Oli's On Her Way!!!

I'll be publishing a fantasy fiction for tweeners, titled, Oli and the Prophets of Uncommon Cents.  Stonehouse Ink will publish my novel, they're estimating  six to seven months before it's out.

It's an edgy novel about a young girl, Oli, and five very uncommon characters who journey through a series of exasperating events together.  Neither Oli or her five friends are ordinary; collectively, their characters vary from eccentric to pragmatic.  The six friends lead each other through situations where the faint-hearted might buckle, but together they discover something life changing about self worth, integrity and value.

In every exciting story there's a villain, you'll be surprised to discover who it is in this story...

Sunday School

I'm thinking of a name change for one of the most traditional kid's church events ever...Sunday School. What about simply calling it, Fun-Day Place??
Perhaps we've outlived the traditional, "Sunday School", experience. What I think we really want kids to have is a correlation between Sunday School, as a Godly learning experience, and being loved in a fun and happy place.  If we allow our children to love the time spent in church then they'll hunger to come back again and again. 
Like us as adults, kids long to be loved.  If we placed as much emphasis on loving our students as we do on the lessons we plan to teach them then I think we'd be well on our way to a successful Fun-Day Place. Even if we only get a short 15 minute lesson in before their little legs and arms started itching to move and run, then we've accomplished 15 minutes of biblical learning.  We can spend the rest of the hour applying our short lesson into the games, craft, laughter and play we initiate. Don't let your little students leave Fun-Day Place this week without giving them a hug and letting them know you care deeply for them!

Name Your Families Favorite Book

Family devotional  time doesn't have to be a drudgery, actually, it shouldn't be!!  Try reading a book together and see how a great story invites great conversation.  Every good Children's, Tweener or Young Adult book teaches a lesson, the characters of the story serve as "surrogate" subjects for your child to live through.  Ask them questions like, what would you do if you were the character, or, do you agree with the lessons learned by the characters, or, if you could rewrite the story what would you change?

Make yourself transparent in family discussion time, answer the same questions you ask. Children learn more by what they see than what they hear. Show them what transparency looks like, they'll feel more comfortable in discussions at school or church because they watched you.

Recommend a family friendly book! 
My recommendation is Hatchet, a definite MUST READ, (and a true story).

Have Map, Will Travel

Yeah!! I'm nearly finished with my first LAF Lessons series, Have Map, Will Travel.  This is going to be a hoot for families who like to journey through life together.  This series is even great for Kid's Church leaders or Sunday School teachers.  You'll find all kinds of cool stuff in each of the three books.

The exercises in the lessons are designed to build a learning structure where parents, (or group leaders), will feel equipped, informed and confident to lead.  By coaching parents, and adults with scriptural tools and group questions, these activities will reach all learning styles.  They are pack full of fun and interesting tidbits about the Bible and today's world.  With interactive exercises and word games every page will be a kick.

 

If you're interested, go to my website and take a look at the free pages.  You can download them and have some face time with your kiddos.  Don't be afraid to answer a few of the questions yourselves; show your kids how to be transparent, they'll get a kick out of your answers!!