The Mayonnaise Jar

Author unknown

When things in your life seem almost too much to handle, when 24 hours in a day is not enough, remember the mayonnaise jar and two cups of coffee.

A professor stood before his philosophy class and had some items in front of him.  When the class began, wordlessly, he picked up a very large and empty mayonnaise jar and fills it with golf balls.  He then asked the students if the jar was full. They agreed that it was.

The professor then picked up a box of pebbles and poured it into the jar. He shook the jar lightly. The pebbles rolled into the open areas between the golf balls.  He then asked the students again if the jar was full. They agreed it was.

The professor next picked up a box of sand and poured it into the jar. Of course, the sand filled up everything else. 

 

He asked once more if the jar was full. The students responded with a unanimous “YES.”  The professor then produced two cups of coffee from under the table and poured the entire contents into the jar, effectively filling the empty space between the sand. The students laughed.

“Now,” said the professor, as the laughter subsided, “I want you to recognize that this jar represents your life. The golf balls are the important things - God, family, children, health, friends, and favorite passions. Things, that if everything else was lost and only they remained, your life would still be full. The pebbles are the things that matter like your job, house, and car. The sand is everything else -- the small stuff.” he said.

“If you put the sand into the jar first,” he continued, “There is no room for the pebbles or the golf balls. The same goes for life. If you spend all your time and energy on the small stuff, you will never have room for the things that are important to you...” he told them.

“So... pay attention to the things that are critical to your happiness. Worship with your family.  Play with your children. Take your partner out to dinner. Spend time with good friends. There will always be time to clean the house and fix the dripping tap. Take care of the golf balls first -- the things that really matter. Set your priorities. The rest is just sand.”

One of the students raised her hand and inquired what the coffee represented. The professor smiled and said, “I'm glad you asked. It just goes to show you that no matter how full your life may seem, there's always room for a couple of cups of coffee with a friend.”

 

Object Lesson: When You Pass through the Waters / Make Up Your Own

Object Lesson: When You Pass through the Waters, I Will Be with YOU!

by Lois Breneman, © 2005, Heart to Heart Newsletter

This object lesson will show how much Jesus loves you, as it makes Isaiah 43:2 come alive!  Take the time to do this with your children or delegate it to one of your children to take charge and demonstrate to your family. 

Stuff a paper towel all the way to the bottom of a clear glass (one you can see through), so it will remain there when turned upside down.   Fill a large mixing bowl or sink with water.  Now completely immerse the glass, upside down, into the water, keeping the glass straight (no tipping to the side).  You will see that the paper towel remains completely dry, even though the entire glass is immersed deep in the water.  The paper is totally shielded, even though there is no lid on the glass!  Now pull the glass straight out of the water, without tipping, and you will see it is completely unaffected by the water! 

You can talk with your family about how we are like the paper towel and the Lord is able to shield and protect us in real life as the glass does.  The Lord is L"OO"KING after you!

When you pass through the waters, I will be with you; and when you pass through the rivers, they will not sweep over you.  When you walk through the fire, you will not be burned or scorched; the flames will not set you ablaze. ~ Isaiah 43:2

Make Up Your Own Object Lessons for Special Family Times

http://www.krampf.com/experiment_vid.html

Website shared by permission

Children learn lessons in a more permanent way when they not only hear a concept, but see it as well.  This educational resource of Robert Krampf's is an excellent tool for parents and grandparents.  Just go to the Internet, watch one of his favorite science experiments on video, and write out your own object lessons to teach children biblical concepts.

Homeschoolers, Christian school teachers, Sunday school teachers and camp directors will also find this link to be a great resource.  Each science experiment has the possibility of not only teaching a scientific concept, but a biblical lesson found in God's Word.

Two Object Lessons on Easter

by Debbie Klinect

        This month we are concentrating on Easter and ways to teach our children about the wonderful holiday.  The Lord has been very gracious to us in giving us two ways to show our children what He has done for us. 

