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Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Faith. Show all posts

Friday, December 7, 2018

December 07, 2018

A Beautiful Devotional for My Daughter and Me {A Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women Review}

If you've got a young woman of faith in your life, the Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women by Zondervan could make a lovely gift.  


It is a small, hardcover devotional targeted to young women aged 13-18 that can be enjoyed by older and younger women, too.  

The devotional begins with a single-page introduction that explains that the Bible has "a lot to say about the unique challenges -- the heartaches and the high points -- of being female" and invites women to look at the stories of about 60 women in the Bible and to see how they are relevant to us today as beloved daughters of God.

Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women then gets right into 365 one-page devotions.

The devotions are numbered, not dated, which I appreciate, because that means the book is more inviting to pick up and begin at any point during a year. It also means that if you cannot spend time with the book every day, you won't be taunted by a day or week written at the top of page telling you to "catch up". Rather, you can just use the handy attached bookmark ribbon to open up to where you left off and carry on.




Each devotion is laid out in the same eye-pleasing way with a cheerful border of flowers, the number of the devotion, a verse at the top of the page in a reddish font, then several paragraphs in black that bring the tales of tragedy and triumph of ancient women of the Bible into nowadays relevance, and finally a few blank lines in case you want to make notes.

The devotions are also laid out in a logical way, beginning with women from Genesis and ending with those from the Old Testament and ending with those from the New Testament with consecutive days of devotions exploring lessons that can be gleaned from one woman from the Bible before moving on to the next woman that the Bible introduces.


Of course, all the more famous women of the Bible, such as Eve, Ruth, Elizabeth, and Mary are included.


Wonderfully, some lesser known role models are as well.


Each of he 365 devotions in Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women is brief, pointed, and inspiring, written in a language that appeals to many young women (with words such as "cool" and "just sayin'" included at times).

The organization, approach, and language of the devotional make "meaty" matters digestible, relevant and accessible.



A Gift for Daughter-and-Me

When I received Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women, my intention was to see if it would be appropriate as a gift for my 11-year-old daughter.  Thus, I have not read every page of the devotional yet, because I can only enjoy reading it when my daughter is not around - which is a rarity.  However, I have found pockets of time to read a week's worth of devotions here, another week there, a page here, and a page there, and, so far, I have found the material thought-provoking, encouraging, and edifying.



Mind you, I am well beyond the age that Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women is intended for, so the fact that some of the devotions speak to me personally points toward the fact that, although the book is written for Young Women, the stories of Biblical women are timeless and can be illuminating to all women.  Even when the take on them is geared to be relevant to younger women, we aging ones can benefit, too.  
With this in mind - as well as the fact that the print in the book is relatively small and might frustrate my daughter who struggles with dyslexia,  I have decided to gift Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women to my daughter as a mom-and-me devotional. 

My plan is to gift the book to my daughter with some tea bags, a container of cider, and a note saying I'd like to make regular mom-and-me time to read and chat about the book together. 

Why tea and cider? Simple. I favor tea, she favors hot cider, and we both like to spend time outside. This winter, I look forward to making some quiet time for just y daughter and I to read and chat about the devotions outside away from the hullabaloo of family life at home with just her brothers.


I am especially excited about this, because my daughter has been making strides with reading her large-print Bible and other material, and, I think that, with me alongside her, Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women might unlock the gift of reading for my daughter even more. For, I know she will love the stories and verses in it and will be moved by many of the thoughts in the devotions. 

Familiarity with the language of the Bible and desire to see what Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women has to say might motivate my daughter to make strides in reading while also encouraging her to keep blossoming as the beautiful daughter of God she is.



If I am wrong about the reading part, however, and the relatively small print and level of reading in the devotionals proves just a little too much for my daughter, I am still confident that Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women can be a win for us. I can read the devotions to her and, then, we can chat about them. Whether she reads them or I do, the beauty of their meaning will still be there. 

I truly look forward to seeing how our time with Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women will unfold and bless us.

Read all the reviews.


Learn More

From what I've read of Beloved: 365 Devotions for Young Women so far, I recommend the book for young and older women alike.

If you'd like to see what people who are currently using the devotional with their daughters or have daughters using it on their own, be sure to click through reviews from 60 Review Crew families.  Some are written by people who are not saving the book as a gift, like I am, but who are already using it!




