Tag Archives: raising kids

The Value of Homework

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

The Value of Homework

         Homework is a good thing.  No matter how much children moan and groan about it, there is no doubt that it is good for them.  Of course it is important to have the right amount of assignments.  It is not good to overload students, but if the right amount of homework is given, there are many benefits derived for the student.

         Homework is necessary to give practice of skills taught in school. Teachers do not have enough time to give adequate practice.  More and more topics are added for teachers to teach, yet nothing is ever subtracted and no additional time is allowed. Homework is good to help the students develop proper habits of study and self-discipline.  As parents either assist or observe their children doing homework, they come to a better understanding of the learning ability and achievement levels the children possess.

         There was a time in education that educators thought that if a child simply understood subject matter, practice was not necessary.  I remember having a math textbook when I taught second grade that required the children to complete as few as six problems each day after the concept was taught. I knew that the children needed more, so I kept extra math papers available all the time for the children to choose and work as their time permitted.  Math, reading, and writing are skills.  All skills require practice because they involve more than understanding.  They involve the use of nerves and muscles.  Just because a person can read and understand music, for instance, doesn’t mean that the person can play the piano or any other instrument.  It is the same with the skills of reading, math, and writing. Practice is necessary to become proficient in each.

         Some children do well in early grades and don’t do homework, then find out later that some subjects, such as algebra, require constant homework. Unfortunately, since they didn’t do homework early on, they haven’t really learned good study habits and self-discipline to buckle down and do what they need to do.  It is important to have a set time, even in the lower grades, to make homework a habit.  If homework is not assigned, the parents need to come up with things the children can do to add to what they are learning in school.  For instance, if the children are learning about conservation, they might require them to look at or read something from the Missouri Conservation magazine.  They can check the library for more information or take a walk with dad to see examples of good and bad conservation.

Some may think that their children don’t need to do any homework since they finish quickly at school.  We should never let our children think that they are smarter than others and that they don’t need to learn more than they already know.  There is always plenty more to be learned about every subject.  Parents are teachers, too, and parents need to help children develop a curiosity for learning by making suggestions or finding projects for the children to do to enrich what they have already learned.

We learn a great deal about our children as they do homework. Perhaps we learn even more than any report card can show. We can assess how the child reasons, the interests of the child, and become closer to the child.  Homework can be a wonderful together time and learning time for both parents and children.

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Growing up in a Confused World

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Raising Children…

Growing up in a Confused World

“Thy Word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path.” Psalm 119:105

Few would dispute the fact that our world is becoming more confusing.  Young children may question, “Am I a boy/girl, or am I a boy/girl who looks like a boy/girl?”  While shopping, where do I go to use the bathroom when there may be new choices?  What are the Ten Commandments?  Do those Ten Commandments just apply sometimes, or are they no longer applicable at all?  Is our country’s constitution outdated?  Who has the right answers?

In Genesis 5:2 we read, “Male and female created he them, and blessed them…”.  God doesn’t make mistakes.  He created us the way we are for the purpose He had in mind.  When we start going against God, we are putting ourselves above Him.  We are not smarter than God!  

If children do not know anything about the Scriptures, they cannot even know that God created us.  We desperately need to teach children Scripture!

The examples being set by adults do not give proper answers to the questions of children.  Adults are not keeping the Sabbath holy.   Many adults are not honoring their fathers and mothers, so children do not see that they need to honor theirs.  Most adults are not showing love to God and fellow man, so children have few examples to follow.  Even those in so-called “high places” do name-calling and act rudely.  Adultery is rampant in our society,  The idea of, “If it feels good, do it”, is seemingly the code most now live by.  Even murder is becoming commonplace. There is a movement in our country to do away with our constitution.  “The constitution is a living, breathing document,” some say.  Our constitution was based on unchanging values from the Bible that should never be changed. Children need to be taught to follow God’s rules, not man’s ideas.

