Rebecca S. Ramsey's Blog, page 36

The Ark and the Tent

Welcome to the Ark and the Tent, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 8, based on Exodus 25-31, 35-40. You can find the script on p.81-86 in the orange book (The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Vol 2, 14 Presentations for Fall, by Jerome W. Berryman).

Children always get so excited about this story. They love the little pieces belonging to the tent, I think partly because each piece comes with a tradition. We all know how kids LOVE traditions–knowing the proper way to do things and the reasons behind why we do them. Bringing a sacrifice for the altar, washing at the laver before entering the tent, burning incense, placing 12 pieces of bread on the table, lighting the menorah…it all has meaning, centered upon being ready to meet God.

There are different approaches to this lesson that teachers can take. Of course we can all go through a study of each of the steps of getting ready and the tools mentioned above to help them get ready.  Many churches still use several of these today. Are there any that we use? Are there new ones not included with the tent?

We can also think about how we get ready to do different things in our lives–to go places that are important to us, for example.  How do we get ready to hear our Godly Play stories? Why is that important? How do we get ready to be with God? What do we do? How exactly do the routines we do help us get ready? Can we practice getting ready to be with God when we’re at home too? How would we do that?

One thing that the Godly Play script doesn’t highlight which you may want to include is the idea that all the people of God were invited to give something of their own to creating the tent of meeting–not just jewelry or fabric or wood, but their own craftsmanship. It was created by the people of God, for God.

Ideas for Art Response Time

This story is practically BURSTING with ideas for little hands–and big ones too!

I can easily see the activity time for this story beginning this Sunday, but continuing at least one other Sunday. Soon we’ll do the Ark and the Temple, so the work could easily continue with that story too.

Here are some that I came up with to add to your own. (And please, do feel free to write a comment to share your own ideas!)

Children might like to make their own collection of getting ready pieces like a menorah, an incense holder, a laver, an ark. They could make tiny pieces with clay or boxes or pieces of wood or whatever materials we have.

Or they could spend more time on making individual pieces. The menorahs above are made from a big clay “worm” in which popsickle sticks (which have been colored with crayons) are inserted. Sequins and beads have also been pressed into the clay.

Here are some websites with more great ideas and directions:

How to make a potato menorah:

www.jewishappleseed.org/apple/potatomenorah.htm

How to make a menorah from clay:

www.familyfun.go.com/crafts/clay-menorah-666608/

Of course our children will come up with more creative ideas than we can!

Some things to ask them:

How could we make a laver?

What do we have in our classroom which might make a good altar?

A table for the 12 slices of bread?

An ark of the covenant? How about decorating a box with gold wrapping paper for the ark?

What about the poles that carry it?

(Wouldn’t it be fun to light some incense and see what it smells like?)

If we’re going to make all those pieces, why not make a tent of meeting in which to put them?

A table turned on its side could give us the framework.

There are a few tablecloths folded up in the art supply room to serve as the tent fabric.

What if we brought blankets from home? We could even have a four layer tent, much like the tent is described in the Bible.

Once the tent is made, we could put all the pieces we created inside it. How would we separate the Holy of Holies?

Or we could make a small tabernacle out of cardboard and fabric.

There’s so much to think about. I can’t wait to see what your classes create! If you take photos, please share them with me. I’d love to add them to the parent newsletter!

Have fun, y’all! And for more ideas, including snack ideas for the lesson, see my Pinterest page on the story, here.

The post The Ark and the Tent appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Ark and the Tent

Welcome to the Ark and the Tent, the Godly Play story scheduled for this Sunday, October 8, based on Exodus 25-31, 35-40. You can find the script on p.81-86 in the orange book (The Complete Guide to Godly Play, Vol 2, 14 Presentations for Fall, by Jerome W. Berryman).

Children always get so excited about this story. They love the little pieces belonging to the tent, I think partly because each piece comes with a tradition. We all know how kids LOVE traditions–knowing the proper way to do things and the reasons behind why we do them. Bringing a sacrifice for the altar, washing at the laver before entering the tent, burning incense, placing 12 pieces of bread on the table, lighting the menorah…it all has meaning, centered upon being ready to meet God.

There are different approaches to this lesson that teachers can take. Of course we can all go through a study of each of the steps of getting ready and the tools mentioned above to help them get ready.  Many churches still use several of these today. Are there any that we use? Are there new ones not included with the tent?

We can also think about how we get ready to do different things in our lives–to go places that are important to us, for example.  How do we get ready to hear our Godly Play stories? Why is that important? How do we get ready to be with God? What do we do? How exactly do the routines we do help us get ready? Can we practice getting ready to be with God when we’re at home too? How would we do that?

One thing that the Godly Play script doesn’t highlight which you may want to include is the idea that all the people of God were invited to give something of their own to creating the tent of meeting–not just jewelry or fabric or wood, but their own craftsmanship. It was created by the people of God, for God.

Ideas for Art Response Time

This story is practically BURSTING with ideas for little hands–and big ones too!

I can easily see the activity time for this story beginning this Sunday, but continuing at least one other Sunday. Soon we’ll do the Ark and the Temple, so the work could easily continue with that story too.

Here are some that I came up with to add to your own. (And please, do feel free to write a comment to share your own ideas!)

Children might like to make their own collection of getting ready pieces like a menorah, an incense holder, a laver, an ark. They could make tiny pieces with clay or boxes or pieces of wood or whatever materials we have.

