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Faith-Based Gift Ideas for Teacher Appreciation Week

Teachers wear a lot of hats. They’re educators, counselors, nurses and mentors. Many are also parents who, throughout the school year, adopt our kids as their own. These fearless men and women guide our children through the best hours of their day. It’s not an easy job.

 

Teacher Appreciation Week is May 8–12. This special observance is a wonderful opportunity to share the love of Jesus with the people who influence our children’s lives daily. To help spur ideas, here is a fun round-up of some of our favorite faith-based DIY teacher gifts discovered around the web.

 

Grow in God’s Love—potted plant

 

Thoughtful and functional, this sweet potted plant is tagged with a note, “Thank you for helping me grow in God’s love”—perfect for a Christian school or Sunday school teacher.

(Source: https://moorethanamommy.wordpress.com/2013/05/06/teacher-appreciation-gifts-sunday-school/)

Seeds of Knowledge tree

 

Just print the tree printable (it’s free!), add thumbprints from each student in the class, and you have a beautiful class gift for the teacher. Consider adding this Scripture to the bottom of the print:

“ For this reason, since the day we heard about you, we have not stopped praying for you. We continually ask God to fill you with the knowledge of his will through all the wisdom and understanding that the Spirit gives, so that you may live a life worthy of the Lord and please him in every way: bearing fruit in every good work, growing in the knowledge of God,.” (Colossians 1:9–10, NIV)

(Source: http://www.mpmschoolsupplies.com/ideas/3671/classroom-fingerprint-tree-teacher-appreciation-end-of-the-year-gift/)

UP Lifting You in Prayer

 

Sometimes the simplest, least expensive gifts can make the biggest impact. Simply create a tag that says “I’ll be UP lifting you in prayer all 7 days” and tie it to a bottle of 7Up.

(Source: http://www.made2bcreative.com)

You Have BEAN a Blessing

And finally, a little gift from us at FaithGirlz—an original “You have BEAN a blessing” free printable tag. Tack these to a bag of coffee beans or jelly beans and present as a special gift to your children’s teachers, letting them know how much their time and talents have meant to your family this year.

(Download here: https://app.box.com/s/xtrlyh2680iz9rmzj8m8t141mnz1imba)

 

“Instruct the wise and they will be wiser still; teach the righteous and they will add to their learning” (Proverbs 9:9)

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Breaking Out of the Material Mold

I used to spend money like a deranged Rockefeller every time the holidays rolled by. The only way to go, in my opinion was all out, so I did. Anything less seemed like not keeping up with the season.

Indeed, one did not skimp at Christmas. If it had a designer label, was (about) the right size, and could be returned, I’d snap it up. The important thing was that come December 25th there were elaborate presents for everyone I knew under my tree. Going into hock this time of the year was expected, and all my friends reciprocated. I’m not quite sure how and when the custom started. (Was I the ring leader?) It was just something we all did.

Worse still, this all-consuming-shop-until-you-drop tradition clashed with the slow-down-and-savor-the-sights-and-wonder of the season…and won. So sharing the spirit of Christmas was totally out of the question. There was too much buying and wrapping to do.

Then, a couple of years ago, I decided to leave my job and go out on my own just as a shakeup hit the publishing world. As publishers pulled in their belts, my work slowed. And while I waited to hear about this book or that, my rainy day funds trickled down and evaporated. When Christmas was upon us, I had pretty much drained all my reserves. I thought this would be the worst Christmas of my life. But as it turned out, it was not only the best, but also made every holiday since (including this one) more meaningful.

See, because I had no money, I had to call friends and, with a face redder than Santa’s suit, announce there would be no presents. It was one of the hardest things I ever had to do.       To my surprise, though, collective sighs of relief greeted me. What’s more, I actually turned out a hero. Seems everyone’s pocketbooks had moths in them that year. So nobody really had money to burn. Yet no one wanted to be the first to come out and say so. That made me wonder how many times before I had inadvertently put pressure on friends to buy presents they couldn’t afford.

Lesson Number One: Being a good friend has nothing to do with buying expensive gifts.

