Training your children to help those in need

"From the lips of children and infants you have ordained praise."

Psalm 8:2

Today is a very special day for God! And for me too! I have been so blessed over the past three years to be connected with a group of families that are constantly pursuing the call to help those in need and instill service into the hearts of their children. They do more than just "tell" their children to love their neighbor, they show them. Or I guess I should remember, GOD is teaching them, how to train their children to love their neighbor.He has been so faithful to do just that for me through Kidz RAP-KidzReaching All People.

Our family started serving with Kidz RAP three years ago when I home-schooled my girls, then ages 3, 6 and 9. One of my prayers for that year was that God would allow me to teach my children about helping those in need by being able to serve "with" them on a regular basis.

Frustration entered as I searched for a program that was "kid friendly" for our age range. To my dismay, I could not find one place in our city that had a place for us to all serve together. "But God"..... After many phone calls, someone told me about a new program called Kidz RAP. Kidz RAP was helping set up a home school group to serve monthly at one of our local food banks, and all ages were welcome. Even as we re-entered school the following year, we were blessed that Kidz RAP was establishing a monthly after school program there too. How amazing God is to answer our prayers when we are truly seeking His will!

So over the past three years, through Kidz RAP, God continues to grow a strong desire in my heart for helping those in need. Teaching this truth to my children is becoming one of my greatest passions. Now, my prayer is that others will know the JOY of serving Him in this way. I am blessed to join a group of families who have created www.kidzrap.com. Now, where ever you may be, you can have access to hands-on, kid-friendly projects, plus the support you need to implement a Kidz RAP program in your area!

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children are walking in the truth."

3 John 1:4

JOY!- Seeing my 8 year old and her friend eagerly drying dishes, serving food and offering kind words to the homeless at one of our homeless shelters.

JOY! Watching my 5 year old, eagerly race back and forth between me and her dad to wash and dry dishes.

JOY! Listening to my twelve year old and her friends compassionately talk about the homeless children she met while we served at the shelter.

Please check out the new website and blog at www.kidzrap.com and share it with your friends!

Proverbs 31 Mixed Media Art

Psalm 31:10-31

A wife of noble character who can find?
She is worth far more than rubies.
¹¹ Her husband has full confidence in her
and lacks nothing of value.
¹² She brings him good, not harm,
all the days of her life.
¹³ She selects wool and flax
and works with eager hands.
¹⁴ She is like the merchant ships,
bringing her food from afar.
¹⁵ She gets up while it is still night;
she provides food for her family
and portions for her female servants.
¹⁶ She considers a field and buys it;
out of her earnings she plants a vineyard.
¹⁷ She sets about her work vigorously;
her arms are strong for her tasks.
¹⁸ She sees that her trading is profitable,
and her lamp does not go out at night.
¹⁹ In her hand she holds the distaff
and grasps the spindle with her fingers.
²⁰ She opens her arms to the poor
and extends her hands to the needy.
²¹ When it snows, she has no fear for her household;
for all of them are clothed in scarlet.
²² She makes coverings for her bed;
she is clothed in fine linen and purple.
²³ Her husband is respected at the city gate,
where he takes his seat among the elders of the land.
²⁴ She makes linen garments and sells them,
and supplies the merchants with sashes.
²⁵ She is clothed with strength and dignity;
she can laugh at the days to come.
²⁶ She speaks with wisdom,
and faithful instruction is on her tongue.
²⁷ She watches over the affairs of her household
and does not eat the bread of idleness.
²⁸ Her children arise and call her blessed;
her husband also, and he praises her:
²⁹ “Many women do noble things,
but you surpass them all.”
³⁰ Charm is deceptive, and beauty is fleeting;
but a woman who fears the LORD is to be praised.
³¹ Honor her for all that her hands have done,
and let her works bring her praise at the city gate.

I love incorporating scripture into my own art, so I thought a mixed media lesson on the Proverbs 31 woman and fashion in art would be a fun project for girls. I did this in my older and more advanced home school class.

First I had students paint a hard board canvas with a base color and let it dry in front of the fan. While the painting was drying, we talked about the Proverbs 31 Woman and art and fashion. When the boards were dry I had the girls cover it with modeling paste that they had tinted with a contrasting color of acrylic paint. Then they wrote their favorite part of this scripture, or another one of their favorite sayings into the paste. The contrasting paint below will make the words show up. Then they added in accents of scrap paper into the paste.

Our next class session, after the paste was dry, they painted their designs.

I had camera issues this day so unfortunately I didn't get many pictures of the finished projects, but they turned out really cute and the girls loved designing their outfits.

http://www.suzyssitcom.com/

Potato Stamping

This is one of my favorite projects that I do with my younger students to introduce stamping and texture techniques. I always do it in the spring around mother's day and the students' can't wait to surprise their mom's with a family portrait.

You will need a canvas hard board. Acrylic paints. Potatoes. Oil Pastels. Sea Sponges.

First we use sea sponges to make a neutral but textured background. I used a sky blue, and darker blue and white and had them dab on in layers with the sea sponges. Let this dry. Usually I will do this step at the end of our previous class so they will be dry and ready to stamp next class session.

Pre mix skin toned acrylic paint and put on paper plates for stamping. Cut your potatoes in different sizes depending on your age ranges for the students siblings.

Tip: Remind students to leave room for part of their bodies and also enough room

up top for their hair. Stamp your heads on with the potatoes, using smaller ones

for the younger children in the family.

When the skin paint dries, have students use oil pastels to draw arms, clothes, hair and facial features. Also, student may want to draw a frame around the outside edge, or sometimes I will have the students stamp a frame. When finished, these are always favorites of both the parents and students!