Get Moving!

Hi, Sherry here, from central California encouraging you to exercise this summer!

You might wonder how much physical activity a school-aged kid might need. Well, according to The National Association for Sport and Physical Education (NASPE), kids your age need an hour of exercise per day.

But why?

There are many benefits of exercise, including:

* Keeps weight in the normal range.

* Lowers the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

* Helps maintain a healthy blood pressure.

* Builds strong muscles and bones.

* For a better night’s sleep.

What type of physical activities do kids need to do?

Aerobic exercise for endurance, such as biking, running, swimming, soccer, basketball, or any sport that gets your heart pumping!

Weight bearing exercises for strength, such as push-ups, pull-ups, crunches, or any movement that helps tone and strengthen your muscles.

And stretching exercises for flexibility, such as reaching, bending, or flexing the muscles to improve range of motion.

Remember God is the one who made your body!

“Do you not know that your bodies are temples of the Holy Spirit, who is in you, whom you have received from God? You are not your own; you were bought at a price. Therefore honor God with your bodies.” ~ 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 (NIV)

So, have fun and get moving! :)

Sherry

Christmas in July fun!!

It's hot outside and that makes it a great time to think cool and wintry thoughts!

Aloha from Karen,

Monday is July 25 and that's the day to celebrate Christ's birth, renew your Christmas spirit, and even get a head start on Christmas plans.  So gather friends or family, set the AC to a bit  cooler, play some icy fun games (Icy fun activities can be found at this link) and sing Christmas carols. You can even hold a birthday party for Jesus and let everyone write a note to Jesus (maybe with a promise to do something special to show your love) and wrap it up.

Make cupcakes with green frosting or Rice Krispies (TM) treats Christmas shapes. Roll into tubes and twist into wreaths, or press and cut a star, or mold into a creche. Make it a fun contest or choose to have each person draw a shape to make a complete display. Use lots of red and green sprinkles for some Christmas sparkle.

Also take time to thank God for coming and to recall your favorite memories from last Christmas. You could even have people bring Christmas photos from the past and make scrapbook pages.

And remember to read the Christmas story from the Bible! It's in the beginning of Luke and Matthew. You could also read favorite Christmas stories or watch special Christmas DVDS.

Merry Christmas!

Behind the Scenes

Those of us writing this blog write books for Legacy. But what we do is only a little of what really goes on. Once we write the book, other people edit it, illustrate it, print it, add the cover, and get it ready to ship. It takes a lot of people to get a book from the words we write to the actual book you buy at a store.


This past week was The International Christian Retail Show in Atlanta. The people from Legacy took all the books to Atlanta and displayed them so that book store owners around the world can see what 's available and sell them in their stores.

This is Monica.

And this is me (Kathy) and Rachel with the Legacy display. She's all dressed up but I'm not because I was on the way to the park to run in the water fountains with my twins.


Rachel and Monica do a lot of the behind the scenes work in letting people know about our books.

Centennial Olympic Park next door to the convention center was a really neat place to hang out.

I took four of my children to ICRS with me and we got to meet a lot of awesome people. These are the brothers who wrote Facing the Giant, Fireproof and Courageous. We got to see Courageous even though it's not in theaters until Sept 30.

Of course Bob and Larry were there, and we got to see The Little Drummer Boy Veggie Tales movie that will release in the fall.

Mini Cakes!

The other day my daughter said she wanted to make mini cakes. “What are those?” I asked.

“Well,” she said, smiling. “They are made with cookies and frosting with sprinkles on top.”

Hmm. Sounded interesting. And yummy!

“Can we go to the store for the ingredients?” she asked. “I’ll pay.”

Since she offered, I thought why not? After all, each day God gives us is a day to celebrate. Right? 

God has given us so much to be thankful for—like family and friends. He also gives us food to eat, clothes to wear, and a comfy bed to sleep in. 

Speaking of thankfulness, here are some verses from the Bible to show gratitude:

Therefore I will praise you, LORD, among the nations; I will sing the praises of your name. ~ Psalm 18:49

We praise you, God, we praise you, for your Name is near; people tell of your wonderful deeds. ~ Psalm 75:1

Then we your people, the sheep of your pasture, will praise you forever; 
from generation to generation we will proclaim your praise.  ~ Psalm 79:13

Let the heavens rejoice, let the earth be glad; let the sea resound, and all that is in it. Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them; let all the trees of the forest sing for joy. ~ Psalm 96:11-12

Back to the mini cakes . . .

Here’s what you need:

1 package of Oreo cookies (or any type of “sandwich” style cookie)

1 tub of frosting (Chocolate is my favorite. What about you?)

Sprinkles

Here’s what you do:

1.    *  Spread frosting on the top of one cookie.

2.    *   Place another cookie on top.

3.    *   Set the cookies on a plate.

4.     *  Spread frosting on top and all around like a cake.

5.     *  Pour sprinkles on top.

Celebrate God’s goodness and enjoy!

Summer Travel and Bible Travel

Aloha from Karen,

Summer fun often includes travel. I’m flying to Atlanta tomorrow. You may be riding in boats, planes, buses, cars, or on bicycles or horses, or even walking. Have someone photograph you in various modes of transportation you use this summer. Make scrapbook pages using the photos and journal about your travels.

Do you know how people traveled in Bible times?  See if you can fill in who traveled these different ways. If you need help, check out the Bible verses. Answers will be posted later.

1. Rode a donkey who kept turning off the path
2. In a fiery chariot
3. Walked along the beach
4. Walked on water
5. Horse
6. Boat
7. Ship traveling away from where God sent him
8. Traveled by wagon with his family
9. Caravan (probably with camels)-
10. Teleported
11. Walked on road to Emmaus
12. Carried on a mat
13. In a pillar of cloud
14. Flew carrying a burning coal
15. Ship going to Rome

Clues (verses)

Acts 23:23-24              Exodus 13:21

Genesis 46:5                Matthew 4:18

Numbers 22:22-35       Isaiah 6:6

Acts 8:27-28                Mark 2:1-5

Genesis 24:10              Jonah 1:3

Acts 27:2                     Matthew 14:29

Acts 8:39-40                Luke 24:13-17

Have fun traveling and don't forget to pack your Bible on trips!

 

True Freedom

Hi. Kathy here. Last post, Karen wrote about the 4th of July. That's when we celebrate our freedom. But the truth is that, as Christians, we should celebrate our freedom everyday--not just the freedom we have in our country, but the freedom we have in Jesus.

Here are some verses that talk about freedom:

I will walk in freedom, for I have devoted myself to your commandments. Psalm 119:45

Sin is no longer your master, for you no longer live under the requirements of the law. Instead, you live under the freedom of God’s grace. Romans 6:14

For the Lord is the Spirit, and wherever the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. 2 Corinthians 3:17

He is so rich in kindness and grace that he purchased our freedom with the blood of his Son and forgave our sins. Ephesians 1:7

Can you think of any more verses that talk about freedom? 

How do you celebrate your freedom?