3. Alchemy of the Heart – Lesson 3
Connecting with Your Heart
Overview of Lesson 3 for Children Ages 3 to 6
- Your connection to God is the most important thing in your life and is what makes you happy.
- You can become the friend of God and learn to listen to him.
- You can learn to be more loving all the time by building a momentum.
- You can do everything – by God’s grace!
SUGGESTED MUSIC: Harp music is associated with the heart. If you have a CD player and harp music, play it as you are preparing and when you and
your child begin the lesson. You may also wish to play it during
brief meditations.
CHAPTER 2: Empowering the Heart
MATERIALS:
- Index cards
- Clay or papier mâché. (To make papier mâché, mix one part flour with about 2 parts of water until you get a thick glue-like consistency. Add more water or flour as necessary. Mix until mixture is smooth. Add several tablespoons of salt. Tear several sheets of newspaper into small bits and soak in water for layering with glue solution.)
- Cardboard tube (empty toilet tissue roll will work)
- Sheets of paper
- Magazines
- Glue
- Crayons and colored pencils
- Glitter, sequins, feathers
- Pictures of angels
OPTION: There is a lot of material in this section, so you may choose to divide it into several lessons of parts A, B and C on different days.
Section A Lesson:
Expanding Your Connection with God
Do you remember what you learned in the first lesson? You are created in the image of God and you have God’s spiritual flame of love within you. The flame of God’s love that is inside you is the most real part of you—it is your real self!
Activity 1: I AM the Light of the Heart
Let’s do the mantra
I AM the Light of the Heart
- Count to nine then close your eyes and see yourself standing
- with a brilliant golden sun over your heart.
- Take three deep breaths as you see the light from the sun expand.
- Affirm to yourself three times,
“I AM the light of the heart!”
This sun that you see is God’s light surrounding you and shining forth from you. If you practice seeing this sun every day, you can feel the sunshine of God’s love around you all the time. It will help you be kind to others.
No matter where you go or who you are with, you always have your special heart connection to God. Staying connected to God inside of you is the most important thing you can do in your life. Why do you think that is so?
Discuss with Your Child
-
- Staying connected to God helps you feel happy.
- Staying connected to God helps you to make good choices.
- Staying connected to God helps you become more of your real self.
- Staying connected to God helps others around you feel happy.
- Staying connected to God helps you to know God is your friend.
Section B: Being a Friend
What is a friend? Allow time for discussion, and make sure to include the ideas of talking with your friend, listening to your friend, working and playing with your friend, and trusting your friend.
Activity 2: Collage of Friends
Start by cutting a large heart out of pink paper and placing it as the center of your collage.
Collect pictures that show friends talking, playing and serving together.
You might find pictures in magazines and you may find some family photos to use.
(Be sure to ask a parent before you cut and paste any family photographs.)
Glue them on to a large sheet of paper and decorate your page.
Being the Friend of God
Have you ever thought about being the friend of God? How do you make your friendship with God stronger? Allow time for discussion. Here are a few things you can do.
Friendship with God
- Learn to see yourself shining with light and love, as you have been doing with
“I AM the Light of the Heart.” - Pray to God every day.
- Talk with God often throughout the day.
- Enjoy quiet time with God.
- Share the light in your heart by being kind and joyful so other people will feel happy too.
- Let God’s love in your heart help you make good choices.
- Remember that the flame of love in your heart is the real you.
Activity 3: The Silence Game
In this enjoyable game you teach your child to sit very quietly.
We are going to play The Silence Game. We are going to make silence.
Making silence is a wonderful way to enjoy quiet time with God.
While we are quiet, let’s listen carefully to the sounds all around us.
We can also listen inside of ourselves and even listen for the beating of our hearts.
-
-
-
- First I want you to sit with your legs crossed. Keep your legs and feet perfectly still.
- Put your hands in your lap and keep them perfectly still.
- Next, keep your tongue still.
-
-
Once your child is quiet and settled, you can judge how long to maintain the silence,
ending it by whispering your child’s name and inviting her to come sit next to you.
-
-
-
- What did you hear?
- Did you like being quiet?
-
-
Activity 4: Give Your Gift to God
We often give gifts to those we love. A great doctor and very kind man named Albert Schweitzer told people that only those who serve others will be truly happy. Giving makes us glad inside. There are many ways you can give to God, in gratitude for the life and light you have.
- Make a special little gift of something you make, write or draw and put it on your altar or in your sacred space.
- Find ways to serve others and be kind – knowing that your tie to God’s heart helps you to see and feel what others around you need.
Activity 5: Praising God
Develop your own special ritual of praising God.
It can be as simple as making up your own song
or giving the prayer:
“Hear O God, I am grateful!”
Listening to God
One way God talks to you is through
your inner voice, sometimes called your conscience.
Your conscience guides you in several different ways:
- Conscience helps you know what is right and what is wrong.
- Conscience helps you to notice when someone around you is having a hard time and needs your help. It also shows you the best ways to help.
- Conscience is the still small voice or that clear feeling that lets you know you are about to make a mistake.
- You can learn to obey your conscience and make good choices if you practice listening.
Section C: Building a Momentum
Do you know what a momentum is? When you do something over and over again until it becomes a habit, you have built a momentum. It becomes a natural and easy thing to do. Connecting to God in your heart every day can become a habit or a momentum. Being the friend of God can become a momentum. Being a happy person can become a momentum.
Activity 6: Building Your Momentum Mountain
- You can do this with papier mâché or with clay. Build a mountain around the tube. Build it as high as you like.
- While it is getting dry, draw a picture of a shining sun. Cut it out and put it on the tip top of the mountain to remind you of God.
- Draw and collect pictures, stickers, etc. that show people being the friend of God. Glue them onto your momentum mountain.