Happiness is Overflowing
Scripture: Romans 15:13
Introduction
August 10th is S’mores Day. What is a S’more? S’mores are a beloved campfire treat traditionally consisting of two squares of graham cracker, melted marshmallows and gooey chocolate made into a “sandwich.” The treat traces its origin back to a recipe in a 1927 Girl Scouts handbook where it was named “Some More.” Soon it became a staple at outdoor gatherings everywhere. As the name suggests, it’s so good you will want some more!
Decorations
Circle your chairs around a “homemade” looking campfire. There are some easy instructions on YouTube. This is one site: https://www.wikihow.com/Make-a-Fake-Fire.
Refreshments
A program about S’mores wouldn’t be complete without being able to enjoy the snack. There are some “inside” options for roasting marshmallows such as small electric burners, melting a few at a time in the microwave or even using marshmallow whip. More modern recipes add special ingredients such as Reese’s Peanut Butter cups in lieu of the chocolate bars or adding some sweetness with sliced strawberries.
Icebreaker
Since S’mores are a beloved American treat, it’s probable that many of the women in your group have stories to tell from their childhood, about enjoying S’mores around a campfire. Go around the circle and ask everyone to share a quick memory they have. This could be a good time to get to know each other a bit better. Keep the stories short and move on to the next one so that everyone can share.
“Design your own S’more”
Have everyone draw a diagram of their own “perfect S’more.” This could include brand name chocolate, maybe a different type of cracker, what a perfectly roasted marshmallow looks like to them, and any additional things they’d “add into” the S’more. If you have a large group, have them break up into groups of 4 and share with each other their idea of a “perfect S’more.”
Game Ideas
- A marshmallow classic toss game
- A marshmallow “catch” game using plastic cups or bowls as the “catcher’s mitt.”
- Different color mini-marshmallow sorting game – use teams and a timer.
- Use skewers and toothpicks with small and large marshmallows and make marshmallow people.
Overflowing
As a young girl I loved family trips to the Oregon Coast. The highlight of the trip for me was the campfire and making the well-known campfire treat, S’mores. However, as a naughty youngest sister who loved chocolate, I would often get into the supply box and sneakily slide out a chocolate bar, hoping no one would notice. The S’mores we made back then were good, but it was more about the atmosphere or the event than the taste.
As I got older, I realized if I wanted to improve the “taste factor,” there was more than one way to make a S’more, and quality ingredients were the key. No more store-brand graham crackers dried out marshmallows and cheap chocolate for me! I quickly came to understand that the quality of the S’more depended a lot on the quality of the ingredients so I started buying the best quality I could find. I also had to take the time and energy to “fan the flames” of the fire so the coals were “just right” for getting the perfect roast on the marshmallow.
Just as in assembling the perfect S’more, the ingredients, process, and results of the creation of our lives are inseparable. I don’t want my life to taste “store bought”, use cheap ingredients that have no taste or be burnt to a crisp. Knowing I want the result of all my thoughts and actions to be a life that glorifies God—that helps me be more patient and consider every ingredient I add to my life and every action I take in my efforts to invest my life for His purposes.
One thing about S’mores, is when you squish them, they tend to overflow and ooze all over. Romans 15:13 talks about “overflowing: “May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.” Wouldn’t it be wonderful if when you were feeling “squished” you could overflow with joy and peace? It all depends on what ingredients are inside us, because that’s what will come out!
Is there an ingredient in your life that needs an upgrade? Is there an adjustment in your thinking, your daily life or your habits that needs to happen? Let’s go about practicing and refining our “life’s recipe” for God’s pleasure.
Reflection
Hand out “recipe cards” that include reflection questions such as:
- What are the “main ingredients” in your life? (name those things that you spend the most time on: money, energy, thinking, activities, character traits, basically describe yourself)
- What ingredient in your life needs an upgrade, or to be of higher quality? (Are you wanting to move from distraction to deeper meaning? Moving from sluggishness to healthy activity?)
- Is there something you can learn to do better that would improve the quality of your life?
Prayer
“Heavenly Father, we love you and adore you. We are so grateful that you provide for our lives and give us good gifts such as the fellowship we have experienced today. As your Word says in our focus verse from Romans, we are asking to have our life “filled with good ingredients.” We want our lives to be a reflection of You, filled with all joy and peace as we trust in You, so that we may overflow with hope by the power of Your Holy Spirit. When we are “squished,” may what comes out be sweet and a testimony to the work you continue to do in our lives. Amen.”