Or they could spend more time on making individual pieces. The menorahs above are made from a big clay “worm” in which popsickle sticks (which have been colored with crayons) are inserted. Sequins and beads have also been pressed into the clay.

Here are some websites with more great ideas and directions:

How to make a potato menorah:

www.jewishappleseed.org/apple/potatomenorah.htm

How to make a menorah from clay:

www.familyfun.go.com/crafts/clay-menorah-666608/

Of course our children will come up with more creative ideas than we can!

Some things to ask them:

How could we make a laver?

What do we have in our classroom which might make a good altar?

A table for the 12 slices of bread?

An ark of the covenant? How about decorating a box with gold wrapping paper for the ark?

What about the poles that carry it?

(Wouldn’t it be fun to light some incense and see what it smells like?)

If we’re going to make all those pieces, why not make a tent of meeting in which to put them?

A table turned on its side could give us the framework.

There are a few tablecloths folded up in the art supply room to serve as the tent fabric.

What if we brought blankets from home? We could even have a four layer tent, much like the tent is described in the Bible.

Once the tent is made, we could put all the pieces we created inside it. How would we separate the Holy of Holies?

Or we could make a small tabernacle out of cardboard and fabric.

There’s so much to think about. I can’t wait to see what your classes create! If you take photos, please share them with me. I’d love to add them to the parent newsletter!

Have fun, y’all! And for more ideas, including snack ideas for the lesson, see my Pinterest page on the story, here.

The post The Ark and the Tent appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

Sunday Dinner…with a Heaping Side of Judgement

By the look of the crowd lined up on the porch, Sunday dinner in the mountains after church would be worth the wait. Todd and I made our way through the folks soaking up the sunshine in the parking lot and on the steps, men in Harley shirts looking over each other’s bikes and enjoying a smoke as they waited for their meat and three. There were families still dressed up from church, young couples in love, stroking each others’ arms or swinging held hands, barefoot kids running wild, the cuffs of their jeans still wet from wading the creek in the back. And there were old folks with walkers and oxygen tanks, sitting on rocking chairs, as various family members stood around them.

We’d been to the restaurant years ago, back when our kids were little. There was a porch where we could eat outside and they had an organ back there where a lady would play polka music and songs like “Hello Dolly” or “Put on a Happy Face” and if your three year old wanted to get up and dance around with his fried chicken leg, he could and nobody would care. As I remembered, the food was good, the temps were cooler than in Greenville, and we could check to see if the leaves had started to change. So here we were back again, kidless, just the two of us.

The hostess said that it was hard to tell on Sundays, but the wait shouldn’t be too long, that “folks are moving through pretty good.” So we found a place inside to stand, near the cashier, and waited. No rush. We were fine.

At first, all I noticed were the people.

They were all ages. Most looked to be from the surrounding countryside, all hungry but patient, waiting their turn.

Then my stomach started growling and I started paying attention to the folks lining up at the cashier to pay.

“Was it good?” the cashier asked.

“Yes ma’am,” the young lady said, getting cash out of the back pocket of her jeans. “The fried chicken here’s the best.”

“Did you make it to church today?” she said, looking up over her reading glasses at the girl.

“Uh…no,” she answered, slumping a little. “Woke up too late.”

“Mmm hmm,” said the cashier, handing her the change.

The girl stared at the floor as she walked away.

Maybe she knew her, I thought. They’re probably related.

The next man in line handed the cashier his bill and his credit card.

“Was it good?” the cashier asked.

“Delicious,” said the man.

“Make it to church today?” she asked.

“Indeed I did!” the man said, standing a little taller. “Great sermon.”

“Which one?”

“Huh?”

“Which church?”

The man told her and she asked where it was and scribbled something on a notebook.

“Well you have a blessed day,” she said.

“You too!”

A man in a torn black tee shirt was next, with three other guys beside him.

“Was it good?”

“Oh yes ma’am, it sure was.”

“Did you make it to church this morning?”

“Uh what?”

“Did you go to church this morning. It’s Sunday. Did you go to church?”

“Ohhh. No ma’am, I can’t say that we did. We should have. But we didn’t.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, you have a good Sunday, ma’am.”

“Oh I will, indeed.”

For the next forty minutes I stood there and watched this lady ask every single person if they had made it to church that morning, and I heard all their responses and watched the way they walked away. One lady couldn’t go because she was taking care of her mother. Another was taking her parents to the mountains and they weren’t dressed for church, others said they missed it this Sunday but they’d be back next week. Others gave no excuse. One lady said, “Now why would I do something like that?” to which the cashier replied, “Hold on and let me get out of the way so I don’t get a rebound when God strikes you down.” She was the exception. Most folks did their best to explain, to make their excuse, and then quickly darted out the door.

Some slumped away, and several church goers practically strutted. I don’t think they meant to, necessarily. It probably just felt good to be acknowledged, to be praised for giving their morning to God. For doing the right thing, according to the cashier. To be in the same club. They didn’t necessarily know anyone was listening or watching.

By the time we sat down at our table, I was a little worked up. As I took out my frustration on my meatloaf, which I had to admit was very tasty, Todd and I talked all about it.

“Can you believe that! Did you see how that boy practically crawled away? And what was she doing making a list of churches?”  She was giving Christianity a bad name, that’s what she was doing: having her own little Line Up and Be Shamed festival. This was not the way to attract people to church, to God. This was so wrong. SO WRONG.

