Hands-On Faith for Families – Week of October 14, 2024

Theme: Choose Wisely

Choosing Joy

Scripture: The Lord has done great things for us, and we are filled with joy. (Psalm 126:3)

Play: Ask one family member to lie down on the floor, flat on his back. Then, have someone else lie down too, with his head on the stomach of the first person. Continue this pattern until everyone is lying flat with another family member’s stomach as a pillow. When everyone is lying down, connect the circle by putting the first person’s head on the stomach of the last one to lie down. Then the fun begins.

Everyone should try to keep from laughing while repeating the word “ha.” The first person says, “Ha.” Then everyone lying in the circle repeats it in order. Then, the first person says, “Ha. Ha,” and it is repeated. Then they say, “Ha” three times and so on until everyone begins to laugh together.

Talk: Laughing feels great! But, sometimes in life it’s difficult to laugh because of struggles we face. And that’s OK. We can still have joy — even when we don’t feel like laughing.

In difficult times, when we focus on the problems we are facing, it makes us feel sad. But, if we make the decision to focus on God, it helps increase our joy. “Though you have not seen him, you love him; and even though you do not see him now, you believe in him and are filled with an inexpressible and glorious joy” (1 Peter 1:8). This will help us have His joy, and perhaps friends around us will notice how great our God really is. Joy might even become contagious like in our game.

Pray: Thank God that He is your joy, even in hard times.

— Jeanine Vogel