Who is Just Mama-Jenni?
My first born started calling me Mama Jenni when he was one. I loved it because it was unique to our family, out of the box and said in love. I am many things, but at this stage of my life I am primarily Mama Jenni. Rather than drown under the weight of my mommy status, I choose to embrace it!. At www.justmamajenni.com you can find tips, ideas, comfort, support and a giggle or two. Come join the fun!
~Just-Mama Jenni
Family Fun:
Commemorating the Last Supper
Hallelujah! It’s Easter week! Last year I started a new tradition of commemorating the Last Supper. It went so well that I want to share it with you. Our family went a little more in depth with the biblical history involved. Many churches do Maundy Thursday Dinners or a Passover Seder Meal, and I can appreciate these things, but they are not super kid friendly. So I have taken the liberty to put my own twist on the Last Supper. Here’s some suggestions for Thursday evening:
- In biblical times they would have sat on pillows or mats around a low table. Simulate this with your children by having a carpet picnic and sitting on pillows.
- When you see pictures of the Last Supper there are always bowls of fruit and bread on the table. This you can do! Kids love fruit and bread, so go with that. Feel free to cook lamb and other cultural favorites that were probably really served that day, but I opt to skip that part of the meal. My Passover feast is going to look more like a tapas party.
- Use this time to illustrate to your children the message of servant leadership that Christ demonstrated by washing the disciples’ feet. When it is time to call everyone to the table, have a bowl or bucket ready and discuss how people’s feet were filthy back in that day and that it was customary to wash your feet before you sat to eat. Explain how the wealthy had servants that would perform this task. Share that even though Jesus was a very important person, He still wanted to serve His friends by performing this act of kindness. Wash your children’s feet before you sit to eat your meal.
- The conversations at each of our homes will vary. The children will be intrigued with many of the facts surrounding the meal, which will foster discussion. Some of the things they may ask are: where people ate, what they ate, how they dressed, why they didn’t use tall tables, and so on. Just roll with it. The goal is to simply bring some biblical knowledge into the picture. We are not striving for theological greatness here. Relax and have fun!
Bringing to Life the Resurrection Story
There is a saying that goes, “Tell a child something and they will forget. Show a child something and they will remember. Do something with a child and they will understand.” I have found this to be so true in my teaching and mothering experience. This year I am going to try and create a more memorable telling of Christ’s resurrection.
The first thing we will do is journey to a nature park, wooded area, or hiking trail. As we walk through the wooded area I will ask my children questions like: Who went to the tomb first? Were they happy or sad? What were they expecting to find?
Once we reach our destination of a nook or quiet place, I will ask them to imagine a cave tucked into the space. We will envision the size of the rock and how heavy it would have been. Next, we will sit and discuss the rest of the recorded events that took place that morning long ago. You may want to bring along a picture book to show illustrations.
A main concept to point out is that this is not a fictional story. The Gospel is called the Good News because it is recorded facts. News is when you report what has already been done. Christ did it all. There is nothing more for us to do but believe and accept freely. The Bible says all have been born sinners and we all need a Savior. We are unable to ever be good enough to deserve salvation. God knew this and that is why He provided us redemption through Christ. I will also share that even after people accept Christ we still sin. God is not surprised by this and that is why the Bible tells us to have a repentant heart. When we seek to do God’s will and repent for our mistakes in our daily lives we are on track. God’s love is bigger than any mistake we can ever make and His grace covers every sin. AMEN!
Check back each week for more great tips from Just-Mama Jenni!