I went up and got myself a strawberry shortcake at the dessert bar, because it wasn’t going to help God for me to go without dessert, and thought about what I’d have Todd say to her. (I was afraid I would chicken out and then I’d have to be mad at myself all afternoon.) Todd threatened to give the woman a heart attack by saying that yes indeed he went to a service but actually it was at a synagogue or a mosque- he couldn’t decide which he would go with.

“No, you can’t do that,” I said, but I knew he was joking. Todd is one of those people who doesn’t mind conflict in conversation. “Be true,” I said. “But I can’t take the tension. I’ve got to go outside.”

So I waited in the parking lot and watched and stood with the Harley people accidentally until one of the guys said hello and chuckled to himself. “Hi,” I said, and smiled and walked over to my car. I could just hear the cashier lady. She might count that as witnessing since I was wearing church clothes.

“So did she ask you? What did you say?”

“I told her that since I was married to a minister, yes, I’d been to church” and she said, ‘Well, then I guess you have to go, don’t you?!’ And then I pointed to her notebook where she’d written down everybody’s churches and asked her why she was keeping track, and she said she gives a 10% discount to churchgoers. It’s all for the discount, I guess.”

Suddenly the idea of giving a 10% discount for churchgoers bothered me, even though I’d heard of it before, even though I’d benefitted from it before. Join our club, it says. Do the right thing and be rewarded.

Even though I love God with all my heart, and will probably always go to church, this suddenly made me mad! What about all the people who can’t go to church because they’re so low they can’t even get out of bed? Or people who served others all week and just need to reflect upon God in the quiet?

Church is wonderful. Church is a huge part of my life. But it’s not something to worship. That’s all for God.

If we ever go back to that restaurant, I might bring them a sign for the discount, so they don’t have to ask. And I might also mention the organ.  The world needs less shaming and more dancing to polka music with a chicken leg.

 

*Thank you to the Southern Foodways Alliance for sharing their photo on Flickr through Creative Commons.

The post Sunday Dinner…with a Heaping Side of Judgement appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

Sunday Dinner…with a Heaping Side of Judgement

By the look of the crowd lined up on the porch, Sunday dinner in the mountains after church would be worth the wait. Todd and I made our way through the folks soaking up the sunshine in the parking lot and on the steps, men in Harley shirts looking over each other’s bikes and enjoying a smoke as they waited for their meat and three. There were families still dressed up from church, young couples in love, stroking each others’ arms or swinging held hands, barefoot kids running wild, the cuffs of their jeans still wet from wading the creek in the back. And there were old folks with walkers and oxygen tanks, sitting on rocking chairs, as various family members stood around them.

We’d been to the restaurant years ago, back when our kids were little. There was a porch where we could eat outside and they had an organ back there where a lady would play polka music and songs like “Hello Dolly” or “Put on a Happy Face” and if your three year old wanted to get up and dance around with his fried chicken leg, he could and nobody would care. As I remembered, the food was good, the temps were cooler than in Greenville, and we could check to see if the leaves had started to change. So here we were back again, kidless, just the two of us.

The hostess said that it was hard to tell on Sundays, but the wait shouldn’t be too long, that “folks are moving through pretty good.” So we found a place inside to stand, near the cashier, and waited. No rush. We were fine.

At first, all I noticed were the people.

They were all ages. Most looked to be from the surrounding countryside, all hungry but patient, waiting their turn.

Then my stomach started growling and I started paying attention to the folks lining up at the cashier to pay.

“Was it good?” the cashier asked.

“Yes ma’am,” the young lady said, getting cash out of the back pocket of her jeans. “The fried chicken here’s the best.”

“Did you make it to church today?” she said, looking up over her reading glasses at the girl.

“Uh…no,” she answered, slumping a little. “Woke up too late.”

“Mmm hmm,” said the cashier, handing her the change.

The girl stared at the floor as she walked away.

Maybe she knew her, I thought. They’re probably related.

The next man in line handed the cashier his bill and his credit card.

“Was it good?” the cashier asked.

“Delicious,” said the man.

“Make it to church today?” she asked.

“Indeed I did!” the man said, standing a little taller. “Great sermon.”

“Which one?”

“Huh?”

“Which church?”

The man told her and she asked where it was and scribbled something on a notebook.

“Well you have a blessed day,” she said.

“You too!”

A man in a torn black tee shirt was next, with three other guys beside him.

“Was it good?”

“Oh yes ma’am, it sure was.”

“Did you make it to church this morning?”

“Uh what?”

“Did you go to church this morning. It’s Sunday. Did you go to church?”

“Ohhh. No ma’am, I can’t say that we did. We should have. But we didn’t.”

“Uh huh.”

“Well, you have a good Sunday, ma’am.”

“Oh I will, indeed.”

For the next forty minutes I stood there and watched this lady ask every single person if they had made it to church that morning, and I heard all their responses and watched the way they walked away. One lady couldn’t go because she was taking care of her mother. Another was taking her parents to the mountains and they weren’t dressed for church, others said they missed it this Sunday but they’d be back next week. Others gave no excuse. One lady said, “Now why would I do something like that?” to which the cashier replied, “Hold on and let me get out of the way so I don’t get a rebound when God strikes you down.” She was the exception. Most folks did their best to explain, to make their excuse, and then quickly darted out the door.

