We all need a family

Call it a clan

Call it a network

Call it a tribe

Call it a family

Whatever you call it

Whoever you are

You need one

~ Jane Howard

Every child needs to have a place that they call family.   Whether that is with the parents that had them, grandparents, adopted parents or the church or a combination of all of them.   Every child, every person, needs to have a group of people that they can rely on.  That support them and love them no matter what happens.   This is vital in the growth of a child.   If they don't it has a huge impact on their adult lives.   The studies have shown and life has shown that many children who don't have a group of people they can call family or at least say they can call on them grow up to commit crimes, have broken relationships, and become abusive.   How can we create that feeling of family or tribe within our children and youth?   It is as simple as doing these ten things:

One: Meeting their everyday needs

Two: Feel safe and secure

Three: Love and hugs

Four: Plenty of praise

Five: Smiles

Six: Talking

Seven: Listening

Eight: Learn new things

Nine: Take care of their feelings

Ten: Rewards and special treats

We need to make sure that we are looking out for the daily needs of those around us. To help others feel safe and secure in all situations. Loving each other like we would want to be loved. Giving more praises than criticism. Smile at everyone you pass by even when you don't feel like it. Allow conversations to happen, ask people questions (even when it is uncomfortable).   Listen more than talk. Always be open to learning new things. Pay close attention to the feelings of those around you.  Rewards and special treats that mean something to the other person.   Making sure that it is something that will remind them that they are special to you.  

“This is part of what a family is about, not just love. It's knowing that your family will be there watching out for you. Nothing else will give you that. Not money. Not fame. Not work.”   - Morrie

As adults we need this too.   We need to be reminded that we are loved and receive praises from others.   We should never go a day without learning new things.  Putting our listening ears first but never shutting out someones thoughts they are sharing.   Listening to the unspoken words of those around us.   Love takes time.   Family takes time and effort.  But the reward for both are un-measurable.

So this week, if you know of a youth or child that doesn't have a tribe that they belong to.  Take them out for lunch or to a movie.   For those who do have children and youth, try to do all ten things this week and see what difference it makes in your children's lives.  Number ten is not just for them, there is a reward we get back if we are faithful in caring for these blessings God has given us.

"Children are a gift from the LORD; a productive womb, the LORD's reward."  Psalm 127:3

The Story Part 7 & 8

Story # 7
Read Joshua 1:1–2
“Be strong and very brave. Make sure you … I know there’s something I’m supposed to remember here. I think I need some help. Signal for the first helper to carry out the “law” sign. Pretend to stretch your neck to try to read it. Oh yes, “Make sure you obey the whole law my servant Moses gave you. Do not turn away from it to the right or to the left. Then you will have success everywhere you go.” It helps to do just what God says.
Forty years earlier, Joshua had helped spy out the land. He remembered that the people in Canaan were very strong, so he decided to … what was it? I need some help here. Signal for the helper with the “spies” sign. Oh yes, Joshua decided to send two spies into Jericho, the first city the Israelites would attack. The spies could make sure everything was safe for God’s people to attack.
The spies got into Jericho, and there they met a woman named … named … what was her name? I’m having a bad day! Signal for the helper with the “Rahab” sign to come out. That’s right, Rahab! Rahab lived in a house attached to the city’s huge wall. It turned out Rahab knew about God and his plan, and she wanted to help keep the spies safe. It’s always good to have someone helping you out in a tough situation.
But then the king of Jericho heard the spies had come! He must have had some spies of his own. He sent a message to Rahab. It said, “Bring out the men who came to your house. They’ve come to check out the whole land.”
Rahab had heard the king’s spies coming and hid the Israelite spies … I know she hid them somewhere … in the closet … the crawl space … no, that’s not right. Where is that help when I need it? Signal for a helper with the “roof” sign to come out. She hid them on her roof! That’s right, under a pile of flax plants. She told the messengers, “It’s true the men were here. Go after them quickly. You might catch up with them.” The king’s men left to hunt down the Israelite spies.
Rahab went up to the roof to talk to the spies. She knew it was God’s plan to give the land to the Israelites.
Read Joshua 2:12–14
So Rahab let the spies down by … let’s see, the front door wouldn’t work, and there was no back door. Help! Signal for the helper with the “rope” sign to come. Rahab used a rope! She let them down with a rope through the window. She had said to them, “Go up into the hills. The men who are chasing you won’t be able to find you. Hide yourselves there for three days until they return. Then you can go on your way.”
When the spies left, they went up into the hills. They stayed there for … let’s see, how long was that … a week? No, that’s too long … Signal for the helper with the “three days” sign to come. Three days! They stayed three days. By that time the men who were chasing them had searched all along the road. They couldn’t find them.
Read Joshua 2:23–24
Joshua liked the spies’ report. He knew it meant God would take care of them once they started fighting in Canaan. Joshua had all the Israelites pray and then get ready to attack Jericho.
God knew the spies would need some help, and he made sure Rahab was there to help them. He knows when you need help, too. And, he even knows when you might be able to be the one who helps.

