December Happenings

Happy December!

We wanted to give an update on the happenings for this month for our KWAV's kids.

We were planning on launching our first KWAV's family picnic this month, but we have multiple conflicts for that day so we are going to launch that in January and have some other fun stuff planned for this month:

• This Sunday our very own Donna Phebus will be walking in the "WALK FOR AIDS ORPHANS/WALK FOR CLEAN WATER" event here in the Port Streets. This is sponsored by World Vision and Women of Vision, and it is a really great family service opportunity. Grab your family and walk with these gals through the Port Streets in solidarity with orphans and people in need of clean water.

WALK FOR AIDS ORPHANS

WALK for CLEAN WATER

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 4^TH

2:00 P.M.

PORT STREETS CLUBHOUSE

1900 Port Carlow Place

Newport Beach

Hosted by World Vision/Orange County Women of Vision

• Next Wednesday, December 7th, will be our monthly KWAV's meeting at the Phase 2 Clubhouse from 1:30 - 2:40. We are going to have a great time with the kids, and plan on spending some time practicing some Christmas Carols with them so that we can do a little neighborhood caroling!!!

• Mark your calendars for our FIRST ANNUAL KWAV's FAMILIES NEIGHBORHOOD CHRISTMAS CAROLING! Come in your warm and cozy clothes and bring a flashlight as we head out together and bless our neighborhood with some Christmas cheer. December 21st @ 6 PM. We will email the meet up location closer to the date! Feel free to invite other families along - it's definitely the more the merrier.

We look forward to seeing your kiddos on Wednesday!

Today's Recap

We are rescheduling our November Blessings Bags service project to December. Stay tuned for updates!

Upcoming Serve Opportunity: walk to support AIDS/orphans

On Sunday, December 4th, Orange County Women of Vision/World Vision are hosting a walk to support AIDS Orphans as well as clean water development in our World Vision sponsored projects in KENYA.

We will gather at the Port Streets (Newport Hills) Clubhouse at 2:00. We will be walking 6000 Steps for the 6000 Children orphaned every day by the still prevalent AIDS pandemic. We will be provided water as a reminder of the great need for access to clean, sustainable water resources there.

It will be a fundraiser as well for these projects. More information will be forthcoming.

We hope you can join us!

Welcome Back!

We hope that your Fall is off to a fantastic start as we all are getting back into our Fall routines.

We wanted to send out an update regarding our Kids With A Vision endeavors this year. We are really excited to dive back into life with you all!

Here is our plan for the year:

• We have decided to hold our KWAV's meeting with the kiddos once a month on the first Wednesday of every month. We will kick this off on November 2nd at 1:30 PM at the Phase 2 Clubhouse. We will meet the first Wednesday of each month at the Phase 2 Clubhouse from 1:30-2:40.

• We will send out an email sign up for parent volunteers in the upcoming weeks. But, save the dates! Kids in kinder - 3rd grade are welcome to join us and 4th - 6th graders are welcome to attend as Jr. Counselors!

• We have also planned a couple of KWAV's field trips for families to participate in!
• Sunday, November 6th @ 2:30 PM :: Help us assemble Blessing Bags for the Homeless | Andersen elementary lunch tables

This is a great opportunity to serve alongside your kids in a practical way. We will have all the supplies needed to assemble the blessing bags - Come with your kids and lets put blessing bags together.

Here is the time frame:

-2:30-3:30 - assemble blessing bags at Andersen picnic tables

-3:30 - 4:30 - load up in cars and caravan to The Santa Ana Civic Center where we can deliver them to people in need

-5 PM - meet at St Pepperoni's for pizza dinner with our KWAV's peeps!!!

*** We will also be collecting blankets and used jackets (all sizes) to hand out to the homeless.

We ask that you RSVP to this event and also that each family participating would donate $20 towards the blessings bags. (You can RSVP via email or leave a comment here letting us know you are coming)

• Thursday, December 15th :: "A Night in Bethlehem" at Liberty Baptist Church | 6-8 PM

This is a great opportunity to experience the nativity scene in real life! Your kids will be stoked.

• Family Dinner/Picnic at Bonita Canyon Sports Park - the first Saturday of every month : 3 PM until its too dark to play. :)

We thought it would be fun to start a tradition of eating together and playing alongside our kids. Come join us as we hang and enjoy dinner together. We will be at the sports park by the tennis courts. This is an open invitation to anyone who wants to join us. The more the merrier!

Please feel free to share KWAV's info with any new families you think may be interested in joining in.

