Early Bird Special: Floating Experiment
Children who arrive between 9:30 and 9:45 AM get to do a bonus activity in Sabbath School.  Today our early birds tested out different materials to see if they would float or sink in water.  In our Bible story today, God instructed Noah to make a big boat that would float on the water. 

Nature Nugget: The Sun
In the beginning, God made a great big ball of light in the heavens near our earth, called the sun.  The sun gives us light and heat.  Without the sun, the earth would be a dark, cold place.  Nothing could live here.  The plants use the suns rays to make food for themselves in their leaves.  It takes the earth about 365 days to go around the sun on its orbit.  Depending on how far away we are from the sun during the year helps to determine our seasons.  The earth takes about 24 hours to spin on its axis.  As it spins, from our perspective, the sun seems to go up and around us and back down again.  When the sun "comes up," we call that sunrise.  When the sun "goes down," we call that sunset.  The Bible says in 1 Corinthians 10:13, "God is faithful."  Everyday, we know the sun will be there to light up our day, even when the clouds are too thick to see it.  Just as the sun is always faithful to do its job, God is faithful to take care of us and help us in all we do.

Memory Mastery: The 10 Commandments
We are memorizing the 10 Commandments right now.  You are encouraged to play the CD I sent home with you in the car a couple of times a week, so your child can practice on the way to school.  Children who can recite the 10 commandments will receive (fool's) gold, frankincense, and myrrh to add to their Bible artifact collection.  Practice the 10 Commandments with me here.

Mission Trip: The Power of Influence
Today, we travel to Northern Brazil, where we meet a girl named Samara.  Samara loved Jesus from a very young age.  One day she told a man in the street to stop smoking because it was bad and it made Jesus sad.  The man immediately threw down his cigarette and walked to her house.  He told Samara's mom that he wasn't going to smoke again.  He eventually started going to church where he lived and gave his life to Jesus.  He visits Samara's family sometimes and calls her his "little teacher."

On another day, Samara visited her teenage neighbor outside.  She invited him to go to some church meetings.  The young man decided to come and bring his little brother.  Samara's father gave them Bible studies.  Soon he was baptized.  Samara got baptized with him.

At church, Samara was invited to preach at some children's meetings.  She had to memorize her sermon.  Even though she was nervous about it, God helped her feel calm when she gave her sermon.  When she asked the people if there were any who wanted to give their lives to Jesus, 15 people came forward.

God has already used Samara to bring many people to Jesus.  He can use You, too!

Take Home Guide
Below are the prayer verse and prayer prompt for this week's daily devotions.

• "We will obey the voice of the Lord." Jeremiah 42:6
• Dear Father God, Help me obey Your voice because I love You.  In Jesus' Name, Amen.

Eager Beavers meets this coming Wednesday, February 3rd, at 6 PM, in room 124 in Richmond Academy.  We will continue Sponge Art and Alphabet Fun.  We might begin Manners.

​Eager Beavers Opening Ceremony
To start our meeting we do our Eager Beaver cheer, which includes our pledge.  Then we say opening prayer.

Meeting Themes: Sponge Art, Alphabet, Jesus' Star
The children completed various activities station-style to fulfill requirements for the Sponge Art chip.

• Make a sponge tower
• Sponge paint your name
• Sponge sorting

Children also completed various activities to fulfill their Alphabet Fun chip.

• Read It, Build It, Write It - It being your name
• Letter Wheel
• Sight Words Spelling

During our awards ceremony, for the last requirement for our Jesus' Star chip, we also reviewed Matthew 24:27 where it says Jesus will come from the East.  

​Awards Ceremony: Building a Dam
Today, Eager Beavers who completed all requirements for Toys and Jesus' Star chips were awarded those chips through a special ceremony.  We learn more about beavers from our beaver book.  Today, we learned about the special features of a beaver's body and how they swim.  When it's time to receive their chips, Eager Beavers pick up sticks to represent the work they have done for their chips, place them over our "water" rug to build a dam, cross the water and receive their chips.  Congratulations Eager Beavers for all your hard work!

​Closing Ceremony
For our closing ceremony, we always say our goodbye cheer which includes our Bible promise, Philippians 4:4.  Then we end with prayer.