Really Not Boring

Gospel Glasses

This skit will work the best if the actor portraying Emily is very expressive and over-exagerates. Parent could be male or female.

Props: oversized clown sunglasses or glasses, two bar stools

Characters: Emily & Parent

Purpose: To illustrate how we miss witnessing opportunities everyday

Stage: Set up two bar stools on center of stage.

Skit: Skit starts with Emily sitting on the barstool with large clown sunglasses on. She is smiling and looking her age of 6.

Emily: Starts humming & singing. Smiling, etc.

Parent walks up and sits down next to Emily.

Parent: [looking amused] It's time for dinner. [Pauses] What are you doing?

Emily: Watchin'. [smiles proudly]. These are my gospel glasses so I know who needs Jesus. Timmy sold them to me. I gave him my 'llowance. He said they are guar- guar-anteed, guaranteed to help me see them.

Parent: See who?

Emily: People who need Jesus.

Parent: Have you seen anyone?

Emily: No. [Discouraged].

Parent: You haven't seen anyone ALL afternoon?

Emily: Well...Mrs. Mc...Mcc.

Parent: McAllen?

Emily: Uh huh.. She got home this afternoon and dropped a bag of groceries when she got out of the car. [giggles] The juice went splat! [giggles] It was funny.

Parent: [Nods, taking in the information] What about Sarah? Did she come outside to play today when Mrs. VanLywen came by?

Emily: Yes. [Excited] She wanted to play, but I told her I was busy watching for people to tell about Jesus. I learned how on Sunday. [very proudly said].

Parent: I see. What else happened this afternoon?

Emily: [happy and perky] I saw a butterfly. It nearly landed on my nose. [touches nose & giggles].

Parent: Is that all?

Emily: I dunno. I forgot. [giggles then sighs.] But I want'd to tell someone about Jesus and I haven't see anyone. Now it's too late... [frowns, looking like she might cry].

Parent: Emily...I think you saw more people today that to tell about Jesus then you think.

Emily: [Sniffling] But I didn't. Timmy said these would help and now it's--

Parent: Em... I think you saw people today. Does Mrs. McAllen love Jesus?

Emily: I dunno. [sniffles].

Parent: Does Sarah know Jesus?

Emily: [Looks confused.]

Parent: Emily, may I see your glasses?

Emily: Ok. [Hands glasses to Parent].

Parent: Sometimes we get so busy looking for the big ways we can tell others about Jesus that we miss the little opportunities God sends us everyday. Tomorrow...[pauses briefly] why don't you try jumping up and helping Mrs. McAllen with her groceries? Who knows...maybe she'll ask you why you are being so nice and you can tell her that it's cause you love Jesus, who died for your sins.

Emily: Oh [Looks wide-eyed and in wonder].

Parent: Maybe you could even be unselfish like Jesus was and play with Sarah. Maybe she doesn't know about him.

Emily: Oh [Still wide-eyed]. So I don't need special glasses?

Parent: No. [Gives daughter a side-ways hug] Now why don't we go eat?

They walk off the stage.

Soul-Winning Buzzer

Props: Buzzer (created from Walkman aka box with sensors aka iBuds) & College Text Book.

Characters: A & B.

Purpose: To illustrate our motivations for sharing the gospel.

Stage: 2 mics. Place for Characters to walk towards one another.

Skit: Characters approach from opposite sides of the stage. Character A has the buzzer attached & comes from left side of stage. Character B has the college text book and comes from the other side. They meet in the middle.

