Remembering Our Strengths | Rhombus University

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Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
And number two is encouraging words only. Who has heard that word before? Raise your hand. Who has heard of encouraging words? Who has heard of that word? Okay. So, later we’re going to have a time of sharing. So we’re going to be using words that build up.

Speaker 2:
What word is it?

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Words that build up. And then lastly, I know some of you must be really good at Zoom and drawing, but we’re not going to be changing our backgrounds or our screens. And no making loud sounds that may distract our ears and our eyes to your screen. So, we’re going to have to make sure there are no distractions, okay? So, the first one is to make sure we have a what? Who do we need inside our house?

Speaker 3:
Adult.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Adult or grownup. Lastly, I know I already sent it to your parents, but do we all have maybe a shield that… a worksheet that printed? Don’t worry. At this time, can you all go get a blank sheet of paper that we’re going to use later? A blank sheet of paper, anything to write or to color with? Take your time to go find it. I’m going to give you a couple moments for that, okay?

So we’re going to be doing three things. We’re going to read a book, we’re going to do an art and writing activity, and then we’re going to do some deep breathing, okay? So what are the three things that we’re going to do today? One is that we’re going to read a… we’re going to read a book. And number two, we’re going to make some art. And then number three, we’re going to breathe. Okay? So those are some of the things that we are going to do today. And there are going to be times, I tell you to unmute so that you can help me either read a book or have a space where we can actually share what we made later, okay? So today what we’re going to read is a story called What Do You Do with a Problem? You all say that with me? What Do You Do with a Problem? So I’ll be sharing my screen with you.

In our story, we have someone who actually… We have a friend who went through something very hard, okay. He had a problem. And let’s see what happens, okay. So, What Do You Do with a Problem by Kobi Yamada.

Okay.
I don’t know how it happened, but one day I had a problem. I didn’t want it. I didn’t ask for it. I really didn’t like having a problem, but it was there.

Can you all point to the problem in the screen? Can you see it? See it? Okay.
What does it want? What do you do with the problem? I thought. I wanted to make it go away. I shooed it, I scowled at it. I tried ignoring it, but nothing worked.

I started to worry about my problem. What if it swallows me up? What if my problem sneaks up and gets me? What if it takes away all of my things?

Can you all find some things that may be special for a friend? What are some of the things that he wants to keep? You see what he has? Yeah, these are all things very special to him. And I’m sure you all have many things or people that are special to you, too.

I worried a lot. I worried about what would happen. I worried about what could happen. I worried about this and I worried about that.

Raise your hands if you’ve ever felt worry before. Raise your hand when you get worried… Have you ever felt your heart go beat faster? Who has felt that before? You can raise your hand, or you can just nod your head if you want. Who has felt their hands get sweaty? Has that ever happened to you when you feel your hands sweating a lot? Who has ever had a lot of thoughts go in our mind, storm in our mind like our friend in the picture? Sometimes you may have trouble sleeping, sometimes your tummy might hurt, and sometimes things might bother you for reasons that don’t usually bother you. But these are all signs within our body that show us that there is worry, okay.

And the more I worried, the bigger my problem became.
So the more he worried what? The bigger problem became.
I wished it would just disappear. I tried everything I could to hide from it. I even found ways to disguise myself, but it still found me.

And the more I avoided my problem, the more I saw it everywhere. I thought about it all the time, I didn’t feel good at all. I couldn’t take it anymore. “This has to stop”, I declared.
Can you all join me in saying that with our friend? This has to what? Let’s say it louder, all together. Ready? This has to stop.

Maybe I was making my problem bigger and scarier than it actually was. After all, my problem hadn’t really swallowed me up or attacked me, I realized that I had to face it.
So even though I didn’t want to, even though I was really afraid, I got ready and I tackled my problem.
So friends, what did he do? He got… And then he tackled his problem. So our friend, he got… And then he tackled his problem.

When I got face to face with it, I discovered something. My problem wasn’t what I thought it was. I discovered it has something beautiful inside.

What do you think is inside? We’ll find out, okay?

Speaker 4:
Esther, could you speak up a little more please?

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Okay. Did you hear the previous one?

Speaker 4:
A couple of them were having trouble.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Okay, when I got face to face with it, I discovered something. My problem wasn’t what I thought it was. I discovered it has something beautiful inside.

Did you all hear that? You thumbs up if you do. Okay. Let’s find out what’s inside.
My problem held an opportunity. It was an opportunity for me to learn and to grow. To be brave. To do something.

We all say that together. It had an oppor… One more time. So an opportunity is a chance for us to learn and to grow. We do that all together. An opportunity is a chance for us to learn and to grow. And like this friend, we can be brave as we do something.

It showed me that it was important to look closely because some opportunities only come once. So now I see problems differently. I’m not afraid of them anymore because I know their secret. Every problem has an opportunity for something good. You just have to look for it.

So friends, what was the secret? Is that it had an opportunity. Can we say that word together? Opportunity for us to what? Learn and to grow. Could you guys do the motions with me? I had an opportunity for us to learn and to grow. Beautiful job. Okay, so friends, before actually we go into our next activity. Does anyone have any questions about this story? No? Okay. So if we don’t have questions, then maybe I have questions for you. Can everyone unmute? Everyone unmute. So I have some questions for you. So when worry happens, what happens to your body? What happens?

Speaker 5:
I don’t know. I have myself comfort things, I guess.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Oh, you have things that comfort you? Yes. That’s actually what we’re going to be talking about today. Okay. So friends, what were the secrets about problems? What was it? That behind every problem there is an… It starts with an o.

