Behavior In Church

"...but if I wait long, that you may know how men ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the assembly of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth." 1 Timothy 3:15

       Long ago the great Apostle Paul wrote a letter to his young friend, Timothy, and in that letter he told him something that I wish you would all remember. It was this, "You should to behave yourself in the house of God." Fathers and mothers, these days, have to tell their children to behave when they go to church, and I imagine that the boys of Paul's time were very much as they are today, for Paul here had to tell Timothy to behave himself when he went to church.
       There are a few things about the house of God we ought never to forget. The wise man, Solomon, once said, ''Keep thy foot when thou goest to the house of God." That means to walk softly and be reverent. I once saw a little girl tiptoeing past a house, and when I came to the house I saw that there were black ribbons and a wreath on that door. (A practice used in times of mourning for a death in the Victorian Era) She thought that God had been there, and she ought to go very softly. So we ought to also tread very softly and reverently when we enter the church. It is God's house.
       Then when we go inside the church, we ought to offer up a little prayer. When you go to somebody's house and he comes to the door you always speak to him, don't you? It would not be very polite to go into someone's house without speaking to him. So when we come into God's house we must speak to Him in prayer.
       Then all the time we are in the church, we must try to think about God and the things that we hear. Sometimes when we are talking to someone, we know he is thinking about something else all the time. This is very rude and we are likely to feel hurt. But it is what many people do when they come into God's house, where He is being worshiped. They spend the whole time thinking about other things than the service. I don't wonder, do you, that God is hurt and angry. God wants us when we come into His house to think about Him.
       And there is one other thing that we must do in God's house. We must ask God to forgive our sins.
       There is a story about a fairy who went up to the gate of heaven and was not allowed to enter. The angel said, " If you will bring the gift that is dearest to heaven, then you can come in." So the fairy flew back as fast as she could to the earth and found the most lovely and fragrant flower that there was on the earth, and brought it, but the gate was shut. Again she flew back to the earth, and this time she brought a drop of blood from a young hero, who had just died for his country; but the gate was shut still. The third time she went to the earth, and while she was wandering around, she saw a wicked old man stopping at a fountain to give his horse a drink. Just then the man saw a little child kneeling down to say his little evening prayer. When the bad man saw that, all his wicked life arose in his memory and he was sorry, and he, too, knelt and prayed, and as he prayed he wept. And the fairy, who had seen it all, caught one of those tears of repentance and flew up to heaven with it, and the gate was open, and she went in.
       There is nothing that is so dear to the Lord as the repentance of His children. That is what makes Jesus, and the Bible, and the church so dear to us. They show us how to repent so that Heaven's gate may open wide for us. S. N. Hutchison

Good Manners for Kids:

• Teaching Kids to Be Polite
• How to teach kids to be polite
• Helping toddlers manage their big emotions using emotional intelligence
• How to Handle Tantrums LIKE A BOSS!

Bait and Hook

"Put on all of God’s armor so that you will be able to stand firm against all strategies of the devil.''  Ephesians 6:11

