Family Connect May 22-28

Oops!  I just realized I forgot to post the Family Connect this week!  Our house has been CRAZY busy getting ready for Creative Chaos next weekend, June 3-5, AND celebrating the upcoming marriage of our friends Glen and Amanda.  I'm a bridesmaid, the kids are the flower girl and ring bearer, and Jeremy's officiating the wedding.  So, we've been doing premarital counseling, bridal showers, stag(ette) parties, etc.

Last weekend at VAC Kids we were talking about the importance of taking initiative to make things right.  We looked at Jesus' teaching about leaving our gift or offering to Him at the altar, so that we could go and make things right with our "brother" (ie. friend, spouse, coworker, teacher, siblings...) FIRST.  If we don't have right relationship with those around us, how can we expect to have a right relationship with God???

 

 Have you ever done one of those spot the 10 differences between this picture and that picture game?  Well this week you are playing a 3-D version of that in your home!

Gather your family in one of the rooms in your house, and split into two teams (kids vs. parents, boys vs. girls, etc.).  Team 1 has 30 seconds to look around the room, memorizing where everything is, and then leaves the room while Team 2 takes the time to change around 10 things in the room.  They could move cushions and magazines, turn the coffee table upside down, turn on the TV if it was off, etc.  Team 2 then returns, and has to find all 10 things that have been changed, and make it right.  You could time Team 1 to see how quickly they can discover the 10 changes and make things right, if you like a little bit of competition.  Then swap roles with Team 2 leaving the room and Team 1 making things topsy turvy.  If you’re having lots of fun, play again in a different room, or change up the teams. 

Take time to discuss with your kids how important it is to take the time to make things right, especially with other people, and to not wait for them to come to you first, but to go first, and initiate forgiveness.

Further Discussion Questions

• What can you do if someone isn’t willing to forgive you even after you’ve said you’re sorry?
• How do you benefit by being the first one to step out and make things right with others?
• If God wants us to make things right with others before we come to worship Him, what does that tell you about how much He values forgiveness? What else has God done that shows us how incredibly important forgiveness is to Him? 
• What are some things you can say or do to start making things right with someone?