Cousin Week - Paths of Righteousness

This day with the grandchildren, our lesson was from:

Psalm 23:2-3 New International Version (NIV)

     He makes me lie down in green pastures,
He leads me beside quiet waters,
      He refreshes my soul.
He guides me along the right paths
    for His name’s sake.

It was a good day to walk on the path by the college.

God has a path for each of us, the "Halacha" or "way to walk" marked out for us.

Sometimes we need the encouragement from a friend.

At times the kids complained about how long it was.

Our own "halacha" may seem weary and long.

 At times, we aren't sure which path to take.  

Your own ears will hear Him. Right behind you a voice will say, “This is the way you should go,” whether to the right or to the left.  Isaiah 30:21

Kobi was getting mighty thirsty.  He was so happy to find a stream to refresh himself in!

"He leads me beside quiet waters, He refreshes my soul."

 Thirsty souls of men and women can only be satisfied by God. 
"I AM the Living Water" Jesus said.  Drink deeply!

 He sure looks funny!!  But he was cool!

 We need to stay on the path.  If we would have gone off here, we would have fallen down a cliff.  Keep your eyes on the Shepherd who will lead you.  

 His Word is a "guardrail" for us, protecting us.  

 As sheep have 4 chambers and regurgitate their food, chewing on their cud for a long time, we need to "chew" on His Word.  

(later we watched the video of the Regurgitator. That is pretty incredible! but gross!)

We need to meditate on what He is saying to us.  Think of it, over and over (regurgitate) Listen to what God has to say.  Obey Him and follow Him.

 At times we may need to help "pick up" one who is weary.

When we got home, Kobi needed a bath!  Doesn't he just look pathetic?  We can look pretty pathetic too, but God "washes" us with His forgiveness!

Only the Shepherd can help sheep be free of anxiety.  Sheep cannot lie down when they are upset or frightened.  Sheep will only lie down when they are content and at peace.  The Lord tells us that we should be content in Him and not to worry.  He WILL take care of us!

Cousins' Week: Coronado and Salina Waterpark

After our lesson on The Good Shepherd and lunch, we took Kobi to the Friesens to be "puppysat".  We took along his toys.

Kobi was sniffing around, checking out their home when we left him.

Our first afternoon excursion was to Coronado Heights.

Coronado Heights is a hill northwest of Lindsborg, about 45 minutes north of us.  It is alleged to be near the place where explorer Francisco Vasquez de Coronado gave up his search for the seven cities of gold and turned around to return to Mexico.  1540-1542

In 1915, a professor at Bethany College in Lindsborg found chain mail from Spanish armor at the Sharps Creek site, an Indian village excavation site a few miles southwest of the hill.  

This "castle" was built on top of the hill in 1936 as a project of the Works Progress Administration, that employed millions of job-seekers.

"Elijah, you should go check out those buildings!" 

(They were bathrooms, but Papa didn't tell him that and made it sound like they were really interesting buildings to see!)  

You can sort of see him there, just a little disappointed.  Ha!

Can't you just imagine what it must have been like to explore this place back in the 1500's?!

"Let's hang over the edge!"

(Just fooling you, Mamas.  There wasn't much of a drop.  

We were watching over your precious babies!)

After exploring, we drove on to the Salina Waterpark.

The "toilet bowl" was pretty fun for 3 of the kids and also Papa!

Claire loved the Lazy River and also this slide.

We could have stayed much longer, but needed to get back to Kobi.

The Friesen Puppysitting Service did a great job!

After supper, I took Claire to the splashpark nearby.

And then I took her to the first home she ever lived in!

Sure wish they still lived close by!!

Cousins' week - The Lord is my Shepherd

 On Monday morning, Jill and Adam left for Colorado.  Cousins' week would now really begin!

 Silly waves good-bye!  (we started this tradition when the kids were little so they wouldn't be so sad about their parents leaving, or us leaving them.)  Claire didn't get in this picture, but as soon as the parents were out of sight, she was inside getting out her horses that she got last night at Target.

She painted for awhile and then we called all the children to the "shepherd's fold" for our lessons.  We decided that this week our theme study would be about the Good Shepherd.

God IS our Good Shepherd!  What does the Shepherd do?  He takes care of sheep.

He takes care of us!

Sheep can not take care of themselves.  They are helpless without the Shepherd.

Are the sheep in charge? NOPE!  They wouldn't do a good job of that!  And we also are not in charge, even if we think we are!  We are in the care of the Shepherd.  

He knows us better than anyone else does.  He knows us intimately and He is crazy over us (imagine!).  He will search and rescue the lost one.  He sings over us (like David sang to his sheep).

Zephaniah 3:17 New Living Translation (NLT)

 For the Lord your God is living among you.
    He is a mighty Saviour.
He will take delight in you with gladness.
    With His love, He will calm all your fears.
    He will rejoice over you with joyful songs.”

I told the story of the lost sheep using the big, stuffed sheep I had.  I had purchased these sheep several years ago when my friend, Mary Ellen Tippin, had done a play, The Christmas Birdie.  I use these sheep now when I tell the story of the lost sheep at church to little children.  They came in handy for this week's lessons!

I had t-shirts made locally and gave each child one in their favorite color.  They put them on and I had them stand in a circle.

We read Psalm 23 off the back of the person in front of us.  We would be saying Psalm 23 every day of our lessons.

God is personally acquainted with each of us and knows our names.  I had each child pick out a construction page of their choice.  Then I had lots of magazines that the children could cut pictures out of.  They were to look for things that described themselves and make a collage.

Do you know the Shepherd?  Do you follow Him?  That is His desire!