Share this Easter Miracle Found in Nature with Your Kids

One leaf makes the difference between life and death of the mangrove tree.You could miss the few yellow leaves scattered among all the green leaves in the grove. But our captain made certain to point them out.

My daughter, Courtney, and I went on an EcoCruise while on a family vacation in the Florida Keys.  We saw lots of different birds, plants, and a few crabs. But the thing that made the biggest impact was the smallest thing we saw.

The yellow leaf. 

According to the guide, the leaf soaks up all the salt water the plant's roots take in. In doing so the rest of the tree can survive- even thrive. But ... the result is the yellow leaf itself, dies.

The leaf's sole purpose  is to die so the rest of the tree can live.

Its name: The Sacrificial Leaf.

(You know where I'm heading with this!) Today, I am thanking God for the sacrifice His Son made for me while he hung on a tree. He sucked up all my salty sin and gave me living water. He gave his life so I could survive- no...thrive. He did it for me, for my family, and for you.

His name: Jesus.

Since that first Easter Morning- every day that follows-is a resurrection day. I am grateful. Because he died for me,  I will live for Him.

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 

John 1:29

Lori Wildenberg is a  licensed parent and family

Click here to get to Amazon

educator, co-founder of  1Corinthians13Parenting.com,
 Lori's newest book, Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home (New Hope Publishers) can be pre-ordered on Amazon (available May 1st) . If you are a parent of a child who has strayed or know a family in this situation, this book will provide comfort, help, and hope.
Click here to   Contact Lori to speak at your next event. She is also available for parent consulting and parent training courses. Lori can also be found mentoring over at  MOMS Together community on Facebook. 

Head over to Amazon to get your copy of Raising Little Kids with Big Love  

or Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love. 

How to Create a Faith and Fun Filled Easter Basket

The night before Easter, my husband and I were determined to foil our children by hiding their baskets in unexpected locations. Our four kids had become quite adept at finding their baskets in no time flat. As I opened the oven door and slid the pink basket onto the rack I thought, “She’ll never find it here.”

Before my kids awoke Easter morning, I quietly slipped into the kitchen.  While on auto-pilot I preheated the oven for the egg bake and our traditional sour cream coffee cake.

My attempt to be stealthy failed. Downstairs they came ready to find their basket. My daughter’s fine-tuned sleuthing skills and keen sense of smell lead her to the oven. She discovered a steaming hot basket filled with melted candy and a mushy chocolate bunny.

Making memories, even out of mishaps, will draw a family together. Easter traditions that include basket hiding and finding are fun (and usually safe) for all. Basket filling presents a unique opportunity for parents to bring Jesus into the resurrection celebration.

Create a faith-focused and faith building Easter basket for your kids.Include all or some of these 25 items with the corresponding scripture reference in the basket.  Each one represents a biblical story, gives a truth, or provides a promise of God. 

Use numbered gift tags with twine and attach the verse provided to each gift.  As your kids unpack their baskets, save the gift tags. For the next 25 Sundays your family can read and discuss the bible passages in numerical order. All the verses are about Jesus’ life, teaching, death, or resurrection.  

1. Trail Mix:  Deuteronomy 6:6-7
2. Magnifying Glass:  Luke 1:1-4
3. Flip Flops : Luke 3:15-16 
4. Squirt Gun:  Matthew 3:13-17 
5. Bible: Luke 4:14-21 
6. Legos Luke 6:46-49 
7. Kleenex Luke 7:11-17 
8. Eraser Luke 7:36-50 
9. Seeds Luke 8:11-15 
10. Flashlight Luke 8:16-18
11. Sunglasses:  Matthew 17:1-8
12. Family Activity Coupons: Luke 10:38-42 
13. Hairbrush or comb: Luke 12:6-7 
14. Coloring book with crayons:  Luke 12:27 
15. Band-Aids: Luke 17:11-19
16. Juice box: Luke 22:7-23
17. Scented lotion or cologne: Luke 23:55-24:12
18. Red, white, purple, black, orange, green, yellow, pink jelly beans: Respectively   Romans 5:9, Isaiah 1:18, John 19:19, Romans 3:23 and 6:23, Ephesians 2:8-9, Matthew 28:5-6,  Rev 21:21,  Romans 15:13 
19. Gardening tools : John 20:1-18
20. Goldfish crackers:  John 21:1-4
21. Chocolate lamb: John 21:15-17
22. 40 Pennies:  Acts 1:1-6 
23. Bubbles:  Acts 1: 7-11
24. Worship music CD: Acts 16:16-40
25. Journal with a pen: John 21:24-25 

Parents can encourage their kids to remember Easter every day by creating a basket that can be enjoyed beyond Easter Sunday.

One final note: the oven is meant for baking not for hiding. 

He is risen. He is risen indeed!

