One of my all time favorite resources is called Teaching Tolerance. Teaching Tolerance is published four times a year by the Southern Poverty Law Center. (www.teachingtolerance.org) This magazine never misses a way to teach children, families, schools and churches about bullying, diversity or acceptance.
This is not a church publication. It would be considered secular. However, the topics are timely to what is happening in churches. The materials and curriculum can be used in many ways in youth groups and upper elementary. Materials are free when requested.
Try it out and see how the stories, DVD’s, curriculum and recommended books might help with your home school, faith community or as a grand parent.

When I think of awakening I think of the possibilities of a new day. This picture is not from the faith garden but with the sand, water, waves, trees, boats at the beginning of day, it excites me in new ways.

Since it has been published, I’ve been carrying around “Awaken” a preaching devotion/resource. I love this resource. It too, excites me about new possibilities. It is designed to be a visual and text exploration of the revised common lectionary. That’s a lot of words to mean, a way to re-imagine texts through words and art. I use it as a daily devotion. This helps me to see how others view texts and then agree or disagree.

Usually Awaken keeps me thinking beyond what I have learned. That’s a real gift. The art empowers me to think of new possibilities and the ideas for interpretation bring new avenues of pursuit to well known texts in the Bible.

Check it out at www.logosproductions.com
Check under sermon preparation section. Even if you are not preparing a sermon, be ready to think! Right now there is an offer for a free issue!

Sometimes the smallest thing can make us stop and think again. It’s good to look for the mini blooms that tell us to pause and think about God. Look at this Johnny Jump up bloom. I almost missed it. Once I saw it, stopped and captured it as a photo to share, I can’t stop thinking about it. You could say it has “jumped” into my thoughts as I read, write and work.

Here’s a mini resource that has a powerful impact. If you are waiting for an appointment, waiting for a ride or waiting for any reason, this is the book for you. Take this mini Bible for children and families (http://www.ubah.com/AFF11366 )out of your pocket and choose a story. I mean really choose it. Just close your eyes and open the book and read what you see. Stop and think about what your read. Look at the pictures, the border of the pages and the words. Keep thinking.

There is power in small things that make us stop and think. I’m betting the story and the visuals will stay with you and you will think about it all day.

Every once in awhile I fall in love with a book. Usually the books I fall in love with, have a story behind them. The author of God’s Echo is Sandy Eisenberg Sasso. Sandy is a rabbi, an author, a mother and a grand mother. Her children’s books are a gift to the world of faith formation. But today I want to talk about her book God’s Echo.

God’s Echo was written for a grandson. In the Jewish tradition, this was a dedicated to her grandson. The gift of God’s Echo is a way of passing on wisdom through the gift of writing. It doesn’t mean we all have to write to our grand children, but it means that when we pass on stories and use our God given strengths to gift our grand kids rather than the latest “must have “ toy, we are teaching as we give. In the case of God’s Echo, Sandy passed on the story of midrash.

Look for a way to share your strengths with your grandkids. Send sewing or a wooden game. Send a poem you wrote or a picture you took and then framed. Send something that taught you! Do you have a story to share about when you were the same age?

Thanks, Sandy for teaching us to be better grand parents.

Every once in awhile there is a resource that can help us all be better in ministry. feator.org is such a resource.

If you are looking for resources for parent handbooks or blessings of the backpacks or even worship music, this wonderful gift will help you be better in ministry.

The Evangelical Lutheran Church of America uses it as an online resource center. This is much more economic than the room in a regional office people have to visit to get resources. But the resources are worldwide. And when you spend some time hunting this resource, you will find gems of information.

Do you want a book to study or child safety plan? Do you want a new idea for fall programming. You will find it here at feautor.org.
Enjoy!

I often wonder at the qualifiers we put on the word “worship”. When we talk about children and worship or music and worship or contemporary worship or traditional worship, it makes me think that worship is a God word and the qualifiers are our human desire to know ahead what will happen during worship. We know that worship isn’t about what we get. Don’t we?

For resources that help families understand the long history of worship and the components I suggest these materials.

Worship for Life, website to check it out http://www.worship4life.net/ This could be used in congregations, families or home schools. You will learn lots by reading the history context of worship. The entire program comes on a DVD or you can order just certain units according to your needs. Order from http://www.logosproductions.com

Teaching children about holiness is difficult because they come from such a different viewpoint than adults. Here are some resources that although they are not called “Koran” or “Bible” help children understand the holiness of the meaning of texts.

Muslim Child: Understanding Islam through Stories and Poems, by Rukhsana Khan, Albert Whitman & Company
This beautiful book was written to educate everyone about the life and message of Islam. It brings together messages of all faiths while teaching the basics of Islam. The book is worth the price just for the poem “One Big Family” found on page 96.

The Jesus Storybook Bible: Every story whispers his name, by Sally Lloyd-Jones, Zonderkidz.
This lovely little storybook delights readers in the messages in both the Old Testament and the New Testament. The illustrations are simple and fun. My favorite readings are “The Story and the Song” and “The Friend of little children.”

There are several good story books to talk about how our faith grows. One is called The God Seed by Ester Armstrong. This great little book talks about how we are all born with a seed of faith and we grow at our own pace. www.quaker.org.nz/publications/books-children is where this little gem is available for kids of all ages AND adults.

Another great book to sit and read together is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney. This is available at online book stores and tells a story of hope, growth and the beauty in the world.

As always, have fun reading and exploring together as families.