Some slumped away, and several church goers practically strutted. I don’t think they meant to, necessarily. It probably just felt good to be acknowledged, to be praised for giving their morning to God. For doing the right thing, according to the cashier. To be in the same club. They didn’t necessarily know anyone was listening or watching.

By the time we sat down at our table, I was a little worked up. As I took out my frustration on my meatloaf, which I had to admit was very tasty, Todd and I talked all about it.

“Can you believe that! Did you see how that boy practically crawled away? And what was she doing making a list of churches?”  She was giving Christianity a bad name, that’s what she was doing: having her own little Line Up and Be Shamed festival. This was not the way to attract people to church, to God. This was so wrong. SO WRONG.

I went up and got myself a strawberry shortcake at the dessert bar, because it wasn’t going to help God for me to go without dessert, and thought about what I’d have Todd say to her. (I was afraid I would chicken out and then I’d have to be mad at myself all afternoon.) Todd threatened to give the woman a heart attack by saying that yes indeed he went to a service but actually it was at a synagogue or a mosque- he couldn’t decide which he would go with.

“No, you can’t do that,” I said, but I knew he was joking. Todd is one of those people who doesn’t mind conflict in conversation. “Be true,” I said. “But I can’t take the tension. I’ve got to go outside.”

So I waited in the parking lot and watched and stood with the Harley people accidentally until one of the guys said hello and chuckled to himself. “Hi,” I said, and smiled and walked over to my car. I could just hear the cashier lady. She might count that as witnessing since I was wearing church clothes.

“So did she ask you? What did you say?”

“I told her that since I was married to a minister, yes, I’d been to church” and she said, ‘Well, then I guess you have to go, don’t you?!’ And then I pointed to her notebook where she’d written down everybody’s churches and asked her why she was keeping track, and she said she gives a 10% discount to churchgoers. It’s all for the discount, I guess.”

Suddenly the idea of giving a 10% discount for churchgoers bothered me, even though I’d heard of it before, even though I’d benefitted from it before. Join our club, it says. Do the right thing and be rewarded.

Even though I love God with all my heart, and will probably always go to church, this suddenly made me mad! What about all the people who can’t go to church because they’re so low they can’t even get out of bed? Or people who served others all week and just need to reflect upon God in the quiet?

Church is wonderful. Church is a huge part of my life. But it’s not something to worship. That’s all for God.

If we ever go back to that restaurant, I might bring them a sign for the discount, so they don’t have to ask. And I might also mention the organ.  The world needs less shaming and more dancing to polka music with a chicken leg.

 

*Thank you to the Southern Foodways Alliance for sharing their photo on Flickr through Creative Commons.

The post Sunday Dinner…with a Heaping Side of Judgement appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday

Welcome to The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday, scheduled for this Sunday, October 1, 2016. This lesson comes from The Complete Guide to Godly Play, 20 Presentations for Spring, by Jerome Berryman.

How wonderful for our children, who will be celebrating World Communion Sunday in worship, to have a chance to explore this idea of Christ as Shepherd of our world during Sunday school!

It’s a great time to remember the parable of the shepherd and apply this to World Communion Sunday, as well as a time to think deeper about communion-what it is and what it means. It’s a pretty short lesson, so that leaves plenty of time to discuss these big ideas. Children may want to talk about what communion is like for them. At our church some families include children in participating and others prefer that their children wait until they are baptized. It’s good for children to remember that whether or not we join in on the eating and drinking, we can be with God in our prayer during the communion time. God loves and wants to commune with everyone, no matter what.

Ideas for Art Response

Of course, one response that children will love is to play with the pieces of the story. Children enjoy the story together, telling it to each other in groups of two or three.

2. Make a World Communion Circle for your class. Each child could make their own contribution- a clothespin person or the world out of paper or felt and put it all together.

3. Children could make their own elements from the story:  Jesus as Shepherd, the sheep, the fence, the table, the chalice or plate.

4. Or children could focus on the World part of World Communion Sunday…

 Use Model Magic to make it in 3D.

The children might enjoy a field trip to look at our world in tiles from a few years back.

5. You could also celebrate communion on your own in your classroom with juice and crackers. Bring me clean receipts and I’m happy to reimburse you!

For more response ideas, visit my Pinterest page on the subject, here.

Enjoy!

The post The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday

Welcome to The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday, scheduled for this Sunday, October 1, 2016. This lesson comes from The Complete Guide to Godly Play, 20 Presentations for Spring, by Jerome Berryman.

How wonderful for our children, who will be celebrating World Communion Sunday in worship, to have a chance to explore this idea of Christ as Shepherd of our world during Sunday school!

It’s a great time to remember the parable of the shepherd and apply this to World Communion Sunday, as well as a time to think deeper about communion-what it is and what it means. It’s a pretty short lesson, so that leaves plenty of time to discuss these big ideas. Children may want to talk about what communion is like for them. At our church some families include children in participating and others prefer that their children wait until they are baptized. It’s good for children to remember that whether or not we join in on the eating and drinking, we can be with God in our prayer during the communion time. God loves and wants to commune with everyone, no matter what.

Ideas for Art Response

Of course, one response that children will love is to play with the pieces of the story. Children enjoy the story together, telling it to each other in groups of two or three.

2. Make a World Communion Circle for your class. Each child could make their own contribution- a clothespin person or the world out of paper or felt and put it all together.

