I love VBS... Yes I Do!!!!

What fun we are having at Jungle Safari!! Day 2 under our belts!

This is my first year to work at the Community VBS in our new home town. This is a huge event, with several churches offering their time and money to make it happen, including our home church North Madison Christian Church. It takes a lot of volunteers to pull off an event like this... and I think that those who don't volunteer their time... even for a night... are missing out on a wonderful opportunity ... teaching about the love of Christ to the next generation.

Now, I not only do VBS, but I am back in the saddle teaching Sunday School again, and I'm enjoying it immensely. I would like to share a few reason why I feel that volunteering to work with kids is important.....

* Seeing a child who might not have the greatest home life come alive when they feel loved. Kids need to see that someone cares... even if it is only for a short time... it can make a difference.

* Being available to answer questions about Christ, his death, and resurrection so that kids can meet the REAL Jesus...  humbling!

* Knowing that for one week, you can build a relationship with a child who might not meet Jesus any other way... so needed in our world today.

* It is a joy to serve alongside others who have the same love of Christ that you do. Watching them love on these kids is a truly amazing experience.

Now.... not all VBS (or kid's ministry!) positions require you to teach!!! This year, I'm a crew leader during VBS. My job?  Simple... take kids from point A to point B, C, D, and back to point A without losing any kids!!! I get to sing with them. I get to hear the lesson with them, and help drive home the point. I get to work on their crafts with them... all the while talking to them, learning about their lives, their likes, and their dislikes. I get to give them high fives, hugs, and tell them "Way to go". How easy is that???  There is no planning... I just show up and love on the kids!!!

If you've never volunteered to work a Vacation Bible School, I encourage you to give it prayerful consideration. There are so many spots that need to be filled, and you might be surprised at how well you might fill the bill!!!Even that little smile given to a child as they are handed there snack speaks the love of Jesus. THAT is what it is all about!!!


Have a Blessed Day!

Lynn

Are your True Colors Showing???

Our Community Group recently finished studying the book of James.... what a wonderful book to dig in to!!!  Seems like I spent most of that study thinking wow... just... wow!!!! I mean, come on... the first chapter starts out powerful! No "sliding in to a topic", BAM... right to the point!

James 1:2-4:

Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters, whenever you face trials of many kinds,

 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance.

 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete,

 not lacking anything. ... NIV

That is powerful.... but I LOVE looking up different versions, they sometimes make things a little more clear. The Message translated these verses this way :

Consider it a sheer gift, friends, when tests and challenges come at you from all sides. 

You know that under pressure, your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its 

true colors. So don’t try to get out of anything prematurely. Let it do its work 

so you become mature and well-developed, not deficient in any way. 

This is one of those instances where I feel that the message really opens up the Word, in particular where it says your faith-life is forced into the open and shows its true colors. That really makes me sit back on my heels to ponder what colors (if any!) I show when I'm under pressure?

How true it is that when our lives are going great, and we have "balance", our faith-life looks pretty good. We go along saying the right things, doing our best to do the right things. We go to church, we smile, we sing songs of praise, and then we leave the building with God tucked right back in that little box, all safe and snug, to be taken out again the following week. From the outside, we look pretty good to those around us. We 'have it all together', so to speak. It is pretty easy during this time to have our colors shine like a sunset... calm and serene, the picture of contentment.

What happens when we come under fire? When the pressure is on? When our life starts to resemble a roller-coaster ride instead of a leisurely ride on a carousel? What do we look like when our faith-life is forced into the open then? During times such as these do people look at us only to find a total lack of color? Do they find that our contentment is gone? That our smiles falter? That our songs of praise have lost their fervor?

What is MY true color? Have I become mature in my walk with Christ? Am I deficient? Where will I stand when the "heat is on"?? These are really hard questions... and I think that James is right on target when he says that we must "consider it pure joy... a sheer gift.... when we suffer trials... when we are tested... when we are challenged". I think it is then when we learn how deeply our faith is Christ is rooted. It is then that we either choose to  draw closer to the one who sustains us and let HIS light shine for the world to see, or we choose to keep Him in that box we've created for him and only take him out when it is convenient.

The gift we receive?? Christ IN us... where he holds us up... where he gives us peace and comfort... where His light shines through us so that others can be drawn TO Him.

Blessed is the one who perseveres under trial because, having stood the test, that person will receive the crown of life that the Lord has promised to those who love him.  James 1:12

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

A Conversation that STILL has me wondering!!!!!

I recently was in conversation with a group of people about the use of technology. Is it good? Is it bad? Do people rely too much on it? Are kids really getting what they NEED in life by constantly utilizing their cells, I-pads, and Kindles?  You get the drift, right???

So I happened to mention that one of the kids in my 4th grade Sunday School class recently asked me if there would be technology in heaven. He wondered how he would manage to be in heaven if he couldn't have his phone (yes, 4th grader with a smart phone!!!). I told him that I doubted that we would have need for our devices in heaven, as our sole purpose will be to glorify God.

Well, one of the ladies in this conversation just looked at me and said, "Oh, I think we'll have technology in heaven. The bible says that we will all have mansions and that they will be filled with the things that we love, or are good at, in this life. So if I use my phone or computer a lot here on earth, and it is important to me, then I will have it in heaven."

I sat there, dumbfounded... as I've read the bible through completely once... and other portions many times... and I just can't seem to place where that is in scripture!!!! John 14:2 tells us, "In My Father’s house are many mansions;^[a] if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you."  I'm just not sure that we will have access to our gaming systems, cell phones, or The Hopper!!!!

So, what are your thoughts??? Pretty sure I know which side of the fence I'm standing on, how about you????

Have a Blessed Day!
Lynn

Hot off the press...

I just finished putting together a 40 day devotional for our church to use beginning this Wednesday. I have to tell you, I really enjoyed it. I have missed putting the paper together so this was fun.

When one of our elders approached me about this project I couldn't wait to get started. We talked to numerous individuals who agreed to write for the booklet. I was so excited to open my emails each day to see what I might find. Having only been told to write about Jesus' suffering, death or resurrection, I wondered if there would be many devotionals that would overlap. Surprisingly, there weren't any... all of the the thoughts, while centered on the same subject, were vastly different.

I can't wait to see what God does through this devotional... so many people on the same page each day... how amazing it will be to see where this will lead us as a congregation!!!