What could I live without so that others may live?

it is the plaguing question that has been running through my mind for the last few months.

What could I live without so that others may live?

You see, have seen people all over the world that need someone to show them love.Yet i have been living like they didn't exist spending money on things, building my kingdom instead of His. i have been investing into temporary things that really don't matter. I know what matters... people do.... now i want to live like i know it. I want to think like Jesus does, to love like He does, to value what He values... i only have a short life to live.

If some of you have been reading you remember i was trying to sell enough stuff to build a water well for a village in India ($2,250). I haven't given up hope.. I had stuff on ebay, craigslist, and i am even an amazon book seller... but it took way to much time ... so God provided a way that i can sell my stuff easier and we all can be involved... check out this video!

email us at proceedsforpoverty@gpartners.org if you have stuff you want to get rid of too and show up on June 23rd-25th if you need some stuff. It's a great way to buy what you need while giving to change the world!

ALSO PLEASE PROMOTE!!!! ways to do it:

1. facebook friend "Proceeds for Poverty" and recommend it to your friends list or share the video.

2. email your friends a link to our flyer and further information...www.gpartners.org

3. let me know if you need flyers to give out at your place of business or to give to your favorite local restaurant to pass out.

4. At the end of this week we are popping up 50 lawn signs about Proceeds for Poverty that we would like up until after June 25th if you have a neighborhood with traffic or lots of walkers and would like a sign to promote let me know!

P.S. Let me know if you are on my team and promoting this.... because .....well... it makes me happy! :)

good reads...

Okay..... i haven't read Radical by David Platt or Crazy Love by Frances Chan but i have been told by enough people that i would like it and my hubby has read them and likes them that i would definitely recommend them for your next read...

...i have however read all three of Frances Chan's new children series and i pretty much think they are grand!!!! and if you invite me to your child's birthday celebration you can count on getting one from us!

My Favorite is this one....

But these are good too..

flowers from Uganda

my husband is on his way back from Uganda. YAY!!! Though i missed him dearly i am so excited for his opportunity to show love to people in Uganda.

This trip was unique in that it was the first Gpartners trip to mainly focus on orphans and children with special needs. On the trip were several experts who knew how to help special needs children. The Excutive Director of the Blue Ridge Autism and Achievement Center, Angie Leonard, had a training ciriculum ready for parents and caretakers of the children. They took the time and evaluated each child in several orphanages and then wrote up a guideline for the caretakers to help each child reach their full potential.

Jonathan lead the team and encouraged our Gpartner Associates, The Nesters. God did amazing things through and in this team! Here is just a glimpse of one story from the trip, writing by Jonathan:

A lady, Eva, was walking down the dirt road so I began to talk to her. She spoke English well and was very friendly. As I got about halfway through telling her why we had come and about God's love for her she said, "Excuse me, I want to say something." I said, "Sure." She went on to tell me that she had a dream last night. She said in this dream that someone had come to her house to tell her about Jesus and asked her if she want to know Him walk with Him. She said that when her husband heard about this he was not very happy at all. Then she said, "Now I am walking down this street and you are standing here and wanting to tell me about Jesus and how to know Him." After a few more minutes of sharing God's love for her, I asked her if she wanted to begin a relationship with God. She looked at me as if she were to say "of course". Right there in the middle of the street, we talked to God and she placed her faith and trust in Jesus Christ. He is so amazing! I know that angels in heaven were rejoicing! (Luke 15:10)

i know this trip will produce long term hope is so many lives from Eva's life to those precious children with special needs. And i can't wait to hear more stories and hold my handsome husband. The only thing i am sad about is that he was in Ethiopia (the airport) and didn't bring one of these home....

Oh and below is my beautiful Ugandan bouquet from my sweet hubby!

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they are watching

after 24 days of teaching my babies about the purpose, the history, and the miracle of Easter.. we are taking a break from the proactive parenting lessons for a week. But truthfully the lessons really never end....

....you see we are all teaching our kids something whether we are proactively doing it or not. They are watching... EVERYTHING!