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Sunday, September 30, 2018

September 30, 2018

Enjoy Pumpkin-Themed Lesson Ideas

Would you like a quick-n-easy pumpkin-themed plan for a faith-based lesson?



Enjoy the ideas collated here, which were ones I had initially whipped up a couple years ago for a friend who offered to sub - last minute - for an under 5 class at our then co-op, and, which, I have since adapted for another friend in need lesson ideas.

Feel free to pick and chose ideas to borrow as your own family, co-op, or class would enjoy!

Greeting


Welcome all the children.  Talk about what season it is and what we often see as decorations during this season. Comment on how awesome it is that God makes so many beautiful fall colors for us.  Then, segue into an icon of all - pumpkins.

Hide and Guess Pumpkin Game - Matthew 5:15


For a fun ice breaker, adapt the traditional game, Doggy, Doggy, Where's Your Bone to Pumpkin, Pumpkin, Where Did You Go.

Give the children a small toy pumpkin.  Have them secretly pass it behind their backs while you turn your back and say, "Pumpkin, pumpkin, where did you go?  Hmmm... Let me see.  I think I know!"  Then, point to a child who you think has the pumpkin.  Have the child pull his hands out from behind his back and show you them.  If you guessed right and the child has the pumpkin, that child becomes the guesser and you join the passers.  If the child does not have the pumpkin, take two more guesses.

Then, play another round.  Play for 10 minutes or so, or until the children seem to be tiring of the game.

Then, talk briefly about how we were hiding our pumpkin, but there is one thing we should never hide.  Does anyone know what it is?  Our faith!

In Matthew 5:15, it says, "Nor do they light a lamp and then put it under a bushel basket; it is set on a lampstand, where it gives light to all in the house."

Unpack this verse in simple terms with the children.

The Wonder Pumpkin - Pass God's Love and Light Along


Then, talk about how we are to pass our faith (our light, our love) around.  As quickly as we receive love from others, we should pass it along!  How could we do this?

Chat with children about times when they have felt loved and times when they have shared it.  Offer examples of how they can shine with Christ's light.

Ask if they can think of a seasonal decoration that shines with literal light: Jack-o-Lanterns!  Then, for fun, play a game a bit like the Wonder Ball, but with a stuffed or small, real Jack-o-Lantern.

To play, sit in a circle and pass the pumpkin singing the following song.  Whoever holds the pumpkin  lasts sits in the middle of the circle for one round before rejoining the game.

The wonder pumpkin, goes round and round.  To pass it quickly, you are bound.  Don't be one, to hold it light. Passing it along, is what it right. P-A-S-S - PASS!


Story - The Pumpkin Patch Parable


Source: Amazon


Read and chat about The Pumpkin Patch Parable - keying into some of the verse written on each page.  (If you cannot get ahold of the book, search on Youtube for  video clips of people reading it aloud.)

Song - Shine  With God's Light


To reinforce the idea of shining with God's lift, sing the following song (created by Martianne Stanger) the tune of I'm a Little Teapot.


I'm a little pumpkin plump and round.  (Put arms out in round curves.) I once grew upon the ground.  (Bend low as if on the ground.) Farmer sliced me open and cleaned me right.  (Mike slicing and cleaning a pumpkin.) Now I shine with love and light. (Put hand on heart on "love" and then out in jazz hands by a smiling face on light".)


After singing, chat with children about how they - as themselves, not as pumpkins - might shine with God's love and light.

Pin the Face on the Pumpkin - See God's Face in Others; Be God's Face for Others



Chat about how we are called to see the face of God in others and, in turn, to let them see the face of God in us. 

Then, for fun, play Pin the Face on the Pumpkin, much like Pin the Tail on the Donkey.

To play, hang a large picture of a pumpkin on the wall.  Blindfold children and give them cut outs in the shapes of pumpkin eyes and mouth.  Have them try to put these on the pumpkin.

Guided Drawing


Give children paper and coloring pencils, crayons, or markers and have them complete a simple guided drawing of a pumpkin or Jack-o-Lantern.

If you don't know how to do this, check out this pumpkin directed drawing, this how to draw a pumpkin, or this drawing a pumpkin image.

