Stories

Goliath was here

devotional

Tera's Birthday

Goliath Was Here

By Christine Collier

"Class, does anyone know how tall the giant Goliath was?" their Sunday School teacher, Mrs. Warren, asked.

" Seven feet?" Joey answered.

"No, taller than that."

"Twenty feet tall," Sarah called out.

" No, not that tall," Mrs. Warren laughed.

David Conner raised his hand; "he was over nine feet tall Mrs. Warren."

"You are right, David."

"That happened to be the Bible story my dad read me last night," David smiled.

"We tried to figure out how big his feet would be and what size sandal he'd wear. Dad said he bet at least size 25!"

The class let out a hushed "WOW."

"Class, what can we learn from the David and Goliath story?"

"David was small, with only a staff and a sling shot to protect himself but he came in the name of the Lord. God had already given him the courage to fight a lion and bear that attacked his sheep. He knew God would help him again," Rebecca replied.

"Wonderful answer Rebecca," Mrs. Warren smiled.

About a week later David was sitting in his tree house in the backyard. He looked down to the muddy path below to see an enormous footprint.

David ran to tell his parents.

"There is the biggest footprint I've ever seen by my tree house!"

Dad patted David on his head.

"Son, Goliath was here."

"What does that mean Dad?"

"I know how worried you've been about asking Ben Tyler to stop teasing your friends. You're afraid he will turn his anger on you. I made a cardboard cutout of a huge sandal. The size I believe Goliath would have had and made a footprint in the mud. When you see the footprint you will find courage to serve the Lord."

"Thanks Dad."

Craft Idea: Enlarge a tracing of man's sandal onto cardboard or paper. Let the children decide how large Golaith's foot really was.

Tera’s Birthday

by Toni Parker

Tera’s eighth birthday was coming up. Everyday closer to it her present list grew, faster than she was. Tera loved dolls. Tera loved trucks. Tera loved swings, too. Oh! What a problem this was for her.

            “For my birthday, I want the biggest bride doll you ever did see. One with long blonde hair and a train on her wedding dress that is real long. I want my doll to have blue eyes and pale pink make up on her cheek just like my mum wears.” Tera said this as she twirled her old worn out bride doll whose hair was beginning to fall out from all the different hairstyles Tera had tried. The doll’s face was written all over from when she was little on one of her naughty days.

            Tera looked further through her toy box. “No.. No.. I know what I want, a new guitar,” she yelled as she picked the old one out of her toy box, lashing the strap over her shoulder she began strumming it like she was in a large band, dancing and singing and twirling.

“Mum I need a microphone too. So then I can be a real pop star, just like Aqua,” Tera announced.

            “Like who?”

            “Oh, Mum, what’s wrong with you. Aqua, just coolest band in the world. Mum, you are getting old.” Tera giggled.

            “That will be quite enough out of you, young lady. Call me old. I will give you something now for you to think of. Miss Tera Jones, for the last five minutes since I have been here all I have heard is what you want. Do you realize how greedy that sounds?” Mum said as she spun on her heels and left the room.

            Her mum’s words hit her hard. The truth was right on enough to make Tera squirm. She wanted to please her mum. As she sat on the bed her mind still thought of all the presents she would like though. A new dress. A new CD. Tera just didn’t know what she wanted.

            Tera slowly walked down the corridor from her room into the lounge where she found her mum sitting. Tears streamed down her face.

 “Mum?” Tera whispered. Her mum quickly wiped her tears away.

            “What’s the matter?” Tera asked taking a seat beside her.

            “Nothing love, did you want me?”

            “Mum, you’re crying, is it me? I came to say I am sorry. That’s all.”

            “I know, Love, but I am sorry too. I have tried to give you everything I’ve got. Love, remember I am only me. So the budget is very tight this year. I know you miss your dad, Love, I would love to give you all these gifts you want, but I just can’t,” she cried, looking in the opposite direction.

            “Mum, it is all right really. I understand truly. You do your best.”

            “Oh, love, this has made you grow up so fast. But thank you, that means a lot knowing you understand. You will get something special though. It just might not be big.” Tera’s mum said, forcing a smile onto her face as she hugged Tera tight.

            They both sat on that chair hugging.

            Well the big day arrived that Tera had been waiting for. The way mum was talking Tera had decided that whatever she was given, she would be happy. Well, Mum arrived with this unwrapped box.

            Tera felt angry her mum never bothered to wrap it. Her mum was obviously excited about the box. She called Tera and she tried to coax her to have a look. But Tera wouldn’t. “Tera?” Her mum said one last time, tears showing in the corner of her eyes.

            “Mum, you never even bothered to wrap it. This is the worst birthday ever.” Tera ran off to her room. Her mum just stood there.

            Tera’s mum, feeling very hurt on the inside lowered herself down on the floor beside Tera’s present. This was really the best present ever and Tera never even bothered to look because it wasn’t up to her standards.

            Tera’s mum gently cuddled her present as it licked away her tears.

            Some time had gone by when Tera’s curiosity got her to come back for another look. There she saw her mum sitting on the ground with a puppy on her lap.

Tera ran to mum. Her mum just sat there. A little golden face turned to Tera, his tail wagged rapidly at her. Tera quickly mumbled an apology to her mum. A smile slowly began to take form in Tera’s mum’s mouth.

            TODAY'S THOUGHT’S

 God does not want us like Tera wanting more toys. He wants us to want more of Him and his way. Can you think of some things that are more pleasing to God than us collecting more toys? Can you find in your Bible the scripture that tells us this?

 I can think of another thing Tera learnt too. Do you know what it is? How about do you think God wants us to look at the outside of our presents and run away with out finding what is inside? No, God wants us to be open-hearted, not value the rich things, but value his way. Do you think if Jesus was choosing His box he had to live out of, would he have chosen that cross or ran to his room. No, God wants us to do his way not choose something because it doesn’t look as nice as we want. One thing we can rest assured of God’s box mightn’t be the nicest but the content is.

Recipes for School Holidays

side walk chalk

Things you need

small paper cups, plaster or castings compound, powdered paint, craft sticks, water

Pour 1/2 cup of plaster into a cup. Only half full though. Add 1 tbsn of powdered paint to plaster and a little water. Mixture you want moist but not wet. Mix together with your craft sticks. Let the mixture set for 24 hours.

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This c

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Face painting

1 tsp. corn flour or corn starch. 1/2 tsp. water. 1 tsp cold cream. Food coloring. 

mix it together the flour and cold cream first them add water then color. Then paint on with a fine paint brush. Store in an air tight container. Remove with soap and water.

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Play dough after model can be cooked in a slow oven for a lasting masterpeice for mum and dad. BUT ALWAYS REMEMBER TO GET MUM TO HELP YOU WHEN USING THE OVEN and making necklaces out of beads are also a great way to pass the time. For those hot parts of the days when you don't want to play outside.

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Puzzles

Memory verse  (I have put the first and last letter do you think you can work this out to see what the scripture says it is.)

Psalms 121:2 says

My H_ _ p  C_ _ _ s   F _ _ m T_ e L_ _d. W_ o   M_ _e