Select Page
Growing Closer to God through Trials

Growing Closer to God through Trials

by | Jul 9, 2024 | Guest, One Blessed Momma

On December 22nd, 2023 our newest addition, only being 1 month old, was diagnosed with RSV.

When Easton was first diagnosed with RSV, I felt so helpless and sad. I wanted so badly to take the sickness away from him. He was placed on portable oxygen and we were sent home. However, later that night he was having trouble breathing even on the oxygen so we made our way to the ER. They upped his oxygen and again we were on our way home. The following day, 12/23/2023,  we were back at our pediatrician’s office to check his oxygen levels and see how much longer he would need to be on oxygen. To our surprise, the pediatrician recommended that we check Easton into the NICU at the hospital. There we spent 12 LONG days and nights trying to get our little boy better. He was finally released to go home on 01/03/2024 but he still had to go home wearing oxygen. We were so thankful that our little boy made it through just fine.

 

Let me tell you, that was definitely not the way we expected to spend Christmas or New Year’s. I had never experienced anything like that in my entire life. The hospital stay and seeing my little boy so sick was the hardest thing I have ever had to go through. Not to mention, we had to leave Hadley (our little girl) with her grandparents for those 12 days (thank God for a good family and having family so close). Seeing her for only a little while each day. The whole thing was both mentally and emotionally exhausting for both my husband and I. Especially because we did not know when we were going to get to leave the hospital, this was the biggest trial I have ever had to face. 

 

In James 1:2-3 it states “My brethren, count it all joy when you fall into various trials, knowing that the testing of your faith produces patience.” This experience taught me so many things. Patience, thankfulness, compassion, etc. However, the biggest thing it taught me was to fully rely on God and his enduring love. While we were in the hospital, we were unable to do anything for our little guy besides love and comfort him and we were forced to put all of our trust in God. As a human, that can be hard because we constantly believe that we can face trials by ourselves. I am thankful that we had God on our side to help us through this trial. It also taught me the power of prayer. There were multiple nights that I found myself sobbing to God and asking him to help my little boy. I found so much comfort in these conversations with Him. 

 

Another thing that my eyes were opened to was how blessed I am to be my kids’ mother. I think often as mothers we get into a routine and forget how truly blessed we are with our kiddos. At least I know I do. There are so many blessings in motherhood that are often overlooked or taken for granted. Psalms 127:3 says “Behold, children are a heritage from the Lord, The fruit of the womb is a reward.” What an amazing reminder. Our children are a gift from the Lord, ones that should not be taken for granted. God has blessed me with two beautiful children that are happy and healthy.

 Ever since this experience, I try to remind myself each and every day what a blessing my kids, and children in general, are. I challenge each mother to do this every day. Especially on those days that are tiring and hard, think of a couple of things that make you thankful to be a mother. It will surprise you how many amazing things God has blessed you with in your children. It is also amazing how much you grow as a mother through these trials with your children. Thank the Lord for these beautiful babies and motherhood!

Meet Courtney!

 

Courtney is mother to two beautiful babies, Hadley and Easton, wife to Josh, and a sweet inspiration to all she meets through her quiet strength and unwavering determination.

Courtney is a lover of the Lord and strives to grow her faith as she walks through life and motherhood.

What’s your legacy?

What’s your legacy?

by | May 20, 2024 | Melinda, One Blessed Momma

The end of a life always makes me reflect on my life and the legacy I may be leaving with my children. I was recently blessed to be in town for my great uncle’s funeral. The things my cousins shared about their dad/grandpa were such an inspiration to me that I want to share them with you.

As parents I think we all question if we’re good enough, if we’ve messed up too big, if our children will ever overcome their childhood. I know I do. I know moms I look up to question what they’re doing or what they did.

My weakness, His strength

No matter what I do, no matter how hard I try, I feel as though I’m falling short of what God has for me to do. I fall short of what my children need from me. So what are we to do as mommas? My answer for this is to rely on the all-knowing creator (and I may be feeling the need for this reminder pretty strong this morning). 

Lord God in Heaven, thank you for the blessing of my children. Thank you for the examples you have surrounded me with of Christian mothers, those who have led the way, and those who are in the trenches with me. Please help me to see the ways I can better parent each of my children. When I fall short, as I’m sure my stubborn self will, please fill in the gaps for my children. Please forgive me for my shortcomings and continue to refine me until you can see your reflection in me. In Jesus’ name I pray.”

The legacy I hope to leave

The legacy I hope to leave with my children is to make sure that God is the most important part of my life and that everything we do is, at the very least, not taking us away from Him. At best, everything we do is drawing us closer to Him.

