KIDS' MATTERS

SHARING GOD

Has a five-year-old or younger ever asked you "Who is God? What does He do?"

When I hear that question it makes me think about what I want to be when I grow up.  I have always wanted to be a missionary. I want to tell little kids about how Jesus died on the cross to pay for their own sins. I want them to know there is a hell and there is a heaven. That there is a God and there is a devil, but you should keep in mind Jesus is always with you even when you are doing a horrible thing.

I sometimes go to church, but I know Jesus still loves me even if I don't go to church enough. So remember if a child asks you "Who is God? "  "What does he do?", tell them he is a wonderfull person that loves everyone even when they are being bad. Don't be afraid to tell what he did and who he is to everyone, because I am 11-years old and I want to tell everyone who God is!

by Brooklyn

WHEN YOU MISS A LOVED ONE

Have you ever missed a loved one?  I have.

Four years ago my father, Chad, was killed in a four-wheeler accident.  He was a great man. Every day I think of him. How we would sit at the park and talk till five and play hide and go seek. He and I loved chocolate milk and banana bread. We would sit on the couch, watch TV while eating banana bread and drinking chocolate milk. When my sister was three and I was six, my dad would get off of work early and take us to a country road were there was hundreds of flowers. There was red, blue, yellow, green, pink, and orange flowers everywhere.

But for now I just think of him and what we would do.

When you are sad and all alone, think of a person that is ill or that has passed away. Think of the way they would hold you and love you. And remember its ok to cry!   by Brooklyn

Never Judge a Book by Its Cover! by Brooklyn Petersen

This year I'm am in sixth grade. When you are my age you start worrying about how your face looks or how other people think of you. Well I think of those things but what I mostly think of is my soccer team and this five year old boy that I mentor... His name is Juan, and he has Down Syndrome.

Down Syndrome refers to a common genetic disorder that results in birth defects, medical problems, and some degree of mental retardation. Some of my friends would think he is weird looking, but to me he is so cute. I get too see him every Tuesday and Thursday after I eat lunch. When I go see him I first sit down and help him with his homework. Many kids look at a kid like Juan and think he isn't smart, but like my mother always says never judge a book by its cover.  Juan is the smartest first grader I have ever met. When we finish his homework we go to the gym and play soccer. I love soccer and so does Juan. Juan is very good. When it's time for me to go Juan gives me a hug and looks up at me reminding me why I'm here.  When I go back to class I think to myself..."I feel really good about what I am doing, and I get to see him on Thursday".

11-year-old questions: "WHAT'S A FRIEND?"

Have you ever thought about what a good friend is?

When a person wants to be your friend what do you think about? Do you think about if they are a nice person, or how they really think about you? How about if they are a Christian? If they say they are not a Christian because they were not baptized tell them you don’t have to be baptized to be a Christian. That it is good to be baptized, but you are still a Christian.

Make sure you like the way they treat others. I had a person that wanted to be my friend only if I wasn’t friends with this girl that I had been friends with since the first grade. I wasn’t sure if I wanted to be her friend, because I was friends with that girl for five years. Then two months later after that girl asked to be my friend I found out she was a bully.

So next time you want to be friends with a cool kid think about WHY THEY WANT YOU! Then you can pick if you want to be that kid’s friend or if they are just going to make you a bully one step at a time.

By Brooklyn…6th Grade