November in kidSPACE

Here's what your child will be learning about in kidSPACE this month!

Preschool:

November continues October's theme of "David's Story." David's story is a part of God's Big Story, and we are a part of it too.

This month's David stories teach preschoolers that, "God gives me good friends." The first two weeks of the month, children will learn of David and Jonathan's amazing friendship. Then, they will learn that David was such a good friend to Jonathan that he sought out Jonathan's remaining family and cared for Mephibosheth. During these first three weeks, preschoolers will talk about what it means to be a friend, how to help and serve those around them.
Finally, preschoolers will celebrate God and His friendship in the last week of the month. They will dance and sing and praise their heavenly Father. Be prepared for lots of noise and crazy preschool fun on this day.

Verse: “Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIrV

Elementary:

God can do ANYTHING. There is literally nothing God can’t do. He knows everything and He sees everything and He is powerful enough to make anything happen.

Even though God is completely self-sufficient, He doesn’t work alone. From the very beginning, God looked for a way to work with the people He had created to accomplish His plan. God worked with Noah to build the ark that saved both people and animals. God worked with Moses to bring the Israelites out of slavery. And when Jesus stepped onto this planet, He worked with His friends and disciples to share the message of God’s love with the world.

Just like God doesn’t work alone, God doesn’t want for us to work alone. God wants for us to work with others. Because COOPERATION is working together to do more than you can do alone. God wants us to seek help from others, and be ready to offer help to others. When we don’t cooperate with others, we will always be limited in what we can accomplish.

But we aren’t made to only work with other people. We are also made to cooperate with God. And it’s when we learn how to work with God and others that, in His strength, we can do incredible things.

This month, let’s think about how:

(1) God is omnipotent. He can do anything.

(2) God still chooses to work through us, and use us according to His purposes. He chooses to cooperate with us—even through He doesn’t need to.

(3) If we cooperate with God, and if we cooperate with others as God has designed us to do, we will see His power at work in our lives to do more than we could ever imagine. 

Verse: “Two people are better than one. They can help each other in everything they do.” Ecclesiastes 4:9, NIrV

Parent Rap

Here's a little something to make you smile and celebrate the weekend. Enjoy!

 

http://www.dump.com/parentsrap/

September in kidSPACE

Here's what September will look like in kidSPACE!

Preschool:
We will start this month with a short creation lesson that emphasizes that God made each and every one of us. We will then return to the story of the lost sheep to emphasize how much God loves us. He loves us so much, He will always search for us. We then visit Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego to learn that not only does God love us, but He will help us. Finally, we learn that Jesus is our good friend in the story of calming the storm. God loves us so much that He sent His Son, Jesus, to be our friend forever. The final week will be spent on a very fun review of all the stories ensuring that the preschoolers hear all three basic truths one more time.
Verse: "Nothing can separate us from God's love." Romans 8:9 NIrV


Elementary:
Our God spoke into the darkness and created the entire universe. He is big enough to control the wind and the rain, yet able to meet the needs of the smallest sparrow. God knows all things and still desires to hear each of our prayers.
As we learn more about who God is and what He does, respect becomes a natural response to God’s character. But not only does God have all authority, according to the Bible, He also sets up governing authorities on earth. So showing respect to those in authority over us is an extension of showing respect to God.
This month’s memory verse is a quick and easy reminder of exactly that: “Show proper respect to everyone.” (1 Peter 2:17a, NIV) Proper respect acknowledges what is appropriate given the situation and position of the person. The person in authority over us was made by, is loved, and was placed in authority by God. We show them respect with our speech, actions, and attitude.
But what if we disagree with our authority? Sometimes respect means we won’t get our way or that our idea won’t win out. It might mean swallowing our pride in a very humbling moment. Or choosing our words very carefully when it would be easier to lash out or say something hurtful or defensive. When we stop and remember to respond with words and actions that show our authorities they are important, that they are made by God, and that God has given them their position, we show respect to our authority and to God.

Respect is truly a question of how we respond to our authorities. Will we assume that everyone has something they can teach us? Or will we stubbornly work to get our own way? When we choose to elevate our attitude and think a little higher, we show others they are important because God has given them their authority.

A Little Thing Called Worry

Below is a post I wrote a couple of weeks ago but saved for a later date. With the start of school and Michael's message this past Sunday on worry, I think this is the right time to post it!
________________________________________________________________________________

Sometimes it's hard not to worry about my kids. I often find myself wondering "Will they have good friends as they grow up? "Will they be good friends to those around them-not just the popular kids, but the kids that are hard to love?" "Will they be leaders or followers?"

These questions can be good to ask. But they can also lead to worry. What I have discovered is that worrying about my kids usually stems from a feeling of helplessness when I realize that they are their own little creatures, and I can't control much of what they do. I try, believe me I try, but I get constant reminders of how independent they are becoming.

