Prayer Starters & Patron Saints

Our religious education program has changed at my church this year.  Instead of having a classroom of first graders each week, we've switched to a homeschool program.  Which means the main teachers of our students are the parents.  The families will come in once a month and divide up into parent and children groups.  Even though I miss having my students each week, I'm happy that I get to review once a month, what they've learned from their parents.

Today we talked about prayer and the various types of prayer.  I found the best prayer starter prompts over at Catholic Icing and if you are a subscriber, you can download her printable for free!  Lacy has fabulous hands on resources for young children to learn about God and their faith.

There are 24 prayer starters in each set.

Since it was our first class, I introduced them to two patron saints of students

This idea came from Jessica over at Shower of Roses:

St. Thomas Aquinas

St. Catherine of Alexandria

I'm offering up prayers for all of our parents, as the primary teachers of their children, may they find inspiration and guidance through the grace of God.

Peace & Blessings,
Noreen

Bumper Wipe Clean Activities Review

I've had another opportunity to review a children's book from Kregel Publications and it was fun to do so!  The book, Bumper Wipe Clean Activities, is geared for preschool  to kindergarten age children and as the title states, it's a reusable activity book. Each page has a 1-2 sentence explanation of a bible story and then a direction on what to do.  The book includes a dry erase black marker that is used to connect the dots, draw through a maze, trace a word...etc.  And the advantage is, that it can be wiped clean and used over and over again. The pages are sturdy and durable with brightly colored illustrations.  For young learners, it gives a snapshot of a bible story so it's faith forming and good for developing fine motor skills. I like it because they have so many wipe clean activity books out there with commercialized themes (i.e. Hello Kitty, Disney Princess or Thomas).  It's breath of fresh air that there is an option for parents who want their children to learn how to hold their pencils and do so in a faith building method.  Plus It's a small book that can easily be put in mom's purse and brought out during car rides or when trying to keep a young child occupied.  I can also imagine it being used in a preschool setting as busy work.  I would recommend this book for families and schools.

I was given a complimentary copy of Bumper Wipe Clean Activities by Kregel Publications for my honest review.

Peace & Blessings,
Noreen

Julie Freeney Designs

Julie Freeney is an incredibly talented artist who now has her collection of stained glass-inspired paintings of floral and plant life patterns for sale on Etsy.

About 20 years ago, Julie created this piece of art of my dog and it looks just like he did!

She drew it from a picture and captured him so intricately.  Even the expression.

That's my Stormy dog :)

Since then, her talent has grown and I am the lucky recipient of this beautiful necklace.

Isn't it gorgeous?  

She creates using all different types of colors, shapes and floras in her jewelry.

You can also purchase her beautiful creations in prints.

Julie is new to Etsy but she won't be for long.  Her talent is amazing!

Here's a link to her site:  Julie Freeney Designs

I also bought this one:

Each time I wear either necklace, I am stopped and asked about where I got them.

Very original quality work.

Peace & Blessings,
Noreen