As always, we will be updating this KWAV's blog with information, so continue to check it for updates and news.

We look forward to a great year of exploring how we can be a blessing in our community and beyond!

Parenting Tips from Justin Bieber

I recently stumbled on this blog post about Justin Bieber and I like it. A lot.

I like the call to be courageous parents.

I like the call to raise courageous kids.

I think one of the added blessings to putting together this after school group called KWAV's has been that we have seen a group of parents stand up to say, "I'm all in on this whole raising kids who are quality people."

Because it is easy to find a sea of people who want their kids to be brilliant, or a stellar athlete, or even "well-rounded" in the college application way.

But, to find a group of people who want their kids to be kind, and thoughtful, and humble, and who love God and try to put others before themselves - well, that may not be quite as easy.

Truly, we are grateful to have found parents with the same vision as us.

Thank you.

Weekly Recap and This Week

We will be collecting gently used sporting goods or dance & gymnastics items again this week. Feel free to drop off items at the Phase 2 Clubhouse anytime from noon to 3 PM.

We are looking forward to another fun week with our KWAV's kids.

Next week (the 15th) will be our last week. We plan on having a party!

Operation Flag Delivery ...

Mission Successfully Completed.

[who can resist these brave soldiers?]

There were about 45 children who made these at our KWAV's group this week. We delivered them to the local VA Hospital today and it was pretty darn sweet. We had a group of preschoolers handing them out. They would smile at the Veterans in the cafeteria and hand them a flag with cute shy voices saying, "Thank you for your service to our country." The Veterans were so touched. It was such a simple thing to do and they were very touched. We were asked not to snap any photos of the Veterans, but here is a picture of our handy helpers:

My two favorite moments:

1. My son handed his flag to an older Veteran who was wearing his marines hat proudly and the gentleman said, with tears in his eyes, "You just made my day. Thank you, son."

2. A group of fellas were sharing lunch and 2 of our preschool boys handed them all flags. They smiled at our boys and then saluted them. Then, they taught the boys how to salute. Precious.

It was a blessing to see these individuals feel appreciated. My son was beaming with pride and felt super happy that he made them happy.

Go bless someone this weekend.

Veteran's Day Craft Project

In honor of Memorial Day this weekend, we wanted a project for the kids to do that would bless Veterans. It was very simple, fun for the kids, and turned out really sweet.

How To:

Print the "Dear Veterans" template - click here to download the google doc

Use a paper cutter to cut into 4 postcard sized letters

Punch two holes along the right side of the "Dear Veterans" side

Have the kids sign their names and their ages on the letter

On the blank side, have the kids sketch a flag with the rectangle in the upper left corner, and then the stripes.

Color the rectangle blue, and stripes red and white

We had stickers for them to apply to the rectangle

Thread the straw through the holes in order to complete the "Flag"

Beaded Saftey Pin How To:

Have the kids thread red, white and blue beads onto safety pins, and then pin to the front of the letter.

Mail or deliver to Veterans you know!

Weekly Recap

Today was another great day for the KWAV's. We kicked off our time together with a great minute to win it game. Claire and Ryan challenged each other with the "angry bull dog game". It was pretty awesome!

Our story was about the Prodigal Son and forgiveness. We should all have ample opportunities this week to practice cultivating a forgiving posture for one another.

I love the definition of forgive that the kids learned - "Choosing to forget if someone has hurt me."

Our small group activity this week was to make something for Veterans, in honor of Memorial Day. The kids made a beaded safety pin that we pinned onto a letter to Veterans. The other side of the letter was made into a flag. We are delivering these to Veterans at the VA Hospital in Long Beach this week.

The highlight of our day was our guest speaker! We had Mr. Coleman, a father of two KWAV's, and fellow neighbor, come in to share with the kids about his experience as a Veteran. His story is powerful and the kids were captivated. He opened it up to questions and one of our girls asked if the kids could sing the national anthem for him.

All the children stood and proudly belted out The Star Spangled Banner. It was a very special moment! Thank you, Mr. Coleman, for your service to our country and for sharing time with us.

Just a reminder for next week - we'd love to have the kids bring a gently used sporting goods item, or dance or gymnastic item to donate to kids in the inner city.

The "love" Bracelets are Loved

Last Wednesday the bracelets that the kids made for the homeless women staying at The Isaiah House (a homeless shelter in Santa Ana) were delivered.

I'm pretty sure it is safe to say that these are loved.