Of course, reiterate the ideas from The Pumpkin Patch Parable to keep the faith-based thread going.

Additional Games (Choose One or All of Them)

As fun fillers or movement breaks, using a real or stuffed pumpkin, play Over and Under - maybe even relay race style. 

Play Pumpkin Says (like Simon Says) using a stuffed or real pumpkin and a character voice as the "Simon".

Play Hide-n-Seek Pumpkin by having all the children close their eyes while you hide a pumpkin and, then, having children look to find it.

Play Hot and Cold with a small pumpkin figurine, a stuffed pumpkin, a gourd, or a pumpkin.

We'd love to hear how any or all of these go with your children and would also love to hear your pumpkin-themed ideas!  Please do come back to share.
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Tuesday, April 17, 2018

April 17, 2018

Learn Human Anatomy and Physiology with Apologia {A Review}


{This post contains affiliate links to Apologia, whose products we've come to know, enjoy, and recommend.}


If you are looking for a faith-connected science curriculum that works for multiple learning and homeschool styles, take a peak at Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology by Apologia!  It's a wonderful curriculum we've been blessed to review and are looking forward to continuing to use.


What Comes with Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology and How Did We Use it?


We received one copy of:



Together, these make a complete science curriculum package which makes learning easy, engaging, and multi-sensory for children at a K-6 grade level.  The curriculum also makes things adaptable for homeschool parents.  Seriously, not only do I like the actual science presented in Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology, but I also appreciate that we can tap into learning in our minivan, at home, individually, or as a family group, using the different components of the curriculum.

In fact, since we have been out of the house so much this spring, my children's first introduction to Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology  was with the audio CD.  One morning, before leaving for co-op, I simply grabbed the CD, and after praying our morning prayers in our minivan, we began science lessons for the day.

As soon as my children heard the beginning of the CD, they became excited.  They remembered the Astronomy curriculum we'd reviewed before - the very same one they've referred to materials from multiple times since - and knew immediately that this  Human Anatomy and Physiology one would be good.


We were not disappointed!  The narrator's voice was clear and pleasant; the materials presented was easy to understand; and, each time we paused the CD to share what we'd been learning, we all had something to say.  So, we all were quite satisfied with our introduction to Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology !


(I will add as an aside here, however, that Apologia does not suggest using the CD without the Student Text, but rather, to use the two resources together, so that developing readers and auditory learners can benefit from the visual images in the text in the fluency of the CD.  We adapted their advice by listening to the CD first and, then, at home, reviewing the text and diving into the journals.) 




As happened when we reviewed the Astronomy set, my oldest claimed our Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology Notebooking Journal as his own and was given free reign to do whichever activities in it he wished.  




He started with a science-terms crossword puzzle, but, then, quickly took a break and went onto the faith-based copywork pages.  These captured his attention - praise God! - he took off with them.



Oddly, my oldest does not typically like writing by hand - much less writing neatly by hand - but there is something about the copywork in Apologia Notebooking Journals that makes him choose to write.  In fact, he's already finished almost every one of copywork pages in the Human Anatomy and Physiology Notebooking Journal even though we have yet to complete the rest of all 14 corresponding lessons!  I'll happily take that!

I will also delight in the fact that the Notebooking Journal offers more:


  • a suggested lesson schedule (which we obviously do not adhere to, but which could come in handy for homeschoolers who are not as relaxed and eclectic as we are)
  • notebooking pages (that invite students to enjoy graphics and fill in boxes, ellipses, lines, etc.)
  • lapbook-style activities (which are ideal for hands-on learners)
  • places to record project notes (thereby helping students synthesize learning from experiments and activities)
  • puzzles (for kids who love crosswords and such)
  • and more (including Book and DVD suggestions, which I love having on hand)


I had planned to let my youngest son enjoy our Junior Notebooking Journal, because my middle child has been needing more time and focus for other lessons.  However, when my daughter saw the journal, she asked if she could use it.  So, it became hers.



