Because of Him, Day #10

Jesus is the Son of God, our Savior and Redeemer. Because of Him, death is not the end, and life takes on new meaning. We can change, we can start over—and we can live again with God. This Easter, celebrate His life and discover all that’s possible because of Him.

Watch video

If you haven't already, talk to your family about the #BecauseofHim challenge that's going on this week.

Every day post a photo on your social media sites relating to the day's topic and type the hashtag #BecauseofHim.

 Show your posts to your children so they can see the photos you post each day.

For younger children who don't have social media accounts, encourage or help them draw pictures relating to the day's topic, or print out pictures and hang them up in your home.  I have made these little printables with the topic for each day and they can write something or draw a picture.  You could even take a picture of their picture and text it to Gramma and Grandpa!

Click HERE to download the PDF version

Journal:

Have each person list as many "Because of Him" statements they can think of.  Keep adding to the list throughout the week.

I sized the photos down and you can print this page and your children can choose one of the photos to put in their journals.  Click HERE for download

Day #9, Service

Hi! I'm Heather Lynne from Raising Memories. I blog about fun things parents can do with and for their kids and like to throw in some photography posts, giveaways, and other fun things for moms.  I'm so happy to be visiting Amanda's blog today to share a fun lesson idea with you!  (Thank you so much for having me, Amanda!) Alright, enough about me (if you're dying of curiosity and want to know more about me or get a glimpse of what kind of fun things I like to post about, just head over to my fun About Page ;) Now, on to the lesson:

Day #9: Service

Preparation:
You'll need 12 plastic Eggs & the items needed to create this Easter countdown. You can find a list here as well. - Prepare some small slips of paper and something to write or draw with for each family member. - Have an empty box or bowl ready. - Print the handouts and the "You've Been Egged" note.

Download "You've Been Egged" note HERE. Preparation:
  As I Have Loved You would be a great song to start with. You can listen to it here.  You can also find lyrics and piano music at that link.

  Lesson:
Start by giving each member of the family a couple of slips of paper & something to write with. Ask them to write down something that someone could do for them that would help them. They should put their name on the paper, fold it, and put it into the box or bowl. (If children are too young to write, they can draw a picture of their thing and a parent can write an explanation by the picture) Read John 13:15 "For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you." Matthew 7:12 "Therefore all things whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, do ye even so to them: for this is the law and the prophets." Explain that Jesus is our example. He loved and served others by doing things for them to help them. He healed people, He blessed people, and He helped people. He loves all people. Explain that when we do something for someone else it usually makes us love them more. Ask family members to share stories of times when someone did something for them that made them feel happy. Also ask for stories of times they did something nice for someone else and then felt more love for that person. Family members can now choose to draw as many slips of paper as they wish from the bowl or box and do that service idea for the person who wrote it down. You can follow up with them later to see how it made them feel to help someone else.

  Activity:
 For the activity, you're going to do something nice for someone else! This is something that will help them to celebrate the real reason for Easter. Together, assemble the 12 eggs with the bible verses and items outlined in this post and then go to someone's house and hide the eggs in their yard. Leave the "You've Been Egged" note on their door, ring the doorbell, and run! :) You can talk about the real meaning behind Easter as you are assembling the eggs at home, too :)

  Handout: Download Here.

I hope this post helps you and your family to come closer to Christ as you prepare for Easter!   I would love for you to come and visit me on my blog or follow me in any of these places:

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Day # 8, Christ-like Attributes: Charity & Love

Hi friends! This is Amber from Crazy Little Projects!  
I'm happy to be here to talk about something that is very near and dear to my heart-Jesus Christ and his example of Charity and Love. If there's one topic that I get most excited about when talking about Christ, it's that one. I love what he taught us about loving others and I love to teach my kids the same. I've put together a short and simple lesson to help your children learn more about Jesus Christ and his example of Charity to those he met. Do what works best for your family...and enjoy! Lesson: Start off by watching 1-2 of these Bible videos about the life of Jesus. I recommend:

• Ye Have Done It Unto Me (Matthew 25:31-46)
• Whosoever Will Lose His Life for My Sake Shall a Find (Matthew 16:21–28)
• The Greatest Commandment (Mark 12:28-34)
• The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:25-37)

