Hi All: Duane Laflin posted on his blog about "The Mouse to Cheese trick"- available (including shipping costs) for $18.27 from www.LaflinMagicStore.com This trick as noted by Duane can easily be used in a Gospel magic/kids Sunday School setting. I hope to use it as soon as I receive it.

Just google search the phrase "Garbage In Garbage Out Sunday School lesson" or "Philippians 4:8 kids lesson" and a number of excellent free idea sites/articles will turn up including at OurFamilyForHisGlory.com under the heading "What Should We Think About?".

The "Teach Them" lesson dated January 6, 2009 entitled "Garbage In- Garbage Out" has some terrific object lessons as well which can be combined with the mouse. Our minds are like sponges. It's G-I-G-O: means Garbage In Garbage Out (I intend to write G-I-G-O on a big poster board).

This is based on Duane saying as of the mouse (after turning into cheese): "You Are What You Eat!". Ditto for you are what you think about...

Thanks Duane for yet another terrific very usable Gospel illustration/idea!

In an adult Sunday School setting, the "Mouse to Cheese" could be used in a general discussion about overeating. For the best short "spiritual" summary on food consumption I have ever read, see Chapter 5 which is entitled "the god of food" (pages 79-93) in the excellent paperback book "gods at war" by Kyle Idleman (available at www.CBD.com) Yep! I am now trying to walk at least 5 hours a week! Convicting!
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For the "garbage in garbage out" theme (see above) I am doing for the Sunday School kids this Sunday, I have two sponges I am going to show first- one dunking into clear water and the other into Coke. What comes out when you squeeze these sponges/our brains? (ask kids)- Same thing that went in!

Then I am going to introduce the mouse from a waste basket (or miniature garbage can if I can find one) and continue on with this same theme- you are what you eat. Cute little Mindless Mouse thought he could eat all the rotten old smelly hard cheese he wanted without out it affecting him or his brain. Not so! He suddenly became what he had taken in- to turn a huge smelly lump of worthless cheese himself! (I am going to put it by my nose and go UUUUUGGGGGHHHHH). Point to G-I-G-O poster (garbage in, garbage out), etc.. Then close out by singing together with the kids "Oh Be Careful Little Eyes What You See" (Cedarmont Kids Music DVD with onscreen lyrics).

Link to www.cbd.com for many children's music DVDs and books (see above).