What is this with the candy?

Halloween is on a Sunday this year and for about 8 months I have pondered about what to do as a children’s pastor. Do you have something at the church? or Do you let your church members be the salt and Light in our world? I opted for salt and light. Every year my light is off in my neighborhood because we are off doing the Lord’s work. This year I want to turn on my light! and be a part of the Light in my neighborhood. I don’t know if you noticed the boxes in the foyer areas of the church building. They are there because Unity Church, our sister church that meets on Saturday nights, is having a block party in a trailer park subdivision on Hwy. 51 in Nesbit. This is going to be next Saturday, October 9th. They are choosing to be salt and Light in this neighborhood. So it is time to candy up! I’m always looking for an excuse to buy Snickers! LOL Elaine, at the HeartMarket has purchased some stretchy bands that are designed to be given out with or without candy for Halloween. They come individually wrapped and with scripture on them. Real cute and a real witness. Tonight is Wednesday at HeartLand and time for KidJam Lite. I look forward to it every week. The kids are excited to be there to learn and worship. They are great kids. Our Wall of Champions will start to fill up tonight with a picture of each child that memorizes scripture. I can’t wait!

Summer in the Scripture and Orange Cue Box

I’m finding new ways to incorporate my Summer in the Scripture assignment.  I listened to my Summer in the Scripture while I cleaned out my closet.  A job I do not like but am convicted that I need to do.  I keep lots of stuff I shouldn’t and there are people who need my stuff.   Listening to Corinthians made me realize that the same problems (sin) we have in the church today were there in Corinth also.  So I listened with a caring heart in stead of a judgmental one. Before,  like 2 months ago,  I listened and read with a critical ear. So I guess  you could say Summer in the Scripture is changing me.

Today I got in the new Orange Cue Box for September which has replaced the Family times.  It is extraordinary.  Everyone gathered  round the computer and laughed out loud at the video.  It is a video format now and really great.  The lead character is Sydney, a high school student who works to publish the Cue Box. The quality is so awesome you think you are watching something on the Disney Channel.   I can’t wait for everyone to see it.  I will have it on my computer beside the Elementary Desk this Sunday.  This format will really appeal to your Tweens but Karen Means said her Kindergartener will enjoy it too.  Adults will enjoy it too.

The cost is the same as the Family Times.  You can purchase yours at the HeartMarket.

Until Next Week Respectfully Yours,

Suzie

Summer in the Scripture

I sat last Wednesday night and listened to a friend that I have not seen in a while talk.  I enjoyed her speech patterns and the way she described things.  I realized I missed her more than either of us knew. I have been listening to my scripture on CD and really enjoyed Romans because there are so many scriptures that are so meaningful to me personally.  It is like listening to that old (not in the age sense) friend.  These scriptures are precious to me they bring me back to a time in my life or crisis that I thought no one could resolve.  My God did resolve these problems but until He did, He gave me these scripture promises to hold on to.

Are you facing insurmountable problems?  Do you turn to your Father?  He is the one who knows everything.  He knows your body and what sickness you might have, He knows your spouse’s personality and can help you resolve conflict, He knows your child’s heart and fears and can give you wisdom in any parenting situation.  He knows.  Since He knows ask Him and seek His face.

Kidz Stuf is this Sunday at 10:10 am in the Youth Warehouse.  Bring Grandparents as well as your children.  The virtue is Peace – Proving that you care more about others than winning an argument.

See you Sunday, remember He knows!

Suzie

Summer in the Scripture – Week 8

I was stuck in traffic yesterday going to work.  I noticed, after I called Steve to tell him to take an alternate route, that I was not frustrated or antsy.  Everyone around me was driving on the left shoulder just to crossover onto the southbound lane and head another way.  I was in my air-conditioned car and calm.  When I got  to the HeartMart (church), I realized what the difference was.  I was listening to my Summer in the Scripture.  The readers voice was calm and he was reading the Bible to me.  I thought, “now this is an advantage I never thought of.”  Enjoy your Summer in the Scripture, you don’t have to conquer it.  Listen to what God has to say to you.  School starts tomorrow, what a way to calm the fears of first day by having scripture read to you on the way to school.

