Thinking Versus Complaining

Tags

Children of Israel, God, Moses, Sea of Reeds

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

The children of Israel left Egypt. They are in the wilderness and see the Egyptians coming. They complain that they would rather have been slaves in Egypt. God tells Moses to tell the children of Israel to move forward. This means that they are to go into the Sea of Reeds.

Bible Study Tools

Discussion Questions About Asking for Help:

• Why do people often cry out for help before figuring out their options?
• Do you think that you get more help from someone if you say, “What should I do?” or do you get more help when you ask advice between various options that you lay out?

Creative Thinking:

• Moses and the children of Israel had left Egypt. They now stood in front of the Sea of Reeds and were being pursued by the Egyptians. Think of as many options as possible of things that they could have done.
  • Divide the options into three categories: really bad options, best options under the circumstances, and possibilities (i.e. not the worst, but not the best).
• Think of all the reasons that the children of Israel could come up with not to go into the Sea of Reeds.

Homeschooling Activities for Homeschoolers, Youth Groups, and Much More:

• The children of Israel were told to move forward. This meant that they were to travel into the Sea of Reeds. Write a list of safety rules for them.
• Research the Sea of Reeds.
• Write a pep talk to give to the children of Israel explaining to them that they are all to walk into the Sea of Reeds.
• Why do you think Moses cried out to God? Why did Moses not just make a decision by himself?
• Have you ever been faced with something that you considered too hard to do? Did you not want to go forward? Tell about it.
• What would be the characteristics of the first few people who willingly walked into the Sea of Reeds?
• Describe to someone what it felt like and all of your emotions taking the first few steps into the Sea of Reeds.
• Describe the thoughts of one of the children of Israel far back from the Sea of Reeds waiting for his/her turn to walk into the water.
• Write what the Sea of Reeds was thinking when it heard Moses tell the children of Israel that they were to go forward into the Sea of Reeds.

 

Advertisement

The Big Book of Cards & Toasts for Almost All Occasions: Express Yourself in Rhyme Just Got a Great Review!

Tags

Express Yourself in Rhyme

Check out this great review that I just got for The Big Book of Cards & Toasts for Almost All Occasions: Express Yourself in Rhyme by Bermota Naylor!

You can check out the book here.

You can check out all of my books here.

This Book Contains Over 400 Rhymes to Help You Express Yourself for Any Occasion!

Review Rating:

4 stars.

Reviewed By Vernita Naylor for Readers’ Favorite   If you need a custom message or words of expression for your grandchild, relative, colleague, or a special occasion, then you need a copy of The Big Book of Cards and Toasts For Almost All Occasions: Express Yourself in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist. Here you will find a plethora of beautiful, expressive words that you can use for most special occasions. Marcia has something for everyone, not only the traditional anniversaries or birthdays, and her expansive catalogue includes: •Bar/Bat Mitzvah •Best Wishes From Far Away •SMS Message/Twitter (Short Notes For All Occasions) •Child Moving Away •Cleaning A House (Encouragement for That Special Someone) •Coming Back To Work After An Absence •Corporate Sponsor •Employee of The Year •Engagement •And Much Much More In The Big Book of Cards and Toasts For Almost All Occasions: Express Yourself in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist, you will experience the pleasure that one would feel as either the giver or receiver. Marcia provides several options for each card and also footnote suggestions on how to tailor the card for your specific needs. The cards range from three to over 17 lines, which is ideal for getting your message across.   I would like to see her take her cards further and marry these beautiful words with some rich illustrations. Personally, I love cards and still use them, but at times I need to add a little handwritten note to let the receiver feel my personal touch. Having a copy of The Big Book of Cards and Toasts For Almost All Occasions by Marcia Goldlist in my library is just the right tool to have readily available for my cards or any other written words of expression.

Pharaoh’s Request to Moses

Tags

God, Moses, Pharaoh, plague, plea

An Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Pharaoh asked Moses to plea to God for him to stop the plague.

Bible Study Tools

Discussion Questions regarding pleas and  prayers:

• Pharaoh asked Moses to plea to God. What is a plea?
• What is a prayer?
• What is the difference, if any, between a plea and a prayer?
• For what type of things do we pray to God?

Creative Thinking Questions About Asking for Things:

• Pharaoh asked Moses to make his plea to God. Name as many reasons as you can for asking someone else to ask God for something that you want.
• Are there any differences between asking a friend for something and asking God? If so what?