The Junior Notebooking Journal is much like its counterpart Notebooking Journal, but it is designed for use by children at K-2 skill level.  It entices learners with:

  • coloring pages (which connect anatomy, physiology, and God's word)
  • primary writing lines (which make writing easier)
  • easy vocabulary activities (to help solidify understanding of new words in fun ways)
  • lapbook-like activities (which my daughter enjoys!)
  • room to take notes and draw pictures  (on well-designed and inviting pages)
  • and more!

The Student Text that goes along with the CD and journals is filled with:


  • a full-color layout (which captures my children's attention, but, which one child, wished had wider margins or narrower blocks of texts)
  • 14 lessons updated with current scientific data (but written from a faith-connected angle)
  • Biblical wisdom (with Scripture woven right into lessons without being overbearing)
  • diagrams and photogpaphs (which draw my children)
  • callout boxes (which invite children to "try this", getting hands-on with learning)
  • a list of all materials needed to complete lessons (things for "Try This" sections - all f which we found pretty standard supplies we had at home or could easily attain)
  • and more!

Our Thoughts on the Program


Anything we have explored with Apologia in the past has impressed us, including another of their science programs, and   Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology   has followed suit. We've been enjoying learning with the Student Text, Notebooking Journal,  Junior Notebooking Journal, and - our favorite part  - the Audio CD, and love that we did not have work hard to find ways to fit these review materials into our busy schedule, since the variety and design of components made learning natural and relaxed for us.

Pop a CD in, pick up a journal, open a book, enjoy experiential learning...  Do as little or as much as a day allows.  That's how we roll, and Apologia makes it easy for us to embrace such a style. (They also make it easy for families that prefer structured lessons and/or hands-on experiments to feel 100% at home with the curriculum.)

I can happily recommend  Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology  as a faith-connected, easy-to-use approach filled with learning that elementary-aged children (and their parents!) can enjoy.

My children have all told me they'd recommend it, too.

Specifically, my seven-year-old had this to say:

I like the CD.  It makes it easy to learn in the car.  I also like how it tells you about things in the body - like the trashman in the cells.  It makes it easier to imagine.  I also like how it tells you what things look like. 

Sometimes, I go back to the book and look at what we heard on the CD. So, I like the book, too.

My twelve-year-old said:

I used the Anatomy Notebooking Journal and I like the copywork.  It comes in both cursive and printing, so depending on the day I can choose one or the other, or do both.


I also like the CD.  It is easy to listen to and learn from.  I've been learning new things.
My ten-year-old had this to say:
I really like Exploring Creation because I am not great at reading textbooks and it comes with a CD!  So, it is really handy when we go on car rides.  So, I can listen to the CD's and, at home, we can do the journal and experiments.

I have never really been into cells and stuff like that, but now I am really into cells! 

I have drawn some on my own and done hands on projects from the journal. 


The ones of the human body are really cool.  I want to do the rest of them!

I've had fun listening to theories that people made before we had the technology we have now.  It sounds so funny.  It also talked about how God told people how to deal with certain sicknesses and we still use some of the methods today.  I like how the book uses science and faith together, because most books like these don't incorporate God, but God is the most detailed artist in the world.  I couldn't make a cell like He did!

I cannot wait to do all of the rest of the experiments and I hope I learn a lot more.

Mot certainly, Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology has captured each of my children's attention, and I am truly grateful for the way the curriculum makes learning so accessible and adaptable - reaching each individual child's learning style.


Learn More

Like FREE SAMPLES?
  

You can find samples from each of the Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology  components on the Apologia  website.

Curious about other Apologia products?



Apologia offers a full line of faith-centered materials for students and parents, several of which we have been  blessed to review.  Click through the images below to see what we thought of some of the ones we have tried out.


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2015/06/scrapbook-your-field-trips-exploring.html


traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2016/09/apologia-astronomy.html


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2014/10/discover-archeological-evidence-and.html


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2014/07/are-you-ready-to-flourish-review.html


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2014/05/what-on-earth-can-i-do-review.html


http://traininghappyhearts.blogspot.com/2016/04/writers-in-residence.html

Want to get social?

Find Apologia on Social Media at:



What do others think?



Seventy-five Homeschool Review Crew families were generously given Exploring Creation with Human Anatomy and Physiology for review.  Click through the banner above to see how each used the program.


Have you been looking for an engaging, faith-connected science program that you an use at home and on the go? Apologia Exploring Creation is just that!

