The Nativity of the Theotokos

Shoebox Ark of the Covenant:
paint gold and glue on skewers, draw cherubim wings with sharpie

Inside paint a wooden square for the law of Moses,
glue a stick and flower to a wooden disc for the rod of Aaron,
and paint a wooden spool as the jar of manna

I used the Children's Garden of the Theotokos curriculum to plan this lesson for our church school kids for the Nativity of the Theotokos. I love an excuse to make a craft for the kids, so I made this ark and its contents and hid them away. I meant to print icons and paste them on, but my printer was out of ink, but I like how the drawings turned out. I found several nice comparisons of the scriptures about the Ark of the Covenant and the Theotokos, and simplified those points into a lesson plan (embedded below). I'll first teach about the Ark and its contents, and then show how those are types of Mary and Christ. If you don't want to make an ark, the coloring handout below communicates the same points.

I taught this lesson to my kids before, without the fancy ark, but the comparison of the OT scriptures with the visitation was new to me. I love how David's dancing foreshadows the Forerunner leaping for joy! And I had never thought about how the presence of the Ark blessing the people is similar to the way we understand the grace of God to work through his saints. This lesson could be used for several of Mary's feasts (or during Lent for teaching about the Akathist Hymn). But I think the point about David welcoming the ark with joy fits nicely with the feast of the Nativity of the Theotokos as we welcome her birth with joy.

On the back:of the law of Moses,
an icon of the Transfiguration (Christ the Word, fulfills the law and prophets);
On the back of the rod of Aaron, an icon of the Annunciation (the Virgin birth);
On the back of the jar of Manna, an icon of Christ, the Bread of Life

On one side of the ark, an icon of Panagia Platytera, (or More Spacious than the Heavens)
showing Christ in Mary's womb.

Grab and color this handout that explains the ways that the ark is a type of the Theotokos!

[Quick update to add this page of matchbox covers! My smart husband thought that matchboxes would make a sweet and inexpensive craft box for the kids to cover. We'll color them then modpodge them on in class. I think this would be sweet for matches in the prayer corner, too!]

Print page of matchbox covers - don't scale to fit!

When God Made You (a book review)

I wrote this review for We Wilsons, but wanted to share it with my reader's here, too. 

I like to include books in our Easter baskets each year, and this year I found one so lovely I bought it for my godchildren, too! I love a book that puts beautiful illustrations and poetic images in children's hands, and even better, this book challenges them to think poetically, too. When God Made You is a delight. We don't celebrate Easter until later this year (see why here), so I'm still waiting to share it with my kids, and I can hardly wait!

Each page introduces a new child from a different culture and with different gifts. It goes one to explain the unique recipe for each child: seeds, fizzy candy, drum beats and wood. My oldest daughter loves drawing connections to metaphors, so I believe she will like thinking about how these "ingredients" work together to make each child's unique skills and strengths. The book ends by asking, "What beautiful things was God thinking when He made you?" I expect we will have silly and serious conversations about what beautiful things in our world might make each of us.

The book clearly presents God as the maker of people (and beauty!), but doesn't go much farther to explain God. This has the lovely affect of encouraging children to see God through his creation, and leaves the door open for you to discuss your faith in the way you choose.

The illustrations initially look like fanciful watercolors, but the more you look, you can see illustrator Megan Elizabeth Gilbert included collage elements as well. The pictures are full of new things to find with each reading.

The author Jane Meyer encourages children to write or draw their own page for "When God Made You," and send it to her! Here are some instructions I put together to get my kids started, with my own little entry below. I'll have to share later when the kids do their own.

1. What do you do really well? (an action, e.g. painting)
2. What do you like about that? (looking, color, being playful)
3. What is hard about it? (seeing too much,
3. What kinds of things help you do it? (brushes, pigments, flowers, icons)
4. Where do you live, and where do you do your action? (Tennessee, upstairs)
5. Write your explanation of what God was thinking when He made you!
6. Draw a scene of you doing your thing in your place. Be sure to show what is unique about where you live, and include the elements that you like and that help you. Hide some of these elements here and there so people don't see them all at first (because isn't that how God hides things in us?).

