Writer ~ Enthusiast ~ Ministry Leader ~
Nurturing and empowering children to stand firm on God's Word because the Kingdom of Heaven is theirs. (Matthew 5:10)

Friday, March 29, 2013

Forgiveness Friday: Good Friday


"You can make plans, but the Lord's purpose will prevail" Proverbs 19:21

 Today marks the birth of Christianity.  It is the most basic and crucial element of our history.  Jesus Christ in a moment of death and cruelty became our Salvation and Redeemer.  There is no greater example of forgiveness and one more chance.

As I reflect on the actions of the death of Jesus Christ, I'm passionately moved by His dedication and respect for His mother before He passed from this world.  He assured that she was recognized, honored, and taken care of for the rest of her life.

"While the soldiers were looking after themselves, Jesus’ mother, his aunt, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene stood at the foot of the cross. Jesus saw his mother and the disciple he loved standing near her. He said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” From that moment the disciple accepted her as his own mother."
John 19:24-27 (The Message)

Can you imagine the pain in her heart to not only know that this purpose had to be fulfilled, but that was her son?  Have you ever seen your child bullied, broken hearted, bruised, bleeding and sorrowful?  The smallest bleeding scrape on the knee can ignite a pain in a mother's heart that is indescribable.  Mary was a mom who couldn't soothe and help her son to feel better; she was incapable of such a task.  Jesus knew and understood her pain and desired to assure her that she would be OK. Not only that her time on Earth would be comfortable, but Mary now had the second chance to see her son in heaven.

From the heart of one mom to another. 

Thursday, March 28, 2013

Not a Soccer Mom, But A Church Mom


When I was rushing to leave a good friend's house one afternoon, she says "where are you headed off to?"
My answer, "I'm on my way to church; I have to pick up the boys from school, pick up dinner to eat in the car, then off to church for praise team dance rehearsal."
She laughs and adds, "you are the 'church mom' version of the 'soccer mom."

That conversation was nearly six years ago, and I remember it clearly.  I remember it well, because I have spent many hours, days, months, and years contemplating it's connotation for my life.  It puzzled me, because for a few moments in my life, I questioned whether or not I was pressuring my children into my interest.  Because, I was involved in multiple ministries in my church, did my children want to be as plugged-in to ministry as I was.  As a result of my confusion, I made the decision to pray and meditate on the commands of God's Word.

I was repeatedly led to:
"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it." Proverbs 22:6 (NLT)

"God blesses those whose hearts are pure, for they will see God." Matthew 5:8 (NLT)

"God has given each of you a gift from his great variety of spiritual gifts. Use them well to serve one another." 1 Peter 4:10 (NLT)

"And you must commit yourselves wholeheartedly to these commands that I am giving you today. Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up." Deuteronomy 6:6-7 (NLT)

Bible scripture commands that as a parent, I am to guide and teach my children they are designed to serve each other with a pure heart for their God-given purpose.  Each opportunity I have to plant a seed, it is the Holy Spirit who will see that seed continually fed so that the children will blossom according to God's Will for their lives.  Therefore, when given the option of 'busy obligations' in the community of faith, I will always elect to push them in the direction of purposeful service in building the Kingdom of Heaven.

My children have an opinion on all of the activities that they participate in.  As my little boys became teenagers, I saw their interest leading toward school extracurricular activities and peers; they developed a desire to expand interest and pursue community service to boost their college application.  But, their passions for the ministries they have loved since they were little boys has not diminished.  We continue to rush to praise dance, choir rehearsal, usher rehearsal, skit practice and bible study.

I encourage you to not loose heart when your peers are questioning all of your church obligations.  While they are loading children into their minivans for soccer practice, you continue to load your minivan with children on your way to church. For the benefits for keeping your children in church and fellowship with the faith community far out weigh the benefits of trophies and a pizza party.

As my fellow church mom announced one day in the parking lot as we were waiting on our girls to finish choir rehearsal, "I'm at church again, no place else I'd rather be." 