So I am learning to take those feelings and RELEASE them to One who loves and knows my children even more than I do. The One who created them and designed them to be just the way they are.

If you ever worry about your children, or struggle with trying to control who they are and what they do, here's some encouragement for you. If we had even a glimmer of the perspective that God has, all of our worries would be gone!


Psalm 139:13, 14  

For you created my inmost being; you knit me together in my mother's womb, I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made; your works are wonderful, I know that full well.

John 14:27             

Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you. I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled and do not be afraid.

Psalm 55:22           

Cast your cares on the Lord and he will sustain you; he will never let the righteous fall.

Isaiah 44:24           

This is what the Lord says-your Redeemer, who formed you in the womb:
                                  I am the Lord,
                                  who has made all things,
                                  who alone stretched out the heavens,
                                  who spread out the earth by myself

Psalm 46:10           

Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.

Back to School!!

School supplies are everywhere, which means it's that time of year again! Talk of school is everywhere, so I thought I would join in on the banter. This year I am beginning the journey into having a school-age child and have been doing a lot of reflecting. I can't say I haven't shed a few tears (I'll blame it on the fact that I just had a baby) but all in all I'm excited about starting the journey. If your family is getting ready to make the transition back to school, here are a few tips on how to start off the year on the right foot.

1) Pray for your child-This may sound like common sense, but I challenge you to pray specifically! For your child's friends, experiences, academics, etc.

2) Pray for your child's teacher-Having been a teacher before taking on my current role, I may be a bit biased, but teachers have a lot of responsibility and unique pressures. They could use your prayers!

3) Establish routines-At least a week before school starts, begin your schooltime routines. Talk with your child about when they will complete homework and get them used to going to bed a little earlier and getting up earlier. It will make the transition that much easier. And you might want to do the same for youself, too!

4) Deal with Anxiety- Some kids have an incredible knack for adapting to situations. Others do not and need some extra love and support. If your child is having anxiety about starting school, have some friends over the week before school starts. Being with friends who will be at their school might take away some of the tension. Also, be available for your kids during the time leading up to school. Even if anxiety is not expressed, your extra presence will be a comfort.

5) Stay Positive-Children very quickly pick up on our feelings and tend to copy and many times magnify them. Talk about the beginning of the year in positive terms. Instead of saying "you have to go back to school" say "you get to go back to school soon!"

6) Start fun traditions-The night before school starts, sit down together and share hopes and fears about the upcoming year. And then pray over them! On the evening of the first day of school go out for ice cream and share about your day. Make it fun and a time to connect.

As the school year starts I'll be praying for all of our kidSPACE kids and families as you adjust to another school year. May your year be full of blessings!

Have Patience

Here's a post written by a blogger that I thought provided some great perspective/tips on patience. Something we all seem to struggle with at some point with our children. Hopefully it helps you today!

_________________________________________________________________________




When I was a kid my mom taught us a song about a snail named Herbert who needed to learn to have patience. Being the awesome big sister that I was, I often sang it to my brother whenever he was getting impatient. Of course, this always helped to bring him patience—not! Soon, this silly song became our way of irritating each other whenever we recognized that we were about to lose our patience.
Several years later, as I was raising four little kids and feeling a little stressed, I would find myself singing that song. As I watched my little girls growing impatient with each other or with that shoe they just couldn’t tie, I would sing them the song about the impatient snail.
When I was a kid, I thought my mom was teaching us that song to help us learn patience. But now that I’m older, I realize she was singing that song to remind herself to have patience.
I have to admit that I’ve lost my patience more than once. I can clearly remember a day at the park. I was there with several mom friends—using my “nice mom” voice. During that time, one of my girls pitched a fit when she couldn’t have the swing, one of them threw their lunch on the ground, one had to go to the potty every five seconds, and then they had a melt down as I tried to drag them across the parking lot to the car when it was time to go.
I falsely kept a smile on face the whole time. Buckled them in while taking deep cleansing breaths as they screeched. And the second I got in the van and shut the door I hollered: “I’ve had enough! I don’t want to hear another peep until we get home.” I yelled so loudly that I shocked them. Total silence for about five seconds. Then they all started to cry. Yep. I’d been pushed to the limit. I’d lost my patience.
I’ve been taught that love is patient. And I love my kids more than life. So, why is it so hard to be patient? Here’s why. I’m not perfect. I’m human. I’ve got a long way to go. I want to be patient . . . but sometimes I’m not. I don’t want to be pushy and snippy and impatient . . . but sometimes I am.

Here are a few things that help me when I’m struggling for patience:

1. I watch my tone. When I’m impatient my tone is short, bossy and snippy. When I choose a kinder tone I seem to be able to communicate with patience.

