Stand by Your Man

I read an article the other day about being a farmer's wife. As I read through, I felt a twinge of guilt because I do not do all of the things she professed a farmer's wife should. I don't feed chickens or milk cows, I don't wake up at the crack of dawn and cook a hearty breakfast. I don't stack hay bales or drive tractors when I get off of "my job in town." However, as quickly as the guilty feeling had arisen in me it left, as I considered "if I did all of these things would that make me any better than a banker's wife or an electrician's wife?"

I hate all of the titles we give ourselves like "farmer's wife," "boy mom," or "soccer mom." Trying to make our lives seem more glamorous or worse, make them seem like we have a higher, harder calling. God has blessed me richly and I am proud that my husband is a hard worker who provides for our family. The fact that he works so hard makes me want to be a better wife (hence the twinge of guilt noted earlier!).

God did not specify in the Bible that a farmer's wife should do this and a factory worker's wife should do that. God gave us directions to follow as a WIFE. As far as God is concerned, each of us is called to the same thing--to be the best that we can be with the situations He chose to bless us with.

Proverbs 31:10-12 says "An excellent wife who can find? For her worth is far above jewels. The heart of her husband trusts in her, And he will have no lack of gain. She does him good and not evil all the days of her life."

Instead of making our lives and our circumstances seem more important than others, we should focus our energy on being the wife that causes her husband no evil but only good. To be the wife that he trusts. To be the wife whose husband says "you excel them all."

God has given each of us different circumstances and situations in life. But, one of our most important jobs is to stand next to our man and help him stay faithful to our Father...no matter what occupation he has chosen.

Penny Cross

Today's Scripture: Jesus is put on a cross--Matthew 27:32-44

Grace is receiving something you don't deserve. When Jesus died on the cross, he paid for our sins. Christ's death on the cross was a sacrifice. There was a price that had to be paid. We are sinners and do not deserve to go heaven. But, thankfully, we have a loving heavenly Father who was willing to sacrifice His Son. And, we have a Savior who was willing to pay the price for our sins. We are washed clean. We are forgiven. Our debt has been PAID IN FULL!!

The craft today, a cross covered with pennies, is a great reminder of this.

Supplies:  Wooden or cardboard cross
Glue Gun
pennies

Glue the pennies to the cross.

Resurrection Rolls

Today's Scripture: The darkness at noon--Matthew 27:45

Since I'm not the greatest cook in the world, I was a little hesitant to do today's project. I was unsure of the results, but we decided to go ahead and try. Resurrection rolls are supposed to be another illustration of the empty tomb.

Supplies: crescent rolls
large marshmallows
cinnamon
sugar
butter

Melt the butter in a bowl.

Give each kid a triangle crescent roll to represent the tomb and a marshmallow to represent the body of Christ.

Dip the marshmallow in butter and roll in cinnamon and sugar mixture. This represents the oils and spices the body was anointed with upon burial.

Lay the marshmallow on the dough and carefully wrap it around the marshmallow. Make sure that all seams are pinched together well so that the marshmallow doesn't ooze out of the seams.

Bake according to the instructions on the crescent roll package.

When done, let cool. Then, have the kids break open the tomb and see that the body of Christ is no longer there!!

Service Project

Today's Scripture: Judas Kisses Jesus--Matthew 26:46-49

For our Easter service project, the kids and I made Easter baskets filled with plastic eggs. We placed goodies in the eggs, leaving one egg in each basket empty. We tied a card to the baskets explaining that the empty egg represents that the tomb was empty because Jesus defeated death to save us from our sins. We took these baskets and gave them to some of our neighbors! Hopefully, this brightened someone's day and may have even sparked a fire in someone's hardened heart!!

We also placed two plastic eggs in clear treat bags. One egg filled with a treat and one left empty. We tied the bags with ribbon and the same little tag to take to school to their classmates! It is so important to teach our kids to let their lights shine in little ways wherever they are! 

Easter Bunny

Today's Scripture: Matthew 28:1-11

Every Easter morning, the Easter Bunny visits our house. He brings goodies to fill the kids baskets and he hides the eggs we dyed in the front yard. It's funny to look at pictures and remember the differences in each Easter morning. We have hunted eggs in the dark. We have hunted eggs in the freezing cold while other times it has been warm enough for bare feet!  One Easter morning we hunted eggs in the rain and last year it was foggy!  No matter the weather, the Easter Bunny always shows up to surprise the kids!