3. Children could make their own elements from the story:  Jesus as Shepherd, the sheep, the fence, the table, the chalice or plate.

4. Or children could focus on the World part of World Communion Sunday…

 Use Model Magic to make it in 3D.

The children might enjoy a field trip to look at our world in tiles from a few years back.

5. You could also celebrate communion on your own in your classroom with juice and crackers. Bring me clean receipts and I’m happy to reimburse you!

For more response ideas, visit my Pinterest page on the subject, here.

Enjoy!

The post The Good Shepherd and World Communion Sunday appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

Marriage Versus the Power of Cheese

It was my birthday. That’s why I was more than slightly perturbed.

Well, technically it wasn’t really my birthday, but it was the day Todd and I had decided to celebrate my birthday, the day Todd had christened “Becky Ramsey’s Big Day So Becky Gets to Pick Everything and I Say Yes to It No Matter What Day”.

What a sweetheart, I’d thought, as I put on my invisible birthday tiara.

We were still hobbling through our vacation, the one we took immediately after dropping Sam off at college in Chicago. We’d planned the vacation because we hadn’t yet had a summer getaway- and we figured we might need it (boy howdy did we) after the heart wrenching-ness of leaving our youngest so far away from the nest. Plus, we thought, we’re up north anyway so while we’re in the neighborhood, why don’t we go see our dear friends Kathy and Brett in Minnesota?!

Yeah, I know. Duluth and Chicago aren’t exactly down the street from each other, but Todd and I LOVE a good car ride, so there you go. And it was so fun! We’d had a wonderful time driving through the midwest, stopping to take pictures with a giant fish and putting our toes in a freezing great lake. (Freezing! In late August! What a concept!) We had the best visit with our friends- the kind of time together that makes you think about the meaning of life and how glad you are for the people in it.

And now my husband was gifting me a birthday day all about me! How fun! How kind! Hurray!

My first proclamation/request was that we would not step foot/tire on the highway. That we’d travel back to South Carolina using little roads, not big ones.

Todd checked Google Maps which rudely informed us that this requirement would morph our 18 hour trip into 26 hours. “But we could do that for this morning,” Todd said, and then, at my frown, added, “well, maybe ’til two or three. Then we’ll have to make some miles.”

“Deal,” I said.

What a great present! Don’t you love traveling the back roads? Seeing how people live- how their houses are different and how some precious people decorate their yards with cement geese wearing scarves that they must tie on by hand? And how local businesses all across America love to get your attention by putting GIANT versions of whatever they’re selling by the side of the road- giant apples or giant pies or giant chairs or giant measuring tapes? I love that. I really do.

I also love coffee. Which was proclamation #2.

An hour down the road we checked Yelp for a coffee shop and found a promising one. When we pulled in, I tried to stay hopeful and gave myself an inner talking to. Yes, we were celebrating my birthday, but I am not actually royalty. I am not spoiled, nor do I think a coffee shop has to look like it belongs in Stars Hollow to serve good coffee.  So what if it looks like a mini-mart and might have gas tanks on the other side?

We walked in, winding our way between big open fridges filled with all kinds of cheese and cheese products. This was Wisconsin after all, and they had a right to be proud of their cheese. I had consoled myself that first night after dropping Sam off with a plate full of cheese curds, and though it wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with my grief, it was indeed delicious. My mouth waters just to remember it.

But we had come for coffee. More specifically, a cappuccino.

Okay, I know this does sound spoiled, but it was my birthday (sort of) and given the choice, that’s what I wanted. And a scone. They had scones, all kinds. The brown sugar cinnamon looked perfect to me. They had raspberry too but I suspected that the pink bits scattered through them were actually clumps of artificial raspberry flavoring, produced in a lab, not a garden. I looked for Todd. He was browsing the cheese.

“I know what I want,” I chirped. “Since it’s my birthday, do you mind getting it for me?”

“Of course, Beck,” he said, putting a bag of cheese curds back, but then eyeing the big fat wheel over on the left.

“I would like a cappuccino- don’t let them add any flavoring to it. Just plain so that I can taste the coffee. And a brown sugar cinnamon scone.”

“Got it,” Todd said, picking up the wheel and checking the price.

“You sure? A cappuccino and a brown sugar cinnamon scone.”

“I got it, Birthday Queen. Go have a seat and I’ll get it for you.”

I found the seating area in the back, past the racks of cheese crackers and other things that go with cheese. It was a little weird– all the chairs and tables looked like they’d been hewn out of logs for Snow White’s dwarves. (Do they eat cheese?) But I like quirky. This was going to be great.

A few minutes later, Todd brought me a cup. “Just like you ordered,” he said. “A latte and a scone.”

“A latte?”

“Yes!” said Todd, grinning, proud of himself for getting it right. “And a raspberry scone. I got myself one too- they look really good.”

Huh.

He hadn’t listened.

It was supposed to be my birthday and he didn’t listen. I said it TWO TIMES and he didn’t listen to me. Just what the heck happened to Becky Ramsey’s Big Day So Becky Gets to Pick Everything and I Say Yes to It No Matter What Day?

I started letting my righteous self get madder and madder. My brain rifled through 31 years of marriage, searching for receipts of all the times the man has looked right at me and then didn’t put forth the effort to hear the details I was telling him!  Did he not care? Was this not important to him? It was my birthday (kind of.) Was I not important to him?

And still he was smiling at me, munching on his scone.