We can not live our children’s lives for them. No matter how much we want to save them from mistakes and hurts, they must live their own lives. They have to make their own choices and decisions. As momma’s we are called to guide and direct them from the time they are born in both word and deed. There is no end to this, as long as we are both living, we should be ready to guide them to their Heavenly Father.

Sidenote: This is a “mom” blog and primarily focused on that aspect of life. However, I feel a nudge to call each of us out. If you have a childhood scar that dictates how you parent, the type of boss you are, the spouse, sister, friend you are, please take the time to work on that scar. Take responsibility for who you are and any changes you need to make. 

Dear Father in Heaven, thank you for the love, grace, and mercy you offer to each of us. For anyone allowing their childhood to dictate who they are today in a negative way, please heal their pain and show them how to soothe and correct the pain they’ve caused others. Lord, please help us each to make amends for the ways we hurt those around us, and see the changes we need to make to bring glory to you. Thank you for your forgiveness. Please help each of us to see the forgiveness we need to offer to others and then have the strength to do so. In Jesus’ name I pray.

At the funeral, a sign the family had in their home was shared. (I’ve probably butchered the wording, but I hope the sentiment encourages you all the same.) We are family and that may get messy, but the only failure is if we fail to keep working it out. I’m sure each of us has at least a little mess in our family. At the core, we need to keep loving God first, family second, and praying God fills in the gaps.

Hebrews 12:14  Strive for peace with everyone, and for the holiness without which no one will see the Lord.

I can only control me

I’m constantly telling my children (and myself), “You can only control you, you can only change you. I can only control me, I can only change me.” Make sure the choices you are making are right. Do the right thing, the kind thing no matter what those around you are doing. We each are responsible for ourselves. 

Dear Lord, please help us each take responsibility for our own actions and have the wisdom and courage to do what we need to do to live in peace with those around us. In Jesus’ name.

Don’t separate yourself from your savior

This next thought I’d like to share may have come from church service and not the funeral service, my memory gets a bit jumbled. Wherever it came from, it is definitely something on my heart and something I want to make sure my children know deep in their souls, a part of my legacy if you will. 

Don’t ever do anything that separates you from your savior. I’ve already shared that my big goal in life is to live so that God is in the center and nothing I do pulls me away from Him. The Bible tells us, all (yes even you and me) have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God.

Romans 3:23 For all have sinned and fall short of the Glory of God.

Unfortunately, we all are part of a fallen world. Sin is a part of this mortal life, and what made us mortal. How do you handle it? Are you living in denial? Are you trying to hide it? I hate to burst your bubble, but you need to know, you can’t hide it. Don’t ever allow your sin, or your feelings (which can be big fat liars) to cause you to feel distant from God. I’ve been there, living in sin, not wanting to give it up, not wanting to make the necessary changes and, as a result, feeling like God is so far away. But it was just feelings. It was my trying to hide away. I am thankful to God that he tells us in His word that NOTHING can separate us from Him. 

Romans 8:38-39 For I am sure that neither death nor life, nor angels nor rulers, nor things present nor things to come, nor powers, nor height nor depth, nor anything else in all creation, will be able to separate us from the love of God in Christ Jesus our Lord. 

I want my kids to know that although I am a faulty human, I love them. Even more, God the creator, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords loves them and wants the absolute best for them. 

Momma, I want you to know. God loves you, despite your faults, and will never, NEVER leave you. If you aren’t living this life in Him, you can. If you’ve never committed your life to Him, he’s waiting for you. If you have made the commitment and then broken it, he’s still lovingly waiting for your return. Go to Him!

I am one blessed momma of 6 children. I love each and every one of them and want nothing more than for them to each live for God and have a personal relationship with Him, that is the legacy I hope to leave behind.  

What do you want your legacy to be? Please tell us in the comments.

Meet Melinda!

Melinda is a Christian, a wife, and a mom of 6. She has a blended family and has spent much time trying to learn how to "mom". She's still not perfect, but it makes her that much more grateful for God's grace and mercy in her life.

Learn more about Melinda and her family

The Power of a Momma’s Prayer

The Power of a Momma’s Prayer

by | May 6, 2024 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

Prayer. Hopefully, it is something we are all doing on a regular basis. I have always known prayer was important but recently I have gained an even deeper appreciation and desire for it.

For the last several years I have been studying the book of Ephesians with special emphasis on the armor of God. I first started looking at it in depth while teaching chapel at our school. The armor of God seemed like an easy and fun topic to look at with the kiddos in class.

 

Little did I know the journey that was beginning.

Ephesians talks quite a lot about heavenly places and spiritual battles. There are many abstract concepts if you are trying to make it all fit in our little world.

