To the "author" of jlfoundation@aol.com, let me say that it was "no accident" that I came upon your site this early Sabbath evening.

By typing in the names of hymns, I have come upon some great Sabbath Internet sites. I share them with a lady who has her own website, and she incorporates them into her site to spread the blessings around!

Tonight, when I first went into Internet Explorer, it would not work. I typed in the names of several hymns -- nothing happened. So I shut down my computer and restarted it. Then I typed in the old time children's favorite, "Jesus Loves Me." I thought, surely, I will have "luck" with typing this well known song in. And I did.

As I read the list of "Jesus Loves Me" sites, the words "Cradle Roll" caught my eye.

Following what you wrote, the various songs and experiences, etc. took me back thirty years or more. For you see I, also, was a Cradle Roll leader . . . one with no creative talent. The leader before me had done a fantastic job of decorating the room.

I did come up with some ideas of my own. One was using a clear plastic umbrella, using a small glass of water to pour slowly over the outside of umbrella . . . as the children sang, "The raindrops fall with a pitter patter pit . . . " The children just loved doing this.

Then when my youngest daughter was just into the Primary Division, I, too, found myself getting a divorce. So . . . as a single mother . . . I've been there.

Then there's the time when my oldest daughter was in academy. I went to pay the tuition bill for a particular month, and I was greeted with "your bill has already been paid." I said, "by whom?" The answer was, "by someone who loves you."

Thankfully, my "ex" did not leave me with a lot of debt, just emotional scars . . . that have healed long ago . . . with the help of our eternal loving God . . . and with the help of a "new" loving husband for the past twenty years.

Enjoyed your site. Very well done. Thanks for taking me back in time. It was a blessing!

Sincerely yours "in the faith,"

Katherine

Response to Katherine:

Dear Katherine,

It was wonderful to read your email, and I apologize that I just now read it. I receive so many emails from people who want me to join some home-based business endeavors. Most of the time I just delete them. Some I saved to read later. But I find that I just couldn't keep up with all the emails I received.

Your email just got classified and placed inadvertently with these emails.

You know you're the first Adventist that sent me an email... I have received emails from people in all walks of life--one pastor said he sent one of my pages to his congregation, another was doing research and came to my web page The Origin of Sunday. I received an instant message from a youth pastor looking for material for his young people. I pray that the Lord will use my site and others like it to bring the Third Angel's Message, a loving God's last warning message, to the world.

Yes, we used spray bottles and sprayed water on the umbrella held by a child while everyone sang the pitter-pat song. I think we in Adventism have a very good program for children, don't you?

Take care, Katherine, and stay faithful for the Lord Jesus will return soon to take His children home.

Lydia

Hi! I loved your web site. I am starting to teach the cradle roll class in my church. However, we do not have a lot of material. Could you please let me know how I could obtain material for the class. How I can get a hold of posters and activities for this age. Maybe you could give me more tips on how to decorate the class and on lesson giving.

Thank you so much, I hope to hear from you soon.

Response to email:

Hello,

I am assuming that you are a Seventh-Day Adventist. Do you have an Adventist Book Center store nearby? They usually carry all that you need to conduct Sabbath School for Cradle Roll. They have felt materials where you can tell the Bible story lessons. These are attention getters. The children are transfixed hearing the Bible story and seeing it portrayed on the flannel board. The ABC stores have song books with children songs that you and the children can act out.

A good opening song would be Ring-a-ling-a-ling. We had little round tinkling 'bells' (like the ones you see around Christmas time) and gave them to each child. We sang:

The next good song to sing would be Who Has Come to Sabbath School. We had a cut-out board of a church front. We painted it to make it look like a real church--attractive and inviting. We glued a mirror where the door should be. Then, we went around the semi-circle of tiny cradle rollers and have them see themselves in the mirror one child at a time while we sang:

Every child got an opportunity to look at himself in the church mirror.

The minds of very young children are always to be directed to Him who created them and all the beautiful and lovely that are in our world in spite of the fact that it has been marred by sin. We teach them about God by the things that He has created.

Let the children stand up tall with arms swaying in the air and sing:

God made the rain so the flowers, the plants, and trees can grow. We had a child hold a child's umbrella and the teacher sprayed the umbrella with water from a bottle sprayer (Windex bottle will do) while everyone sang:

The children took turns holding the umbrella. It was really fun!

The other things we did are mentioned in the web page on Cradleroll. In the Rainbow of Promise web page, you'd read of the rainbow flannel set consisting of little felt rainbows glued to pipe cleaners that the children held up as they sang:

We also had cut-out clouds from white poster cardboard and glued white soft cotton batting (the one used in quilt making). The children held this up while singing the Peek-a-Boo song (sunshine and clouds). Again I forgot the words. But this is very important especially for the babies in mothers' arms. They are able to feel the texture, the softness of the billowy white cloud.

