Life of Joseph: Pit to Palace
During this pandemic, families and children are dealing with lots of anxiety, uncertainty and change of routine. Taking time to practice being in the present will help all members of the family find peace and experience God’s best for each person.
Our culture talks about mindfulness as a way to help each of us deal with feelings, emotions, and stress. Christians over the centuries have discovered spiritual practices help us share these feelings and emotions with God and remove the worry and stress. Our weekly sessions invite you and your family to practice mindfulness with a spiritual component as ways to help children deal with the new normal in their lives. Some of our activities will use mindfulness techniques and others will be spiritual practices that children may have experienced at Sunday school and can adapt for home.
The story of Joseph that we will look at over the next 50 days reminds us that God wants the best for us and God works for good. Joseph’s story helps us see God’s action on behalf of God’s child, and Joseph’s faithfulness to the One True God through all that he endured at the hands of other humans.
May you and your children find comfort in the message of Joseph and new ways to see God at work in your lives.
Session 7
Pentecost
Mindfulness with Ms. Anna | Activities PDF | Horton Hears a Who | Pentecost Videos – Older & Younger
Session 6
Death of Jacob
The Story this far:
Jacob had 12 sons, but Joseph was his father’s favorite. As a young person, Joseph had dreams. He dreamed that 11 stalks of wheat bowed down before him. His brothers were angry and jealous of Joseph. When they were alone in a sheep field, they threw Joseph in a well then sold him into slavery. They told Jacob that Joseph was dead. Jacob is sometimes referred to as the name “Israel” in the Bible.
In Egypt, Joseph continued to prosper and continued to be able to interpret dreams, thanks to God. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream about 7 years of plentiful harvest and 7 years of bad harvest when there would not be food for people to eat. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of collecting food for the lean years.
When famine came, it also came to the land of Canaan where Jacob’s family lived. Jacob sent 10 of his sons to Egypt to buy grain from Pharaoh’s storehouses. There they met Joseph but didn’t recognize him as their brother. The brothers bowed down in front of Pharaoh’s right-hand man, and Joseph remembered his dream from when he was young. Joseph set a test for his brothers because he wanted to see his youngest brother, Benjamin.
Joseph revealed himself to his brothers, he forgave his brothers, and sent for his father and his entire family to come live in Egypt so that Joseph could take care of them. Joseph told his brothers that though his brothers meant to harm him, God bent it for good to accomplish saving many lives.
Mindfulness with Ms. Anna | Activities PDF | Story Video
Session 5
Joseph’s Brothers Go to Egypt
The story thus far:
Jacob had 12 sons, but Joseph was his father’s favorite. As a young man Joseph had dreams. He dreamed that 11 stalks of wheat bowed down before him. His brothers were angry and jealous of Joseph. When they were alone in a sheep field, they threw Joseph in a well then sold him into slavery. They told Jacob that Joseph was dead.
In Egypt, Joseph continued to prosper and continued to be able to interpret dreams, thanks to God. Joseph interpreted the Pharaoh’s dream about 7 years of plentiful harvest and 7 years of bad harvest. Pharaoh put Joseph in charge of collecting food for the lean years.
When famine came, it also came to Canaan where Jacob’s family lived. Jacob sent 10 of his sons to Egypt to get grain. There they met Joseph but didn’t recognize him as their brother. The brothers bowed down in front of Pharaoh’s right-hand man, and Joseph remembered his dream from when he was young. Joseph set a test for his brothers because he wanted to see his youngest brother Benjamin.
Story by the Weeks family | Mindfulness with Ms. Anna | Activties PDF | Labrinth 1 | Labirynth 2
Session 4
Joseph Rises to Power in Egypt
Joseph is thrown into jail and meets others who worked for Pharaoh, a cupbearer and a baker. These men had dreams and Joseph, with God’s help, interpreted their dreams. When Pharoah needed a dream interpreted, the cup bearer remembered Joseph and the Pharaoh called Joseph to him. Joseph, with God’s help, interpreted the king’s dream. There would be 7 years of good crops ahead and then 7 years of bad crops. So Pharaoh made Joseph in charge of the whole land of Egypt. During the 7 years of good crops, Joseph stored up the food. The years of bad crops caused a famine in the land, and Joseph was able to feed the people of Egypt with the food that had been stored. But the famine was severe in all of the countries.
Story by the Watlington Family | Activities PDF | Mindfulness with Ms. Anna
Session 3
Pharaoh’s Dreams
Joseph, the son of Jacob, shared his dreams with his brothers who became angry with him because of the meaning of those dreams. They sold him into slavery and told Jacob that Joseph was dead. Joseph went to work for the Pharaoh’s chief officer but eventually he is thrown into jail where he met others who worked for Pharaoh; a cup bearer and a baker. These men had dreams and Joseph with God’s help interpreted their dreams. The Pharaoh returned the cup bearer to his job just as Joseph had told him.
Story by the Russell Family | Activities PDF | Mindfulness with Ms. Anna
Session 2
Joseph is sold by his brothers
Joseph, the son of Jacob, shared his dreams with his brothers who were angry with him. Jacob gave Joseph a coat of many colors which made his older brothers very jealous. Now Jacob sends Joseph to the fields where his brothers are taking care of the sheep. Jacob asked Joseph to report back how the brothers were doing. The angry brothers plotted to kill Joseph.
Activities PDF | Story Video 1 | Story Video 2 | Mindfulness with Ms. Anna
Session 1
Activities PDF | Story Video 1 | Story Video 2 (Watch first 5 Minutes) | Mindfulness with Ms. Anna | Deep Blue Kids Bible – Book of Genesis PDF