Lori Wildenberg
Licensed parent and family educator, co-founder of 1Corinthians13Parenting.com,  co-author of 3 parenting books (with her 1st solo endeavor to be published in May 2017 Messy Journey: How Grace and Truth Offer the Prodigal a Way Home),  mom of four (plus one daughter-in-love), wife to Tom,  Contact Lori for your next event. She is also available for parent consulting and parent training courses. Lori can also be found mentoring over at  MOMS Together community on Facebook. 

Head over to Amazon to get your copy of Raising Little Kids with Big Love  

or Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love. 

A Shocking Statistic Plus Easter Freebie

Here's a shocking statistic: 

While two out of three Americans recognize Easter as a religious holiday, only 42 percent connect Easter with the resurrection of Christ. (My ministry partner, Becky Danielson found  this stat over at the Barna Group. The study was conducted March 2010.)

So in the spirit of celebrating the risen Christ on Easter, here is a terrific faith-filled family freebie for Passion Week. This booklet was put together by the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting Team. 1C13P is made up of a group of men and women, all parents and some grandparents, from across the US who are experts in their field: parenting, education, faith, marriage, single parenting, step-parenting, adoptive parenting, little kid parenting, big kids parenting, special needs parenting, challenging parenting. We even provide recipes! 1C13P is the place for all your parenting needs. Personally we relate. Professionally we support. 

Click here for your Easter gift:

No Greater Love

If you are not yet connected to 1C13P you can click here to sign up receive our practical and faith-filled articles. If you are on Facebook you can keep up with us there. (We'd LOVE a LIKE)  Click here if you are a pinner or tweeter

With faith, hope, and love,

Lori 

PS If you live in the southwest come to our HeartCORe Parenting Conference on May 9th in Denver. Registration information coming soon. 

Holy Week Prayer

Holy week is here. In keeping with the tradition of my blog, 

here is a poem and prayer from my dad.  

Have a beautiful and blessed Easter.
~Lori

Dear Jesus,

That day is fast approaching

There is no place to hide.

That day filled with your suffering

My tears well up inside.

It happened on a Friday

How can we call it good?

When you obeyed our Father’s way

Upon the cross of unyielding wood.

Now your cross is my cross

I feel your awful agony.

The thorns, the nails, the total loss

Upon that bitter tree.

But Jesus I must now recall

That you really died for me.

You  gave your very life your all

To bring our Easter victory.

******

……Rockman, Lent 1994

Miss you Pops.

~Lori

No Greater Love

Friends,
I wanted to make you aware of a free Holy Week Guide for your family. This booklet can be used in families with kids of any age. It is filled with activities, an Easter dinner menu and recipes, prayers and a poem,  Passion Week talking points, Bible verses, and more. In order to receive this free gift from the 1 Corinthians 13 Parenting team ( a team of family, faith, and education experts) subscribe to  www.1Corinthians13Parenting.com. You will be glad you did!
With faith, hope, and love,
Lori
PS My co-authored books, with Becky Danielson,  Raising Little Kids with Big Love and Raising Big Kids with Supernatural Love are scheduled to be released in May! Stay tuned!

One Leaf, No Foolin'

One leaf makes the difference between life and death of the mangrove tree.You could miss the few yellow leaves scattered among all the green leaves in the grove. But our captain made certain to point them out.

My daughter, Courtney, and I went on an EcoCruise while on a family vacation in the Florida Keys this past January. We saw lots of different birds, plants, and a few crabs. But the thing that made the biggest impact was the smallest thing we saw.

The yellow leaf. 

According to the guide, the leaf soaks up all the salt water the plant's roots take in. In doing so the rest of the tree can survive- even thrive. But ... the result is the yellow leaf itself, dies.

The leaf's sole purpose  is to die so the rest of the tree can live.

Its name: The Sacrificial Leaf.

(You know where I'm heading with this!) Today, I am thanking God for the sacrifice His Son made for me while he hung on a tree. He sucked up all my salty sin and gave me living water. He gave his life so I could survive- no...thrive. He did it for me, for my family, and for you.

His name: Jesus.

Since that first Easter Morning- every day that follows-is a resurrection day. I am grateful. Because he died for me,  I will live for Him.

He is risen! He is risen indeed.

Look the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 

John 1:29

Easter Poem

Happy Easter. In keeping with my blog's tradition, I will be posting a poem by my dad, Robert Appel, his pen name was Rockman. Miss you, Pops.

Dear Jesus

At once both shepherd an the lamb

I lost you on good Friday

How could I know our Father's plan

My firm foundation turn to clay.

Left behind in deepest sorrow

I look upon that Calvary hill

What worth is there in my tomorrows

My cup no longer would you fill.

Then beyond all that I can understand

You changed my sorrow into joy

With life and death at your command

My Rock they could not destroy.

Now by Thy wonders Easter morn

We understand and share together

That death is not a crown of thorns

But new life to live forever.

Amen.

******

......Rockman 4/21/2002

Note to the Reader:

These photos were taken in the Holy Land. The first is at the Garden of Gethsemane. The second at the Garden Tomb. My mom and I traveled to Israel together this past fall.What a blessing. Have  a blessed Easter. The TOMB is empty!

~Lori