It was then our group decided to break out of the material mold for good. We made a pact to stop the shopping frenzy, forgo the hoopla, and instead, spend some quality time together. We had a pot luck gab fest at my house instead. We drank mulled cider, and ate the tidbits everyone brought. And you know what? We each still got a pretty nice Christmas gift in the bargain. Only this time, it didn’t strap us financially …since the gift we gave was the gift of ourselves.

Lesson Number Two: Giving the gift of yourself is better than any you can buy in the store.

Canceling the Christmas gift-off proved better than I had imagined in other ways as well. It left me free to enjoy holiday happenings like Christmas tree lightings and the singing of the Messiah at the neighborhood high school.

Then, too, without all the pressures of gift-buying, I was able to concentrate more on what this holiday is intended to commemorate: the birth of Christ. I thought about how awesome it was that the King of Kings would even consider leaving his throne in heaven to come into a world like ours. I thought of Him being born a helpless baby, in a cold stable, without even a crib for His bed. I thought of the love He must have for us, and how that love shines far and away brighter than any bauble I could own or give. I thought about how His love will be the one present that’s as new tomorrow and every day after as it is on Christmas Day.

Lesson number three: God’s love is the best gift of all. It doesn’t break and it won’t wear out.

Indeed, stepping out of the material mold has taught me a lot. And as my friends and I get ready for our Annual No-Gifts-Allowed Get-together, I hope this new custom will be the norm for years to come. What’s more, last night, when I sat down to breathe in the scent of pine, and enjoy the twinkling lights, I thanked God that there was nothing but a tiny stable under my Christmas tree.

– Allia Zobel Nolan

Be sure to check out Allia’s newest Faithgirlz release, Whatever Is Lovely: a 90-Day Devotional!

This article is used by permission. copyright © 2016 Allia Zobel Nolan

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An Attitude of Gratitude

 

[God said,] What I want from you is your true thanks;

I want your promises fulfilled.

I want you to trust me in your times of trouble,

so I can rescue you and you and you can give me glory.

– Psalm 50:14 TLB 

  AN ATTITUDE OF GRATITUDE                                        

         Whatever the circumstances, no matter what, we should always remember to have “Thank you, God” on our minds. After all, the Lord has given us our life, parents, our BFFs, pets, nature, health. We can see, hear, speak, smell, taste, and feel. (We could go on forever, but you get the picture.) Let’s just say, (and the Bible has) that “Every good gift and every perfect present comes from heaven.” (James 1:17 ). What’s more, on top of it all, God has given us the perfect gift: his Son.

Jesus continually thanked his Father for everything. That tells us how important an attitude of gratitude must be.

On the hill, in front of a hungry crowd he would feed with a few loaves and fish… “Jesus took the bread, gave thanks to God, and distributed it to the people who were sitting there.” (John 6:11).

Before he raised Lazarus from the dead, Jesus looked up and said, “Father, I’m grateful that you have listened to me.” (John 11:41 MSG).

Even at the last supper, when his thoughts must have been filled with the terror of what was to come, Jesus “gave thanks,” before he ate and drank with his disciples.” (Mark: 14: 22, 23)

Okay, but if we get a “F” on our finals, don’t make the cheerleading team, or our parents divorce, though, we certainly can’t think Gee, thanks, God for that.

Oh, but we can, and we should! The Bible says “give thanks in all circumstances,” (1 Thessalonians 5:18) and that’s a good habit to form for some very good reasons:

It shows God we trust him—not just when things are going our way—but when the bad stuff comes along too. It proves we believe he’s a loving Father who has a plan for us, and though we might not understand what it’s all about, he does. It shows him we have faith that everything he sends, will, in the long run, be to our benefit.

See, what we’re trying to do is to get to the point where we’re thinking Thank You, God, not…. Oh my God….automatically, even when we can’t imagine what good can possibly come of a situation.

The Bible says, “all that happens to us is working for our good if we love God and are fitting into his plans.” (Romans 8:28 TLB)

And we just have one thing to say about that: “Thank You, God.”

P.S. Jesus healed ten lepers. But only one returned to thank him. When God does something spectacular in your life, do you say thank you?