Growing up in a confused world creates confused children.  What is the answer to this problem?  The only answer is the Bible.  It is an anchor that holds us steady and upright as the various winds of ideas and doctrines swirl around us.  It has held true throughout the ages and will always be right when everything around us seems to be crashing down.  If children do not know Scripture, they have no anchor.  The only answer for the future of our children is to teach them Scripture.  Scripture memorization, including the Ten Commandments, is vitally important. Our children need to be attending church.  Parents need to be teaching Bible principles at home.  Parents need to know that teachers of their children believe in the Bible.  Homeschooling may be a good option if Godly teachers are not available.  Wisdom needs to be used by parents to shield their children from those things they are not able to handle.

A little boy at his first visit to a Christian summer camp summed it up best when he told his leader, “God is really the only chance we have, isn’t He?”

A Child’s Love Message

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by Pat Lamb

Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is… (Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com)

Raising Children…

A Child’s Love Message

Then Jesus called a little child to Him, set him in the midst of them,and said, “Assuredly, I say to you, unless you are converted and become as little children, you will by no means enter the kingdom of heaven. 

Matthew 18:2,3 (NKJV)

It’s a big deal to be leader for the day in kindergarten!  When it was Dylan’s turn, he surprised his teacher and asked her if he could have a little boy  help him.  He had noticed that this little boy never got to be leader.  An adult lady was always with him to help him.  The surprised teacher answered, “Why, yes, Dylan.  That would be fine”.  

Dylan took the little boy by the hand and together they took the lunch count to the office.  They led the children to the playground at recess.  They led the children back inside, hand in hand.  Whatever needed to be done, they did together.  At the end of the day, the teacher was not surprised to see them touch each other’s forehead, an action to show that they were friends. You see, this little boy was a “special ed” student who couldn’t talk like other children. 

A mother shared with me that one day on a shopping trip, when she went to lift her little boy from the car seat at the mall, he said, “I luv’ you Mommy”.  While inside the store, he pulled her hand up to his mouth and kissed it!

Why did these two examples happen?  Could it be that they have experienced love at home as they have watched the example set by their parents?  As in the second example, could it be that the child has experienced this same kind of love from his mom?  It has been said that children learn what they live.  If they live with love in the home, they will be more apt to show love to others.  

When I taught kindergarten, I had a parent bring her child to school on the first day and say, “I won’t believe anything he says about you if you won’t believe anything he says about me!”  It was meant as a joke, but truthfully, I found it very easy, in many cases,  to  tell what kind of home life the children had.  Not only did they tell you things, but it was easy to see that they patterned their behavior from their home life.  I have heard it said that, “Children learn what they live!”  In many cases this is very true.  

How, then, can we teach our children to love?  Setting an example is probably the most important way.  Bible study at home and church will give them examples of how Jesus demonstrated love.  Conversation overheard by children should always show love and concern.

In the verse cited above, Jesus was teaching us to humble ourselves.  If we pattern ourselves after Jesus, as the children so often pattern their behavior after us, we will set a good example for the children.   


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The Value of Storytelling

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

The Value of Storytelling

       In recent years there has been a significant emphasis on reading books to children.  Reading to children is a very good thing, but telling stories to children adds a dimension that reading to children does not.  Books for young children usually provide illustrations for children to use for understanding.  When children listen to stories, they must make their own mental images, and to do so requires listening carefully. Storytelling has almost become a lost art in many households.  It is an art that, in my opinion, needs to be revived.

         As children listen to stories, they develop listening skills, become creative as they are required to visualize scenes, and are treated to many subjects not covered in books.  As parents or grandparents tell stories of past experiences, the children gain a better understanding of the storyteller.  

         What kind of stories can we tell children?  Our own experiences provide a wealth of material.  In addition, Bible stories or some of the oldies that contain morals are good.  Many of Aesop’s fables teach children valuable behavioral lessons.  “The Fox and the Crane” teaches consideration of others.  “The Fox and the Crow” teaches not to be taken in by flattery.  “The Lion and the Mouse” teaches that size is not always the important thing and that even a little mouse can be more powerful than a lion.  This story can help a child feel self-worth.  The “Emperor’s New Clothes” is a story that teaches children to be careful what they believe.  “Stone Soup” helps children understand the power of persuasion.  It also helps a child understand how easily it is to be taken in and that we should not be selfish.  These are only a few of the old stories that children love to hear and provide good learning at the same time.

