Summer plans begin!

OK, so it's been awhile since I've written!  But, I hope with the next few posts to inspire you to take advantage of this summer with your kids.  If you're anything like me, you need to make a plan in order for anything to actually happen!  So much thought has gone into this summer.  With the removal of the daily routines of school and sports, I always have high hopes of re-orienting our family to each other and to use the time to deepen our relationship with God.  Over the next couple of weeks, I plan on sharing with you the scripture reading plan I hope to engage our kids in, some fun science projects, outings we plan to go on, etc. 

Today I ventured out to the local Christian bookstore to find them each (the boys are 5 & 7) their own actual Bible - an upgrade from the picture/preschool Bibles they have been using over the years.  I've been finding the younger one reading his Bible in bed at nighttime, and in the morning as time permits, so I figure the time had come to get him the real deal.  (He was jumping up and down with excitement when we got it - made me so happy)  I also got them a journal to jot their thoughts down on questions they have, or to draw pictures about what they read, etc.

Our church gave us a very helpful resource for the summer that includes all kinds of summer activities to consider.  Included in that resource were recommended weekly readings for the kids.  With each reading were questions to consider reviewing with your children to help provide some clarity to the readings.  I'm so excited to begin this new routine with them.  Here is the link to the Summer Family Activity Book if you are interested:  http://www.thevillagechurch.net/mediafiles/2012-summer-family-activity-book.pdf

I created a calendar for the summer with all the plans that I will be sharing with you, and on that calendar I have included the readings we will be focusing on week by week.  They are all from the book of Mark.  And for the adults, if you didn't read my prior post on the Chronological Bible I have been going through, it has continued to be a great Bible for me.  I highly recommend it.  It separates the readings into a daily reading and provides great summaries of each reading to help prepare you. I like that I don't have to think about what I am going to read and that I can just dive right in as soon as I wake up.