Listening to what we say, watching what we do, how we respond to situations and others, how we spend our time, money, what we value, what makes us laugh and cry.

We are all teaching our children to think the way we think whether we want to or not.

They will see the world as we do... if God is only some distant being to us.. it will be the same for them. If we are just religious people who pray at bed time and go to a church occasionally.... they will see only that ...religion. If we in our heart of hearts don't trust God... they will pick up on that. What we value they will value.

One day other influences will enter their life and they will all have a choice to see the world as we (their parents) have or to see the world and live differently.

TALK ABOUT PRESSURE.... but that is a part of parenting and something i have been think about since before we even had our first child. So no matter what little art project or activity i do with the kids to teach them what i know to be true, 90% of they retain will be what i believe to be true... which they will see through my actions.

... how i love and treat others, how i spend my time, how treat them, Jonathan, and myself. They pick up on it all.

So if i want my kids to know that they can have a personal relationship with LIVING God, to see the world as he does, and know that God created them, loves them, and is wanting them to know Him... all i have to do is fall more in love with my creator and see the world as he does and know that He loves me and is wanting to know me!

The simplicity of just me seeking Him takes some of the pressure off. Though be a parent has made me examine the motives of my heart and if i really believe what i say i believe like never before.

I have made plenty of bad decisions and my kids have seen it all, they have also witnessed me experience God's love in the form of grace and discipline.

So though i am planning and attempting to be a proactive parent... it always comes back to one thing..... the core of life... my relationship with God.

Today is nieces and nephew day... we had a full house with some of my nieces and nephews and little Susita! Great time with great kids!

HE IS ALIVE!

I don't know if it because of all of the stuff we did leading up to Easter or just the beautifulness of this whole day... but somehow Easter is different this year. My little one i think really gets it... he even asked me today if he could watch the "Jesus on the cross and come alive movie" again.... and read the story one more time from this book.

This morning we got up early to go to sunrise worship service just as the Marys did long ago to anoint Jesus' body. Before we left the house we placed a cloth over the cross in our yard to represent the empty cloth that covered Jesus' dead body which was left in the empty tomb that morning long ago. I think Elijah was as giddy as i was even at 6am in morning for the HE IS ALIVE PARTY and CELEBRATION!

We also had a beautiful Liberty student from China, Bei bei, spend the night with us and watch the celebration of God's great love for all people every where. It was sooo special to have her join us for her first "He is alive" day celebration! i so enjoy her friendship and our great conversations about Him.

We took our neighbor with us to the service too, Granny Frances! I enjoyed worshiping God with her!

After the service and breakfast together we went home. i lead the boys over to the basket (which was empty - remember all had was empty eggs in it from all of our readings throughout the month). Elijah was inquisitive and we talk about the empty grave the ladies found that morning and we looked at our art project from before.

It was empty because HE IS ALIVE! (P.S. to do the above story telling interactive art project all you need is paper cut like above and 2 brads)

Then he spoted his first egg (which i stuffed with candy and hid the night before). He opened it up and he found sweet goodies inside and we talk about the sweet love of God and sweet friendship we can have with God because of what Jesus did.

WE had so much fun!

Then we packed them up and went to a HE IS ALIVE party at Grandmas picking up Nari and Sueseita (my friend's from Nepal) along the way. Grandma has the biggest Easter party on the east coast! We had a great feast, yummy desserts, great easter egg hunts for all ages (with cash is some of them!), and even a piñata! Everyone leaves with prizes, homemade peanut butter eggs, leftovers and happy! My favorite to celebrate that HE has risen!

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We went to visit the horse at maw maw's ......

....and then we went home and rested and jeriah and i had a specail time worshiping Jesus together on a blanket in the grass on our little hill outside watching the sun go down. ..............He is Alive!!!

Then yet again we popped the car again to visit Nana, Pawpaw, aunts, uncle, and cousins and ended our day of celebration well. Taking home Nana scrumptious sticky buns, Easter cookies, and candies for the boys.