Love Notes How To

This idea was inspired by the Love Notes boxes that Becky Higgins made for her friends. We modified it slightly to fit our project, but she is the genius who came up with the idea!

If you are interested in making some Love Notes boxes for a family you love, this is what you need:

a small box of some sort - either a take out box like we used, or small container

post its

the "love notes" label, for on top of the box - Click Here for the google doc

the "love notes" verse for the front of the box - Click Here for the google doc. We attached the verse with a small brad, but you could tape it, staple it, or use a cute sticker or japanese masking tape.

the "love notes" description for the inside of the box (or it could be tied to the box with cute ribbon or twine) - Click Here for the google doc

These would be super cute to give out at Christmas or Valentine's Day to families you love. You could put some Hershey's kisses in the bottom of the box to sweeten the deal.

Now, go love on someone.

Blessing Bags How To

Have you ever come across a homeless individual and felt totally uncomfortable?

You see them and you know they are in need, but you are not sure what to do. You know that handing them money is not the best thing. But, you also see that they clearly have some needs. Their lips are chapped. They are hungry. They are thirsty. They are asking for help.

How can you help?

Here is a simple idea - blessing bags.

[photo: joy's hope]

This was such an easy project. We are now going to keep a few "Blessing Bags" in our car so that when we do happen to see someone on the streets who is homeless, we can hand them a Blessing Bag. I first learned of these bags from my friend, Julie. I am using the picture of her bags (see above) because the ones we took were taken in horrible lighting and turned out really grainy and hard to see what is inside of them.

If you'd like to make your own Blessing Bags, this is what you would need:

Gallon size Ziplock bags

items to go in the bags, such as:

chap stick

packages of tissues

toothbrush and toothpaste

comb

soap

trail mix

granola bars

crackers

pack of gum

band aids

mouthwash

coins (could be used to make a phone call, or purchase a food item)

hand wipes

you could also put in a warm pair of socks, and maybe a Starbucks gift card

Assemble all the items in the bags, and maybe throw in a note of encouragement. Seal the bags and stow in your car for a moment of providence.

This would be a great activity to do with some other families. Each family could bring one of the items going into the bags (ex: toothbrushes). Set up all the items around a table and walk around it with the ziplocks and fill the bags.

Weekly Recap

Hopefully, the Weekly Recap sheet came home with your child.

We had a great day with the kids, and thanks to all the volunteer parents' help - things went pretty smoothly during our activity time. The kids were a whirlwind of activity - they made blessing bags for the homeless, and they made "Love Notes" boxes for their family.

Our character trait this week was "ENCOURAGE" and the definition we gave the kids was "Showing support for others with our words and actions."

Our activities were the perfect way for the kids to practice this: They showed support in their actions by preparing the blessing bags for the homeless. These bags were given to the homeless in Santa Ana. One woman said, "I am going to sleep with this under my head so that no one can take anything out of it." They obviously were blessed to receive the items in the bags. [ Click here for easy instructions on how to make Blessing Bags.]

The kids then got to practice showing support for others with their words by making the Love Notes boxes.

[love notes]

[inside the box are post its & a description]

And now, we have these appearing all over the house:

This is simply a tangible way for us to practice encouraging each other with our words. Wouldn't it be wonderful if there was a whole culture of kids living in this neighborhood who lived with eyes open with gratitude and spoke their thanks to their families, their teachers, their coaches, their peers? What if they learned to walk through life with eyes to see who could use an encouraging word? This is our goal! If you'd like to make some love notes boxes to share with others, click here for the tutorial.

We are looking forward to this week with the kids. We are going to be working on a project for veterans at the VA hospital in Long Beach in honor of Memorial Day.

The kids do not need to bring anything to donate this week. But, just a heads up for the following week (6/1), we would like for kids to bring a gently used sports ball to donate.

Weekly Recap AND News for this week

We had so much fun this last week. Really, we should not be allowed to have this much fun.

The kids learned about DILIGENCE - working hard to finish something. This is a character trait that they will get a lot of practice with.

We had a wacky obstacle course to practice diligence that involved lots of hopping and carrying a marshmellow on the end of a spoon that was balanced in the kids' mouths.

Like I said, we should not be allowed to have this much fun!

The kids also made another lovely bead bracelet for the women living at the homeless shelter. For some of them, that was an exercise of diligence too, and we are proud of them for sticking with it, even when they did not feel like stringing beads any longer.

For THIS WEEK:

Please help your kids practice their memory verse from last week (see below on the the recap sheet).

