Wee One Faith Steps

How Do We Tell the Children?

2012-01-22T20:58:00.002-06:00

"How do we tell the children you won't be back?" That was a topic of discussion between Ms. Rhonda, the interim director, and myself frequently in December once I learned I would not be returning in January as had been anticipated.

We know from the past ... having had a child absent and battling cancer, children that have moved, and other special circumstances throughout our history, that it is often the child who does not ask, or show concern, who carry around the most questions in their head, about the disappearance of someone or something routine in the building. We know not to assume ... they are children, they are resilient, they just move on. They are young children, they are resilient, but they too need an explanation and closure. And so, after consulting a local area child counselor, the following book was written.

http://share.shutterfly.com/action/welcome?sid=0AaMWbVq5btGbvo

The book took shape after several attempts and I will say that the writing was just as much for me as it was for them. The proofing of the book, thanks to Rhonda, just for her. The photos in the book all from around the Preschool, common sites to all who visit our building. Material copyrighted.

It's not easy to say good-bye when you would rather stay. It's not easy to read the story to the children. But, Rhonda did. The teachers did. And in doing so, we all were surprised by the children, least likely, to comment on my absence and their wisdom. One child summed it up best for all of us, "I feel better". We all feel better after writing, reading, and processing. We all feel better when we know we can talk about something that hurts, someone missing, a scary event, a loss in our life. And so the children at Trinity continue to hug a bear that sits in a chair in the office, write notes and send cards, send up a prayer request, and read the story as often as they need in order to "all feel better". And so do I.

Miss Jennifer

Life Unexpected

2012-01-01T11:50:00.000-06:00

It wasn't anticipated when leaving school on that September Friday afternoon, a cold beginning, that I would not return, but sometimes life goes unplanned and unexpected. Since that day I marvel at how time and normal life are standing still. Life for now feels like I'm living in a bubble that travels between my home, the hospital, and my parents house. Days that are anything else are far and few between.

Living life with a chronic illness, I'm use to pausing and taking extra time to care for myself. The reality that this time life is on hold longer than I would prefer not always easy to accept. What I can accept is that God knows and has a plan for the future. He promises to never leave us and at times like this, I'm blessed that He draws me closer than normal. His presence and His peace in my daily life.

Shared stories infrequent and on hold as I'm on a leave of absence. Check back later for another update.

Teach Us To Pray

2012-01-01T11:41:00.000-06:00

My neice of 13 months was home for the holidays. She is at the stage of learning language each day and adding words to her vocabulary at a rapid pace. What fun it is when toddlers begin to chat and you can finally understand the babble speak they have been using!

Prayer is a daily part of life for my family, but something my brother had yet to think about incorporating into my neice's life at meal time. He's a logical thinker and until she speaks in sentences he may not understand a word she says. Maybe you or someone you know has the same sense? The entire week 'M' was here we had fun talking and identifying all the words that were a part of her language, even if at times they were slightly a stretch. My early childhood trained ears were sure by the end she was putting 3 words together for sentences! And my engineer brother was learning that his little girl was talking and he could communicate with her in the midst of her babble and squeals.

At meal time we prayed as a family, and following the prayer my father would look at "M" and say "Abba". "Abba" was the first pray for my father at meal time and he was teaching his grandchild to pray. 'M' smiled the first couple of meals, but on night four when we said "amen", 'M' proudly, boldly, and without prompting, said "ABBA!". We of course, all smiled and clapped as that is what proud grandparents, aunts and fathers do! After all the attention, 'M' surprised us once more by smiling and saying "Papa!" It was the first time for both words and brought a smile to all our faces.

Abba! Papa! Our Father, our Papa, our Heavenly Father, whether we are young or old, hears us when we pray.

Ready for Action?

