Young Family
Pray It!
Guardian Angel (food) Cake From VibrantFaith@home
Did you know that on October 2nd we celebrate our guardian angels? God has provided each of us a guardian angel to guide and protect us every minute of the day. While decorating an angel food cake, teach your children a prayer to their guardian angel; a simple prayer they can start each day with, or offer up when they're afraid or need help. This is another way to address fears and to feel the joy of our faith in Jesus.
*This belief is anchored in some of the more than 300 references to angels in the Bible. Angels surround our life from infancy to death—see Matthew 18:10, Luke 16:22, Psalms 34:7, 91:10-13, Job 33:23-24.
Angel of God, My guardian dear
To Whom His love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
-OR-
Guardian Angel from heaven so bright,
Watching beside me to lead me aright,
Fold thy wings round me, and guard me with love,
Softly sing songs to me of heaven above. Amen.
Did you know that on October 2nd we celebrate our guardian angels? God has provided each of us a guardian angel to guide and protect us every minute of the day. While decorating an angel food cake, teach your children a prayer to their guardian angel; a simple prayer they can start each day with, or offer up when they're afraid or need help. This is another way to address fears and to feel the joy of our faith in Jesus.
- Gather your family in the kitchen with an angel food cake that you have made or purchased, along with a bowl or two of berries, and/or sprinkles or other decorations.
- Explain to your children that God has assigned each of us our very own guardian angel.* A guardian angel is like an invisible friend that is with us—all the time—to protect and guide us.
- Let them know whenever they are scared, worried or in need of a little extra encouragement, they can ask their guardian angel to send that message to God.
- Offer a few examples of when they might consider praying with their guardian angel (e.g. if they have a bad dream, before a test at school, when they wake up in the morning).
- Teach them a daily guardian angel prayer (see text below or write your own) one line at a time. After reciting a line to them, ask them to repeat it, then follow up by adding fruit or decorations to the angel food cake.
- By the time you finish the entire prayer, your cake should be deliciously covered and ready to enjoy. Top it with whipped cream and dig it!
*This belief is anchored in some of the more than 300 references to angels in the Bible. Angels surround our life from infancy to death—see Matthew 18:10, Luke 16:22, Psalms 34:7, 91:10-13, Job 33:23-24.
Angel of God, My guardian dear
To Whom His love commits me here
Ever this day be at my side
To light and guard
To rule and guide. Amen
-OR-
Guardian Angel from heaven so bright,
Watching beside me to lead me aright,
Fold thy wings round me, and guard me with love,
Softly sing songs to me of heaven above. Amen.
Read It!
One of our sessions in September focused on happiness and the joy of our faith in Jesus Christ. If we are worried, we cannot feel joyful. Jesus tells us not to worry, to trust in God. Read and pray the following scripture from Matthew.
Materials needed: One yard of rope, one piece of paper, pencil
Worry Knot from VibrantFaith@home
Materials needed: One yard of rope, one piece of paper, pencil
Worry Knot from VibrantFaith@home
- Begin in Prayer.
- Worry can make us sick, God. Help us to read your Word and learn how to handle our worries better. Keep us praying as we face the scary feeling of worry. Amen.
- Talk about what it means to worry. Write each person's name down the side of the paper. Use these questions to fill in each person's worst worry.
- Why do we worry?
- How do you know when you are worried?
- Who do you tell when you are worried?
- What is your worst worry?
- Read Matthew 6:25-34 from your Bible (or see the text). Underline things you sometimes worry about. Highlight words or phrases that explain why we should not worry. Read the highlighted parts a second time through.
- In ancient Greece, small stones were rubbed to produce good feelings and get rid of stress. We will adapt that practice for family. Tie one knot in your worry rope for each worry listed on your piece of paper.
- Stand in a circle and hold onto the rope. Say together,
- "We will not worry about tomorrow. And so we pray that we can stop worrying about _________________." End with a big AMEN!
- Put the rope on your meal table to help everyone remember not to worry. In a week or so, revisit your list of worries and the rope. Try untying a knot together when a worry ends.
