What will make this Christmas memorable?

The little things help define your family’s sense of identity and create traditions that will be passed on through the years. Slow down and make memories with those you love most!

Reminisce with Pictures or Videos -Get out the pictures of past holidays and reminisce. Of course, popcorn is a must.

Group Baking- Prepare a meal with the whole family. Gather easy recipes and give everyone a part in the process. You may discover a chef in midst.

Game Night- Google “Minute to Win It” games and select several to play. This will be a favorite for everyone.

Snow Day-Have an indoor snowball fight. Cover the furniture with sheets so it looks like snow, and roll up socks for snowballs.

What does Thanksgiving mean for your family? Football games, lots of food and Grandma’s house? This year begin a new tradition with an old story told about the Pilgrims. It was very cold that first winter and there was little food. Some days they only had five kernels of corn to eat. Soon their crops began to grow and they had plenty. Every Thanksgiving thereafter, the Pilgrims placed five kernels of corn beside their plate to remind them of their blessings.

The five kernels represented:

The beauty of God’s creation, especially in the fall

The love of each other

The love of family

Friends

Freedom

An idea for your family is to put five pieces of candy corn in a snack size Ziploc bag and share this story with the ones at your Thanksgiving meal. Include the five blessings in prayer for the meal and encourage family members to add to the list.

Fall is here and school is in full swing. Have you already heard these comments? “Mom they won’t play with me” or “That kid is so mean.” It is hard to get along with others, especially when others are not very nice!

Remember the Golden Rule? “So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you.” Wow, teaching our children to put love into action when others do not deserve it is an awesome task. Our job as Christians is to leave the world a better place just by being here. God wants us to spread a little love as we go about our day.

Give your child this challenge: Make the Golden Rule for School something to “measure” your love for God and others!

Any kid knows about Knock-Knock jokes. They have been around forever and most of them are not even funny! Well, did you know that October 31st is National Knock-Knock Day? Now that sounds like fun.

Fun is one of the first words you should think of to describe your family. You should have fun together. Laughter should fill your home. In today’s world that will not happen unless God is the center of your household. Invite Him to be the focus and then the joy will flow!

Now, to find those jokes, go to www.jokesbykids.com. Here’s one for you:

Knock-knock. Who’s there? Tank. Tank who? Tank goodness there isn’t a National Knock-Knock Week!

What if I told you there was a well-researched and statistically proven program that can:

increase the average life expectancy of your children by 8 years?

significantly reduce their use and risk from Alcohol, Tobacco and Drugs?

dramatically lower their risk of suicide?

help them rebound from depression 70% faster?

dramatically reduce their risk for committing a crime?

improve their attitude at school and increase their school participation?

improve their performance in college and lessen problems with college-age substance abuse?

reduce their risk for rebelliousness?

reduce the likelihood that they would binge drink in college?

improve their odds for a “very happy” life?

provide them with a life-long moral compass?

and get them to wear their seatbelts more often?

Is there such a program? Yes, there is, and it is supported by research from Duke University, Indiana University, The University of Michigan, Center for Disease Control, Barna Research Group, numerous independent studies, and the National Institute for Healthcare Research.

How much would a program like this be worth to you? What if I told you it was free, and only took about 2 hours a week? The program is called “active church participation.” In study, after study, after study, children who actively engage in a faith community on a regular basis are rewarded with SIGNIFICANTLY reduced likelihood of problems and risks, and significantly improved odds of a happier, healthier, longer life.

These studies show the same results for adults as well. To increase the odds of receiving these results, you can’t wait. According to a Barna Research Group study, adults who attended church regularly as children are nearly three times as likely to be attending a church today as their peers who avoided church during childhood (61% to 22%, respectively). In other words, parents who truly want the best for their children should get their children involved at church now and regularly.

To view the sources of these statistics, visit www.sundaysoftware.com/stats.htm.