	Being Happy
	Aim To help children learn that real happiness comes from being loved, and that God loves each one of us. Focus Table a selection of different jugs flip chart with verse written on it the photo of the old lady used in 'Being Truthful' Bible verse "You are precious and honoured in my sight and I love you." Isaiah 43 verse 4 (NIV) Story William was going to spend a whole day at Bear's house. He felt really happy. Of all the rooms in the house, William loved Bear's kitchen best of all. Grandma thought it was untidy and old fashioned, but William thought it was exciting. William lived with his Grandma and Bear was her mum. Bear's real name was Mrs Brown and she was William's Great Grandma. When he was little, William couldn't say 'Great Grandma', he could only say 'Gr... Gr...' so he ended up calling her Bear. Today, Bear was cleaning the kitchen. Bear's kitchen was exciting. It didn't heve cupboards, but open shelves lined the walls instead. Bear said you could see where everything was, and get it easily. She had emptied all the shelves to scrub them, and everything was now on the kitchen table. William was allowed to play with it all. He pretended that the jars were an army of soldiers with wooden spoons for weapons. Jugs were aliens who would fly through the air and pour out deadly chemicals onto the earth armies. He made a lot of noise but Bear didn't seem to mind. Bear had lots of jugs. She collected them. Once, William had brought her a jug back from his holidays in Majorca and she said it was very useful. "Where is my jug, Bear," he asked, "its not here." "I keep it in the bathroom," she said, "for my special oil." Bear had arthritis. Her fingers were all knobbly and crooked and she often had to sit down because her knees were bad. She had special oil to rub into them at bedtime, so she used William's jug every night. William was pleased because it meant his present was useful. William asked what all the other jugs were for. "The blue one is for sauces," she called from up the ladder "the glass one is for milk, or water, or juice, or even flowers from the garden. The cream one is for cream, the long one's for gravy, and the one with the pointed spout is for syrup." "Yummy!" said William, who loved to pour warm syrup all over Bear's home made pudding. "What's this one for?" he asked lifting up a fat jug with lines all over it where the shiny glaze had cracked. The spout had a bit missing too. "Left-overs," said Bear coming down the steps very carefully. "I know it looks old, but it is such a useful shape that I don't want to through it away. By the way William, the black jug's full!" William ran into the sitting room to look in the shiny black jug. Bear saved ten pence pieces for him and kept them in it. On the shelf by the radio were lots more jugs. with different things in each of them. pins, buttons, stamps, paper clips, pencil sharpeners and keys! "Which do you like the best, Bear?" called William. Bear thought for a moment as she filled the kettle and put it on the cooker. "They are all special, and they all do different jobs for me, but if I had to chose, it would be this one." She picked up a tiny green jug from high on a shelf above the gas stove. "It's too small for pouring anything," said Bear, "but I use it for this..." and she pulled off her engagement ring and dropped it in the little jug. "I take off my ring when I'm gardening," she said, "and pop it in there and then I never forget where I put it!" "And that," said Bear, putting the sparkling ring back on her finger, "is my most precious treasure... but not as precious as you are!" Thinking time How do you think William felt when Bear said that? (suggestions: good inside, happy, loved Bear, special) Hold up one jug at a time as you speak. Say that all the jugs were useful for different reasons. Bear had a use for each one - even the oldest, even the smallest; even the fattest, even the cracked one. See if the children can remember some of Bear's jugs? In the same way, every person is different - but they all matter and are precious to God. William was more precious to Bear than anything she owned - even her engagement ring. No matter where we live or what we look like we are all loved by God. Reading Write this short Bible verse up on a flipchart. "You are precious and honoured in my sight and I love you." Isaiah 43 verse 4 Explain that God spoke these words to a special messenger called Isaiah about all his people. Just like the jugs were all special to Bear, every person is special to God. Prayer Dear God, Thank you for times when we are happy. Thank you for loving each one of us and help us know we are all special to you. Amen. Songs Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children; Children's Praise No. 141 Marshall & Pickering Praise Him, Praise Him: Children's Praise No. 142 Marshall & Pickering One, Two, Three, Jesus loves me: Children's Praise No. 138 Marshall & Pickering
	A Primary Vision resource provided by the Stockport Christians in Schools Trust

Being Happy

Aim

To help children learn that real happiness comes from being loved, and that God loves each one of us.

