursery decor and get to work so it’s ready well ahead of their arrival.


Practical Baby Bits

Then, you’ve got the kind of pieces that all parents need. Lots of these could be things that you get given should you have a baby shower. But, if you don’t then you’re going to want to make sure you have them ready just in case. From onesies and blankets to bottles and pacifiers, there’s quite a bit to pick up. This is why it’s handy to have the nursery ready so you have somewhere to store it all.

Car Equipment

From here, you’re then going to want to consider what you need for the car. Because when you go out and about with the baby, you want to make sure you’re safe. You may not do that for a few weeks, but you will still need everything in place for when you leave the hospital. So you’re going to want to start looking into the right car seat options available to find one that you like.

Carrying Equipment

But your car seat isn’t the only kind of carrying equipment you need to consider. You should take a look at reviews on the best baby carriers of 2017 to inspire you for this. As you may realize, you’re going to want to make moving around with your little one as easy as possible, and different pieces of equipment can be essential for that.

Selecting A Stroller

And you’ve also got a stroller to pick. You may even want to choose a few. Because you will want something for when they’re teeny tiny, but then you may want to go for something a little more lightweight as they grow. As the same time, you could also go for a stroller for wheels suitable for all terrains and weather conditions if you like to get out and about.


Safety Essentials

Now, we need to get thinking about safety. Because, of course, you’re going to want to ensure that you keep your baby safe as they grow. There are lots of different baby safety tech pieces that you could consider for this. Baby monitors are often required as standard, but you can also find that other electronic safety products are worth the investment too.

Extra Tech

But there are also other kinds of tech to consider, not just for safety. You may want an electronic sleeping device that can help rock them into a slumber, or a super cool breast pump to store milk. There are also apps to consider, like Winnie that can help you to find parent-friendly places while you’re out and about. They’re not always essentials, but they are definitely practical and can make parenting easier for you.

Kitchen Necessities

Then, there are the pieces you need for the kitchen too. We have already covered off bottles, but what about the bottle warmer, or a blender for when you want to make them food when the time comes? You may even want to get some safety equipment like safety locks for when they start to move around, and there’s also a stair gate to keep them out of the room altogether (and get a couple to dot around the house too).

Keeping fit this winter

Even if you’re a keep fit fanatic, you probably find it much harder to stay on top of your fitness regimes in the winter time. And, if you’re not, it can seem almost impossible. Who wants to go out for a run in the cold or head to the gym after work when it’s dark outside? You may, however, want to curl up on the sofa with a massive box of chocolates and a bottle of wine.

That’s even before the holiday period hits. Most of us gain a little weight over winter time as we spend more time indoors, eating warming comfort food and overindulging on treats. In some ways, this is a good thing. A little extra weight will at the very least help you to keep warm when it’s freezing outside.

However, even if you let yourself indulge and don’t mind the weight gain, it’s a good idea to keep your fitness levels up. This will boost your immunity, making you less likely to pick up winter bugs, help you sleep, improve your confidence and make it much easier to lose any weight once the holidays are over. Take a look at some other benefits here, http://www.terri-grothe.com/2017/11/embracing-active-lifestyle-many.html.

Wrap Up

If you do decide to brave going out for a run, make sure you wrap up. As you pick up speed and start to sweat, you’ll warm up naturally, but those first few minutes can be heart-stoppingly cold. Light, thin layers that can be easily removed, as well as waterproof shoes and a hat can make outdoor winter exercise much nicer.

Warm Up

When it’s cold outside it can take much longer to warm your muscles up. Fail to warm up properly, and you could easily pull a muscle. Start with a gentle walk and make sure you thoroughly stretch every major muscle group before you start your workout. Then, cool down when you finish.

Eat Well

Eating well helps you to maintain your fitness levels even when you aren’t working out as much as usual. Stick to a healthy diet, look at https://canabidol.com/ for natural ways to boost your health.

Look After Yourself

Eating well is just the start of looking after yourself. Get plenty of sleep, drink lots of water and relax when you can. This will all boost your immunity and help you to feel happier and more alert. This will make your more likely to want to go out and do some exercise.

Exercise at Home

If you simply can’t stand the idea of going out to exercise, do it at home. Check out some exercise videos. There are so many available nowadays, and you don’t even need a DVD. Whether you’ve got 10 minutes or hours to spare, you’ll be able to find a workout video online. Try to find something that you enjoy doing so that you are more likely to stick to it. You can also build your own work out routines 

Shop

Most of now do all of our Christmas shopping online. If you want to burn off some calories, don’t. Get out there and have a proper look around the shops. A day of Christmas shopping could burn up to 1500 calories. Well worth tackling the queues for. 
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