It's a Blue Ribbon Life - VBS Part 2

I thought I would share some of the other VBS rooms with you.  This room is the 4's, 5's and Kindergarten class.  

 It's really a cute room!

The fruit stand was a great addition.  Each student has a little can and I think they buy "Fruits of the Spirit" at the stand.  What a fun way to teach!

 This is adorable! Buckets with wooden planks for benches!

 This is the 2 and 3 year old room.  It is festive with the red and white striped banner and carnival type decorations all around. The teacher found a lot of things at Oriental Trading online.

 On the purple wall, there are attendance charts that she made. It's a hot air balloon type of craft she saw on the Oriental Trading site, but just made it herself to save money.

I thought the way she did this blue ribbon was especially cute! Her young daughter told her she needed stripes on the door, so she did it!  Looks great!

It's a Blue Ribbon Life theme all the way through!

My mother-in-law teaches the 3rd and 4th grade class.  She typically doesn't decorate with the theme, but rather just the Bible stories themselves.  As you can see, she does an excellent job of portraying the scenes!

 She made it to where her "Jesus" could be moved from scene to scene each day.

 I'm sure the children enjoy hearing the stories come to life on the walls of the room!

The 5th and 6th grade room has a theme of ribbons, plus each days' lesson.

The teacher concentrates on craft activities that drive home the lesson theme of the day and does a super job each year!

This age group is in the preteen group, so of course, their ideas need to be a little more mature.  And some of this age group may be thinking they're a little young for VBS!  So, to keep their minds learning and their attention turned toward the lesson of the day takes someone who knows what they're doing!  I prefer the younger ones, so it's not me :).

It's so interesting to give people a topic or theme, then see how their ideas come about in all different ways!  This just goes to show that we all have talents.  We're all different, but everything can come together for good - and for a good cause, such as VBS!

Don't be afraid to let your imagination go!  Don't think it "has" to be a certain way! Don't think your ideas have to match someone else's ideas!  You are unique.  It will show through in what you do, but you have to do something for that to happen.  That's the important part.  Just doing it!

Tomorrow I'll show some specific crafts and activities in each of the rooms.  I hope you're enjoying this "It's a Blue Ribbon Life" theme!  We sure are!

It's a Blue Ribbon Life - VBS 2013 (Day 1)

Wow!  What an interesting theme our VBS is this year!  It's called "It's a Blue Ribbon Life" with stories about Jesus and also using the Fruits of the Spirit.  We're only doing three days of the VBS, so using the stories about the temptation of Jesus, Jesus in the garden of Gethsemane, and then His death on the cross.

It was difficult for me to get my 'mind' wrapped around the county fair theme, but as it always does, it worked out and it's always my 'favorite' ever.  Each year :).  Thanks to my husband and kiddos for helping out each year.

The sign about above the people says, "Life County Fair".  I just decided to call the count 'Life'.  Not sure anyone will know why except me.

 The 'concession stand' on the wall also served for attendance charts.  The popcorn containers get a cardstock 'popcorn' piece added each day.

My daughter and I have laughed about the real cotton candy we had on the walls.

It looks so pretty on there at first, but then......

....within a few hours, it looks like this!!!  Dripping cotton candy!  Not sure why, but it's sure funny looking!  Another option that we've got available, but haven't done is painting the polyfill stuff a pretty pastel color.  Not sure we'll do that, since we have plenty of bags of the real stuff.

The "Fruit of the Spirit' wall turned out really cute.  I got a kick out of my almost-17-year-old son who asked, "Mom, you know fruit doesn't really have faces, don't you?"  His humor is dry sometimes, so I wondered if he was teasing or really asking! (Haha!!)

Trying to think of the perfect look for the room, I remembered some string lights I had found at Target. I wanted to get some for one of  my boys' rooms, but they weren't interested. My husband volunteered to go get a few strands of the lights for me.....about an hour and 15 minutes away.

As he and I were hanging them that night, though, I let one hit the back of a chair and it busted the light, causing the whole strand to blow.  I was so disappointed!  But, guess what?  My husband got back in the car and drove back to Target right then and got me a lot more sets! Isn't that sweet?  He's a keeper!

All I knew I wanted in the room when I started was a barn.  I just thought it would be really cute.  The little animals on the sides and in the barn window opening all have on big 1st place or winner ribbons, completing the 'Blue Ribbon Life' theme.

My husband isn't artistic in some ways and we laugh about the one thing he can draw - this bird that he put on top of the weather vane!  It's always the same bird....no variation.  What a great tiny addition to the room!!

Today there were 12 students in my 1st and 2nd grade classroom.  They enjoyed hearing the Bible lesson and doing the activities.

The auditorium was decorated, as well.  It looked really cute!  My brother-in-law had to take it down today, then put it up again because for the first time ever during VBS week, we had a funeral today.