Realizing how completely real our battle is, is what really woke me up to the utter vitality of prayer. Being a christian doesn’t make us immune to the attacks of our enemy but it does give us the ability to tap into the power of our creator. Prayer is the divine gift that enables us to tap into that power.

 

Prayer is inseparable from spiritual victory.

Our enemy is cunning and uses many ways to distract us from searching for God. Lots of things that seem good, or at least not bad, turn into constant distractions.

Sometimes even writing for this blog can turn into a distraction. I cannot emphasize enough that our enemy is real. Our enemy is sneaky. Our enemy is evil. His main goal is to lull us to spiritual sleep and take us down. And in the process, take our kids with us.

I, for one, am not about to sit back and let my babies be spiritually snatched away!
Not without a fight!

The good news? We have the ULTIMATE power on our side! “If God is for us, who can be against us?”

We have the BEST armor in town. We have access to the biggest power there has been or ever will be! And we KNOW we can win!

So strap on your armor, Momma, and drop to your knees as we take a look at a few areas to specifically pray for our kids.

1. Pray for faith.

Whether your child is 5 or 50. Praying for their faith is a top priority. My kiddos are 10 or under right now. I find myself praying that they will retain a child-like faith. “Whosoever humbles himself like a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven..” Matthew 18:4

2. Pray for Protection.

I spend a lot of my prayer time focusing on this area. I pray that the Lord will protect their hearts and minds. Our enemy wants the hearts of our children. That is very evident by the constant flow of distractions and indulgent activities so widely accepted in our society. “Keep your heart with all diligence for out of it spring the issues of life.” Proverbs 4:23

3. Pray for Specific areas of weakness.

As my kids have gotten older I have recognized some of their weaknesses (Usually a direct reflection of my own weakness!). Praying for them to recognize and look for healing is a powerful tool. Philippians 4:13 “I can do all things through Christ which strengthens me.”

4. Pray for Joy.

I pray that the true joy of the Holy Spirit would dwell in each of my babies’ hearts. Galatians 5:27a “But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy…”

5. Pray for Wisdom.

This one is more for myself. I pray for God’s wisdom to be poured out on my husband and me in our parenting. I beg God to help me be the best momma to my kids that I can be and then I trust that He will. “If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask of God: who gives to all men liberally and without reproach, and it will be given to him. But let him ask in faith with no doubting.” James 1:5-6a

My Five Little Loves

When I look at the five of you
My heart has never been more touched or moved.

Watching you grow has been my delight.
Even though sometimes it seems like a fight.

My love for each of you is equal and strong.
It grows by the day and goes on and on.

My prayer for you is to grow in the Lord.
My hope is that in Him you will ever move forward.

My five little loves, you will one day know
the love of a mother and how it grows and grows.

Download Free Printables

5 Ways to pray for your kids
.

Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

God the Good Gardener

God the Good Gardener

by | Mar 31, 2024 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

Welcome to the National Garden Month!

How many of you LOVE being outside in the garden, flower bed, front yard, park, or whatever outdoor space you have available?

 

A huge majority of people claim that they would rather have the opportunity to be outside for a portion of their day than be inside all day. 

 

Being outside is scientifically proven to help regulate blood pressure, reduce stress, and increase motivation.

 

Why is that, you may ask? Well, my opinion is that we were created to live in nature, and more specifically, a garden. 

 

After all, the first humans, Adam and Eve, were created and placed in a perfect, weed-free garden. What a beautiful place Eden must have been!

There are many references to gardening in the scriptures. For one, Jesus went to the garden at Gethsemene to pray shortly before his crucifixion. 

Additionally, the scriptures use many growing and gardening references to help teach us about spiritual concepts. 

In fact, Matthew chapter 13 has multiple parables spoken by Jesus himself that are spiritual lessons taught through gardening.  

Paul also uses similar references in his epistle to the church at Galatia when he expounds on what characteristics should be present in a thriving christian’s heart through the power and presence of the Holy Spirit. These characteristics are referred to as “The Fruit of the Spirit” and follow directly after the contrasting list of the works of the flesh.

Paul tells us that our fleshly side will not ever want to be spiritual, nor want to pursue spiritual things. The Spirit and the flesh are contrary one to the other. (Galatians 5:16-18)

So, what’s a person to do? How can we overcome those fleshly desires? Read on, friend!

Paul goes on to tell us that through the POWER of Christ’s blood we, as believers, have crucified the flesh along with the affections and lusts, we do not have to fight this battle on our own because we have the most powerful force in, or out, of the universe on our side helping us!

