Melissa was our speaker in the Mom's Room at co-op this week.  She was wonderful!  Her message was titled "The Voice of Truth" and was about overcoming depression and anxiety as homeschool moms.  So, the verse of the week was tied into her message.

Verse of the Week

I will lift mine eyes unto the hills, from whence cometh my help.  My help cometh from the Lord, which made heaven and earth.  Psalm 121:1-2

1st Corinthians 13 Inspiration

Encourage your younger ones to make the Fruits of the Spirit part of  their lives by creating a Fruit of the Spirit tree.  Each time you catch your child displaying a "fruit", let them hang a construction paper fruit on their tree. 

How to:  Place a tree shaped stick in a bucket full of rocks.  Cut out fruit shapes from construction paper and label them with the Fruits of the Spirit.  (Galatians 5:22-23)  Hole punch and tie yarn through the holes.  Hang on the branches.

And sometimes, I'll be adding a Teaching Tip of the Week

What one activity can bring excitement and anticipation to your children, teach manners, draw you closer as a family and be a great time of learning?  A weekly tea party, of course!

Gathering your children weekly for tea and cookies (or any snack that suits your fancy) can be a time of such sweet memories.  Your weekly tea can be as fancy or as simple as you like.  You can pull out the fine china and make homemade scones or open a CapriSun and place some Oreos on a napkin.  Either way, use the tea party time for something special that's reserved only for this weekly gathering.  Below are some ideas that will hopefully inspire you to start a tea time.....

*Read poetry or recite memorized poems

*Do an artist or composer study  (can't you just hear the classical music playing in the background?)

*Share writings each person has worked on throughout the week.

*If your tea party is all girls, you might read from The Girlhood Home Companion.

*If your tea party is all boys, you might read from a Henty novel.

*Share a character building story.   

*Do a drawing lesson together.

*Tell stories or make up a chain story.  That's where one person starts a story, then passes it on to the next person at an exciting point.  The story keeps getting passed until it's finished.  Beware, this makes for some really long and fun stories!

*Learn and practice a hymn.

*Listen to a book on tape.

*Play a card or board game.

*Do a seasonal craft.

*Work on a handi-craft (like knitting or sewing)

*Scrapbook

*Take a weekly trip around the world with a chapter from a book such as A Child's Geography of the World.

*Dawn from our co-op had this brilliant idea - - At the beginning of the year, preprint several postcards with a message such as, "We just wanted you to know that the West Family prayed for you this week!"   Print out address labels with all of your family and friends addresses and paste these on the cards at the beginning of the year, too.  During tea time, draw out one card, pray for the family and send one of the kids to the mailbox with the postcard.

~~I would love for you to add other ideas in the comments!

Here's hoping you have a glorious week with your children!