I took a breath.

“This is a latte,” I said calmly. “I asked for a cappuccino. This is a raspberry scone. I asked for brown sugar cinnamon.”

“Oh,” he said, visibly deflating, as was only right. “Sorry, Beck. You want me to get you another one?”

“That’s not the point. I said it two times. Weren’t you listening?”

“I guess not. Sorry.”

I sighed loudly. “I don’t get it,” I said. “I don’t get it.”

(Apparently I wasn’t finished putting him through the wringer, punishing him for all the times I’ve felt unheard.)

“It’s just that…” he said, hesitating. Then he stopped and sighed. “I was distracted by the cheese.”

Did he just say that he was distracted by the cheese?

THIS WAS THE MOST HILARIOUS THING I’D EVER HEARD!

“‘I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE CHEESE!'” I said too loudly and started giggling. I tried to control myself but the laughter bubbled out in fits and starts. I was laughing like a crazy person. Todd started laughing too, not sure what to make of me.

“I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE CHEESE!”

Upon reflection I’d say that it’s easy (EASY!) in marriage to look for things to be mad about. If you live long enough with a person, you will have plenty of ugly history along with the good and the great- plenty of times when either one of you was inattentive or acting spoiled or rude or mean or thoughtless.

Thank goodness for rare times in which you can see how ridiculous it is to pick each other apart over dumb stuff. Not everything is dumb stuff. But a lot of things are.

Now I’m going to go get a cappuccino. Or maybe a latte.

The End.

Many thanks to Edward H Blake for sharing his awesome cheese photo at Flickr through Creative Commons. I wonder if Edward gets distracted by cheese. If he is, I wouldn’t blame him.

The post Marriage Versus the Power of Cheese appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

Marriage Versus the Power of Cheese

It was my birthday. That’s why I was more than slightly perturbed.

Well, technically it wasn’t really my birthday, but it was the day Todd and I had decided to celebrate my birthday, the day Todd had christened “Becky Ramsey’s Big Day So Becky Gets to Pick Everything and I Say Yes to It No Matter What Day”.

What a sweetheart, I’d thought, as I put on my invisible birthday tiara.

We were still hobbling through our vacation, the one we took immediately after dropping Sam off at college in Chicago. We’d planned the vacation because we hadn’t yet had a summer getaway- and we figured we might need it (boy howdy did we) after the heart wrenching-ness of leaving our youngest so far away from the nest. Plus, we thought, we’re up north anyway so while we’re in the neighborhood, why don’t we go see our dear friends Kathy and Brett in Minnesota?!

Yeah, I know. Duluth and Chicago aren’t exactly down the street from each other, but Todd and I LOVE a good car ride, so there you go. And it was so fun! We’d had a wonderful time driving through the midwest, stopping to take pictures with a giant fish and putting our toes in a freezing great lake. (Freezing! In late August! What a concept!) We had the best visit with our friends- the kind of time together that makes you think about the meaning of life and how glad you are for the people in it.

And now my husband was gifting me a birthday day all about me! How fun! How kind! Hurray!

My first proclamation/request was that we would not step foot/tire on the highway. That we’d travel back to South Carolina using little roads, not big ones.

Todd checked Google Maps which rudely informed us that this requirement would morph our 18 hour trip into 26 hours. “But we could do that for this morning,” Todd said, and then, at my frown, added, “well, maybe ’til two or three. Then we’ll have to make some miles.”

“Deal,” I said.

What a great present! Don’t you love traveling the back roads? Seeing how people live- how their houses are different and how some precious people decorate their yards with cement geese wearing scarves that they must tie on by hand? And how local businesses all across America love to get your attention by putting GIANT versions of whatever they’re selling by the side of the road- giant apples or giant pies or giant chairs or giant measuring tapes? I love that. I really do.

I also love coffee. Which was proclamation #2.

An hour down the road we checked Yelp for a coffee shop and found a promising one. When we pulled in, I tried to stay hopeful and gave myself an inner talking to. Yes, we were celebrating my birthday, but I am not actually royalty. I am not spoiled, nor do I think a coffee shop has to look like it belongs in Stars Hollow to serve good coffee.  So what if it looks like a mini-mart and might have gas tanks on the other side?

We walked in, winding our way between big open fridges filled with all kinds of cheese and cheese products. This was Wisconsin after all, and they had a right to be proud of their cheese. I had consoled myself that first night after dropping Sam off with a plate full of cheese curds, and though it wasn’t the healthiest way to deal with my grief, it was indeed delicious. My mouth waters just to remember it.

But we had come for coffee. More specifically, a cappuccino.

Okay, I know this does sound spoiled, but it was my birthday (sort of) and given the choice, that’s what I wanted. And a scone. They had scones, all kinds. The brown sugar cinnamon looked perfect to me. They had raspberry too but I suspected that the pink bits scattered through them were actually clumps of artificial raspberry flavoring, produced in a lab, not a garden. I looked for Todd. He was browsing the cheese.

“I know what I want,” I chirped. “Since it’s my birthday, do you mind getting it for me?”

“Of course, Beck,” he said, putting a bag of cheese curds back, but then eyeing the big fat wheel over on the left.

“I would like a cappuccino- don’t let them add any flavoring to it. Just plain so that I can taste the coffee. And a brown sugar cinnamon scone.”

“Got it,” Todd said, picking up the wheel and checking the price.

