Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing – Go with God

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Black Man Waving cartoon

Our parting remark when we take leave of people is often a simple “goodbye.”

Recently I was reminded that, “goodbye” originally meant, “God be with you.” In Spanish, a bidding of farewell is “Vaya con Dios,” which means “Go with God.”

I like that concept: going with God.

This week, as you send your kids back to school, send them off with this simple blessing:

Go with God.

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:
Waving line drawing from Wikimedia Commons by Videoplasty.com, licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

How to find time to talk about faith?

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

A dinner place setting

Talking about faith at home is important for your family, but how do you find the time to work this into your busy schedule?

Make family dinner a priority

Here’s a book to help achieve this goal: The Family Dinner: Great Ways to Connect with Your Kids, One Meal at a Time by Laurie David.

The cover of the book: The Family Dinner

Ann Arbor District Library has this book.
See if it is available!

Paraphrased from the book, here are some “rules” (they call them “simple steps”) that you can implement:

  • Everyone comes to the table, even if they aren’t hungry.
  • No electronics: No TV. No phones. No texting. (This applies to adults as well!)
  • Everyone stays at the table until dinner is over.
  • Everyone tries one bite of each food.
  • Everyone helps clean up.

Another thing they suggest is to play games at the table! (Either while eating or afterwards.) Check out some suggested “dinner table games.” (Clicking on the underlined words takes you to the most recent post in the category “dinner games.” Scroll down to see other options.)

This all sounds hard! Something may have to give in order for this to happen. But it’s important, isn’t it?

How about making it a New Year’s an any time of year Resolution?

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Photo credits:
Table setting by Gisela Francisco on Flickr, who licensed this photo under: Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic.
Other photo – from my archives. (I took a picture of this book when I had it checked out from the library!)

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
A little something different… a blessing for the adults!

May the God of many, many blessings, bless you in your life as a caregiver.

A parent holds his child

Need a resource to get started using blessings for children? (Click on the word “resource”).

View other blessings to use with kids here.


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr.
Other photo – .jocelyn. on Flickr, both licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Jesus’ Birth: Mary’s story

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

A banner for Christmas - Mary and Joseph and baby Jesus
Have you ever noticed how two people can both experience the same event and come away with different memories? It’s the same story, but different perspectives. It can actually enrich the story! Thus, every year our Advent Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) takes a different focus.

Last year in December the story of Jesus’ birth was told through the eyes of Isaiah. (That’s right, Isaiah from the Old Testament; 700 years before Jesus was born!) There was the year when our story was from the perspective of the wise men. Previous to that it was the shepherds and angels. This year Mary, Jesus’ mother, takes center stage.

Who was Mary?

She was likely poor and lived in Galilee, a region of the Roman Empire, in a town called Nazareth. We are also told that Mary was “engaged to Joseph” which means she could have been a young teenager; as young as 12 years old, as this is the age at which young women were eligible for “betrothal.” God chose a poor, young girl for an important job! And what a rather unexpected job… to become the mother of Jesus!

Here are some questions to discuss…

+++++for the first part of our story (in Luke 1:26-38):

  • When Mary first saw the angel how do you suppose she felt? Was she scared, surprised or just nonchalant?
  • How did Mary react to the news that she would have a baby boy, name him Jesus, and that he would be our Savior?
  • I wonder why God would choose such a young woman to be Jesus’ mother?
  • If God asked you to do something that would be very challenging, do you suppose that you would say as Mary did, “I am the Lord’s servant; may it happen to me as you have said?” (Luke 1:38)
  • Tell about a time when you felt called by God to do something you weren’t sure about doing; were you afraid and had questions but then ready to accept God’s plan?

May you enjoy pondering these “talk time” questions as you nurture and support one another in your faith journeys!

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
a young child eats a chocolate chip cookie

Give your kids the gift of a blessing.

You are giving them words that please God.

Speaking God’s words to them is like welcoming them home to the smell of chocolate chip cookies fresh out of the oven.

Say your child’s name and…

May God give you the strength to always follow what you know is right.

Need a resource to get started using blessings? (Click on the word “resource.”)
View other blessings here.


Photo credits: Pink Sherbert Photography
Banner (not visible in reader or email) and
Other photo on Flickr, licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

Just because I title these blessing posts, “Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing,” does not limit their use to only Wednesdays. Might I suggest you get in the daily habit? Bless your child as you wake them in the morning, or when they leave the house, or as you say good-night. Try out this one: Say your child’s name and…

The Lord blesses you and surrounds you with his love.