2. I step away. I know this is not always possible. But I’ve been known to lock myself in the bathroom for a few minutes or go for a walk until I find my happy place.

3. I listen to music. Happy music. I have a playlist of happy songs and when I feel my impatience boiling  up I turn up the tunes. Music has the ability to change my mood.

4. I look into their faces. When I look into the eyes of those kids that I love, it communicates something to my heart. It reminds me that I’m shaping who they will become. It smoothes out my patience.

5. I remember that others are patient with me. There’s a part in the Herbert the snail song that says, “Remember that God is patient too, and think of all the times when others have to wait for you.” Many have been and continue to be PATIENT with me. I’ve been on the receiving end and I know how good it feels.

written by Kendra Fleming             orangeparents.org

kidSPACE in August

Preschool:
This month, preschoolers will be joining Moses on the many adventures his life entailed. As they learn about Moses being found in a basket by Pharaoh’s daughter, his leadership of the Israelites out of slavery, the parting of the Red Sea, and even the manna that falls from heaven, they will be learning that God is always with them. God was with Moses, and He is with them too.

What a powerful statement to tuck inside the heart of a preschooler. God is with him. Always. God is with him on the swing going high in the sky. God is with him at the doctor’s office when the nurse comes in with the shot. God is with him when he’s at home, the park or church. God is always there.

Verse: "God is with you wherever you go." Joshua 1:9

Elementary:
It seems like we’re bombarded constantly by commercials and ads telling us what we “need” to make our life better. Promises that, with this product, the next time we look in the mirror, we’ll magically see chiseled abs, thick healthy hair with no split ends and a flawless complexion. Or get our dream job far from here. But really, contentment has nothing to do with how you look, what you have, where you are, or what you do.
Think about it.
What if you were absolutely convinced that you were well made by a competent and skilled Creator?
Contentment is about Who you trust.
As Christians, we know that God looks on us as His creation, and that because of His great love for us He chose to send His Son to redeem us and provide a way for us to have an unending relationship with Him. We know that He has promised to meet our needs in Christ Jesus, and that He is immeasurably able to do more than we ask or imagine. We know that He has gone to prepare a place for us, and that because of His grace we can spend eternity with Him.
So, when you think about it, we really have every reason to be content.
Our contentment really is about more than just our personal happiness. It is a demonstration of our daily trust in God. It shows that we really believe that His way is better than our own. It allows us to focus on what God is doing in and around us right now. And when we are content, we allow others to see a glimpse of the peace that passes understanding.
That’s why we think it’s so important for us to help kids Get a Clue on who’s stealing their contentment. After all, contentment is choosing to be happy with what you’ve got.

Verse: "I have learned to be content no matter what happens to me. I know what it’s like not to have what I need. I also know what it’s like to have more than I need. I have learned the secret of being content no matter what happens.” (NIrV) Philippians 4:11b-12:a

Giveaway-revisited

Sorry folks, I received some feedback that the comments section of the blog is not working. So I will try to get that up and running and then do the giveaway again! I'm not that familiar with the blogging world but I will do my best to figure it out. Thanks for your patience!!

Quotable Kids

I repeatedly hear parents sharing funny quotes their kids have said, and I see them posted on facebook many times as well. What great memories you don't want to lose! Here's what I propose-write them down. You can keep notes on your smartphone, create a document, keep a journal, etc. But whatever you do, don't lose those precious words! Just recently I bought a book for each of my boys that's basically a journal to record quotes. It's called My Quotable Kid: A Parents' Journal of Unforgettable Quotes and each page includes speech bubbles to record funny or interesting things your kids say. My latest entry was for my youngest, Luke. My husband called him "Son" the other evening, and apparently he doesn't use that word much because Luke's response was "I'm not the sun, the sun is outside in the sky. I'm Luke!" Great one for the quote book.


And just to encourage you to find a way to write down these memories for future enjoyment, I'm going to give away 3 copies of My Quotable Kid. Leave a comment sharing something cute/interesting/funny your child has said or done and you will be entered in a drawing to receive a book!

Winners will be selected and announced on Saturday afternoon, so start sharing those memories!

kidSPACE Preschool

Twenty-five: that is the typical number of preschoolers (ages 2-5) that fill our downstairs each and every Sunday morning during Millersville's kidSPACE. For a church our size, that is a very significant number! The preschool age is such a wonderful time of exploration and discovery. You may have heard it said before that kids of these ages are sponges, and it is so true. They soak in everything you tell them, and in case you haven't noticed, things you don't tell them as well! Which is why what kids are taught, and how they're taught, is so critical. 

Dana and Sami Cook!

