it's official: my audience has become the under-5 variety so I've put aside looking for new stories and am currently focusing on tried and true Bible stories with color pages as props & visuals.  It makes things easier for me that way, as my creative juices are rather flat right now!

The kids (half of them are my nieces) love the Bible stories, and since I know the kids on a more intimate level than I've known the others in the past, I pick the stories they love the most so it keeps their attentions - for at least half a second!

I discovered Coloring.ws - which is a great resource for any type of coloring pages.  The link provided is to its Christian/bible themed pages and the kids love them.  Even the pre-teens will sneak away with the leftover pages!

My current audience of 3 kids - my two, two year old nieces and a three-year-old grandson of an elder - are particularly into butterflies, David & Goliath, and Noah, so that's where I've focused my stories.  

I do keep "older" stories in my back pocket, but I have rarely had need to use them.  Until I come up with an older audience and/or new stories, please feel free to enjoy almost 10 years worth of collections here!

Hi everyone;

Guess who?

Yes, that's right, its the story teller who's not been telling many stories on the blog of late.  Gracious I can't believe how long it's been!

I got the most horrific cold ever this past winter, and it never really left me.  When I wasn't at church or at the doctor's or doing small chores, I was resting.  Then just when I felt better, I got another cold!

I'm still recuperating, but have no fear.  I've kept notes on my "best" stories @ church (when I've been well enough to give them, that is!) and will post them when I can.  Don't loose the faith, and I hope you've found this to be a helpful recourse!  It's so cool to hear from you so don't be shy in dropping me a line.  My email address is:

cadra74 at hotmail dot com

Bible Verse:  "..every eye shall see Him..."  Revelation 1:7 (KJV)

Visual Aide:  photo(s) of Pres. Obama's inauguration


Story:

Hey, kids - guess what?  The United States got a new president this week.  Did you see it?

Oh sure, I'm sure you saw the pictures.  Millions of people went to see this historic event.  We are blessed to have been born and to live in the United States, because not many countries get to experience the peace and relative quiet of one president leaving and another coming in.  Millions of people around the world have died because two or more men or women wanted to run their countries. 

And, yes, it is a really big deal that President Obama has black skin.  Jesus made each of us unique and special, and with Him, we can do anything, and be anything, but never before as the United States has someone who had dark skin in charge of the country. 

It was like the biggest party in the world.  Millions of people who couldn't be in Washington watched on their TVs, or their computers, or they threw parties at their houses, just like they would for baseball games or soccer matches.  People who live in England and Canada and France, and Germany, and even Iraq, and Australia - really, all over the world - people watched.  I know of a few people that I talk to that live on the other side of the world - they didn't even go to sleep because the party happened when they were supposed to be sleeping during the night!  So many people have carried on about this one event that no one's every seen anything like it before.  It almost felt like people wanted to worship him!

Are you sure it happened?  You weren't there to see it, where you?  So are you sure it happened.

Some people are carrying on about our new president.  They seem to think he's going to fix all their problems.  What do you think?

Here's what I think.  Even while people all over the world were excited and having a party because Mr. Obama is now our president, there were still millions of other people who heard about it, but didn't see it.  They weren't there in Washington, they didn't see pictures, they didn't watch it on TV or their computers.  Does this mean that Mr. Obama isn't the president?  No, its just that they didn't see it happen.  Maybe they don't care. 

The inauguration is a really big deal, and it is important.  But watching festivities this week made me think about Jesus.  When He comes back, everyone will be talking about.  There won't be anyone missing.  When Jesus comes back, every single person in the world will see it happen.  There won't be anyone sleeping through this event, and no one will need to turn on a TV to see it.  Jesus has left us plenty of advice and instruction about what will happen before and when He comes, but I wanted to share this one verse with you.  (Read verse)  

There will come a day, someday soon, when someone will run up to you and say "did you hear?  Jesus is hanging out over there!"  Don't believe it!  No one will have to tell you what's going on; its going to be the noisiest and happiest and greatest event the world will ever experience.  

Don't miss it!

Bible Verse:  Your word is like a lamp for my feet & a light for my path.  Psalm 119:105  (omit the verse for the youngest kids)

Visual Aide:  your bible

Story:

Do you like to read?  I do.  I have a place to put my books.  Do you have a place to put your books?  Does Mommy or Daddy have a shelf to put their books?

Books are special.  Some of them have pictures inside them; some of them have just words.

This is my Bible.  The Bible is a very special book.  It's one book that has a bunch of books all together inside it.  It's like having a bookshelf in your hand!

My bible doesn't have pictures in it, but it does have bookmarks with pictures.  Some of my bookmarks are pieces of paper that I wrote a note on that I want to remember. 