As our "giving" activity this week, we will be putting together "Blessing Bags" for the homeless. The kids will fill gallon sized zip lock bags with items that will bless people living on the streets (handi-wipes, granola bars, nuts, band aids, toothbrush, etc.).

We are asking each child to bring some quarters from their own banks (or from money they have earned) to put in the bags. These coins can be used by the homeless to purchase a warm cup of coffee or make a phone call at a pay phone.

We are suggesting that each child bring 4 quarters, but they can bring what they would like to give.

We will have our donation box out at registration this week. The blessing bags will be one of our most expensive activities so if you would like to donate to help cover the costs that would be great!

Thanks to everyone who had made donations so far. It has helped out a ton!

Here is the Weekly Recap sheet from last week:

This Week

We are excited about this week!

A couple details:

• We'd love for the kids to bring a gently used toy to donate to the kids living at a local homeless shelter (the Isaiah House in Santa Ana).

• Also, very important - due to the wonderful turn out (we are amazed and so stoked), we feel that in order to keep things moving smoothly between activities and small group time with our junior counselors, that we could use a minimum of 4 parent volunteers each week to be extra hands on deck during our activities time.

If you are interested in helping out in one of the upcoming weeks, please shoot us an email. Our goal is to be intentional with this time and for it to be as meaningful as possible for the kids attending, and having some extra hands on deck with help that.

We would ask that you arrive at 1:30 and stay until 2:40.

We look forward to seeing our Kwav's this week!

Pictures Really Are Worth A Thousand Words

["Sam", the puppet, explains what it means to be homeless and living in a shelter]

[our incredible junior counselors]

[the set up crew]

[book bags made by the kids and stuffed with donated books - ready to go to Shalimar]

[delivering the book bags to Shalimar]

Weekly Recap

This week our story focused on Jesus and his disciples in the midst of the storm. We were able to talk to the kids about fear and how they can pray for peace.

We also discussed contentment and what it looks like to be thankful for what we have. Dialogue about this in your homes - there are many opportunities for our kids (and ourselves) to practice and cultivate contentment.

The kids had a blast making something special for their mommies! Our goal was to make bracelets for women living in a shelter in Santa Ana, but our time was a bit too short. The kids did learn about what a homeless shelter is and that there are plenty of women and children who live with that reality on a daily basis.

We wish all the KWAV mommies a Happy Mother's Day!

Weekly Recap

This week our story focused on the little boy who had a willing and generous heart. He only had a few fish and a couple loaves of bread, but he shared all that he had.

Our discussion centered around what our Kwav's kids have that they can share.

... PLEASE CONTINUE THESE CONVERSATIONS AT HOME ...

How can we use what we have to help others?

How can our two hands help others (at home, at school, in our neighborhood, in our community, around the world etc.)?

How can they use their mouths to help others (speaking kind words, etc.)?

A willing heart is connected to the memory verse for this week (see above), and the character trait we are working on is BEHAVE.

The goal is for kids to understand what it looks like to do what they are told with a happy heart.

Continue this conversation as well. Affirm them (notice and make a big deal of it) when you do see them exhibit generosity, a willing heart, and obedience with a great attitude.

Our "serve" activity this week was to write a short note to the children at Shalimar Learning Center.

We also had the kids decorate a border on a canvas book bag (the rest of the book bag will be decorated by the child who receives the bag). The books that were donated today are going into the bags and will be given to the kids at Shalimar. We are very excited about the partnership with this great organization and will continue to work with Shalimar, as well as other great organizations.

Next week we will have another "serve" activity for the kids to work on, but we are not asking for the kids to bring anything from home. If you are interested in donating a few dollars to help cover activity costs, there is a small donation box set up at our registration table.

Have a great week, and thanks for being a Kwav Family!

Collecting GENTLY USED books!

The Kwav's group will be collecting GENTLY USED books for younger kids (preschool - 2nd grade reading level) for the children at The Shalimar Learning Center in Costa Mesa.

You can drop books off at the Phase II clubhouse Wednesday from noon - 2 PM.

Also - just a reminder, children K - 3rd grade are welcome to attend this after school program that meets on Wednesdays from 1:30 - 2:40. This week we are asking kids to bring a gently used book to work on an activity project for the kids at Shalimar! Children 4th - 6th grade are welcome to join us as Junior Counselors.

Smashing success!

Thank you so much to all the families who shared their kiddos with us this week. We had a great first session and were thrilled at the turnout of kids (40+ kids came ready to play and engage!).