In kidSPACE we have three preschool classrooms: age 2, age 3, and ages 4,5. They all follow the same monthly theme but the activities they do are geared specifically towards their developmental abilities. Dana Cook is our preschool coordinator and does an amazing job leading a team of very dedicated preschool teachers and helpers. There are 6 leaders involved with our preschoolers each week, which results in around 24 different adults each month. We are humbled by their commitment to this very important age group. If you have a child in one of these classes, make sure to thank or do something special for your child's teachers this month!

Each Sunday the kids start out doing some introductory activities of the theme/lesson for the day. It's usually a high interest activity that gets them locked into the theme for the morning. To give you an example, this past Sunday kids played animal memory to introduce the theme for the day, which was God made animals. This is typically followed by the bible story for the morning and practice on their monthly bible verse. The morning concludes with hands-on application activities that help to "stick" lessons in the minds of the kids. So this past Sunday kids did activities like listening to animal sounds on a cd and guessing the animal, making animal puppets or fingerprint animals, or moving like animals. Teachers have a list of activities they get to choose from to close out the morning.



The 4,5 year olds wait to play a game.

On the first Sunday of each month parents receive a take home paper called Small Talk that outlines the monthly theme and weekly bible stories. If you are a preschool parent and miss that first Sunday there are extra copies of this paper hanging on the bulletin board in the preschool hallway. Feel free to pick one up! They also contain fun activities you can do at home to reinforce the bible stories and concepts kids learn each month.

         

Decorating Bear Cookies





The 3 year olds go fishing!



 



Ryan joins in the penguin race!











How to Lose (and Gain) Influence as a Parent

I wanted to share a great post written by another blogger, Carey Nieuwhof, a pastor in Canada. There's some great insight in here on building influence and trust with your kids-which is essential for establishing a positive relationship with them as they grow.

________________________________________________________________________________

Every parent wants influence, and while a parent is the greatest influence in a child’s life, that influence can wax and wane with the seasons.  In fact, a lot of parents I know feel like they’re losing influence.

Influence is something to pay attention to no matter what stage of parenting you’re at, because ultimately every parent is on a journey from control to influence.  We start out with almost complete control of a child’s life, but by the time our sons and daughters are 18 and ready to face life on their own, all we have left is influence.
This raises an important question: How exactly does influence work?  It works like this:
We listen most to the people we love the most.
Our kids inevitably do what you and I do: they listen most to the people they love the most. This means that as a parent, you need to establish an authentic, healthy relationship with your son or daughter if you hope be an influence in their lives.
Influence is easy to lose but takes time to build up.  Here are five easy ways to lose influence as a parent:

1. Threaten consequences, but never carry them out. Then your kids will know to never take you seriously.

2. Shame, guilt, and frustrate your children. Eventually they’ll want to get as far away from you as they can.

3. Try to be their best friend. Your kids need a parent more than they need another buddy. (As my friend Jeff Brodie says,  he’s never met a 15 year old looking for a 45 year old best friend.)

4. Treat your spouse poorly. Your kids will lose respect for you rapidly.

5. Be inconsistent.  If your kids never know where you stand, they’ll lose trust in you.

Influence can be lost quickly.  But how do you gain it?  How do you cultivate influence?  How do you create a healthy relationship that lasts?
While this isn’t an exhaustive list, here are five ways to increase the influence you have with kids:

1. Do what you said you were going to do when you said you were going to do it. It cultivates trust, confidence and even respect.

2. Enforce limits. Don’t think you’re helping your kids by letting them off the hook with commitments, boundaries and responsibilities.  One day, they’ll thank you for it.

3. Treat one anoher with kindness.  Treat the people closest to you with more kindness than anyone else (it’s natural, by the way, to do the opposite).

4. Don’t overindulge your kids. Let rewards be rewards. As a rule, you shouldn’t give your kids rewards for nothing, or for simply doing what’s expected of them.

5. Work on your own character.  When your kids see you developing your faith and character, you will have a greater impact on their lives.

If you think about it, the people who are gaining influence with you are probably exhibiting some of the characteristics just listed.  You love and respect them because they are responsible, kind, considerate people who stand for something and have a deep integrity.  The people who are losing influence in your life are people who are inconsistent and emotionally unhealthy.
While it takes discipline to develop your character and stick to sensible limits as a parent, over time, it will help you gain and keep influence with your kids.  And eventually, influence is all we have left with our kids in any event.

kidSPACE in July

This is what kids will be learning about in kidSPACE during the month of July:

Preschool:

July is a continuation of the Creation theme that was started in June. God saw all that He had made and it was "good". Preschoolers will learn that God only makes good things, and that includes them too! What an important concept to grasp as they get older.

