Toothpaste Squeeze 

One way to ruin 'Super Family Bible Night' is to set my family a challenge and then have them achieving the seemingly impossible task!

We used:

• 1 tube of toothpaste 
• 1 plate 
• A Bible marked at Isaiah 9:6 
• A Bible marked Romans 10:13 

Family gathered around the table, squeezed out a big blob of toothpaste and set them a challenge: Do you think you can get all this toothpaste all back inside the tube?
I gave each family member a chance to try. Toby tried scooping it back in and then eating it. Lily wouldn't touch it, she didn't want sticky fingers. All the while Adam was concocting his own plan, and searching for a syringe. Sure enough when his turn came around he was able to get all of the toothpaste back into the tube. A seemingly impossible task he achieved in a few seconds. Grrr... that put a hiccup in my plans.

Adam puts toothpaste back into the tube

Is it possible to get all the toothpaste back inside?  The answer should be NO but tonight our answer was YES!!!

The analogy was supposed to go like this...The toothpaste is kind of like your words. Once something comes out of your mouth you can’t take it back. So if you don’t mean it, or you don’t plan to follow through with it, don’t say it. Every word you say should be as trustworthy as a promise.

Next to ask—Did God ever make promises?  (Yes, the Bible is full of promises) and can you name a promise that God made?   Lily shared her thoughts on God's promise for Australia, check out her video. Lily also shared a what she learnt in Kids church this week that God promises to throw our sins to the bottom of the ocean. Toby shared about the promise God made to Moses about freeing the Israelites from Pharaoh

God also promised that a Savior would be born.
Read Isaiah 9:6
This is talking about Jesus. God sent Jesus to be the
Savior of the world, for us to love and accept him as the big boss (using my kids language so they get it).
Read Romans 10:13
The best thing anyone can ever do with their mouth is to pray and give their lives to Jesus.

Tonight we used a great website for family devotions. http://threethirtyministries.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/Week-8-Toothpaste-Squeeze.pdf 

Want more information on Bible engagement go to www.milktomeat.com.au

Would love to hear your comments on your family devotions.

Nahum & chicken pox

Well this last fortnight has certainly been challenging with both Toby & Lily having chicken pox. But we finally got the chance to have our "Super Family Bible Night". This week it was Lily's turn to lead and she chose the story of Nahum and his healing (her choice may have had something to do with her hating chicken pox).

Lily & Adam reading the story of Nahum together for us

Lily asked us why did we think God put this story in the Bible, we all had a chance of answering, I thought I'd be funny and say it's in the Bible because God thinks it's important to wash and clean ourselves 7 times every day  - the reply was blank faces, *sigh* "mum, don't be silly" - well I thought it was funny & some good practical elements too. hehe...

Then Lily shared her view. She thought it was in there because Elijah was God and Nahum is us, and sometimes God asks us to do funny things like wash ourselves 7 times. But we always need to listen and obey God - Profound for a 6yo!!

Lily had each of us draw the story in our own way but with strict instructions, we were NOT to copy anyones work. So off we went drawing away...

Lily drawing her Nahum artwork

Toby sharing his artwork with us

The artist, Adam, shares his picture - impressive

Lily finished with a simple prayer - which of course included a prayer for her chicken pox to be healed - bless her - poor thing. (I tried to secretly video her prayer but I got sprung - not so sneaky)

This week we also put up the Christmas tree and decorations. I can't believe how it's nearly Christmas already! What a year!

Love to hear your comments and thoughts on Family devotions.

Enjoy your week.

From our family to yours - blessings
xo

More information:
info@milktomeat.com.au
www.milktomeat.com.au

Elijah & the Lego Prophets

This week's Super Family Bible Night was the story of Elijah and the prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18) and it was a fun night of Lego creation! We'd done a few weeks of drama and so tonight it was time to get creative. Lego creative...

We read the story together, thoroughly enjoying how Elijah teased the prophets of Baal and imaging how Elijah's altar was burned up by the fire of God (imagine lots of boom, crash, burning noises by Toby) . We then got about creating Lego altars, Toby was particularly excited as he loves anything to do with Lego and the thought of making an altar that would be destroyed at the end was exciting. What I didn't realise it that it is actually really hard to make a altar out of Lego but we had fun trying. And much to Toby's disappointment we didn't burn the Lego afterwards.

