Devotions for Kids Project Update Cocoa With The King

Time for an update on my Devotions for Kids Project!  

As a parent, I'm responsible for educating my children in a great many areas.  In my previous post, I shared about how I've struggled with giving my kids a quiet time of their own.  

I don't want to be gimmicky.  But I do want them to treasure their time in God's Word.  I want them to actually look forward to spending time with their King.  Read on to find out what we're doing right now...

I brainstormed for a while...

What did I want?  Kids that want to spend time with God in His Word. Kids that actually look forward to their devos.

What did I not want?  Kids that felt Devotions are just another chore on their check list.​

And then I wondered: What makes me want to spend time with people I enjoy being around?  

• Good conversation.  I want to feel listened to, and I also want to feel like the other person is real with me.  They have something to say, so I get to know them too.
• Memories.  Remember that time we pretended to be a really old couple on a thousand mile road trip?  Remember that time we went camping on an island for Easter? Remember how we always had bagels on Tuesday?

For me, the connection with the other person is the main event.  For my mind to connect with yours, for me to feel like we both want to know each other (maybe that's why I go dancing through the kitchen when someone takes the time to comment on a blog post, lol).  

But I know that making memories together fuels the relationship as well: Why else would men court women? Why else would we go through the effort of holiday traditions?

What We're Doing Right Now:

Right now we have Tea Time on Tuesdays.  The kids are ridiculous about it: they love the grown-up-ness of the hot tea, the treats they get to take turns planning and making, and the fact that I trust them with my grandmother's fine china.

I decided to try and use this same idea as a starting point.  I want their time to be special, so they will look forward to it and treasure it.  This is what we're doing right now:

Cocoa with the King

• A weekly Cocoa with the King time.
• A special mug for each child.
• Each kid takes a Bible and finds a cozy place, just them and Jesus.
• I ring a bell after about 10 minutes.  They may spend more time, but that's the minimum.

My idea is that as they grow older (with some encouragement), they will transition into having this time daily.  I also plan to occasionally get a little creative, to create some memories.

What Do YOU Think?

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Copyright 2016 by Anna Travis.  All rights reserved.
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