The Gospel According to Mater

I was rather amused the other day when I heard what sounded like a Sunday school lesson coming from Abby's room, complete with Bible songs and prayers. I went to check it out and found that Ryan had set up his Cars toys for a church service in which Mater was the preacher!

Children's Church Prayer

We tried a new church on Sunday, and Daddy took Ryan and Abby to children's church. There was a large group of children and about six adults present. As Daddy was preparing to leave the leader asked if someone would like to lead the group in prayer. Nobody immediately volunteered, but after a small amount of time, Ryan raised his hand and said, "I will." Daddy was a little surprised he volunteered so eagerly when there were so many people and he didn't know any of them, so he stayed to listen to his prayer.

Dear God, thank You for this day. Thank You for sending Jesus to die on the cross to take away our sin. Thank You that we will live with You forever in heaven. Amen.

Needless to say, Daddy was very blessed this Sunday.

10 Commandments on DVD

Ryan memorized the 10 Commandments a while ago. We also have them printed, framed and hung at his level. But I have been trying to find other ways to teach him about God's laws so he will think about them applying to whatever he is doing. When we were at the library last month I ran across a set of DVDs that looked promising. I watched it to make sure it was Biblical and appropriate, and I was very pleased. They handled some touchy subjects well, and best of all, both kids love them! They are short animated stories, and Ryan has been wanting to watch them again and again. They are called Kids 10 Commandments or K10C, if anyone is interested.

Operation Christmas Child

We do shoeboxes each year for Operation Christmas Child, and this year was really fun because Ryan is starting to "get it." As we were packing the items in the shoeboxes, he ran to his room to get some of his Hot Wheels that he wanted to give. I was blessed that he wanted to be so giving! He was disappointed that he wouldn't be allowed to give his toys (they don't accept used toys), but I promised I will try to find another way he can give some of his used toys. It's proving to be a difficult assignment since no one except thrift stores seems to accept used toys, even in excellent condition, to pass on to others who may be in need. Any ideas, anyone?

No Idols Here

We watched the newly released DVD of Curious George tonight. In one of the scenes the Man in the Yellow Hat suggests trying to find the lost idol of Zagawa in order to save his museum from closure. Ryan turned and looked at me aghast asking, "Some people make idols?" I explained that some people did and they worshiped them too. He sensibly said, "But we don't because we want to obey God." It's encouraging to know that memorizing the 10 Commandments wasn't a superficial act, but that he's actually understanding and applying what he learned! I spent most of the day today reminding each of the kids to talk nicely to each other (even banning Ryan from talking for part of the day!) and felt a little frustrated at how they were behaving. It was so encouraging to hear this comment and to be reminded that little by little some good things ARE taking root.