Though Jonathan was celebrating Easter in Uganda and i missed him terribly, i had such a sweet time celebrating JESUS with friends and family!

And in case you haven't noticed yet... i am madly in love with GOD and today i feel so thick and full of the reality of what GOD did and what it means for all of mankind and little 'ol me...

It is like my eyes have been opened a little more and i am bursting at the seems.

In the plan to teach the kids about HIS amazing love HE is teaching me. i can't wait to meet my maker face to face....although when i see Him one day i think i will be so overwhelmed that His feet will be the where i am.

A simple symbolic Easter dinner

i have always thought the Passover meal was very interesting and very symbolic for followers of Jesus. i had plans to attend one this year with the boys, but it didn’t work out. So, plan B was to toss together a mini Passover meal… and if any of you have been a part of a Passover meal… you know the word “mini” could never be in front of that. Not to mention how expensive of an event it is!! After some research I determined what i really wanted was a symbolic meal to have on Good Friday that would help us remember. And with His inspiration we did the below this evening. It was such a sweet time.

note: i made my lamb pie with this recipe..adding a few spices and using regular pie crust. i randomly made a side of scalloped potatoes… but maybe by next year I will have a symbolic side dish. Any ideas?

A simple Easter Remembrance Dinner:

Symbols to help us remember:

The Lamb

Of all creatures to be likened to Jesus was called the Lamb of God. Over 600 years before He entered the world the Prophet Isaiah spoke of Him “He was oppressed and treated harshly,
yet he never said a word. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter. And as a sheep is silent before the shearers, he did not open his mouth.” (Isaiah 53:7). The lamb is therefore a symbol of meekness, humility, and of willingness to submit to the will of the master as was Jesus willing to submit to God’s will. The Israelites had a law to offer sacrifices to God as worship. Part of their sacrifice law required a perfect lamb without blemish to be killed. Nothing we could ever do could ever make us worthy to be in fellowship with God who is perfect so He had to make the sacrifice and Jesus was and is the spotless lamb of God.

The Pie

When Jesus died the earth shook and in the temple the curtain that separated the people from the presence of God was torn in two. As we cut open this pie we remember that because of Jesus we now have access to the presence of the LIVING GOD!

The Matzo

The day God rescued the Israelites from their 400 years in captivity and slavery they had no time to let the bread rise so they only had unleavened bread like this. This reminds us of His faithfulness to rescue. Jesus was our promised rescuer whose body was broken so that we could be rescued from our slavery to sin. Jesus died to make us clean in God eyes and have a friendship with God like He created it to be. Also this is was known as a humble man’s bread, one who could not afford yeast. Jesus came as our humble King and as we break this bread we remember his body that was broken for us.

The Fruit

Jesus said, “Remain in me, and I will remain in you. For a branch cannot produce fruit if it is severed from the vine, and you cannot be fruitful unless you remain in me.” John 15:4 In Him we can do His will and produce the fruit we were created to produce. The fruit reminds us to remain (to dwell or live it).

Grape Juice reminds us of His blood that was shed on the cross for us.

2 days till when mankind was given his greatest gift

With the 4 videos, the books, the 2 dozen eggs, the Bible, the symbols, the art projects, the activities and the symbolic lunches, dinners, and snacks... i think at least one of my little ones is finally getting what Easter is all about.

The other one is not even 2 yet...no expectations there... though he has been says "Jesus" a lot lately. It sounds like "Chee chush" and for the longest time i had no idea what he was saying but it looks like something sinking in.

This year more than ever before i think i have been swept away in this celebration of God's love. A love that needs no words... but speaks through action.

Today, begin Good Friday... the day He died. In our egg we discovered the story below and the symbol was a curtain torn in two. (i hid the egg in a curtain this morning... took the little men a while to find that one!) Below i added pictures from Jonathan's recent trip.

Luke 23:32-43, Matthew 27:45-66

LUKE: ³² Two others, both criminals, were led out to be executed with him. ³³ When they came to a place called The Skull, they nailed him to the cross. And the criminals were also crucified—one on his right and one on his left.

