Thanksgiving

• If you are having a large group of people over for Thanksgiving dinner, make personalized place cards to put by each table setting. Cut 3-inch-by-6-inch rectangles from card stock in fall colors and fold them in half to create a square tent shape. On one side of the card, print a person's name. On the other side of the card, write down a Bible passage that reflects thanks. One example is 2 Corinthians 9:15, which states "Thanks be unto God for His unspeakable gift."
  
  Kids can think about the blessings in their lives and make placemats that display them. Cut out leaf shapes from orange, yellow and red construction paper. On each leaf, have the child write something for which he or she is thankful. Glue the leaves onto a 12-inch-by-18-inch sheet of construction paper. Seal the construction paper between two pieces of clear Contact paper.
  
  While working in the kitchen on Thanksgiving, wear an apron to honor the day. Purchase a plain, inexpensive canvas apron from a craft store and use fabric paint to decorate it with a heart. Under the heart, use a marker made for writing on fabric to print "Create in me a clean heart, O God; and renew a right spirit with me. Psalms 51:10"
  
  

All Things Are Possible

• Gather pinecones and acorns to make wreaths. Explain to children how the small pinecones and acorns grow into mighty trees, which reinforces the idea that, with God, all things are possible. Adults and older children could use hot glue to form the pinecones and acorns into a wreath shape, which could be decorated as desired. For small children, use white glue to hold pinecones and acorns around the edges of paper plates.
  
  

God Will Provide

• As winter approaches and food becomes scarce for animals, remind children that God will provide for people even as he takes care of every bird in the air, in reference to Matthew 6:26. With this in mind, make food treats for the birds. Melt 1 pound of lard in a saucepan. In a bowl, combine birdseed, raisins and peanuts for a total of 2 cups. Pour the food mixture into the melted lard, and then pat the entire mixture into metal cookie cutter shapes. Stick a straw into the top of each shape to make a hole for hanging. Let the shapes cool, and then remove from the cookie cutters. Put a ribbon through the hole and hang the treats in a tree.