Until next week,

Suzie

Summer in the Scripture – Week 8

I am sorry I have not blogged these past two weeks, but I am back home (almost) and in the swing of things. We have passed the first part of Acts dealing with the early church and headed on for the adventure. I am anxious to hear what your children think of Paul being ferried over the wall in a basket. How big was the basket? Was he scared? One thing that stands out to me is the many miracles the apostles did. They were awesome miracles and just like the miracles Jesus did. Steve told me one time that God did those miracles to prove to the Gentiles that Jesus was God and it preceded every major work in Acts. Jerusalem, Judea, Samaria and the utter most parts of the world.
Then came the persecution. I have been constantly ruminating on the fact that if I were being persecuted like the apostles were how much would I whine, complain and let everyone know. The apostles just kept on trucking. They had a promise and a mission.
One phrase that stood out to me was “meanwhile the Word of God continued to be spread, and there were many new believers.” God doesn’t wait for everything to be “perfect” to do His work, but He does use “imperfect” people like you and me. Sooo what are you waiting on? Move on!

Until next week,
Suzie

Summer in the Scripture – Week 4

“But wisdom is shown to be right by the lives of those who follow it.” Luke 7:35.

When our children were teenagers we had a rule that they could only stay out until 11:00 pm. on Saturday nights because Sunday was the Lord’s Day and it was important that we get a good nights rest. But when they could come home from their dates, Steve and I would turn out the light and be real quiet because if they thought we were awake they would knock and come in and tell us about their date which might go on for hours.

Shay in particular would come in and go over her date minute by minute. Looking back we are happy our children wanted to talk to us about these things.

That is how Dr. Luke is in the gospel of Luke. He goes over every detail of Jesus’ time on earth. He said things the other gospels did not cover and I am so glad he did. I particularly like it when he says things like Elizabeth stayed in her house 5 months when she was pregnant with John the Baptist. It gives me a chance to ponder why? When I ponder like this, I turn my pondering to prayer. “Lord, why was Elizabeth locked up in her house for 5 months? Was she ashamed? Was she sick? Was she scared?” This is how the scripture comes alive in me.

Until next week,

Suzie

Summer in the Scripture Week 2

When my son, Thatcher, was younger he loved listening to Mark. I think it is because it is filled with so much action. Jesus does something, and then he goes somewhere. Every night when we would put Thatcher to bed he would say I want to listen to “John Mark.”

I love the fact that our children are listening to the New Testament with us through this summer. It reminds of Proverbs 22:6, “Train up a child in the way that he should go, Even when he is old he will not depart from it.” This summer is a great opportunity to begin instilling lifetime principles and a lifetime love of the Scriptures in your children. Mark is a wonderful gospel to start with if you haven’t begun yet because it is so full of action.

One observation I’ve had so far this week that I had not seen in only reading the Scriptures is the intensity at which Jesus had in speaking to the Pharisees at the end of Matthew. He was passionate for the real truth of who God is to reach the people, and this passion caused him to be harsh to those who confused the truth with lies and traditions. Jesus had a holy anger about him that would not compromise the truth of who God is to those who truly love him. I pray that we will have that same passion.

Summer in the Scripture Week 1

As we begin this summer long journey through the New Testament we start with the book of Matthew. Matthew is written to Jewish people who were looking for the coming Messiah. Matthew’s message, “The Messiah has come and is Jesus!” Throughout this book you will hear that Jesus did things in order to fulfill what the prophets had written about Him. In the first two chapters alone Matthew does this five times. “For this was to fulfill what the LORD had spoken by the prophet. “(Matt. 2:15).

Jesus fulfilled over 300 Messianic prophesies from the Old Testament. These prophesies were not a few days, years, or months old either. All of them were centuries old; the very least was four centuries old. Matthew knows this and attempts to show his Jewish readers how Jesus is the Christ, the Messiah, spoken of in the Old Testament; despite the fact that Jesus did not come as a conquering Messiah as many expected and hoped he would, but he came as the suffering servant of Isaiah to redeem the world back to God.

The Jews had not heard from God for 400 years. (If that were to happen today we would go all the way back to 1610, the year of the founding of Jamestown, the Americas first European colony!) And when God finally speaks, he cries as a babe in a manger in a small Mid Eastern town; however, the Father knew, and all of his plans for the Son came to be as they had been planned since before the foundation of the world.

Now to us who are awaiting our Savior to come, we only have to open the pages of history and the Bible to know that just as the Father planned the coming of the Son once, He has surely stated that Jesus will come again. However, beyond Jesus’ earthly return which is our hope, God has also said that He knows each of us closely and has laid out all of our days before we live the first one. The God who had the same power to fulfill over 300 Messianic prophesies in a few years in the life of Jesus now holds your life in His hands. He counts the hairs on your head and the moments in your life. The question now becomes, “Do you acknowledge his grace, mercy, love, and power in your life?” Do you see how God guides you to live each day? It is not to much for the God of the universe, who holds the world together, to hold you together for His glory. Just as the Father brought about the life of the Son so many years ago, God still continues to guide the world for His glory and the good of His people. I leave you with excerpts from Psalm 33:

By the word of the LORD the
heavens were made,
and by the breath of his mouth all their host.
For He spoke, and it came to be;
he commanded, and it stood firm.
The counsel of the LORD stands forever,
the plans of his heart to all generations.
The LORD looks down from heaven;
he sees all the children of man;
from where he sits enthroned he looks out
on all the inhabitants of the earth,
He who fashions the hearts of them all
and observes all their deeds.
Behold, the eye of the LORD is on those who fear Him,
Our soul waits for the LORD;
He is our help and our shield.
For our heart is glad in him,
because we trust in His holy name.
Let your steadfast love, O LORD, be upon us,
even as we hope in you.