The Easter Bunny brings the kids goodies to fill their baskets. They get plenty (way more than they should). However, I don't want them to feel like Easter is another Christmas. They get small things that will fit INSIDE their Easter baskets! There is no reason for the Easter Bunny to feel like he has to be Santa Claus, he doesn't even have a sleigh to carry it all in for goodness sake!!

From Hannah's Basket (2nd-5th grade girls)

Notebook
Colored pens
Water balloons
Water balloon catapult
Tennis balls
Scented markers
Frisbee
Candy

From Ty's Basket (K-3rd grade boys)

baseballs
batting gloves
eye black
Small Super Soaker
Water balloons
Water balloon catapult
Frisbee
Candy

From Lila's Basket (0-2 years old)

Little People
Board Book about Easter
Mickey Mouse Clubhouse DVD
Bathtub boat
Pacifiers
Sippy Cups
Goldfish crackers

Jellybean prayer box

Today's Scripture: Jesus Questioned by Pilate--Matthew 27:11-14

The Jellybean prayer box is as simple as a few cuts and folds. You go to the link below and print out the box.
http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/files/BibleCrafts/JellyBeanCraft.pdf

Next, make these folds.

http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/BibleCraftsEasterJellyBeanPrayerBox.html

Fill with a little Easter grass and a jellybean for each color in the poem. This is such a fun reminder of how blessed we truly are by our God and our Savior!!

Resurrection File Game

Today's Scripture: Jesus Gets a Crown of Thorns--Matthew 27:29

The project fo today is actually a game! My kids love to play games and this one is easy and fun. Below is the link to the printables for the game. You need a file folder, glue stick, scissors, and dice.  Print all of the game boards and pieces. Glue the game board to a file folder. Cut out all of the game pieces and instructions. The game pieces that they collect tell the story of Easter. Use this time as a review of the lessons already learned!

http://www.biblestoryprintables.com/Pages/FileFolderGames/EasterFileFolderGame.html#.UzRqi_ldUaB

Coffee Filter Craft

Today's Scripture: Peter Denies Knowing Jesus--Matthew 26:69-75

Cut out a heart shape from a coffee filter. Let you kids scribble with a pencil on the heart and write the word Sin in pencil. Read Isaiah 59:2 which says "your sins separate you from God." and Romans 6:23 "the wages of sin is death." Talk to your kids about how our sins separate us from God, making us unclean and unworthy of heaven.

Then put a few drops of red food coloring on top of the word sin.And watch how the red covers the dirt and sin. Explain to your kids that this is exactly what Jesus' blood does for us. He died on the cross so that we could be forgiven, so that our sins could be covered.

Tomb Hand Print

Today's Scripture: Peter Denies Knowing Jesus--Matthew 26:69-75

In the middle of a sheet of blue construction paper, have your child place their hand print. They can either place their hand in yellow paint and make a hand print on the paper or you can draw their hand print on yellow construction paper, cut it out, and glue it to the center of the paper (the much easier, less messy way!!)

Then, have them draw a green hill or cut one out of construction paper and glue it on the paper.

Draw three crosses on the hill.

At the top of the paper, write the following verse: "This is the day that the Lord has made. I will rejoice and be glad in it." Psalms 118:24

Cross Folding Project

Today's Scripture: The Lord's Supper--Matthew 26:26-30

This is a super easy project that needs almost no supplies! A sheet of paper, a pen or marker, and scissors are all the supplies you need.

First, you take a piece of paper and write the verse down the middle. Jesus said, I am the way, the truth, and the life, no one comes to the Father except through Me. John 14:6

Some people don't believe that Jesus is the only way to God. They try to take the verse and turn it upside down.

Or, ignore it completely (flip the paper over).

Sometimes, they flip and fold it, looking for another way to heaven

And, sometimes people try to cut Jesus, and His words out completely.

But, (unfold the paper to reveal the shape) in the end, it all comes back to Jesus and His sacrifice for us. If there was another way to God, Jesus wouldn't have needed to die for us. But He did.