whits end mealtime devotions

8/12/2019 Whits End Mealtime Devotions

1/18

An excerpt with recipes

from ClubhouseMagazine

www.whitsend.org www.clubhousemagazine.com
http://www.whitsend.org/http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/http://www.clubhousemagazine.com/http://www.whitsend.org/


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Power-Packed Pastaby Christopher from New JerseyGather 1 pound cooked ziti1/4 stick pepperoni, sliced1/2 pound mozzarella cheese, cubed1 green pepper, diced

2 boneless skinless chicken breasts, grilled and cubed16 cherry tomatoes, cut into fourthsred onion (optional)olive oil and vinegarGo 1. Ask a parent to help you chop the ingredients.2. Mix everything together in a large bowl. Season with oil and vinegar to

taste.3. Chill, covered in the refrigerator.4. Serve with warm breadsticks for a power-packed meal.This article first appeared in the August 2006 issue of Clubhouse magazine.Copyright 2006 Focus on the Family. Used by permission. Photo Ronand Karen Nickel.

RECIPE


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Bear-Faced Meatloafby Marlene HibbardGather 1 1/2 pounds ground beef1/2 cup tomato soup1/2 cup bread crumbs1 egg

1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce1/3 cup green peppers, choppedsmall onion, finely chopped1/8 teaspoon ground black peppercooking spraybroccoli1 slice red pepper

1 slice zucchini2 crackersketchup (optional)Go

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.2. Mix together ground beef, tomato soup, bread crumbs, egg,

Worcestershire sauce, green peppers, onion and black pepper.3. Mold the mixture into an oval head shape and place on a greased bakingsheet. Place broccoli for the bear's eyes, red peppers for the mouth,zucchini for the nose and crackers for the ears.4. Bake for 40 minutes or until brown and cooked all the way through.Remove from oven and let cool slightly. (If the vegetables for the eyes andmouth brown too much, replace with fresh veggies and serve the cookedones on the side.)5. Serve with ketchup or your favorite meatloaf topping.

This article originally appeared in the March 2012 issue of Focus on theFamily Clubhouse magazine. Copyright 2012 by Marlene Hibbard. Usedby permission. Photo Ron and Karen Nickel.

RECIPE


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Blackened Chickenby Erika from MinnesotaGather 1 teaspoon paprika4 teaspoons sugar, divided1-1/2 teaspoon salt, divided

1 teaspoon garlic powder1 teaspoon dried thyme1 teaspoon lemon pepper1 teaspoon cayenne pepper1 teaspoon black pepper, divided4 boneless, skinless chicken breast halves1-1/3 cups mayonnaise1 teaspoon water2 teaspoons apple cider vinegar

Go

1. In a small bowl, combine paprika, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon salt,garlic powder, thyme, lemon pepper, cayenne pepper and 3/4 teaspoonblack pepper.2. Sprinkle mixed seasonings over both sides of chicken and set aside.3. In another bowl, combine mayonnaise, water, vinegar and remainingsugar, salt and pepper. Cover and chill one cup of mixture for serving. Saveremaining sauce for basting.4. With a parent's help, grill chicken, covered, over medium heat for 4 to 6minutes on each side or until juices run clear, basting frequently with sauce.5. Serve with the chilled sauce for a zesty flavor!

This article first appeared in the March 2010 issue of Focus on the FamilyClubhouse magazine. Copyright 2010 by Focus on the Family. Used bypermission. Photo Ron and Karen Nickel.

RECIPE


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Whits End Mealtime Devotions

Copyright 2013 Focus on the Family

A Focus on the Family book published by yndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188

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TYNDALE and yndales quill logo are registered trademarks of yndale House Publishers, Inc.

Unless otherwise noted, Scripture quotations are taken from theHoly Bible, New InternationalVersion, NIV Copyright 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica, Inc. Used by permission of Zondervan.www.zondervan.com.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any formor by any meanselectronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or otherwisewithout prior writtenpermission of Focus on the Family.

