Wednesday

10 Bible Verses of Encouragement in Times of Anxiety, Worry & Stress


We all need encouragement and the best place to go is to the Bible.

In this blog Post I have tried to gather some Bible passages or Bible verses which will encourage us all when we are anxious or worried or under any kind of stress.







I do believe that we should not just grab a verse and read it on its own but we should always lift our bibles and read a passage of scripture to make sure that we know the real meaning and context of each of the verses we are putting our trust in. 

I pray that you will do the same and only use this list to guide you as to where you may find help.



So here are 10 Bible verses or short passages for us to turn to in times of  Anxiety, Worry & Stress



1.   Philippians 4 v 4-9     

Starting off with a great passage in Philippians, look it up, read it through and then focus in on these three points:

This tells us to Start by Rejoicing in the Lord  v. 4







Then We Should Turn to God in Prayer and tell Him how we feel because that is what we are instructed to do  v. 6-7








Finally we need to turn our eyes and minds away from the things that make us anxious and focus on the good  v. 8






and always remember we are instructed again and again in the Bible not to worry about anything in the future.




2.   John 14 v 1
    
The whole of this chapter is worth reading and it will aptly speak to your heart

 Just as the disciples needed to be told to believe in Jesus and not be worried, so must we believe and trust in Him.







3.   Luke 12 v 22 - 34    

Again lift your Bible and read through this passage for yourself and see how Jesus explains why we as well as the disciples should not worry. 


22 Then He said to His disciples, “Therefore I say to you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat; nor about the body, what you will put on. 
 23 Life is more than food, and the body is more than clothing.


The two verses above are just the basis of it.




4.   Psalm 55 v 22

This verse is on a post-it note because we really must remember it, daily.





5.   Philippians 4 v 19

One of my favourite chapters in the Bible and yes we were in that chapter for the first portion in this list but this is later on in the chapter.


And my God shall supply all your need according to His riches in glory by Christ Jesus.


I want to draw your attention to the "all" in that verse because sometimes we can believe for some but not all.




6.   1 Peter 5 v 7




Do we truly believe we can cast everything on Him?

We should if we trust in Him and believe His Word.



7.   Psalm 94 v 19

It's not just one care or worry that God cares about but all of them.

In the multitude of my anxieties within me,

Your comforts delight my soul.


Our God can make the difference in all our circumstances.





8.   Matthew 8 v 19-31


Oh we know this story so well or at least we think we do.

Read the passage and then be in awe of the Lord who can take care of us through anything because everything that besets us is subject to Him.









9.   Matthew 6 v 34


God is the one who knows what tomorrow holds and Jesus wisely tells us to concentrate on today and not to worry ahead in time.


Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow,
for tomorrow will be anxious for itself.
Sufficient for the day is its own trouble.








Then we must also remember that we should always consider how we can help others in their anxiety, worry and stress.


So to finish here is a verse to encourage us to encourage others by the way we treat them and talk to them.



10.   Proverbs 12 v 25



Anxiety in the heart of man causes depression,

But a good word makes it glad.



A simple action "a good word" and then we can direct others to the Bible passages and verses that have helped us already and on to Jesus the Saviour of the World.









Tuesday

Kids Songs for Hand Washing - Need Help?






Do You

Need Help?


The Kids Must Wash Their Hands!!!


BUT


Are they Tired of Singing Happy Birthday all the time?

YES!!!!




Would you like ideas to use with your kids and grandkids instead of the Happy Birthday Song?


Some people were tired of this weeks ago so I'm going to put up videos & free printables for you to use to teach your children new songs that are the right length for our

(at least) 20sec. handwashing routines.


List of Songs included below

1.  I Like the Pit Pit Patter of the Raindrops.
2.  Wash Your Hands (to Baby Shark)
3.  Love One Another Like Brother & Sister.
4.  I Can Do All Things.
5.  Jesus Love is Very Wonderful.
UPDATED with these new songs:
6.  Good News, Good News.
7.  Jesus Loves Me.
UPDATED Again with these new songs:
8.  No Never Alone.
9.  God is So Good.
10. Whisper a Prayer.