Wednesday, March 27, 2013

Today's Book Review: Veggie Tales Biblemania

My team and I barely finished a curriculum planning meeting for our children's church services once this book appeared.  One of our team members kept coming up with some fabulous ideas; and eventually, we all got curious as to where her research and ideas were coming from.  It was this book!  We continued to pass it around the table, and two people had already made plans to purchase this book.  One more book that will be excellent for your collection.


Amazon.com book description

Age range: 4 to 9

Astound kids (and grown-ups too!) with an entire book of amazing-but-true Bible facts, all hosted by our favorite VeggieTales characters. These little-known nuggets of truth include Bible wonders and miracles, facts about the human body, nature, creation, weapons, armor and much, much more.  Kids won't want to put down this seemingly endless encyclopedia of information as they discover fun facts, like the oldest person in the Bible, best fighter, biggest villain, longest drought, worst hail storm, people most talked about in the Bible, etc.  And they'll laugh at some of the zany Veggie facts included for fun!

Tuesday, March 26, 2013

Activity: What's Hiding in the Dark?

Bible focus point: God's love, Jesus, salvation, darkness versus light
Bible focus scripture: "Jesus spoke to the people once more and said, "I am the light of the world.  If you follow me, you won't have to walk in darkness, because you will have the light that leads to life."  John 8:12 (NLT)
Age recommendation: ages 3 to 12

What's Hiding in the Dark
created by Tarah Hutchinson



Materials:
Large black backpack (or similar deep bag)
Black teddy bear
Flashlight

Introduction:
Jesus told all the people who could hear that He had authority and power, when he said this sentence, read John 8:12.  The word darkness is used in the bible to represent the sins, evil and wrong doings of many people.  Then the bible uses the word light to represent all of the right, good, and shining things that people do.  Just like when you turn on a light switch to remove the darkness, Jesus came, like a bright light, to remove all the darkness of our hearts.

Instructions:
[This activity works best if you are able to dim the lights in the room (not complete darkness)].

1. Prior to the start of your introduction (so the children can't see).  Hide a black teddy bear in the bottom of the backpack.

2. Ask each child to look inside the dark bag and see if they can see what is hiding in the darkness.  Allow each child to respond.

You say:
There IS something hiding in the bottom darkness of this bag.  You can't see it because of the darkness.  This is similar to the darkness we don't know that we have in our hearts.  Perhaps, some of you may have dark wrong thoughts, you hide from your friends and family.  (Restrain from asking for an example.)  Now I want you to see what happens when I add light to the bottom of the bag.

Again, ask each child to look inside the bag as you shine a flashlight into the bag.  Prevent them from shouting out loud what they see in the bag.

You say:
There you see there is something here: a fluffy cuddly teddy bear!  Now is this bear evil, bad, or scary? Allow the children to respond.  The dark thing hiding in the darkness of the bag is found to be cute and cuddly when the light is shining on it.  Knowing who Jesus is and loving Him, does the same thing to our hearts.  When Jesus' light is shining in our lives and hearts, we are capable of being cute, cuddly, lovable, and precious to God.

Recognize the I Am Before I Am?

"Whether you think you can or you can't, you are right." Henry Ford
"A man is but the product of his thoughts, what he thinks, he becomes." Mahatma Gandhi
"Change your thoughts, and you change your world." Norman Vincent Peale

What is your affirmation statement? Have you created one for yourself?  http://freedictionary.com indicates: an affirmation is a statement of the existence or truth of something.  I remember hearing a sermon by Beverly Davis, Pastor of Women's Ministries of New Creation Church of San Diego, CA, and she stated "Who are you? Write it down and stick it on the mirror, so that it is the first thing you see in the morning."  It's an empowering thought to know that we can encourage and motivate ourselves to excel past the expectations of others.  Do you know the 'others' I speak of?  The 'others' are any person who reminds you what you are incapable of completing.

Henry Ford mass manufactured the motor vehicle.  Mahatma Gandhi led a nation to peace, inspired by non-violence; and Norman Vincent Peale generated a national, now international movement for positive thinking, because he wrote one book.  All three men understood their personal goals could be attained if they first believed in themselves.  I wonder, how often they had to remind themselves of who they were?  How often did they write and rewrite their affirmation statements?