Editor: Marianne HeringCover design by Jacqueline L. NuezCover illustration and interior illustrations of characters by Gary LockeInterior design by Lexie Rhodes

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Con en

Welcome . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix

Any Day Meal ime Devo ionsBulls-Eye. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3

Water, Water Everywhere. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4ime-out . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5

Youve Got Mail! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 6Plain Ol Vanilla . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7Soul Food . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 8King-Sized Oven . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Attitude of Gratitude. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10Sweet as Honey . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11rue or False?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Kids Rule! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13Dirty Dishes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14Lost and Found . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15Companys Coming! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 16Te Greatest Commandment . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17Need an Eraser? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18Be a Bookworm . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19Caterpillar or Buttery? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 20Nicknames . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21Bread of Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22Not by Bread Alone . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 23Snack Attack . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24

Whats on Your Label? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25Te Great Provider . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26Its Good for You! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27God-Sized Water Bottle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28150 Watts . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 29


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Name Tat une . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 30Blowin in the Wind . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 31Eat Your Veggies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 32Good News! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 33Fish Dinner . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 34Got Milk? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35Gifts Tat Money Cant Buy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 36Heard WHA on the Grapevine? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 37King on the Mountain . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 38

A Rocky Ride . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39Construction Zone. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 40

What ime Is It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 41Te Real Big Shot . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 42

When Less Is More. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 43Not Hanging with the Crowd . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 44No More Baby Food!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 45

Who Said It? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 46ruth or Consequences. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 47Its a Boy!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 48Back to the Cradle . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49Be a Peach . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 50I Spy!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 51Be a Wise Guy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52Salt of the Earth . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 53

A New PB&J. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 54Dont Go Solo . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55Gigantic Grocery List . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 56Gods Phone Number . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 57Giant Grapes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58alking Stones . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 59

Bite Your ongue! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 60

All in the Family . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 61Better Tan Spinach! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 62

Whats for Dinner? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 63Surprise Inspection . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 64

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Holiday Devo ionsBirthday: Its Original . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 67New Years Day: If at First You Dont Succeed . . . . . . . . . . . . . 68Valentines Day: Show-and- ell . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69

April Fools Day: Whos a Fool? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70Good Friday: Who ook the Sun? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Easter Sunday: Sunday Surprise . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 71Mothers Day: Marvelous Moms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 72Memorial Day: Flowers and Flags . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 74Fathers Day: Fabulous Fathers . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 75Independence Day: Lets Party! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 76Tanksgiving Day: Gobble, Gobble . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 77Christmas Eve: No Vacancy . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 78Christmas Day: Te Best Gift . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 79Boxing Day: Whats in the Box? . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 80New Years Eve: Looking Back . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 81

Teme Devo ionsSearch for reasure . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 85Upside-Down Gospel . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 86Getting to Know You . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 87Fortune Promises. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 88Bible Riddles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 89Home on the Range . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90Hooray for Grandparents! . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 91Lets Bake . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 92Rainbow Salad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 93Sweet reat . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 94

Whatcha Watchin?. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 95

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Te Power of Devo ionsa Meal imeby John Avery Whitaker

Tere are a lot of surveys by reputable organizations demonstrating the impor-tance of consistent mealtimes for families. But those of us who grew up withconsistent mealtimes at home dont need surveys to tell us how important thosetimes were. o sit down together to share food, to talk about how our days

went, to explore our joys and pains as a family, was invaluable not only to ourhealth and well-being, but to our relationships as a family. I can easily under-

stand why the Bible talks about mealtimes as often as it does. And God usedmealtimes to teach His peoplefrom Moses teaching his people aboutthe Passover to Jesus teaching His disciples at the Last Supper.

In both the Passover and the Last Supper, we can see how conversation,and even the food itself, was used to grab everyones attention and give theitems around the table a deeper eternal meaning. Tough those original occa-sions were somber, they have also become sources of joy and fun for everyoneinvolved.

Tats the point of this book: to turn mealtimes into lively times for talkand teaching about the Christian life. Its laid out to make family conversationas easy as pie for you to do. Heres the recipe for meaningful mealtimes (and,yes, the puns are intentional):

After announcing the title, read the Mealtime Prayer suggestion and thenask your children to pray it together.

