Third Week of Summer-BreastPlates of Righteousness

This week went by rather fast, we had a smaller group with kids visiting their Dads and three kids at Bright Lights.
This week's Bible Study was harder to get for the kids. I discovered that the kids look at the armor as a gift from God, but don't really understand that gift needs to be used. They look at it as protection from hurt, evil and Satan, but don't really understand that each piece of armor comes with an responsibility and an action. For instance God is truth and gives us the Belt of truth to keep us from falling for Satan's lies. In turn we are to be reading the word to know truth and we are to be truthful.
Righteousness is a little harder to explain-It is having a right relationship with God, doing the right thing and being without sin. Since we do sin, once we become a believer we are covered by Jesus' righteousness. The kids understand that God protects their heart with the breastplate of righteousness. But we went over righteousness a million different ways and the importance of being right with God, doing right by God and doing the right thing.
But basically I think that as usual I learned more than the kids.
It is hard to believe that summer is a third over. It is going so fast and already we have a life time of memories.




Kaedyn works on drawing a picture of Jesus dying on the cross for our sins, so that we can have righteousness through Christ.

James and Adriyanna read and explain a scripture that talks about Abraham and his faith.

What are you giving God? Your leftovers or your best. I asked the kids if they were a knight giving a gift to the king which ice cream cone would you give the king and which would you keep for yourself. I love asking James these questions, because he is always honest and then as he is saying the answer he realizes he is doing the wrong thing. He picked the best cone for himself.

Tajanay works on her breastplate of righteousness.

TADA- our breastplates of righteousness.

James roller skating.
My week by James.

This week we learned about the Breastplate of Righteousness. Abraham kept believing in God so he had a lot of sons. When we don't do the right thing or listen to God our armor gets holes in it which makes the armor get weak. We learned we need to do the right thing.

We made breastplates this week.

We learned some new songs- I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, I Stand for you and give me Jesus and I'm in the Lord's Army.

We got to go skating.

If these skates could talk. They look like they have been through a lot of adventures.

Ma'Shai and Teijah attended Bright Lights, fashion class this week. They had a really good time designing items to wear and show on the runway.

Savanah attended Bright Lights Clay Craziness Class. She made some really cute things and had a really good time.

Savanah's clay picture frame.

On Friday after Bright Lights we went out for ice cream, it was fun getting to know Ma'Shai's mom.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

More Bright Lights Farm Camp-Parent Day

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Lucky Seven Race

The race was a great experience for all of us. We learned a lot.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Miss Brenda 3 favorite moments:
Moment One- On Friday night the kids came over for a slumber party so that I could get them to bed and up early for our race. That night we did some sprints. I had seven kids racing and was having them split into groups of 2 to sprint. That left Teijah without a partner and she was looking rather sad. Adriyanna her 6 year old sister looked at her and said, It's ok Teijah, God is running beside you! It just came out of the blue, a wonderful little gem of innocence, beauty and truth.

Moment two- On the way to the race I had four kids in my car and I was telling them that I didn't know what the course looked like and that there may be a hill in the course, (they all gasped), but don't let it worry you or psych you out, because all the other kids are going to think oh no and get tired and slow down on the hill, don't tell yourself you can't do it or it is too hard, this is where you can beat the other kids and when you get to the top of the hill you will get to run down hill and get some new energy. James starts to panic and ask questions about hills. Then Teijah pops in, Miss Brenda may I give an example. I said sure, go for it.
She says, Well I think the mountain is like hard things in our life and the voice telling us to quit is Satan cause he doesn't want us to win. Is that right Miss Brenda- I almost fell out of the car, every Mom, Dad, mentor, teacher, pastor prays for a moment like this when the things you have been teaching your kids finally hits them and they get it. I said that is right Teijah, and God wants us to keep going through the hard stuff and get to the top of the hill so we can see over the other side and enjoy the down hill and the better times with Him. But we miss out if we don't climb the hill.

