JUNE: PROMISED LAND OF MILK AND HONEY
After forty years in the wilderness (and forty years of manna and quail), the people were ready to go to the promised land! God first gave some instructions, including this passage, which we call the Shema. The promised land is described as “flowing with milk and honey” - what does that even mean?! If you want an extra activity this month, draw some silly pictures of a land flowing with milk and honey. The phrase really means that this land will be very fertile, and will be able to provide the people with plenty of food. This month’s sweet, rich treat is a reminder of the sweetness of God’s love for us and the richness of life lived with God (and by that, we mean rich in the things money can’t buy!).
Read It Deuteronomy 6:1-9
.... 3 Hear, Israel, and be careful to obey so that it may go well with you and that you may increase greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the Lord, the God of your ancestors, promised you.
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength......
4 Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one.[a] 5 Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength......
Pray It
God, your love is rich and sweet and overflowing. Help us share it! Amen.
God, your love is rich and sweet and overflowing. Help us share it! Amen.
Make It
Here are two recipes, one for a hot drink and one for a cold drink. Try whichever suits your tastes and climate!
Promised Land Steamer:
Ingredients
1 cup milk (whatever kind your like in your household)
1-3 tsp honey, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the milk (about 1 minute in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the stove until you start to see steam coming off of it - don’t boil!)
2. Stir in your honey and enjoy!
Promised Land Milkshake
Ingredients
½ cup milk
¼ cup vanilla ice cream
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 tsp honey
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a blender, give it a good blend, and enjoy!
Here are two recipes, one for a hot drink and one for a cold drink. Try whichever suits your tastes and climate!
Promised Land Steamer:
Ingredients
1 cup milk (whatever kind your like in your household)
1-3 tsp honey, to taste
Instructions
1. Heat the milk (about 1 minute in the microwave, or in a saucepan on the stove until you start to see steam coming off of it - don’t boil!)
2. Stir in your honey and enjoy!
Promised Land Milkshake
Ingredients
½ cup milk
¼ cup vanilla ice cream
¼ cup plain yogurt
2 tsp honey
Instructions
Put all the ingredients in a blender, give it a good blend, and enjoy!
Explore it: A Note from Tami
A land “flowing with milk and honey” = a fertile land that provides us with plenty of food to enjoy.
Enjoy “plenty” through plants and gardens. You may have a garden growing through which your children experience that sense of “plenty.” If you do garden, involve your child with its care. Though my daughters’ enjoyment of garden care varied from time to time, their participation at a young age influenced them to appreciate fresh produce then as well as now as adults. They also became familiar with preparing food starting with the raw ingredients.
Another place to experience that “plenty” is at a farmers market. Next time you visit a farmers market or just talk about your experiences there, help your child focus on that abundance and appreciate the abundance of harvest.
Land of milk and HONEY! And honey is made by honey bees. Children may be afraid of bees or perceive them to be bad because of their potential to sting us. But we need bees for honey as well as many other reasons. Help children have a positive perception of and appreciation for bees. This article provides interesting information that can help both adults and children respect bees. Understanding Bees
This Deuteronomy Bible passage makes me think about our worries and cares. Will our needs today be taken care of? How about tomorrow’s needs? It isn’t always easy to trust God to provide and we worry about things in our lives. And sometimes our children are concerned, too. How can we help them feel confident and safe? We can’t promise them that everything will always be easy and that we will always have everything we want. But we can help them feel secure in our and God's care.
* This article focuses on how God cares about the big and small things in our lives. God cares for the small things too
* And this article may help you support your children when they worry.
Helping kids when they worry
A land “flowing with milk and honey” = a fertile land that provides us with plenty of food to enjoy.
Enjoy “plenty” through plants and gardens. You may have a garden growing through which your children experience that sense of “plenty.” If you do garden, involve your child with its care. Though my daughters’ enjoyment of garden care varied from time to time, their participation at a young age influenced them to appreciate fresh produce then as well as now as adults. They also became familiar with preparing food starting with the raw ingredients.
Another place to experience that “plenty” is at a farmers market. Next time you visit a farmers market or just talk about your experiences there, help your child focus on that abundance and appreciate the abundance of harvest.
Land of milk and HONEY! And honey is made by honey bees. Children may be afraid of bees or perceive them to be bad because of their potential to sting us. But we need bees for honey as well as many other reasons. Help children have a positive perception of and appreciation for bees. This article provides interesting information that can help both adults and children respect bees. Understanding Bees
This Deuteronomy Bible passage makes me think about our worries and cares. Will our needs today be taken care of? How about tomorrow’s needs? It isn’t always easy to trust God to provide and we worry about things in our lives. And sometimes our children are concerned, too. How can we help them feel confident and safe? We can’t promise them that everything will always be easy and that we will always have everything we want. But we can help them feel secure in our and God's care.
* This article focuses on how God cares about the big and small things in our lives. God cares for the small things too
* And this article may help you support your children when they worry.
Helping kids when they worry
Help Keep Building Faith Alive!
Building Faith, a ministry of the Mennonite Early Childhood Network, operates on a limited budget funded totally by personal donations.
Would you be willing to donate to keep it going?
A small regular donation of $5.00 or a larger one time contribution would be greatly appreciated. Click below to make a tax deductible contribution to Mennonite Early Childhood Network through the Mennonite Education Agency, our parent organization.
(An anonymous donor is matching contributions right now!)
Building Faith, a ministry of the Mennonite Early Childhood Network, operates on a limited budget funded totally by personal donations.
Would you be willing to donate to keep it going?
A small regular donation of $5.00 or a larger one time contribution would be greatly appreciated. Click below to make a tax deductible contribution to Mennonite Early Childhood Network through the Mennonite Education Agency, our parent organization.
(An anonymous donor is matching contributions right now!)