If you want to linger on 'what' your affirmation should say, take a look at the affirmation statements of our GOD:

"I AM who I AM." Exodus 3:14 (NLT)
"Be still, and know that I am God!" (NLT)
"I am the way, the truth, and the life." John 14:6 (NLT)
"Yes, I am the vine; you are the branches.  Those who remain in me, and I in them, will produce much fruit.  For apart from me you can do nothing." John 15:5 (NLT)

Then take a look at who GOD says that you are:

"For I can do everything through Christ, who gives me strength." Philippians 4:13 (NLT)
"And we know that God causes everything to work together for the good of those who love God and are called according to his purpose for them." Romans 8:28 (NLT)
"But you belong to God, my dear children.  You have already won a victory over those people, because the Spirit who lives in you is greater than the spirit who lives in the world." 1John 4:4 (NLT)

Now, what is your affirmation statement?  If the I AM is before your "I am," then the possibilities are endless for those persons who seek to live according to the purpose of the I AM. 

"I am an excellent friend, teacher, nurturer, and encourager who gives of my self with the same naivety of the children I serve."  Tarah Hutchinson

I told you mine...post your affirmation in the comments below.  Thank you.

Sunday, March 24, 2013

The Triumphal Entry of Jesus


This lesson and discussion is not my own.  But, it is a wonderful way to discuss the Triumphal Entry of Jesus with the children of your lives.  Today is Palm Sunday, welcome this Holy Week with a brief talk over meal time or during a family outing.

I pulled this short talk from www.kidssundayschool.com:

Introduction:
Have you ever been in a place where someone famous was going to perform, perhaps a concert or a ball game? What did you do when the famous person finally arrived?

Every year the Jewish people celebrate Passover to remember the time God protected them from death during the tenth plague on Egypt. After that plague, the Pharaoh of Egypt freed all the Israelites from slavery. One year, as the people came to Jerusalem to celebrate the feast, they heard that their special King was also coming, so they all went out to the road to praise Him. How do you think they reacted when their King arrived?

Matthew 21:1-11 (The Triumphal Entry)

Discussion Questions:
1. What did Jesus say his disciples would find in the village? (Donkey and her colt)

2. How did the disciples prepare the donkey for Jesus? (They laid their cloaks or clothes on them)

3. What did the crowds spread on the road before Jesus? (Some laid cloaks, others branches)

4. What did the people shout? Why did they do this? (They shouted Hosanna, Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord! because they were full of joy.)

5. If you were among the crowds, how would you have shown your joy when you saw Jesus?

6. Why do you think Jesus was riding on a donkey? Why not a horse? (To show humility.)

Thursday, March 21, 2013

Forgiveness Friday: "Stay Out of My Room"

Big Brother: "Stay out of my room!"
Little Sister: "I just want to watch TV with you."
Big Brother: "You can't come in my room!"
Little Sister: "I'm telling Mom, you're being mean."
Big Brother: "Go ahead.  I'll tell her you can't come in my room!"
Little Sister: "MOM!"

I could hear the exact moment my daughter began to cry and march down the hallway to the living room, where I thought I was about to spend some quiet time in front of the television.  This is the loud conversation I heard late in the evening.  By time the two of them reached me, her tears were flowing really heavy.  After a few moments of drying her tears and calming him down, I asked him to sit down on the couch so we could talk.

"But Mom, she's always in my room taking things," was how he began our conversation.

Once I let him vent out his frustration, I brought to his attention that he said "she's always in my room taking things."  I shared with him that it sounded like he had made an invisible list of everything she had ever taken from his room.  I asked him if the list was important enough for him, that he would write down everything she had ever taken from his room.  Of course, he said "no." I didn't expect he wanted our conversation to turn into a writing assignment. 

Then I had asked him, "did you ever forgive her for the things she took?"
"Well, yeah" was the response.
"Then why can she never go back in your room, especially to just sit and watch TV?" 
Before he could answer my question, I said, "If you have forgiven her, why are you holding the memory of your 'taken' things against her?"