Golgatha "the place of the skull" where Jesus was crucified and died.

³⁴ Jesus said, “Father, forgive them, for they don’t know what they are doing.” And the soldiers gambled for his clothes by throwing dice. ³⁵ The crowd watched and the leaders scoffed. “He saved others,” they said, “let him save himself if he is really God’s Messiah, the Chosen One.” ³⁶ The soldiers mocked him, too, by offering him a drink of sour wine. ³⁷ They called out to him, “If you are the King of the Jews, save yourself!” ³⁸ A sign was fastened to the cross above him with these words: “This is the King of the Jews.”

³⁹ One of the criminals hanging beside him scoffed, “So you’re the Messiah, are you? Prove it by saving yourself—and us, too, while you’re at it!”

⁴⁰ But the other criminal protested, “Don’t you fear God even when you have been sentenced to die? ⁴¹ We deserve to die for our crimes, but this man hasn’t done anything wrong.” ⁴² Then he said, “Jesus, remember me when you come into your Kingdom.” ⁴³ And Jesus replied, “I assure you, today you will be with me in paradise.”

MATTHEW 27: ⁴⁵ At noon, darkness fell across the whole land until three o’clock. ⁴⁶ At about three o’clock, Jesus called out with a loud voice, “Eli, Eli, lema sabachthani?” which means “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?” ⁴⁷ Some of the bystanders misunderstood and thought he was calling for the prophet Elijah. ⁴⁸ One of them ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, holding it up to him on a reed stick so he could drink. ⁴⁹ But the rest said, “Wait! Let’s see whether Elijah comes to save him.” ⁵⁰ Then Jesus shouted out again, and he released his spirit. ⁵¹ At that moment the curtain in the sanctuary of the Temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. The earth shook, rocks split apart, ⁵² and tombs opened. The bodies of many godly men and women who had died were raised from the dead. ⁵³ They left the cemetery after Jesus’ resurrection, went into the holy city of Jerusalem, and appeared to many people. ⁵⁴ The Roman officer and the other soldiers at the crucifixion were terrified by the earthquake and all that had happened. They said, “This man truly was the Son of God!”

⁵⁵ And many women who had come from Galilee with Jesus to care for him were watching from a distance. ⁵⁶ Among them were Mary Magdalene, Mary (the mother of James and Joseph), and the mother of James and John, the sons of Zebedee ⁵⁷ As evening approached, Joseph, a rich man from Arimathea who had become a follower of Jesus, ⁵⁸ went to Pilate and asked for Jesus’ body. And Pilate issued an order to release it to him. ⁵⁹ Joseph took the body and wrapped it in a long sheet of clean linen cloth. ⁶⁰ He placed it in his own new tomb, which had been carved out of the rock. Then he rolled a great stone across the entrance and left. ⁶¹ Both Mary Magdalene and the other Mary were sitting across from the tomb and watching.

the tomb where many people believe Jesus was buried

⁶² The next day, on the Sabbath, the leading priests and Pharisees went to see Pilate. ⁶³ They told him, “Sir, we remember what that deceiver once said while he was still alive: ‘After three days I will rise from the dead.’ ⁶⁴ So we request that you seal the tomb until the third day. This will prevent his disciples from coming and stealing his body and then telling everyone he was raised from the dead! If that happens, we’ll be worse off than we were at first.” ⁶⁵ Pilate replied, “Take guards and secure it the best you can.” ⁶⁶ So they sealed the tomb and posted guards to protect it.

Activity: Visit a graveyard… sounds morbid, i know, but death is a fact of life for all of us… except for Jesus and miracles God can do. And knowing about how brief your life is helps you to live differently. When you get there..talk about what happens when we die to our body… talk about what happened to God’s body. We visited Elijah’s old Paw Paw’s grave who passed away last year whom he loved dearly.

Art Project: TO ALMOST FINISH YOUR EASTER SIGN: You will need a piece of paper, twigs, and glue. Make your cross (the “t” to your EASTER sign) and glue it on.