         Sometimes it is good to let children or others participate in telling the story.  There is benefit in letting them be creative and change stories if they want.  For example, on one occasion two of our grandchildren, their mother, grandfather, and I were traveling.  I suggested we all participate in telling the story of the three pigs.  We took turns and each person added to what had been said before.  When it was grandpa’s turn, he said, “Those little pigs decided they didn’t want apples at all.  They said, ‘Let’s go get some ice cream and let that ole wolf get apples if he wants!” The grandchildren laughed for the next 10 miles or so.  That was a springboard for them to become creative and make up their own variations of the story.

         Telling stories costs no money but creates pleasant life-long memories.  They can be told while sitting and waiting in a car, at bedtime, while traveling, or perhaps on a cold winter evening.  Storytelling provides a great amount of satisfaction for both the storyteller and the listener while the children learn invaluable lessons.

Note:  Some of the lessons in my book, Let the Children Come, contain additional stories that can be told to children.  It is available on Amazon and   can also be ordered from me through my website or e-mail.

patsylamb1936@gmail.com

www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Stuffed Animals can be Teaching Tools

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child….

Stuffed Animals Can be Teaching Tools

         Playing with my young grandson and his stuffed animals when he was young reminded me of how much a child can learn from this activity.  As an adult plays with a child, the conversation can be guided in such a way that the child can learn about manners and consideration of the needs and feelings of others.  In addition, the child can develop empathy that can be transferred into real life in interrelationships with people.  Creative skills are enhanced and children learn social skills.

         Most children really enjoy playing “pretend”.  A child and adult may pretend any number of situations using the animals.  My grandson and I pretended that Leo, the Lion, had a birthday and we were giving him a birthday party.  We took the other animals shopping for Leo and talked about what would be appropriate for a lion.  I pointed out that Leo liked to eat meat while some of the other animals, such as the lambs, liked to eat grass.  We talked about how we should choose a gift that would make Leo happy and not pick a gift that would just make us happy.  Each animal knocked politely on the door before entering the home of Leo.  Each animal said “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me” when appropriate.  Leo mentioned that he would be writing thank-you notes to all who brought a gift. In these actions, my grandson learned about saying “excuse me”, thank you”, and “please”.  He also learned about considering the wants and needs of others instead of self.  The play could have been carried further and play money could have been used to purchase a gift.  In doing so, proper use of money could have been taught.

         On another occasion, I used his stuffed roadrunner and his stuffed dog to tell a story patterned after Aesop’s fable, “The Fox and the Crane”.  This story emphasizes consideration of others.  Letting the roadrunner substitute for the crane and the dog substitute for the fox, I told how the dog invited the roadrunner for dinner and served milk in a flat plate.  The dog liked the flat plate because the dog laps the milk, but the roadrunner could not get the milk with his beak. The roadrunner decided to teach the dog a lesson and invited the dog to dinner at his house.  The roadrunner served milk in a tall, narrow, vessel that he could put his beak in, but the dog couldn’t lap the milk from.  They each realized that they should have considered the needs of the other and apologized.  I briefly mentioned that people have different needs and that we should consider those needs.

         Most children have at least one stuffed animal. There are many opportunities to use other common things around the house to teach children and develop good attitudes.  If we take advantage of these opportunities while the children are young, they grow up with proper feelings toward others and we save them, as well as ourselves, many headaches. My grandson begged me over and over to play with him with his stuffed animals.  I considered it time well spent.  As he enjoyed playing, he learned many important things to help him in later life and stimulated his creative ability at the same time.  He developed conversational skills and learned to think quickly as he responded to my conversation in our pretend games.  

