milk & honey mamas

Story contributed by Kristen

Click here for the theological background

Remember, repetition helps children internalize and make connections. It might be a good idea to read the same story every day for a week. You can add different activities every day.

Dear children, let us not love with words or speech but with actions and in truth.

John 3:18

John: 

My dear friends,

See what great love God has swirled into us? Here it is: God calls us beloved. We are God’s children, precious and whole and loved, loved, loved. 

We are God’s own little ones. When God looks at us, He sees our goodness and our loveliness. When God looks at us, She sees all that we cannot see about how wonderful and beloved we are. 

When we follow Jesus, when we try to be like him, this beloved-ness comes shining out of our skin. It comes bursting out like sunshine through a window, lighting up a room with beams of glorious light. You see, when we try to live the way of love, love flows through our bodies and sings out our toenails, and eyelashes, and bellybuttons. We are lit up, beacons of love. 

So let us love one another. Let us wrap each other up in the love we feel. And when we don’t feel it, let us call out to the people around us who are trying, too, and they will come flying to our aid, reminding us that the way of love is long and sometimes quiet, but it is always faithful. Love cannot die. Love is not just words, it is actions. It is a hug, it is a kind word, it is a listening ear. It is alive. 

Hold each other. Let yourself be held. This is the way of love. 

Your friend,

John 

***********************

Jude: 

My friends,

I want to share something I have learned: by building up faith, we can keep ourselves in the safety of love. You see, I have found that the more I nourish my faith, letting myself be filled with the Spirit of life, the more my heart is soft and ready for God’s love. 

I don’t always feel it. Sometimes I seek love and it feels far away. But the more I try to keep my heart soft and ready, believing in the softness and readiness of God, the more love I find in my heart. The more I see the people around me with kindness and patience. That is what love does! It softens our vision, softens our hearts, opens our minds to listening and learning. 

When there are people around you who are not sure of God, just sit with them. Don’t search for words to say. Just sit, extend your hand, and let your heart be soft. 

Live in mercy, believing that everyone around you is trying their best. Be there, in the softness and mercy. God is there, too. 

 Love,

Jude 

Ideas for Play 

Contributed by Kristen

• Read books about being beloved
  • On the Night You Were Born 
  • Still This Love Goes On 
  • When God Made You 
  • I Sang You Down from the Stars 
  • Little You
  • You Hold Me Up 

• How do we feel love? 

• How can we show each other love?

• What is mercy? How can we show mercy and compassion?

• Write love notes to each other or make a “beloved book” of your family with pictures of memories filled with love 
  

Poetry

Compiled by Caroline

Beloved, Let Us Love: Love Is Of God

by Horatius Bonar

Beloved, let us love: love is of God;

In God alone hath love its true abode.

Beloved, let us love: for they who love,

They only, are His sons, born from above.

Beloved, let us love: for love is rest,

And he who loveth not abides unblest.

Beloved, let us love: for love is light,

And he who loveth not dwelleth in night.

Beloved, let us love: for only thus

Shall we behold that God Who loveth us.

Artwork

Compiled by Caroline

Music

Compiled by Caroline

His Banner Over Me, Christy Nockels

Always Remember to Never Forget, Christy Nockels