If you'd like further information on bible engagement go to www.milktomeat.com.au

Stuff happens! How to avoid "stuff" to read the Word.

I've been reading a great eBook this week called "Don't ask stupid questions" by Tim Brownson and I was particulary challenged by a chaper called "Stuff happens!!"

He starts the chapter off reflecting on his day... "I was determined to take it easy and just relax. I had worked every day for 10 straight days and envisioned a day by the pool maybe even with a cold beer and a good book. I like relaxing, it’s enjoyable and good for you so why wouldn’t anybody do it as much as possible?

I’ll tell you why, because of.... Stuff, that’s why.

Stuff is designed to stop you doing what you really want to do, Stuff expands to fill available time, Stuff arrives when you least expect it and Stuff does its utmost to throw you off track. It has a contract to adhere to because its job is to test you to the limits of your endurance and then just a little bit more. Like a maternal aunt that doesn’t realize she outstayed her welcome in 6 months ago, Stuff will hang around ad infinitum if you don’t throw it out."

As I was reading this a thought dawned on me, that "stuff" interfere's with all areas of my life, but I was particulary struck with how "stuff" interferes with my bible reading and time with God. I start the day with the best intensions, but then "stuff happens"... the laundry floods, the kids are sick, an urgent email comes in, but not all of my "stuff" is bad, I have friends pop over for coffee, I chat on the phone to family, I fall asleep on the couch. But it's all "stuff" and it has taken over my day. I was pondering this and feeling a little overwhelmed when I read the next paragraph from Tim's eBook.

"Can Stuff be beaten?

Oh yes, it surely can if only we remember how. Unlike nature, Stuff loves a vacuum. It loves it because that’s its job, to fill it and fill it quickly. So don’t give it chance! Plan out your day, even the ones that do not involve work. If you need 4 hours to chill and relax then write it down in your planner or on your calendar as you would any other appointment, the same goes for the gym, or meditating or even watching TV if that is what helps you relax. Be selfish with your time when you need to be.

This sounds like a lot of trouble and if Stuff never manages to get its talons in you then it may be unnecessary. However, if you are the type of person that gets to the end of the day and wonders where it went and why you didn’t get much done. Then you need to act and act quickly."

Question: Is Stuff dominating your life and if so, what do you intend to do about it?

I realised I need to plan ahead and to set my time with God as a higher priority than it has been and to not let "stuff" get in the way between me and God.

Understanding where we are in the story - Mark Sayers

"We may read scripture, or hear it in Church, but often is fragmented. So many of our cultures good things are the fruit of an attempt to live out of the biblical story, but as time goes by, we as a people become distant from the story of God’s creation of, and involvement with the world."

"That is why I believe it is essential that leaders, regularly take your Churches, small groups, ministries, teams through the story of the bible in a macro sense. In order to again understand the plot, the pace, the turns, the twists of the biblical narrative out of which we live. Yes we need more effective and more relevant Churches and ministries, but perhaps more importantly we need the people of God to live their lives out of the Biblical story." Mark Sayers

For more of this blog from Mark Sayers. http://marksayers.wordpress.com/2011/04/29/understanding-where-we-stand-in-the-story/

A weekend in ER: Coronary Care Unit



What Can I Learn From This Situation?


This past weekend I found myself heading to the ER with heart issues, being rushed into hospital with chest pains is not a good thing for a 33yo woman, after multiple tests and checkups, while waiting for results and trying to sleep in a very noisy hospital wing (you know, old people in CCU cough very loudly, it sound like they are going to bring up their stomach, a lung or something they cough so hard - it's disgusting - much admiration for doctors & nurses!)

So while there, I found myself blocking my ears but more seriously wondering what can I learn from this situation? Most situations do contain a positive element even in the most difficult and frightening of situations. So what have I learnt? God is good! I live in a country that is able to check and work quickly in emergencies. My family and friends are amazing - we have had meals, kids taken care of and people visiting to share love and encouragement. My reliance of God, doctors and others for their wisdom, expertise and love - rather than on myself.

This week I've been reading 2 Samuel, particularly chapter 3&4 with my bible engagement group. We've been diving into the character of David - particularly his early leadership, his strengths in some circumstances and his weaknesses in others. His ability to trust and be faithful to God in all circumstances - regardless of the situation. How encouraging to see how David responds in crisis -he is fully reliant on God.