When God made Laura, he spattered her cheeks with copper and tickled her fingers with foxgloves. Then he gently opened her eyes and brushed her lashes with sunlight and clay and gold leaf. Stepping aside and pointing, God said, "Laura, paint!"



*This book review contains affiliate links, but I bought the book and reviewed it out of my own delight!

Prayer, Fasting, and Almsgiving

We've been talking about prayer, fasting, and almsgiving this week. Here's what we're up to:

Our table centerpiece

We made a similar centerpiece a few years ago, and so I thought we'd do it again this year. I pulled out stuff that could represent prayer, fasting, and almsgiving like this cardboard icon on a popsicle stick and a candle (prayer), mixed dried beans (fasting), coins (almsgiving). I also included a flower pot with sand, and a little vase - and I just talked about the three things we do during Lent and let the kids put the centerpiece together however they like. They added the purple flowers for a little beauty and joy. I ask them every few days, "What three things does this remind us to do?"

We have plans for the kids lenten prayer and fasting, so I decided to make a plan for almsgiving, as well. I gave them each a piece of paper divided into 6 sections for the 6 remaining weeks of Lent (we didn't get organized for clean week). Then I asked them to think of at least one act of kindness they could do each week for different people. They spent some time thinking and drawing in their plans. When they were finished, we talked about giving in secret, and folded the papers in half to keep their plans private. They've been excited about their secret plans, and keep checking to see what their supposed to be doing this week.

I drew this little diagram to teach them about the three legged-stool of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving, and then later scanned it and made a fancy little gif. :)

Lenten Memory Verse Tree

We're doing a Lenten Memory Verse Tree this year, much like our Memory Verse Garden last year. We're using the same verses from Sunday's Gospels, but we've simplified things by just adding leaves to our tree each week. I'm feeling pretty good about this lower maintenance version, and I like using a tree as our imagery going into Lent and Holy Week.

 We're starting this week with the Triodion! Find the instructions and printables below.

PREPARATION INSTRUCTIONS

1. Make a tree on a poster or wall (or a window) using brown construction or kraft paper. I used kraft paper and packing tape I already had to make my tree, seriously, in about 5 minutes. The kids were very impressed, but it was very easy! [You can see an example with instructions here.]

2. Print memory verse leaves on green construction paper. You can either use blank leaves and write your own verses, or use the leaves with verses already on them. [These leaves fit 2 per page; if you are making a smaller tree, you may want to print your leaves at 50% or other scale.]

3. Follow the weekly guide, cutting out and adding leaves to the tree each week as you discuss the Sunday’s Gospel. [Remember you can bookmark the Sunday's Gospel page from the Antiochian website and listen each week!]

4. [Optional: We have dogwood trees in our yard. Dogwood flowers are white with four petals like a cross. I intend to cut out a dozen or so of these and put them on the tree on Pascha night as a pretty surprise for the children after the Liturgy. The Dogwood flower template is also provided, and you can find "A legend of the Dogwood Tree" by Catholic Icing. You could also add fake flowers, butterflies or other pretty things to your tree.] I'll try to remember to add pictures after Pascha.

WEEKLY GUIDE

1. Sunday of the Publican and Pharisee: “God, be merciful to me a sinner!” – Luke 18:13

2. Sunday of the Prodigal Son: “Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.” – Luke 15:18

3. Sunday of the Last Judgment: "Inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.”--- Matthew 25:40

4. Forgiveness Sunday: “For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.” – Matthew 6:21

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1. Sunday of Orthodoxy: “Come and see.” – John 1:46

2. Sunday of St. Gregory Palamas: “When Jesus saw their faith, He said to the paralytic, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven you.’” – Mark 2:5

3. Sunday of the Cross: “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me.” – Mark 8:34

4. St. John of the Ladder: “If you can believe, all things are possible to him who believes.” – Mark 9:23

5. Sunday of St. Mary of Egypt: "Whoever would be first among you must be servant of all.” – Mark 10:44

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1. Palm Sunday: “Hosanna! Blessed is He who comes in the name of the Lord!” – John 12:12

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1. Great and Holy Pascha: “In him was life, and the life was the light of men. The light shines in the darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it.” – John 1: 4, 5

Pascha morning - you can see our tree full of leaves, and dogwood flowers added that morning. 