CHECK BACK REGULARLY FOR A NEW SONG.

and 

Please read to the end of the post as there is a
 TIP for the parents


also

DON'T FORGET TO CLICK FOR ALL THE FREE DOWNLOADS
at the
 END OF THIS BLOG POST






1.  I Like the Pit Pit Patter of the Raindrops.


A song our grandkids love to sing in the car with us and if you sing it through at the speed I sing it in the video then it is just over the 20 secs. But if you want to sing it fast then sing it twice and it will be the more than enough time for that important handwash time.




PRINTABLE








Now watch the video below to learn the tune








To Download a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano  &  the  powerpoint for printing on  A4 card  or  Letter size






2.  Wash Your Hands  (to Baby Shark).


Everyone loves Baby Shark so why not change the words slightly

Because it is so well-known you won't need a printable for this one or really even a video to help you learn it (but for the fun of it I just might do one later).


The Words:

Wash Your Hands    (instead of Baby Shark)

sing it twice

 or 

why not personalize it by getting the children sing each others names or your name

ie.  Wash your hands  mummy, mummy, mummy
      Wash your hands  daddy, daddy, daddy
      Wash your hands  nanny, nanny, nanny
      Wash your hands  grandpa, grandpa, grandpa







3.  Love One Another Like Sister and     Brother.


A song that is very easy to learn and very easy to sing and definitely lasts over the 20 secs. Fred timed me before we did the video and he said 25 secs.  But I think I actually sang it slower on the video than I did when he was timing me.



PRINTABLE













Now watch the video below to learn the tune










To Download a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano  &  the  powerpoint for printing on  A4 card  or  Letter size
CLICK HERE




4.  I Can Do All Things .


This is a song that will help the kids to learn a Bible Verse at the same time so a double blessing here.

It's based on Philippians 4 v 13  and the reference is actually included in the song too.







Click through HERE for a sound recording of the song that Fred and I make a few years back.


Hopefully I will add a video for the song later.



PRINTABLE











WORDS

I can do all things, all things.
I can do all things, all things.
I can do all things, all things.
Through Christ
Through Christ
Through Christ
Who strengthens me
Philippians  4  13
Philippians  4  13
Philippians  4  13


This song was always very easy to learn because of the repetition.

To Download a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano  &  the  powerpoint for printing on  A4 card  or  Letter size
CLICK HERE




5.  Jesus Love is Very Wonderful .



Normally sung as a great action song but this one is a good length for hand-washing.



Click through HERE for a sound recording of the song that Fred and I make a few years back.



PRINTABLE




To Download a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano  &  the  powerpoint for printing on  A4 card  or  Letter size
CLICK HERE




6.  Good News, Good News.



This one is a great one for hand-washing  -  one sing through and we have our 20 secs.



Click through HERE for a sound recording of the song that Fred and I make a few years back.



PRINTABLE







WORDS


GOOD NEWS


Good News, Good News,

Christ died for me.
Good News, Good News,
If I believe.
Good News, Good News,
I'm saved eternally.
That's wonderful, EXTRA
Good News



To Download a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano  &  the  powerpoint for printing on  A4 card  or  Letter size
CLICK HERE






7.  Jesus Loves Me.


This is another great one for hand-washing  -  one sing through and we have more than 20 secs - closer to 30 secs.   



PRINTABLE


Bible Photo credit:  FreeDigitalPhoto.org





 To Download a copy of this visual for printing on A4 Card  or  Letter size  &  a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano 
CLICK HERE




Most people will be familiar with this song but if you need to learn the tune then
CLICK HERE to watch a kids video of the song




8.  No Never Alone.


Such a simple song to learn but full of an important fact for kids to know - God will never leave us alone.