Long time ago, God and the Holy  Spirit helped many people - God's friends - write the books in the Bible.  These books are so special because they tell us about God, and Jesus, and how much They love us.  We can believe every word the Bible says because God helped write it.  The Bible is full of stuff - it has stories, and gives us advice, and it tells us about what will happen in the future.  It tells us how to dress, and how to eat, and how to worship God, and how to be nice to other people, even people we don't like.  The Bible also shows us how much God loves us. 

The Bible is the most important book you can have.  Do you have one?  Maybe your moms and dads will help you read a story from the Bible when you get home. 

Bible Verse:  God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them.  Genesis 1:27 KJV

Visual Aides:  baby doll (for youngest kids) & a bird house  or hunting decoy (for older kids)


Story:

When I was little, some friends and I built some birdhouses.  (examine the bird house.)  Not all birds sleep in nests. 

We had directions on how to build these houses.  We had to build them to look like houses because the birds we wanted to see only lived in covered places and we hoped they build nests inside.  When we were done, my brother, sisters, and I hung our birdhouses around our yard. 

When I moved away from home, the birdhouses stayed.  I know that when one fell down, we opened it up and there was a nest!  No one lived in the nest by then, but we were excited to know that we built something that looked just like what the birds use.

When hunters are out hunting for ducks, they sometimes use a special, wooden duck that looks exactly like the duck they're hunting.  They even use special whistles to make the same noises that ducks make - all so they can catch a duck.  In order to catch the duck, they need a duck that looks just like them.

Who is this? (show doll)  It's a baby!  I know you girls love your babies.  How many fingers does the baby have?  How many fingers do you have?  Does the baby have eyes?  Yes, she does.  Do you have eyes?  Yup, so do you!

Did you know that God and Jesus made us to look just like Them?  I don't know exactly what Jesus and God look like, but They have toes, and fingers, and eyes, and ears, and hair, and arms, and legs, just like us.  We are so special that we're the only ones who look like God.  The animals don't look like us, do they?  Puppies have four legs and a tail; we don't have tails.  We don't have fur.  The kitties don't look like us, do they?  We'd look pretty funny with ears on top of our heads!  Our ears on on the sides of our head!

(read verse for older kids; omit for younger ones)

I don't think God would have gone through all the trouble of making us look like Him if we weren't really important to Him.  Aren't you glad that God loves you & took such care in making you look like you?

Bible Verse:  The Spirit is like the wind that blows wherever it wants to.  You can hear the wind, but you don't know where it comes from or where it is going.  John 3:8


Visual Aide:

• a bowl of snow or a bottle of bubbles  (I gathered the snow & left it outside the front door until time for the story.  Fortunate for me, it had snowed super fluffy snow the night before!) 
• picture of wind damage (you'll find one @ the end)

Story:

Who likes snow?  I love snow!  It's cold but you can do so much with snow!  (Let the kids put their hands in it.) 

Have you ever been in the car with your parents when suddenly you couldn't see out your windows?  The snow was blowing around your car and it was so thick all you could see was snow. 

(Take some snow and blow it out of your hand.)  This snow is very fluffy.  If a big wind blew, this snow would all float away in the air.  

It's just like bubbles.  When you blow bubbles from the wand, they float in the air; sometimes they go far away. 

What do you know about hurricanes?  Yes, they cause damage, but how?  Part of it is the wind, and part of it is the water.  Its also like that with tornadoes.  The winds come through - you can hear them; you can feel them; they destroy everything in their paths, but you can't see the wind.  

Jesus' help, the Holy Spirit, is like the wind.  We can't see Him.  We don't know where He is, but we can see where He's been because we can see the help He gives to people.  The Holy Spirit has been around as long as God and Jesus - He's always been.  The Holy Spirit helped men write the Bible.  He was there for Jesus when Jesus lived on Earth.

Jesus promised His special friends that after He went to Heaven, He would send the Holy Spirit to be with them until Jesus could come back and bring all of us home.  Whenever we are scared, or don't know what to do, or have questions about God and Jesus, the Holy Spirit will come and be with you.  He can be your special friend, too.



this barn was over 150 years old when a microburst came through my area in July, 2008, and flattened it.  The barn was pushed off and away from the breezeway that goes to the house, and the roof crushed the walls and all the contents when it came to rest by the side of the road.  A microburst can do damage like a tornado, but instead of circular winds, these come straight down from the storm clouds.  Those winds can be as fast & devastating as a tornado.

Hi Everyone!

I'm so grateful and pleased to hear from a couple of you who have discovered my story blog.  It's good to know that you appreciate this resource!

