Ordinary Time? Make it extraordinary!

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Did you know that we are in Ordinary Time?

It may still be summer and nights may be feeling like fall, but according to the church calendar, this is Ordinary Time. Admittedly, this time of year can feel ordinary—plain, average, lacking special distinction, rank, or status. The dog days of August?

In this case the “ordinary” in “Ordinary Time” comes from the word ordinal, meaning rank in a series. We can consider Ordinary Time as counted time. Have you ever noticed the “count up” happening on the worship bulletins, “ninth Sunday after Pentecost,” “tenth Sunday after Pentecost,” etc. Next Sunday ask your kids to notice what week we are on!

A chart showing the percentage of time for various sessions of the church yearOrdinary Time occurs from the day after Pentecost until the first Sunday in Advent. That’s a long time! It takes up the biggest chunk of the annual pie shown on the right. Incidentally, Pentecost is the smallest slice of the pie – it lasts only one day! (Pentecost, celebrated 50 days after Easter Sunday, marks the day when the Holy Spirit came to Jesus’ disciples.)

It would be easy to consider the days of Ordinary Time not as ordinal time but as, well, ordinary!

Other occasions in the church calendar are marked by rich meaning: Christmas, Lent, and Easter—no question, something big is happening in those areas of the church calendar! But there’s nothing special happening in Ordinary Time.

Or is there?

Might I challenge you to change your perception of Ordinary Time by practicing one small, ah, ordinal thing?

Count the extraordinary in the everyday ordinary.
One child helps another wild flowers

Seek God in the ordinary events of life. Whether it is in the natural world around you or the wonder of people interacting, or something as simple as laughter. Notice the presence of God in the commonplace. Keeping an ordinal list can help you obverse the extraordinary ordinary that is happening all around you!

Where did my list-making start? Read more by clicking on this button…

Button to access the web site: A Holy Experience.

kids on a dock Two women share a laugh Puffy white clouds against a blue, blue sky
How will you note ordinary time as extraordinary?

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Photo credits…
“Kids on a dock” by anolobb, originally licensed on flickr under Creative Commons (BY NC-SA 2.0); photo no longer available.
Rest of photos, from my archives.
View the chart I created here.

A blessing: suited for God’s sheepfold

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

If you’ve hung around this blog you’ll know that blessing your kids is a big thing for me. I want to help you to do this! What can you say as the words of the blessing? You can use scripture! And since we are studying Psalm 100, why not use verse 3.

the words of Psalm 100:3 with a photo of sheep

There is assurance in these words.

^^that they have a place with God. Hearing these words reminds your child that they are welcomed into a special relationship with God.

Use similar wording — feel free to improvise. Say your child’s name and…
'May you know that the Lord is God! He made you. You belong to him.

Bless your child. Place them under God’s loving care.


Click on a box if you would like to…
A check-box Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless your child.
A check-box View other suggested blessings.

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Photo credits:
Created by moi from a photo on Flickr by Randy Robertson, who licensed this photo under Creative Commons (CC BY 2.0).

A blessing – leading on a good path

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
In offering a blessing to your child, you serve as a conduit of God’s love.

a winding road lined by trees

Say your child’s name and…

May God lead you along the path of everlasting life.

Choose another blessing? Click here to view more options.
Doesn’t it feel good to convey God’s love to your child?


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
A winding road by woodleywonderworks who licensed this photo on Flickr under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.

A Blessing: Plants roots

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
To your child a blessing is a gift. It is a reminder that God loves them. It helps them to be firmly planted in their faith.

A father and child plant together

Try out this one. It’s based on Colossians 2:7. Say your child’s name and…

May you be firmly rooted and established in your faith, and overflowing with gratitude.

View other blessings here.


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
Other photo by Debra Roby who licensed this photo on Flickr under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.

A blessing – words that set them free

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

It’s Wednesday and that means it’s time for a blessing that you can use with your child. A long time ago I decided to give you a once a week blessing: a “Wednesday’s Weekly blessing.” (It kind of had a nice ring to it. And gave me an excuse to post at least once a week.) Not that you need to give a different blessing every week! Giving the same blessing every single day works. My weekly postings are to provide some variety.