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Sunday, April 15, 2018

April 15, 2018

Dyslexia and God's Grace




This morning, as I held one of my children, helping him calm down after a meltdown and repeating in my mind over and over, "God did not give me this child without giving me the graces to parent him," another one of my children asked, "Mom, do you ever blog about special needs?"

"Yes," I replied.  "I used to a lot, but I don't as much as anymore."

My child paused, then inquired, "Did people ever read those posts?"

"Yes.  Sure they did.  I just stopped writing about it all so much, because..." 

I was going to continue, "..I did not want to share too much about the challenges you guys have as you grow, because you don't appreciate that," but, before I had a chance to, my daughter smiled and said, "Mom, do you think I could write about dyslexia?"

I paused, surprised, but then replied, "Yes."

"Could I start today?"

"Um, ya..." I wondered if the child in my lap would calm enough for me to focus on the desire of the child in front of me.

Praise God.  The child in my lap did calm down, and the afternoon unfolded with me helping my daughter begin her new mission: helping people understand dyslexia.

As my daughter dictated what she wished to say in her opening blog post, joyful tears overflowed from my eyes.

"Mom, you are crying!" my youngest - who had come to see what Big Sister and I were doing - giggled.  (He knows how sappy I get and finds it amusing.)

"Are you okay, Mom?" my empathetic daughter asked.

"Yes, I am." I smiled at her. "I am just happy. Remember how mad you sometimes get if you hear me mention dyslexia? I am just happy you want to share about it now and help other people. Thank you."

And, thank God. Prayers answered. Home reset. Hearts for helping in action.

My daughter just finished picking the themes and fonts for her new blog and reading to me the post she had dictated.  As she stumbled when reading her own words, she laughed (yes, laughed!) and asked if she could comment, "I had trouble reading my own blog post. LOL. I can dictate it, but not read every word of it."

This made me laugh, too - with such gratitude.  So often, when my daughter stumbles over reading she feels crestfallen and cries.
One day, God-willing - she won't have such trouble.  Until that day, though, we will be all right.  For God knows our struggles and our gifts and He always gives us grace and strength to embrace both.

Please enjoy my daughter's inaugural post: I Am Dyslexic, Too!

I am so grateful that she has chosen to see her dyslexia as a gift and, in turn, to gift forward her struggles and successes.  I am also bowled over by God's grace.

I have no doubt that graces received from Mass this morning helped get my family through our day so far, and I pray your family is bathed in grace for whatever challenges or celebrations you are faced with right now.

God does not make mistakes.  Sometimes, it just takes us all a while to figure out how struggles can become gifts that glorify Him
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Sunday, November 5, 2017

November 05, 2017

Take a Few Minutes of Your Day to Help Holy Souls



It's Sunday - a day to set aside for rest and service - and, since it's between November 1-8, one Work of Mercy you can easily partake in is praying for dead.  Indeed, if you go to a cemetery and pray for the dearly departed, you can gain indulgence applied to Holy Souls. 

It's not difficult to do, and it can truly become a beautiful tradition of prayer for you and your family.  I know this, because stopping by a cemeteries to pray for Holy Souls between November 1-8 has become a peaceful and pleasurable annual tradition for my children and me. 

We are blessed to live within walking distance of a cemetery, so some days, we just go for a stroll in order to pray for the dead, visiting familiar graves and noticing new ones. Other days, we invite friends to join us.  And, still other days, we stop at roadside cemeteries on our way to and from activities and errands, sometimes spending only a few minutes to pray and, at other times, making longer forays to explore, pray, and chat.  During these longer stops, so much comes up in conversation - history, art, nature study, precepts of our faith...  It's amazing what a simple stop at a cemetery can elicit.

I truly encourage you to take time to visit a cemetery and pray for Holy Soul today, over he next few days, and even throughout the year.

To Gain an Indulgence by Stopping by a Cemetery to Pray for Holy Souls

After praying for a Holy Soul on All Souls Day at a local cemetery


You can actually gain indulgences for Holy Souls any day of the year by stopping to pray at a cemetery, but doing so between November 1-8 makes the indulgence plenary.  