God's word is living and active. God uses His Word to speak to us today, in all situations! He is good!

For those interested heart results all clear which is good, well most of them anyway, there's still the little issue of high blood pressure we need to consider, maybe it's time to take that holiday!!

Blessings
Kylie
PS - some may ask why a cow - well there's a little story about the cow here http://www.milktomeat.com.au/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=72:kylie&catid=31:general&Itemid=41

Three Cs of Engagement

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini

These barriers (discussed in previous blog) to engagement are not inconsequential. But I believe they can be overcome by focusing on the three Cs of engagement:

The complete Bible . . .For starters, we need to clear away some of the clutter that’s collected around the Bible. Study notes, cross-references, and verse numbers have a role to play, but let’s be honest about the fact that they encourage us to read in fragments rather than whole books. We need a panoramic view of the entire story.

Understood in context . . .Before we can ask (much less answer) the question, “What does this passage mean to me?” we need to ask, “What did it mean to the original audience?” We need to go back in time and step into the world of the Bible’s writers and recipients.

Experienced in community. . .Recovery movements understand what many of us in the church have missed: Great undertakings are far more likely to succeed when they are group efforts. Smokers, for example, are six times more likely to quit if they are part of a support group.

Bible engagement is no easy task, so individuals shouldn’t be left to go it alone. Our Bible experiences will be richer and more meaningful when we share them with the whole community of faith.

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini
http://www.sermoncentral.com/articlec.asp?article=paul-camini-overcoming-barriers-bible

Around the walls of a nursing home

Tonight was Lily’s turn to lead ‘Super Family Bible Night’ and after last week’s episode of army men mime – I was a little concerned. Lily flicked through her bible and chose her story because she like the pictures, interesting because the story she chose was ‘A wall falls down – Jericho’.

This week was drama week,  Lily played the part of Joshua, Daddy & Toby the 2 men sent to check out Jericho, mummy was narrator/Rahab and whoever else was needed along the way. As we read the story we acted it out along the way – although Toby was quite disappointed that he was able to really hid in the roof like the 2 spies did in the story, and disappointed he had to settle for sitting on a table.

For those who don’t know we are currently house sitting a large nursing home, (for about 6 months so - with no residents) so you can imagine the fun and noise we had when it was time to walk (we ran) around the walls of Jericho. Firstly once every day (6 times), then 7 times on the 7th day. All the while shouting and playing our pretend instruments along the way. There are a lot of walls to run around in our mini city and we were exhausted by the end of it and collapsed on the ground to listen to the end of the story and pray.

This week was certainly a week to remember, we had a lot of fun and Lily especially loved being in charge and playing the part of Joshua. Mmm... think there may be a leader in the making there.

Blessings to you and your family!
For more information on bible engagement or Milk to Meat resources please go to http://www.milktomeat.com.au/

Daniel and the army men

This week was Toby’s turn to lead ‘Super Family Bible Night’ and he was desperate to use his new Toy Story Army Men, so regardless of what story he chose those men were going to play a major role.  So with army men set and ready we all sat down for the night and ready for the night to begin. Toby chose to create a ‘show’ for us – illustrating the story of Daniel and the Lion’s Den using a bucket and his army men. What was most interesting and intriguing was that he decided it was going to be a silent show, kind of a mime but using army men which have no facial expressions!

That created a challenge and Lily was totally confused because she had no idea what Toby was on about. I think Toby got the idea from a recent circus incursion at school which had the kids performing mime – however it should be noted that mime does not translate well when using mini army men. But he had fun and we all got to have a ‘turn’ playing out the story of Daniel and in more than one ‘turn’ the story changed and poor Daniel (army man) was eaten alive by the vicious lions (which were Might Beanz --- mmm they are very ferocious).

Summary – sometimes you just have to let the night go where the kids want to take it – they (eventually) got to understand the story and it’s importance but on the way there we had a lot of fun together and hopefully mime with army men won’t be an option again.