It was inevitable... I've been the main storyteller at church for almost 9 years now, so it was bound to happen that my audience demographic would make a major shift as the children who were sitting in the pews at the beginning decide they're too old to come to the front, and new children start attending or become old enough to come to the front.

This is the 3rd time there is a swap in my front-pew audience, but its never been this drastic before.  The older boys have decided that, now that they're pre-teens, they will sit with their families... and the children coming up to the pew now are all under age 2 and now include my nieces. 

Because of this, the style of the stories are going to be changing to sound much younger.  It is my goal, however, to add tags to the blog that designate the general age of each story so that you can choose for your appropriate age group.  I'll still have stories for older kids, just in case we need them at my home church, so don't worry!

I wish you all a blessed 2009 and continued blessings as you minister to your smallest members!

Bible Verse:  The baby will be holy and will be called the Son of God.  Luke 1:35

Visual Aide:  for the younger crowd, I had a color book of pictures of Jesus as a child.

Story:

Let's talk about Jesus today! 

Long time ago, Jesus was born.  Oh what a happy day that was!    His mommy and daddy had traveled a long way from home to run errands.  When Jesus was born, His mommy didn't have a bed for Him, so she made Him a bed in the hay, next to the horses and cows.  She wrapped Him tight in a blanket.

The shepherds came to meet Jesus.  Angels told them that Jesus had been born, and the shepherds were so excited!  They wanted to see the Baby and love Him.

A star was high in the sky; it shown so bright!  Three wise men, who lived very far away, saw the star.  They got on their camels, wrapped their presents, and it took them a long time to get there.  When they got to where Jesus lived with His mom and earthly dad, they gave Jesus the presents.  They wanted to tell everyone they saw about baby Jesus!

Bible Verse:  ...I am the Lord God.  I am merciful & very patient with my people.  I show great love, and I can be trusted.  I keep My promises to my people forever... Exodus 34:6&7, both partial verses

Visual Aides:
a paper bag filled with familiar and not-so-familiar objects.  I had a bouncy ball, a pen, the cap to a hamster water bottle, a guinea pig salt wheel, a banana, a soda bottle cap, and a pair of sunglasses.

Story:

Today we're going to do some touch & feel.  I need some volunteers to put their hands in the bag and tell me what it is before you pull it out. 

Some of those things aren't so easy to figure out, are they?  How come?  You're right - it's hard to describe something that you can't see and don't know much about.

God is like that.  No one has seen God, so sometimes, it's hard to tell people what God looks like, and what He's like to be around.  Here are some things we do know about God:  He is bigger than any thing and every thing we can imagine or create.  He is bigger than the world.  He is even bigger than the universe!  

How can we learn about God if no one has seen Him?  That's right - we have the Bible to read!  The bible is full of things that tell us what God is like, so I want to read just one verse about God.  (read the verse)  What does this verse tell us?  Right here, God is speaking.  He's telling us about Himself.  He says he's merciful, patient, and keeps His promises.  That's cool!  God sounds like someone I want to get to know.  How about you? 

Whenever you want to know more about God, pray to Jesus for help, then open your Bible.  It will tell you all you need to know about what God is like.

Bible Story:  Daniel Chapter 3 (the firey furnace)

(written as presented, to the pre-k audience)


I saw this story a few weeks back about a terrible fire.  The people all got out of the building, but the fire burned up all the wood in the building and everything inside it.  One of the families that lived in that building had cats, and another family in the building had a dog.  The doggie had come out with the people, but he ran back inside! No one could find the animals.  The people were so sad!

The firemen were taking care of the fire when they heard a noise.  They looked and they found the dog!  The doggie had curled up around the cat in the other part of the building and kept the cat safe!   The cat was able to be OK, but the doggie died protecting the cat.*

It reminded me of a story in the bible.  The king built a statue.  It was so tall!  He told everyone in his kingdom to bow in front of the statue and pray to it.   Yes, you're right!  We should only pray to Jesus.

There were 3 boys who were there who didn't bow to the statue.  They told the king that they could only pray to Jesus.  This made the king very angry! 

The king had a huge fireplace - just like the ones at your house.  This fireplace was so big that adults could get inside it and stand up.  The king's army put so much wood in the fireplace and the fire got so hot you couldn't stand near it!  The king's army guys put the 3 boys in the fire.

The king looked inside the fireplace and saw there was a problem: there were 4 guys in the fireplace, and they were all walking around!  They weren't dead!  The extra person inside was Jesus!  He came to protect the boys because they stood up for Him. 

Jesus will be with us no matter what!  We we stand up for Him, He will take care of us.  That's why we pray to Him.



* I was mistaken when I told this story in church.  The dog didn't die in the fire, but the dog was injured.  This story comes from Washington State, though I can't find the direct link to the story now.