Verse: God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. Genesis 1:31

Elementary:

Last month we focused on what it means to love and trust God with all our life, not only for the first time, but every day. This month, we want to take a look at something that will begin to happen in our lives as a result of our love and trust in God. When you love and trust God, you will love others.
This love isn’t a command. It’s a fact. It’s impossible to love and trust God, and not love the people whom God loves. 1 John 4:20 says this: “Anyone who says he loves God but in fact hates his brother or sister is a liar. He doesn’t love his brother or sister, whom he has seen. So he can’t love God, whom he has not seen.” (NIrV)
Throughout His ministry, Jesus taught His followers what it meant to love others. He taught how to love our neighbors, how to love our enemies, and how to love those who were overlooked and marginalized. He demonstrated the kind of love that He taught in the way that He lived. And He gave us the ultimate example of love when He died for us.
So, how do you follow Jesus’ example? How do you love a God you can’t see and touch? You love the ones HE loves. And when you love them, you will begin to understand God more, and you will learn to love and trust Him more as well.

Our monthly Memory Verse brings it even closer to home by encouraging us to “Love your neighbor as yourself,” Matthew 22:39, NIV.

When you put your trust in God, and you live your life in response to Him by loving Him and loving others, you will live a much better story. Your life will be EPIC because it’s going to be part of something bigger than just you!

By Cara Martens. ©2012 Orange. All rights reserved. www.WhatIsOrange.org * All rights reserved. Used by permission.

Movie Review: Brave

Brave

To be a Disney princess is to have mommy issues.

Snow White's stepmother wanted to kill her. Cinderella's wanted to lock her up. In Tangled, Rapunzel's wanted to comb the ever-loving life out of her hair.

And Princess Merida—a headstrong young lass with a spirit as fiery as her own unruly hair? Her mother wants her to grow up to be … a bride.

Practically every day, Elinor trains Merida in the finer points of ladyship: how to stand, how to eat, how to talk, how to walk. She teaches her lute-playing and schools her in the kingdom's history and geography. "A princess strives for, well, perfection," Elinor tells her. And only perfection is good enough. The lessons are relentless, and with each new rule, familiar scold and look of disappointment Elinor piles on, Merida feels as if her life's not her own. That she's imprisoned in a world of her mom's making.

And now the final lock is in place: Elinor's marrying Merida off. And not to the kilted boy next door, either, but to the son of one of the kingdom's three fractious lords. She's to be the grand prize in an archery contest, and whatever union results won't be of love, but of duty—duty to the clans and the kingdom.

Merida's having none of it.

In a breathtaking moment of rebellion, she competes for her own hand and wins it, enraging the lords and infuriating the queen. But Merida's not done. Back in the castle, she slices through a tapestry depicting her family—severing Elinor from Merida's side.

"You're a beast!" Merida shouts at her. "I'd rather die than be like you!"

The argument grows uglier, and Merida flees from the castle with her face as red as her lashes, tears streaming down her cheeks … as she finds herself in the cottage of an old, mysterious witch with a passion for woodcarving. When the witch tries to sell Merida a bit of her handiwork, the princess suggests a different deal: I'll buy all your woodstuffs if you sell me a spell.

"Change my mom," Merida says. "That will change my fate."

Positive Elements

We've come to expect a lot from Disney's brilliant animated adjunct, Pixar—beautiful art, great comedy and, most of all, fantastic storytelling. Pixar's stories are rooted in relationships, and the studio manages to examine even the most fractious with honesty, sensitivity and grace.

Merida and Elinor's difficult, complex relationship lies at the very soul of Brave. But while Merida may think her mother's a beast, and Elinor might consider Merida a brat, there are no villains here: only two strong, caring and (might as well say it) brave women who, in spite of their differences, love each other very much.

Throughout the course of the movie, Elinor does change: Given a new perspective, she's able to see Merida not as merely a flawed project but as a growing, confident young woman—more capable and mature than she had imagined. Moreover, she moves the kingdom away from the formulaic betrothal process it's historically embraced. Instead of claiming the princess like a blue ribbon at a fair, a potential suitor must now (as a lord tells us) win her heart before he wins her hand.

But it's Merida who changes more here. She discovers that her mother, far from being a beast, has loved and cared for her as much as anyone. She realizes that all those lessons were important—that she has responsibilities and duties that she can't shirk or run away from. In Brave, Merida grows up before our eyes—not physically, but emotionally.

Elinor and Merida wind up risking their lives for each other, and their contentious-but-beautiful bond mimics, in its own surreal way, many a mother-daughter relationship. We see here a mom's need to prepare her kids for the real world, a daughter's desire for freedom and the ability to make her own decisions. Those teen years can be difficult in many households. Brave doesn't tell us otherwise. But it asks us to remember that when you strip away all the differences and all the hurt, the bond between mother and daughter is a thing of transcendent beauty.

Spiritual Content

As mentioned, Brave is inflected with magic. It's not the flyweight wand-waving of Cinderella or the more naturalistic conjurations of Harry Potter. Rather, it's something more in step with the story's ancient Scottish setting: Here, magic is mysterious. Enigmatic. Dark.