A: Hey, “B”! How are you?
B: Good
A: [A jerks like a volt of electricity hit A's body.] Do you know Jesus?
B: Are you ok?
A: Great! This is the Salvation Zapper 2000. Guaranteed to help me remember to witness.
B: By shocking you?
A: I have to witness. This way when I meet people, I'll remember to tell everyone [volt shock]. Do you know Jesus?
B: Uhm...Yes...I know Jesus. Listen, we've got to talk about this Salvation Zapper thing, 'cause you're going to fry yourself and I think you are missing the point of the gospel. I've got to go work with McKenzie on her math homework, but I'm free later tonight.
A: Who is McKenzie?
B: Student at GTC. I meet her at Starbucks yesterday where she was staring at her College Algebra like it was going to bite her. We got to talking. Since I'm good at Math, I offered to help her.
A: That's very... [Volt] Does she know Jesus?
B: I don't know. I don't think so. Maybe God will open a door while we are working and I'll get a chance to talk with her. If not, she'll need help again. Either way, I'm obeying God. The whole “love your neighbor thing”.
A: How can you act like you enjoy sharing the gospel?
B: Because I do... Whether McKenzie knows it or not, she's a sinner who needs a Savior. I may have the chance to tell her, but it's up to God to open her eyes.
A: What if you forget? [Volt] Do you know Jesus?
B: Shaking head. I'm going to start laughing at you. Will you take that thing off? Haven't you figured out that sharing the Gospel isn't about you, it's about God? Remember when we had to memorize Eph 2- “For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, 9 not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” It's God's job to choose where, when, how...to open eyes and convict of sin. I don't have to have great, convincing theories, just share as opportunities come. It's up to him to do the rest.
A: What if you never have a chance to talk with McKenzie? [Volt] Do you know Jesus?
B: If I never get a chance to share the gospel with her she'll at least have met one Christian who cared and who knows? Maybe this will be just an “I planted, Apollos watered, God gave the increase” kind of thing where someone else gets to reap the fruit. If nothing else, I will have demonstrated God's kindness and care for her.
A: So can I-- [Vol] Do you know Jesus? Is it ok for me to take this off?
B: Laughing. Listen...I'll catch up with you later and maybe we can talk about this some more... I don't want to be late for my time with McKenzie.
A: Bye.

[both exit opposite directions & on the way out audience see “A” gets volted again with another charge and mutters “Do you know Jesus?”]

...where your stories come to life!

Storyland Cafe features a dinner of your choice and the opportunity for every child to be the author, illustrator, and publisher of their own creative story.

Props

Dinner (Your Choice)
Fun, Spunky Music
Science Fair Project Display Boards*
Stickers
Markers & Crayons
Picnic Blanket

*Display boards are made of cardboard, yet have a white surface great for drawing on and stand up like a storybook. You can also find stickers for great prices. I purchased boards in 2007 for $1 per display board at our local Dollar Tree.

Creatives

• Plan a simple dinner. The goal of this restaurant isn't the food, it's the fun your patrons will have while creating their stories.
• Select music to fit your guests. Keep it fun and upbeat yet relative to the "story" theme. An example would be theme songs from favorite cartoons or movies. For this restaurant, the music helps form a "mood" but is not crucial to the success of the restaurant (like it is for the Spittoon).
• Spread the picnic cloth down on the floor to make a "Storyland Space". Place the crayons and/or markers, stickers, and storyboards (aka display boards) on the "Storyland Space".
• After eating dinner and washing hands, every child gets a storyboard with instructs to create a story using the stickers and crayons/markers. The wonderful thing about this restaurant is that you can do it with a wide variety of ages as each child, whether 1 1/2 or 6 or 12 can create a story.
• Let each author share their story and take it home to show their parents.

Remember that with Storyland Cafe, and any other creative restaurant idea, your enthusiasm and expression bring to life what is other wise just an ordinary dinner.

What do you get when you combine the wild, wild west with dinner? Why, the Spittoon, of course!

Props

• Mason canning jars


• Any & all wild, wild west guns, hats, outfits, etc.


• Trail Mix


• Dinner (as simple or creative as you want). We had quesadillas, trail mix, apples, and water, if memory serves correct.

Creatives

• Use the Canning Jars for dinner. Remember that in wild, wild west all they would have had to offer you is water or beer or coffee. As you are working with children, you'll be serving water.


• Water is either from the well (cold) or restaurant (room temperature).


• Spitting is reserved for the propriator of the restaurant.


• No shooting guns inside the restaurant.


• Patrons must come dressed for the west complete with toy guns and hats.


• Use your western accident ("ya'll, dun thought," etc.).


• Tell tall tales while prepping dinner...and it could literally be a tall tale. During the debut of the Spitoon, the story of the Fifty Foot Man Who Wanted to Get to Texas But Couldn't Ride a Horse was told. [In case you are tempted to go looking for this story, it was made up on the fly and is not in print...yet.]


• Afterwards you can have an imaginary shooting match.


• The fun is in the imagination. The more you "play" the more fun it is.