Blessings to you and your family.
For more information on bible engagement or Milk to Meat resources please go to http://www.milktomeat.com.au/

Three Barriers to Bible Engagement

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini

 Today, it’s safe to say that our congregants’ Bible experience isn’t always everything it could be. What’s getting in the way of meaningful engagement? I propose the existence of three barriers:

1. Too many of us read Scripture in fragments.

From topical reference Bibles to verse-of-the-day emails, we tend to parcel Scripture into bite-sized fragments. Even the modern verse divisions in our Bibles—which weren’t added until the mid-1500s—encourage fragmented reading. We’ve made the Bible feel more like a reference book than a story.
For the most part, biblical books were meant to be read as whole units, from beginning to end. Yet if we engage the Bible at all, we’re more likely to do so in a verse here or a chapter there. We’ve refashioned God’s Word in the image of our sound-bite culture; as a result, readers can lose sight of the bigger story.

2. Too many of us read Scripture without a sense of context.

We all know the Bible is an ancient book written by ancient scribes. We all know it’s the product of a world vastly different from our own. But if we are to discover the Bible’s implications for our lives today, we have to bridge the gap between its world and ours.

Let’s face it—that’s easier said than done. More often than not, we’ve soft-pedaled the Bible’s foreignness. We haven’t fully come to grips with the reality that the Bible was written for us, but not directly to us. In the words of N.T. Wright, we have to learn to read it “with first-century eyes.”

3. Too many of us read Scripture in isolation.

Many treat Bible reading mainly as a private discipline. We have private devotions and personal quiet times. We’ve been taught to ask questions like, “How does this verse apply to me?”

Personal Bible study is a wonderful thing. But in prioritizing individual experience over that within the community, we may have been unwittingly influenced by our Western, me-centric culture—more so than we care to admit.

The Bible was originally the product of a very different mindset. Its books were written, first and foremost, to whole communities. They were composed, for the most part, to be read during public gatherings. Think of the many times Israel assembled to listen to the Law—or when Paul instructed that his letters be read aloud to the entire local church.

We need a Bible experience that doesn’t just begin and end with “me.”

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini
http://www.sermoncentral.com/articlec.asp?article=paul-camini-overcoming-barriers-bible

What Bible experiences have you had that are bigger than "me"?

Bibles, Bibles everywhere

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini

Americans buy 25 million new Bibles every year—and that’s not counting the millions that are given away by churches, Bible societies, and other ministries.  The Bible is not only the best-selling book of all time; it’s the best-selling book every single year!

Yet we all know that the incidence of Bible reading is going down, not up. In the last few decades, one in five Bible readers has given up on Scripture. Today, twice as many people think the Bible is a fairy tale as did when I started in ministry.

The problem isn’t just outside the church, either. Willow Creek’s groundbreaking REVEAL study uncovered a surprising hunger for God’s Word among our congregations: 87 percent of churchgoers identified in-depth Bible study as “very” or “critically” important. No other spiritual need scored this highly.

But the REVEAL study also contained more sobering news: Only one in five churchgoers says their church offers in-depth Bible engagement. 

For me, there is a compelling sense of opportunity and urgency in these numbers. As the authors of the REVEAL study concluded, “The Bible is the most powerful catalyst for spiritual growth. [Its] power to advance spiritual growth is unrivaled by anything else we’ve discovered.”

But how many of us have figured out how to unleash this power in ourchurch communities? And if we don’t find a way to better Bible engagement, how much longer before our parishioners start looking outside the church for spiritual direction?

This question prompted a two-year journey at Biblica (formerly International Bible Society). For more than two centuries now, we’ve translated and distributed Bibles all over the world. We’ve been privileged to serve as stewards of the NIV, the most widely read contemporary English version of the Bible.

But we’ve come to realize that translating, publishing, and distributing Bibles—while important—isn’t enough. It’s not good enough to ask, “Do people have the Bible?” We also have to ask, “What kind of experience are they having with the Bible?”

