I love to bake. To me it’s a relaxing way to show my love to others. Usually, I am a fairly decent baker. Last week though, I was tired and a bit distracted when I tried to make a batch of cranberry scones. I grabbed the bread flour instead of the normal self-rising flour I use in that recipe. I didn’t realize my mistake until too late, but decided to bake them anyway. Let’s just say the scones which are normally light and fluffy looked and tasted more like bricks. The absence of the leaven or rising agent made a huge difference!
There is a great scripture you can use while baking bread with your kids that can teach them a lot about the ability they will have to hide their sins. Find a simple bread recipe that calls for yeast (fast-rising yeast is the best if you can find it). Have your kids watch as the little granules of yeast foam when added to warm water or milk and sugar.
When your children are babies, let’s face it. You are so tired you can’t think about the future. As they grow older and more mature, many parents shift back and forth between degrees of “I can’t wait until they are grown” and “Please make time stand still. They are growing up too quickly.” Your thoughts of parenting adult children are few and far between (and the few you have are probably very unrealistic!).
Let’s be honest. Thanksgiving prayers and sharing can become a bit routine over the years. Sometimes, it may seem the thanks to God are standing in the way of all of that good food you are about to enjoy. You may also have people at your table whom you haven’t seen in months or not know well at all. Why not switch things up a bit and make the mealtime conversation a prayer of sorts to God and have fun reconnecting in the process?
“Your word is a lamp for my feet, a light on my path.” (Psalm 119:105 NIrV) Children have a hard time understanding this verse for a lot of reasons. It’s a crucial verse for them to understand though, as you attempt to teach your children things that will strengthen their faith.
If you have payed even the slightest attention to the news for the last year, you know there are a lot of hurting people in the world today. Many are acting out in anger. Others in despair. God calls us to love others by serving them and sharing our faith, but what do we teach our kids about how to do that in practical ways?