I think of it this way, if I am out in the garden weeding all the “bad” plants out, I need to consistently and daily be plucking and pulling the bad as well as nurturing and watering the good. Just planting a garden doesn’t guarantee fruit. As a human, I get busy and tired, I may skip a day or even a week at a time of working in my garden. Man, it does not take long for those weeds to take off!

In verse 25 of Galatians 5, Paul says, “If we live in the Spirit let us also walk in the Spirit.”

One can live physically without much activity, but “walk” is an action word that denotes effort. Paul says to not only live in the Spirit but to walk in the Spirit. Don’t be a stagnant christian!

The author continues his use of gardening references in the next chapter starting in verse 7 through 10.

“Do not be deceived: God is not mocked, for whatsoever one sows, that will he also reap. For the one who sows to his own flesh will from the flesh reap corruption, but the one who sows to the Spirit will from the Spirit reap eternal life. And let us not grow weary in doing good, for in due season we will reap, if we do not give up. So then, as we have opportunity, let us do good to everyone, and especially to those of the household of faith.”

The law of the harvest is you generally reap more than you sow. For example, you may plant one corn kernel from which you will likely receive hundreds of kernels as a harvest. Likewise, when we feed and nurture the Spirit OR the flesh we will receive manifold blessings or destruction. 

My dad quotes this poem often and has since I was a kid. 

“Two natures lie within my breast

One is vile, the other blest.

One I love and one I hate

But the one I feed will dominate.”

Author Unknown

Which one are you feeding? What are you sowing in your life? Many of us live life so distracted by our culture and the plethora of distractions presented by such. We have the mentality that we can live life like the world around us and just sprinkle a little Jesus in our lives when it is convenient. Sisters, it shouldn’t be this way! Satan knows how to subtly deceive us by distracting us with both good and bad things. 

Take heart though, God is a good gardener. He is patient, kind, and full of tenderness. The psalmist so eloquently says this about our God, “Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; who crowneth thee with loving kindness and tender mercies. The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.”  Psalm 103:4,8

He is faithful and just to forgive us when we admit we messed up (1 John 1:9). He is ready to help us get back on track and make course corrections. He simply asks for humble obedience. He wants our hearts. Where is your heart? Is it with your favorite TV show? Facebook? Instagram? Your job? Your pride? Where are you spending your time, effort, and money? That will tell you where your heart is. 

In closing, I urge you to give the Good Gardener the fertile soil of your heart and watch as he grows the best garden you’ve ever seen.

In all things may God have the glory!

Friend,

If you’re reading this and you don’t know our God. If you haven’t been covered by the blood of Jesus and been given his Holy Spirit as a comforter, please reach out! He is waiting for you and wanting for you to accept his FREE gift of salvation. Don’t wait. It is THE most important decision you will ever make. Make it today.

With love,

Mollie

.

Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family

Celebrating Easter

Celebrating Easter

by | Mar 11, 2024 | Melinda, One Blessed Momma

What do you celebrate on Easter Sunday? Or do you celebrate at all? Celebrating Easter and Christmas as Christians can be controversial. Even if you polled the three of us on this blog, I’m guessing you would get three different answers.

Do you celebrate the bunny that brings a basket full of goodies? Or a savior who came to earth, lived a perfect life and then allowed himself to be our perfect sacrifice?

From 2015 through 2019 we were attending a children’s Christian leadership conference (L2L) on Thursday through Sunday of Easter weekend.

This meant I didn’t worry about Easter celebrations at all. Our kids were 1, 10, 11, and 14 years old; they were either too young to care or old enough to not really care. We may not have been focused on Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, but we were definitely focused on our Christian walk.

In 2020, as the world came to a halt, L2L was canceled for the year. We now had children who were 2, 4, 6, 14, 15, and 18 (who was already in the AirForce). So we had to start thinking about Easter again, at the last minute. My husband ran to the store to find baskets and goodies the night before. 

After 2020 I wanted to be more intentional with what we were doing. Here are a few things to do with them over the week leading up to Easter to make sure they understand the resurrection of Jesus, and why we need Him.

I have attempted to sort the activities to correspond with the activities in the last week before Jesus’ crucifixion. However, I am a firm believer in doing things in a way that works for your family. Don’t feel like you have to do everything on the list or nothing at all. And if Sunday’s activity doesn’t get done until Friday it doesn’t make it any less valuable to your children.

Any time we can maintain their focus on our savior and what he has done for us is the perfect time to do the activity.

