Iron Women of the Word~ Recent Events-LOCK IN

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Recent Events

Last Friday I spent the night with 9 3rd-6th graders for a T&T lock in (our oldest AWANA group).  This was a new age for me, I usually teach the K-2nd graders (and love them!).  Anyways, I was helping out a friend, they needed another woman leader, and it sounded fun!  But we had to teach a lesson Friday night.  (Oh I do not like speaking in front of others, even kiddos!)  But we put together a great lesson (probably a little too much info for one late night~ lesson started at 11 pm!) 

We decided to cover some recent events and Bin Laden's death and the reactions that people had towards it.  There were people rejoicing, they were people who didn't care, there were those sad, there were some worshipping him. 

We first went over what some different sins are.  Hate (people), laziness, murder, lying, gluttony, cheating, pride, disobedience, idolatry, swearing (God's name in vain), selfishness, jealousy, stealing, greed.  The kids listed them off, I then had them rate each sin on a scale of 1-5.  1 being a huge sin, and 5 being a little sin.  Not one said they were all the same.  So we talked about how all sins are equal.  Bin Laden's sins are no worse then yours or mine! 

We asked the kids if he deserved to die.  Some said yes some said no. 

"Say to them, 'As surely as I live, declares the Sovereign Lord, I take no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but rather that they turn from their ways and live.  Turn!  Turn from your evil ways!  Why will you die, O house of Israel?'" Ezekiel 33:11 

We talked about how "For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord."  Romans 6:23  And yes he did deserve to die.  We all do, but we don't.  Why don't we die for our sins?  Because Jesus died for us!  So we don't have to!  It clicked!  It was great.  We had some kids that had accepted Christ, and we had some who hadn't.  So at this point we split all the kids up around the sanctuary for some quiet confession time and if they hadn't asked Jesus into their lives, maybe this is the time to do it.  The leaders walked around and talked to some of the kids.  Some didn't want to talk, but the ones that we didn't know if they had accepted Jesus or not really talked to some adults.  It was a great night.  I am not sure if anyone made that step that night or not, but at least they heard the message! 

Plus we got the message on how we should act when an enemy of ours dies, we shouldn't rejoice, we should be sad that if they hadn't accepted Jesus they will spend eternity in hell. 

Like I said it was a lot for one night, but we got it out there...  It was good!  We then followed the lesson with a game of sardine hide and seek (one kid hides in the church~all lights out!) and the others try to find him (or her) and hide with them until all are in that one spot! :)  It was a blast!  I was wiped out at 1:15 am when the kids finally had enough and it was time for bed!  (could you believe they were up at 6:30?) 

Left handed babe!

Well our son, Jacob, is left handed just like his daddy.  He has been from such a young age, we never questioned it.  He always either picked things up with his left hand or switched over to his left hand.  So we never gave anything to his right hand.  He always threw with this left hand (and quite well too!)

When we started to work on school we had some issues with a few letters, I couldn't figure out why, he was good one day then all of a sudden would start doing his e's upside down and switching his d and b's.  Well while he was writing out my Mother's Day card Sunday morning with daddy, I realized that they write letters differently then right handed people. 

If you do have a left handed child, I really recommend sitting down with a left handed adult and having them write out their alphabet for you.  Like for e's, did you know they start at the bottom and loop around to the top?  Or that with d's they start at the bottom as well?  Trying to teach a left handed kid to write like a right handed kid, only brings trouble and difficulty for the left handed kid! 

There are a few resources on holding the pencil and paper right, and correct wrist position (http://handedness.org/action/leftwrite.html)  but I still think the best is to sit down with a left handed adult and have them help you out! :)  I am going to have Greg sit down with me and help make a letter formation chart so you can download that.  (Probably tomorrow or the next day!) 

Thanks for all that followed the Mother of Pearl Blog Series. 

Thank you all so much for following along with the Pearl Girls™ Mother of Pearl Mother's Day blog series. I pray you laughed, cried and were touched by the translucent stories of real life written by new moms, stepmoms, grandmoms, adoptive moms, and moms without moms. Iridescent reality. And how poignant that the translucent nacre which coats the sand stuck inside an oyster’s shell is called Mother of Pearl. Mothers surround children with their love and with God’s love so they can grow in grace. I hope you'll join us this December for the third annual 12 Pearls of Christmas series.

AND ... thanks too, to all of you who entered to win the beautiful hand crafted pearl necklace. I'm thrilled to announce that the winner is ...


Jennifer (heavensent1)!


Jennifer, please email amy@pearlgirls.info with your mailing address.

If you are unfamiliar with Pearl Girls™, please visit http://www.pearlgirls.info/ and see what we're all about. The purpose of Pearl Girls is to connect women so that together, we can make a difference in the world.  All proceeds of the Pearl Girls book go in full to two charities: Wings (women in need growing stronger) to help fund a safe house in the Chicago suburbs and to Hands of Hope to help build wells for schoolchildren in Uganda. Consider purchasing a copy of Pearl Girls: Encountering Grit, Experiencing Grace or one of the Pearl Girls™ products to help support Pearl Girls.

Please stop by the Pearl Girls blog and connect with us there.

In a rut...

Hello all readers! 

I must apologize to you all.  I am in a writing rut.  I can not seem to get the motivation up to sit down and write!  It doesn't help that I am sick either.  And always tired. 

We have an announcement though for you all!  We are expecting Gandy Baby #3 this December!!!!!  It was a complete shock to us as Chloe is only 9 months old!!  Oh well, they will be very close in age and God knows what He is doing right?  :)

Other than that, I am constantly tired, and feeling run down.  Dealing with some anxiety issues and sometimes a little depression (might be partly to being stuck in the house still, but it is getting better). 

Greg has submitted his letter to his boss about things that need to change, things that were promised before moving out here and never given or even given and then taken away.  So if you could please lift up the conversation they are going to have later this week, I would appreciate it! 

I think that is it for now.  When I do get up and start posting again~ going to try for a post tomorrow on teaching left handed kids to write (did you know it is different?  Finding out why we have had difficulty with some letters~ they write differently!!!)  Thank goodness my husband is left handed and while writing out my Mother's Day cards Monday, I learned that some letters are done differently!  More tomorrow.

I am behind on my book reviews (about 8 to read to catch up!!!  YIKES!!!!)  so I am trying to work on fixing that, although I have even been too tired to read ( I know a shocker!!!)  But after I get all caught up, I would like to do a book club on 1000 Gifts By Ann Voskamp.  This won't start until well into June, but if you want to join, please pick up a copy of the book!

Well that is all for now, I better run and do something, Greg should be pulling in any minute (first time in a long time that he is home before 7!!)  I hope you all have a blessed evening and I look forward to catching up with everyone soon!