2011-08-03T16:08:00.002-05:00

This week the painters, carpeters, and janitor work to ready the building for the finishing touches. The smells of fresh paint, clean carpet, window cleaning. Ahhhhh ... enough to send me home for the day! :-)

Next week the teachers will come and begin to work in each of their classroom homes. I am very excited to see the school take form this year. It is our first full year in the building and a great team of people is coming together to teach. All the morning sessions are full, the afternoons at the capacity we can handle with our current staff. God is good! He has blessed us with a beautiful home and I look forward to the teachers arriving to place their finishing touches in the space. Even more, I look forward to the arrival of the children and families who will enter our home each week. For it is the faces of the children, the personality of the families who will make our home feel like home. They will bring the life, energy, and personality each day. Lord, thank you for this wonderful home. I pray that you bless our year. Bless the teachers, bless the children, bless their parents. May this year at Trinity Lutheran Preschool be one filled with your love, honor, with all of us growing in your grace!

The Year End

2011-08-03T15:55:00.002-05:00

The year ended in a very appropriate way for our school .... with a tornado warning interupting our closing program, sending way to many people to seek shelter in two restrooms. After determining it really was not that close to our school, people made their way out into the hallways everyone chatting, hugging, saying good-byes and leaving for the summer months, many of them onto Kindergarten in the fall.

The good thing - we had recognized our graduates. We did thank the teachers and parents for a great year and we had started to sing our favorite songs. The best part about the year, we learned it is not really all about the formalities in life that as adults we try to make so much out of. For that day and for so many during our school year, it was that the children flawlessly made their way downstairs - not a tear, not a cry. They followed their teachers, taking their parents and grandparents with them as if it was just to be a part of our routines.

We've all learned this year from the littlest members in the school that as parents we worry about everything and that following the children, living moment by moment makes life so much easier. We learned that if our friends are along on the journey, it does not really matter what detours we take or what building we are entering. As teachers we learned, we do everything twice ... the second day of the closing program we went through the entire program with a sun in the sky!

Every day with our Heavenly Father, we need not worry. God has it all figured out. He promises to lead us through the tornados of life, down the hallways to safety. He promises to do it all right there beside us. God promises that if we let Him, He will lead, guide and direct our paths. All the stress, all the worry, all the control ... well, life is much simpler when we let God have it all. The faith of a child ... the faith I pray you carry with you each and every day.

Blessings on your summer!

Miss Jennifer

This feels like school!

2011-03-23T12:16:00.002-05:00

If you have ever moved, you know the feeling of waking up and having the new home actually feel like a place where you belong, a place that is no longer new. Well, we officially feel "home"! Unpacked, settled in, routines functioning well, and finally running on our new playground sod in the warmer weather of spring ... it was planted in December snow. :)

Part of being "at home" has been transitioning our worship routines. Previously, we all gathered into one classroom and worshipped together at the end of the day. The past months we tried having this special time in our individual classrooms, but we have found our way back together. There's value in coorporate worship time. There's a sense, that even the children feel, of being together in a special place singing songs and acting out our favorite Bible stories together. That special place for us happens to be the large hallway we are blessed to have outside our classroom doors. As teachers we knew it right away, this was the place to be at the end of our busy mornings. And the children have affirmed our feelings, asking "are we going out there?" with smiles on their faces when we say "yes!".

Parents are welcome to join us at any time. We begin around 11:15 a.m. Monday through Thurday. On Friday's the children will continue prayer time, taking requests, in their own classrooms.

Our Packed School

2010-12-14T19:49:00.002-06:00

All packed up ... no toys to be found. It's a little strange to walk into a building we have called home for the past five years and see bare walls, bookshelves empty and no toys. We have talked about moving the past couple of weeks using the book by Eric Carle, A House for Hermit Crab and the book "The Little Engine that Could". In it the House for Hermit Crab, the crab goes searching for a new shell as he's outgrown his house. We too have outgrown our house and God has blessed us with a new school. Our Christmas present as the children have been told. For after Christmas break, they return to the new school. And as teachers "we think we can" transform the new school in a few simple days with a lot of help from the wonderful caring parents and congregational members who promise to come help us.