3 days left till when our REAL superhero saved the world

Today the boys plus one (cousin who spent the night) and I marveled at the REAL SUPER HERO.... WITH SUPER POWERS BEYOND YOUR WILDEST DREAMS!

John 19:1-27

¹ Then Pilate had Jesus flogged with a lead-tipped whip. ² The soldiers wove a crown of thorns and put it on his head, and they put a purple robe on him. ³ “Hail! King of the Jews!” they mocked, as they slapped him across the face. ⁴ Pilate went outside again and said to the people, “I am going to bring him out to you now, but understand clearly that I find him not guilty.” ⁵ Then Jesus came out wearing the crown of thorns and the purple robe. And Pilate said, “Look, here is the man!” ⁶ When they saw him, the leading priests and Temple guards began shouting, “Crucify him! Crucify him!” “Take him yourselves and crucify him,” Pilate said. “I find him not guilty.” ⁷ The Jewish leaders replied, “By our law he ought to die because he called himself the Son of God.” ⁸ When Pilate heard this, he was more frightened than ever. ⁹ He took Jesus back into the headquarters again and asked him, “Where are you from?” But Jesus gave no answer. ¹⁰ “Why don’t you talk to me?” Pilate demanded. “Don’t you realize that I have the power to release you or crucify you?” ¹¹ Then Jesus said, “You would have no power over me at all unless it were given to you from above. So the one who handed me over to you has the greater sin.” ¹² Then Pilate tried to release him, but the Jewish leaders shouted, “If you release this man, you are no ‘friend of Caesar.’ Anyone who declares himself a king is a rebel against Caesar.” ¹³ When they said this, Pilate brought Jesus out to them again. Then Pilate sat down on the judgment seat on the platform that is called the Stone Pavement (in Hebrew, Gabbatha). ¹⁴ It was now about noon on the day of preparation for the Passover. And Pilate said to the people, “Look, here is your king!” ¹⁵ “Away with him,” they yelled. “Away with him! Crucify him!” “What? Crucify your king?” Pilate asked. “We have no king but Caesar,” the leading priests shouted back. ¹⁶ Then Pilate turned Jesus over to them to be crucified. So they took Jesus away. ¹⁷ Carrying the cross by himself, he went to the place called Place of the Skull (in Hebrew, Golgotha). ¹⁸ There they nailed him to the cross. Two others were crucified with him, one on either side, with Jesus between them. ¹⁹ And Pilate posted a sign over him that read, “Jesus of Nazareth, the King of the Jews.” ²⁰ The place where Jesus was crucified was near the city, and the sign was written in Hebrew, Latin, and Greek, so that many people could read it. ²¹ Then the leading priests objected and said to Pilate, “Change it from ‘The King of the Jews’ to ‘He said, I am King of the Jews.’” ²² Pilate replied, “No, what I have written, I have written.”

²³ When the soldiers had crucified Jesus, they divided his clothes among the four of them. They also took his robe, but it was seamless, woven in one piece from top to bottom. ²⁴ So they said, “Rather than tearing it apart, let’s throw dice for it.” This fulfilled the Scripture that says, “They divided my garments among themselves and threw dice for my clothing.” So that is what they did. ²⁵ Standing near the cross were Jesus’ mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary (the wife of Clopas), and Mary Magdalene. ²⁶ When Jesus saw his mother standing there beside the disciple he loved, he said to her, “Dear woman, here is your son.” ²⁷ And he said to this disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from then on this disciple took her into his home.

Activity and Art project: You may need a saw, hammer, nails, and/or a rope. Go hunting in your back yard or on property where you have permission, or at Home Depot/Lowes for you city folk J for some wood to make a cross. Have your children help you pick out the wood. Make the cross and talk about how Jesus died. If you want put up the cross in your yard or in your house, on your porch to remind you and others of the sacrifice that was made for everyone everywhere to be able to commune with the LIVING CREATOR GOD!!

Thanks Paw Paw (Jonathan's dad) for all your help!!