       Do you know what many of the Lord's disciples did for a living? They were fishermen. Jesus sometimes went with them on their fishing trips and He fished, too. In those days, just as now, there were two ways to fish. Sometimes they used a net and caught a great many at once. One night the disciples went out and fished till almost morning and didn't catch a thing. It was time to go home and they had no fish to carry to the market and sell, so that they could have money to buy food and clothes for their families. Just then Jesus came along the shore. He told them to cast the net on the other side of the ship. They did as He told them, and caught so many fish that there was not room for them all in the boat.
       Then they used to fish with a hook and line as we do. Once Jesus and Peter needed a little money to pay their taxes. They were very poor men, and when the tax collector came around they didn't have enough to pay him. Jesus told Peter to take his rod and line, and go to the lake, and to look in the mouth of the first fish that he caught. Scarcely had Peter dropped the bait in the water when he had a fine bite and hooked a big fish. He was so excited getting that fish to land, that I imagine he forgot for the moment what Jesus had sent him for, but when he opened the mouth of the fish to take the hook out, there was the money, just enough to pay the tax for Jesus and for him.
       When Jesus asked the disciples to follow Him, He told them that they were going to be fishers of men. Instead of catching fish and bringing them to market, they were to find men and bring them to Jesus. That is just what the church is doing. We are trying to be fishers of men. Sometimes we bring a large number at once as the fishermen do when they use the net, but mostly it is like using the hook and line: they come one by one.
       One of the first things necessary to fish successfully is to have some bait. God has given us the bait to use when we fish for men: good deeds, and loving words, and the Bible and prayer and the church and Sunday school! These are all baits which we can use in bringing others to Jesus.
       Satan is a fisherman, too. A great man once said that Satan is the ape of God. Whatever God does, he tries to do for an evil purpose. He uses bait, and he is trying every day to catch boys and girls.
       One bait that Satan uses is play. Play is a fine thing. Children must have play. But there are some games and amusements that are baits which Satan has fixed up to catch them with. We should be very careful in our recreation and play that we are not led into evil.
       Then there are our books. We could not do without our books. They are necessary to us. We learn from them every day, and hey give us pleasure and profit. But there are some books that Satan is using as bait to get men and women and boys and girls. Be- fore we read a book we ought to be sure that we know just what kind of a book it is, we ought to look and see that Satan's hook isn't sticking in it somewhere.
       Then there are our companions. Everybody loves good company. We would not be happy if we did not have some companions. Old Satan knows this and he tries to catch us and make us do evil, by means of bad company.
       There was once an old fish, very wise, who said to one of the young fish, " Before you bite anything go all around it and see that there is no hook sticking into it anywhere."
       Money is another of Satan's baits. There was a bad criminal once who confessed that his evil life had started when he was very young. He had been employed as an office-boy. Someone left a quarter lying on a desk, and went away and forgot about it. Satan came and tempted that boy to steal the money. He took it. That was the be- ginning of a life of evil. Satan used that money as the bait to catch him.
       When we catch a fish on the hook he hasn't much chance to get away. If Satan gets us with his bait we will have a hard time to escape. So let us all be very careful. S. N. Hutchison

What to do when your're tempted as a Kid!

Color a Cross Confirmation Cake

Description of The Coloring Page: cross shaped cake, celebrate your Confirmation or Easter!. food, icing, roses, coloring page by kathy grimm

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When Father Comes Home

 WHEN FATHER COMES HOME.

When my father comes home in the evening
from work.
Then I will get up on his knee,
And tell him how many nice lessons I learn,
And show him how good I can be.

He shall hear what number I know how to
count;
I'll tell him what words I can spell;
And if I can learn something new every day,
I hope soon to read very well.

I'll repeat to him all the good verses I know,
And tell him how kind we must be
That we never must hurt little creatures at all
And he will be glad, and love me.

I'll tell him we always must try to please God,
And never be cruel or rude;
For God is the Father of all living things.
He cares for and blesses the good.

The Blessings

 THE BLESSINGS

Blessed are the poor in spirit,
They the kingdom shall possess,
Rich in faith and heavenly blessings,
Let us ever forward press.

Blessed are the sad and mournful,
Weeping o'er their treasures gone
For the darkness gathered o'er them
Is the harbinger of morn.

Blessed are the meek and lowly,
They the green earth shall inherit;
Full of love, and peace, and gladness,
Fruits of God's most Holy Spirit.

Blessed they who thirst and hunger;
All their wants shall be supplied;
Never yet have been forsaken
They, who on their God relied.

Blessed they who, loving mercy,
Joy not in another's pain;
All the mercy shown to others
They shall for themselves obtain.

Blessed are the pure and prayerful.
Seeking God in every place;
They shall in their home eternal
See Him ever face to face.

Blessed are the good peace-makers,
For God's children they shall be;
Of His glory full partakers,
When from earth their spirits flee.

Blessed ye, when men revile you,
Treat you falsely for My sake;
For the prophets gone before you
Did the self-same treatment take.

