One thing I am trying to teach Ella Beth and Landon on a daily basis is that the Fruit we bear is the fruit that is in our hearts. We talk a lot about the Fruits of the Spirit, and I try to use the words from Galatians when at all possible. I have found in our family, that if I can show Ella Beth and Landon the exact words from the Bible, then they really know they are in there. :)
Two weeks ago, self-control was a big issue in our house. Ella Beth would get mad at Landon and she would yell at him or speak to him unkindly; Landon would get mad at Ella Beth and he would hit her or push her. I found myself over and over again saying, "You need to use your self-control and find a different way of dealing with _________." So, I finally got out my Bible and Ella Beth's children's Bible and we sat down and really discussed the Fruits of the Spirit - and what they looked like in action.
The kiddos are all about doing crafts, so we created our own little "vine" to display the Fruits in our school room. We now have two separate places where our Fruits are displayed in our home, and we are able to point to them and refer to them when needed. Some days, more than others. ;) This is a simple craft, so I thought I'd share!
The first thing I did was find a template of an apple outline. (I googled it, and there were many choices.) Then I cut them out - they don't have to be perfect!
While I was cutting all nine apples out, the kiddos got to do some prep work, too. They tore red construction paper into small pieces.
Then I laid out contact paper (sticky side up) and placed the apples face down.
Next, the kiddos got to cover their apples with the red construction pieces.
Now, if you have ever worked with contact paper, then you know how tricky the next step can be! You have to lay another sheet of contact paper (sticky side down) to seal the apples. It's tricky not to get bubbles between the sheets, but if you do, rubbing them with a credit card or your finger nails will usually get them out.
Lucky for me, I was able to cut around my biggest imperfection. :)
So, I cut them out, and then wrote the Fruits of the Spirit on each apple: Love, Joy, Peace, Patience, Kindness, Goodness, Faithfulness, Gentleness, and Self-Control.
Then we strung them together on our vine (thin green ribbon), and hung them above the window in our school room. (Sorry the picture isn't great, but it's hard to take a good pic when the light is shining right into the camera!)
It's a great reference for all of us. Ella Beth, especially, is able to use words to describe her heart, and we are all able to call each other out (in love) when someone's fruit smells "rotten." That patience one? Yup, even Mama has been called out. ;) But, that's what I love about the Bible and about Christianity.
It applies to all of us. And I truly believe that when our children see our Fruit, whether good or rotten, it applies a teachable moment. I am able to ask for forgiveness from Ella Beth and Landon if I have been impatient or used an unkind tone of voice, and I have modeled for them how to do that for others. There is nothing that melts my heart more than me hearing one of my kiddos ask for forgiveness from the other - on their own. Their hearts are being molded, and I love that.