Away in a Manger

I'm not sure I've ever written about our manger activity and wanted to share it again. I think its a really beautiful, tangible way to teach children the meaning of advent, of preparing our hearts to receive Christ - and it can be done so simply for families!  I organized ours a few years ago, so now each year, I just get it out (making sure to keep the baby hidden until Christmas).

You need:
a manger or box
yellow yarn
a doll

I convinced John to build our little manger a few years ago, but you could also buy a small crate or use a shoebox. We keep a jar of straw colored yarn next to the manger, already cut into pieces about the length of our manger (you could also just keep the skein of yarn and scissors nearby). I made a baby doll that year also, seriously simple and made from scraps, but of course, you don't have to make one. Any small baby doll wrapped in white cloth would be perfect. [If you want to start this year, all you need today is the box and yarn, you still have time to get the baby. :) ]

How it works:
We pay attention to each other and try to be kind.

Anytime we notice someone doing something kind or selfless, they get to add a straw to the manger. It's not very structured, it just sort of works spontaneously, e.g. "That was so kind of you to share your dog with your sister! Would you like to put some straw in the manger?" "Mommy, thank you for making lunch - you should put straw in the manger!" It is rewarding to put straw in the manger, but it also feels good to be aware of other people's kindness, too.

We explained to the children that just as Mary and Joseph made a soft bed for Jesus from the straw, when we are kind to others, we are softening our hearts to make room for Him, too. Even a dark cave filled with livestock can be a welcoming place when we are kind.

Many advent traditions bargain with you to being nice in order to get stuff, or give you treats every day on the way to Christmas. I like this tradition because, instead, we are working together to make something beautiful. On Christmas morning, when the manger is brimming with soft, kind yarn - before the girls get up, I will lay the baby in the manger. And we will all remember that Christ is born and God is with us!

New 40 Day Nativity Fast Printable

40 Days to Christmas - printable

Last year I made a quick nativity printable to count the 40 days leading to the birth of Christ. This year, I wanted to make it a bit prettier. My oldest daughter sat down with me and helped me decide just how to make it, and I think we're both pretty happy with it. As usual, I can't just do one thing - I also made a black and white version if you want to let the kids color their own... and then I made a version with only 25 stars for my non-Orthodox friends.

This works great as a last minute advent calendar if you don't already have one, or to accompany your Jesse Tree readings so you can quickly see your progress. We will put ours on our fridge and probably X, count, or otherwise draw on the days as we go. We also used a magnet last year, but it was often knocked out of place, so writing seems to work best. :)

Just grab the png and print. Enjoy!

25 days to Christmas - printable

25 days to Christmas - coloring page

40 days to Christmas - coloring page

cross-posted on We Wilsons

Teaching the Eucharist to Children

I put together this lesson on the Eucharist with a little zine for our kids at church. I tried to make the book appropriate for a broad age range. It simply explains the Eucharist, with quotes from the services, and bubbles telling the children ways they can participate in the Liturgy, with an image to color on each page.

It prints on one page. Fold the paper in half, in half again and in half again, then cut just the center of the vertical fold. Then you can fold it into a zine. Better fold and cutting instructions here or here. I love this easy zine template and make books for my kids frequently with it. I've embedded the pdf below to make it easy to print (if you can't see it, try this link). Print it at actual size (not scale to fit) for the folds to line up correctly.

Lenten Memory Verse Garden (printable)

We're getting ready for a new little one around here - I'm due on Palm Sunday. So I wanted to think ahead to have something educational for the kids during Lent - even if I'm not up to doing much later. When a sick little one kept me home from church today, I spent most of the day preparing this little paper lenten garden.