        Role playing is a very good way to help a child understand what it is that you are trying to tell them.  When talking to a child about how sin has separated us from God, it can be very hard to communicate this to them.  Here is a way for you to role play this.  Have either an adult or an older child stand on one side of a room.  Have your child stand on the other side of the room.  Talk about how when God created Adam, there was no sin in the world.  Then talk about how sin entered the world.  Now, place a big piece of blue cloth or clothing, like a pair of adult jeans between your child and the other person.  Explain that now, because of sin, we are separated from God.  Also have the other person turn their back on the child for God cannot look upon sin.  Have another person represent Jesus and have this person stand next to the person playing the part of God.  Have “God” talking to “Jesus” saying he wants him to come to Earth to live there, teach the people about God and to die for their sins.  Have “Jesus” come and stand next to your child.  Have “Jesus’ tell your child how much God loves them and that he wants them to be his child and to live with him forever, but that they need to know that their sin has separated them from God and that he (Jesus) is going to die so that they can have their sins forgiven.  Have “Jesus” die after being beaten by your child, for it was because of their sin that Jesus was beaten and died.  Then have Jesus rise up after being dead and lay on the blue cloth acting as a bridge for your child to be able to go be with God.  Explain to your child that Jesus did all this for them and that when we see our need for him and for our need for God to forgive us, we can be reunited with God.

        The next activity is using eggs.  Show your child a regular egg out of your refrigerator.  Have your child look carefully at the outside of the egg.  Then have your child crack open the egg and put the contents into a bowl.  Explain to them that when we are born, we have sin in our lives.  Our hearts are not good, they are filled with foolishness and evil.  Then take another egg and boil it.  Talk to your child about what Jesus did for them.  After the egg has boiled and cooled, have your child crack open this egg.  Talk about how when we come to Jesus and ask for forgiveness and make him the Lord of our lives, he makes us a new creation, different from what we were.  Talk about how the outside of the egg was the same whether or not it was fresh or boiled.  Then talk about how the outside of us doesn't change, but our heart and lives do change when the Lord is our Savior. 

        I hope these activities will help you in guiding your children to an understanding of their lives with God.  

Debbie Klinect is a wife and mother of six children, still homeschooling three of them. 

Object Lessons

OBJECT LESSON ON KINDNESS
by Lois Breneman,© 1999

I found this experiment in a book when our children were young and made up the object lesson. Kids love to see this done and take part in it. Fill a serving bowl with tap water. Sprinkle pepper over the top of the water. Dip a bar of soap into the center of the water, and you will see the pepper go quickly to the sides of the bowl. (Explain how the pepper represents friends and those around us. The bar of soap represents us when we are unkind, selfish or mean---no one wants to be around us!)

Next drop a heaping spoonful of sugar into the center of the bowl. The pepper will come to the center again. (Explain how when we apologize or when we are kind, unselfish and caring of others, they want to be around us and be friends with us.)

This can be repeated a few times by dipping the bar of soap into the water again and adding more sugar, but the more it is done, the more sugar you need.

That sounds like another lesson ~~ If we are habitually unkind, selfish or mean, it is harder to get our friends to "come back," just like it is harder to get the pepper back! Trust has to be earned by our friends and family.

 

LOOK FOR OBJECT LESSONS IN EVERYDAY LIFE

by Lois Breneman - 1999

Look for object lessons in everyday life. One example the Lord gave me to share with my children happened when pouring juice from a can. Puncture only *one* side of the top of a 46 ounce can of juice. Pour juice into a glass. It doesn't pour very well. (That is how our lives are when we don't include the Lord.) Now puncture the opposite side as well and pour. The juice flows freely. (When we have the Lord by our side in life, because we have asked Him to be our personal Savior, and allow Him to go before us, things go much better.)


Explain to your child that God doesn't always keep us from trouble, but when we put our faith and trust in Him, He walks through it with us!