Moment three- James has no confidence, it has taken months to get him to run, and just in the last week he has started to believe in himself and train hard, his times are coming down. I told him to start out the race slow, he was so sure he was going to win the race. I told him to stay behind Alexis because she knows how to pace the race. Sure enough the gun goes off and James takes off like a rocket, with the boys taking off after him ( the were supposed to stay close to him). I am yelling you are going to fast you are going to fast. But away they went. At the end of the race James ended up totally pooped and did come in Fifth, but he really wanted a big Medal like Alexis and Jevon's for finishing 2nd and 3rd. So on the way home I asked him what he had learned from the race. He said start out slower and tie your shoes tight! I looked at him funny and said tie your shoes tight? He said yeah I was running and my shoe went flying off my foot and rolled down a hill, so I had to run down the hill get my shoe, put it on and get back in the race. We all had a good laugh over that. There were no hills in the race for the other kids, but James did get his hill and he didn't quit.

I was really proud of all our kids they were good sports and finished the race as hard as they could.

Week 2, Belt of Truth

Putting on the Belts of Truth

Friday Night- Slumber Party- We had a little slumber party for the kids who were going to run early Saturday morning. Did some sprints, watched a movie and had some healthy food.

My week-by Julian

On Monday I started Farm Camp. I love it. I saw kittens, they scratched. Cat's play. We made ice cream and butter. We made strawberry pie at Bright Lights. We also saw miniture horses, we even saw sheep we went to a dairy farm and saw cows.

At Obasi We did arts and crafts and if we had a good attitude we got to listen to music. We did a pants game and I almost beat the blue team. It was awesome.

During Bible Study, we acted out the story and i was the angel. I learned that the word of God is the TRUTH, and God doesn't lie to me.

Friday-Bright Lights Programs

Kaedyn and his Dr. Seuss Class

Mom and Kaedyn

Kaedyn in his hat he made in class

Jevon shows me his space projects

Jevon and one of his teachers

Adriyanna at Farm School
My Week- by Adriyanna

At Farm camp I held a cat, petted and rode a horse. I played with the kitties. I petted a sheep. The big cat didn't do anything but play. Me and Julian went to play with the cats and I read a book and we got to eat ice cream. My friend got hurt and I said are you ok. and she said yes and went oh. I got scratched and I helped my friend by telling the teacher she was hurt.

At Obasi we went to the library, I played instruments like the violin and saxaphone. I also played on the computer, the computer games were Clifford and Arthur. In Bible Study this week I learned that God protects me with the belt of truth.

Adriyanna would have been happy holding kitties all week.

Adriyanna at the Dairy Farm

Future Bull rider

Thursday- Making Belts of Truth and Trago Park
Below the faces of Concentration-it is a beautiful thing!
James
Cortesia and Alexis

Kaedyn

Ma'Shai

Jevon

Make a Smilebox scrapbook

Wacky Wednesday.
Today was good. We found some songs on the utube to go along with our summer theme. The kids were really into it and begging to sing the songs. So that was really fun. We started belts of truth, finished some worksheets, and practiced our 1 mile race. I am so proud of James and Kaedyn. Both of these boys have been slow getting into the running mode. When James and Kaedyn started running they both were over 15 minutes. We would try to explain to them it would get easier if kept trying. James doesn't always believe he can do something when it gets hard, so we have to do a lot of encouraging to keep him going. On Tuesday James got his time down to an 8:15 and Kaedyn down to a 8:35. Kaedyn is only 6 and all of a sudden this week he has become so focused when he runs. I told them that soon they would be down to a 7:30. James looked at me and said nope that is too hard. I said but look you are said you would never run a 8:30 and now you are running an 8:15. He said, yeah but that is because I worked hard, I will never do it. Today it was hot, but they were positive and they ran like the wind. They came in with a 7:54. It was so amazing to see them do something they don't think they can do. I want so bad for them to see that in other areas of their lives too.