Once upon a time in a land not very far away, there lived a princess. Now this princess was not an ordinary princess for she had not been born a princess, but adopted the King when she was still very young. As such, she was now know through the land as "The Princess".

Now I must warn you that the land in which the Princess lived was a very unusual land. Long ago, the Sly One had snuck into the land, stolen all the pea seeds, and replaced them with his "imitation" peas. These "peas" looked like the King's peas, tasted oh so good, and seemed absolutely delicious...until you swallowed one. Death came in a bitter, biting, barfing agony. The King had swiftly decreed, "No one should even think about eating peas!" and he sent his only son, the Mighty Warrior, to capture the Sly One.

The Princess, upon hearing the news, determined to obey her Father. It started off rather innocent. She sat down to dinner one night and it suddenly dawned on her that she had better inspect the salad very carefully to make sure a "pea" hadn't snuck in. So she begin lifting leaf after leaf of her lettuce. She found only a speck of dirt. Relieved, she begin eating her salad.

The next morning found the Princess out walking the town. "What beautiful flowers!" she thought as she walked past the flower garden. "Wait a minute!" she exclaimed. "What was that? Oh, dear. Surely it is not a pea plant!" She went closer to examine it. She found only weeds.

Continuing on, she was strangely aware of any living, moving green plant. What if the Sly One's seeds had been planted here? Fear slithered into her soul, slowly wrapping around her mind, until it could be found in almost every thought. What if the Chef didn't recognize was a pea plant looked like and accidentally put it in her salad?

As the Princess was leaving the library, where she had been researching the history of the pea plant, analyzing the genic makeup of the pea plant, and wrinkling her nose in disgust at the recipes with peas in them, she heard a familar voice. It was the Town Crier, announcing that the Mighty Warrior had been killed by the Sly One.

Fear became terror. Gasp! She realized that she had been thinking about peas, and with the King's special "Thought Tool", he probably already new this. Guilt, shame, and a sudden need to do anything but be near her Father and think about peas came upon her.

She ran towards her home, her room, and her stash of books. Soon, she was lost in another world. With heavy eyes, she fell asleep and begin to dream. She was in kitchen helping Chef prepare dinner by snapping peas, gaining much delight in the growing pile of peas. Inhaling the scent, she smiled with pleasure. Peas were so good.

With a start, the Princess awoke. She had forgotten how much she enjoyed peas. They were so round. I wonder if you could bowl with peas if you found the right pins? she thought. Now you may be wondering what happened to the Princess that she would forget that she wasn't supposed to even be thinking about peas. Well, I am ashamed to admit it, but right now the Princess really didn't care. She was tired of not thinking about peas and being afraid to think about peas and wondering if her Father had realized how much she thought about peas.That is...until the dinner bell rang.

Filled with dread and terror, she went to the dining hall, where she said a few polite words to her Father, whispered to the Butler-In-Training to make sure that there were absolutely no peas in the food, and feigned a happy spirit so all would see that she was doing well.

Her father wasn't fooled. She was.

That night, upon laying down to sleep, she tried so hard to sleep...counting sheep, saying the alphabet backwards, sighing deep, deep sighs. Nothing worked.

Then she realized that her bed felt funny. "No!" she gasped. "No!" Leaping out of bed, she called her maid. Together, they lifted the mattress. Sure enough. There was a pea under the bed. The Princess lost it, to put it politely. She screamed and then burst into tears.

Her Father came.

Taking her into his arms, he said, "My little princess, did you not hear the rest of the Town Crier's message? When the Mighty Warrior died, he broke the spell of the Sly One. The Sly One's peas are still bad, but you do not have to be afraid of them. They can't kill you anymore. If you happen to see or think of one, just stop."

"Oh, little one, you are missing so much in this big, wonderful world. When is the last time you went exploring? Why didn't you come to my Study today and read my Journals and spent time with me like you used to love to do? You have been so busy fearing the peas that you have missed Me."

That, my friends, is the real story of the Princess and the Pea.

Oh, and in case you are wondering how the pea got under her bed...let us just say that the Butler-in-Training is an observant and mischievous sort of chap.

~~~~
I am the Princess. The Pea is my Sin. My Savior is who I am missing.

On this blog you will find immaginative stories, creative "family" time ideas, and random bits of laughter. Look deeper and you will find glimpses of the cross.

So, come! Let's go exploring!