Story # 8

Read Judges 16:1–31

Samson made some big mistakes, but when he turned to God, God was there. No matter what we do, God stays with us.

The Story Part 5 and 6

Part 5 - The New Rules
After Pharaoh had let the Israelite people go they went into the dessert and forgot about the things God had just done for them.  They disobeyed the rules that Moses had given them and made idols.
So God gave them 10 simple rules to follow.
Read: Exodus 20:1–17
1. Do not put any other gods in place of me. 2. Do not make statues of gods that look like anything in the sky or on the Earth or in the waters.     Do not bow to them or worship them. 3. Do not misuse the name of the Lord your God. The Lord will find guilty anyone who misuses his     name.  4. Remember to keep the Sabbath day holy. The seventh day is a Sabbath in honor of the Lord your    God. Do not do any work on that day. 5. Honor your father and mother. Then you will live a long time in the land the Lord your God is    giving you.  6. Do not commit murder. 7. Do not commit adultery. 8. Do not steal. 9. Do not give false witness against your neighbor. 10. Do not long for anything that belongs to your neighbor.
Watch this movie for the whole story: The Ten Commandments

Part 6 - Wandering
Narrator 1: Hundreds of years ago, God promised to make Abraham into a father of nations and give him the land of Canaan. By the time of our story, Abraham had too many relatives to count, and they were about to move into a new land—the land God promised. 

Narrator 2: God spoke to Moses, the leader of the Israelites. He said, “Send some men to check out the land of Canaan. I am giving it to the people of Israel.” So Moses sent 12 spies to check out the land of Canaan. 

Narrator 1: Moses had a lot of questions: 

Moses: Are the people who live there strong or weak? Is the land good or bad? Do the towns have high walls? Are there trees or not? Is it rich land or poor land? Inquiring minds want to know. (Numbers 13:18–20b)

Spy 1: We spied our way through the desert and finally came to a valley.

Spy 2: And what a valley! We spied grapes growing so big that a single bunch took up a whole branch. Two of us carried it on a pole.

Spy 3: Don’t forget the figs and pomegranates. 

Spy 1: We spied into the hill country and down by the Jordan River. It was like the land flowed with milk and honey. This was good land!  

Spy 2: But we also spied the cities, and the cities had high walls around them.

Spy 3: And we spied the people who lived behind the high walls. They were powerful! 

Narrator 1: For 40 days, the 12 spies walked through the land God had promised to give the Israelites.

Narrator 2: Finally, it was time to go home and give a report.

Moses: What have you got to say for yourselves?

Narrator 1: Ten spies gave one report. 

Spy 1: It’s a very good land, but the people who live there are big and scary. 

Spy 2: Yeah, big and scary.

Spy 3: Yeah, really big and scary.

Narrator 2: But two spies gave a different report. Caleb stood up to talk. 

Caleb: We should go up and take the land. We can do it!

Spy 1: We can’t attack those people! They are stronger than we are.

Spy 2: Yeah, big and scary!

Spy 3: Yeah, really big and scary!

Spy 1: Next to them, we are grasshoppers!

Narrator 1: The Israelites didn’t know what to think! They sobbed out loud during the night. But Caleb and his friend Joshua were not going to give up. (Exodus 14:1)

Caleb: If the Lord is pleased with us, he’ll lead us into that land. It’s a land that has plenty of milk and honey. He’ll give it to us. Don’t be afraid. The Lord is with us!

Narrator 2: But the people believed the ten spies. All the Israelites did was complain! God decided to punish them for doubting he could defeat the large people of Canaan. 

Narrator 1: God said only Caleb and Joshua could live in the Promised Land, because they believed God and not the bad reports of the other spies. (Exodus 14:30)

Narrator 2: So for 40 years, the Israelites complained and wandered in the desert, until all the grown-ups had died. Their children grew up and were ready to go into the new land God had promised with Caleb and Joshua. 

