One Word for Families - May

“All my life I've looked at words as though I were seeing them for the first time.”

― Ernest Hemingway

Words are powerful. Let’s be intentional each month with a new focus word. These ‘words for families’ posts will be a monthly journey. Come on, join us.

COLOR:

What happens in your family when you see a rainbow? If asked this question, my girls without hesitation would share something involving a stopping car, too many pictures, a one sided discussion about how God keeps his promises and “Look what He gave us as a reminder!” and tears. LOOK AT THE COLORS!

Popular these days, are the coloring books with adults in mind. Simple patterns designed to bring peace and contentment to the over stimulated mind. Similarly, my girls were just gifted coloring pillows. It was fun to watch the conversations ensue while they focused on choosing COLOR and filling in the COLOR between the tiny black lines. There was laughter and connection and a finished product full of COLOR.

Finally, I want to point out a verse in 1 Corinthians where the writer says. “No eye has seen, no ear has heard…” Brilliantly, Dean Lies, shared his experience with this verse in his song, Color Craze. There are colors we have never seen that we will experience in heaven. A beautiful new perspective. Isn’t that cool!

Color.

Action ideas:

1. Simple questions: What colors did you see today? Where did you see them?

2. Connect colors to emotions. Name a color and ask your children how that color makes them feel. With older kids, follow up with asking for a story representing this color/emotion from their life.

3. Color. (as a verb). Purchase a fresh box of crayons or colored pencils and grab a coloring book or print out a free coloring page and sit together as a family and color.

4. Names of colors: Clear off a cork board or other wall hanging and collectively fill the board with names of new colors they dream up for what will be seen in heaven. (a field trip to the cosmetics area in the store to review the color names could be fun).

5. Wall art: Put butcher paper on the wall and paint or write thoughts as you walk by. Fill the board with with the ‘colorful’ things present in our lives each day.

Any other ideas? Please share if your family does something different or if any of these things develop into stories!

Color Craze by Dean-o Lies