We asked a couple a friends to build sculptures of our new school from soft foam blocks. Works of art beyond our imaginations were created. "Packed School" and "BIG School" were created as the children gave them titles. Tears formed in my eyes as I looked at them both. Packed School looks a little chaotic ... well, it has been. But, in the midst, in the middle of the packed school with blocks stacked is a little rectangle area, labeled worship. For you see, no matter how different our last few days of school have been, we stop at the end of the day to worship our Heavenly Father. That hasn't changed. The alter is still there, nothing of it has been touched. For the children seem to know how important that area of the classroom is for us all. And at the end of packed school days, when we say good-bye to the current classroom, we close in prayer and ask God to bless our journey to our BIG school. Because the new school has been labeled BIG because it is! We have more classrooms, we have a huge hallway, we have lots of BIG things waiting for us. BIG school brings a lot of excitement. We ask God's blessings on our journey.

Baby Jesus on the Move

2010-12-14T19:44:00.002-06:00

We're moving! Yes, 60 plus children have worked very hard the past two school days to put everything we own in the classrooms into shoeboxes and large packing boxes. Each child brought their very own shoebox for their favorite toys. Carefully they chose their favorite toys and filled their shoe box. What a joyfully noisy place it has been! We've captured photos of the move, complete with putting the boxes into our POD. Current preschool parents may find them posted on our Picasa site.

Baby Jesus was one of our favorite moments. He was carefully found in the bin with the other nativity figures, baby Jesus hopped aboard the dump truck, zoomed into the shoebox and found his way to the big brown box. Baby Jesus goes too! Yes, Jesus travels with us to the new school.

Counting Down to Christmas

2010-12-14T19:41:00.002-06:00

Each year we count towards our school Christmas party and birthday party for baby Jesus. This year we have been taking snowflakes off the bulletin board and uncovering the characters of the Christmas story. The children caught on quickly that there was a sky full of angels to join Mary, Joseph, the Shephard, and the Wise Man. The baby Jesus being the last to uncover. As one child said "He's here!". "It's His Birthday!"

Merry Christmas!

Thanksgiving

2010-11-27T18:56:00.002-06:00

What are we thankful for? I love to engage the children in conversation about this topic. This year's group gets really animated and excited when we start talking about everything we are thankful for. Some of the things that made the lists ... mom, dad, brothers, sisters, cousins, grandma, grandpa, trains, paint, playdough, blocks, princesses, horses, candy, Jesus, God, babies, cookies, dinosaurs, cars & trucks, books ..... and we could name everything around us. We are very blessed at Trinity and God has provided all that we need and more than we could ever ask for or imagine.

God is good! God is Great! Let us thank Him for all around us!

Happy Thanksgiving!

What did he just say?

2010-09-12T19:21:00.002-05:00

Today at worship I sat with a child on my lap. There were 6 of the them in the row and their were 5 adults, so it wasn't the same kid all the time, but ... WE did worship. Well, let me correct myself, WE worshipped in between all the questions. Questions for 4 year olds don't stop when they worship. What did he just say? Mommy what is? What does that mean? My mind may wander during the sermon (sorry, Pastor), but these little guys don't miss a beat. Unless of course, they are getting the answer to one of their questions. And then are they really missing something? I think sometimes they walk away with more than I do. They multi-task well, coloring their pictures and listening during the sermon.

I find myself wishing their was a pause button on the sermon. Wait! Stop! I need to answer this question. Just a second Pastor. Everyone talk amongst yourselves. Doesn't work that way. Oh well, I can piece it all together by the end. And there is the Bible class to help clarify all the points I missed during the sermon. I just really wonder how many of us don't give those little guys enough credit. They really are hungry for God's word. They really want to know. They really do worship.

I love forward to the weeks with a little one on my lap. They keep me listening and asking questions!

Little Ones

2010-08-23T20:20:00.000-05:00

Today was our first day of the school year. It always amazes me how tired I can be after that first day of school! Wow, those little ones take a lot out of us teachers. It is so good to have the building buzzing with voices, laughter and joy, but I will sleep well tonight!

