Wiggles and Joseph

The Jedis had no school Friday or today, and I-M was home Thursday due to illness. It was one of the longer stretches with everyone at home, and it was really nice! Everyone has paired off in different ways throughout the day. Arts and crafts (including a checkered racing flag), reading books, playing Wii, making some food, watching movies, playing with the shop-vac in the basement-- we've been up to some wackiness. No snow to sled on out back, but lots of mud! Kind of a bummer that all of the nice weather didn't come over this break, but the kids were all a little too sick to get out and enjoy it anyway. So we've been trying to get the wiggles out indoors.

Our series on Joseph in the Children's Chapel has begun. We've covered how Abraham's family uses tricks/lies to get what they want instead of relying on God. They also showed partiality for one family member, like a wife over other wives or a child over his siblings. These two bad habits get Abraham and his children into trouble for generations. Plus, they're temptations that we all face!

I bought a nice set of Playmobil Egypt toys to set the scene, and I found a bolt of cheap fabric to serve as the desert for $3. We have the temple/Pharaoh's palace, the Sphinx, and a Bible-era block house with a well out back for Jacob's house. (It will work well as the house where people lower their paralytic friend down through the roof to be healed by Jesus.) We have covered Joseph's dreams and his coat of many colors, followed by his brothers throwing him down a well and subsequently selling him as a slave.

This past Sunday we covered Joseph's purchase by Potiphar, and then Potiphar's wife's attempt to seduce him. I covered this carefully and explained that as a married woman, I shouldn't kiss other men like I kiss my husband, and I shouldn't give my heart to other men. Potiphar's wife was trying to kiss Joseph and give her heart to him and be unfaithful to her husband. Joseph ran from her, but left behind his cloak. Joseph wanted to be faithful to God and trusted that God would help him, and this faith was tested when he was put in jail. Tough subject, but I promised them that God would honor Joseph's right choice.

Over the next several weeks, we will cover each of the events in Joseph's life leading to the Israelites moving to Egypt. Then we will discuss the life of Moses and the Exodus. This will lead us to the Passover, which was the holiday Jesus was observing when He instituted communion. I like the idea of linking these stories of deliverance and sacrifice in the Old and New Testaments.

Joseph has always been my favorite Bible story. Anyone else want to share one?


EDIT: We just got snow dumped on us! It's the weirdest storm with snow and lightening! Of course, this has triggered a school delay, which will most assuredly become a cancellation. Glad we've been having good days!