“You sure? A cappuccino and a brown sugar cinnamon scone.”

“I got it, Birthday Queen. Go have a seat and I’ll get it for you.”

I found the seating area in the back, past the racks of cheese crackers and other things that go with cheese. It was a little weird– all the chairs and tables looked like they’d been hewn out of logs for Snow White’s dwarves. (Do they eat cheese?) But I like quirky. This was going to be great.

A few minutes later, Todd brought me a cup. “Just like you ordered,” he said. “A latte and a scone.”

“A latte?”

“Yes!” said Todd, grinning, proud of himself for getting it right. “And a raspberry scone. I got myself one too- they look really good.”

Huh.

He hadn’t listened.

It was supposed to be my birthday and he didn’t listen. I said it TWO TIMES and he didn’t listen to me. Just what the heck happened to Becky Ramsey’s Big Day So Becky Gets to Pick Everything and I Say Yes to It No Matter What Day?

I started letting my righteous self get madder and madder. My brain rifled through 31 years of marriage, searching for receipts of all the times the man has looked right at me and then didn’t put forth the effort to hear the details I was telling him!  Did he not care? Was this not important to him? It was my birthday (kind of.) Was I not important to him?

And still he was smiling at me, munching on his scone.

I took a breath.

“This is a latte,” I said calmly. “I asked for a cappuccino. This is a raspberry scone. I asked for brown sugar cinnamon.”

“Oh,” he said, visibly deflating, as was only right. “Sorry, Beck. You want me to get you another one?”

“That’s not the point. I said it two times. Weren’t you listening?”

“I guess not. Sorry.”

I sighed loudly. “I don’t get it,” I said. “I don’t get it.”

(Apparently I wasn’t finished putting him through the wringer, punishing him for all the times I’ve felt unheard.)

“It’s just that…” he said, hesitating. Then he stopped and sighed. “I was distracted by the cheese.”

Did he just say that he was distracted by the cheese?

THIS WAS THE MOST HILARIOUS THING I’D EVER HEARD!

“‘I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE CHEESE!'” I said too loudly and started giggling. I tried to control myself but the laughter bubbled out in fits and starts. I was laughing like a crazy person. Todd started laughing too, not sure what to make of me.

“I WAS DISTRACTED BY THE CHEESE!”

Upon reflection I’d say that it’s easy (EASY!) in marriage to look for things to be mad about. If you live long enough with a person, you will have plenty of ugly history along with the good and the great- plenty of times when either one of you was inattentive or acting spoiled or rude or mean or thoughtless.

Thank goodness for rare times in which you can see how ridiculous it is to pick each other apart over dumb stuff. Not everything is dumb stuff. But a lot of things are.

Now I’m going to go get a cappuccino. Or maybe a latte.

The End.

Many thanks to Edward H Blake for sharing his awesome cheese photo at Flickr through Creative Commons. I wonder if Edward gets distracted by cheese. If he is, I wouldn’t blame him.

The post Marriage Versus the Power of Cheese appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Ten Best Ways to Live

Welcome to The Ten Best Ways, our Godly Play story for this coming Sunday, Sept. 24. You can find the story in Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:1-21. The Godly Play script can be found in the 14 Presentations for Fall book (the orange one), p. 73-80.

I love that Godly Play refers to the Ten Commandments as The Ten Best Ways and places them in a heart shaped box. This helps us remember that our God is not a supreme dictator who exists just for the chance to squash us when we don’t adhere to his rules, but is instead a God who loves us enough to want to give us boundaries, so that we can fully enjoy the life God meant for us.

In preparation for teaching the lesson, it’s good to look back at the session that precedes it: the Exodus. God has led his people out of slavery, away from Pharaoh and the soldiers chasing after them, through the sea, into freedom. Now they can live where they want, do what they want, be who they want. As the story script says, “Now that the people are free…where will they go now? What is the best way?”

Thank goodness (and thank God!) that God provided divine guidance, motivated completely by love.

What to focus on? Here are some general ideas :

1. The younger classes (first grade and younger) might choose to keep things simple by focusing on the first heart in the box: Love God, Love People, God Loves You. Or, depending on the children, you could go deeper and study all the commandments. You probably have an idea of what the children can handle best.

2. Study each of the commandments by reproducing them in some way.

3. Explore the idea of Moses being the only one with the courage to climb up into the fire and smoke to meet God. Children will find it interesting that God wanted to protect Moses from his powerful presence, so God put him in a crevice in the rock and put his hand over him until he had passed by, allowing Moses to see his back. I love the line, “When we see God’s back, we can follow God all of our days.”

4. The older children may benefit by exploring the conflict that comes when we find ourselves stuck between two commandments, like when Grandma gives you a present that you don’t like and asks you what you think of it. How do we love others and still stay true to the truth?

We should also address more close to the heart conflicts, like divorce. Many of our children are experiencing divorce and will be listening especially to the Best Way of honoring marriage. We need to be sure to include in our session a focus on grace and forgiveness. Sometimes people try their very best to honor the Ten Best ways, and it just doesn’t work out. God always offers love and forgiveness to all. His love never stops, no matter what.

Art Response Ideas:

* Give the children big construction paper hearts divided into the sections Love God, Love People, and God Loves You. “I wonder how you could illustrate each section?”  Children could choose whether to draw or cut pictures from a magazine or paint with watercolors. Or children could work together on one huge heart of butcher paper, contributing illustrations for each section. (This idea is especially for the younger children.)