Narrator 1: We can always be confident in God’s promise as we spy our way through the adventures of our lives.

The Story Part 3 and 4

Part 3
Joseph’s father gave him a colorful robe. Robes are what men wore in Bible times. Joseph’s brothers were jealous. Even though Joseph’s brothers were mean, God took care of Joseph.  One night Joseph had a dream. Stars and hay bowed down to him. Joseph was really good at knowing what dreams meant, so he told everyone about it. He told everyone that he would someday be in charge of all his brothers. Well, his brothers did not like the dream. They stole his robe, put him in a deep hole, and sold him. Joseph was taken to Egypt as a slave. Even though Joseph became a slave, God took care of Joseph.Potiphar was a powerful man in Egypt. Potiphar bought Joseph and put him in charge of his house. Potiphar’s wife played a mean trick on Joseph, and Joseph was blamed for the mean trick. He was thrown into prison. Even though Joseph was in prison, God took care of Joseph.

The jailer liked Joseph. He put Joseph in charge of the prison. A baker and a drink-tester in prison had dreams. God showed Joseph what each dream meant. Joseph asked them to remember him, but they forgot about him. Even though people forgot about Joseph, God took care of Joseph.

One day Pharaoh had a dream. Pharaoh ruled all of Egypt. He heard Joseph was good at telling what dreams meant, so he sent for Joseph. Joseph told Pharaoh what his dream meant. It meant that Egypt would have years with plenty of food then years with only a little food. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of all the food in Egypt so there would be plenty of food all the time. Pharaoh gave him nice clothes, good food, and a nice place to live. For seven years, Egypt had a lot of food. Joseph put extra food in a safe place. Then people started running out of food. People from all over the world came to buy food, even Joseph’s brothers. They were shocked to see Joseph, and they were sorry for selling him as a slave. Joseph forgave them. He told them that what they had meant for evil, God had used for good. This was God’s plan for Joseph’s life.

All of Joseph’s family moved to Egypt to live with him. God took care of Joseph. God took care of Joseph’s family.

Have you ever been betrayed by family member or close friend? How did you (or do you) feel toward that person?
In the story, Joseph was accused of something he didn’t do. Have you ever been treated unfairly for doing the right thing? What did you learn from it?
At one point in the story, Joseph says, “You intended to harm me, but God intended it for good” What does this tell you about God?
Has there ever been a difficult time in your life when you felt that God was with you? How did you know?
What are some ways that you sense that God is with you?

Part 4

God’s people lived in Egypt—but it wasn’t always a great life. They were slaves and had to work hard to serve the Egyptians. Pharaoh, the king of Egypt, thought there were too many Israelites, so he gave an order to throw all the Israelite baby boys in the river. Uh-oh, watch out! 

A baby boy was born to a family who trusted God. God was watching over this baby. His mother kept him safe for three months.

Read Exodus 2:3–4. 

Here comes somebody! Uh-oh, watch out! 

Read Exodus 2:5–9. God 

was really watching over him. The baby’s name was Moses.

When Moses grew up, God spoke to him. “I have seen the way the Egyptians are beating down my people,” God said. 

Read Exodus 3:9–10. 

Uh-oh, watch out! 

Moses was nervous about this big job from God! Pharaoh was a powerful king, and God’s people were a big group. How was Moses going to get everyone out of Egypt? What would happen when Pharaoh got angry? Uh-oh, watch out! 

Moses talked to Pharaoh, but Pharaoh didn’t want to let the Israelites go. Who would do all the work if the slaves left? But God had a plan. He made a lot of scary, nasty things happen in Egypt. The river turned to blood. Icky bugs and frogs popped up everywhere. The animals all got sick. Hail pounded the whole country. It was dark even in the daytime. Pharaoh was stubborn through everything and wouldn’t let God’s people go. Finally, God decided to take away the oldest son from every Egyptian family. He told the Israelites to paint a special stripe over their doors so this awful plague wouldn’t happen to them. That did it for Pharaoh. He decided to let the Israelites go. Uh-oh, watch out! 

Read Exodus 12:31–33. 

So that night, all God’s people left Egypt. While they traveled, God was always with them. During the day, the Lord went ahead of them in a pillar of cloud. At night, he guided them with a pillar of fire. God never left his people. 

• Why do you think that some people are kept safe while others are not? 