When Children Get Sick

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

When Children Get Sick

         When children get sick, as they inevitably do, we often ponder about how much to “baby” them or just how to care for them.  What mother has not sat by the side of a sick child and thought, “I’d rather it were me feeling that way than my child”?  It hurts us emotionally while at the same time it is hurting the child physically.

         Of course, we try to do all we can to prevent that sickness in the first place.  We encourage the children to wash their hands often, singing “Happy Birthday” while scrubbing with soap and warm water to make sure the hands are scrubbed long enough to get clean.  We do our best to make sure the child has plenty of fruit and vegetables in the diet to provide the vitamin C and other nutrients needed to fight the germs.  We try to see that the child is dressed properly for the cold weather, and we try to keep the child away from places where we know germs are present.  In spite of all our care, we often feel at least a little guilt when the child gets sick as we wonder if we did all we could have done to prevent the illness.

         There are actually some positive things that come from sickness.  One such positive learning is that children come to realize that they are vulnerable.  Many young people often feel as though they can do anything and nothing bad will ever happen.  Sickness teaches a child that we each need to be careful with how we care for ourselves. A time of sickness in the home can become a time of bonding between family members as all pitch in and help the sick one.  The sick child may learn to appreciate the love and care of others.  A third benefit is a possible development of sympathy and understanding of others when they become sick.  It seems that we can never truly appreciate the feelings of others until we, ourselves, have experienced what they are going through.  People who seldom get sick often are impatient with those who do get sick more often.

         How much care should be given to a sick child?  In my opinion, we need to take advantage of this time to “coddle” the child a bit.  There are, of course, occasions when this is not true.  If a child starts to take advantage of the extra attention, we need to back off.  When a child is truly sick, however, that child needs assurance of love and care.  We need a balance of not seeming overly concerned but, at the same time, children need to know that we wish the best for them. To this day, I can remember my mom’s hand on my forehead when, as a child, I would get sick and throw up.  I’m sure that hand did no physical good, but it showed that she cared.  Another memory is a time when my dad brought a pretty colored ear of corn from the field for me when I had tonsillitis.  

Should a child be allowed to watch TV?  Yes, but only educational programs. Should a child do homework?  The child should do homework only if he/she is not feeling too badly.  I would not force it but would check occasionally to see if he/she feels like it, and then I would give assistance. Should a child be allowed to get up and run around?  Generally, we need to allow a child to do what that child feels like doing until the temperature has been normal for at least 24 hours.  Then the child probably needs to go back to school.  Sometimes, medicine can make a child feel better while he/she is getting worse.  This may be the case when medicine is given to treat symptoms only and the medicine does not treat the cause of the symptoms.  

         We probably will not do everything perfectly when our children get sick.  We simply try to give proper physical and emotional care to the best of our ability and pray that the Great Physician will do whatever else is needed.  

      

                         

Snow Days can be Pleasant

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble; www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a Child…

Snow Days Can Be Pleasant

       Almost every school year we have a few “snow days”.  We may not have any more this year, but it is good to be prepared just in case we do.  Some people seem to really dislike them.  Others keep hoping for a snow day.  Since we know they happen almost every year, it is a good idea to consider how to use them wisely.

         There is no doubt that challenges come with the knowledge that all routines have changed.  Many questions arise.  What do I do to entertain the kids?  What do I feed the kids for lunch?  What do I do about the unfinished chores at my job?  What if the electricity goes off?  How long will this last?  All of these things have to be dealt with while at the same time the children are wondering what to do.

         Children do not have to be, nor should they be, entertained.  Children need to learn to think for themselves.  No child ever died from boredom! Sometimes it is good for a child not to have something going all the time.  Many parents seem to think that raising children is like the story of the carrot and the horse.  They think there should be something in front of a child to look forward to all the time.  When a child says, “I’m bored”, simply say, “What do you plan to do about that?”  Put the responsibility back on the child.  Chances are that anything the parent suggests will not be accepted.  It is best to say, “I hope you find a way to use your time wisely”.  It is good if parents make themselves available to play board games or other games with the children; however, it is best to have the child make the decision whenever possible.