 
From WHATEVER IS LOVELY: a 90-day Devotional Journal, from the FaithGirlz collection, written by Allia Zobel Nolan, and available December 9 @ e http://tinyurl.com/qetr75f. Zobel Nolan is the author of close to 200 titles. She writes mainly about God and cats. Visit her @ www.AlliaWrites.com.

whateverislovely

 

 

 

 

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Is Your Daughter’s Faith Her Own?

Is your daughter's faith her own

It’s a question that burns its way into the hearts of all believing moms.

Is my daughter’s faith her own?

And sometimes it takes years to know for sure.

We share the gospel from their youth – that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, rose again, and offers the gift of salvation to all who trust fully in Him. We read Scripture in our homes. We pray together. We worship in our local church body.

We share the truth. We plant the seeds, water them, and wait.

And we long to see, to know for sure, that our girls get it. That they’ve really given their lives over to the Jesus who loves them.

But as they journey through the tween years, the water can get awfully muddy. They’re being stretched in every possible way, physically, emotionally, socially, and spiritually as well.

It’s not always easy, during these challenging years, to know where they’re at in their walk with Jesus. Sometimes our hopes rise as we’re sure we see fruit, yet other times we despair, because surely they wouldn’t do or say such a thing if they really loved the Lord!

If you’re wading through this season of confusion, keep these things in mind…

First, repeating the truth of God’s Word, maybe in fresh new ways or in fresh settings, is important.

You may think your daughter “knows it all” already, but you never know when things will truly click. Share God’s Word “…when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up” (Deuteronomy 11:19).

Secondly, stay in close relationship with your girl.

Make time for heart-to-heart talks. They may happen in the car, before bed, or as you craft together. They aren’t always easy to create, but if you give your daughter some “white space” in which neither of you are distracted by electronic gadgets or that never-ending to-do list, you may catch glimpses of where she’s at spiritually. You may find those moments you’re hoping for, when you can speak just the nugget of truth and encouragement that she needs to take the next step spiritually.

Thirdly, pray and allow God’s Spirit to do the work.

We moms long to control everything. We often play the role of the Holy Spirit, and grow frustrated when all of our work doesn’t yield the fruit we’re expecting.

But it’s the fervent prayers of the righteous that accomplish much (James 5:16). It’s the God (not the mom!) who began the work in your daughter’s life that is going to bring it to completion. (Philippians 1:6).

Pray fervently. Pray frequently. And let God do His work in His ways, in His timing. He cherishes your daughter even more than you do. And He will pursue her heart with a perfect passion.

Mom, your daughter is watching you and listening to you, even though she sometimes pretends she isn’t. As you share the truth, again and again… As you stay close to her, making yourself available to her… As you pray in faith for God to do His work, your daughter is going to see Jesus in you.

And that in itself may make all the difference!

by Jennifer Ebenhack

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Celebrate Freedom!

4thofJuly

As we prepare for the 4th of July and get ready to celebrate our independence – it is important to remember what true FREEDOM looks like!

13 For he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

– Colossians 1:13-14 (NIV)

Challenge yourself this 4th of July to talk with your Faithgirl about what that looks like.

 

For FUN:
We enjoy great freedoms as American citizens – and should celebrate accordingly!

We’ve thrown some craft + recipe ideas together on a NEW Pinterest Board: A Faithgirlz 4th of July.

Pinterest-4thofJuly

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Top 10 Summer Activities for Your Tweens

Summer-Activites-for-TweensSummer is here!

This break is something your girls have been looking forward to for months. You, on the other hand, may not look forward to summer with as much excitement. The time off requires a LOT of additional prepping and planning for parents.

There are many great resources around the web outlining fun summer activities for your girls. We’ve compiled our top 10 below!

10. Get a Job
Instill values of independence, discipline, and responsibility by encouraging your tween to work this summer. Now is a great time to help out around the house, babysit, look after a neighbor’s pets, walk dogs, wash cars, open a lemonade stand, sell handmade crafts – or anything else your enterprising young girls can think of!