  Then talk about the principles taught in those videos. Reread the scriptures and talk about what they mean and how you can apply them to life today. What does it mean that "ye have done it unto me?" How does that translate into the life of a 6 year old? A 10 year old? A teenage? Talk about how they can show love to others in their life. Talk about some specific examples of how they can show charity and Christlike love in their lives. Have them take a few minutes to write their ideas in their journal. If your family is like mine, one of the biggest areas to work on in showing love is in the home. Talk about how you can show love to each other better. For us, it all boils down to some simple words, which my boys hear out of my mouth every single day and in most of my prayers as well-Be Kind! To help them remember, I've made some cute little printable handouts for them. Click to open them, then right click and save and then print them and have each person place one somewhere that will remind them each day to be kind to others: (I made several colors so take your pick!)
Share with your family WHY charity, love and kindness matter to you.   Activity (and Treat!): One thing my family loves to do together is to get out and spread the love. So, for an activity tonight, take your family and go do something nice for someone. Here are a few simple ideas to get you started thinking:

• Take treats to someone. You can even ding dong ditch them if you want to make it really fun!

• Go through a drive thru and pay for the person behind you. (When we did this the lady at the drive thru said someone earlier had done the same thing and then one car after another paid for the person behind them and it lasted for about 10 cars. So cool.)

• Take a treat and a thank you card to the local fire station or police station

• Leave quarters on vending machines

• Leave dollars in the dollar spot at Target or at the dollar store

• Take flowers to a nursing home

• Make lunches and hand them out to homeless people

• Find a beggar on a corner and give him money

• Serve a meal at a food bank

• Send money to someone in need

• Put together a package for service men and women

• Write thank you notes to people who make a difference in your life

• Make a meal for someone in need (just had a baby, someone's been sick, etc.)

There's tons of things you can do! Just pick some simple acts of kindness and do them. I've also created a printable tag that you can leave if it fits with your service. Kind of a pay it forward idea:
 One idea we do a lot is simply to make cookies and take them to a friend, a new neighbor, someone with a birthday, etc. It's simple, but it makes people happy! Here is our favorite cookie recipe. This will also make a great treat for your family night:

Double Chocolate Mint Cookies:

Christ-like Attributes: Patience

Today is Day 7 of the 14 Day Walk With Christ.  I hope you are enjoying the lessons, my family is loving them!  Even if you don't get to all of them, you can use them for Family Home Evening lessons.  
Lesson # 7 Christ-like Attributes: Patience Preparation:  Purchase a large bag of candy (M&Ms, Skittles, Gumi Bears, etc.)  Put a few in a bowl and set them out at the beginning of the lesson.  Tell your family if they wait and don't eat the candy in the bowl, they can have a better reward later.  Wrap or tie a bow on the large bag and reward it at the end of the lesson.

 

I love this saying, "Patience is not about how long you can wait, but how you behave while waiting.

Scriptures: Psalms 27:14 When I wait you strengthen my heart.
James 1: 3-4   3 Knowing this, that the trying of your faith worketh patience.

4 But let patience have her perfect work, that ye may be^aperfect and entire, wanting nothing.

Lesson: What is Patience? Patience is the capacity to endure delay, trouble, opposition, or suffering without becoming angry, frustrated, or anxious.  It is the ability to do God's will and accept His timing.  Patience is related to Hope and faith; you must wait for the Lord's promised blessings to be fulfilled; Actually, when we are unduly impatient, we are suggesting that we know what is best - better than does God. Or, at least, we are asserting that our timetable is better than his. Either way we are questioning the reality of God’s omniscience.

Show a picture of Jesus

The Lord, Jesus Christ, is our perfect example of patience. Though absolutely unyielding in adherence to the truth, he exemplified patiencerepeatedly during his mortal ministry. He was patient with his disciples, including the Twelve, despite their lack of faith and their slowness to recognize and understand his divine mission. He was patient with the multitudes as they pressed about him, with the woman taken in sin, with those who sought his healing power, and with little children. Finally, he remained patient through the sufferings of his mock trials and his crucifixion. - Joseph B. Wirthlin
Testify to your family that patience is one way we come to be more Christlike. Remind your family that patience gives us the hope that Christ's Atonement will save us.
Role play, charades, or scenarios Brainstorm with your family situations in which it might be easy to "loose their patience".  My children love playing charades, each child will come up with a scenario and act it out.  You can also role play, or just discuss situations that make them feel impatient.

Show the video "Continuing in Patience" by Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Talk about the dish of candy - was it hard to wait?  Was it hard not to sneak just one piece?  Give the children the large bag of candy and explain that it is always worth waiting patiently for something better.  

