For this art lesson, we first discussed “reflecting on our own lives.” We talked about true repentance and what it means to turn away from our sins when we ask for forgiveness. It does us no good at all to ask for forgiveness and then go right back and do the same things again. We also went over the story of Jonah, how he repented in the belly of the whale, and how God used him to warn the people of Nineveh.
Things to ask:
- What is a reflection?
- What do I see when I look in the mirror?
- What do I see when I look into a calm body of water on a beautiful day?
I believe it’s important to examine our own lives as often as we can (preferably, daily) so we can practice humility in all things. Humility doesn’t mean that we think less of ourselves; it means that we think of others more. Two totally opposite meanings.
Yahweh doesn’t want us to think less of ourselves and have low-self esteem – He wants us to be confident that He is working through us. He doesn’t want us to be boastful about our own doings, but He does want us to boast about where our strength and power comes from – and that’s Him. (1 Corinthians 1:31)
- What do I see when I reflect on my own life?
- What do other people see in my life? Am I reflecting goodness?
- Do I see things that I can change and pray about?
- Have I hurt anyone to whom I should apologize?
- How do I work to change those things about myself?
Being a Torah-observant family, we recently celebrated the Biblical feast day, Yom Kippur, or Day of Atonement. Although we are called to reflect on our lives regularly, Yahweh also commands that we fast and “afflict our souls” on this special feast day (Leviticus 23:27-28). This is a time where we take off of work for a Holy Sabbath unto Him, search deeply within ourselves, and draw closer and closer to Him like never before.
This art activity was a fun way to incorporate all those Biblical lessons!
This year, we are using The Usborne Book of Art Skills to incorporate different art techniques in our lessons.
Coming up with creative ways to include the Bible in everything we do is an exciting part of homeschooling! This is one of the top reasons we homeschool, and taking advantage of that has blessed us in so many ways. I hope this is an inspiration for you to have some art fun with your kids at home, church, or school!
Materials used:
- Gray Cardstock
- White & Yellow Oil Pastels (at Walmart)
- Dark Blue & Light Blue Watercolor
- Medium Tip Paintbrush
- Back of a spoon (for rubbing)
Oil pastels can also be found here on Amazon, at Hobby Lobby, or where art supplies are sold.
Fold the cardstock in half horizontally.
With the white oil pastel , draw 3 thick lines directly above the fold, and then draw city buildings, complete with windows, and also adding on street lights, the moon and stars.
Fold the paper in half again to impress the image onto the bottom half. Using a spoon, rub firmly until the image is “reflected” onto the bottom half.
Next, using the dark blue watercolor, paint the top half of the drawing to resemble nighttime. The oil pastel will resist the paint.
Paint the bottom half with the lighter blue watercolor.
It’s starting to look like the city is reflecting on the water!!
Once dried, go back and fill in the street lights and moon with the yellow oil pastel.
I love how all 3 came out a little different 🙂
Our memory verse and handwriting practice this week was Matthew 3:2 – Repent, for the Kingdom of God is near.
Let me know if you give it a try and how it turned out!
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