This article has been taken from Sermon Central by Paul Camini
http://www.sermoncentral.com/articlec.asp?article=paul-camini-overcoming-barriers-bible

What kind of experience are you having with the Bible personally? we'd love to hear your comments below

The Tower of Newspaper

Tonight was daddy’s turn to lead ‘Super Family Bible Night’ and what a fun night it was. Tonight began with a little competition, not a fair competition in my opinion but we were split into 2 teams of which Toby chose to go with daddy & Lily with mummy. We had newspaper & masking tape; we had to build the tallest tower that was able to stand on its own when the 5min timer went off. Now personally I thought we were going to lose this one – I know Adam’s played and won these game lots of times before with youth group kids, and his ability to make things stronger and stand easier meant I felt the girl’s team was starting from behind. So resolved that we would lose, sad I know. However what I didn’t take was that while Lily & I plodded along adding each piece to the tower as we went along – the other team where so fixated on making lots of pieces and making them strong that they totally ran out of time and so when the timer went off their tower wasn’t even close to standing – WOOHOOO!! Girls won!! And boy were we excited!!!

So after the excitement died down and we received our prize (a lolly J) we all sat down together to read the story of the Tower of Babel and how and why God confused the language of the people. We discussed what it means to make things and ourselves more important than God. Funnily this week Lily shared with us her ‘Love Chart’ which is the order of the things she loves, which I thought was quite fascinating.

Lily’s Love Chart

1.       God/Jesus

2.       Sheepy (sheepskin she’s had since birth)

3.       Mummy

4.       Toby

5.       Daddy (poor daddy)

Although the last 3 change daily depending on mood and how she’s interacted with that person on the day. But Sheepy is always at number 2.

Love to hear your stories and thoughts on how you involve your kids in bible stories. Share a comment below.

Of course afterwards we had a newspaper sword fight

More information on bible engagement or to purchase Milk to Meat go to www.milktomeat.com.au

Jesus and the popping sprinkles

Tonight was Lily’s turn for ‘Super Family Bible Night’ and we also decided to incorporate a special dessert into our Family Nights. The kids have been bugging me about making a special dessert for the family for weeks, but I have been reluctant after the last dessert Toby made for us which was: strawberry jelly & ice cream mixed together with a large dollop of Nutella on the top, then on top of that was marshmallows, Milo, musk stick and sprinkles onto was Star Dust (the kind of sprinkles that pop in your mouth). It was a massive sugar overload and the kids took a LONG time to go to sleep. So as you can imagine I was a little hesitant to allow Toby back into the kitchen again to make dessert. But with some guidelines Toby headed off to make dessert.

So as we all sat around the table, with wine glasses in hand, we began to wonder just what did our 5yo have in store for us tonight? Well, she had prepared well and sent dad off to the supermarket to get some grape juice and she shared the story of how Jesus to water into wine. Dad thought he might have been able to do that miracle too, just like Jesus but he just couldn’t make it happen. But as we sat outside on a warm night we were able to share and discuss the power and miracles of Jesus and that same power is still available today.

Afterwards we all scoffed Toby’s dessert – which was still jelly & ice cream but we did have a hint of healthy food with some fruit salad.

Well done Lily and Toby on a great fun family night.

Moses and the burning craft

Bunny ears

This week was Toby’s turn to lead ‘Super Family Bible Night’ and he was very excited (although totally unprepared). After sifting through the Children’s bible stories about 6 times he finally came to the story of Moses and the burning bush (I think he like this idea because he could think of an idea for a craft activity). Oh well I guess whatever works for him hey!

I wonder if my burning
bush will burn?

So we sat and read the story of Moses and the burning bush, and Toby asked his set 3 questions that he seems to ask every time he leads 1. What is important about this story? 2. Why is this story in the bible? 3. What prayer points do you have? And the quicker he could get through those questions the quicker he could get to his activity.

His craft activity was cutting out pictures from coloured paper and re-creating a scene from the story. Toby loves being able to do anything involving art – he’s quite talented in the craft area (he doesn’t get this from his mum that’s for sure!!). Although he would have loved to have actually set his craft alight to see whether it really did “burn up” – we decided against that idea. But he loved leading this week and we now have paper craft of Moses and the burning bush hung up around our house. And as you can see from the pics we had a lot of fun too

Why not share your thoughts with us on how your family engages the Bible together we’d love to hear your thoughts & ideas.

For more information on Bible Engagement, Milk to Meat or other blogs go to www.milktomeat.com.au

Boys, boys, boys...

5 Tips on how to get the most out of your Bible

I received these tips when attending a Bible class a number of years ago, great for those wanting to take the next step in their bible engagement and going deeper into the Word.

1.       View the Bible as a library

The Bible is a collection of books written over a period of 1800 years and covers different periods of history, different cultures and was written to different audiences.

