Helping Scripture To Come Alive Before Their Eyes

Not long ago, God gave me a simple idea about helping my kids learn Scripture. I shared this with you in the article Scripture Memorization throughout the Day , and many of you responded. The idea was simple. Simply choose a verse for different times of the day, such as breakfast, lunch, nap time, dinner, and recite that verse together at those times. My kids caught onto this quickly and enjoyed doing it. Read the article to get the full scoop!
Right now, my family is on vacation at the beach. Is there any place as relaxing as the beach? And how can you look at the vast ocean and not be amazed at God's omnipotence and majesty! I want my little ones to grasp that!
Never miss an opportunity to teach your children God's word. This is something I wish to do better. I think it is very helpful for children to be able to see the relevance of the verses you teach them. For instance, in teaching your children a bed time verse, you can use Psalm 4:8 (In peace I will both lie down and sleep For You alone, O Lord, make me to dwell in safety) By reciting this together at bedtime, it is easy for them to understand this verse, since they are about to sleep and the verse speaks directly about their sleep. So, similarly, while on vacation at the beach, I am teaching my kids a verse about the ocean. Psalm 95:5 "The sea is His for He made it, and His hands formed the dry land."
So, this morning, being the first people up (as usual!) my 3 year old son and I sat on the porch together, enjoying the wonderful morning breezes, sipped coffee together, (yes, he was drinking coffee!) and we talked about that verse and recited it a few times together. We talked about what we would do if all the oceans actually belonged to us. We talked about how kind God was to allow us to enjoy His ocean. We talked about how God only needed to speak in order to create the magnificent sea. It is so much easier for him to understand this verse with the sea right in front of him, then it would be when we are at home. It gives him something tangible to make the verse come alive.
Here are some other ideas:
Psalm 33:6-8 By the word of the LORD the heavens were made, And all the host of them by the breath of His mouth. He gathers the waters of the sea together as a heap; He lays up the deep in storehouses. Let all the earth fear the LORD; Let all the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of Him Psalm 93: 4 The LORD on high is mightier than the noise of many waters, yea, than the mighty waves of the sea.

Maybe you take a trip in the mountains:
Psalm 90:2 Before the mountains were born Or You gave birth to the earth and the world, Even from everlasting to everlasting, You are God.

Maybe you are taking your family to a zoo!
Genesis 1:24 Then God said, "Let the earth bring forth living creatures after their kind: cattle and creeping things and beasts of the earth after their kind"; and it was so.

The possibilities are endless. I'm just trying to get your creative juices flowing! And it doesn't have to be just on vacation. My point is that, as parents, look for ways to bring God's word alive to your children, so that they can always see the connection between God and every aspect of their life.
Vacations are special times where many memories are created. So, attach a corresponding verse or passage from the Bible and learn it over your time together. Learn it as a family. Choose a time when you will say it, or just recall it to their minds at random times throughout the day. As we sit on the beach and gaze at the ocean, what a great time to remind them of our verse for the week...the sea is HIS for He made it! Cool! =)

My hope is that as they recall those special memories, they will also remember the verse or passage and along with it!

~Kari