Game:  Play Chutes & Ladders or Candyland or a similar type board games (don't you agree, these games strengthen patience!!!)

Handout:  Download HERE

Day #6, Christ-Like Attributes: Faith

Hi! I'm Marci Coombs and I've been writing my own little lifestyle blog over HERE
for quite some time now.

I blog about everything from: church ideas and recipes to craft tutorials and party details.  

I love my life!  And I love the people I share it with EVEN MORE!

I'm addicted to:  Diet Dr. Pepper, the color purple and all things polka dots!

I was SUPER excited to be asked from the Jedi Craft Girl to be apart of the 14 Day Walk with Christ.  

Is this not the BEST IDEA EVER for families to take part in?

Kuddos to Amanda for creating and organizing it all!

The topic I was given was:

Christ-Like Attributes - Faith

Opening Song: "Faith" page 96 in the LDS Childrens Song Book

Start the lesson out by asking your children the question: 

"What is faith?"

Answers may include - -

* Confidence in something or someone

* A hope for things which are not seen, but which are true.

Have everyone turn to Alma 32:21.

"And now as I said concerning faith - faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true."

Attention Activity: Gather a plastic Easter egg, a few pebbles or grains of rice, and a small picture of the Savior. I printed mine out and just changed the sizing HERE.

Roll up the picture so that it fits inside the egg and cannot be seen when shut.

Shake the egg {with the rice in it} and ask the kids if they think anything is INSIDE of the egg?

They will answer YES and then you can follow up with

 "But you can't SEE anything in there...so how do you KNOW?"  

Have the kids open up the egg to discover the picture.

Explain that even though we have not seen Jesus Christ, we know He is there. We have had living prophets testify of the Savior, the scriptures are written ABOUT the Savior, and we can see His existence and all of His creations in the natural beauty of the earth everyday.

Turn to: Matthew 13:31-32.

"Another parable put he forth unto them, saying, The kingdom of heaven is like to a grain of mustard seed, which a man took, and sowed in his field:

Which indeed is the least of all the seeds: but when it is grown, it is the greatest among herbs, and becometh a tree, so that the birds of the air come and lodge in the branches thereof."

Ask the kids if they know how big a mustard seed is?

A mustard seed is about 1/20th of an inch in size.  It is one of the smallest seeds in the world.  Follow up by showing them this picture.

Image

Ask the kids: Do you think that it took great FAITH on the farmer's part, to plant that teeny tiny seed - - and trust that it would grow into something large and bountiful?

Ask the kids:

What things are necessary to help a seed grow? Sunshine, water and air.

If we stop watering our seeds or place it in a dark room, will it continue to grow? No.

IF we continue to take care of our litte seed, doing everything that is necessary, our seed will staret to blossom and turn into something beautiful.

Let's compare our FAITH to a SEED.

In order for faith to work, we need to plant it in our hearts.  

Then we have to nourish it with: reading the scriptures, saying our prayers, going to church - all of these Gospel principles will help our own faith grow - - just like sunlight and water do with any type of seed.

Read Alma 33:23.

"And now, my brethern, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell, even so nourish it by faith.  And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen."

Activity: Let the kids plant their OWN seeds....literally!

Purchase little clay pots {white styrofoam cups do the trick as well for this!} and have them decorate their pots however they'd like!

Show them the correct way to plant a seed -- while discussing the necessities for the seed to grow.

Explain to them that faith is something that will continue to grow within us throughout our entire lives.  As long as we constantly NOURISH our faith, in doing what is righ, our lives will be blessed.

Dessert: Serve 'Dirt Cups'.

This easy treat is always a hit with kiddos!

All you'll need is:

Place your pudding into a cup of any kind, and top with crushed Oreos, gummy worms and gummy flowers.

Thanks again for having me here and taking the time to read this post.  I hope that in some way, it can help your family come closer to our Savior, during this Easter season!

For a copy of my Faith Printable for your journal you can click HERE.

P.S.

I'd love for you to follow me along at some of my very favorite places here:

Day #5, Christ-Like Attributes: Obedience

Today's lesson is from Jessica who writes the Latter-day Chatter blog.  Jessica writes and designs fabulous lessons and hand-outs.  This is an overview of the Obedience lesson, scroll down for the link to download the PDF.

 Click HERE to download the entire Obedience Lesson PDF