         Allowing the children to become part of the family team to plan for electricity outage or other happenings is good.  Also, storytelling about the time when there was no electricity in homes, or cars to go places, is more meaningful at a time like this.  The children can better understand the time when it was necessary to saddle a horse or hitch up a wagon in order to go someplace.  This helps them understand their history courses in school.  A discussion of how families lived when children were home most of the time, can further develop this understanding.

         Chores are ever present for children to help with.  It is a good time to reorganize a study place and check for overlooked homework.  Good cooking lessons can be learned as children assist with the preparation of lunch.  It is also a good time to simply rest and take things slowly.

         I remember a phone conversation with our daughter when our grandchildren were small.  “Mom”, she said, “they are just a ball!”  She was genuinely enjoying the children.  Both of those children have done well.  It would be nice if we all remembered that children are a gift from God.  Let’s enjoy our gifts!  Snow days give us an opportunity to do just that.

Children Test Our Love

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is….) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

Children Test our Love

       If we were to ask every parent, “Do you love your children?” probably almost all of them would say, “Of course, I love my children!”  There is no doubt that most parents really try to love their children all the time.  There is a natural, inborn attachment to our children; however, when it comes to the everyday nitty-gritty, down-to-earth task of raising children, it is not always easy to show that love.

         Every day our love is tested by those to whom we give most of our time and effort. Children test us unknowingly and innocently.  As they go through the natural processes of growing up, their actions and circumstances place a constant demand on us.  We are tested in every characteristic of love.  I Corinthians 13 in the Bible gives us a description of love. It tells us that love is long-suffering, doesn’t put itself up higher than others, isn’t easily provoked, is patient, doesn’t have to have its own way, bears all things, endures all things, and doesn’t lose hope.  Children test us in each of these categories.  

         What patience it takes with the newborn!  Our patience and long-suffering are tested each time a parent gets up at night to feed the child and care for it.  There is actual physical suffering as the sleep-deprived parent stumbles to the baby to comfort it.  It seems so hard!  Just when we think the baby is comforted, it starts crying again, requiring the same action by parents over and over.

         As the baby grows and becomes a toddler, again our patience is tested as we tell the young child “no, no” and the child continues in the forbidden action.  Even our physical stamina is tested as we constantly take little hands away from places they should not be.  At this point, we may become “easily provoked”.  

         Parents “bear all things” as the child continues to grow to school age.  We put up with people who may point out our child’s imperfections.  After all, we’ve invested a lot in the child by now.  When someone shows us a fault, it is often taken as a reflection on our ability to parent the child.  What do we do?  Most of the time there is no choice but to grin and “bear it”.  We must continue to have hope that the child will overcome the flaw.  

         As the child grows into the teen years, we seem to be tested even more than before.  Getting up at night with the newborn or chasing after the toddler seems preferable to dealing with the heartaches that are often experienced by parents of teens.  Here we find that we do not always get our own way and we must endure a great deal. 

         When children finally reach adulthood, our love test is still proceeding.  Choices are made by children that we don’t always agree with, but we love our children in spite of not “having our own way”.  Many times we even have to swallow our pride and admit that the child knew better than we did.

         It is good for parents to do self-evaluations.  Do I have the love that God expects me to have for my children?  Have I been a good example for them to show love to others?  Have I taught them the real meaning of love?  I’m glad that we are not expected to be perfect.  Hopefully, the children have learned enough about love to love me in return in spite of my own imperfections!

It’s Not Just Child’s Play

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

It’s Not Just Child’s Play!

         It is a wonderful thing when parents will play with their children.  There is great value in time spent simply having fun with them.  This time is an opportunity for bonding, teaching, and creating memories.

Right after Christmas there is an opportunity to explore the new toys and games together.  When dad or mom get on the level of the child and explore the new possibilities of enjoyment, the child learns to appreciate the fact that the parent has interest in his/her world.  A special relationship between the child and parent is created.  This new relationship results in a better understanding of each another. 

