Train Up a Child

February is the month we focus on love and showing love to family and friends. But have you ever thought about love involving sacrifices? You know as a mom that you sacrifice sleep, girlish figure, time for reading or other interests, etc. all for the love of your kids. You probably have sacrificed your own interests, careers, etc. for your husband. If you think honestly about it, you can probably name quite a few things he has sacrificed for you and the kids as well. Love is great in that we get the benefit of loving someone, but it also is great in that we get to give up something for someone else. Kids are naturally self-centered and self-serving. Here are a few ideas to get the conversation started about sacrificing for the ones we love. Ultimately, our greatest example is God in that He sacrificed His only Son, Jesus for us- the ones He loves most dearly.

Made With Love

Make a special dessert (heart shaped cookies or Rice Krispie treats or brownies cut out with a heart-shaped cutter) for someone that could use a little extra love. Make homemade cards to take with you and surprise them.

Secret Sacrifice

Write each person's name on a slip of paper and put them all in a bag. Let each person draw a name, but tell them to keep it a secret. Choose one day for each person to sacrifice and to do acts of kindness for the person whose name they drew. Remind them to do it SECRETLY!

Brainstorm for ideas—do their chores, make their bed, write them a note, give them a small gift, play a game with them, etc.

At the end of the special day, let each person to guess who was secretly showing them kindness.

Ask:
How did you feel when someone else sacrificed his or her time and did something for you?
How did you feel when you sacrificed for someone else?

Read 1John 3:16 (By this we know love, because He laid down His life for us. And we also ought to lay down our lives for the brethren.)

Ask:
How did God sacrifice for us? (He gave His only Son, Jesus, to die for us.)
HE is the example for us to follow.

Someone's Trash is Another Kid's Treasure

If you haven't done any cleaning out after the holidays, it's not too late. Ask your children to look through their toys and find one or two toys (still in good shape) to give to someone in need. Donate them to a shelter, a rescue mission, or a family that could use them.