In the wee hours on Good Friday morning i went outside and stood it up. i was so giddy about getting it in i could barely sleep. This is a tradition was passed on from my parents. Thanks mom! i remember putting up the cross in our front yard as a teenager with my dad.

It was so neat to watch the boys discovered it!

4 days till Easter....

JOHN 18:12-40

¹² So the soldiers, their commanding officer, and the Temple guards arrested Jesus and tied him up. ¹³ First they took him to Annas, the father-in-law of Caiaphas, the high priest at that time. ¹⁴ Caiaphas was the one who had told the other Jewish leaders, “It’s better that one man should die for the people.” ¹⁵ Simon Peter followed Jesus, as did another of the disciples. That other disciple was acquainted with the high priest, so he was allowed to enter the high priest’s courtyard with Jesus. ¹⁶ Peter had to stay outside the gate. Then the disciple who knew the high priest spoke to the woman watching at the gate, and she let Peter in. ¹⁷ The woman asked Peter, “You’re not one of that man’s disciples, are you?” “No,” he said, “I am not.” ¹⁸ Because it was cold, the household servants and the guards had made a charcoal fire. They stood around it, warming themselves, and Peter stood with them, warming himself.

¹⁹ Inside, the high priest began asking Jesus about his followers and what he had been teaching them. ²⁰ Jesus replied, “Everyone knows what I teach. I have preached regularly in the synagogues and the Temple, where the people gather. I have not spoken in secret. ²¹ Why are you asking me this question? Ask those who heard me. They know what I said.” ²² Then one of the Temple guards standing nearby slapped Jesus across the face. “Is that the way to answer the high priest?” he demanded. ²³ Jesus replied, “If I said anything wrong, you must prove it. But if I’m speaking the truth, why are you beating me?” ²⁴ Then Annas bound Jesus and sent him to Caiaphas, the high priest. ²⁵ Meanwhile, as Simon Peter was standing by the fire warming himself, they asked him again, “You’re not one of his disciples, are you?” He denied it, saying, “No, I am not.” ²⁶ But one of the household slaves of the high priest, a relative of the man whose ear Peter had cut off, asked, “Didn’t I see you out there in the olive grove with Jesus?” ²⁷ Again Peter denied it. And immediately a rooster crowed.

²⁸ Jesus’ trial before Caiaphas ended in the early hours of the morning. Then he was taken to the headquarters of the Roman governor. His accusers didn’t go inside because it would defile them, and they wouldn’t be allowed to celebrate the Passover. ²⁹ So Pilate, the governor, went out to them and asked, “What is your charge against this man?” ³⁰ “We wouldn’t have handed him over to you if he weren’t a criminal!” they retorted. ³¹ “Then take him away and judge him by your own law,” Pilate told them. “Only the Romans are permitted to execute someone,” the Jewish leaders replied.³² (This fulfilled Jesus’ prediction about the way he would die.) ³³ Then Pilate went back into his headquarters and called for Jesus to be brought to him. “Are you the king of the Jews?” he asked him. ³⁴ Jesus replied, “Is this your own question, or did others tell you about me?” ³⁵ “Am I a Jew?” Pilate retorted. “Your own people and their leading priests brought you to me for trial. Why? What have you done?” ³⁶ Jesus answered, “My Kingdom is not an earthly kingdom. If it were, my followers would fight to keep me from being handed over to the Jewish leaders. But my Kingdom is not of this world.” ³⁷ Pilate said, “So you are a king?” Jesus responded, “You say I am a king. Actually, I was born and came into the world to testify to the truth. All who love the truth recognize that what I say is true.” ³⁸ “What is truth?” Pilate asked. Then he went out again to the people and told them, “He is not guilty of any crime. ³⁹ But you have a custom of asking me to release one prisoner each year at Passover. Would you like me to release this ‘King of the Jews’?” ⁴⁰ But they shouted back, “No! Not this man. We want Barabbas!” (Barabbas was a revolutionary.)

Activity: Game -True or or a Lie (False) = You tell me something and the rest of us will tell you if it is true or false. After the game talk about how Jesus said if we love the truth we will recognize what He says is true. Talk about some things that Jesus said about Himself and the prophesies about Him and if they were/are true. Elijah liked this game especially since we have already been discussing the difference between a lie and the truth anyway!

