Shoeboxes & Shoes

& 

On November 14, 2012 we paired these two organizations together to have a grand Christmas celebration.  We packed Shoe boxes for Operation Christmas Child and cut out shoe patterns for Sole Hope.  Upbeat Christmas music filled the room, a large Christmas tree was in the center of the room.  Supplies and people poured in as we looked to help someone besides our selves.  Our goal was to help children around the world embrace a bit of joy by receiving a shoebox full of goodies or a new pair of shoes.  Mission Accomplished!  We packed 385 shoe boxes and made lots of shoes.  The event may be over but you can still get involved if you missed it.  You may pack your own shoe box and drop it off at one of the designated drop off points near you this week. You may also, cut shoe patterns and mail them to sole hope. Check out their websites for more info.  Thanks to everyone from Celebration Church, Xtreme Kids & Celebration Dance Ministry for making this such a wonderful evening!

 

Taste of Hope '12

I can not begin to thank everyone who made the "Taste of Hope" on November 11, 2012 possible.  It was an amazing evening.  The "Taste of Hope" is a Thanksgiving celebration & dinner.  The Celebration Church Women's Ministry brings people from the area homeless shelters and rehab centers in Johnson City, Kingsport & Bristol to the church to feed them a Thanksgiving meal.  Julie Voudrie was the featured speaker this year and she did an amazing job sharing her personal life and tying it in with the story of the woman at the well.  Special thanks to Central Buses, Leigh Sexton & Phyllis Runyon.  I did not think I would be needed to help this year and at the last minute a table host was needed.  I was at the church delivering fabric for our upcoming Sole Hope event and was able to jump in and fill the spot.  I was blessed to sit with the ladies from the Grace House in Bristol.  I continue to pray for each one of them as they continue on there nine month journey of healing and freedom from addictions.  I was truly blessed beyond measure and the message was exactly what I needed to hear.  Have you ever volunteered to serve others and then felt like you were served more.  My cup overflows with blessings :)  Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever. 1 Chronicles 16:34

Cooperation

We have had a great time hanging out with "Captain Cooperation" this month.  Three school assemblies and one more next week:)



 No one has a bigger influence on a child than his or her family!
That's why it's so important to share the values at HOME and at SCHOOL.

This month we are learning about COOPERATION in school:
Working together to do more than you can do alone.

We hope you'll enjoy this and get some ideas for talking about COOPERATION with your family.

   
Car Time -
Enjoy a song about COOPERATION while in the car.
Listen to a preview HERE of "Together We Can." 
It's also easily downloadable to your phone or iPod for $1.39 a
song!


Open Wide - Just for Fun:   
How many people do you think you know? 

DISCUSSION STARTER:
Malaria is a disease that people get after being bitten by a mosquito that has the malaria parasite. Once the person has been bitten, malaria infects their blood and causes them to be very sick and sometimes even die. The sad part is that this disease can be cured; yet nearly 3,000 children in Africa die from malaria every year. One way malaria can be prevented is by the use of a net that hangs over children's beds at night preventing them from mosquito bites.

WHAT DO YOU THINK?
You can buy one insecticide-treated mosquito net for a child in Africa for only $10. How many nets do you think you could buy?
If you cooperate with your friends and family, how many nets could you purchase if you all worked together?
Choose three friends to educate this week about malaria.
Are there other needs that you could meet if you chose to work together to make a difference?

Rest Time - (K-2):  Zinnia and Dot by: Lisa Campbell Ernst; Meet Zinnia and Dot--two plump, self-satisfied hens who bicker constantly about the quality of their eggs. Whose are more lustrous, shapely, smooth? Their rivalry rages until a weasel bursts in and steals the eggs--all but one, a particularly prime specimen. Just in time, they realize they've got to stick together to protect their prize egg.

(3-5):  Pink and Say by: Patricia Polacco
In a true story, Pinkus Aylee, a black Union soldier, finds Sheldon Curtis left for dead and carries him home to be tended by his mother, but when the two boys attempt to rejoin the Union troops, they are captured and sent to Andersonville Prison.


Experience:
How much allowance do you get? How much do you spend on your daily coffee or soda fix? How many pennies and nickels have you collected on your bedside table? Ask yourselves these questions as a family and see if you can work together to buy mosquito nets for those in danger of becoming infected by malaria. Put your heads together as a family and come up with some ways to encourage your friends, co-workers, and community to make a difference as well. The more people work together, the more you will be able to accomplish! Visit http:// www.biteback.net/ for more information.