Flourish

Scripture: 1 Corinthians 6:19-20 and 1 Peter 1:13

Introduction

There are many ways of improving our health. When we think about this, what usually comes to mind is a healthy diet and exercise routine. However, today we’re going to focus, not on food and physical activity, but rather on the benefits of a healthy mind. A healthy and energized brain can improve attitude, emotions, and memory.

Did you know that playing board and card games can:

• Stimulate brain areas that are responsible for memory and complex thought processes.
• Help with decision making, strategic thinking and problem solving.
• Help young children develop hand-eye coordination and dexterity.
• Help senior adults retain and improve their memory, dexterity, as well as giving them a social outlet.

Games

This website discusses games that can be played with young and elderly alike:

Linda Payton – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_p-ZYmwTuYQ

Modern – Dixit, Qwirkle, Ticket to Ride, Chronology, Kingdomino, Tenzi, No Thanks, SET, Qwixx, Sushi Go. For a description of these “Modern” games check out this YouTube video done by Major

Suggested games:

Classic – Checkers, Chess, Backgammon, Cribbage, Mancala, Dominoes, Chinese Checkers.

Paper – Word Search, Crosswords, Sudoku

Traditional – Clue, Sorry, Boggle, Scrabble, Jenga, Uno, Yahtzee, Bingo, Rummikub.

Benefits for children:

https://swordsandstationery.com/learning/tabletop-games-benefit-children-learning/

https://piquegames.com/blog/f/top-5-benefits-of-playing-tabletop-games-for-kids

Benefits for senior adults:

https://respectcaregivers.org/benefits-games-seniors/

https://aginggreatly.com/board-games-for-senior-citizens/

Benefits for all:

https://www.healthfitnessrevolution.com/top-10-health-benefits-board-games/

https://geekgeargalore.com/boardgames/benefits-of-board-games/

Games and Libraries:

https://princh.com/blog-board-games-in-libraries/#.Y8sBRK3MJEY

http://www.inversegenius.com/games-in-schools-and-libraries

Service Project

How can you help your community through tabletop games?

1 – If your corps has a youth or senior program, schedule a time to simply playing games. If you have the chance, learn a new game, then teach it and play it.

2 – If your corps doesn’t have a senior program, check to see if your community has any senior centers. If so, schedule an opportunity to spend time with them, teaching and playing games.

3 – Collect and/or purchase games to donate to your corps’ youth/senior programs, community senior center, elementary school library or public library. Many libraries have begun including games for check out.

In the Power of the Holy Spirit

The apostle Paul clearly taught that we receive the Holy Spirit the moment we receive Jesus Christ as our Savior. First Corinthians 12:13 declares, “For we were all baptized by one Spirit into one body—whether Jews or Greeks, slave or free—and we were all give the one Spirit to drink.” Romans 8:9 tells us that if a person does not possess the Holy Spirit, he or she does not belong to Christ. “You, however, are controlled not by the sinful nature but by the Spirit if the Spirit of God live in you. And if anyone does not have the Spirit of Christ, he does not belong to Christ.” All those who put their faith in Jesus Christ are immediately and permanently indwelt by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirt works in and through believers to accomplish His will. His power leads us, convicts us, teaches us, and equips us to do His work and spread the gospel.

We read in 1 Corinthians 6:19-20, that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit, who lives in us and was given to us by God. What a privilege of being given God’s Holy Spirit to live within us. In the Old Testament, only a few were given this honor and responsibility. Judges, prophets, and some kings were given the Holy Spirit. But it was always for a special purpose or time. God has a specific purpose for us as well.

Jesus promised the Spirit as a permanent guide, teacher, seal of salvation and comforter for believers. John 14:16-18 “And I will ask the Father, and He will give you another Advocate, who will never leave you. He is the Holy Spirit, who leads into all truth. The world cannot receive Him because it isn’t looking for Him and doesn’t recognize Him. But you know Him because He lives with you now and later will be in you. No, I will not abandon you as orphans—I will come to you.” What a wonderful comfort this is to all who have accepted Jesus as their savior. The Holy Spirit is with us no matter what we face. He will never leave us. We are given the Holy Spirit so that we would witness to others about the love of God. We are to spread this word to all who we met.