The witch works her magic through a giant cauldron and is assisted by a not-so-cute crow. Several times, Merida follows a trail of will-o'-the-wisps—strange, floating lights that her mother tells her will "lead you to your fate." The first time she follows them, they lead to Mordu, a huge "demon bear" that bites off her father's leg. The next time she sees them, she's lying in a Stonehenge-like circle—a magic ring her horse refuses to enter—and the wisps' trail leads to the witch's door. A third time they take her to Mordu's lair, where she discovers the bear's dark, magical past and nearly gets herself killed.

The film seems to reflect, perhaps, a pre-Christian Scotland, when druidic influence was still strong. And while the movie's narrative makes it clear that Merida's dealings with the witch are ill-advised, they also help, indirectly, get her out of her betrothal.

We also hear a great deal of talk about "fate" and "destiny," usually pushed into the realm of social expectations more than anything spiritual. A woodcarving mimics Michelangelo's painting of God and Adam from the Sistine Chapel, only the figures are bears.

Sexual Content

Suddenly finding herself naked in a field—under a tapestry—Elinor causes a bit of a stir among the nobles. She and her husband, King Fergus, smooch, which makes Merida pretty uncomfortable.

Though dead-set against being betrothed, Merida does seem to perk up when she thinks a massive, muscled Scotsman might be one of her suitors. He's not. Later we see him wooing one of the castle's servants.

A servant woman sports a robust amount of cleavage. And one of Merida's precocious brothers dives his hand into said cleavage to retrieve a sweet roll. It's suggested that Fergus pinches Elinor's rear. A suitor flexes his pecs; a handful of maidens swoon at his exploits.

Violent Content

There's a reason why Romans built a wall between England and Scotland. We see the king, his lords and their contingencies squabble over pride and other minor matters—hitting, kicking, biting, nipple-pinching and eye-gouging in a raucous slapstick scene. Elinor eventually grabs Fergus and the lords by their ears and drags them out of the melee to make the fighting stop.

We don't see Fergus lose his leg, but we do see some of the confrontations with bears—battles that involve swords and arrows and claws and teeth. Two bears get into a fight in which one is killed (crushed by a rock). Merida's injured by the swipe of a bear claw.

A servant runs into a pole. Merida falls from her horse.

Crude or Profane Language

None.

Drug and Alcohol Content

Fergus drinks from a flagon. Merida suggests that her dad and the lords celebrate something by going down to the cellar and cracking open Fergus' private stores.

Other Negative Elements

The triplets engage in a number of stunts and pranks, exasperating the adults but rarely earning an admonishment. They also run around naked. (They're shown from behind.) Fergus, along with several lords and soldiers, are seen (also from behind) without pants. A lord moons his compatriots.

Elinor gets queasy after eating a tart-like confection, burping and gagging. A dish of haggis also induces gags.

Conclusion

Brave is a quite good tale deftly told, filled with moments of insight, beauty and humor. And of course the animation is amazing. But in terms of content, it cowers ever so slightly. Bear rears and bare rears wriggle across the screen. Lords moon one another. Magic coats the Scottish highlands like so much dark frosting.

Brave also can be scary. This place is populated by fearsome beasts, hidden dangers and unexpected threats. And the subject matter can play on a child's deepest fears. For sensitive, younger kids, Brave may well spark a nightmare or two.

Which brings me back to something I wrote earlier: We've come to expect a lot from Pixar. Ever since the release of Toy Story in 1995, the studio has dazzled us with some of the finest, most family-friendly movies ever. In this humble reviewer's opinion, not even Disney in its golden age (1939-47) or renaissance (1989-2000) can match Pixar's present run.

So it's only by those loftiest of standards that I can call Brave a disappointment. For its familial lessons learned by both mother and daughter are more than merely magical: They're practical. They're discerning. And they're inspiring.


Taken from: http://www.pluggedin.com/movies/intheaters/brave.aspx

Free Summer Activities for the Family

Since today is the first official day of summer I thought I would post some ideas of things you can do with your family that are free. Summer can get busy but kids can also get bored fairly quickly, so when you run into those times check out the options below. If you have any more ideas, please comment and share!


1) Bowl for Free-summer program where kids can bowl free

http://www.kidsbowlfree.com/

2) Library Programs-check out the website of your local library; most have special summer programs going on that are free.

3) Markets: Roots/Central Market-Roots is on Tuesdays and Central Market is on Saturdays.

4) That Fish Place-large pet store on Centerville Road with lots of animals/reptiles/fish for kids to see.

5) Long's Park Summer Music Series-FREE-music concerts every Sunday night beginning at 7:30 p.m. Now through the end of August.

http://www.longspark.org/music.html

6) Independence Day Parades-lots to choose from!

7) Vacation Bible School-FREE-numerous held at local churches.