I offer you a similar question:
How often have you allowed the invisible list of sins against you or hurt feelings, punish the friends you have already forgiven?
Are you missing out on a love possibility, because you can't forgive and forget?

Forgiveness is hard.  If it was easy, there would be no need to talk about it.  If you are having a difficult time forgiving and forgetting, go to your Heavenly Father in prayer.  Seek the advice of your pastor, ministry leader, and auxiliary leader.  Remember, God wants to see you succeed.

"Don't copy the behavior and customs of this world, but let God transform you into a new person by changing the way you think.  Then you will learn to know God's will for you, which is good and pleasing and perfect."
Romans 12:2 (NLT)



Forgiveness Friday: Book, Jesus is My Special Friend

Jesus is My Special Friend
author, Susan S. Balika


Excerpt from the book:

"I have another friend.  His name is David.  David and I like to play games together.  We build roads in the sand and make garages from blocks. We pretend that David is the mechanic, and I am a race-car driver.  Sometimes we fight.  We get angry with each other.  David takes his big, yellow dump truck and goes home.  That makes me feel sad inside.  It is hard to say "I'm sorry.  But, I have a very special Friend."

I happily recommend this book, because it has a lot to offer.  It's an early reader book for ages 7-9, but many ages, preschool to lower middle grades, can enjoy the easy to understand message: "My special Friend is Jesus." I wanted to note it today, because of this short excerpt about the friend David.  The main character expresses how we feel when a friend doesn't let us ask for forgiveness, or forgive us.  We will always feel sad.  But, we have a special Friend who will never let us feel sad by not forgiving us, or allowing us to say "I'm sorry." 

Keep Your Feet Straight

 
"Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it."
Proverbs 22:6

In September of 2012, I ripped my Achilles tendon completing a weighted run.  The run was at an attempt to improve my health and outward appearance.  And, even though I'm still undergoing therapy and not now in the same physical shape I was in before the injury, I will continue to encourage physical fitness and improving YOU everyday.  Each week I complete two sessions with a physical therapist to gain the strength and flexibility in my foot, leg, and whole body.

Regularly during me sessions, I have to walk in a straight line across the room.  Almost every time, I hear my doctor say "Tarah, keep your foot straight."  Because, my tendon and muscles are weak in my right foot, I have the tendency to angle my right foot outwards 25 or 30 degrees.  I usually giggle and make her laugh, commenting "I'm just making sure you are on your toes."  But, this is a serious consequence of not using my muscles in that foot for almost six months.  My doctor explains to me: my body has created a new position in which to hold my foot, therefore, I have to work harder and think about walking in a straight line.

When I'm away from the physical therapy office participating in every day life, I find my self looking down at my foot to make sure it is straight.  If I'm walking through a parking lot, and there are painted white lines on the concrete or black top, I'll purposefully walk on those lines and keep my foot straight. I look a little weird to strangers (and friends).  Picture a woman, normal in appearance, looking down at her feet, and walking the lines in the elementary school parking lot.

I say all of this to encourage you to continue to push the children in your lives into the direction of the path God has prepared for them.  Just as I have to work harder to keep my foot straight on the line, so do our children.  It's a natural process for their feet to want to stray away from the path that God has prepared for them.  When veering away from their path, there is a consequence of becoming weak.  Encourage them to "keep your feet straight."  Remind them to read God's Word, pray to Him daily, and fellowship with like minded people.  Be their God-inspired therapist!



Tuesday, March 19, 2013

Word Find Game: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"

Bible focus points: Jesus, Messiah
Bible focus verses: "Then He asked them, "But who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Messiah, the Son of the Living God." Matthew 16:15-16 (NLT)
Age recommendation: ages 8 and up
 
Word Find Game: "Who Do You Say That I Am?"
created by Tarah Hutchinson

How many words can you find in
"JESUS IS GOD AND MESSIAH"

example: message
1.______________________________
2.______________________________
3.______________________________
4.______________________________
5.______________________________
6.______________________________
7.______________________________
8.______________________________
9.______________________________
10._____________________________

With Resurrection Sunday celebrations right around the corner, now is the perfect time to strike up a conversation at home or in a small group answering the question "who is Jesus?" When I ask this question I get the following answers a lot: the Son of God, a special friend, and He died on the cross.  But most of the time, I am longing to hear the responses: Savior, Messiah, Redeemer.  My assumption is 'you are too.'