Homeschool Activities for Both Homeschoolers and Non-Homeschoolers:

• Write a plea to God for something that you want.
• Write a plea to God for something that a friend wants.
  • How are the two above pleas different?
• Make a billboard to encourage people to ask God for what they want.
• Explain how much you should leave things up to God and how much effort you should still exert after you ask God for something?
• Do you think that a personal plea to a parent or a plea on behalf of a sibling is more powerful? Why?
• When is it better to do things for yourself and when is it better to ask for help?
• Is making a plea to God the same as asking a friend for help? How is it the same and how is it different?
• Do you think that a personal plea to God from Pharaoh or a plea on behalf of Pharaoh by Moses would be more powerful? Why?

 

Why Would God Harden Pharaoh’s Heart?

Tags

God, Moses, Pharaoh

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

In order to create His signs and wonders, God harden Pharaoh’s heart. 

Bible Study Tools

Discussion Questions About Hardening Pharaoh’s Heart:

• What does it mean to harden someone’s heart?
• Why would God feel that He would have to harden Pharaoh’s heart in order to show His miracles?
• What does it mean to manipulate someone? Was God manipulating Pharaoh? What do you think about his?

Creative Thinking About Signs and Wonders:

• List as many reasons as you can why God would harden Pharaoh’s heart.
• Give examples of how you could harden someone’s heart.
• God gave signs and wonders. He created the plagues. What signs and wonders could a leader of a country do today to harden another leader’s heart?

Homeschool Activities:

• How do you feel when someone does not listen to what you ask them to do?
• Have you ever not done something you were asked to do just to be stubborn? Why were you stubborn?
• What do you think it would feel like to have your heart hardened? Explain.
• Write an entry in Pharaoh’s journal how he felt when he refused to do what Moses asked him to.
• If your task was to harden someone’s heart what would you whisper in his/her ear? Explain the circumstances of your task, what you would say, and why.
• If you were Moses how would you feel knowing that you were going to ask Pharaoh to do something that he could not agree to? Would it affect your performance?
• Have you ever felt God’s hand on something that you did? Tell about it.
• Have you ever felt that something had taken over your plans? Tell about it.
• Create a dialogue between God, Pharaoh, and Moses discussing God manipulating Pharaoh.

The Children of Israel Will Follow Moses

Tags

Children of Israel, Moses

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Bible Study Tools

Bible Talk

Discuss with your children what it would mean that the Children of Israel listen by choice?:

• What does it mean to do something by choice?
• Have you ever done something not by choice?
  • How did it feel?
• What does it mean to listen to someone?

Creative Thinking about listening:

• How do we know if we should listen to someone or not?
• When is listening not enough?

Homeschool Activities about the Children of Israel following Moses by choice:

• Write a story about someone doing something because they wanted to.
  • Now write the story but about someone who didn’t want to do the same thing.
• Write about the difference between hearing and listening.
• Do we always have a choice in what we do? Explain.
• Did you ever make a bad choice in your life? Why was it bad?
• Did you ever make a good choice in your life? Why was it good?
• If you made a good choice in your life, would it necessarily be a good choice for someone else? Explain.
• Write about another leader that people have followed by choice.
• Make a list of other leaders that people have followed by choice.
• Moses was told that the children of Israel would follow him. Do you think that it would have made a difference to Moses if the children of Israel followed him but not by their choice? Explain.

Moses Questions His Ability to Take the Children of Israel Out of Egypt.

Tags

Children of Israel, Moses, Pharaoh

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Bible Study Tools

Bible Talk

Discuss Ability:

• How do we know if we can do something?
• What does it mean to believe in someone?
• Is is it okay to question God?

Creative Thinking About Believing in Yourself:

• Is it harder to believe in yourself or someone else? Why?

Homeschool Activities Related to Moses Questioning His Ability to Take the Children of Israel Out of Egypt:

• Make a list of qualities that a leader needs.
  • Put a check mark beside any of these qualities that you posses.
• Do you think that Moses needed different skills to stand before Pharaoh and convince him to let the children of Israel go than he did to lead them out of Egypt?
  • Why are these the same or different?
• If you were Moses would you have questioned God’s request of you? Why or why not?
  • If so, what would you have said to God?
• What is it that makes us afraid to try and do something that we are asked to do?
• Do you have to be someone important to accomplish great things? Why or why not?
• Write a diary entry for Moses describing what he felt when God asked him to go to Pharaoh and to lead the children of Israel out of Egypt.
• Try to convince someone to give you something that they don’t want to give you.
  • Did you convince them?
  • Was it easy or hard?
  • If they gave in why do you think they gave it to you and if they didn’t why not?

God Announces That He Will Rescue the Children of Israel

Tags

Children of Israel

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Bible Study Tools

Bible Talk

Discuss suffering and being rescued:

• What is suffering?
• What does it mean to be a people?
• What does it mean to need to be rescued?

