Vacation Bible School

 Vacation Bible School Week

I had the privilege to help lead VBS at my church again this summer.  It is a very long and hectic week, but I look forward to it every year.  Alex is still too little, next year he will go to the teacher's kids class, but he still "participates"  He wore the right color each day, brought the donation for each day, put his offering in the bucket, went in the sanctuary to help people check in.....and than my mom would take him home and watch him...but he sure thought he was doing everything everyone else was!  Last year Max was in the Teacher's kids class, so this year was his first year to be in an actual VBS group.  I actually decided to lead his group this year too, so that made it easy.  Mary Frannie, Mabry, and Laney also got to join us everyday.   

This year the theme was Kingdom Rock, where Kids Stand Strong for God.

Everyday we taught the children how you can stand strong with the help of God's Love, Friends and Family, Trusting God, praying, and reading the bible. The kids talked about their life and learned how God fits in it everyday.  We talked to them about the events that might happen in their life and how to stand strong during them. It's an amazing thing to see 365+ kids from the age of 3 to 12 sing about God, learn about God, and be excited about God. There were over 100 volunteers this week that got to witness VBS first hand. Sometimes I have to remind myself during the week why I volunteer (haha) but so many times during the week and especially once the week is over and you have time to think about the week you are reminded of how blessed we were to have the opportunity to be involved with Vacation Bible school.

Wear Red and Bring Apples

 

Bible Point: God’s love
helps us stand strong.

Bible Verse: "I love you, Lord;
you are my strength."
(Psalm 18:1)

Bible Story: David writes about
God's love. (Psalm 23)

Wear Green and Bring a Can of Vegatables

Bible Point: Family and friends
help us stand strong.

Bible Verse: "So encourage
each other and build each
other up." (1 Thessalonians 5:11)

Bible Story: Mordecai
encourages Esther to do
the right thing. (Esther 1–9)

Wear Blue and Bring toothpaste

Bible Point: Prayer helps us
stand strong.

Bible Verse: "Don’t worry about
anything; instead, pray about
everything." (Philippians 4:6)

Bible Story: Nehemiah
perseveres to rebuild the
wall around Jerusalem.
(Nehemiah 1–6)

Wear Orange and Bring Cereal

Bible Point: Trusting God
helps us stand strong.

Bible Verse: "Trust in the Lord
always, for the Lord God is the
eternal Rock." (Isaiah 26:4)

Bible Story: Jesus dies
and comes back to life.
(Luke 22:39–24:12)

I remember a story about this day.  We were sitting in story telling and learning about how Jesus died and came back to life.  Its not an easy story to tell a 5 year old, but sometimes what they get out of the story is much more than the story itself. Miss April (the story teller) told the boy the story about the tomb and Jesus dying and the rock rolling away and Jesus was not there anymore because Jesus was alive.  When the story was over the little boy said, ya but Jesus isn't really alive, that's just a story.  Miss April said no, Jesus is alive.  The little boy said how do we know that?  Miss April said, because this book (she holds up the bible) tells us he is alive.  The bible tells us stories that are true, and te bible tells us that Jesus is alive.  The boy just looked her, smiled, and said...wow!

Below is a song we sang everyday during story time

 

The Bible is a special book, The Bible is a special Book

With words, and prayers, and stories that are true

The Bible says that God loves you

 

Wear Yellow and Bring Peanut butter or jelly

Bible Point: The Bible
helps us stand strong.

Bible Verse: "Your word is a
lamp to guide my feet and a
light for my path." (Psalm 119:105)

Bible Story: King Josiah follows
God’s way. (2 Kings 22:1–23:23)

The kids learning to stand strong

so much food was brought for the daily bread.  A wonderful food pantry that is a part of our church that helps feed hundreds of NWA residents every week.

Sunday

Performance Day!

On Sunday all the kids gathered and wore their matching tie dye tshirts and sang their songs in front of church and the older kids read the bible stories and talked about their week.  It was a fun way to end VBS week and sharing everything we learned with the parents and the church congrigation.

Good Behavior Trip Prizes

I thought I'd share something we stumbled upon last year for our Colorado Family vacation for those of you that might be attempting a trip with little ones this summer.  They are called

GOOD BEHAVIOR CAR PRIZES!!!

Last year before going on our trip to Colorado - a 12 hour journey with a 3 year old and a 10 month old, I decided to buy them a few surprises before the trip .I wrapped them just like presents.  They got so excited about them.  Max would be good as gold as my mom would say...anything to earn a surprise :)  They were a life saver and were fun for us too. Here is a picture of them last year opening their good behavior prizes from last year's trip.

This week we are getting ready to go to St. Louis for our family vacation.  So what did I do today?  you guessed it....bought and wrapped Good Behavior Car Prizes!!

Some things that have worked for us...

1.  How much to spend?
We buy cheap mostly $1 toys.  Go to Dollar store, or walmart, or target $1 section.  Last year I had one bigger prize.

2. What kind of things do you buy?
Glow in the dark sticks, necklaces, balls, etc - especially if you are traveling into the night.  But they are good for hotel rooms too.  Hot wheels has 97 cent cars you can buy.  This year I bought Max a motorcycle and Alex a truck.  Candy could be a good one or fruit snacks.  A new cup or sippy cup. a new coloring book, etc just be creative. maybe a new action figure or book to read. We have a DVD player in our car so this year I bought them a new movie - they had little rasclas for $5 at Walmart. 

3. When do you give them to the kids?
We normally wait until the kids give us some signs.....like when we have 10 more miles til our exit and they are getting a little stir crazy or want to stop etc etc we will say - ok - if i you are good for 10 more minutes when we get to the exit you can have a surprise!! and that normally works :)
Sometimes they are needed immediately.  For example no song, movie or game is working with entertaining them so you just say - it's time for a good behavior prize, have you been good lately? that sure gets their attention,  and than they open it and it gets their mind off of the trip and they have something new to play with for the next few minutes.  We sometimes use them at gas stations.  We will make the boys get out of the car to stretch and use the restroom.  Poor kids have to walk through all that fun candy and coke to get to the bathroom and they always want something.  Sometimes we say if they are good and go potty the first one back to the car gets to open their travel surprise first.  (you'd be surprised how well this one works). 

They work for us and make traveling in a car so much easier.  this trip they each have 4 prizes and 1 prize to share - and I only spent $13 (since the movie was $5) and I wrapped them in tissue paper we already had.

I just thought I'd share our new discovery of good behaivor car prizes!  They work for us....maybe they could work for you!