In the simple statement "Jesus is God and Messiah," you have already given Jesus two names that can be elaborated and reviewed. 
         - Jesus is God's Son who became God on Earth with us.
         - Messiah is the "Anointed One" sent by God to pay for our sins.
         - As our Savior, He rescued us from the dangers and destruction of sin.
         - As our Redeemer, He paid an ultimate price to reconnect us to God.

Remind the children that recognizing who Jesus was, was so important that He gave the disciples themselves a little pop quiz.

I've seen children have a blast with this fast activity.  Once time runs out (time it to create more of a challenge), they groan and moan that they had more words in mind.  I myself only came up with 20 words.

Today's Book Review: Every Which Way to Pray

My Book Description:

When the entire month's focus is prayer and the Bible story lesson for the day is Noah and the Ark, the best option for a story book to end with is Everyday Zoo: Every Which Way to Pray by Joyce Meyers.  The children got a kick out of all the animal character species dressed in every day people's clothing.
I waited until the last 15 minutes of our 1 hour and 45 minute children's church session to read this book to our ages 4-5 group.   That is a decision I quickly regretted.  My feet were beginning to ache, and it was becoming overwhelmingly difficult to create a fun and quirky voice for all 7 of the characters in this story.  But, by the end of this story each child could identify a place and time to pray, plus some of the words that can be used in a prayer. I definitely would recommend this book for ages 4-7, it's in a language and environment that the children can grasp onto to.

Book Description by Amazon.com

Every Which Way to Pray, the first children's book written by New York Times bestselling author Joyce Meyer, is based on her book The Power of Simple Prayer and introduces a whimsical cast of Everyday Zoo characters, a group of quirky animals who interact and explore life lessons, together in their fun-filled community. Readers will discover that prayer is simply talking to God like a friend and should be the easiest thing we do each day.

Friday, March 15, 2013

Forgiveness Friday: Banana Wall Edible Craft

Bible focus points: forgiveness, prayer
Bible focus verses: “If you forgive those who sin against you, your heavenly Father will forgive you. But if you refuse to forgive others, your Father will not forgive your sins. Matthew 6:14-15 (NLT)
Age recommendation: ages 6 and up

Banana Wall Edible Craft
(Peanut Butter and Banana Smoothie)
Created by Tarah Hutchinson

Get excited because this is an opportunity for the children to play with their food and enjoy a healthy snack!
 

Note: This activity requires parent assistance due to the use of kitchen utensils and electronics.

Materials (Ingredients):
plate
spoon
butter knife
blender
1 small banana (or 1/2 a large banana)
1 Tbsp. peanut butter
1 Tbsp. honey
1 cup skim milk

You say:
 Share with the children that God is a forgiving God, and wants to forgive us daily for our sins and wrong doings.  Provide an example of something you did yesterday or today that requires some Godly forgiveness.  Each time we ask for forgiveness for ourselves or for help to forgive someone who has done something wrong to us, we are saying a prayer.  We pray every time we talk to God.

We are going to build a wall out of our bananas.  And, this wall will show what it is like when we do not forgive.

Instructions:
Peel and cut the banana into 1/2 inch segments.  Measure and set aside the peanut butter, honey, and skim milk for easy access.
 
Have the children line 3 or 4 banana segments in a row on the plate.  Then, layer a row of peanut butter on top of those bananas (like you were a brick layer).  Continue to layer bananas and peanut butter until you have used every banana segment.

You say:
Have the children imagine that each banana represents a sin that someone else has done to them and needs to be forgiven.  Picture themselves on one side of the wall and God on the other.  God can't see you, and God can't give you forgiveness, love and blessings; because, there is a wall in the way.