*Let each child make a set of commandments, painting the tablets with watercolors after they write their version of the Ten Best Ways. It’s beautiful…see here.

*See this version done on slate.

* I wonder if we could make a Mount Sinai? (With a cleft for Moses to hide in!) Could we make Moses out of a clothespin? How would we make the Ten Best Ways?” The youngest children might need ideas from which to choose.

*Could we make a huge set of Ten Best Ways together for our classroom? As tall as a child?  Could we illustrate each commandment? Which one would you like to work on?

 

*I wonder what materials we might use to make individual sets of Best Way hearts, so that you can take it home with you. (You might want to see what kind of interesting materials you can find at a craft store. Save your receipts and I’ll reimburse you.)

*I wonder if you can make up hand motions to illustrate each individual Best Way? Could you split them up among children and videotape each one, making a video the whole class can enjoy? (If somebody does this I’d love to share it with parents!)

*I wonder which is your favorite commandment? Would you like to concentrate just on that one, making a 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional representation of it? (a drawing or collage or making a scene out of play clay, etc?)

Obviously, we wouldn’t want to present ALL of these options to the class, as that might be too overwhelming. But it’s a list I hope will help you…and get you started thinking of your own ideas.

And if you’d like more ideas, check out my Pinterest page on the Ten Best Ways, here.

Enjoy!

The post The Ten Best Ways to Live appeared first on Becky Ramsey.

The Ten Best Ways to Live

Welcome to The Ten Best Ways, our Godly Play story for this coming Sunday, Sept. 24. You can find the story in Exodus 20:1-17, Deuteronomy 5:1-21. The Godly Play script can be found in the 14 Presentations for Fall book (the orange one), p. 73-80.

I love that Godly Play refers to the Ten Commandments as The Ten Best Ways and places them in a heart shaped box. This helps us remember that our God is not a supreme dictator who exists just for the chance to squash us when we don’t adhere to his rules, but is instead a God who loves us enough to want to give us boundaries, so that we can fully enjoy the life God meant for us.

In preparation for teaching the lesson, it’s good to look back at the session that precedes it: the Exodus. God has led his people out of slavery, away from Pharaoh and the soldiers chasing after them, through the sea, into freedom. Now they can live where they want, do what they want, be who they want. As the story script says, “Now that the people are free…where will they go now? What is the best way?”

Thank goodness (and thank God!) that God provided divine guidance, motivated completely by love.

What to focus on? Here are some general ideas :

1. The younger classes (first grade and younger) might choose to keep things simple by focusing on the first heart in the box: Love God, Love People, God Loves You. Or, depending on the children, you could go deeper and study all the commandments. You probably have an idea of what the children can handle best.

2. Study each of the commandments by reproducing them in some way.

3. Explore the idea of Moses being the only one with the courage to climb up into the fire and smoke to meet God. Children will find it interesting that God wanted to protect Moses from his powerful presence, so God put him in a crevice in the rock and put his hand over him until he had passed by, allowing Moses to see his back. I love the line, “When we see God’s back, we can follow God all of our days.”

4. The older children may benefit by exploring the conflict that comes when we find ourselves stuck between two commandments, like when Grandma gives you a present that you don’t like and asks you what you think of it. How do we love others and still stay true to the truth?

We should also address more close to the heart conflicts, like divorce. Many of our children are experiencing divorce and will be listening especially to the Best Way of honoring marriage. We need to be sure to include in our session a focus on grace and forgiveness. Sometimes people try their very best to honor the Ten Best ways, and it just doesn’t work out. God always offers love and forgiveness to all. His love never stops, no matter what.

Art Response Ideas:

* Give the children big construction paper hearts divided into the sections Love God, Love People, and God Loves You. “I wonder how you could illustrate each section?”  Children could choose whether to draw or cut pictures from a magazine or paint with watercolors. Or children could work together on one huge heart of butcher paper, contributing illustrations for each section. (This idea is especially for the younger children.)

*Let each child make a set of commandments, painting the tablets with watercolors after they write their version of the Ten Best Ways. It’s beautiful…see here.

*See this version done on slate.

* I wonder if we could make a Mount Sinai? (With a cleft for Moses to hide in!) Could we make Moses out of a clothespin? How would we make the Ten Best Ways?” The youngest children might need ideas from which to choose.

*Could we make a huge set of Ten Best Ways together for our classroom? As tall as a child?  Could we illustrate each commandment? Which one would you like to work on?

 

*I wonder what materials we might use to make individual sets of Best Way hearts, so that you can take it home with you. (You might want to see what kind of interesting materials you can find at a craft store. Save your receipts and I’ll reimburse you.)

*I wonder if you can make up hand motions to illustrate each individual Best Way? Could you split them up among children and videotape each one, making a video the whole class can enjoy? (If somebody does this I’d love to share it with parents!)

*I wonder which is your favorite commandment? Would you like to concentrate just on that one, making a 2 dimensional or 3 dimensional representation of it? (a drawing or collage or making a scene out of play clay, etc?)

Obviously, we wouldn’t want to present ALL of these options to the class, as that might be too overwhelming. But it’s a list I hope will help you…and get you started thinking of your own ideas.

And if you’d like more ideas, check out my Pinterest page on the Ten Best Ways, here.

Enjoy!

The post The Ten Best Ways to Live appeared first on Becky Ramsey.