A plan

Sunday Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on a donkey
Matthew 21:1-11

Monday Cleansing the temple
Mark 11:15-19

Tuesday Judas speaks to chief priests
Matthew 26:14-16

Wednesday Easter Eggs

Thursday Jesus washes his disciples’ feet
John 13:1-20

Friday Jesus’ trials begin
John 18:19-24

Saturday Jesus is in the tomb
Matthew 27:27-66

Sunday Jesus has risen!
Matthew 28

Supplies needed:

Sunday

(a week prior to Easter)

Jesus arrives in Jerusalem on a donkey.

Now when they drew near to Jerusalem and came to Bethphage, to the Mount of Olives, then Jesus sent two disciples, saying to them, “Go into the village in front of you, and immediately you will find a donkey tied, and a colt with her. Untie them and bring them to me. If anyone says anything to you, you shall say, ‘The Lord needs them,’ and he will send them at once.” This took place to fulfill what was spoken by the prophet, saying,

“Say to the daughter of Zion,
‘Behold, your king is coming to you,
humble, and mounted on a donkey,
on a colt, the foal of a beast of burden.’”

The disciples went and did as Jesus had directed them. They brought the donkey and the colt and put on them their cloaks, and he sat on them. Most of the crowd spread their cloaks on the road, and others cut branches from the trees and spread them on the road. And the crowds that went before him and that followed him were shouting, “Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!” And when he entered Jerusalem, the whole city was stirred up, saying, “Who is this?” And the crowds said, “This is the prophet Jesus, from Nazareth of Galilee.”

Matthew 21:1-11 ESV

View full directions here

Supplies needed:

Monday

Jesus cleanses the temple.

And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all who sold and bought in the temple, and he overturned the tables of the money-changers and the seats of those who sold pigeons. He said to them, “It is written, ‘My house shall be called a house of prayer,’ but you make it a den of robbers.”

Matthew 21:12-13 ESV

Read the account of Jesus cleansing the temple with your children.

Then have them build and destroy a temple from blocks, or cardboard, or couch cushions.

Just before they knock their building over, review why Jesus was upset.

Supplies needed:

  • Child(ren)
  • Something to build with, cardboard, couch cushions, pillows, blocks, dominos, etc. Let your kids use their imaginations, if they’re anything like mine they’ll figure it out!

Tuesday

Judas speaks to the chief priests.

Then one of the twelve, whose name was Judas Iscariot, went to the chief priests and said, “What will you give me if I deliver him over to you?” And they paid him thirty pieces of silver. And from that moment he sought an opportunity to betray him.

Matthew 26:14-16 ESV

Discuss betrayal with your kids.

  • What is betrayal?
  • Have you ever experienced a friend turning their back on you?
  • Have you ever betrayed someone’s trust?
  • How does betrayal make the person feel?

I found this great felt bag and coins craft, I wish I would have found it earlier on. They suggest having your kids return a silver coin for each good act they do (over lent), with the goal of returning all 30 coins of betrayal before Easter.

Click here for full instructions.

Supplies needed:

Wednesday

The Bible doesn’t tell us what happened on this day. So I am planning an Easter egg activity. Bonus, my kids loved creating these with me and have declared them dinosaur and dragon eggs, so they will be happy to use them far past easter.

Anybody else have tons of cardboard boxes at their house waiting to be recycled or reinvented?

I follow @miami_skye on Instagram. I attempted to create her egg craft, but I have a history of ignoring instructions. Sshhhh, don’t tell 🙂 so mine are a little different.

Because my kids declared them dinosaur and dragon eggs, I made a printable with 3 options, chicks, dinos, or dragons. I have three kids who are working on numbers in some capacity, so I printed all 3 and then “laminated” them with packaging tape.

My kids have loved matching their dinos, dragons, and chicks to their eggs.

 

Supplies needed:

Click the image to watch her video. Her Instagram is full of great ideas for reusing cardboard with your children.

Thursday

Jesus washes his disciples feet
John 13:1-20

Now before the Feast of the Passover, when Jesus knew that his hour had come to depart out of this world to the Father, having loved his own who were in the world, he loved them to the end. During supper, when the devil had already put it into the heart of Judas Iscariot, Simon’s son, to betray him, Jesus, knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he had come from God and was going back to God, rose from supper. He laid aside his outer garments, and taking a towel, tied it around his waist. Then he poured water into a basin and began to wash the disciples’ feet and to wipe them with the towel that was wrapped around him. He came to Simon Peter, who said to him, “Lord, do you wash my feet?” Jesus answered him, “What I am doing you do not understand now, but afterward you will understand.” Peter said to him, “You shall never wash my feet.” Jesus answered him, “If I do not wash you, you have no share with me.” Simon Peter said to him, “Lord, not my feet only but also my hands and my head!” Jesus said to him, “The one who has bathed does not need to wash, except for his feet, but is completely clean. And you are clean, but not every one of you.” For he knew who was to betray him; that was why he said, “Not all of you are clean.”

