*sigh* as mentioned in the first post on the ABC verses, I would pick up our list on Mondays and teach the verse over breakfast. Then we'd review it throughout the day and Tuesday do an activity that helped us remember it. So I picked up the list and thought "GREAT verse - how in the WORLD am I ever going to help them understand it? and WHAT kind of activity could we possibly do?"
We reviewed it over breakfast and gave them a chance to hear it a couple of times. Miles immediately started to tackle it mentally but kept swapping words around and leaving things out. I told him to be patient and we'd talk about it after we'd cleaned up from breakfast. I knew we needed this verse and that it would address some of the things we're struggling with!
So, we cleaned up and talked about it again. This time he scoffed, "How can my tongue do evil?" *DING* (lightbulb went off). I asked the boys what evil means and then to give me examples of some evil/bad/wrong things we can say to each other (they loved that). We talked about how it's not just our tongue or lips that say bad things but they come from our heart!
Then I said, "Now try saying a bad thing about your brother without using your tongue". It is AMAZING how much children like the silliest little things. This attempt got them going on talking with their tongues out so we did the verse in that way (neep nor nun shrun emul an nor nits nrom nellin nies). We practiced it that way for a while and then I had an idea for an activity!
The next day we made puppets from paper bags with big tongues hanging out (Will chose to make a puppy puppet and Miles made himself as a superhero). Then the puppets said the verse! Now it's memorized!!
Week 12: L
I really don't know what happened to L. I'll check with the boys after naps and see if we even did it! I think we did but I can't recall what it was!
Week 13:M "My little children, do not love in word only but in deed and action" 1 John 3:18.
We've been doing "M" for two weeks now that school has started back and things are a little more crazy (not many pajama days around here). And I think now, that we may have memorized it wrongly but we'll work on it. I really like this version (the Good News translation) "My little children, our love should not be just words and talk, it must be true love; which shows itself in action". The boys are still getting tripped up over some the words and syntax but when asked what it means they say, "Don't just say it; do it"! And I LOVE that they get the meaning!
I'm so proud of the boys for all the time they took to learn them with me (did they have a choice?!) and for Jake's support! He would get so excited when he would come home and they would have learned a new verse. Jake also got into "gentle reminders" through the verses we memorized!
I'm so thankful that my friend, Melanie, taught her girls last summer and was an example to me! I pray that it won't end here (I still feel like we need to make it to "Z" even though the summer is over) and that the boys would cultivate a hunger for Scripture in their lives through our summer verses!
BTW - if you want to memorize the verses and you don't feel like "coming up with" activites like we did (only b/c I didn't have a copy of the book) check out Susan Hunt's "My ABC Bible Verses: Hiding God's Word in Little Hearts" or find their page on Facebook under the same name. Apparently she has little devotionals that go with each verse and activities to do together!
I really love these! I can't wait to teach God's Word to little CB! What a joy this must be in your life!!!
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