Share It!
Let's share the work load at home and lighten the burdens of another in your family!
By Jolene Roehlkepartain
Who does most of the chores in your household? Too often, it’s one parent. Create family time by doing chores together.
Activity Plan
By Jolene Roehlkepartain
Who does most of the chores in your household? Too often, it’s one parent. Create family time by doing chores together.
Activity Plan
- Say this prayer aloud to begin:
- God, help each one of us to do our part for our family. Amen.
- Ask someone to read aloud Galatians 6:5 from your Bible (or see the text below). Discuss: What does it mean to bear your own load? What happens when people don't do their fair share of the work?
- Galatians 6:5
For each will have to bear his own load.
- Galatians 6:5
- Give each person a copy of the Family Chore Chart worksheet and a pen or pencil. Set aside the extra copy.
- Read through the list of chores together. Cross out any chores that don't apply. Which chores need to be added to the list? Add any additional chores at the end of the list next to "Other."
- As a family, talk about which chores each family member could do on which day this week. If you have more than one child, it's often helpful to assign two people to do one chore so they can work together, such as setting the table or emptying the dishwasher.
- Decide which person will do which chores for the next week. Some families find it easier for one person to do the same chore each day. Other families enjoy having one person set the table on Monday, another family member set the table on Tuesday, and so on.
- Note that some chores are ones that everyone will need to do, such as making the bed or, perhaps, clearing the table.
- Once you decide who will do which chores, take out the extra copy of the chart and write the name of the person responsible for each chore. Hang this copy of the chart in your kitchen or another prominent place. Finally, have each person cross out the chores on his or her copy of the chart for which he or she is not responsible. This will result in each family member having a unique chore chart—chores that are not marked out are the chores he or she needs to do.
- When possible, choose a time for all family members to do their chores each day. When everyone is doing chores at the same time, chores are more likely to get done—and family members have more fun. Think of chores as another way to have family time together.
- After one week, meet together and discuss: How did the chores go? What could we improve? Make a new family chore chart for the next week.
Do It!
Choose one or two of the tips below to work on together as a family. Some suggestions are provided next to many of these tips. Let's Do It!
Pope Francis' 10 Tips for a Happier Life
1. Live and let live.
"A Christian is never sad or bored. Rather the one that loves Christ is full of JOY and radiates JOY." Pope Francis
Pope Francis' 10 Tips for a Happier Life
1. Live and let live.
- Don't criticize your neighbor, or one another, because they don't do as you would do. We don't always know what's best for everyone! We can waste a lot of energy focusing on the splinter in another's eye and miss the plank in our own.
- pick apples and make a dessert for someone who is ill or an elderly neighbor
- offer to rake leaves, take a pet for a walk, play with a younger child
- make time for silence in your day; put on quiet music and invite everyone to close their eyes for silent time with God
- choose to drive the speed limit, move and walk more slowly, don't hurry small children
- children need to see parents playing in healthy ways, not always with alcohol or watching sports
- play family games like cards, checkers, AND video games (as a family)
- Make Sundays feel different than other days of the week by choosing special foods, activities ONLY done on Sunday (like church!), being together as a family
- I think Pope Francis is looking at the gangs and drugs that consume many young peoples lives. Most would work if they could find a job.
- Even the children in our homes need a meaningful job to do as part of a household. Help them to feel proud of their contribution to the family.
- children can help with gardening, pets, houseplants, etc.
- pick up litter wherever you see it; carry a garbage sack in the car for unexpected trash
- for every negative comment remove a marble (or coin) from a jar that is visible for all; at the end of the week establish a reward based on the number of marbles left in the jar. This includes negative comments aimed at one another!
- Especially in these political times, allow the "other party" to have their beliefs and ideals. They hold as strongly to their beliefs as you do to yours. Be respectful, even when you don't feel it in return.
- Peace begins with me! If we are doing most of the above tips we have begun a path to peace. Our October session will unpack this one more fully.
"A Christian is never sad or bored. Rather the one that loves Christ is full of JOY and radiates JOY." Pope Francis