9. Update A Room
As our girls transition from one grade to the next, we have to accept that they are growing up! Does their room reflect their maturing taste? If not – head over to Pinterest and look for new room inspirations for your girls. Need a starting place? Check out our Redo Your Room board. If you want even more inspiration – check out our Redo Your Room book!

8. Plan Outdoor Movie Nights
Get together with neighbors and work to set up a projector, speakers and family-friendly movie. Really amp up the space with comfy seating, string lights and popcorn! Click for more creative ways to dress up the space!

outdoor movie

7. Volunteer
What causes are important to your family? Reach out to organizations in your area to inquire about opportunities for your girls to serve. Animal shelters and food banks often have tasks for younger volunteers. Through their service, your girls will learn valuable lessons of sacrifice, humility and caring for others.

6. Host a Board Game Tourny
Help your faithgirlz plan a fun-filled day at home. (This is a great option if there are a lot of rainy days in the forecast.) If you don’t have a huge collection of board games, ask friends to bring over one or two of their favorites. Be sure everyone knows the rules for each game and then roll the dice or pick a card to see who gets to select the first game.  For bonus points: If your girls are especially creative – encourage them to create their own game!

Game Pieces

5. Be a Tourist in Your Own Town
What is one thing you’ve always wanted to see in your area? Plan a quick day trip or outing to visit a unique landmark, attraction or eatery. Take this idea to the next level by dressing up as tacky tourists! Fanny packs required.

4. Pick a Book to Read Together – and take time to talk about it!
We are BIG advocates of summer reading… and so is our spokesperson Natalie Grant! Together, we’ve developed a great list of Faithgirlz! titles to recommend for your tween. We encourage you to pick one or two to read with your girls. These books are great conversation starters and can lead to some incredible chats about faith. Read up on Natalie’s summer reading suggestions here!

natalie-grant-faithgirlz-summer-reading

3. Create and Bury a Time Capsule
Identify special mementos that will help your faithgirl remember 2015. Include items to represent her best friend, secret crush (if she has one!) and her favorite Bible verse, class, band, song, sport to play, sport to watch, book, movie, actor and actress! Did you take a trip this year? Include a souvenir or ticket to remember a special family vacation or outing. Have fun with it – and only peek if she says it is okay!

2. Set Up Camp
Love the outdoors? Take an afternoon to create a campsite in your backyard. Grab some sleeping bags and enjoy a night out under the stars! Don’t have a tent? No worries! Get creative with blankets and sheets to make a colorful retreat. The benefits of camping at home? You have quick access to certain amenities (like a bathroom & kitchen) if you aren’t ready for the complete experience. Still seem like a stretch? If your girls aren’t the outdoorsy type – like mine – create a camp of sorts inside!

sheet-tent

1. Get Moving
Get your girls off the couch! Summer is a great time to try new activities. Gather all the necessary safety gear and encourage your faithgirlz to meet their friends for a bike ride, test out their roller blades, take a swim, paddle board or canoe on a nearby lake… anything to stay active (and tear them away from spending all summer on the computer or binge watching TV shows on Netflix). Just be sure to set parameters on where they can go, when to be back and who they can go with, etc. Use these ideas to give your girls a memorable, safe and FUN summer!

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Prayers for Your Daughter

As the school year wraps, we find ourselves thinking about what’s next…

What will the summer look like? What new or challenging things are in store for my daughter next year? Will she continue to be surrounded by good friends?  How is she growing up so fast? Oh… my goodness… will she start dating soon?

As the unknowns pile up, we often find ourselves grasping for control. I love this quote from Lysa TerKeurst.

Whether  we are excited, anxious or terrified about the growth of our girls, we have to remember that God has an amazing plan for their lives.

“For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the Lord, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”
– Jeremiah 29:11 (NIV)

I was given great advice last week – and I want to share it with you. When you’re wrestling with any matter, imagine you’re having the conversation with a friend. If you heard your story from their mouth, what advice would you share?

  • Turn to the Lord
  • Pray, pray, pray
  • Practice patience

I know! It is so much easier to give this advice than to take it!
To best equip our girls (and restore our sanity), we have to take our questions, concerns and celebrations to God. Pray for your girls each and every day and see how God shows up in your lives.