Sing it through twice and you will have washed your hands for over the correct length of time required.




PRINTABLE





 
To Download a copy of this visual for printing on A4 Card  or  Letter size  &  a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano 
CLICK HERE


To listen to our audio recording of this song
CLICK HERE





9.  God is So Good.


Many kids will have heard this song before but some may not know all 4 verses.

Sing through the four verses once and you will have washed your hands for over the correct length of time required.




PRINTABLE







To Download a copy of this visual for printing on A4 Card  or  Letter size  &  a copy of these words with chords for guitar and piano 
CLICK HERE


To listen to our audio recording of this song
CLICK HERE






10.  Whisper A Prayer.


This is a lovely gentle song encouraging the kids to pray often during the day.

Sing through the 2 sections once and you will have washed your hands for over the correct length of time required.



WORDS

WHISPER A PRAYER

Whisper a prayer in the morning
 Whisper a prayer at noon
Whisper a prayer in the evening
To keep your heart in tune.


God answers prayer in the morning
God answers prayer at noon
God answers prayer in the evening
So keep your heart in tune.


To listen to our audio recording of this song
CLICK HERE


To See a Tutorial of how to make a visual for this song CLICK HERE  and you will be taken to my other kids site  The Ark Page containing tutorials and other resources for Kids Work.
 





DON'T FORGET TO CLICK FOR ALL THE FREE DOWNLOADS
at the
 END OF THIS BLOG POST











TIP.  The Lords Prayer.    


Parents what an timely opportunity this is to teach your children the Lords Prayer.

Of course before you do this you might like to use the time you are washing your hands to say the Lords Prayer because my son did tell me that it is the right length for our 20 sec hand washing regime.

Our oldest son is a Pastor and Theology lecturer in a Bible College and he assures me he instructed his students to use this as a good opportunity to pray while they were all still at the college during the start of virus lockdown, now they have gone home and the teaching is all online.

Because it is so well-known you won't need a printable for this one or really even a video to help you learn it (but for the fun of it I just might do a nice Graphic for you  later).



To download words or chords for any of these songs


CLICK BELOW


Song Printables at Sandra's Ark




Or if you have already subscribed to my blog you will find the link in any of the emails we send out.













Wednesday

Confined to Home & Looking for Encouragement


Are you stuck in the house?

If you are confined to home

             or self-isolating

                          or off work because the kids are ill

    or perhaps the weather is just too cold or stormy to get out

 then you probably want some encouraging & fun ways to pass your time or the kids time.


If So  

THEN







Now that you have found this blog post you are at my blog Sandra's Ark which is the first place on that list above where we can be encouraged together.



1.   Sandra's Ark 

A blog where you will find:

  • stories to keep you encouraged
  • books to enjoy to read
  • thoughts on organising your home
  • Coffee & Conversation around my likes, dislikes and just some info and chat
  • ideas of where you might want to travel in the future
  • simple recipes we enjoy in our home
  • crafts to do with the kids
  • thoughts and encouragement from the bible 

and we even have some

 FREE PRINTABLES
for us and our kids and grandkids

just click to sign up for our 






2.   Sandra's Ark Facebook Page 

A place where we post at least once a day with:

  • encouraging pics
  • funny pics
  • links to other interesting or encouraging blogs
  • Bible verses
  • links to stories or other posts on Sandra's Ark blog
  • short VIDEOS - we make some ourselves at home so you might have to put up with some blunders!!!!






3.   TheArkPage on Twitter

A place where I share most days:

  • encouraging pics & thoughts 
  • funny pics 
  • Bible verses
  • links to stories or other posts on Sandra's Ark blog
and retweet the gems I find in the thoughts and quotes of others.