When he had washed their feet and put on his outer garments and resumed his place, he said to them, “Do you understand what I have done to you? You call me Teacher and Lord, and you are right, for so I am. If I then, your Lord and Teacher, have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet. For I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. Truly, truly, I say to you, a servant is not greater than his master, nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. If you know these things, blessed are you if you do them. I am not speaking of all of you; I know whom I have chosen. But the Scripture will be fulfilled, ‘He who ate my bread has lifted his heel against me.’ I am telling you this now, before it takes place, that when it does take place you may believe that I am he. Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever receives the one I send receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.”

John 13:1-20 ESV

Discuss servant attitude with your children.

  • What does it mean to be a servant?
  • How does it make you feel when someone serves you?
  • How would it feel to serve someone you know has betrayed you?
  • Who can we serve in our lives?

As the days get warmer, my children are running around with no shoes. I feel like this is the perfect time to teach them this story, along with it being the week before Easter. Jesus showed his servant attitude by washing the stinky, dirty feet of men who traveled by foot over dirt roads in sandals. Not to mention the fact that he also washed the dirty stinky feet of the man, the friend, who betrayed him.

Have your children take turns being the servant and the served. My children definitely need a little encouragement to wash each other’s feet.

Supplies needed:

  • Plastic wash bin or other suitable container
  • soap
  • water
  • towel(s) or washcloth(s)
  • dirty feet
  • children with a developing servant attitude

Friday

Friday Jesus’ trials begin

So the band of soldiers and their captain and the officers of the Jews arrested Jesus and bound him. First they led him to Annas, for he was the father-in-law of Caiaphas, who was high priest that year. It was Caiaphas who had advised the Jews that it would be expedient that one man should die for the people.

Simon Peter followed Jesus, and so did another disciple. Since that disciple was known to the high priest, he entered with Jesus into the courtyard of the high priest, but Peter stood outside at the door. So the other disciple, who was known to the high priest, went out and spoke to the servant girl who kept watch at the door, and brought Peter in. The servant girl at the door said to Peter, “You also are not one of this man’s disciples, are you?” He said, “I am not.” Now the servants and officers had made a charcoal fire, because it was cold, and they were standing and warming themselves. Peter also was with them, standing and warming himself.

The high priest then questioned Jesus about his disciples and his teaching. Jesus answered him, “I have spoken openly to the world. I have always taught in synagogues and in the temple, where all Jews come together. I have said nothing in secret. Why do you ask me? Ask those who have heard me what I said to them; they know what I said.” When he had said these things, one of the officers standing by struck Jesus with his hand, saying, “Is that how you answer the high priest?” Jesus answered him, “If what I said is wrong, bear witness about the wrong; but if what I said is right, why do you strike me?” Annas then sent him bound to Caiaphas the high priest.

Now Simon Peter was standing and warming himself. So they said to him, “You also are not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it and said, “I am not.” One of the servants of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Did I not see you in the garden with him?” Peter again denied it, and at once a rooster crowed.

Then they led Jesus from the house of Caiaphas to the governor’s headquarters. It was early morning. They themselves did not enter the governor’s headquarters, so that they would not be defiled, but could eat the Passover. So Pilate went outside to them and said, “What accusation do you bring against this man?” They answered him, “If this man were not doing evil, we would not have delivered him over to you.” Pilate said to them, “Take him yourselves and judge him by your own law.” The Jews said to him, “It is not lawful for us to put anyone to death.” 32 This was to fulfill the word that Jesus had spoken to show by what kind of death he was going to die.

So Pilate entered his headquarters again and called Jesus and said to him, “Are you the King of the Jews?” Jesus answered, “Do you say this of your own accord, or did others say it to you about me?” Pilate answered, “Am I a Jew? Your own nation and the chief priests have delivered you over to me. What have you done?” Jesus answered, “My kingdom is not of this world. If my kingdom were of this world, my servants would have been fighting, that I might not be delivered over to the Jews. But my kingdom is not from the world.” Then Pilate said to him, “So you are a king?” Jesus answered, “You say that I am a king. For this purpose I was born and for this purpose I have come into the world—to bear witness to the truth. Everyone who is of the truth listens to my voice.” Pilate said to him, “What is truth?”

After he had said this, he went back outside to the Jews and told them, “I find no guilt in him. But you have a custom that I should release one man for you at the Passover. So do you want me to release to you the King of the Jews?” They cried out again, “Not this man, but Barabbas!” Now Barabbas was a robber.