Creative Thinking About Saving the Children of Israel:

• At what point do people “need” saving?
• Explain why you think that God would pick this point to talk about saving His people.:

Homeschool Activities related to God Rescuing the Children of Israel:

• There is much suffering in the world today. Name as many peoples as you can that would like to be heard by God and taken to another land.
• Why would it say, “And bring them up…”?
• Research and write about a people today that would like to be taken away from their situation.
• Describe what you think would make a land “good”.
• Do you belong to a people?
  • Tell about your people.
  • How does it feels to belong to them?
• Write a story about suffering.
• Describe how you feel when you hear about people suffering.
• Can someone really feel suffering through knowing about it? Explain.
• Are the children of Israel still around today? How are they known today? Where do they live? Do they live in a “good and spacious” land?

The Miracle of the Burning Bush

Tags

burning bush, miracle

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Bible Study Tools

Bible Talk

Discuss the miracle of the burning bush:

• What normally happens when a bush catches fire?
• How could a bush burn but not be consumed?
• What is a miracle?

Creative Thinking About Miracles:

• What things in life do we take for granted that could be called miracles?

Homeschooling Activities concerning miracles and the burning bush:

• Write a poem or a song about miracles.
• Research how fire consumes things. Describe or draw pictures to explain how it works.
• Explain your understanding of miracles.
• List as many miracles as you can that happen in the Bible.
• Write a journal entry from the burning bush’s point of view.
• Describe in detail a scene with a bush burning. Use all of your senses to describe the fire.
• Tell about something that happened to you, or someone you know, or make up a story about something extraordinary happening.
• Write a newspaper article about the burning bush that was not consumed. Make sure that your title makes people want to read the article.
• What would you tweet if you saw the burning bush?

 

 

Moses Receives His Name

Tags

Moses, Pharaoh's daughter

Excerpt from Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Bible Study Tools

Bible Talk

Discuss Moses’ name:

• Pharaoh’s daughter gave the baby boy the name Moses because for her he came from the water. Do you think that people are influenced from where they came from?

Creative Thinking about Moses:

• Moses was basically adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Write a list of advantages and disadvantages of being adopted.

Homeschooling Activities about Moses:

• Find out if your name has a meaning.
  • Express the meaning of your name in some art form.
• Do you think that the meaning of a name affects a person? Explain why or why not.
• Shakespeare wrote, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet.”
  • What does this mean?
  • Do you agree?
• If you could name yourself now with a meaningful name that tells something about yourself what would it be and why?
• Find out the meaning of your last name.
• Where does your family originate from? Write about the country that your family came from.
• From his name Moses would know that Pharaoh’s daughter was not his mother. How do you think this would affect him?
• Moses was basically adopted by Pharaoh’s daughter. Write about the adoption process today.

 

Miriam Offers Help

Tags

Miriam, Moses, Pharaoh

If you like these verses check out the book Enjoying Exodus: The Bible in Rhyme by Marcia Goldlist

Pharaoh’s daughter takes a baby boy out of the water. She realizes that it is a baby boy from the children of Israel (Hebrews), but she wants to keep the baby anyway. Miriam, Moses’ (the baby boy’s) sister was hiding near the river checking what would happen to Moses. When the daughter of Pharaoh took the baby she came out of hiding and offered to find her a Hebrew woman (one of the women from the children of Israel) to breastfeed the baby.

Help for how to use Bible Study Guide for Miriam Offers Help

Bible Talk  

Discuss with your children:

• How is a baby fed?
• What options would Pharaoh’s daughter have to feed the baby if Miriam didn’t offer to find a Hebrew woman to do it?
• Why do you think that they use the term Hebrew for children of Israel?

Creative Thinking related to Miriam Offers Help

• I’m sure that the mother of the baby Moses was very happy with what her daughter, Miriam, did. Often we don’t express our thanks for things that we are happy about. Why do you think that this is so?

Homeschool Activities related to Miriam Offers Help

• Research the origin of baby formula.
• Pharaoh’s daughter saved a Hebrew baby boy. What do you think her father said to her when he found out?
• Write a tweet from the baby’s sister (Miriam):
  • while she was watching the basket in the river.
  • when she saw Pharaoh’s daughter tell her servant to take the basket out of the water.
  • when Pharaoh’s daughter said she could get a Hebrew woman to nurse the baby.
• Research how a mother’s body makes milk.
• Write a song or poem from the mother’s point of view when Miriam comes home with her baby son.
• Find a way for the mother to express her thanks to her daughter Miriam.
• Express your thanks to someone for something that they did for you.
• Create a campaign to encourage people to thank others when warranted. Use at least two of the following medium:
  • twitter
  • blog post
  • flyer
  • poster
  • billboard
  • email
  • lecture
  • cartoon