In the event that a toy breaks, as many are apt to do, as the parent helps repair that toy, the child learns about how things work.  Parents have an opportunity to teach new words and understandings to the child.

Even if there are no new games or toys, parents and children can create their own games. Our grown children still laugh about playing “sandwich” or “slobber ear” with their dad, and I laugh when I see them play the same games with their children.  These are rough and tumble games on the floor (or grass in the summer) where all involved laugh and giggle as they try to get away from each other to avoid having an ear chewed or to become the bottom bread of a sandwich.  They laugh as “the meat” wriggles out to try to become the top bread and the bottom bread tries even harder to escape being the bottom bread.  It is important, however, for the parent to know when enough is enough in these games.  It is cruel to tickle children too much.  Also, weight of individuals needs to be considered so no person is hurt.

Many board games offer opportunities for learning as well as having fun.  Long winter evenings are well spent in playing games such as Monopoly, Balderdash, Sequence, or others with older children. In Monopoly, children learn much about money.  They learn to count the money as well as a great deal about how business works.  Balderdash is a great game for teaching writing, persuasion, and vocabulary.  Our family has laughed until we cried at some of the silly definitions written for some of the words in Balderdash. Board games designed for younger children teach a child to take turns and that they cannot always win.  They can learn to lose graciously.

Laughter is a good medicine. King Solomon tells us in Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine”.  Playing and laughing with our children relieves our stress as well as theirs.  We sometimes forget that children, too, have stress as they seek to please their parents and teachers.  

Time spent playing with children is a wonderful investment that yields dividends for eternity.  Children grow up so fast!  Let’s take advantage of the opportunities we have to spend time with them while we can. 

The Most Important Gift We Give

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by Pat Lamb (Author of: Let the Children Come; Children, Come to Me; When the Stars Fall Down; Widening the Church Doors to Teach the Narrow Way; My Thinking Book; Love is…) Books are available on Amazon, Barnes & Noble, www.patlambchristianauthor.com

Train up a child…

The Most Important Gift We Give

         Isn’t it strange how it is Jesus’ birthday and yet we sometimes forget to give a gift to him? How would we like to go to a birthday party in our honor and have all the gifts there be given to someone else?  Our children need to understand that we are celebrating the birthday of Christ.  They need to think of a gift that they can give to Jesus.

         Of course, we all know that the reason for the season is the gift that God gave the earth by sending his only son to the world for our sakes.  We are told that in John 3:16. so, what could we possibly give that would begin to show our appreciation for that gift?

         In the book of Matthew we read, “Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you something to drink? When did we see you a stranger and invite you in, or needing clothes and clothe you?  When did we see you sick or in prison and go to visit you?  The King will reply, ‘I tell you the truth, whatever you did for the least of these brothers of mine; you did for me’. (Matthew 26: 7, 8) We see by this passage that we give gifts to Jesus by doing things for others.

         It is so heartening to see so many wonderful things being done at Christmas time for others.  I stopped to make a deposit at the bank recently and saw a notice that the bank had adopted a family to help this Christmas. .  One Springfield TV station had an article about someone providing coats to children.  A church in a nearby town gave a ham to every family in town.  Many of the shows in Branson have collected food to disperse.  Shows in Branson have given benefits for the LUC Boy’s Ranch.  One church gives the opportunity for folks to give a Christmas gift by giving to the building fund.  Many of the clubs and organizations have selected special Christmas projects that consider the needs of those around us.  All these things provide ways to give to Jesus

         We are tempted to think that we should spend our money on our own family, but we need to teach our family to think of others.  Each family needs to choose at least one thing to do to give a gift to Jesus by giving to others.  There are wonderful stories of children taking some of their own Christmas gifts and giving them to children in other countries, or even in America, who have less than they have.

         Let’s make sure that our children experience the wonderful feeling of giving to others.  Let’s discuss with our children how they would like to give the most important gift of all—a gift to Jesus.