Need an outline? We’ve compiled a list of resources to help pray for your daughter on our Pinterest page.

Faithgirlz-Pinterest

 

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Your Story is Incredible

your-incredible-storyBy Jennifer Ebenhack

Do you ever envy someone else’s story?
That girl in your book? Your best friend? Some famous movie star or singer?

It’s something moms and daughters have in common: we often compare our lives to others and believe our own story is less important… boring… hard… maybe even downright painful.

But girls, I want you to know how incredible your story is. There are two good reasons for you not to get hung up on someone else’s story:

  • God has a purpose for you, and
  • He’s working everything out for good.

So, first of all, know this… the God who paints the sunsets formed you.

He knit you together in your mother’s womb (Psalm 139:13). Your quirks, looks, and interests delight Him! The desires of your heart have been planted there by Him. Your talents and passions come from His design!

“For we are God’s handiwork, created in Christ Jesus to do good works, which God prepared in advance for us to do.” Ephesians 2:10

When I was young, I dreamed of serving God in another country. I loved stories of adventurous women like Amy Carmichael, who rescued children from slavery in India.

And guess what… God allowed me to live out a similar dream in the country of Haiti. My husband and I not only helped children without families, but also got to adopt three amazing kids of our own.He used the desires of my heart to do something meaningful. And He’s going to do that in your life too.

Secondly, God is working through all the hard stuff in order to accomplish the good stuff.

Sometimes we look at someone else’s story and are fooled into thinking theirs is full of “awesome” while ours is full of “hard.”

The truth is, we all have the hard. We all have pain and problems. We’re all afraid we’re just not enough.

If all I told you about my life was that God helped my dreams come true, you’d get a glimpse of the “awesome.” But there was a lot of frustration and difficulty in there too.

It took us nine whole YEARS to adopt our kids! And let me tell you, those years in Haiti were hot (no air-conditioning)!
The worst part was that even though our kids lived with us in Haiti, they couldn’t ever leave the country with my husband and me to visit our family and friends in the U.S. The paperwork was completely stuck. Sometimes our problems made me angry. And sometimes — like when thieves broke in — I was full of fear.

JenniferEbenhack-Family

 

But God taught me so much there — especially how to trust Him when things don’t make sense. And even though I doubted Him sometimes, He hadn’t forgotten about me.

A big earthquake hit Haiti in 2010, and there were so many problems, we were sure our adoptions would never be completed. But in the middle of that tragic event, God did the most unexpected thing… About one week after the earthquake hit, our kids and hundreds of other Haitian kids were allowed to join their American families in the U.S.! Our prayers were finally answered.

Where’s your story right now? Boring? Hang on… it will change! Hard? Keep trusting Jesus! In Romans 8:28, He promises to work all things (even the bad things) for the good of those who love Him.

Wherever you are, remember God sees you, loves you, and is writing an incredible one-of-a-kind story through your life.

  1. Don’t be jealous of the others. Be a girl of faith!
  2. Trust Him. Love Him. Follow Him.
  3. There’s no telling how He’s going to use you!

About Jennifer Ebenhack

JenniferEbenhackHi! I’m Jennifer, and I’m delighted to meet you here! I’m a homeschooling mom of five, a life coach, and a writer, thankful to enjoy all those things in the sunshine of South Florida. I love to laugh, listen, and share encouragement with anyone going through a hard time. You can me at JenniferEbenhack.com, my Facebook page, Google+, Pinterest, or Twitter. For encouragement in mothering, check out a couple popular articles here and here. Also, I’d love to bless you with a gift! Click here for instructions to receive a free copy of my ebook: Take Courage: Choosing faith on my journey of fear. 

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When you want to do great things for God… And He asks you to keep on being a mom

Enjoy these encouraging words – just in time for Mother’s Day. Guest post from the wonderful Jennifer Ebenhack
Do Great Things for God.jpg

Maybe your girlhood dreams resembled mine…

  • Rescue orphans like Amy Carmichael
  • Lead a jungle tribe to Christ like Elisabeth Elliot
  • Adopt fourteen girls in Uganda like Katie Davis

Or maybe your dreams have just recently developed…

  • Reach women with the written word
  • Fight to end human trafficking
  • Start a non-profit
  • Go into full-time ministry

God’s planted within you and me this desire to do something bold, something beautiful and purposeful. Something great.

