February
Discovering God:  God’s love never changes.                                                          
                                                                                                                Bible Themes:

                                                                                                                Very Special Friends – Disciples              

                                                                                                                Miracle at the Wedding

Fruit of the Spirit:  Love                                                                     The Hole in the Roof

                                                                                                                The Story of Two Houses

Bible Verse: “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

February 14, 2012

Hello Everyone,

Today we spent a little time in Chapel, but we’re hoping we might get Pastor Tom this week for chapel – we’ll see.  His mom is still not doing great.  Please keep his family in your prayers.  

Anyway – we reviewed how Jesus taught us to pray.  The disciples taking notice that Jesus would often be found off by himself, praying.  Since he did it so often, they started to think maybe they should as well???  J

In asking Jesus how to pray, they learned to acknowledge God’s sovereignty over everything; to ask that their daily needs be met; to be forgiven and given the strength to forgive others.  They asked to be protected from the temptation of sin.

Every morning when the children come to the school, we have that morning song and prayer time.  It is such an easy example of talking to God.  I treasure it always and I hope that it will be something that stays with your children as they grow older.

There is comfort in prayer.  There is peace.  And it doesn’t have to be difficult.

February 10, 201

Dear Parents,

This week we had been scheduled to have Pastor Tom visit us for Chapel and that had to be cancelled. But we still had Chapel. And it was a perfect example of the need for prayer.

I told the kids that Pastor Tom couldn't come this week because his mom was in the hospital and he needed to be with her. And we talked about what Jesus had to say about prayer.

We talked about 3 things this Chapel time:

1. Jesus loves children.

2. Children are so loved in heaven that angels are assigned to watch over them.

3. That when something worries us, we can talk to God - we can pray to God about it.

We prayed for Pastor Tom's mom. :)

You can encourage your child to pray when there are moments that overwhelm them. We all have those moments of needing to find a safe, quiet place that we meet God in and experience His great love for us.

Praying that your February will be filled with love.

 

February 4, 2012

I'm sitting at my desk, watching kids and dads come in and out of the school.  It's a Saturday and we're having our annual Dad's Day!

Paired up, dads and kids wander from class to class, building and experimenting.  Eating donuts.  Lots of donuts.  Now, I'm usually a big proponent of eating healthy food for children, but sometimes there just has to be a donut in your life - today called for them.

In other news, we've been learning some stuff about Jesus in our Chapel Times.  We learned that Jesus did not stay a baby in a manger, but grew as a boy who loved to talk to everyone about God, His Father.  We learned about Jesus' cousin, John who ate grasshoppers and honey in the desert and who liked things to be quiet so he could listen for God's voice.  And through John, Jesus was baptized, with God sending the sign of a dove to say that He was pleased with His son, Jesus. 

And finally this past week we learned about Jesus calling his friends to be his disciples, to follow him and help him tell everyone about God's great love for them.

This coming week, Pastor Tom will join us for Chapel in the classrooms and play some fun songs on his guitar.  As we enter the middle of February we will be learning about Jesus' ministry and the way he taught people how to love God and to show love to one another.

 “As I have loved you, so you must love one another.” John 13:34

It's a good thought in February, isn't it?  Love? 

:) Mrs. Shaules

***************************************************************************************************************************************

****************************************************************************************************************************************

December 5, 2011

1,2,3.  Breathe in.  Breathe out. 

It's just December, right?  Why does December send us all into a tailspin?  We do struggle to hold onto our joy?  Where's the peace in this blessed season?

It's an overwhelming blur of company parties, house cleaning, decorating, forced hospitality, and shopping.  Is that where the peace goes?  Why do some people revel in the holidays and why do we resent that?

Let me go back to 'peace'.  Breathe in.  Breathe out. 

I think of that peaceful image of a stable in Bethlehem on a starry night.  How did Mary know peace?  Feeling labor pains as she sat on a donkey, and understanding that her son - God's son would be born in a lowly stable.  I think I might be stressed out if that happened to me.  Wrapping the son of God in humble strips of gathered up clothing.  Understanding the reality of the Christmas traditions we've all heard for years, makes me sympathetic to how,  a first time mother, let alone the mother of God, would feel.  OVERWHELMED AND NOT QUALIFIED!

How did Mary do it?  How was she able to welcome the shepherds to worship her son?  How was she able to be gracious?  Well, I don't really know.  Except...

There is a peace that passes understanding.  Jesus says, 'Come to me, everyone who is tired and feels weighed down.  I will give you peace.'

Jesus is our Prince of Peace - it's one of His many titles.  It is something that cannot be taken away from Jesus.  He claimed it.  He has the authority to pass it down to us.  I choose to accept that peace.  I choose to remind myself that I can be peaceful.  I choose it today. 

PEACE!

:)   Mrs. Shaules
Preschool Director
"Developing a joyful curiosity...joyfully discovering God."

November 16, 2011

Listening to God.  That is what we heard last week about Samuel as a young child. Samuel learned to be tuned into God's voice as a young child.  Speed through Samuel's life to a pivotal moment and task that God assigned to Samuel. 

God assigned Samuel the job of anointing the next king of Israel. 

And Samuel had grown so used to conversing with God, that while he looked at the sons of Jesse, he was consulting God, 'Is this the one?' 

Samuel met six of Jesse's sons and finally had to ask Jesse if he had any other sons, because God wasn't giving Samuel the go ahead.  It was the improbably youngest son, David - that was who God wanted to rule. 

A simple shepherd, the youngest of seven sons - who would think that God would use David?  Who could know that Samuel would have been prepared by God so many years before? 

Isn't it amazing to consider?  Amazing to know that God might call us to listen so that greatness would come about...that God might ask US to be part of the story. 

:) I like to think of that. 

Blessings! 

ps...looking forward to a great Thanksgiving Feast with the kids next Monday and Tuesday!  Please make sure you turn in your child's rsvp and $2 to your child's teacher. 

November 8, 2011,

Dear Parents,

What a fun couple days it's been at chapel this week.  Imagine 40 squirming bodies, bursting with questions...

We started with some songs that the kids love and know the words and motions to already.  Then we got into the story of Samuel hearing God's voice.  But first we had to find out about his mother Hannah. 

Hannah had been praying for a baby boy for years, day and night, night and day.  All she wanted was to be a mother.  Eli, the high priest saw the mother's heart within her and was moved to encourage her that God heard her prayers, that God would answer the desire of her heart.

Sure enough - God did listen.  Hannah was given a baby boy, Samuel. 

In gratitude to God, Hannah brought Samuel to Eli for training and teaching.  It is during this training that Samuel learned to hear the difference between God's voice and man's voice. 

Three times Samuel thought that Eli called to him during the night.  Samuel kept waking Eli to ask him what he needed, what was wrong?  Eli kept telling Samuel there was nothing wrong - go back to sleep.  Finally, Eli understood that God was talking to Samuel, that indeed Samuel was rather special. 

He told Samuel to go back to bed and if he heard the voice again, answer with, 'Speak Lord, your servant is listening.' 

And that is how Samuel learned the difference between God's voice and man's voice. 

:)  How quiet must the night be for us to hear God's voice?  How to shut out all the other voices, distractions, how do we find faith to believe it is God's voice? 

Shhhhhhhhhhhhh...I'll be quiet now, so we can all listen.

:)

Serving Christ by serving our families,

Mrs. Shaules
Preschool Director
"Developing a joyful curiosity...joyfully discovering God."