Ten read the Appetizer. Te Appetizer is just thatsomething to whet

your appetite for more.Follow it with the Main Course. Tis contains the meat of the section.Once youve given your family something to chew on, its time for able

alk. Tese challenging questions will help your kids think about what theyve just learned and explain how to digest it for their daily lives.


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Finally, end with Vitamins and Mineralsa Bible verse that relates to thedays reading and discussion.

o get the most out of this book, allow yourself to be exible . You donthave to go through it from cover to cover. You might want to use the tableof contents to nd a topic that relates to whats happening in your family onthat day.

Besides these regular readingssome of which are anything but ordinary weve included extra sections: Holidays ans Special Occasions, and TemeMeals. Kids will especially enjoy these. Be sure to leaf through those sections inadvance so you know whats coming up. Plus, a few of them require a minimalamount of preparation, just to add to the fun.

Te point is to turn mealtimes into a fun and enjoyable time of learn-ing about each other, and about bringing God into every part of our lives. Besensitive to how your children respond. Allow enough time for them to answerthe questions, but dont force conversation if they dont seem interested. Tatusually isnt a problem with kids, Ive found. Tese readings have been time-

tested around a few tablesand should stir up animated conversations aboutthe things that really matter.

Have fun!

x


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Anytime

MealtimeDevotions


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3

Bu s-E eMeal ime Prayer:Tank God that He is always with us and that we never have to be afraid.

Appe izer:Te giant Goliath was over nine feet tall. How many people from your family

would have to stand on each others shoulders to be as tall as Goliath?Goliaths armor weighed about 125 pounds. How many kids in your family

could Goliath have picked up to equal that weight?

Main Course:Imagine facing a giant in battle. What weapons would you want to help you?David, a young shepherd boy, was brave enough to ght a giant. Read the excit-

ing story of David and Goliath in 1 Samuel 17:1724, 3151.

able alk: What did David take to help him ght Goliath? Where did David get his courage? What would you have done if you were David? What kinds of giants do you face in your

everyday life? What can you do when youre afraid?

Vi amins and Minerals:[Moses said,] Be strong and courageous. Do not be afraid or terried becauseof them, for the L your God goes with you; he will never leave you norforsake you (Deuteronomy 31:6).


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4

Wa er, Wa erEveryhereMeal ime Prayer:

After the leader prays each phrase, everyone says, We thank You, dear Lord.Leader: For food to eat and water to drink,For healthy bodies and minds that think,For all that we have and all we enjoy,For every girl and every boy.

Appe izer:ry to come up with ten uses for water. Go!

Main Course:Eat as much of your dinner as you can without taking a drink. How long couldyou last?

Why do we need to drink? What makes us thirsty? When do you mostappreciate an ice-cold glass of water?

able alk: Jesus is called theLiving Water . How is He like water? Why do we

need Him? Where can we nd living water ? How can we drinkliving water ? Why does the satisfaction ofliving water last forever?

Vi amins and Minerals:[Jesus said,] But whoever drinks the water I give him will never thirst. Indeed,the water I give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal

life (John 4:14).


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5

ime-ouMeal ime Prayer:Tank God for times to rest and worship. Tank Him for your church, theminister, and the leaders of your church.

Appe izer: What would happen if people worked every day and never took a day off? Whydo we need a day of rest?

Main Course: What different types of churches have you been to? What is your favorite placeof worship? Why do we need to take time to worship God?

able alk: In the Ten Commandments, God tells us to remember the sabbathday to keep it holy. What does that mean? (ReadExodus 20:811.)

What did God do on the seventh day after Hecreated the world? If God doesnt get tired, whydid He take a day off?

ink of ten good reasons to go to church.

Vi amins and Minerals:Let them exalt him in the assembly of the people and praise him in the councilof the elders (Psalm 107:32).


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6

Youve Go Mail!Meal ime Prayer:Name some missionaries you know. Ask God to bless and protect them, as wellas other missionaries throughout the world.