• How are all the ways God watched over his people in this Bible story. 

• What are some ways God watches over you.

The Story Part 1 and 2

Part 1
I hope that this adventure through God’s story is going to teach us a lot and allow us to have some fun while we experience it together. Before we begin, let me share a little bit more about how we can be thinking about these stories as we move through them.

In every Bible story that we go through together, there will actually be TWO story lines going on: we’ll call them an Upper Story and a Lower Story. The Upper Story tells the big picture, the grand narrative of God seeking relationship with human beings as it unfolds throughout history. Every story in the Bible is a part of one, bigger story...the Upper Story.

The Lower Story are the smaller stories we will look at each week that tell the details of particular people and the events that happen in their lives. What will be eye opening is when we are learning about a (lower) story and we begin to see how it is connected to all the other stories.
When we look at each story with the Upper Story and Lower Story in mind, it helps up:
 1) see that God and God’s plans for the world are the central character in the story.  2) It’s helps us put our own lives into the “bigger picture”, and see how God’s story continues  with us.

Sometimes events like a break-up or failures leave us feeling like there is no hope.  But when  see that God has a long-range plan and better story for our lives, we begin to see life with a bigger perspective. We might event see difficult circumstances as an opportunity for God to show us something better.

Read Genesis 1 and 2 

In what ways was life different in the creation story from life today?

Why do you think God rested after he had finished creating? What could this mean for your life?

Why do you think God created humans in his own image? What does this mean for you?

What do you think motivated Adam and Eve to sin against God?

Why do you think God put the Tree of the Knowledge of Good and Evil in the garden?

Why did God flood the earth? 

What does this act of judgment tell you about God?

In what ways do we see corruption and violence in our world today? How do we see it in our own lives? 

God, thank you for this time together, and for allowing us to begin this incredible journey through this story. Help us to reflect on what we’ve experienced today in the week ahead. And may we look forward to learning about more about you and your wonderful, mysterious plan for the world in the weeks to come. Thank you for being a God who is creative, powerful, and true to Your promises. Amen.

Part 2

Read Genesis 12–13; 15–17; 21–22;  32–33; 35; Romans 4; Hebrews 11 

Abraham left his homeland and a wealthy family business that was passed down from generations to follow God. How do think this would have been difficult? What did God give him in return?

What might God be asking you to give up to follow him?

The story said that Abraham was “righteous” in God’s sight? What do you think this means? Was Abraham perfect? How did he express doubt in God in this story? Can teenagers be righteous? How or why not? 

Why do you think God asked Abraham to sacrifice his son Isaac? What do you think Abraham—and Isaac– learned from this experience?

Because Jacob had shrewdly acquired Esau’s birthright and stolen their father’s blessing, Jacob feared his brother’s revenge. How did Jacob prepare for his meeting with Esau?

What attitude did Jacob have when he wrestled with the “man” who Jacob eventually realized was actually God?

Jacob’s name was changed to Israel...meaning “to struggle with God.” How do we “struggle” with God?  How might it be good to “struggle” in our faith? 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 12

The Apostles' Creed is one of the earliest "confessions" of faith that summarize the basic teachings of biblical Christian faith. Orthodox confessions are not meant to add to or replace scripture, but to summarize its teachings. They can be recited at will to remind us of the basics of the Christian faith. The Drummers "set the pace," reminders of what we believe by symbolizing the twelve doctrines summarized in the Apostles'


Creed: I believe in God the Father, maker of heaven and earth. I believe in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary. He suffered under Pontius Pilate, we crucified, died, and was buried. He descended into hell; the third day he rose from the dead. He ascended into heaven and sits at the right hand of God, the Father Almighty. He shall return to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, The holy Christian church, the communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And life everlasting.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 11

The eleven pipers piping stand for the eleven faithful Apostles.

12 Days of Christmas -Day 10

The ten lords a-leaping remind us of the Ten Commandments.

12 Days of Christmas - Day 9

Nine ladies dancing represent the nine fruits of the Holy Spirit----- love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. 

12 Days of Christmas - Day 8

The maids who milked the cows were the least of the servants in a home. Their job symbolized Christ's faithfulness even to us who don't deserve his love (Rom. 5:1-5).

The eight maids stand for the eight "beatitudes" or blessings listed in Matthew 5:3-10: Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted. Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth. Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they will be filled. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the merciful, for they will be shown mercy. Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called sons of God. Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.