Later when I was taking kids home, we witnessed a little girl getting hit by a truck. It was pretty tramatic experience, we don't know what happened to the little girl but it looked pretty bad. It was great reminder of how precious life can be. It was a time to teach the kids to pray and take things a little more serious.



Adriyanna and Julian getting on the bus for Farm Camp at Bright Lights.

Wacky Wednesday for Kaedyn at Dr. Seuss Class

Adriyanna runs fast in our big pants verse relay!!

Cortesia's team tries to put our week's verse together.


Tuesday.
It was a hard day with the teenagers today, a lot of bickering and bad attitudes. Later in the day I was reminded that when God wants to really teach us something He walks us through trials. So when we got back from our fieldtrip, we a time to think and then write on the blackboard a lie we were believing that caused us to stumble during the day. Even the teens had a moment of reflection and humbling, so I pray that they make better decisions in the future.
The younger kids had so much fun playing the Lincoln Synphony Instruments at the South Branch Library.

Make a Smilebox slideshow

Monday, Monday
AS Mondays go this was a pretty sweet Monday, actually truth be told, that being our theme and all this week, it was a sweet day no matter what day it was. Haven't had one of these in a very long time. Don't get me wrong it wasn't perfect. But every one was trying to get along, trying to do their best, trying to get the lesson. Instead of being trying, THEY WERE TRYING. Does my heart good.

Kaedyn with his Bright Lights teacher, he is taking a Dr. Seuss class.

This week the four younger kids are at Bright Lights. Early mornings for me. Jevon is taking a outer space class and Adriyanna and Julian are taking Farm School. When I picked them up at noon, they all were so excited to tell me about their morning. Adriyanna announced that tomorrow they were going to take wood shavings off of sheep and then put them on a picture. I had to think about that one for a minute, but thankfully I have had others to go to farm school and I have been raised around sheep. I figured out that they were shearing sheep and that they were going to take some of the wool and put on their sheep pictures. Therefore Wood (wool)shavings!!!! She kills me. She tries so hard to learn new things and share them with us, her new words get confused with some of her old words, but she is one smart cookie and puts things together pretty fast.

Today the kids wrote down lies that the world and Satan try to tell us to get us to do the wrong thing. Then we taped them to Alexis over sized pants that were being held up with the belt of truth or God's word. Alexis kept reminding us of how heavy all that sin was getting.

boys team looking up verses

Another sweet moment, Cortesia was very tender and helpful with Adriyanna and Taj, helping them find and read a verse.
My week-by Cortesia

On Monday we did Bible Study, we took pants put them on Alexis and wrote lies down on pieces of paper. and stuck them on to Alexis' pants it was very fun. What I learned from that game was that when you have a lie you have a lot of weight on you and you don't feel good. Like we are reading Pilgrims Progress, there's a man with a burden on his back and a book in his hand. He was exhausted with the burden on his back.

Tuesday we went to the library and played instruments. When I was their I learned that when you don't feel good you can still try your best. Wednesday we made belts of truth. It's a beautiful project. We also played a game wheer we had to put these pants on, very big pants and run down the driveway and grab a word to the verse we are learning. Then we put all the words together to make our verse.

After we wrote down lies we looked up scripture to find truth and then we took the papers off the pants that the Bible proved were lies.

James who is trying really hard to work on his listening skills this summer, jumps up in the middle of the lesson and is so excited, I got it, I got it! Sin weighs us down and God helps us with truth. He was so proud.

Points for the day.
God is Truth
In order to know what a lie is you have to know truth, so read God's word and He will show you the truth and the right thing to do!
The belt of truth holds everything together. Without truth you have nothing.

My week-by Teijah

This week I learned about the belt of truth, it is part of the armor of God. And we stuck lies on my sister's pants. On Tuesday we went to the library. the bad part about it was I had a bad attitude but when we got back to Miss Brenda's I realized that I was really stupid to believe in Satan's lies. On Wednesday we arts and crafts with musi in between it was really fun and learned this son called I am a C-H-R-I-S-T-I-A-N, it is a good song.

