Welcome to the weekly updates for our Families … kind of a “Guide to Staying Sane” in the midst of the covid craziness. Each week we will give you one idea from each of the following areas:

1. live “in person” family activities

2. online family activities

3. self care ideas

4. spiritual support

HERE ARE TODAY’S IDEAS – May 13, 2020!!

THEY’VE GOT MAIL – Guess what I got in the mail this week!?? A little card and a couple sweet bookmarks from my God-daughter, Claire (and her mom)!! What a sweet surprise! I have heard it said that whenever you feel lonely, go and do that thing that you are hoping someone will do for you. You will get the benefit!! This week, consider making up a couple simple cards, grab a congregational directory and send some mail. You will be amazed that the benefit you will receive!
VEGGIE TALES – The folks from Big Idea Productions are still putting together some amazing videos. Your family will love taking a peek at some of the old Veggie Tales as well as some new ones. ENjoy this! https://www.youtube.com/user/BigIdeaInc
CURLING UP WITH A NEW BOOK – For self care this week, what about taking a peek into our Candaian online bookstore, Indigo Chapters and order yourself a book. There is free shipping for any orders larger than $35! I can especially suggest this awesome Louie Giglio devotional book! Your family will love it!
FOOD FOR THOUGHT – I came upon this message from a favourite band of mine called Rend Collective.

Hey friends,

What have your prayers looked like these days?
Maybe they’ve been confident and bold, asking God to continue to show up through His people.
Maybe they’ve been spoken over a glitchy ZOOM conference, or on the phone with a friend.
Maybe they’ve been whispered, hopeful, snuck in-between making dinner and sending emails.
Maybe they’ve been non-existent because it’s been too hard to pray these days. You’re not even sure if they make a difference.

For us these days, our prayers are honest – no religious phrases or fluff. They are raw and frequent.

We’re praying for the ministry of our band, Rend Collective, and what the immediate future looks like without touring. We’re praying for our children, who like many of yours, are missing their school and friends. We’re praying for our families who live across the ocean from most of us right now, that we would be able to see them soon and they would stay healthy. We’re praying for the world, to recover, to rise up, to endure.

When we don’t know what else to do, we pray. Philip Yancey writes “When it comes to prayer, we’re all beginners.”

And I think what he’s saying is that there are no professional Christians when it comes to laying our hearts bare before God. In that space, when we bring our prayers to Him, we are all children in need of our Father.

He sees our hearts and understands even “our groanings too deep for words” and intercedes for us (Romans 8:26).

We’re learning that prayer begins not with specific words, but with our attitude – the posture of our hearts.

This is great news for us. It means that no matter what our prayer life looks like, all we have to do is start by leaning in towards Him. Maybe you don’t even need to say a single word.

You don’t have to be an expert or set a 4am alarm for God to hear you.

He’s not holding up a scorecard or keeping tabs on your devotional life – guilt has no part to play in this.

Just. Lean. In.

If you haven’t prayed in a while, may we suggest this:

Our Father in heaven,
Hallowed be your name
Your Kingdom come,
Your will be done,
On earth as it is in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread.
And forgive us our trespasses,
As we also have forgiven those who trespass against us.
And lead us not into temptation,
But deliver us from the evil one.
For Yours is the Kingdom,
The power and the glory, forever.
Amen.

We are continuing to compile ideas in these four categories – if you have ideas of other things that have worked for you, please send it in an email to <joel@stjohnsvernon.com>. Thank you in advance!

The ideas presented in this article do not necessarily express the beliefs and traditions of the author nor of St. John’s Lutheran Church. We have personally looked through each one; they are simply ideas of what other people have done. We hope you find them helpful and encouraging.