PREPARING FOR EASTER

I just love this time of year! I love any holiday that gives me opportunities to share my faith in Jesus Christ. What better time to share the reason for the hope that is within me that EASTER, or as I prefer to refer to it, RESURRECTION DAY!
I started this week preparing my Moms and Friends Bible Club for our Easter party by sharing about Jesus' entry into Jerusalem. I have some lovely picture books to help get the idea across. This was the beginning of Holy Week. In just five days He would go from being heralded into the city with "Hosanna in the highest," and waving palm fronds to being savagely beaten, forced to carry his own cross, and then left to die upon that cross.
But Hallelujah! We know the rest of the story!
Sunday, I will go to a very remote area and witness many being baptized as their sign of standing with Jesus Christ. After lunch, S, Nan, and I will lead a Breast Cancer Awareness program for the new believing women and their unsaved friends and relatives. We are praying many more will choose to follow Jesus.
On Friday before Easter, many area churches will have Good Friday services. I will participate in Pastor Ajay's service. Saturday, I will have a party for the Big Girls Bible Club. And I also plan a party for the Children's Home. Sunday, I will be at Pastor M's church. I covet your prayers for all these events.

K and I made a family of bunnies from socks. To make, fill a sock to just above the heal with lentils. Secure with a rubber band. Wrap another rubber band just below the heal to form the head. Tie a ribbon around the neck. Hold out what's left from the rubber band and cut from the top to the rubber band forming two ears. Trim and shape into ears. We used glue to fix two google eyes, a felt nose and white felt teeth to the face, but you could use markers, fabric paint, or embroidery floss to make the features. We took another couple of small rubber bands and formed two front paws.

EGGLESS CARROT CAKE

1 1/2 cups flour                                                         1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 cup sugar (brown or white)                                   1/2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp baking soda                                                      1/4 tsp salt
1 cup finely grated carrots                                        3/4 cup water
1/2 cup melted butter or vegetable oil                      2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp vinegar                                                              1/2 cup walnuts -chopped

1. Preheat oven to 350 F or 175 C
2. Mix dry ingredients and spices until well blended.
3. Add grated carrots. Stir until blended.
4. Add wet ingredients and nuts. Mix thoroughly and pour into a greased 8 inch pan.
5. Bake for 35-40 minutes or until toothpick comes out clean. Cupcakes take about 25 minutes.
I frosted with cream cheese frosting.

HOMEMADE VALENTINES

A little five year-old friend of mine loves to make crafts. When I go to visit, it is the first thing she asks me, "Do you have a craft?" So, with Valentine's coming up, her mom and I decided we should make Valentines for her friends. 

We used: red, pink, and white card stock, scissors, hole punch, heart cookie cutter, yarn, fancy scissors, glue, white chenille sticks, feathers, buttons, foam stickers, and ribbon scraps. Here's what they look like:

 Here's how to make them.

1. Fold the paper in half window way. 
2.Trace the heart cookie cutters, and cut out 2 at a time. 
3. Use the scraps to cut out smaller hearts with the fancy scissors.

4. With a hole punch, punch the sides of the hearts from side to side (two together).
5. Tie a long piece of yarn to one hole. Put a piece of tape on the other end to make "sewing" easier.
6. Tie off the end and trim, after lacing through the holes. 
7. Decorate the hearts with smaller hearts, stickers, buttons, and feathers. We put glue in a cup and use Q tips.

8. After decorating, we made a handle with either a white chenille stem, or a piece of ribbon, tying it through the top holes on the sides of the Valentine pocket.

9. Next, my little friend wrote a message on a strip of white card stock. Valentine's Day is a great time to share the love of Jesus with friends and family.

Each one is different -just like her friends! Each is made with love -just like her friends! Finally, she added the message and some small candies to the Valentine pockets.

Big Girls Learn from Lot's Wife

 We don't know her name, just that she was married to Lot, Abraham's nephew. She is best known for turning into a pillar of salt because she looked back as they were fleeing Sodom and Gomorrah. Wow. High cost for her disobedience! God had chosen to destroy the wicked cities, but because of Abraham's pleading, He spared Lot's family. His son-in-laws thought he was joking, and didn't leave. His wife ignored the warning not to look back, and turned into a pillar of salt. Perhaps she forgot the warning in the stress of the moment, or she didn't hear it above all the screaming. Sometimes we think we have good reasons for our disobedience, but the consequences come anyway.
Today we made colored salt candles from salt, powdered tempera paint, baby food jars, wax, and string.
First, the girls colored the salt in many colors using powdered tempera paint.

 They secured a wax dipped string into the bottom of the jar with playdough. They used a paper funnel to layer the colors of their choice into the jar.

 I melted wax over boiling water and colored it with a blue crayon.

 Once their layers were finished, some used toothpicks down the sides to make designs. Then, I sealed the salt candle by carefully pouring wax over the top.

 Time for a popcorn snack.

 Finished products-reminders of Lot's wife's disobedience. When God says to run, we should run!

 Yanna used a toothpick to make the designs in her candle.

Sanvi is the youngest. Her mom comes on Wednesdays and she just really wanted Sanvi to come. Even though she is only six, she listens well, answers questions, and seems to understand. He mom says she absolutely loves coming to Aunty's house.
This story reminds me of when, as a primary teacher I had to prepare my students for emergencies. We had school-wide fire drills, and inclement weather drills. I told mys students that if we got word, or heard the bell to evacuate, not to ask me if any questions -it didn't matter if it was a drill or not. We would not wait to find out. It didn't matter if it was a bomb or a fire or something else, we would get to safety and then find out. If I was told to get my students to safety, I would do that without asking any questions at all, so they shouldn't ask me any questions. And they didn't. When the times came, and they did, they quickly and quietly followed my directions to exit the classroom to safety.
I guess Lot's wife didn't teach her that.
In the same way, God gives us warnings. We should heed the warning without question, without looking back. He gives us many warnings in His Word. If we know His Word, we can follow it. Disasters still happen today, and we may find ourselves having to leave behind things we love. But in the end, most of it is just stuff -stuff that mostly can be replaced -stuff that is not eternal. What is eternal is your soul, and the Word of God. God has promised His people treasure beyond measure. Remember, He wants His best for you. So when God says to run, RUN!