valentine's day Archives - Truths for Tots

A Loving Valentine

Truthsfortots Cathy Jo's Blog February 12, 2015children, family activities, family devotions, parenting, valentine's day 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three; but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

Valentine’s Day is a favorite day for young and old alike. This day for elementary age children is fun as making or selecting Valentine cards for friends and classmates brings a sense of excitement and a way to show how much you care about someone. The preschool age and early elementary age is a great time to teach how important love is to God through the Valentine celebration.

Truths For Tots

Love shares: The songs below could be acted out with Valentine cards.

I’m a Little Valentine

(Tune: I’m a Little Teapot)

I’m a little Valentine

Red and white

With ribbons and lace

I’m a beautiful site.

I can say, “I love you,”

On Valentine’s Day.

Just put me in an envelope

And give me away!

(Tune: Mary Had a Little Lamb)

( I like to use various sizes and colors of hearts

with this song to teach about “real” sharing.)

Valentines are made to share,

Made to share,

Made to share.

Valentines are made to share

With my friends at school.

I made you a Valentine,

Valentine, Valentine

I made you a Valentine

That says, “I love you”.

(And then each child trades hearts.

We will sing this several times

as hearts are traded.)

Discuss how the Bible is a collection of God’s love letters that He shares with us. Place some cut out hearts with a Bible verse written on each heart. (Some Bible verses to write on the heart may include: John 3:16, Psalm 86:15, Romans 8:37-39, and Zephaniah 3:17) Place these hearts in a Bible (Could place in a children’s Bible on pages of illustrations of Jesus’ showing love to others.) Open the Bible and pull out the heart and read the verse “God’s love letter” to us.

Discuss some ways in which we could let God’s love show through our lives not only on Valentine’s Day but every day.

Truths For Parents

Let’s look at the verse 1 Corinthians 13:13 more in depth. The Children’s Ministry Resource Bible published by Thomas Nelson provides us with great definitions for key words in this verse.

Faith-“believing without question what God says about Himself and about what He will do”

Hope-“looking forward with confidence to receiving good things that God has promised to give me in the future”

Love-“a quiet, steady decision of the will to care for another person, totally apart from any good quality or ability or desire to respond on the part of the object of love; feeling of great affection that causes me to give and do things for another person”

By better knowing and understanding the meanings of each word we are better equipped to teach our children. Teach your child that God gave His Word to tell us about His love and to give us a living example of His love.

Think about the ways in which you show love to your family. You are your children’s living example of love.

Loving the Lord first will give us the ability to show love to our families no matter what life situation is occurring.

May you have a “lovely” Valentine’s Day. ❤

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo Johnson

Love, Not Just For Valentine’s Day

Truthsfortots Blog, Cathy Jo's Blog February 14, 2014family, holidays, special days, valentine's day 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “And now abide faith, hope, love, these three: but the greatest of these is love.” 1 Corinthians 13:13

On Valentine’s Day love is written on conversation hearts, chocolates, and cards. Children make cards and parents buy cards to share on this special day. According to Hallmark, 1,400 billion cards are made for Valentine’s Day. Valentine’s Day is second only to Christmas in the amount of cards mailed.

There are thousands of books, poems, and songs written about love. Artwork, both paintings and sculptures depict this. We long for and seek after love.

Why is love so important? We are made in the image of God. (Genesis 1:27) So we are made for love.

The Greek word “agape” is the type of love that means love, dear, and charity.

The greatest of faith, hope, and love is love. “And we have known and believed the love that God has for us.God is love, and he who abides in love abides in God, and God in him.” 1 John 4:16

This Valentine’s Day share love with your neighbors, family, and friends. Make cookies and cards or do an act of kindness to share God’s love. Teach your children about sharing with others. True love is found in what God did for us by sending His only Son, Jesus Christ, to earth for us. Love is all about giving.

Below is a tried and true sugar cookie recipe to share with family and friends. Decorating cookies with your children is fun and sharing the finished product brings even more joy.

Sugar Cookies

2/3 cup shortening

3/4 cup sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 egg

4 teaspoons milk

2 cups sifted all-purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Thoroughly cream shortening, sugar, and vanilla. Add egg and milk; beat till light and fluffy. Sift together dry ingredients; blend into creamed mixture. Cover and chill at least one hour. On lightly floured surface, roll to 1/4 inch thickness. Cut in desired shapes with cutters. Bake on ungreased cookie sheet at 375 degrees about 8 to 10 minutes. Cool slightly; remove. Add frosting and decorate as desired. This recipe will make about 24 heart shaped cookies.

