Joshua’s House

We would like to take some time to recognize Greg Todd as our honor volunteer this month. Greg has put in many hours of recording as the voice of Jesus for our audio dramatization. (Check out some of the great work he has been doing here.) He has come into the “studio” for a few hours many Sundays. He then begins to record. Over the course of a recording session we may do one part over and over and over again. Sometimes parts are re-recorded to provide several options of emotion for post-production editing. Other times, Greg is asked to record over and over and over again to make sure, every word is exact. Some takes are amusing and others are frustrating, but Greg has been a great sport through it all.

Greg decided to audition for Joshua’s House when he heard about the recording in his church bulletin. He had been very interested in voice acting. In fact he had bought some books and was really getting into things. He thought this would be a great opportunity to explore this new interest. Looking back Greg is moved to see how God orchestrated everything beautifully.

Thank you for all your hard work Greg!

Click here for printable PDF version. 

Sometimes it can be difficult to come up with fun games for a group of kids to play at a party. It can even be more difficult if you want kids to come away from that game having had a lot of fun and getting to know a little more about their God. Well, here is an idea that’s sure to achieve both - and maybe more.

Break the kids up into groups of at least two.

Let them have 15-20 minutes to collect all sorts of things outside. They can collect sticks, leaves, acorns, flowers, anything.

When each team has collected their objects, have one member from the team draw out a piece of paper with a Bible story on it. Here is a list we’ve already come up with.

Give the teams another 15-20 minutes to read through the Bible story and set up the scene with the items collected. (You can add more time if you need to.)

When the scenes are complete, place a stack of guessing cards by each one.

Every child will go through and write what they think the scene is of on their cards. When all the votes are in, go through each scene one by one and see what people guessed for that scene. After all the guesses have been read, have the team explain the story and tell everyone one lesson God is teaching us through that Bible story.

For a rainy day, use craft items to create a picture book or a shoe box scene.

We would love to hear how your kids liked this activity, so let us know!

It’s official. The first meeting of the Board of directors is scheduled for Monday, January 14. This is very exciting as it means soon after that Joshua’s House will incorporate, and then we will be eligible to apply for 501(c)(3) non-profit status! Hooray!

So, who are the board members? Here is the list:

Amanda Brady
Wendel Adams
Laura Byrd
Mark Perry (unofficial)

I know things have been kind of quiet lately as blogging has slowed down. I can assure you, however that a lack of blogs does not equal a lack of progress. Much has been happening with Joshua’s House as projects continue to move forward. I am also looking forward to graduating from college on Dec. 19. Hooray! This will free up a lot of time for Joshua’s House. There is a lot more to share, but for today, I will simply leave you with a short clip of some of the stuff that has been going on with audio project. Just click play above and enjoy!

Click here for printable PDF version. 

What movies are OK to watch? Should I stand up for the underdog? What should I do in this situation? How do I deal with this person? Tim stole my toy, should I steal one of his back? Are these similar to some questions you may have heard leaving the mouth of your children?

It’s so easy to quickly spout off an answer to guide your children in the right paths. But wait, by taking just a few more minutes, you can teach them so much more!

It is important that our children learn to go to God to find the solution for all their problems. Here’s an idea of something you could get started at a family worship, or one afternoon after church. Once you’ve made this Solution Archive, you can continue to add to it as new problems arise. Then, when your kids seek guidance, you can go to the Solution Archive together to see what God’s Word has to say.

For this activity you will need:

• 3×5 File box
• 3×5 note cards
• 3×5 Alphabet Dividers
• Concordance
• Bible

What are some things that your kids might face? Let’s say your daughter is planning on going to a sleepover with some of her friends. They are planning on watching some movies and she’s not sure if all of the features on the play list are the best choice. What should she do? First search God’s word. Sometimes a concordance or topical dictionary in the back of the Bible might be helpful. In this case you may want to use a study Bible. See if there is anything in the back about entertainment.

Philippians 4:8 addresses this very issue:

“Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworthy—think about such things. ”

Now you would make a card with the heading “Entertainment.” Then you would put this Bible verse on the card, and would file it under “E” for entertainment. But wait, before you file it, take some time to talk it over with your child. What does it mean for something to be true, noble, right, etc? What other areas of life can this be applied to?

Now your daughter will see that God’s word is relevant and that she can turn to it for guidance no matter what her trials are.