1st Week of Summer/ Stand Firm

Wednesday at Kathy's
To the delight of the kids, the neighbor dog, Stella joined us for snack.





My Week, by James

This week I got to go to the Children's Museum, I got to go in the semi and Casey took a picture of me. I got to go to basketball camp and had lots of fun. I learned that Elisha knew God was on his side and he wasn't worried. We went to Kathy's house. I played xbox 360 with Chad and Kaedyn it was lot's of fun. We went to the zoo, I never knew some kind of bird slept on one foot. I saw camels and some peacocks. I learned how to mind my own business a little bit. I know God will always be on my side. God can help me so I know He will protect me from Satan and bad people.

Kathy tells us the story of Jesus calming the seas, as the kids act it out.

Playing a game called the fear zone, where the kids are reminded to guard against fears and worries. Instead give them to a very strong God.

My Week by Alexis

On the first week of Summer, me, Cortesia, Taj and Teijah got to go to basketball camp and learn new drills like the one where you dribble and not look at the ball and you have to bounce the ball in between your legs. You have to do competitions it really was fun on the 2nd day. I met a couple of friends, we hung out and we played together. It was really amazing to meet new friends, I wish we could go for a month.

During the week for Bible Study, I learned that we should put on the full armor of God because we need God in our lives. I also learned that God will always protect us and that He will help us from doing the wrong thing. We played games like there was one where we had a pole in the middle and there balls that were the bad things and we couldn't let them get across at first it was hard but then we go the hang of it. So we got the second game we did was a God version of hot potato. We would pass a flashlight around and when the music stopped the one with the flashlight had to say something we are afraid of or need protection from. Then you would turn on the flashlight and point at someone and they would say "the armor of God will protect you." We have had such fun Bible Studies and a really great week.

Teijah pets Sage until he falls asleep. He was sad to see her go.



Thursday at Mrs. B's House

The flashlight game.

My Week, by Kaedyn

This week I went to Mrs. B's and jumped on the trampoline. I also played on the hammock and the swing. I went to Kathy's and played xbox 360. I also went to the zoo and saw turtles and a white peacock. On Tuesday I went to the Children's museum and played inside a rocket and a semi-truck. I also rode a motorcycle with James.

This week during Bible Study I learned I will be strong in the Lord because he is strong and powerful. I learned Ephesians 6:10

Breaking in the Hammock

Gidget had fun playing with Alex, and the girls had fun chasing the dogs in Mrs. B's yard.

My Week, by Taj

I went to basketball camp and played four on four during practice. I went to Homes Lake on Tuesday and ran a mile. At Kathy's house I played games. I also got to play with 3 puppies, Gidget, Stella and Sage. This week during Bible study I learned that God will help me obey Miss Brenda and my other teachers.

At the Cornhusker Kiwanis Picnic, Cortesia was very helpful with Adriyanna.

My Week by Adriyanna

We got to go to the Children's Museum. My three friends were there. Bella painted half of my face. Then we went down and played in the water. I had fun.

At the zoo I saw some camels and I got to feed them. There was a monkey in the window who scared us. We went and bought snack.

At Kathy's house I sat in the chair and got to play with it. I pushed the buttons and it rubbed my back.

At Mrs. B's we played on the hamster( hammock). We got to read on the trampoline and I got to jump on the trampoline.

God can save us with his armor. He can protect us from Satan, snakes. spiders and stuff.

My Week by Cortesia

This week we went we went to Basketball camp and I have made tons of friends. We did contests and many more. What I learned about God's armor at a Christian friends house, Kathy, she also tutors me. I learned that God's armor protects us against many fears that you have. Also this week we got to go to Antelope Par and so our Bible Studies and some other parks. This summer we have to put our selves in a Knight's place like when we eat snack we have to pay for it which is a coin. We also earn coins when we run, do fun activities, good attitudes, trying our best and this week for basketball camp. This week has been the funnest week ever. God also helps me when i am scared of insects and spiders, etc. God helps me make the right decision and not do bad things.