Now, pick up the spoon and use it like a microphone.  Point out 1 or 2 banana segments and speak into your "microphone" like you are talking to God, ask God to help you forgive that person who has sinned against you.  After you have said the prayer, pick up the banana segment and peanut butter and place it into the blender.

Once the wall that separated you from God is gone (and in the blender), you can now receive God's forgiveness, love, and blessings.

Instructions:
Add the remaining ingredients to the blender.  Turn on the blender and enjoy your treat! 




Forgiveness Friday: Move to Forgive

These scriptures refer to actively and purposefully forgiving:
Mark 11:25
Ephesians 4:27, 31, 32
Romans 5:5; 12:10, 16-18
Philippians 1:9,11; 2:2
John 1:9
1 Peter 3:8,11,12

I've learned that accepting my role as a leader and developing into the Godly servant leader I'm called to be; first, I began with ME recognizing my weakness: forgiveness.  In the past, I would casually list the names of those persons who had sinned against me, and I would say "I'll answer for not forgiving them once I get to heaven."  I've said the prayer listed below.  I've cried my eyes out for the bitterness and hurt I carried wastefully for so many years.

I'm grateful that God has forgiven ME, because I've forgiven them.  Today I am FREE.

The following is an excerpt from Prayers That Avail Much by Germaine Copeland

"Father, I repent of holding on to bad feelings toward others.  I bind myself to Godly repentance and loose myself from bitterness, resentment, envying, strife, and unkindness in any form.  Father, I ask Your forgiveness for the sin of ____________.  By faith, I receive it, having assurance that I am cleansed from all unrighteousness through Jesus Christ.  I ask You to forgive and release all who have wronged and hurt me.  I forgive and release them.  Deal with them in Your mercy and loving-kindness."

Thursday, March 14, 2013

Today's Book Review: Hands On Bible

Book Description from amazon.com:
Jesus taught with hands-on lessons and illustrations. The Hands-On Bible uses the same experience-based learning to communicate God’s Word in an active, understandable way. This new edition features updated tip-ins, a more portable size for kids, an attractive cover, and online parenting helps. With hundreds of fun, memorable activities (A “Do-It” activity in EVERY feature!) and the full New Living Translation text, the Hands-On Bible is packed with activities and experiences that invite kids to crawl inside the Scriptures and “do” God’s Word!
 
 
My description:
This is my favorite children's Bible.  I'll have to take a photo of my torn, taped, scribbled in, well used copy one day.  I even use it in the main sanctuary (when I get to go to grown up church).  But beware parents who are witnessing the blessings of long life...the print is really small.  This Bible is for ages 6 to 12.


Why Not Me?

At first glance, some of you may wonder..."what is she wearing?"  Well, one goal in children's ministry is: to incorporate the Word of God in a fun-filled creative way that is age appropriate for young children under the age of 13.  On this day, we were celebrating the Most High King who sits on the throne. I figured, "why can I not be a queen for the day?"  Specifically, I chose to be a chess queen.  The children really enjoyed recognizing the authority and dominion of God, while playing a game of chess and seeing me in this costume.  I'm looking forward to wearing it again.

I recall this day, because I've been recruiting new parent volunteers for children's church, and I find myself responding to a question I have asked myself many times: "I don't know what I have to offer, are you sure you want me?"  It appears most of us 'little servants' see our worth according to our skills, talents, position, past successes, past failures, losses and relationships.  That thought process is wrong.  In February, I received this quote:

"Think of the self that God has given as an acorn.  It is a marvelous little thing, a perfect shape, perfectly designed for its purpose, perfectly functional.  Think of the grand glory of an oak tree.  God's intention when He made the acorn was the oak tree.  His intention for us is '...the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ.'  Many deaths must go into our reaching that measure, many letting-goes.  When you look at the oak tree, you don't feel that the loss of the acorn is a very great loss.  The more you perceive God's purpose in your life, the less terrible the losses seem." -Elisabeth Elliot

Instead of immediately believing we are insignificant, consider "Why not me?" Let's go parent volunteers!