John 18:12-24 ESV

I would challenge you to read the entire chapter of John 18. There is so much to unpack here and only you know where your kids are in maturity.

I am declaring Friday night movie night at our house. There are so many movies out there that depict the life and death of Christ.

You will need to pick one that suits your children’s maturity and age. Here are a couple choices, I would love to hear your favorites.

Read and Share Bible – Easter My children were very attentive to this 30 minute depiction of Jesus’ last week before his crucifixion.

Passion of the Christ this is obviously one for the parents and possibly older children.

Saturday

Saturday Jesus is in the tomb
Matthew 27:27-66

When it was evening, there came a rich man from Arimathea, named Joseph, who also was a disciple of Jesus. He went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus. Then Pilate ordered it to be given to him. And Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a clean linen shroud and laid it in his own new tomb, which he had cut in the rock. And he rolled a great stone to the entrance of the tomb and went away. Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were there, sitting opposite the tomb.

The next day, that is, after the day of Preparation, the chief priests and the Pharisees gathered before Pilate and said, “Sir, we remember how that impostor said, while he was still alive, ‘After three days I will rise.’ Therefore order the tomb to be made secure until the third day, lest his disciples go and steal him away and tell the people, ‘He has risen from the dead,’ and the last fraud will be worse than the first.” Pilate said to them, “You have a guard of soldiers. Go, make it as secure as you can.” So they went and made the tomb secure by sealing the stone and setting a guard.

Jesus has died on the cross for my sins and yours. All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23

Jesus was sent here so that no one should perish but all can have everlasting life. John 3:16

Through repentance and baptism, all of our sins can be washed away, and we can spend eternal life with our heavenly Father and our Savior. Acts 2:38

I found this great object lesson to teach baptism washes our sins away.

Supplies needed:

  • Plastic wash bin or other suitable container (you could use the same bin from Thursday)
  • Paper towel (one for a demonstration or 1 per child participating, I like to let my kids be hands-on I know I learn more if I am personally participating.)
  • 1 black permanent marker
  • Washable markers
  • Water

Sunday

Jesus has risen!
Matthew 28

Now after the Sabbath, toward the dawn of the first day of the week, Mary Magdalene and the other Mary went to see the tomb. And behold, there was a great earthquake, for an angel of the Lord descended from heaven and came and rolled back the stone and sat on it. His appearance was like lightning, and his clothing white as snow. nd for fear of him the guards trembled and became like dead men. ut the angel said to the women, “Do not be afraid, for I know that you seek Jesus who was crucified. He is not here, for he has risen, as he said. Come, see the place where he lay. Then go quickly and tell his disciples that he has risen from the dead, and behold, he is going before you to Galilee; there you will see him. See, I have told you.” So they departed quickly from the tomb with fear and great joy, and ran to tell his disciples. And behold, Jesus met them and said, “Greetings!” And they came up and took hold of his feet and worshiped him. Then Jesus said to them, “Do not be afraid; go and tell my brothers to go to Galilee, and there they will see me.”

While they were going, behold, some of the guard went into the city and told the chief priests all that had taken place. And when they had assembled with the elders and taken counsel, they gave a sufficient sum of money to the soldiers and said, “Tell people, ‘His disciples came by night and stole him away while we were asleep.’ And if this comes to the governor’s ears, we will satisfy him and keep you out of trouble.” So they took the money and did as they were directed. And this story has been spread among the Jews to this day.

Now the eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain to which Jesus had directed them. And when they saw him they worshiped him, but some doubted. And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

Give your child an egg that is empty except a piece of gauze. Make sure it has something in it so they don’t think you just messed up 🙂 Remind them that when Jesus’ friends went to the tomb Sunday morning, he was not there, only the linens remained.

I plan to use a special egg, by size or color or both, for their empty egg and we will set aside a time to open it up so that it is special. 

Supplies needed:

  • 1 egg per child
  • 1 piece of gauze per child

The best news ever…

Jesus was born, sacrificed for us on a cross, and then rose from the dead. If you have not read and obeyed the gospels I can’t encourage you enough to do just that. 

The book of Mark is the shortest gospel and may be a great place to start. There are Bible apps that you can read and that you can listen to. Please get to know Jesus my Lord.

Here is a quick resource about God’s plan of salvation. If you have any questions, feel free to reach out to us here.

The World Bible School is a great resource for studying the Bible. You can study at your own pace and are assigned a teacher. 

As Amazon Associates, we earn commissions from qualifying purchases. This costs you nothing additional but helps us to maintain our website. Thank you for your support. 

Download your free printable

Cardboard eggs craft templates and inserts. 