A sweet 99 year old sister in Christ!  We laughed that she would have been fine with leaving up the decor! She was a funny and fun lady, who amazing still lived alone and in great health until the last few weeks of her lie.

I'll share more about VBS this week: Pictures of other rooms, plus activities in my own class.

Teacher of the Year Reception 2013

Last Friday was the Teacher of the Year reception for our school.  

 I used a zebra print theme in black, white and red for the main table.

 Even the cake was made to match, except the decorator misunderstood that it wasn't for a graduation and added a graduation cap! That's okay.  It didn't matter because it still looked great!

On the spur of the moment, I used this teacher quote in little jars on some of the tables.  I really liked what it said.

 These are the same candles I use for church events and for a dollar each at Dollar Tree, I easily get my money's worth.  They sit inside these glass vases and look great!

Since banners are a big thing now, of course it was appropriate to make one.

It's so easy to make things on your own now.  Hobby Lobby has many ready-made things, but also the supplies to do-it-yourself and pay very little for great results!

One of the teachers honored is a fan of fishing, so his table was decorated with a fishing theme.

 Another teacher is an OU fan. She also teaches math so I put some math problems on her board.

 The support person of the year is our school nurse, who also has a lot of other duties. It was fun decorating in the nurse theme!  My husband got these crutches for a special addition.

 I used band-aids to make her name.

 My husband also got this "barf bag" for her decor!!  YUCK!!! :)

And more nursing supplies.

It's always fun decorating for the "Teacher of the Year" reception, but this year I made myself "simplify" and not go overboard.  My age is catching up to me, I think!!  I need to sleep more than I used to (haha!)  So, it wasn't as much 'decorating' as I usually would have done, but it still looked good and probably no one noticed but me.  Then it was on to the church building to decorate for VBS!  So, I'd better go for now. Classes start in an hour!

MOVE!

Not that I have already obtained all this, or have already arrived at my goal, but I press on to take hold of that for which Christ Jesus took hold of me. ¹³ Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what is behind and straining toward what is ahead,¹⁴ I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God has called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Philippians 3:12-14

MOVE.  That was the challenge given to our church family in January of 2013 by our elder and  encouraged by our preacher since then.  We even purchased these shirts stating our commitment to be a church that's "On the Move".  

How can a CHURCH MOVE?  A building can't MOVE can it (well, it shouldn't, anyway).  Of course not, because the church of the Lord is not a building.  It's the people.  It's the family of God.  And people can MOVE.

Jesus was never still.  He was always on the MOVE.  Doing.  Serving.  Helping.  Loving.  And so must we, if we want to follow Him.  Followers of Jesus MUST MOVE or they are not following.  It's just simple logic.

This week there have been many opportunities to MOVE.  Our daughter graduated from high school Monday night, just after the horrible tornadoes ripped through central Oklahoma.  The next day she said, "I want to go help."  So she did.  She MOVED.  She is working with her aunt and the Memorial Road Church of Christ in various places in and near Oklahoma City who were hit by the tornado.  There are many places that were hit and needing help.  Moore was the worst hit, but there is devastation and people who need help in other towns, as well.

This young lady is also on the MOVE!  She also graduated Monday night and yesterday spent her graduation money on water for the victims!!  What a great example to all of us!

Our church family began collecting money and water for the victims on Tuesday and by Tuesday night already had a truck load of water headed to the Oakcrest Church in Oklahoma City, so that it could be distributed to victims.  My husband was on the MOVE driving that truck that evening.  My daughter and I were on the MOVE buying more water to be taken today (Thursday).

It's amazing how many people have been on the MOVE since last night.  We had a prayer service for the tornado victims - specifically focusing on different aspects of those affects, such as the children, the medical professionals, the financial aspect, and the spiritual aspect.  We sang songs of praise and prayed that the Great Physician would heal the wounds and hearts of those who are hurting.

But this morning, it was evident that our church family had been on the MOVE.  My husband just called and there is so much water that the truck can't carry it all!  His brother (our preacher) is taking the first loaded truck up, then he's taking another truck now that is also loaded with water and they'll be picking up more water on the way. 

Teachers who were at the prayer service last night brought their students to help load water this morning! What a great way to spend the last 1/2 day of school before summer begins.

It's so great to see people on the MOVE willing to help others!!  It's great to see our small town on the MOVE!  We're collecting this water.  The 1st Baptist Church is collecting other supplies to be taken to victims.  The school's FFA Chapter is collecting supplies to be taken this weekend.  The Tipton Home (the children's home in our small town) is taking a group to work next Tuesday and Wednesday.

It's great to see Oklahomans and people from across the United States on the MOVE, helping others in need.  I especially like seeing young people learning to help serve others.  That makes me smile.  I'm pretty sure it makes God smile, as well.

That's what our life should always be about.  Helping others.  Serving others.  Loving others.  There is no better way to be like Jesus than to be on the MOVE for Him!

 Are YOU MOVING?