Focus Table

a selection of different jugs
flip chart with verse written on it
the photo of the old lady used in 'Being Truthful'

Bible verse

"You are precious and honoured in my sight and I love you." Isaiah 43 verse 4 (NIV)

Story

William was going to spend a whole day at Bear's house. He felt really happy. Of all the rooms in the house, William loved Bear's kitchen best of all. Grandma thought it was untidy and old fashioned, but William thought it was exciting. William lived with his Grandma and Bear was her mum. Bear's real name was Mrs Brown and she was William's Great Grandma.

When he was little, William couldn't say 'Great Grandma', he could only say 'Gr... Gr...' so he ended up calling her Bear.

Today, Bear was cleaning the kitchen. Bear's kitchen was exciting. It didn't heve cupboards, but open shelves lined the walls instead. Bear said you could see where everything was, and get it easily. She had emptied all the shelves to scrub them, and everything was now on the kitchen table. William was allowed to play with it all. He pretended that the jars were an army of soldiers with wooden spoons for weapons. Jugs were aliens who would fly through the air and pour out deadly chemicals onto the earth armies. He made a lot of noise but Bear didn't seem to mind.

Bear had lots of jugs. She collected them. Once, William had brought her a jug back from his holidays in Majorca and she said it was very useful.

"Where is my jug, Bear," he asked, "its not here."

"I keep it in the bathroom," she said, "for my special oil."

Bear had arthritis. Her fingers were all knobbly and crooked and she often had to sit down because her knees were bad. She had special oil to rub into them at bedtime, so she used William's jug every night. William was pleased because it meant his present was useful.

William asked what all the other jugs were for.

"The blue one is for sauces," she called from up the ladder "the glass one is for milk, or water, or juice, or even flowers from the garden. The cream one is for cream, the long one's for gravy, and the one with the pointed spout is for syrup."

"Yummy!" said William, who loved to pour warm syrup all over Bear's home made pudding.

"What's this one for?" he asked lifting up a fat jug with lines all over it where the shiny glaze had cracked. The spout had a bit missing too.

"Left-overs," said Bear coming down the steps very carefully. "I know it looks old, but it is such a useful shape that I don't want to through it away. By the way William, the black jug's full!"

William ran into the sitting room to look in the shiny black jug. Bear saved ten pence pieces for him and kept them in it. On the shelf by the radio were lots more jugs. with different things in each of them. pins, buttons, stamps, paper clips, pencil sharpeners and keys!

"Which do you like the best, Bear?" called William. Bear thought for a moment as she filled the kettle and put it on the cooker.

"They are all special, and they all do different jobs for me, but if I had to chose, it would be this one."

She picked up a tiny green jug from high on a shelf above the gas stove.

"It's too small for pouring anything," said Bear, "but I use it for this..." and she pulled off her engagement ring and dropped it in the little jug.

"I take off my ring when I'm gardening," she said, "and pop it in there and then I never forget where I put it!"

"And that," said Bear, putting the sparkling ring back on her finger, "is my most precious treasure... but not as precious as you are!"

Thinking time

How do you think William felt when Bear said that? (suggestions: good inside, happy, loved Bear, special)

Hold up one jug at a time as you speak.

Say that all the jugs were useful for different reasons.

Bear had a use for each one - even the oldest, even the smallest; even the fattest, even the cracked one.

See if the children can remember some of Bear's jugs?

In the same way, every person is different - but they all matter and are precious to God.

William was more precious to Bear than anything she owned - even her engagement ring.

No matter where we live or what we look like we are all loved by God.

Reading

Write this short Bible verse up on a flipchart.

"You are precious and honoured in my sight and I love you."
Isaiah 43 verse 4

Explain that God spoke these words to a special messenger called Isaiah about all his people. Just like the jugs were all special to Bear, every person is special to God.

Prayer

Dear God,
Thank you for times when we are happy. Thank you for loving each one of us and help us know we are all special to you.
Amen.

Songs

Praise Him, Praise Him all ye little children; Children's Praise No. 141 Marshall & Pickering
Praise Him, Praise Him: Children's Praise No. 142 Marshall & Pickering
One, Two, Three, Jesus loves me: Children's Praise No. 138 Marshall & Pickering