My favorite part of the day is worship time. This year I look forward to this time even more, as I'm not in the classroom with the children. Instead, I will join them at the end of their morning schedules for 15 minutes of song, dance, and story. I treasure this time to share God's love and the wonders the stories of the Bible have to share with us.

We sang one of my favorite songs today, "Jesus loves the little ones like me". After the first verse, one child who just turned 4 and attended our school last year, spoke up and said "Miss Jennifer, I'm not little anymore!" He's right, he's not so little anymore; he has grown a lot! 4 is a whole new world from being 3 years old! :) Besides, physically growing, he has his confidence in our school - growth that leads to so much more growth.

So, what do you do when someone protests singing "Jesus loves the LITTLE ones like me"? You sing, "Jesus loves the BIG ones just like me". Jesus does indeed love all of us BIG ones ... 4 years or 40 years or 84 years. Our heavenly Father loves and cares for each one of us. Jesus loves the BIG ones, just like you, you, and you!

He Is Risen!

2010-04-06T19:37:00.000-05:00

He is Risen! Alleluia!

I never grow old of the joy that comes from children peering into a large basket of Easter eggs as they wonder what could possibly be inside of them. I also never grow tired of filling them with absolutely nothing and being able to tell the Easter morning story. I imagine how Mary and her friends must have felt as they went to the tomb, only to find an angel and the tomb empty. Joy! Excitement!

The joy of an empty egg ... the joy of the empty tomb ... the joy of children knowing the Easter story and being able to explain to their parents why they are sooooo excited that the egg has absolutely nothing inside of it!

I pray that you and the children in your care are able to share in the Easter joy of this season! Blessings!

For A Friend

2010-02-19T20:51:00.001-06:00

We have a little guy at Preschool this year who is battling cancer. He was only at our school for a few months before leaving us near the end of October to fight his cancer relapse. When he left, we placed a "rhinocerous" into his cubby, upon the advice of a wonderful child life specialist and our friend's family. Rhino sits in our friend's cubby and is "looking forward to his return" in the words of the children.

Rhino ended up on my office shelf, with other stuffed animals, at Christmas time. After the holiday break, we decided to not return Rhino to the classroom, as we know that our little friend may not return to preschool this school year and we were unsure of how attached his peers were to Rhino. It didn't take long before we had our answer, and about a week later, friends were asking why Rhino was not in the classroom. They had not forgotten their friend. He was missing and Rhino was not in the cubby. Rhino promptly returned.

At class meeting time, he is always number 20 as they count their classmates each day and look forward to "20" returning. At prayer time, he is always included. The thoughts and prayers on many of their minds. They all nod their heads when someone says, "pray for Gabe". But, the prayers have changed. At first we prayed for Gabe to FEEL better. Now we pray for Gabe to BE better. For it only took one friend to point out to us, "Miss Jennifer, I want Gabe to BE better, not just FEEL better. I miss him." So in their hearts, thoughts and prayers we do hope that he can BE better. For this time and this battle is not easy. His classmates do not know the word cancer, or the details to describe why their friend is missing. For them, they have been told he is "fighting bad germies in his body". But, they know it is more than a cold and they know that something is not right. They are bright children, and in the thoughts at school and in the thoughts they share at home, we know that they worry and they wonder, and we are thankful that they know that they can pray.

So as I choke back the tears and try not for my voice to crack, we pray for our friend to BE better, knowing and trusting in our Heavenly Father who holds each of us in His hands.

The Holy Spirit

2010-02-19T20:03:00.000-06:00

It's not often that I find myself engaging in conversation with my preschoolers about the Holy Spirit. I think the role of the Spirit in the Triune God can be difficult to understand, and certainly is not something at age 5 I expect of the preschoolers.

This year is different, we have a little guy who routinely has a prayer request in thanksgiving for the Holy Spirit. With his beaming face, he proudly says "the Holy Spirit", every time it is his turn to speak a request. I've begun to ask him, why?, because I'm curious to his answers, and I'm always taken back by his wisdom. Over the last few weeks, here are the answers that stick with me. Why? "Because He helps us believe". Why? "Because He's guiding us." Why? "Because He's helping us build a new church." Why? "Because He's helping our friends (classmates) to learn more about Jesus.