Since we started homeschooling, I've always liked the idea of a seasonal table - but I've never actually had one. Occasionally we have a seasonal centerpiece, and this fall/winter we decorated our kitchen window with a seasonal-wintery scene. My paper craft lovers had fun with the window, so I thought we'd do that again for Spring/Lent! We actually made our winter scene while it was still fall, and now that winter has only barely begun, I'm trying to hold myself back from starting Spring too early. But I think adding a new flower each week throughout the triodion might be just the right pace. By Pascha it will be Spring, and we'll have a full garden!

So here's how it works:

1. Print! I made up templates for a bunch of flowers in the style of Lois Ehlert's Planting a Rainbow - which we love! I think the easiest way to get lots of color without lots of work (or using lots of ink) is to print these templates on colored construction paper, but if you want to print them on plain white paper and color or paint them, of course you could also do that. The stems have memory verses taken from each Sunday Gospel during the Triodion and Pascha. Once they are printed, keep them handy in a folder. This will be a great reminder to Teach the Story each week.

2. Cut! This will be the most time consuming part, but you could easily break it up and only cut out what you need each week. Or better yet, make the kids do it.

3. Assemble! Each week, cut out the flowers and stems and any little extra leaves or bits you need as described in the weekly guide. I think we will glue together the parts of the flower, then tape the flower to the window. (In the picture below, they are just laid out on the floor, so the pieces aren't all attached properly :P ). As you do assemble your flower (or flowers), you can listen to the Sunday Gospel for the week provided by the Antiochian Archdiocese, and then review the memory verse.

My older daughter came home and found me cutting out construction paper and insisted on playing along. So we cut everything out and arranged all the parts on the floor. I'm glad we did a test run because we ended up printing and cutting out a few extras of some things, which I have described in the weekly guide, and you can see one way of assembling the flowers. Of course, they don't have to be assembled in any particular arrangement. The pdf (download here or embedded below) includes printing instructions, the weekly guide (telling you what you need, how to assemble, and what the memory verse is each week), and all the templates.

A few tips: 

• The guide suggests printing all the pages one at a time to get the right colors, but I don't think its too difficult to do this: stack 1 white, 1 red, 1 yellow, 1 purple, 1 blue, 1 white, 4 green, and then print pages 1-10.
• Print at actual size to get the biggest flowers. Your computer may worry that some of it is outside the printable area, but it shouldn't be a problem.
• If you don't have white construction paper, use a medium weight drawing paper, card stock or regular typing paper in a pinch. The white flower page is the only sheet that contains color, but if you're printing all at once, go ahead and print in color.
• We printed extra ferns for Palm Sunday to fill in the awkward spaces at the bottom. That way it will be pretty throughout Paschaltide. :)
• Print the guide, too. Initially I thought I wouldn't print the instructions, but then I realized each week I will need to refer to what we need, and having that in the folder will be handy. On the same note, bookmark the Sunday's Gospel page so you can listen each week!
• And a final thought - you could use these to build a memory verse garden outside of Lent - just don't print my memory verses, and write your own on the blank stems!

The Triodion begins on Feb. 1!

St. Lucia Day printable

Happy St. Lucia Day! After my very hectic St. Nicholas Day, I'm planning a bit of a low key St. Lucia Day - but still some fun, since it is also a name day in our house. I meant to make a sweet yeast dough, braid it into a ring and bake like this one,  but decided a bundt cake with candles will look nicely like a St. Lucia wreath or pancakes shaped like O's? Lucy Cats with all the fun shapes are more traditional, but also more time consuming, so I'll have to pass on those this year. 

We've been making gift tags with fingerprint animals and figures, ala pinterest, which lead to the idea for this little printable. All you need is to print this page (below) and some green, red, and yellow ink. Make a fingerprint wreath and candle flames, and color the rest if you like. [You could also cut and glue on construction paper if you don't have stamping ink.] The picture above is the test picture I made today, and I'll let the kids make their own tomorrow. Afterward, while they're still all inky, I'll give them blank paper and let them make their own designs (the ones that mommy doesn't bossily tell them how to make!).  This will delight my craft loving daughter and make a special, but easy morning, I think. 