We have these gifts we know are from Him, these passions, this fire in us that wants to change the world.

But, here we are… The “Ref” for another sibling squabble. The chauffeur. The maid. The teacher. The cook. And deep down inside, even though we know the good Christian girl answer, we wonder if a lot of the real “us” isn’t being wasted.

We live through days of drudgery. Where our brains, our skills, and our God-given talents are set aside for things like mopping a gallon of milk off the floor. And we’re just not convinced this is “it.”

But my sister, I’m beginning to get something…

I forget frequently, but day by day, year by year, it’s coming into clearer focus. I’m praying for the ability to fully grasp it and I pray that you will too:

I have been created, gifted, and trained specifically for these children, today. I am their mother, for “such a time as this” (Esther 4:14).

No, you and I aren’t in the times of Queen Esther, and our roles feel much less glamorous than hers, but can we stop for a moment and try to grasp the times in which we live?

Never before has the family been so brutally attacked by western culture. Never before have godly men and women been so few… so ridiculed… and, around the globe, so persecuted.

We mothers are the keepers of our homes. And while we may long for some noble calling that others will applaud on Facebook or in an auditorium, the battle is raging in our family room.

We’re not just soccer moms, homeschool moms or working moms.

We’re called to be warrior moms.

We’re called to use our gifts, talents, passions, and time to save our marriages, to save our kids, which can in turn save our churches, our countries, and our world.

Your day will come, as mine recently has, when you see your children’s desperate need for Jesus. When it hits you like a lightening bolt: Nothing in the world could be more important than this job I am doing today.

Yes. We long to do greater things than making another dinner. But out of obedience, we serve. We are here. We are present. And when our kids’ hearts break, when the moment comes that they’re ready for His Spirit to work, we will gasp in wonder. We’ll fall onto our knees with the heavy knowledge that God prepared and equipped us for such a time as this. This calling is worth it all.

Press on today, mother-friend. Your role is no accident. And it is great.

{Shared with permission from Jennifer Ebenhack | Originally posted at TheBetterMom.com}

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(Need a last minute gift idea?! Find arrangements like the one pictured at proflowers.com)

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A Look at Redo Your Room

Faithgirlz Redo Your Room

 

Have you heard about our latest release?! Redo Your Room is a great DIY book we developed with Girls Life Magazine. Whether you’re looking for an all-out room redo or a few new tricks to brighten up your space, Faithgirlz has tons easy how-tos that’ll morph your room into a true expression of y-o-u. Give your walls a burst of color (even without a bucket of paint!)  and turn your fave pics and keepsakes into inspiring art.

These floor-to-ceiling secrets help nix those piles of clothes decorating your space in favor of awesome add-ons, like mini murals and a magical ribbon chandelier (psst: we won’t tell anyone it took you a half hour to whip up).

We’ve already heard some great feedback about this book and are so thankful for the positive reviews. The YA Gal shared her thoughts:

Redo Your Room: 50 Bedroom DIYs You Can Do in a Weekend is a how-to book for jazzing up a tween girl’s bedroom. It’s full of bright pictures, easy projects, and good advice. At only 5 and a half years old, my daughter is not the target age for Redo Your Room, yet she was enthralled by the photography and studied every picture closely. We will definitely be holding onto this book for the future.

For me as a mom, what I really liked was that the projects were doable and not too expensive. One trip to the craft store and $100 later, you’d probably have everything you need to do at least five projects. I hate decorating books that build unrealistic expectations. Redo Your Room is not one of them. (Btw, this book would be a really cool present grandmas could give combined with a generous gift card to Michael’s.)

Ideally, *ahem*, I would have loved to see an entire chapter devoted to the art of cleaning your room and keeping it that way. But that’s the mother in me talking, not the twelve-year-old girl!

purchase-the-book

If you want a little inspiration – check out some FUN projects from Girls Life Magazine on our Pinterest Board!

 

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