Happy Valentine’s Day to you and your family.

“Faith, hope, and love… the greatest of these is love.”

Until the next “Truth” sharing moment,

Cathy Jo Johnson

Love: Ideas For Valentine’s Day

Truthsfortots Blog, Guest Blog February 12, 2014February 12, 2014children, family activities, love, special days, valentine's day 0 Comment

Daily Truth: “Yeah, I have loved thee with an everlasting love.” Jeremiah 31:3

Love is in the air. Valentine’s Day is just around the corner.

Remember Valentine’s Day B.C. (before children)? It was all about you and your true love.

And then along came children.

Now that we have four delightful children, Valentine’s Day has become more about the family than just about my hubs and I.

Really, many reasons have factored into that. Babysitter’s are at a premium. The restaurants we like to go to only serve a “Valentine’s Meal” (way over priced) or have been booked for awhile.

We opt to go out another night instead.

Don’t get me wrong – my true love knows that roses are still a must on Valentine’s Day even though we spend it with the kiddos.

So, here are some ideas on how to make Valentine’s Day fun for you, your true love, and your little true loves.

1. Do a themed Valentine’s meal. This year the kids really want to see the sequel to a certain spaghetti movie. I succumbed and got the DVD. Dinner will be none other than a spaghetti dinner. Dessert will be cupcakes from our local cupcake store (mile high frosting fits with the theme). Then we will cuddle up on the couch and watch the movie.

Pick a theme your kiddos love and run with it. It always makes the meal go much easier too.

2. This idea I got from my son’s preschool teacher. Help your kiddos make heart shaped mailboxes out of paper plates. You and your hubs could make one too. Then have everyone write love notes and put them in the mailboxes. You could also use decorated brown paper bags.

3. Make Valentine’s by using conversation candies. You can do this one of two ways. For the little guys, have them glue on the hearts with a glue stick onto construction paper. You could make a Valentine for your little love by using the words on the hearts. Sort of like a Valentine’s Mad Lib.

4. Make Valentine’s by using the kiddos hand prints. This is one that grandparents would love and could be kept. Cut out a heart out of construction paper large enough for your child’s hand. Get red and white washable paint. Paint one hand red and the other white. Gently place your child’s hand on the paper. Nothing says “Love” like a child’s hand print.

5. Make a Valentine center piece. My friend came up with this idea for a Valentine’s Day class party. Get a glass jar, fill it part full with conversation hearts, and stick in some heart flower fillers. Makes a great centerpiece and it’s edible. You can use the conversation hearts as prizes. You can make the heart shaped flower fillers by using straws and taping the hearts onto the straws. The hearts could be made by your little kiddos.

6. Have a pizza night. Make the dough into a heart shape. Have the kids help “decorate” the pizza. Enjoy a love filled dinner.

There are just a plethora of ideas out there to help you with Valentine’s Day.

Valentine’s Day is a good time to remind our children and ourselves who demonstrated the ultimate show of love for us – Jesus Christ. You can do this by using hearts.

Cut out a red, white, and black heart.

The black heart represents our sin. It is our sin that causes us not to be able to go to Heaven or to love like God loves. Romans 6:23

The red heart represents the blood of Jesus. It is only through the shedding of HIs blood that we can have forgiveness of sin. Hebrews 9:22, John 3:16

The white heart represents what God does for us when we ask Him to forgive us of our sins. He washes our hearts white as snow. Isaiah 1:18

Valentine’s Day is a good time for us mom’s to reflect on what love really is. I Corinthians 13 gives a checklist for us.

1. Do I speak with love or am I sounding brass?

2. Is my faith filled and demonstrates love?

3. So my works show love to others?

4. Am I patient?

5. Am I kind?

6. Am I glad for other’s when they receive blessings?

7. Am I humble?

8. Do I behave myself wisely?

9. Do I strive to make others look good without receiving any glory?

10. Do I get angry easily?

11. Do I look for the good in others?

12. Do I rejoice in truth?

13. Do I bear all things God gives with love?

14. Do I believe all things in His Word?

15. Do I hope in all His promises?

16. Do I endure all God sends my way?

That’s a LONG and CONVICTING checklist. Yet, all those things shows God’s love to others.

Do we show God’s love to our families?

Until next week,

Rebekah