Speaker 5:
Opportunity.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
An opportunity for us to what?

Speaker 5:
Learn and grow.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Can we do that altogether? It’s an opportunity for us to learn and to grow. And friends, our friend in the story… Let me stop sharing this. Okay, our friends in the story, he was a very resilient boy. He was a very resilient boy. Can we say that word together? Re…

Speaker 6:
…silient.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Resilient, okay. The word resilient, it means to keep going when things get hard. Can we all get our arms together and say that together? To be resilient means to keep…

Speaker 6:
Going.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
When things get…

Speaker 6:
Hard.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
When things are hard, yes. But even when things get hard, there are gifts that God has given each one of you. Each one of you are so strong, even though we just met. I know because I know that God has made you so special.

And today we’re going to do things we can. We’re going to learn about things that we can do when we feel worry, or when we have a problem. We have resilience, we have things to help us to remember how resilient we are. But before that, is it okay if I pray for us? Is it okay if I pray for us? If only if you feel comfortable. But if you feel comfortable, I’m going to pray.

Dear God, I thank you so much for every friend in this room. We may all be coming from different places. And Lord, there may be things that are scary, that may be confusing, or hard to understand but God, we thank you that you are more powerful. We thank you that you are in control. And Lord, you have made each of one of us to be so strong. And Lord, we thank you for Jesus who fights for us. Lord, I pray for each one of my friends here. No matter how things may feel scary, that Father help us to find comfort in you who will never leave us nor forget us, Lord. I pray that each one of my friends here will grow to be men and women who love you, who love people, and fight against maybe what wrong in this world.
But until you come back, help us to face every problem with the strength that you give us. And help us Lord, to love, know and love Jesus. In Jesus’ name I pray.

Speaker 7:
Amen.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
Amen. Thank you for joining me. All right, so now is the time that we get to do some art. I know our friends have been ready, okay. So we can all bring our shields. Let’s see who brought it here, okay. So I’m actually going to just draw my own, but I’m going to show you on the screen how to draw it.
All right, so today we are going to make a resilience shield. Can we say that all together? Resilience.

Speaker 8:
Resilience.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
What does resilience mean? It’s kind of already on the screen, but it’s to what? To keep…

Speaker 9:
Going.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
… going when things are hard. To keep going with our friends. God doesn’t give us something to go alone. We don’t have to go through the hard things alone. He gives us tools within ourselves. He gives us tools with those around us. And we’re going to remember those things today, okay? So we’re going to make a resilient shield. So right now on your paper, can you make a shield. The best shield you can, or you can use the printout that I gave your parents. But we’re going to need six spaces. And if this shield doesn’t have six spaces, we can make one more space at the bottom, okay?

Space one, we’re going to write words that describe God, or words that build us up. Words that describe God, or words that build you up. For an example, you can write, you can do it. While you do that, does everyone see space two? Who sees space two on the screen? Do you all see space two and space three? So in space two, we’re going to draw something that we like doing. Any hobbies that you might have? Draw things maybe you like to… Maybe to play sports, maybe you like to read. Maybe you like helping your mom out at home.

Speaker 5:
Can we just write it down?

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
You could also definitely write it down. Yes.
And space three is a little similar. It’s also something that you are good at doing. That you feel like, “Wow, I’m really good at doing this.” In space number three, we’re going to draw something that we feel like we’re good at doing. All right, so in space four, we’re going to draw or write people that we love. People that we love. So in space five, you can draw a place that helps us feel safe. And in space six, maybe draw or write what you want to be when you grow up. All right, space one, words that describe God or words that build us up? Space two, draw something that we like doing. In space three, draw something that we are good at doing. Space four, draw a person that you love.

Speaker 10:
My mom.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
And you could write these as well. And in space five, draw or write a place that makes you feel safe. A place that makes you feel safe. And space six, draw or write what you want to be when you grow up.
These are things that we can keep working on even after the seminar is done. But I’m going to need you all to help me with something, okay?

Speaker 11:
Okay.

Ju Ann “Esther” Park:
All right. So do you all see my screen? All right, we are going to have a time of remembering our strengths. Maybe some of the things on the shield that builds us up. But if there’s a special space that you really like, I want you to look at it and remember it. Everyone mute for me? Okay, awesome. So right now we’re going to have a time of breathing. Like our friend, remember he got ready and then he what his problem? What did he do? Tackled his problem. So he got ready and then he tackled the problem. So with that… Breathing, especially when worry comes to us, helps us to get ready, helps us to remember that worry isn’t so big, but it helps us to remember the strengths that we have here.

So I need everyone to remember that space. Remember the shield. Remember that one space on the shield. And now if you feel comfortable, you can close your eyes, but you can just get comfortable in your spot where you are. Let’s get you comfortable and close your eyes if you’d like. Just find a comfortable spot. And we’re going to take a deep breath in, breath out, take a deep breath in, deep breath out, smell the flower, blow the candle. And this time, as you breathe, I want you to remember that space that you made, the space that was safe.

Have that picture in your mind, or that word in your mind. As you breathe, have that picture as your chest goes up, and as that chest goes down. Remember how it makes you feel safe. Remember how it makes you feel strong. And remember that you are resilient, okay. A few more breaths. As you remember, your attention back to your breath, you let, go up and down and say that we can do it. Then whenever you’re ready, whenever you feel like you’re ready to tackle the problem, you can open your eyes. All right, well thank you all for joining, and we’ll see you next time, okay?

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Remembering Our Strengths (for Ages 4-11) by Esther Park

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