Happy St. Lucia Day!

This png is sized for a full size page. Just grab and drop on your desktop to print.

This png is sized for a half page card. Print at actual size and fold paper in half for St. Lucia card.

Baking and Prosfora resources

I'm baking yeast rolls with the girls today - seems to be the most school I can muster amid my other appointments. I suppose that may sound like a big job if you don't bake, but with two rising periods it has mostly been a lazy day.

It got me thinking about prosfora and baking. I have yet to let the kids help bake it, but hopefully we'll remedy that this year. Below I've collected some resources about the leavened bread we use for the Eucharist that will come in handy when teaching the children about the Eucharist.

Some links:

• Raising Saints podcast - about teaching kids about prosfora - especially emphasizing the significance of each ingredient. 
• Leavened vs. Unleavened
• Orthodox Answers deals with this question in a simple and straightforward manner.

A list of the ingredients used in the bread, with scriptures that go with each one. Each ingredient points to transformation, resurrection and life, which is so fitting.

yeast:

I am the living bread which came down from heaven. If anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread that I shall give is My flesh, which I shall give for the life of the world.  - John 6:51

To what shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took and hid in three measures of meal till it was all leavened. Luke 13:21

flour: 

They also who dwell in the farthest parts are afraid of Your signs;You make the outgoings of the morning and evening rejoice.You visit the earth and water it,You greatly enrich it;The river of God is full of water;You provide their grain,For so You have prepared it.You water its ridges abundantly,You settle its furrows;You make it soft with showers,You bless its growth. - Psalm 65

The hour has come that the Son of Man should be glorified. Most assuredly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the ground and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it produces much grain. He who loves his life will lose it, and he who hates his life in this world will keep it for eternal life. - John 12:23-25

Foolish one, what you sow is not made alive unless it dies. And what you sow, you do not sow that body that shall be, but mere grain—perhaps wheat or some other grain. But God gives it a body as He pleases, and to each seed its own body. - I Cor 15:36-38 

water:

unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God. That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit. - John 3:6

If you knew the gift of God, and who it is who says to you, ‘Give Me a drink,’ you would have asked Him, and He would have given you living water. - John 4:10

salt:

You are the salt of the earth; but if the salt loses its flavor, how shall it be seasoned? It is then good for nothing but to be thrown out and trampled underfoot by men. - Matt 5:13

Walk in wisdom toward those who are outside, redeeming the time. Let your speech alwaysbe with grace, seasoned with salt, that you may know how you ought to answer each one. - Col 4:5, 6 

wine: 

On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Now both Jesus and His disciples were invited to the wedding. And when they ran out of wine, the mother of Jesus said to Him, “They have no wine.”Jesus said to her, “Woman, what does your concern have to do with Me? My hour has not yet come.”His mother said to the servants, “Whatever He says to you, do it.”Now there were set there six waterpots of stone, according to the manner of purification of the Jews, containing twenty or thirty gallons apiece. Jesus said to them, “Fill the waterpots with water.” And they filled them up to the brim. And He said to them, “Draw some out now, and take it to the master of the feast.” And they took it. When the master of the feast had tasted the water that was made wine, and did not know where it came from (but the servants who had drawn the water knew), the master of the feast called the bridegroom.And he said to him, “Every man at the beginning sets out the good wine, and when theguests have well drunk, then the inferior. You have kept the good wine until now!”This beginning of signs Jesus did in Cana of Galilee, and manifested His glory; and His disciples believed in Him. John 2:1-11

American Lussekatter

I might as well say "Lucy Cats" since there is nothing Swedish about my bread. I saw lots of talk about St. Lucia day, and since I love an excuse to make shaped bread, AND I loved Kirsten as a kid (and in fact have her tucked away in the attic. Shhh! I don't want to tell the girls I have her until they finally sit through one of the books!) I thought we should have a little last minute St. Lucia day celebration, too. 

At first, I dreamed of the girls letting me sleep in, and then waking me, dressed in pretty gowns and bearing fresh-from-the-oven sweet bread and hot coffee, to serve me breakfast in bed.