Let us then be ever mindful
Of the precepts Christ has given;
So that when this life is over,
We may dwell with Him in heaven.

A Friendly World

"You are my friends if you do what I command you."—John 15:14

       What a friendly world this is! Sometimes we think it is a hard, cruel, selfish world, but it is not. It is a friendly  world, full of friendly folk, who are looking around for love and friendship and happiness.
       The world is just like a mirror. It reflects our moods. We ourselves make the image that we see in the glass. There is a little lake I know, lying in the woods far up in the Canadian wilderness, and there you hear the echo of every noise you make. If you are rowing a boat, you think you hear someone else keeping stroke with you. If you sing, you hear some one else singing. If you shout and scold the fish that has gotten away from you, some one else scolds and talks loud. That is just the way with the world. We live in a sort of echo-world and as we speak and think and act, so we are answered back.
       One very hot summer day I was in the city of Cleveland. It was so hot that people were cross and I noticed a sign at the hotel desk which read, “Keep your temper, no one here wants it.” It was a wise word to tired and irritable travelers. The city was filled with delegates from all over the country, who were attending a convention, and the streets were thronged.
       In that hot and hurried city I came on three friendly things. The first was a little kitten, asleep behind the window of a barber shop. It was a little grey kitten, with little spots of white on each foot, on its nose and at the end of its tail. It was lying in the sun, asleep with its head resting on one of its front feet, just like a little child lying asleep with its arm under its head, and its hand over its eyes. It was very pretty and a lot of people gathered in front of the window and smiled and talked together about the little kitten with its head pillowed on its arm, as it were. I walked up to the public square and saw a young woman standing in the midst of about a hundred pigeons. They were perched on her head, her shoulders, and were eating some grain out of her hands and from the ground near by. She had come there to feed them because she loved them and they were unafraid. Then, best of all, I came upon a fine “black beauty” police horse. There was no policeman to be seen, so there was nothing to fear. The horse was standing with his front feet away up on the sidewalk, as if looking in on the turtles and alligators playing in the city fountain. But that was not what he was doing. I soon found that out. He was a friendly horse and wanted to talk to the folks as they passed. Old ladies came and patted his nose. Old men came and scratched his forehead. He seemed to like that. Little children came and looked into his big open eyes. Girls came and pulled his ears, and a big boy after putting his arm around his neck and whispering something in his ear put his hand in his pocket and pulled out a beautiful red apple and Mr. Black Beauty said “Thank you” and in two bites the apple was gone.
       Yes, this is a friendly world. But it is our own friendliness that makes it friendly. We get just what we give. Jesus came to make the world a friendly place. He spoke of the lilies of the field, and the birds of the air. He took the little children on His knee and was kind to all, to the poor, the blind, the sick, the sinful. To be like Jesus, we too must live the friendly life. And the laws of the friendly life are given in these simple but great words of Jesus:

“Blessed are the poor in spirit:
“Blessed are they that mourn:
“Blessed are the meek:
“Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness.
“Blessed are the merciful:
“Blessed are the pure in heart:
“Blessed are the peacemakers."

These are the laws of the friendly life.  Kerr

"What a Wonderful World" playing for change!

Little Acts of Kindness

 LITTLE ACTS OF KINDNESS

Little acts of kindness,
Trifling though they are,
How they serve to brighten
This dark world of care!
Little acts of kindness,
Oh, how potent they,
To dispel the shadows
Of life's cloudy day.

Little acts of kindness,
How they cheer the heart!
What a world of gladness
Will a smile impart!
How a gentle accent
Calms the troubled soul.
When the waves of passion
O'er it wildly roll!

You may have around you
Sunshine, if you will,
Or a host of shadows.
Gloomy, - dreary, - chill.
If you want the sunshine,
Smile, though sad at heart;
To the poor and needy
Kindly aid impart.

To the soul-despairing
Breathe a hopeful word;
From your lips be only
Tones of kindness heard.
Ever give for anger.
Love and tenderness;
And, in blessing others.
You yourself will bless.