We used different textures such as sand, bird's nest, bark of a tree or rough wood (watch for splinters). We showed them smooth stones when we sang Only a Boy Named David. This is how infants and young children learn and develop their minds--feeling different textures, tasting, smelling, and hearing the lovely sounds of God's songs. Many times I brought a rose and have them smell it while I told of God's wonderful love for us for making the beautiful rose with its delightful fragrance.

You'd notice that many of the cradle rollers literally carry out the text in Psalm 34:8 "O taste and see that the LORD is good..." Everything goes in their mouths.

Then, of course, we had the Mission Story and sang a Mission song (Hear the Pennies Dropping) as we collected the Mission offering.

We acted out character-building stories and activities. I had a child's rake, broom, etc. and we told a short, short story about helping around the house--helping mommy, daddy, etc. Tell stories (make them up) that teach and reinforce in their minds the importance of honesty, integrity, helpfulness, cheerfulness, unselfishness, etc. These are character attributes--the only thing we'll take to heaven with us is our character. We need to cultivate and develop in young minds a Christ-like character.

To teach unselfishness, for example, we sang the sharing song:

Sometimes, we called two little girls up. One child had two dolls; the other none. We sang the 'dollie song' where in effect is saying that "I have two dollies and you have none, but I will give you one because that's what Jesus wants me to do, etc." The dollie song somehow had sunk really deep in the recesses of my minds, because I couldn't remember the words or the tune. It was 30 years ago I was doing this. But I find that as I thought about it writing this, a snatch of the tune slowly emerged, it surprised me. It's probably because we didn't sing it a lot at home because my cradle roller was a boy.

Sometimes, churches hold Sabbath School workshops where they teach you the specifics of conducting a class. They have manuals that they give the teachers which are invaluable; they give step-by-step instructions on what to do. Take advantage of these workshops if they are available. Ask your pastor and/or your church board if they could arrange to have this done in your area.

Otherwise, if you are committed to your assignment as teacher of the Cradle Roll, the Lord will give you the wisdom you need to conduct the class that will bring glory and honor to His name. When I was nominated Cradle Roll teacher, I didn't have the experience either. But, like I said, if you love the Lord and love His heritage, His children, you will not fail. You cannot fail.

Lydia

Our Sunday School class is performing the story of Noah and we're looking for the song, "The raindrops fall with a pitter pitter pat" for the children to sing. Would you happen to know all the words or know where I can obtain the music. I remember singing it in Bible School as a child but can't seem to locate it now. Any help would be greatly appreciated. Thank you.

Mary Lou

Dear Mary Lou,

That was 30 years ago that I taught Cradle Roll Class for little tots up to three years old. We only sang one verse and kept repeating it until all the children had a chance to hold an umbrella while the teacher spray water on the umbrella and the rest of the class sing the Raindrops song. I don't have the music but here's the verse we sang:

There's a song for little children called "Wee Sing". I'm quite sure that's the title. It has a song about Noah and the Arky, Arky, Arky. You've probably heard of it. I have the book here somewhere. If you're interested in that I'll try to locate it.

Take care and thanks for your email.

Sincerely in Christ, Lydia

Hi. Thanks so much for providing such a clear and thorough list of your beliefs and understandings on the Bible. My wife and I were looking over your site and had a question about the page listing the ceremonial law. You listed that the ceremonial law is not to be followed and you gave a verse from Acts 15:24. The Law of God. When we looked up that verse we couldn't see how that verse explained why the ceremonial law was not to be kept.

Thanks again for the great web page. If you have the time, I'd like to know how that text in Acts relates.

Thanks again,

Steve

Response to Steve's question:

Dear Steve,

Thank you for your email and your interest in this subject. I will try to answer your question concerning the text in Acts 15:24 (Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment.) You said that you and your wife were not able to see that the text explained why the ceremonial law was not to be kept.

At the time of the Apostle Paul, there was a controversy over circumcision. Some of the Judaizing teachers urged that the converts to Christianity should observe the ceremonial law of circumcision. (Acts 15:1). They still maintained that the original Israel were the exalted and privileged children of Abraham, and were entitled to all the promises made to him. They sincerely thought that in taking this medium ground between Jew and Christian, they would succeed in removing the stigma which attached to Christianity, and would gather in large numbers of the Jews.

Paul's indignation was stirred. His voice was raised in stern rebuke: "If ye be circumcised, Christ shall profit you nothing." The party maintaining that Christianity was valueless without circumcision arrayed to meet them in every church which he founded or visited: in Jerusalem, Antioch, Galatia, Corinth, Ephesus, and Rome. God urged him out to the great work of preaching Christ, and Him crucified: circumcision or uncircumcision was nothing. The Judaizing party looked upon Paul as an apostate, bent upon breaking down the partition wall which God had established between the Israelites and the world. They visited every church which he had organized, creating divisions. Holding that the end would justify the means, they circulated false charges against the apostle, and endeavored to bring him into disrepute. As Paul, in visiting the churches followed after these zealous and unscrupulous opposers, he met many who viewed him with distrust, and some who even despised his labors.