But then I woke up and decided a tea party was a better idea.

Unfortunately, I had already started mixing the ingredients before I learned of the vital (and rare and expensive) ingredient saffron. Even more unfortunately, I realized too late that I didn't actually have enough flour to turn this batter into bread. So I stuck the goopy mess in the refrigerator. Yes, this is how I roll.

The next day, I added some flour and cinnamon and a few other entirely non-Swedish-tradition ingredients and braided up this bread.  I intended to shape them all into the cat shapes (sort of a cross made of 2 S's), but it was messy and the kids were yelling, and so I quickly braided the rest into a Lucia crown, and threw them in the oven. 

It was quite ill-planned - nevertheless, we sat down to our tea party with sweet bread, cocoa, candles and a little reading from the end of the Kirsten book. (spoiler! It's St. Lucia day and guess who gets to be St. Lucia!) The girls loved the story and (surprisingly) the bread, although the cocoa was a touch too hot. It's amazing how sticking a candle into your food can get everyone in a festive mood, and plenty of sugar glaze will keep everyone quietly licking their fingers while you read. Yes, it was a good time. 

Three Conversations about God's Love

 1. 

On Monday, L wrote "God is Love" to practice her handwriting and reading.  After we sounded out the words, we talked a bit about what it meant: that God is the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, three persons who love one another. And when we love one another, we are like God.

"When you are kind to your sister, and you love her, you are being like God."

"I do love, J."

Then we colored a picture of the icon of the Theotokos. L enjoys matching the colors to the icons; J reluctantly lets me guide her through one color before she runs away.  I told them, "This is when Jesus was a baby. See how their cheeks are pressed together?  They're hugging just like we do, because they love each other. Mary loves Jesus, and we should love God like Mary does."

This is big stuff for little ones.  I never know how much of it they really get.  L told me after our talk, "I love God, Mommy.  I do."  The girls kissed baby Jesus and pressed their cheek to Mary. Then they each gave me a hug, cheek to cheek, breaking my heart a little.

2. 

While attempting to say our morning prayers, L kept running away and did not want to venerate the icons. Finally I sat down with her and said, "Prayer time is important because we are spending time with God. We can't see God can we?" We looked around.  "No.  But we can see Jesus, because he became a man so that we could know God. That's why we kiss the icons: because we can see Jesus and it helps us remember that God is with us."

"How did God get in this world, Mommy?" (This is a favorite phrase, i.e. "are there any dinosaurs/monsters/zebras in this world?") 

"Well, that's a special story," I told her, and I took her over to the icon of the Annunciation on my bedside table.  She knows the story about the manger and the cave.  It was just Christmas, after all. But this icon was in the room, so I showed it instead. "An angel came to Mary.  She was a girl like you and me, but an angel came to her and said 'Rejoice, Mary! The Lord is with you.' And he told her that God was going to put a baby in her tummy, and it was Jesus.  And Mary loved God, and so she was Jesus's mommy and God was his Father."

"Are there angels in this world?"

"Yes, but we can't see them either."

"But we can see them in the icons! And we can see Jesus in the icons."

"That's right!" And then she kissed Mary and the angel.

3. 

On Saturday, we met with Fr. James and our little mission for the Liturgy on the Saturday of Souls. During the service we remember the dead in prayer. I thought of the child I lost last year, Nicholas. He died unborn, thus unnamed in the service - but still he is remembered by God (and me).

After the service, Presbytera Eva gave me a necklace with a small pendant of the Theotokos and Jesus, pressing their cheeks together. She told me, "Jim (she called him) wanted you to have this because you have the children." Such love is heartbreaking. I thought of how the girls had struggled in my arms during the liturgy, and how I struggled to be patient. Then, I thought of Mary's love for God. I thought of Nicholas, whose cheek I had not touched. I thought of Jesus love for his mother.

And I resolved again to love. It isn't as easy at it sounds, and so each day we have to decide again.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is of God; and everyone who loves is born of God and knows God. I John 4.7