Why do I feel that blessing your child(ren) is important?

A blessing gives them words they need to hear in order to be set free to live their lives. Words that set them free, yet remind them that God is with them.

I’m sure that you use lots of words that set your children free. Words like those taught by Chick Moorman:

Take a risk and see if you can do it.

Or…

Sounds like you have a problem. What have you thought of so far?”

Read more helpful language as taught by Chick Moorman here.

And add blessings to your stock pile of wise words to use with your kids!

Try this blessing: Say your child’s name and…

You have just what you need to be the person God called you to be.

A child raises her hand: pick me! Pick me!

Click on a box if you would like to…
A check-box Satisfy your curiosity about why you should bless your child.
A check-box View other suggested blessings.

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Photo copyright, from my archives.

PandaMania – continue the journey

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
VBC participants sing in church

Wasn’t it great to have the Vacation Bible Camp (VBC) participants share a bit of VBC love during the worship service?

How can your family continue exploring a relationship with a God that is wild about you? Here are some ideas:

  • Did your kids bring home a pack of “iOpeners?”
    a pack of "iOpeners: Surprising Conversations About God" They are cards with questions for discussion that tie to the Bible. Such as: “If you could invent the best thing ever, what would it be? Describe it…. Believe it or not, God already invented the best thing ever – you! That’s why King David said to God: ‘Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex!'”
    There are suggestions for games to play with these cards like “Panda Pick-Up” and “One, Two, Bamboo.” (Or just use them during the family dinner.)
  • Longing for a music video? (I know that you are!) You can view the same ones we watched as we sang. Here are links for Wild About You and Watching Over You. There are more! Click on “Videos” at the top, and then scroll down to “Music Videos.”
  • There are VBC games to play on-line: here. Any one for a little Fez’s Fruit Frenzy?
  • Don’t be a stranger at this web site. Receive new posts by email by entering your address at the box on the top upper right side of this page. (And then clicking the button). Check out a few favorites: On starting a good habit with your kids, or doing a family activity to celebrate a season, or an example of what I call one of my Time Out, Talk About… posts.
  • Add your suggestion by posting a comment. (No signing up for anything, is necessary!)


Photo credits: click here for info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email). Other photos: from my archives.

A Blessing – Jesus blessed children

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
How appropriate that at Vacation Bible Camp last week, on Thursday and on Friday, all of the kids received a blessing. And at Sunday’s Cool for our Rotation in July, we’ve been talking about the story of Jesus blessing the children (Mark 10:13-16). This means that (perhaps) your children have been exposed to what a blessing is and it’s the perfect time for you to start offering a blessing regularly!

A crew leader from VBC blesses one of her crew

What was it like when Jesus blessed the children? We aren’t given too many details, but imagine this scene:  Jesus has said to his disciples, “Let the children come to me. Don’t stop them.” So the kids, urged on by their parents, come over to Jesus.  He welcomes them. He gets down on their level. He talks with them; listens to their replies.  They warm to him.

Then he took the children in his arms and placed his hands on their heads and blessed them (Mark 10:16).

It was common in Bible times to lay hands on the head of the person being blessed and to say words that spoke of God’s love and destiny for the child. What sort of blessing did Jesus offer? We aren’t told. But perhaps it could have been one that you can give to your child. Try this. Say your child’s name and…

Jesus calls you his forever friend.

For more info on blessings, click here.
View other blessings to use with your children here.


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
Other photo from my archives.

A Blessing: Deeply Rooted

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
Massive tree roots

Blessings are words that assure us that God goes with us.

When storms shake, our roots run deep. Here are some traveling words for your kids. From scripture: Ephesians 3:17. Say your child’s name and…

May your roots go down deep into the soil of God’s marvelous love.

I’ve been giving my son a blessing every day as he heads out to work. It is great to see his reaction: a smile! Are you using the language of faith with your kids? To get started click here. Try out some other blessings here.


Photo credits: For info on banner photo (not visible in readers or email) click here.
Tree roots by Dodo-Bird who licensed this photo on Flickr under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.