The Bible books contain different types of literature which should be approached differently.

If we view the Bible as a library rather than a single homogenous book we will be able to read in context and according to the type of literature. Read narratives as stories, letters as letters, poetry as poetry.

2.       Use an appropriate translation

We have a multitude of English translations of the Bible to choose from and we should read from a variety.

Translations are usually:

·         Literal – stick very closely to grammar and language of the original language e.g. RSV

·         Dynamic – seek to convey the message of the original in contemporary English e.g. NIV, TNIV

·         Paraphrase – not a translation but a retelling according to one person e.g. The Message

Choose the translation that best suits your purpose – study, reading for meaning, reading for story

3.       Recognise it is not all about you

We can approach the Bible always looking for directions, commands, promises and answers for particular questions we have. Much of the Bible cannot be applied in that way so we may misapply it or allegorise it. The purpose of the Bible is to reveal God and the story of the unfolding of his plan to redeem humanity. The Bible leads us to Jesus, who reveals God’s heart and offers new life in him.

4.       Read it actively

Because the Bible reveals God to us, we must read it with attention and purpose so that we may find him. We should read to see what the text actually says rather than what we think it says. We should ask questions – Who? What? When? Where? How?

We should only interpret the text after we understand what it says. We should apply the text only after we know what the author intended the first audience to understand.

5.       Read it in light of the cross

We are New Covenant Christians who live after the Cross and day of Pentecost. We read the Old Testament, understanding that things changed dramatically as a result of Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection. We are no longer to keep OT ritual and civil law, we have the Holy Spirit indwelling us, and all who put faith in Jesus Christ are the people of God.

Nought & crosses and 10 commandments

This week was Adam’s turn for Super Family Bible Night, we moved house this week so I’ve uploaded 2 weeks close together. So enjoy this one and also last week’s Samuel in a bunk bed.

Noughts & crosses

Adam started the night with a game of wooden noughts & crosses, the kids and I played against one another and then Adam played Toby. However, when Toby got 2 of his pieces in a row, Adam would change pieces and announce “I WON”, to which Toby would protest “NO you were circles and I was crosses and you just put down a circle, you didn’t win”. So they played again and Adam again put down one of Toby’s pieces, and announcing “I won”. “No” Lily and Toby shouted. “That’s not the rules”. Adam’s reply: “Who said? Who’s rules?” Lily: “That’s not the rules DAD, you can’t play like that. It’s not fair. You need to play the rules” Adam: “Who said?” Lily: extremely frustrated at this point not knowing the answer pulled out the big one “GOD SAID!”

Thankfully, Adam moved on before a brawl started and asked what would life be like with no rules, of which the kids answered “Cool. Amazing. Fun.” Until Adam asked what would soccer be like with no rules? What if someone took off with the ball or punched someone? Toby: “That wouldn’t be fun at all”. To Lily he asked what would ballet be like with no rules, if people could come into class and just dance whatever they liked and didn’t listen to the teacher. Lily: that wouldn’t be nice. Aaaah – point made!

Adam then read through the story of Moses receiving the 10 Commandments from God and what those commandments meant and what they mean to us today. To give us a framework to help us enjoy life instead of anyone being able to do whatever they want. They aren’t just a set of rules but how God wants us to live – to love God and to love others.

Summary: I was quite concerned early on in the night that Lily was going to reach over and soc her dad one for not playing the game by the rules but they certainly understood the point by the end of the night and I don’t think this is one Super family Bible Night they’ll forget.

It's not fair!!

For more ideas and resources on Bible Engagement or to buy Kylie’s ‘Milk to Meat’ book go to www.milktomeat.com.au

Samuel in a bunkbed

This week was my turn for Super Family Bible Night... well actually it was 2 weeks ago but we moved house and I didn’t get a chance to upload the last 2 weeks, so finally here it tis.

This week’s was based on the story of Eli & Samuel, we headed to the kids bedroom to use their bunk beds. I thought it’d be fun for them to swap beds for this drama – but unfortunately drama is what I got! Toby: “I don’t want to be in Lily’s bed – her bed’s pink!” Lily: “I don’t want to be here mum, I want to be in my bed, Toby’s bed stinks!” Mum: “Tough! Lily you’re Eli and you’re on the top bunk. Toby you’re Samuel and you’re on the bottom bunk! End of discussion!” Response: humf – sulk. This was not quite the start I’d planned for Super Family Bible Night, mmm.