Appe izer:Have you ever read a letter from a missionary? When was the last time you

wrote a letter on paper or in electronic form? When was the last time youreceived one?

If someone collected your letters and put them in a book, what kind ofbook would it be: mystery, adventure, drama, comedy?

Main Course:

What is the most famous collection of letters ever written? (Hint: Teyre in theBible.) Te apostle Paul became a missionary, traveling to many places, fromRome to Syria, to tell people about Jesus. He didnt stay in one place very long,so he wrote thirteen letters (now in the New estament) to keep in touch withthe new Christians. Why do you think he wanted to keep in touch with them?

able alk: Would anyone besides the friend youve written to be interested in

your letters? How are Pauls letters di erent from yours? Pauls letters are messages from God to you. How should

you treat them?

Vi amins and Minerals:I thank my God every time I remember you

(Philippians 1:3).


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7

Plain Ol Vani aMeal ime Prayer:Let each person offer his or her own kind of prayershort orlong, silent or aloud. Have the last person thank God for yourdifferent tastes in prayerand food!

Appe izer: Which ice cream avor is the top seller: Strawberry, Cookies N Cream,Chocolate, or Vanilla? (Answer: Vanilla.)1 Whats your favorite avor?

Main Course: Why isnt there just one avor of ice cream? If you were ice cream, whichavor would you want to be: Mysterious Mocha, Cheery Cherry, Quiet Kiwi,

Grumpy Grape, or Outrageous Orange? Why? Why didnt God make just one kind of person? Every one of us has differ-ent tastes. Your avor is what makes you you.

Each of us has a different way of praying and worshiping God, too. Somelike to sing praises. Some are champs at quoting Bible verses. Others would rath-er sit quietly and think about Gods goodness. All these are part of your avor.

able alk:ake a vote on the following questions:

Would you rather sing a praise song with motions or without? Why? Would you rather pray standing up, sitting, kneeling, or bowing with

your face to the oor? Why? Now that youve voted, should you all have to sing and pray in the

ways that got the most votes? Why or why not?

Vi amins and Minerals:Tere are different kinds of service, but the same Lord (1 Corinthians 12:5).

1. Ice Cream Sales & rends, International Dairy Foods Association, 2012, http://www.idfa.org/news--views/media-kits/ice-cream/ice-cream-sales-and-trends/.


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9

King-Sized OvenMeal ime Prayer:Tank God for the many ways He takes care of us. Ask Him to give you thecourage to obey Him.

Appe izer: Youve probably said, Id give anything for a soda! or Id die for an ice creamcone. What would you be willing to die for? Chocolate mousse? o score a

winning goal? Your beliefs?

Main Course:Tree young men were willing to die just to stand up for their God. Or werethey? Read the thrilling story of three brave men from Daniel 3: 16, 1213,

1618, 21, 2628.

able alk: What was the most exciting part of the story? What were they willing to die for? Do you think the three men knew they would not

burn up? Why or why not? What should we do when someone wants us to

disobey God?

Vi amins and Minerals:Ten they called them in . . . For we cannot help speaking about what we havesee and heard (Acts 4:1820).


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Ati ude of Gra i udeMeal ime Prayer:

What are some things that your family members have done for each othertoday? Tank God for your family and the ways you can help each other.

Appe izer:How do you feel when you do something nice for someone else and he or shedoesnt thank you for what youve done? Have you ever forgotten to thanksomeone for doing something nice for you?

Main Course:Te Bible tells us that, one day, Jesus healed ten men who were sick with a dis-ease called leprosy (Luke 17:1219). Only one of the men took time to thank

Jesus for healing him. How do you think Jesus felt about this? Why do youthink the other nine men didnt thank Jesus? Why is it important to say thank you to our friends and family for things

they do for us? Why is it important to thank God for what He does?

able alk: What things do we take for granted but should be

thankful for? How does it help our relationships when we remember

to show gratitude? Write a thank-you note to someone, and give it to him

or her tomorrow.

Vi amins and Minerals:Give thanks to the L , call on his name; make known among the nations

what he has done (Psalm 105:1).

whits end mealtime devotions

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