.

Meet Melinda!

Melinda is a Christian, a wife, and a mom of 6. She has a blended family and has spent much time trying to learn how to "mom". She's still not perfect, but it makes her that much more grateful for God's grace and mercy in her life.

Learn more about Melinda and her family

Walking Through the Fire

Walking Through the Fire

by | Mar 5, 2024 | Mollie, One Blessed Momma

March has arrived!

As spring prepares to make her full debut, here in SW Colorado we are starting to see little signs that she is almost ready.

Spring is an exciting time on the farm. New life in the form of baby animals of all sorts start to make an appearance. The Red Wing blackbirds are back, busily building their nests in last year’s cattails. Their happy song is always the first sign that spring is on its way.

Exciting and Busy

Along with being exciting, spring is also an extremely busy time here on our little farm. There are animals that still need to be fed hay, calves to tag, ditches to prepare for irrigation water, and the never ending fences to repair.

Another spring time task is burning the dead grass and weeds in the ditches and along the fence lines. Recently, my family and I were repairing fence and we came to a place where the ditch runs under the fence. Because of the high concentration of water there the grass and cattails grow tall and strong in the summer. The plants die in the fall and as autumn turns to winter they bend under the weight of snow and ice. This creates a huge burden on the fence, pushing the wire down and making an easy place for mischievous cows to escape the pasture.

We decided we would have to burn the dead plants off the fence before we could even attempt to fix the mess it was in.  As I watched the flames hungrily gobble up their prey, I watched in wonder as the wires from our fence started to reappear and stand up higher as their heavy burden was removed.

 

The Gospel Picture

Through this picture, I was reminded of the beauty of the gospel. Much like that fence, we are weighted down with heavy burdens of sin and worry, guilt and dread.

“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.”   Hebrews 12:1b-2

Thankfully, we have a saviour who has already made a way for us to be free from that weight!  Many times we choose to pick that weight back up and try to carry it ourselves.

Like the barbed wire on the fence, we bend and will eventually break under that extreme weight.

The Good News?

We do not have to stay that way! I John 1:9 tells us he is faithful to forgive us when we admit that we are wrong. He will take that weight of worry and guilt. He will lead you through the fire and thoroughly purge the dross from your life. He is waiting for you! His yoke is easy and his burden is light. Come and rest in him.

“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”   Matthew 11:28-30

“Ask, and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened unto you.”   Matthew 7:7

After the flames had finished their work, small specks of vibrant green poked through the blackened ground and ashy rubble.  Once the flames had removed the dead, new life that had already been growing was revealed!  What an exciting picture of how God’s word starts as a tiny seed planted in our hearts and grows from the ashes.  

Our Heavenly Father loves us as his children and, therefore, allows us to go through fiery trials to take the bad away and to open our eyes to the new life he has made possible for us.

“Help us, oh God of our salvation, for the glory of your name: and deliver us, and purge away our sins, for your name’s sake.”         Psalm 79:9

Life Lessons

These types of beautiful life lessons are wonderful opportunities to share the gospel with children in a very tangible way.  They can see with their own eyes the mess that we started with.  They can hear the crackling of the fire as it grows.  They can feel with their bodies the intensity of the flames.  They can smell and taste the smoke and ashes as the mess is burned up, and then they see how the fire, though challenging for the fence and plants, removed the weight and revealed the life underneath.

I hope my experience encourages you to take the time to look for the many opportunities God puts in your life to share his love and truths with your children.

Stay strong in the faith, and be blessed, mommas!

“The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”  Psalm 27:1

Download Free Printables

In honor of spring, here are some of my favorite things! Enjoy these cute baby farm animal FREE printables (be sure to look through all five pages) and an MC original poem.

Baby Farm Animal printables

Baby Farm Animal printables (8)

Baby Farm Animal printables (16)

Baby Farm Animal printables (15)

Baby Farm Animal printables (7)

Baby Farm Animal printables (14)

Baby Farm Animal printables (12)

Baby Farm Animal printables (11)

Baby Farm Animal printables (10)

Baby Farm Animal printables (9)

Baby Farm Animal printables (17)

Baby Farm Animal printables (6)

Baby Farm Animal printables (5)

Baby Farm Animal printables (4)

Baby Farm Animal printables (18)

Baby Farm Animal printables (3)

Baby Farm Animal printables (2)

Baby Farm Animal printables (1)

.

Meet Mollie

 

Mollie is a lover of Jesus above all. She loves her husband and family and enjoys gardening, teaching, piano, riding, and farming. She lives in SW Colorado with her husband and five kids.

Learn more about Mollie and her family