Art Project: Make a rooster picture with a piece of paper, leaves, scissors, and glue. Talk about what Jesus said Peter was going to do and what He did. Talk about why the reasons why Peter lied and denied he knew Jesus. We know the truth about Jesus and we should never deny it even if we face some of the same things that Peter faced.

For those of you who are doing "EASTER !" banners or garlands you may be wondering where your "t" art project is it will come on Friday in the form of the cross...

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5 days... not my will but yours

Matthew 26:36-56 (pictures are from Jonathan's trip last week of the where historians believe Gethsemane was and where Jesus prayed)

³⁶ Then Jesus went with them to the olive grove called Gethsemane, and he said, “Sit here while I go over there to pray.” ³⁷ He took Peter and Zebedee’s two sons, James and John, and he became anguished and distressed. ³⁸ He told them, “My soul is crushed with grief to the point of death. Stay here and keep watch with me.” ³⁹ He went on a little farther and bowed with his face to the ground, praying, “My Father! If it is possible, let this cup of suffering be taken away from me. Yet I want your will to be done, not mine.”

⁴⁰ Then he returned to the disciples and found them asleep. He said to Peter, “Couldn’t you watch with me even one hour? ⁴¹ Keep watch and pray, so that you will not give in to temptation. For the spirit is willing, but the body is weak!” ⁴² Then Jesus left them a second time and prayed, “My Father! If this cup cannot be taken away unless I drink it, your will be done.” ⁴³ When he returned to them again, he found them sleeping, for they couldn’t keep their eyes open. ⁴⁴ So he went to pray a third time, saying the same things again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said, “Go ahead and sleep. Have your rest. But look—the time has come. The Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Up, let’s be going. Look, my betrayer is here!”

⁴⁷ And even as Jesus said this, Judas, one of the twelve disciples, arrived with a crowd of men armed with swords and clubs. They had been sent by the leading priests and elders of the people. ⁴⁸ The traitor, Judas, had given them a prearranged signal: “You will know which one to arrest when I greet him with a kiss.” ⁴⁹ So Judas came straight to Jesus. “Greetings, Rabbi!” he exclaimed and gave him the kiss. ⁵⁰ Jesus said, “My friend, go ahead and do what you have come for.” Then the others grabbed Jesus and arrested him. ⁵¹ But one of the men with Jesus pulled out his sword and struck the high priest’s slave, slashing off his ear. ⁵² “Put away your sword,” Jesus told him. “Those who use the sword will die by the sword. ⁵³ Don’t you realize that I could ask my Father for thousands of angels to protect us, and he would send them instantly? ⁵⁴ But if I did, how would the Scriptures be fulfilled that describe what must happen now?” ⁵⁵ Then Jesus said to the crowd, “Am I some dangerous revolutionary, that you come with swords and clubs to arrest me? Why didn’t you arrest me in the Temple? I was there teaching every day. ⁵⁶ But this is all happening to fulfill the words of the prophets as recorded in the Scriptures.” At that point, all the disciples deserted him and fled.

Activity: A talk to GOD walk. Take time and go on a walk with the kids. Talk about the story and how Jesus went to away to talk to God. Jesus knew what was about to happen and when He talked to God He asked Him to rescue Him but then he told God that He would do will do what GOD wanted not what He wanted. On your walk talk to GOD together about things that you want Him to do and afterwards together ask HIS WILL to be done.

Art Project: Jesus is a man of peace even though they came to him with swords, He went willing, He knew it was God’s plan and He knew what was about to happen..and He did it anyway…because HE loved us. We made swords to help us act out the this part of story. You will need: old wrapping paper roll (no more wrapping paper on it), old card board, sissors, cup, tape, and a pen/pencil… and maybe some bling and a marker to decorate it to decorate it.

Pretty easy project.... and of course i made two... you can't give one brother a sword without giving one to the other brother to defend himself. :)