Why? YES! The Holy Spirit is at work in each of us and He is doing all of those things. And so as this child beams, so do his teachers. For in a little voice, in just a few words, the child offers a gentle reminder that we are not at this job alone. The Holy Spirit is at work among us!

Prayer

2010-01-25T18:26:00.000-06:00

We try to take time at least once a week to allow the children to offer prayer requests at the end of our daily worship time. It's a great way for the children to learn to speak their thoughts in the group, taking turns speaking and listening. But, most of all it is a time to find out what is really on their little hearts and minds. Some requests are typical: thanking God for moms, dads, brothers and sisters. Cats and dogs also always seem to make it in there - it is when we thank God for the pet mouse that I always want to cringe! Requests continue for healing if someone is absent. Rainbows, butterflys, sunny weather, and other aspects of creation also tend to be typical.

Lately we have noticed something different. We have been thanking God for warm houses, warm beds, and food to eat. Don't get me wrong, we are thankful for warm houses, warm beds and food to eat. My surprise is not that we are thankful for these things, but that our children who are not yet into Kindergarten have begun to develop an awareness, outside of themselves, that these are great things to be thanking God for. As adults I think we tend to skip over these blessings in our lives. We talk to God, but we forget to be thankful for the chair we are sitting in and the heat of our home. We forget the little things around us. Children bring up the little things in prayer requests as well as the big ones. So as we pray for our friend who has cancer and we pray for the grandparent that just died and I'm getting all choked up, I move down the prayer request list and I'm reminded of my warm house, my warm bed, and a loving Father who has given us all that we need and truly does hear the prayers of His children. Much to be thankful for!

Let it Snow!

2010-01-04T19:59:00.001-06:00

Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow! Oh the weather outside is frightful these days ... and there are some happy people and some not so happy people. My staff and I were talking about this cold weather; I love it and fellow staff members would rather it be spring. Maybe you would too? But with all the snow, the snow days off school, and the extra time you may have as we snuggle up in our homes, I pray that you find some time to reflect on snow ... Here's a thought that I shared with my staff during our conversation ...

White as snow ... with the departure of the Christmas season, I cannot help but think of the little baby, Jesus, born long ago in Bethlehem. He came to wash our sins away and make them white as snow. The fluffy stuff so pure, falls so quietly, and comes in such abundance. God's gift - came so quietly, was ever so pure, and His love always in abundance.

New Year's Resolutions

2010-01-04T19:36:00.000-06:00

It always seems like with a new calendar year that people find themselves forming new goals, new dreams, and resolutions for change. My staff gathered today for brunch, Bible study, and some quiet reflection time before the children return to class tomorrow. It's not often that we get to enjoy quiet time with one another and so this day was special.

In sharing our thoughts, we discovered that we all were looking forward to the return of the children and our classrooms. We look forward to seeing how they have grown. We look forward to the play, the laughter, and their spirits. We look forward to seeing where God takes us in our personal lives and what the future has in store. Our one main goal - growing closer to God and helping our children grow closer to Him.

I pray that this year finds you and the ones you teach growing closer to God! Blessings in 2010!

Christmas Joy

2009-12-16T19:24:00.000-06:00

In a little stable, far across the sea, was a little baby, a long time ago ... just like the ones we care for. He came so innocent. He was sinless (what would that look like in our classrooms and homes?). His job was bigger than anyone can ever imagine. His sacrifice the greatest of all.

My school was full of the smells of gingerbread houses and sugar today and the children were full of joy. When we gathered to worship they sang Joy to the World like never before. Their energy and excitement channeled as we moved to a quiet song about that night long ago. Their energy pretending to knock at the inn keeper's door with full excitement, turning to tip toes and whisper voices as we pretended to be shepherd's peaking into the manger at that special baby boy. That one silent moment in our school day as we pretended to see the baby boy, led all around us to enjoy the innocence of that blessed Christmas night and the innocence of children who are re-telling the Christmas story and who are full of joy!