Mountville Mennonite: July 8-12 6:30-8:30 p.m. ages 3 and up
Hempfield United Methodist Church: July 22-26 6:30-8:30 p.m. grades 1-6
Zion Church of Millersville: July 2-6 6:00-8:00 p.m. ages 4-12
Millersville Bible Church: July 9-13 6:15-8:45 p.m. kids entering K-6th grade
8) Family Film Series at Buchanan Park-FREE-starts at dusk on Wednesday evenings.

2012 Movie Schedule:
June 27 101 Dalmations II
July 5 Aristocats
July 11 Alpha & Omega
July 18 Hoodwinked
July 25 Gnomeo & Juliet
Aug 1 Gullivers Travels - 2010

Take a peek inside the kidSPACE nursery!

I don't know if you've ever thought about this before, but most likely your child's first experience with church, when they are ready to be apart from you, is in the nursery. It is there that they are first exposed to other caring adults in their church family and begin to form an idea of what church is all about. It's an important step in your child's exposure to the church family. And let's not forget how nice it is as a parent to be able to focus on worship! The nursery is such a vital and vibrant part of our Millersville church, which is why I want to share some of it with you today.

Our nursery is headed up by Shana Stauffer, who does an amazing job with the scheduling as well as all of the small duties that accompany taking care of the nursery.

Typically on a Sunday morning there are anywhere from 7-13 kids crawling and toddling around in the nursery. And the numbers are not going to dwindle any time soon! The kids usually play for awhile and then enjoy a snack at the picnic tables located in the room. Some take naps in the room adjoining the nursery, which is the "quiet" room. And even for the ones who have some separation anxiety (like my own son) it is a warm and loving place to be. Just look at the faces in these pictures! I must say, we seem to have a real talent for producing adorable children.

We also have amazing volunteers who strive to make the nursery a nurturing, fun, and safe place for our kids. They are entrusted with some of the most important and vulnerable members of our family, and for that we are truly grateful. So from the bottom of our hearts, thank you to all who serve in our nursery. May these smiling faces grow up to bless you!

Creation and Trust

Hard to believe, but this Sunday is the first Sunday of June! Here's what's going on this month in kidSPACE:

Preschool:

Teaching our children about the wonder of creation is one of the most important things we do in preschool world. Understanding that the God of the universe created not only the world, but them. That the same God who put those beautiful colors on the butterflies also chose the color of their hair. Learning about creation is always a magical time, and this month will be no different.

Verse: "You made the world and everything in it." Psalm 89:11 NCV

Elementary:

The God who created the oceans, the stars, and the planets calls us His children. Then, because we sinned and were separated from Him, that same God—the Creator of all things—stepped onto our planet and lived among us as one of us. He taught us how to live. And then as an act of indescribable love, He died for us. And in a moment of unimaginable triumph, He defeated death, rose again, and ascended into heaven to prepare a place for us for eternity.

1 John 4:19 says, “We love because he first loved us.” And wow, how He loves us. It makes sense that we love God back. Who wouldn’t love this God who created us and said we were good, who came to redeem us when we had lost our way? But here’s the tricky part. If you love God, you will trust God because trust and love go together.

That’s why, when you first encountered His love, you made an initial step to trust Him with your life. But that’s not the end. As believers, we have to put our trust in God again every day. Every moment of our lives we have choices, and in those moments we can choose to put our confidence in God or to put our confidence somewhere else.

This month kids are going to take a look at what it means to trust God—both for the very first time and each day in the face of new circumstances.

Verse: "'Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.' This is the first and greatest commandment." Matthew 22:37-38 NIV

Why Less is More

Michael and I recently had a conversation about the busyness in our lives. Now that it's springtime it seems like there is so much going on, from sports practices and games to school activities. How many nights a week does your family spend at an activity?
Here's a challenging blog post written by another blogger that he passed on to me. It's a great challenge so I now pass it along to you!

http://www.kpoealexander.com/2012/running-around-like-a-crazy-woman-why-less-is-more/

Movie Review: The Avengers

I'm a little late getting this one out, but better late than never!

Release Date: May 4, 2012 (3D/2D theaters and IMAX 3D)
Rating: PG-13 (for intense sequences of sci-fi violence and action throughout, and a mild drug reference)
Genre: Action, Adventure
Run Time: 142 min.
Director: Joss Whedon
Actors: Robert Downey Jr., Chris Evans, Mark Ruffalo, Chris Hemsworth, Tom Hiddleston, Samuel L. Jackson, Scarlett Johansson, Jeremy Renner, Clark Gregg, Stellan Skarsgard, Gwyneth Paltrow

Good versus evil. Heroes versus villains. Moral clarity versus muddy postmodernism. Such storytelling might seem old fashioned, but every now and then a movie reminds us that “old-fashioned” ideas have a potency that’s lacking in much modern storytelling.

