HEARTS FOR JESUS! This was our theme last night at Awana and it was great to see all the clubbers and leaders decked out in an array of pink, red and hearts (in anticipation of Valentine’s Day, of course!).

I continue to be amazed at the kids’ enthusiasm and their ability to memorize all these verses. They are so proud of their accomplishment as they work through their books and earn their rewards. The ultimate joy is that – because they are such sponges at this age – they will truly hide these verses in their hearts and remember them forever!

During Counsel Time, we continued our cereal theme. The cereal for this week was….

TRIX!

We talked about the fact that there are many choices in breakfast cereal, from “healthy” to chocolatey to…fruity! Trix is a favorite because it’s one of the cereals that blends all the fruity flavors together. Ms. Betsy then confirmed that Trix does not have REAL fruit in it (surprise!). We then started talking about real fruit and how fruit grows on trees or vines. Some of the clubbers indicated that they even have fruit trees in their yards at home. We talked about what it takes to make them grow – water and food. We also pointed out that not all the fruit that grows on the tree is “good” fruit; sometimes there are “bad” pieces and those have to be thrown out.

Well, it turns out that we have fruit growing inside of us! Ms. Betsy quickly clarified that it’s not because we are trees – and it’s not the kind of fruit that we eat. Rather, it’s the fruits of the spirit; the qualities that grow in us as we follow Jesus. The fruits of the spirit are: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control. Unfortunately, because we are sinners and live in a sinful world, there are “bad” fruits too, like hatred, selfishness and lying. Just like the fruit trees, we have to consciously throw out that “bad” fruit even if others around us are acting that way. The more we follow Jesus, the more those “good” fruits of the spirit will grow – and that’s a great way for others to see and learn about Jesus!

Next week there is NO AWANA! The following week will be Pirate/Princess Night!

Congrats to the GREEN team for being our big winners last night!

And one last thing… don’t forget to RSVP for Parent’s Night Out on Saturday, Feb. 20th! It’s at the Cove from 5:30pm-8pm and it’s for babies through 5th graders. I really talked it up last night, so if you’re looking for a night out, I promise your kids are in!! :)

See you in two weeks!

The Awana Team

AWANA PICTURES