Among the flurry of activity, may you and those around you, stop to remember that one silent night that would change the world, and our hearts, and our lives forever.

Blessings this Christmas season!

In A Litte Basket

2009-10-05T18:07:00.000-05:00

As a church we are traveling through the scriptures in a year. Learning the Bible stories as a small child and teaching those stories to children, too often I forget to dive back into the whole story written in Scripture. It is too easy just read from the children's Bible.

The story of Moses caught me about a week ago. I had forgotten the irony in the story, the baby in the basket - floating down the river with his sister keeping watch in the reeds. Moses, saved by the Princess and nurtured by his mother until he was older. What a plan! Who would have ever thought it would have worked, nonetheless turned out that floating in the basket down a river as a baby, would lead to that same baby as an adult helping thousands cross the Red Sea. Only God can lead such a plan! In a little basket, safe and sound. Our Lord watching out for Moses in His time, our Lord watching out for you and me!

Building on Noah

2009-10-05T18:00:00.000-05:00

In a week of telling the story about Noah, we observed children actively building their own boats/arks in the block corner. Their creations works of art! The words they were singing more precious than usual. The words from a favorite Noah's Ark song - "Noah, Noah built the ark". As they worked to add block upon block, they sang. First one child, then another. Together the joy of the song in their heads, the work of the hands busy. Internalizing the scriptures through song and play!

So often as adults we grow tired of singing the same songs, but for children their is joy in learning and mastering words to a song. We cannot sing often enough, we cannot choose a book or a song too often. For in the repetition, our children learn the stories of faith.

Let there be - LIGHT!

2009-09-10T17:49:00.000-05:00

Have you ever stopped to think about light? How dark the world would be without light. And God said “Let there be light”.

We always begin our school year with the first story in the Bible – the creation story. As we sit on the floor, gathered for those few minutes, the children cover their eyes and we say together – before God made the world it was very dark. And God said let there be light and we uncover our eyes. I laughed today as we are now in week 3 of telling this story at our daily worship times and the children still cover their eyes and with such joy and excitement, and say “let there be light!” Their joy, their giggles, as they know what is coming next, but they cannot help themselves from covering their eyes just one more time and saying "light" as if they have never experienced it before!

I think about our prayers for them. That they grow. That they come to know God this year. That the “light” that we talk about in creation story, be “light” in their hearts for Christ and that they be a “light” in the world for all those around them and that they carry the story home. I see their little lights coming on. I see their curiosity forming about “what story will we talk about today?” The light of the Holy Spirit at work in our school as we sing Mary Rice Hopkins’ silly song about creation and hippopotamuses and uncover our eyes for light!

Baptism

2009-08-15T22:10:00.000-05:00

It was a special morning, the sermon on baptism, and the Pastor and I had decided to combine the children's talk with the baptism that was planned at the early service. I watched in awe as the kids hung on every word, not a missing a beat, when it came time for them to participate. Shivers ran through me as they often do at a baptism. The Holy Spirit at work among us and the Wee Ones in the Church feeling His power, His presence, as they sat and watched.

I thought, how can I ever create this moment at the second service? After all, there wasn't a baptism planned. What do I do??? I should never have worried. After all, it's not me at those times, it's the Holy Spirit. And so we gathered around the baptismal font. Dipping my fingers in the water, I reminded each of them that they are children of God as I made the sign of the cross on their foreheads with the words "you are a child of God". Tears filled my eyes as I could hardly finish everyone. The looks on their faces, the connections made at that moment - everyone else in the congregation faded away as the kids and I and God talked.

Children of God, Jesus died on the cross for each of us! I've never blogged before, and I must admit I'm a little nervous about where this is going to take me. My acceptance of the early childhood consultant position for the Kansas LCMS district really the reason I'm even beginning to take the leap. Sharing the faith steps of Wee Ones, in congregation where I serve, will likely be the source of most of these stories. But, if you're reading this, I hope my thoughts spark you onto sharing Christ's love with those around you.