Have you ever noticed that you hear a lot of sounds at night that you don’t usually hear during the day? Maybe it’s a dog barking, a quiet clock ticking, or even the wood in your home making clicks and pops as it settles. The Bible tells us that when Samuel was a young boy, God spoke to him one night as he was lying in bed. Samuel did not know it was God at first, but once he figured it out, he responded, “Speak. I’m listening.” Then God gave him a message. For the rest of Samuel’s life, God continued to speak to him in this way.

God speaks to us, too, but we often have to settle down and listen so that we can understand His message. This is one reason it is so important to make time to spend in prayer with God. When nothing else can distract us and we can listen carefully, God can speak to us the best. Samuel knew this well.

Do you want to find out what God has in store for you? Just start listening!

Have children practice these exercises with a friend to see just how much they can hear when they are focused. Give these instructions:

“I’m bored!”

“Me too.”

“There’s nothing to do around here!”

Ever hear your children say something like that? Especially during the summer? After school ends and before summer camp takes place?

Most parents have heard their children or the children in their missions organizations complain about being bored during the summer.

Here are a few ways to get your boys and girls up and moving and serving others during the lazy days of summer:

As a kid, I loved connect the dots puzzles. Most of the time, I could easily see the hidden picture long before the dots were connected. Occasionally, however, the completed picture eluded me until I was almost done with the puzzle. With missions education, we often don’t see the finished product for years, if at all. Remember that child you taught years ago? He’s now a missionary in Asia. Remember that missions offering your church collected for world hunger? A family of six was able to survive until their crops were harvested. Only God can see the big picture of your church’s missions involvement, and it’s up to us to continue connecting the dots. The WMU Growth Plan gives us an easy way to do this.

D: Discover new members. In your church, you can easily find people of all ages who are not currently involved in missions organizations. Make sure parents know the details of your missions organizations and personally invite them to bring their children. Encourage participation in missions education for all age groups.

Who doesn’t need to know how to make salt dough for an upcoming craft project?

Here’s a quick recipe to make your own salt dough to use in class and various other art projects!

What you need:
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 cup salt
• 1 cup cold water
• food coloring (optional)
• large bowl
• mixing spoon

What you do:

1. Combine the salt and flour. Mix well.

2. Gradually add a 1/2-cup of water and mix well.

3. Knead the dough on a counter or table. Add a few drops of water as needed, but be careful not to make it too sticky.

4. Add food coloring, if desired.

5. Put the dough in a sealed container until you are ready to use it.