We were incredibly blessed to see the generosity of our kids in their donations from their egg hunt to the kids at The Shalimar Learning Center. Our instructions were simply that kids share "whatever they felt that they wanted to share".

Some kids shared 2 of their eggs, and some kids donated their entire bag of eggs. It was pretty sweet to witness.

We'd love it if you would notice if your kids demonstrate being attentive [listening with their eyes, ears and heart] this week and affirm them for it!

We will be offering an incentive for those kids who know the verse that went home this week, so encourage them to practice it.

And, please do have your kids choose a gently used book to donate to The Shalimar Learning Center this week. We will be working with the kids to write a note to the child who will receive their book.

(Did you know that The Shalimar Learning Center is 10 miles from the port streets? 10 miles away there are children who live in very crowded and poor living conditions; who lack school supplies and places to study; and who are provided a safe and encouraging environment at The Shalimar Learning Center)

Feel free to email us at any time with any questions you may have

Ali - alibray@mac.com | Keri - keriolson@cox.net

Tami - tamisanders@mac.com | Donna - donnapheb@cox.net

Many of you asked how you can help out with this program. We will always receive parents who want to hang with us and help with "crowd control" with open arms, so please know that you are welcome at any time to stay and hang.

We also are going to be serving snack each week and would gladly receive Snack Volunteers or small donations to help cover snack and/or activity fees. We do not want anyone to feel obligated to contribute in anyway! If you'd like to bring the snack for one of the weeks, please shoot us an email and we will coordinate.

We will have a box at the registration table if you'd like to donate a few dollars to help with snack or activity fees. (Thank you for the help!)

Happy Easter!

Weekly Recap

• We look forward to seeing the kids again next week!
• Have your kids practice their verse and discuss what it looks like to be ATTENTIVE to family, to friends, to teachers, etc.
• Don't forget to send a gently used or new book for the kids at The Shalimar Learning Center next week.

First KWAV Club Meeting This Week!

We are very excited to kick off this after school club this week for K - 3rd graders.

4th - 6th graders are welcome to help out as Junior Counselors.

Wednesday, April 20th

1:30 PM - 2:40 PM

@ Phase II Clubhouse

We plan to share the Easter story with the kids, go over our first "Character Trait" [ATTENTIVE], and have an egg hunt. We will be exercising our "sharing muscles" in our vision for our kids to help out their local and global community by asking kids to contribute some of their egg hunt treasures to a basket that will be donated to The Shalimar Learning Center.

We'd love for your kids to join us for this fun time.

Please let us know if you plan on having your kids attend by sending an email to alibray@mac.com.

Drop off your children at the registration/snack table outside of the Phase II Clubhouse at 1:30 with the completed registration form:

[click on the picture of the registration form above to open it up and then print it out]

Other Important Details:

Parents are welcome to attend as well (just be ready to have fun!). :)

Interested in helping out?

Have a 4th - 6th grader who may be interested in helping as a junior counselor?

email us: alibray at mac dot com

Need more information?

For info on our mission, go here.

For info on who we are, go here.

For info on the schedule of our time, go here.

Any other questions - email us.

alibray at mac dot com

Coming Soon!

We are super excited to announce that we are launching a new after school program for Port Streets Kids in kindergarten - 3rd grade.

Wednesday, April 20th

1:30 - 2:40

@ Newport Hills ClubHouse

(Phase II)

Our first meeting will focus on the Easter story and include an egg hunt!

Kids must be dropped off and picked up at the club house.

Interested in helping out?

Have a 4th - 6th grader who may be interested in helping as a junior counselor?

email us: alibray at mac dot com

Need more information?

For info on our mission, go here.

For info on who we are, go here.

For info on the schedule of our time, go here.

Any other questions - email us.

alibray at mac dot com

What We Will Be Doing

We intend to have a whole-lot-of-fun with the KWAV's.

Our time will include:

• a snack and memory verse from the previous week's Bible story
• fun songs
• lesson from the Bible
• discussion time (introduction of character development trait & Bible verse that corresponds with that trait - click here for the list)
• activity

Picture Vacation Bible School, but with the added goal of fostering a spirit of compassion for others who have less than we do.

We will also be organizing some additional dates that kids can participate in a service project in some capacity (sorting canned goods, delivering food to homeless shelter, etc.).

Who are we?

That is a great question.

We are moms (and a grandma) from the neighborhood.

We have kids just like you.

We are volunteering to organize this group because we recognize that our own kids could benefit from time in this environment.