November is the month the Catholic Church dedicates to remembering Holy Souls, and the Church offers a special eight day opportunity for the faithful to receive an indulgence for a particular soul - a grandparent, a friend, a relative, even an unknown - at the beginning of the month.  On each day between November 1-8, a person seeking a plenary indulgence for a soul must:


"Visit to a Cemetery. 
An indulgence, applicable only to the Souls in Purgatory, is granted to the faithful, who devoutly visit a cemetery and pray, even if only mentally, for the departed. 
The indulgence is plenary each day from the 1st to the 8th of November; on other days of the year it is partial."


A person must also ensure these four conditions:
  1. Have an interior disposition of complete detachment from sin, even venial sin.  (If you attempt to receive a plenary indulgence, but are unable to meet this condition, a partial indulgence is received instead.)
  2. Sacramentally confess sins 20 days before or after the indulgenced act of visiting a cemetery to pray. (One confession suffices for several plenary indulgences.)
  3. Receive the Holy Eucharist 20 days before or after the indulgenced act of visiting a cemetery to pray. (A separate Holy Communion is required for each plenary indulgence.)
  4. Pray for the intentions of the Pope. (An Our Father and a Hail Mary are suggested and a separate prayer is required for each plenary indulgence.)


Please join us in praying for the dearly departed!  If you have a particular soul you'd like us to pray for, just let us know, and, also, please join us in praying for unknown souls, as well as for Nana (Theresa), who we lost this year.  Thank you.
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Sunday, October 22, 2017

October 22, 2017

Celebrating St. John Paul II Outdoors

What happens when Sunday, sunshine, and Saint. John Paul II's  Optional Memorial day coincide? 

If you're my me - and you've been promising one of your children a final romp at the beach before the weather cools too much - you make lunch after Mass, have everyone change into swimwear, pack up a few items, and head to the beach, praying a family Rosary along the way!

{Disclosure: Some of the links which follow are affiliate ones.}
 
 
 
Then, on the beach, some of your children play in the "lazy river"...



...while another just lazes around on a towel...


....listening to you read parts of For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II aloud.



Later, you call all your children over to where you've made a casual beachside saint day vignette using you copy of  For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II*, the Encyclopedia of Peg Saints, a St. John Paul II peg doll, a tape measure, and a bag of Dandies all-matural mini marshmallows.  


You ask your children what they can recall about St. John Paul II, add some further details, read the page in the Encyclopedia of Peg Saints about him...


...and ask who'd like to try a little challenge related to St. John Paul II before sharing in sweetness, symbolic of God's love.

Enticed by the symbolic sweetness, of course, all your children want to try the challenge.  So, borrowing from a prior St. John Paul II-related design challenge,  you explain:


St. John Paul II loved being outdoors and especially loved the mountains, which he said were "a special place to meet God".   He also said, "We can pray perfectly when we are out in the mountains or on a lake and we feel at one with nature. Nature speaks for us or rather speaks to us. We pray perfectly."  You challenge is to use natural materials you find around you to build a "mountain" that is almost 27 inches high - one inch for every year St. John Paul II was pope.  The mountain has to be able to hold our St. John Paul II peg doll on it for at least 84 seconds - one for very year St. John Paul II lived.
Then, everyone sets to work.



Some build with just rock.


Others add plant material.



Measurements are taken.


Different designs are tried.



Someone thinks he's done.
 

Official measurements are taken.



Redesigns are considered.


Teamwork unfolds.


New progress is measured.


Varied ideas are tested.
 

A simple design meets the height specification.


And, St. John Paul II (in peg doll form) meets God on the "mountain".




A team of three finishes another "mountain".



Everyone - solo and in teams  - meet success.



Then, the sweet mini marshmallows are distributed, reminding us of God's pure love shared with others.




Hoots of joy are called out.  You continue to enjoy the great outdoors with gratitude, just as. St. John Paul II often did.

Later, you all join in prayer, thanking God for the day and asking for St. John Paul II to intercede for your family and for others.

An October beach day in celebration of St. John Paul II has been a blessing!

*Note: When I was putting this post together, I noticed that there are copies of  For the Children: Life Lessons From Pope John Paul II selling for just a penny right now.  So, if you've been thinking about getting a copy, now's the time!

St. John Paul II, pray for us.

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