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Family Experience (Fx)
Each month we are providing fun activities for you to do as a family.
Each Fx is full of fun and is very simple. You'll find conversation starters, service projects, an activity, and more fun surprises! |
February's "Take Away"
February is a great month to celebrate love. Everywhere we look there are heart shapes, Valentine cards, candy, and decorations.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to love all the time. Loving others isn’t just a one day holiday that we celebrate and then move on. Loving others is a way of life that allows us to share the love of Jesus with everyone.
There are lots of ways to show love, but it can take time and effort. As a family, we have to make it a priority to express love for each other, to those close to us, and to people we don’t know.
Loving all people is one of the best ways to send our love letter to God.
As followers of Jesus, we are called to love all the time. Loving others isn’t just a one day holiday that we celebrate and then move on. Loving others is a way of life that allows us to share the love of Jesus with everyone.
There are lots of ways to show love, but it can take time and effort. As a family, we have to make it a priority to express love for each other, to those close to us, and to people we don’t know.
Loving all people is one of the best ways to send our love letter to God.
DevotionalIn the Bible we learn how much God loves us. God gave us Jesus as an example of how to love others and to give us guidelines for living our best lives.
Now that we have learned about God’s love letter to us, what about our love letters to God? How can we show our love to God? This month we are going to focus on living lives full of love – for God, Jesus, people, even animals – and sharing that love with others. While sending a love letter to God isn’t as simple as signing a fun Valentine, there are many ways to show our love to God. When we pray we can say “I love you” to God. We also show our love for God by loving people. It’s easy to love people we know and to show how much we love them. We can give them a hug, help them with something, send them a card, or even just say “I love you.” But the love God calls us to doesn’t end with our family and friends. God wants us to love everyone – no matter what. Learning about people who are different from us, listening to people’s stories, helping people who are struggling, and praying that God will make his presence felt to everyone are great ways to show our love to God. In the Bible, we are told to “love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength” and “to love your neighbor as yourself.” Let’s all focus on loving God and loving others each and every day. |
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Family Activity
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As a family, work together to come up with a list of ways you can show love to God and a list of ways to show love to others. Brainstorm as many ways as you can – be creative and think outside the box!
Write down all your ideas on the "Ways to Show Love" sheet. Work together to decorate this list. Once you have completed your list, discuss each idea and then:
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Your Family's Love Letter to God
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Using your Ways to Show Love sheet, now work together and write your family’s love letter to God. Make sure each family member gets to write or draw their part of the letter. Once your letter is finished, hang it where it will be seen every day to remind you to love everyone!
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Family Service Projects
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Let others know they are valuable!
Here are some ideas to get you started. What else can you to do be kind this month? If you need some ideas, search for "random acts of kindness". FYI, National Random Acts of Kindness Day is Wednesday, February 17, 2021. Send them a note. Drop off a sweet treat or note on their doorstep. Clean up a mess you didn't make. Make someone laugh. Give a compliment. Let someone in front of you in line. Sort out some clothes or toys to donate. Say thank you to someone. Tell someone reasons why you like them. Give a family member a hug. |
Donate to the Bethlehem Pantry!
Every Saturday, more than 300 families receive bags of nutritious food at the Bethlehem Pantry. Through the partnerships the pantry has with the San Diego Food Bank and Feeding America, they can purchase large quantities of non-perishable food for a very small price. So, monetary donations go a LONG way! Do you have fruit trees? You can donate your fruit to the pantry. How about a neighbor with overflowing trees? Could you ask them if you could pick their fruit to donate? Pet food donations are always appreciated. You can drop off your donations on Friday mornings at the Good Shepherd Ministry Center, 737 Grant Avenue (corner of Grant and Johnson), El Cajon, 92020. Questions? Contact foodpantry@foothillsumc.org. |
Conversation Starters
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What does it look like to love God?
Do you think it is easy or hard to love God? Why? What does it look like to love others? Do you think it's easy or hard to love others? Why? Who is someone that you love a lot? What do you love about this person? Have you told them that you love them and why? How can you share the love of God has for us with others? How can we encourage each other to show more love in our world? |