Marvel’s The Avengers—a group of superheroes brought together by Nick Fury (Samuel L. Jackson), director of intelligence agency S.H.I.E.L.D., to fight forces threatening humanity’s continued existence— remind us that some story themes never go out of style. Tony Stark/Iron Man (Robert Downey Jr.), Steve Rogers/Captain America (Chris Evans), Bruce Banner/the Incredible Hulk (Mark Ruffalo), Thor (Chris Hemsworth), Natasha Romanoff/the Black Widow (Scarlett Johansson) and Clint Barton/Hawkeye (Jeremy Renner) are assembled by Fury to take on Thor’s brother Loki and his armies from Asgard unleashed on Earth.
Sound silly? Sure, but The Avengers often has a playful spirit, unlike some of the films dedicated to the individual characters who comprise the group. The Avengers’ script, cowritten by director Joss Whedon (The Cabin in the Woods), steers clear of the ponderous seriousness that has weighed down some of the earlier Marvel films, giving arrogant playboy Stark a few moments of self-deprecation and even using the moody Hulk for comic relief. The end result is entertaining and mostly enjoyable, if overlong.
The Avengers’ story centers on the Tesseract, a glowing energy cube that opens a vortex between Earth and Asgard. That’s where Loki (Tom Hiddleston), still licking his wounds from Thor, comes from with an army of fighters eager to enslave humankind to Loki’s evil rule. People need to bow down to someone, and he’s ready to receive their obeisance. “Freedom is life’s great lie,” he intones. “You were made to be ruled.”
The focus on Loki is the first thing The Avengers gets right. A vaguely remembered adversary from the passable but forgettable Thor, Loki dominates the early part of The Avengers thanks to Hiddleston’s fiendishly fun portrayal of the power-mad figure. Like a malevolent spiritual subjugator, he seems unstoppable and undefeatable—until he meets his match in the Avengers.
Each Avenger is used to saving humanity on their own, but it will take the whole group working together to confront the diabolical Loki—especially after he turns Hawkeye and scientist Erik Selvig (Stellan Skarsgard) into his willing servants. Much of the movie’s pleasures come in watching the Avengers learn to work together to confront a foe who’s more than they can handle individually. Wise-cracking Stark grates on the completely unironic Rogers, while Banner worries about anger-management issues and Thor struggles to explain why his brother has gone bad.

With so many major characters, Whedon has to pack a lot into The Avengers, and he does so without giving short shrift to any of the major characters. So, what’s lacking? Romance, for one thing. A whispered come-on to Stark by Pepper Potts, (Gwyneth Paltrow) followed by Stark’s reaction, is as steamy as things get, but the film is so busy trying to give equal time to its multiple characters that a love absence is easy to overlook. Whedon instead concentrates on the characters and on delivering thrills, orchestrating a few spectacular scenes of rampaging alien forces.

Although the initial thrill of these sequences wears off as the editing grows more chaotic and the film draws toward its conclusion, Marvel fans who have been eagerly anticipating The Avengers won’t care. This is the long-awaited payoff, and Whedon makes it count. And yet, as the destruction and mayhem extend to the two-and-a-quarter-hour mark, many viewers who weren’t already among the most devoted Avengers fans will be ready for this Marvel chapter to wrap up. (We know, of course, that the end credits will include some sort of teaser for yet another entry in the Marvel franchise, and on that score, The Avengers doesn’t disappoint.)

Could the film have stood a little trimming in the editing room? Sure. But the length isn’t a big impediment to enjoyment of The Avengers. When Fury, sizing up the Avengers’ challenge from Loki and his armies, says, “I still believe in heroes,” you’ll be reminded of another line from the film: “People just might need a little old-fashioned.” Count The Avengers as a reminder that summer movies—even overstuffed, overlong ones—can still provide a heavy dose of good old-fashioned fun.

CAUTIONS:

• Language/Profanity: “Hell”; “da-n”; “oh my G-d”; “buck-a-s nude”; “son of a bi-ch”; “bas-ards.”
• Alcohol/Smoking/Drugs: Champagne is poured; reference to a “bag of weed”; Stark offers Loki a drink.
• Sex/Nudity: Pepper whispers in Stark’s ear, and he has a shocked expression; Banner is shown nude, but his nether region is blocked.
• Violence/Crime: A deadly scepter; gunshot to the head; car crash; helicopter crash; gunfire; superpowers wielded in a destructive manner; a facial disfigurement; Banner says he put a bullet in his mouth, “but the other guy spit it out”; explosions; a man is stabbed in the back; Hulk smashes objects and people.
• Marriage/Religion: Loki commands people to bow down to him; Captain America says, “There’s only one God”; a reference to the story of Jonah.

Christian Hamaker-crosswalk.com