In Acts 15:24 Paul was simply saying that the ceremonial law of circumcision no longer applied. He said "we gave no such commandment." Christ's death on the cross was sufficient once and for all. In other words, after they had been freed by Christ's death, why still be in bondage? The ceremonial law was a yoke of bondage.

Here are texts that should clarify why Christians today are not to keep the ceremonial law:

"And after threescore and two weeks shall Messiah be cut off, but not for himself: and the people of the prince that shall come shall destroy the city and the sanctuary; and the end thereof shall be with a flood, and unto the end of the war desolations are determined. And he shall confirm the covenant with many for one week: and in the midst of the week he shall cause the sacrifice and the oblation to cease, and for the overspreading of abominations he shall make it desolate, even until the consummation, and that determined shall be poured upon the desolate." Daniel 9:26, 27.

"Blotting out the handwriting of ordinances that was against us, which was contrary to us, and took it out of the way, nailing it to his cross;" Colossians 2:14.

"Having abolished in his flesh the enmity, even the law of commandments contained in ordinances; for to make in himself of twain one new man, so making peace; And that he might reconcile both unto God in one body by the cross, having slain the enmity thereby:" Ephesians 2:15, 16.

"Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holyday, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days: Which are a shadow of things to come; but the body is of Christ." Colossians 2:16, 17.

Note: The sabbaths here mentioned were a shadow of things to come, not the seventh-day Sabbath instituted at Creation. These sabbaths were part of the ceremonial law that came about as a result of sin. They were called ceremonial sabbaths or holy convocations and the restrictions of work upon these days was the same as upon the seventh day Sabbath. See Leviticus 16:29-31; 23:2-8, 24, 25, 31, 32, 38, 39. The word sabbath means "intermission" or a temporary suspension of activity, according to Strong's Exhaustive Concordance. These yearly ceremonial sabbaths fell on days other than the seventh day, sometimes they fell on the seventh day.

"For the law having a shadow of good things to come, and not the very image of the things, can never with those sacrifices which they offered year by year continually make the comers thereunto perfect." Hebrews 10:1.

At the time of the crucifixion the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom which indicated that the earthly sacrificial system had been taken away by Christ?

"And, behold, the veil of the temple was rent in twain from the top to the bottom; and the earth did quake, and the rocks rent;" Matthew 27:51.

Here are some pertinent questions/answers that should help clarify some misunderstanding regarding the old and new covenants, the ceremonial law of Moses which was abolished at the Cross and the moral law of God which is eternal. Christ's death did not do away with His moral law:

What was the first (refers to the old covenant) that was taken away?

"Above when he said, Sacrifice and offering and burnt offerings and offering for sin thou wouldest not, neither hadst pleasure therein; which are offered by the law;" Hebrews 10:8.

Why was the first taken away?

"Then said he, Lo, I come to do thy will, O God. He taketh away the first, that he may establish the second." Hebrews 10:9.

What test case arose in the time of the apostles over this question?

"And certain men which came down from Judaea taught the brethren, and said, Except ye be circumcised after the manner of Moses, ye cannot be saved." Acts 15:1.

What requirement was made by these teachers from Judea concerning the ceremonial law?

"Forasmuch as we have heard, that certain which went out from us have troubled you with words, subverting your souls, saying, Ye must be circumcised, and keep the law: to whom we gave no such commandment:" Acts 15:24.

After conferring over this matter, what decision was reached by the Apostles?

"For it seemed good to the Holy Ghost, and to us, to lay upon you no greater burden than these necessary things; That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication: from which if ye keep yourselves, ye shall do well. Fare ye well." Acts 15:28, 29.

What charge was made against Stephen concerning his attitude toward the ceremonial law?

"And set up false witnesses, which said, This man ceaseth not to speak blasphemous words against this holy place, and the law: For we have heard him say, that this Jesus of Nazareth shall destroy this place, and shall change the customs which Moses delivered us." Acts 6:13, 14.

What testimony did Christ bear concerning His relation to the law and the prophets? This refers to the moral law, not the ceremonial law. Remember, the ceremonial law which included circumcision was abolished at the Cross.

"Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil." Matthew 5:17.

Note: Christ kept the moral law, thereby fulfilling it. If He had ever broken it, He would have had to die for Himself; but because he was a Lamb without spot or blemish, His atoning death is effective for you and me. He had no sin of His own to atone for, and so God accepted His sacrifice. Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to every one that believeth. We are righteous in God's sight because the righteousness of God which is by faith in Jesus Christ, is placed upon all them that believe on Him. Christ is the end of the law means He is the purpose of the law. The law condemns the sinner and thus drives him to Christ for righteousness. The word end is used in the same way as that found in 1 Peter 1:9 "Receiving the end of your faith, even the salvation of your souls."

Steve, some Christians today practice circumcision not as a religious obligation but as a health option. That is their choice and that's okay.

I hope you have a great day in the Lord. I hope I answered your question. If you have any more questions, please feel free to email me. I'll be glad to answer them. May the Holy Spirit guide you and your wife into all truths is my prayer.

Lydia