Here is a resource to get started using blessings.
View other blessings here.


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr
Main photo – pipitdapo on Flickr, both licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic

Rotation workshops for December 2010

Posted on by Carol Hulbert

During the school year, on Sunday mornings each Rotation for our Cool Disciples (our 1st – 6th graders at FUMC in Ann Arbor, MI) includes six workshops. In December 2010, spilling into January 2011, we’ll be studying about Jesus’ birth from the viewpoint of his mother, Mary.

Read about our story in Luke. (If you click on words that are bold and red on this blog, you’ll go to various internet sites; in this case a site where you can read our passage. Pretty cool, yes?)

Here is the schedule of workshops for the next few weeks…

Date Art Video Movement Cooking Games Storytelling
Room 212 Pine Room Room 211 Social Hall Room 215 Room 204
12/12 2nd grade 5th grade 3rd grade 6th grade 4th grade 1st grade
12/19 1st grade 4th grade 2nd grade 5th grade 6th grade 3rd grade

Then of course, comes Christmas! For a schedule of service times check out the church web site. (May need to scroll down on that page). On Sunday, December 26th there will not be any Cool Disciples workshops. Everyone will worship together at the 9:30 service! (There will not be a service at 11:15.) The same thing will happen on January 2nd, 2011. Then on January 9th we’ll finish up our “December” Rotation.

Date Art Video Movement Cooking Games Storytelling
Room 212 Pine Room Room 211 Social Hall Room 215 Room 204
1/9 3rd grade 6th grade 1st grade 4th grade 5th grade 2nd grade

What’s happening in each workshop?

  • In the Art Workshop students will listen to melodic music while using colored pencils to create a mandala. Mandalas are circular designs. Coloring a mandala clears the mind and focuses attention. We’ll use the process of working on a mandala to peacefully ponder the story of Jesus’ birth.
  • In the Video Workshop students will watch portions of the live-action video The Nativity Story. Enjoy popcorn (can’t have a movie without popcorn!) and explore Mary’s emotions as the story progresses.
  • In the Movement Workshop students will use music and expressive movement with Body Sox to interpret Mary’s experience. We’ll use music from the Magnificat, Mary’s song of magnifying (praising) God.
  • In the Cooking Workshop students will re-tell the story by voting from a selection of snacks that they think match the emotions felt by Mary in the story. This is sure to be interesting! What will marshmallows represent? Parsley? Pickles?? After the voting, enjoy some of these snacks.
  • In the Games Workshop students will participate in an obstacle course that is sure to cement story details. I wonder how they’ll do?
  • In the Storytelling Workshop parents with a newborn will visit and help the students explore Mary’s emotions. Then we’ll ponder what Mary’s scrapbook would have looked like. (With a very cool resource.)

I wish that Sunday school could have been this much fun when I was growing up. Maybe that’s why I enjoy what I do – it gives me an excuse to have fun learning!

Wednesday’s Weekly Blessing – a resource for getting started

Posted on by Carol Hulbert
Here is a resource to use, a book to read with your child, to introduce them to the idea of receiving a blessing from you.

Cover of the book "Will You Bless Me?" By Neal Lozano

Why is this such a good book, especially right now, at this time of year?
Because it tells the Christmas story.

It’s not a complete telling and the details aren’t even in order. It’s just the highlights, as told by Mary to her young son, Jesus, who asks his mother to tell him his birth story. I like this part…

Joseph put down his tools… He loved these moments when Mary talked to Jesus about his birth, telling her son all the thoughts and plans God had just for him.

You can do that.

This week, let this be your blessing – your gift – to your child. Tell them about the day they arrived in your household. Tell them how glad you are to be their parent, or how much they are loved, or how they were uniquely created by God, and how God has a specific purpose for them in this life.

Here’s another quote from the book (on a page for parents, grandparents and caregivers). Take this as encouragement to regularly bless your child…

You have all you need to impart to your child the sense of identity and destiny that comes from the heart of God.

Blessings on your acts of blessing your child!


View other blessings here.


Photo credits:
Banner photo (not visible in readers or email) – Pink Sherbert Photography on Flickr, licensed under: Attribution-Noncommercial-Share Alike 2.0 Generic
Other photo – from my archives: my copy of this great little book.