This Easter, youngsters will embrace the true meaning of the season with a new book by Crystal Bowman, the Teachers’ Choice Award-winning author of The One Year Book of Devotions for Preschoolers.
LILY'S EASTER PARTY: THE STORY OF THE RESURRECTION EGGS® (Zonderkidz; $7.99; February 2013) is inspired by the bestselling FamilyLife®Resurrection Eggs kit, which is a set of plastic eggs filled with objects that symbolize the Easter story and teaches children about Jesus' death and resurrection.
In the book, Lily and her friends learn there is far more to Easter than jelly beans and chocolate bunnies when Lily’s parents plan an egg hunt in the family’s backyard.
As Lily and the neighborhood children eagerly collect all 12 hidden eggs and place them in an Easter basket, they come to realize that each egg contains a special surprise.
In a color-coded order that coincides with the Resurrection Eggs by FamilyLife®, the children open their eggs to find a different symbol in each one. Among the objects is a donkey, a cross, a piece of white linen cloth, and more. As Lily’s parents explain the meaning behind each item, the children discover their true significance and–the greatest Easter prize of all–the miraculous story of how Jesus died and rose again.
My Review:
I remember last year wanting to try the Resurrection Egg idea with my kids. I love the power of telling the story Easter through symbols found in each egg. The empty egg is especially a fun one because JESUS is no longer in the tomb HE IS ALIVE!! AMEN!
Thanks Zondervan for sending me this book to review. I am so thrilled to review it to my audience before Easter! All opinions are 100% mine.
This book is a little bit longer but its a great length for being able to hit every important aspect of EASTER. :) I think children of many ages can enjoy this fun Easter story and get them excited for the true meaning of Easter. :)
I encourage all of you to pick up this story for Easter! It would make a great gift in an Easter Basket and help start a new tradition for Resurrection Eggs. :)
Article by Crystal Bowman, author of Lily’s Easter Party—the Story of the Resurrection Eggs®
Passing Down Our Faith
Christian parents are encouraged by Proverbs 22:6—Train a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not turn from it. We hope and pray that our children will know God, but we cannot force our faith on them. We want them to be followers of Jesus by their own volition, not because they were born to Christian parents. So how can we guide our children to faith in God?
· Pray. Pray that they would have a heart for God and come to know Jesus as their Savior. Pray this prayer without ceasing (1 Thessalonians 5: 17).
· Read books. Children love sitting on Mom or Dad’s lap while they read a story together. Read storybooks and Bibles that teach them about God in age-appropriate ways, which helps little ones grasp simple truths and learn about God’s love.
· Play music. My friend, a mother of four, always has kids’ praise music playing in the background. The lyrics get into the hearts and minds of her children—filling them with spiritual knowledge and joy as they worship God.
· Eat meals together. In a research project coordinated by Dr. Blake Bowden of Cincinnati Children’s Hospital, 527 teenagers were studied to determine what family and lifestyle characteristics were related to good mental health and adjustment. He found that kids who ate dinner with their families at least five times per week were the least likely to take drugs, feel depressed or get into trouble.* Eating meals together helps you connect with your children emotionally and spiritually. It’s also the perfect time to have kid-friendly devotions.
· Reach out. When my kids were young, we had Bible school in our backyard with the neighborhood kids. We sang songs, colored pictures, and listened to Bible stories. We did this for seven years. My kids came to know Jesus at an early age and were never shy about sharing what they learn aboutJesus with their friends. Involve your kids in mission or community projects that allow them to put their faith into action.
· Use holidays to share your faith. Christmas and Easter provide opportunities for families to share their faith. Invite children to a birthday for Jesus at Christmas, or have a Resurrection Egg® Easter hunt in your back yard. Lily’s Easter Party is a newly released book by Zonderkidz that parents can use to explain the meaning of Easter to their children, as well as their friends and neighbors.
Passing down Christian faith to our children takes time, effort, energy and lots of prayer. But the rewards are eternal.
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