We could use some extra help so please let us know if you'd like to participate with us!

[email alibray at mac dot com]

Core Leadership Group:

Donna Phebus - a port street native who has a heart for kids and more energy than any other grandma we know (she is also the KWAV's "Chief")

Keri Olson - a port street native and mama to 3 kiddos

Tami Sanders - a port street mama to 4 kiddos

Ali Bray - a port street mama to 2 kiddos

About KWAV's : our mission

KWAV's stands for "Kids With A Vision".

Our mission is to create a safe place where kids (kindergarten thru 3rd grade) will:

• learn about God
• explore Bible stories
• positively develop character and integrity
• learn to serve others and practice generosity
• and have FUN!

Lets keep it real - we live in a pretty dreamy place.

We are surrounded by abundance, especially in comparison to our global community.

We want to create some space in our kids' lives to pause and consider who God is, and how they can be a blessing to those around them in our local community, as well as in our global community.

[photo: world vision]

Part of our program will be to partner with World Vision in order to educate the children about local and global poverty and injustice, to learn about issues affecting the poor and oppressed, and to support a World Vision project.

Kids over 3rd grade age are welcome to join us as "junior counselors".

WHEN: Wednesdays, after early out

1:30 PM - 2:40 PM

WHERE: Newport Hills Clubhouse Activity Room (Phase II)

Although there will be NO COST to attend, we will ask kids to bring an item to donate each week that will correspond with our service project. (Thank you for helping with that!)

Character Traits We Will Focus On

Part of our time together will be spent discussing character traits and encouraging the children to hone these traits in themselves as they leave our time together.

We will have a character trait each week, along with a Bible verse that will correspond with the character trait.

Here is the list that we will follow:

Attentive: Listening with my eyes, ears and heart.

"Listen, my child, to what your father teaches you. Don't neglect your mother's teaching."

-Proverbs 1:8

Behave: Doing what you are told with a happy heart.

"Children, do what your parents tell you. This is only right."
- Ephesians 6:1

Contentment: Happy with what I have.

"I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances." -Philippians 4:11

Diligence: Working hard to finish something.

"Whatever you do, work at it with all your heart." -Colossians 3:23

Encourage: Showing support for others with words and actions.

"So encourage each other and build each other up." - 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Forgive: Choosing to forget if someone has hurt me.

"Be kind and tender-hearted to one another, and forgive one another, as God has forgiven you through Christ." - Ephesians 4:32

Gentleness: Giving a kind answer if someone is mean to me.

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger." - Proverbs 15:1

Honesty: Speaking the truth in love.

"Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from speaking lies." - Psalm 34:13

Innocent: Keeping away from evil.

"Little children guard yourselves from idols." - 1 John 5:21

Kindness: Doing something to bring happiness to others.

"And do not forget to do good and to share with others, for with such sacrifices God is pleased." - Hebrews 13:16

Love: To treasure others more than yourself.

"My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you." -John 15:12

Memorize: Learning God's word and keeping it in my heart.

"I have hidden your word in my heart that I might not sin against you." - Psalm 119:11

Nice: Treating others how you would want to be treated.

"Love your neighbor as yourself." - Leviticus 19:18

Order: Keeping everything in its place.

"But everything should be done in a fitting and orderly way." - 1 Corinthians 14:40

Patience: Waiting with a happy heart.

"Be patient, bearing with one another in love." - Ephesians 4:2

Quiet: To be still and silent.

"Meditate within your heart on your bed, and be still." - Psalm 4:4

Respectful: Showing someone they are worthy of my attention.

"Show proper respect to everyone." - 1 Peter 2:17

Self-control: Being careful with my words and actions.

"I will be careful how I act and will not sin by what I say." - Psalm 39:1

Thankfulness: Being grateful and saying so.

"Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for He is good." -Psalm 118:1

Unity: Living at peace with one another.

"How good and pleasant it is when brothers live together in unity!" - Psalm 133:1

Victorious: Resisting temptation and turning from sin.

"Victory is through our Lord Jesus Christ." - 1 Corinthians 15:57

Wisdom: Thinking God's way.

"Fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom." - Proverbs 9:10

eXcellence: Doing my very best.

"Follow God's example in everything you do, because you are his dear children." - Ephesians 5:1

Yielding: To live God's way and not my own way.

"Submit therefore to God. Resist the devil and he will flee from you." - James 4:7

Zealous: To do something with my whole heart.

"I seek you with all my heart; do not let me stray from your commands." - Psalm 119:10