Our Kiwanian friend Jim

My favorite moment of the week was when we were at the Kiwanis Picnic, the rest of the kids ate fast and hurried off to play at the park. I was just taking in the sights and sounds of the evening, finally relaxing. Teijah was sitting on the bench, chewing on her third piece of chicken. She looks up at me and says "Thank you Miss Brenda, I am REALLY enjoying myself. It was a make sure you take time to smell the flowers moment. (Miss Brenda)

My Week, by Teijah

This week I got to go to basketball camp. I have lots of fun there, tomorrow is my last day because it's going to be over, that's the sad part about it. My favorite part at basketball camp is when we get to do the contests. Sometimes at the end we get to play knockout if we have enough time. What we learned about this week is about God's armor that can save us from going to the wrong road. Not all the times does God keep you from going through tough times but at the end He will help you get through it. I have lots of fun doing this lesson. Our verse for the week is , Finally be strong in the Lord and His mighty powers. Ephesians 6:10. We started this coin thing and if we learn a verse then you get 5 coins.

Yesterday night we had a wonderful picnic from the Cornhusker Kiwanis. There is a game there called bingbags (bean bags) and you have to get the bean bags in the hole. It was really awesome, hard and fun. Then we got to eat, I ate chicken, egg salad (potato salad) and I drank pink lemonade. Not so long after that I was at the park playing and screaming and at the end, surprisingly we got an ice cream. Yum yum.

Friday at OK Camp

Awards at OK Camp. Savanah is in the orange.

Camp OK

I was very scared to go to camp but once everyone got over being shy we had a blast. My jr. counselor is Cadi. She's short and she is 16. It looks like she's a camper. She said so herself. We went to Mahoney State Park and swam, we went canoeing, fishing, and every night we have a camp fire and lodge party. The talent show was at the lodge party , it is when they play song and you can dance to them and if you don't want to then you can play fooze ball or you can just sit and watch, but it's funner if you dance.

I had a really fun and exciting time there. If you ever go I know you'll have fun if you are a good sport and have a positive attitude.

They have a trust course where you walk on wires and an odyssey course that's kinda the same but you don't have to do it and it's up in the air but, you'll have so much fun. It's a good opportunity.

By Savanah

Camp OK

Camp OK was the best camp I've ever been to. ( It actually was her first camp)

There was sing,playing, all sorts of fun stuff, like the odyssey course, the trust course, the flight, simulators, art, archery, the pool, the water slide and gaga.

The odyssey course is where you have to be strapped to a harness and there is this rope that straps to the harness and the rope is hooked to a wire that is about an inch wide. You have to walk across a wire that is the same as the top. At the end to get down you get hooked up to a wire that slants down.

The trust course is like the odyssey course but at the end you fall back and someone lowers you down.

The flight simulator is where you fly a plane on a computer.

At art we made a sculpture, scratch sheets and a picture.

At archery we shot arrows and rifles.

This is one of the camps where you sleep in a cabin.

IT'S SO MUCH FUN.

Sincerely

Ma'Shai

Ma'Shai sitting through awards.

On the way home we stopped for some McDonalds and some time to catch up. I love hearing about camp and seeing how excited they are. The girls had dropped their tough shells and were little girls again. Savanah said she met a girl from Omaha who was a God's kid and she really liked her.

Before I went to pick up the girls from camp I had to unload the van, which is where most of the Obasi supplies were this week since we were traveling so much. I put all the supplies on the porch so I would be able to get the girls suit cases in the van. When we got back to the house, one of the squirrels had helped itself to a banana muffin. Teijah was so impressed that he could get the wrapper off all by himself!!!

More pictures of our week on posts below.