Not happy Toby



I read out the story with dad playing the voice of God, and Toby and Lily quite reluctantly playing their part – that was until Lily got to tell Toby to “go back to bed” cause Samuel had woken Eli up 3 times (she enjoyed that part). I think in the end they enjoyed it, even if it was reluctant joy.

Afterwards we played a game of Chinese whispers – I started off and chose the tongue twister “Peter Piper Picked a Peck of Pickled Peppers”, in reality I should have known better and that was way too much for a 5yo to handle, and it came back to me as “poo, poo, bum, bum”. The kids then wanted their turn but the saying didn’t get much better than “poo poo bum bum”. So it ended soon after that.

We did thankfully have some interesting conversations about it means to listen to God and different ways that we can hear from God, which the kids really got into. So was it a successful night – well they keep asking to play Chinese Whispers again – is that a success??? I’m not so sure!

Cheeky Chinese Whispers

Moses and the parting of the bath

Tonight was Lily’s turn for Super Family Bible Night and boy was she excited! She’d been looking forward to this night all week. There were a lot of secret talks happening between daddy and Lily as they began their preparations, Toby & I weren’t allowed to venture past the lounge room until they were ready.

Suddenly there was a ring of a bell and we were all ushered into the bathroom – mmm... just what did our little girl have in store for us?

The room was dark, with candles lit all around and we were instructed to take our shoes off and sit in that bath (decided this was not a good option in clothes so opted to sit on the side of the bath J). And so in the dim light of the candles Super Family Bible Night began – we read the story of Moses leading the Israelites out of Egypt. Adam read the story, and Lily pointed out that the candles were the pillar of fire that led the Israelites at night, and that the bath water was the red sea. Lily tried so very hard to part the red sea (bath water) but much to her dismay it just wouldn’t stay parted. Toby was imagined himself walking along the bottom of the ocean and pictured himself reaching his hand into the side of the wall of water grabbing a shark or starfish out with his bare hands. “How awesome would that be mum, I could have my own shark!”. (mmm I’m not happy that he’s saving his pocket money for a pet Gecko so the thought of having a pet shark.... NO!)

Lily did a great job, very creative to have us all in the bath for this night – and even thinking of the candles – she’s really outdone herself this week! However,  more than once I was very worried that we’d all end up soaked from the bath water. But thankfully we all left the bath relatively dry and memories of a fun night together!

What we can learn from God’s Word

When I read the Bible, I can look for:

1. Truth about God's character

God gave us the Bible so we could learn more about who he is. We don't need someone else to tell us EVERYTHING about God; we can learn on our own! Discover God on his own terms; he gave us the Bible so we could learn more about his character through alone time with him and his Word.

2. Truth about the way things are
God hasn't left us here on earth alone to figure things out on our own. Life can be difficult, but when we know "how the world works" we can make better, wiser decisions.

3. Truth about the way things were
God gave us the history in the Bible to teach us. The Bible isn't a history full of perfect people; instead, it details the lives of imperfect people like you and me. Their lives—good choices and bad—serve as an example to move us on to greater maturity. (See Hebrews 11:1-12:1)

4. Truth about how we ought to act
The Bible doesn't only tell us about how things are or how they were; it also reveals a picture of how things ought to be. God's love for us is so great that he accepts us where we are; and his love is greater still because he doesn't want to leave us there. God gives us commands to follow for our benefit and well being.

When you read, here are four questions you can ask to help learn from the Bible:

1. What does this passage teach me about who God is, how he acts, what he likes?
2. What does this passage teach about the nature of the world (about the way things are)?
3. Does this passage have an example from the past that I can learn from?
4. What commands does this passage contain for me to follow with my life?

Some practical steps for becoming better at studying the Bible:
• Learn to view Bible study as a non-negotiable time throughout your week.
• Set aside a consistent time when you are at your best.
• Avoid the extremes of being ritualistic (mechanical) or lazy.
• Begin with some realistic goals and boundaries for your study time.
• Be open to God's Spirit.
• Fall in love with God like he's your best friend.


Thanks to YouthMinistry.com for this article extract