Holidays | Texting the Truth

This morning, I made Resurrection Rolls with my kids! I found this idea from our Easter blog post, in the bottom BONUS section – we like to call “Truth to Inhale”.

This activity was a huge success and I’m so happy we did it! The ingredients are simple (and you may already have in your kitchen)?: crescent rolls, butter, marshmallows, sugar, and cinnamon.

The instructions are easy, and it leads you through what to say as you’re making the rolls together. It gives a tangible way to explain how Jesus was pure and sinless, how he was put into the tomb, and then the tomb was found empty!! (Hence – the empty crescents! And they really looked like empty tombs!)?

It’s perfect for ANY age, which is nice and rare for me — my kids are preschool through middle school age.

The best part was at the very end, while my kids were happily eating, I had a rare moment of their full and undivided attention while we read the actual Easter story from Luke 24.? While they ate, they asked some pretty deep questions that surprised me! We looked in scripture to find the answers together (like where was Jesus on the second day? Why couldn’t they recognize him at first? Why did he eat fish?)? Good questions!

At my house, we love decorating Easter eggs, and we like the candy (Reese’s eggs please!), but it was SO nice to do an activity like this to remind us all where all the real excitement comes from this weekend!?

Did you do this Easter activity or another one with your kids lately? We’d love to hear about it!

Love, Anna

Anna

Michelle!!! You are not going to believe this! Libby just asked Jesus into her heart tonight! I was reading a book called Christopher Churchmouse to her, and she asked about sin…and they had been talking about that at school…and then one thing led to another!!! ????

Even as it was happening I was thinking about your Sophie just doing the same thing last night!!!

Michelle

Aw! That is so amazing!! Yay Libby!! ???? And so funny that the girls did that on back to back nights! It’s really an incredible feeling as a parent too, don’t you think?

Anna

It IS an amazing feeling! It’s like the whole world stops for a minute and my heart is overflowing. Yay Libby AND Sophie!!! And yay God! And the coolest part was that I just knew it was God leading it all and not me. I was just sort of there, participating in amazement!

Michelle

That is exactly how I felt! It was actually really humbling because I knew it wasn’t me who made this happen.

Anna

Aw, yes! It has made me realize that the seeds have been planted and watered all over the place, thanks to her teachers at school, and church, and books we’ve read… a lot of different places.

Michelle

Absolutely! I feel so indebted to Sophie’s amazing teachers at school and church who have helped reinforce all of these truths in her heart.

Anna

Me too. Thank you, God, for teachers and people who volunteer their time to invest in kids!!! ?

And then God caused the growth to happen! How else could all of it really make sense in such a young heart? Well, in any sinful heart, for that matter!

Michelle

I agree. This experience has opened my eyes even more to how the Holy Spirit works in all of our hearts, drawing us to Him in the ways we need.

Anna

Yeah, that is pretty amazing. I love that God is writing their story, page by page. And I know that she might not be ready for baptism yet, but this is an important first step.

Michelle

YES, us too, for sure. I think it’s all about letting God continue to work in their little hearts and I really think is a journey for our whole lives – learning more about God each step. ?

Anna

I think you are right. I’m learning to trust God, that He is leading the faith journey with my kids… All three of my kids are at different stages in their faith. The hard part is waiting when one child is not at the same place as the others.

Michelle

Wow, you do have an interesting perspective but you’re so right! I think that may be one of the most challenging parts about parenting–trusting God’s timing with how everything unfolds and not running too far ahead of Him. ?

Anna

Yes. There is this feeling with Benjamin, like I want to DO something to speed up the process of his faith. But you can’t force a plant to grow! ?

Michelle

Oooohhh, that is a really good insight! And I need to tape this truth on my forehead for all of the different aspects of my life!?

Anna

Oh me too. I want to remember also that our kids have different personalities, and God created them and knows just how they tick. So the timing may be different, but that doesn’t mean there are no seeds or growth happening in there.

Michelle

Yes.? And that reminds me of what you said above- that it’s God’s job to make things grow. That makes me think about right now in the Midwest…we don’t see much above the ground right now but we have to trust that it is preparing to emerge from the dirt at just the right time.

Anna

Ohh! I like that thought! And I love my garden, so that makes me think — some seeds, like sunflowers ?, shoot up all of the sudden like a rocket! While others are very slowly growing.

Michelle

Such a good point. I love thinking about our kids like different flowers. All beautiful and unique in their own ways. ?????

And just like the gardener does different things to tend to his plants, that is how I want to look at parenting our kids’ and especially in shepherding their hearts toward God.

Anna

That’s so true. And because they are different plants, they will have different needs, challenges (weeds!), and need to be watered in different ways. ?

Michelle

Hmm, this is giving me a lot to think about. We know our kids are different but I love thinking about – how am I tending to them with such care like a gardener does with her beloved plants? ? ? And at the same time, knowing that we can tend and tend and water and water, but we must trust God to do the growing and thriving.☀

Anna

Yes! I can’t wait to see what will grow as a result of the planting and watering! ?

Soaking in the Truth

Scripture to encourage you:

I planted, Apollos water, but God gave the growth. So neither nor he who waters or he who plants is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” 1 Corinthians 3:6,7
^“And He said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it?It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade.” Mark 4:30-32, ESV

Music to inspire you:

Faith by Seeds Family Worship
Jesus Paid it All by Kristian Stanfill (my very favorite!)
Crown Him Majesty by Chris Tomlin and Kari Jobe
How Can It Be? by Lauren Daigle
Christ is Risen by Matt Maher

Readings and Resources to come alongside of you:

Five Seeds of Faith to Plant in Your Child’s Heart from Jeannie Cunnion’s book Parenting the Whole-Hearted Child
Sowing Seeds in Our Children by Heather Bowen
What is Easter? by Michelle Medlock Adams. I love reading this book to my girls because it puts into simple words what Easter is really about. (Planting those seeds!)

Living Out the Truth

Ideas to try:

Just an encouragement: One child might accept Jesus at a very young age and that’s solid for life! Another child might accept him young and then need to rededicate later on in the teen years. Another child might wait until he’s a teenager to begin accepting him, but then it’s more real to him. Let’s God sees the whole path and what’s best for each child. That way, our worry doesn’t play a part in it, and we can trust God to take care of the process.

{These suggestions are ideas from novice moms. Sometimes our life situations need more. In that case, seeking out professional help is the right call.}

Category Archives: Holidays

A Resurrection Roll Moment

Planting Seeds and Watching Them Grow