My Feelings

by Kimber Bailey Scott

1 Samuel 16:11-13, 18; Psalm 23, 31:9, 14, 15, 56:3-4

SING:

(tune: London Bridge)

Angry, mad, happy, sad

Happy, sad, happy, sad

Angry, mad, happy, sad

Thank you God for making me

RHYME: (point to body parts)

God made me special, there's only one of me.

One nose like mine, one mouth like mine,

One chin like mine, two eyes like mine,

Two ears like mine, two hands like mine.

There's only one of me. I'm special as can be! 

                               ~Karen Leet

PRETEND:

Set up a "doctor's office" before you start. Try to focus their thoughts on how your children might be feeling. Are you afraid to go to the doctor to get a shot? It's ok to feel afraid sometimes. God can help us not feel afraid. You might feel sad because this baby doll is sick. God made our feelings. He knows when we feel sad. God can help us to feel happy again. Allow them to be the doctors and help the baby dolls (or stuffed animals). Or use your pet as Canaan did.

REFLECTION:

Give each child a mirror. Ask them to look at their faces. When I look at your faces, I can tell how some of you are feeling. Show me your happy face, sad, angry, silly, etc. Now show me the face you'll make when: you go to the park to play, your at your birthday party, you have to each spinach, you got in trouble, someone hit you, you get a prize, etc. 

LESSON:

When I tell you, make those faces during the story. There was a man in the Bible, who had the same types of feelings as we do. His name was David. Sometimes, he was happy or sad. Sometimes he was afraid or angry. Give each child a colored scene or make your own. Also give them 5 sheep (cotton balls) each.

As I tell the story, I want you to pretend to be David and these (hold up a cotton ball) are your sheep. Put your sheep in the pen on your picture. Then listen so you will know when to move your sheep around in your picture. Also make the faces I ask you to.

David was a shepherd. His job was to take care of his father's sheep. Every morning, David would lead his sheep out of their pen to the green grass. (Show them how to move the sheep to the grassy area.) David felt happy. Can you show me your happy face? When the sheep were finished eating the green grass, they needed a drink. So David would walk the sheep over to the water and they would drink. (Walk sheep to stream) Then the sheep would lie down in the grass and sleep while David played his harp and sang songs to God. (move sheep back to grassy area) David felt very happy. (ask them to show you their happy face)

Suddenly, a lion came out of the bushes and tried to catch one of David's sheep! David felt angry! Can you show me your angry face? He took a stone and his sling and chased the lion away.

David and his sheep started to walk home. (walk sheep to pen) Oh no! One of the sheep got caught in the thorns and is hurt. Dave felt sad for the sheep. Can you make a sad face?

Finally, David and his sheep were safely back home. (put all sheep in the pen) Let's count our sheep to make sure they all go back home. 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 Oh good! David counted his sheep and all of them were there. He had not lost any sheep. David felt happy again. (show happy faces)

You did a great job taking care of your sheep, just like David did.

MEMORY VERSE:

Who made our feelings? The Bible tells us "God made us." Let's say those words together. "God made us." Let each kid hold their own Bible and help them turn to Psalm 100:3 then say it together. "God made us."

SNACK:

Give each child a plate. Give them 2 grapes each, a lengthwise split banana and a strawberry. Ask them to put the strawberry in the middle of the plate (it's the nose), the two grapes at the top of the plate but spread apart (those are the eyes), and the banana at the bottom of the plate (happy or sad mouth). What does it look like? That's right! A face. Have them make a sad face and then a happy face. Would eating this make you happy? Let's eat! When you're done, have them throw their own plate away. Obeying mommy makes me happy and makes God happy too. Wash hands.

GAME:

What makes you happy or sad? Give each child a happy/sad face. This can be as simple as a paper plate with a sad face drawn with a permanent marker on one side and a happy face on the other side. Ask them to show you which makes them happy or sad...You fall down and scrape your knee. You get to eat ice cream. You go to the zoo. You have to take a nap. Your friends come over to play. I let you pick out some candy at the grocery store. Etc.

YOU'LL NEED:

Mirrors

Dress up clothes (or doctors coats) - optional

Baby dolls or stuffed animals

Blankets

Strips of cloth for bandages or band-aids

Toy doctor's kit (optional)

Mats or blankets or towels

Scenes (and crayons?)

Cotton balls

Bible

Plates

Grapes or Cherries

Bananas

knife

strawberries

paper plates

permanent marker