4.   SandraVBK on Pinterest

A place where I love to share:

  • several encouragement boards from my blog posts
  • encouragement from others 
  • Parenting
  • Bible Studies and Devotionals
  • Books and more books
  • Gift guides







5.  Sandras_Ark on Instagram

A place where I love to share:

  • encouraging thoughts
  • family highlights
  • pictures from places we visit
  • Bible Verses
  • Pics on books and Reading






Of course you can interact with me on the social media above and also in the comments on any blog post in this blog.

Come & let's be encouraged together  -  everyone thrives on encouragement.











Thursday

5 Travel Books about Northern Ireland - Need Help?


People are always telling me they Want to visit Northern Ireland.

People are always telling me they are partly Irish but have never been to see Northern Ireland or Ireland.

People used to walk up to me when we lived in America and say "I just love your accent - say something"





People are always telling me they love Ireland but unfortunately most of the time they think Belfast and Dublin are in the same country and only an hour apart.


Well for anyone who wants to visit

 Northern Ireland

 here are

 5 travel books

 which might be helpful.



PLUS make sure to read on to get the EXTRA TIP at the end.





Round the Hidden Coast of Northern Ireland from A to Z





We have a great coastline and plenty of it.

Rocky crags,  tucked away bays,  spectacular peninsulas and luscious golden sandy beaches.

Then of course we must not forget the ruins, churches and castles etc.




A Walking guide for Northern Ireland






We may not have the sunny weather of Florida and Spain but we still have great places to discover by walking.

Our mountains are not just talked about worldwide, they are even sung about.

Then of course we must not forget the Dams and reservoirs which are great attractions.




Rick Steves Snapshot of Northern Ireland






Rick Steves is famous for these snapshot travel books so probably a good one for short glimpses of many places.





Belfast Travel Guide 2020







This is a very up-to-date guide to Belfast.

You will need to think about where to stay, where to eat, and what other entertainment is on offer and especially where to get a coffee or a wee cup of tea.






Lonely Planet Pocket Belfast & The Causeway Coast






This one may be handy one to get instead of buying the two above for Belfast and the Coastal areas as it is a pocket edition.

Also it is in kindle if you don't want the pocket paperback version.



Don't forget your extra tip below






EXTRA  TIP


Most of us like to take lots and lots of pictures when we travel but don't remember to take enough notes so that we remember later just where that amazing picture or the strange picture was taken.
Especially if you are like me and you get your days and your meals and your places all mixed up when there are so many in that fantastic trip we took the previous year.

I that sound a bit like you then this extra book might be something to consider buying or if you are "crafty" maybe you could take their idea and make one from a notebook.  Mind you I think a lot of notebooks are so expensive these days that this turns out to be very reasonable in price.



I Don't Need Therapy I Just Need to go to Northern Ireland








Whatever you decide I do think you really need to come to

 Northern Ireland

 and

 see our beautiful

 WEE Country.






Disclaimer:
I do not benefit from any purchases of these books.











Tuesday

A Recipe for St. Patrick's Day - with FREE Printable



While I was writing a post a few years ago about Saint Patrick's Day my husband suggested I should have added my own


 St. Patrick's Day recipe.






Really he was just thinking of his favourite

 "wee green things" 

which is his name for the


 "Peppermint Squares"

I make for him.





I have to admit they are so yummy that they are quite addictive even for me and I am not usually keen on mint.  



So I decided to put the recipe here just in case anyone else likes "wee green things".


































This recipe originally came to me from Fred's Mum but the problem was my mum-in-law never measured things out accurately (you know a handful of this and a scoop of that) so I had to do that part of it myself and I think I got it perfected after a couple of years into our marriage.  (Even if it is a mixture between UK & US measurements.)



So I think it can have the 






I really should have made up a St. Patrick's Day name for them  -  maybe you can suggest one?





Don't forget to download your free printable for the recipe HERE  if you have not already subscribed to Sandra's Ark


If you have previously subscribed to Sandra's Ark then you will find the link for all my Resources in any of the emails you have received from me.


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