Little acts of kindness,
Nothing do they cost;
Yet when they are wanting,
Life's best charm is lost.
Little acts of kindness,
Richest gems of earth;
Though they seem but trifles,
Priceless is their worth.

The Beautiful...

THE BEAUTIFUL

The beautiful! the beautiful!
Where do we find it not?
It is an all-pervading grace,
And lighteth every spot.

It sparkles on the ocean wave,
It glitters in the dew ;
We see it in the glorious sky.
And in the floweret's hue.

On mountain-top, in valley deep,
We find its presence there;
The beautiful! the beautiful!
It liveth every where.

The glories of the noontide day.
The still and solemn night;
The changing seasons, - all can bring
Their tribute of delight.

There's beauty in the child's first smile:
And in that look of faith,
The Christian's last on earth, before
His eyes are closed in death.

And in the beings that we love,
Who have our tenderest care,
The beautiful! the beautiful!
How sweet to trace it there!

'Twas in the glance that God threw o'er
The young created earth;
When He proclaimed it very good,
The beautiful had birth.

Then who shall say this world is dull,
And all to sadness given.
While yet there grows on every side.
The smile that came from heaven?

If so much loveliness is sent
To grace our earthly home,
How beautiful! how beautiful!
Will be the world to come.
 

Harvest-Field Of Time

HARVEST-FIELD OF TIME 

Children, all of us are gleaners
In the harvest-field of time;
Day by day the grain is ripening
For a sunnier clime.

Whether in the early morning,
Going forth with busy feet.
Or, as weary laborers, resting
'Mid the noon-day heat;

Let us strive, with cheerful spirits,
Each our duties to fulfill,
Till the time of harvest, - subject
To the Master's will.

Let us garner up sweet memories,
Bound with ties of love;
Pleasant thoughts to cheer the pathway
To our home above.

Trusting that these precious gleanings
Bound with loving hand,
May in golden sheaves be gathered
To the spirit land.

Color the Life of St. Francis

Description of The Coloring Page: the Saint carries lambs, the birds follow him, loved by animals

One morning in February 1208, Francis was taking part in a Mass in the chapel of St. Mary of the Angels, near which he had by then built himself a hut. The Gospel of the day was the "Commissioning of the Twelve" from the Book of Matthew. The disciples were to go and proclaim that the Kingdom of God is at hand. Francis was inspired to devote himself to a life of poverty. Having obtained a coarse woolen tunic, the dress then worn by the poorest Umbrian peasants, he tied it around himself with a knotted rope and went about exhorting the people of the countryside to penance, brotherly love, and peace. Francis's preaching to ordinary people was unusual as he had no license to do so.

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Color the Life of St. Bridget

 

Description of The Coloring Page: wolf and St. Bridget, columns, landscape, patch of flowers

Saint Brigid of Kildare or Brigid of Ireland (Irish: Naomh Bríd; Latin: Brigida; c. 451 – 525) is the patroness saint (or 'mother saint') of Ireland, and one of its three national saints along with Patrick and Columba. According to medieval Irish hagiographies, she was an abbess who founded several convents of nuns, most notably that of Kildare, which was one of the most important in Ireland. There are few historical facts about her, and early hagiographies are mainly anecdotes and miracle tales, some of which are rooted in pagan folklore. She is patroness of many things, including poetry, learning, healing, protection, blacksmithing, livestock and dairy production.

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Color the life of St. Kentigern

Description of The Coloring Page: Kentigern holds a robin, a crowd looks on, monk, cross, young Saint,  Kentigern (Welsh: Cyndeyrn Garthwys; Latin: Kentigernus), known as Mungo, was a missionary in the Brittonic Kingdom of Strathclyde in the late sixth century, and the founder and patron saint of the city of Glasgow. Read more...

Don't forget to drag the png. or jpg into a Word Document and enlarge the image as much as possible before printing it folks. If you have a question about this coloring page, just type into the comment box located directly below this post and I'll try to get back to you as soon as I can.