Faith-Nurturing Family Activities

I’m back…. this past week I got to spend time with my WHOLE family.  I have 4 sisters, one “perfect” sister-in-law, and a patient brother.  My nephew graduated from University of Houston Law School and it was our reason to get together and celebrate.  I don’t know if  you have been to any graduation ceremonies lately but everybody else brings their “whole” family.  During the ceremony I walked around the arena and witnessed families being families.  It gave me time to ponder on what things I did right and many of the things I did not do right.

Many times I just went with the flow and did not intentionally lead my children Sam and Shay, to the Bible and to prayer. I did try to set an atmosphere of peacefulness and allow my kids alone time.  Mothers set the atmosphere of the  home.  Just like the adage, “if Momma isn’t happy nobody is happy.”

My children, Sam and Shay, now intentionally pray with their children and read to them from the Bible and I am grateful for the Christian values they teach their children.

Here are a few ideas to help  you be intentional in leading your children to spiritual values.

A spiritual home will produce a spiritual child who matures into a spiritual adult. Here are specific activities to help parents build their children’s faith at home…

Family devotions are notorious for giving migraines to parents and causing children to groan.
Deuteronomy 6:6-9 suggests the best way to meet these goals. Moses says that “these commandments…are to be upon your hearts.” We are told to “impress them on [our] children.” How? By talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up. Tie them as symbols on your hands and bind them on your foreheads. Write them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates.” WOW! Here’s movement; crafts (gee, we should even write on our doorframes — get out those stencils!); conversation; and creative, hands-on teaching at its best — all to be done with our children.

Activities that are natural yet directed, routine yet imaginative, personal yet spiritual, nurture faith at home. A spiritual home will produce a spiritual child who matures into a spiritual adult. Here are specific activities to help parents build their children’s faith at home.

1. Worship Preparation — Prepare for formal “at church” worship before you leave home. Wake up earlier than your kids so you’re not rushed.  Music sets an emotional tone wherever it’s heard. It worked for King Saul, and it worked in our madhouse also.
2. Prayer — Have you ever passed by someone broken down on the side of the road but you just couldn’t stop? Why not pray aloud for that person?
3. Bible Reading/Study — Read a key verse at breakfast. Read or tell a Bible story in your words before bedtime. Bible reading should be a social, bonding opportunity, not a dry discipline devoid of purpose. Remember: Short passages for “short people,” long passages for “long people.”
4. Meals Together — Mealtime is family together-time. Even if you regularly don’t eat meals together, you can still create activities that nurture faith during mealtime.  Encourage conversation. I like to ask open-ended questions at the table. Ask each person, “What’s the best thing that happened to you today? the worst?” Instead of asking, “What did you do at school today?” get specific: “Who did you play with at recess? Who did you sit with at lunch and what did you talk about? Who was your friend today at school?”
5. Family Fun — Television, the newspaper, Nintendo, shopping, and the telephone can interrupt or effectively eliminate opportunities to build faith. Pull the plug on these things.  Board games have become one of our family’s favorite activities. Around the Monopoly board, we dream about what our homes will look like someday on the inside and outside.
6. Celebrations — Birthdays in our home are all-day events. One child is special, and we emphasize that.
7. Vacations — The best part of a vacation is the memories it gives family members.  Prayer for the journey is standard, but what about prayer at the restaurant so others will know that God is important? What do you do on Sunday away from your home?
8. Service Projects — It’s been wonderful to hear my kids pray each night for the last four years for Mariamu in Zimbabwe. We sponsor this little girl and pray specifically for her food, water, education, and family. We feature her picture prominently in our home. She has literally grown up with us.
9. Sacrificial Giving — Allowance time is a perfect opportunity to demonstrate sacrifice and giving. Set up three cups: one for God, one for saving, and one with your child’s picture on it. Allow children to determine who gets what, and help them stick to it. Let their savings be for a specific project. Turn in their “God” cup once a month at church (once a week for younger kids).
10. Rest — Spiritual nap-time? Sometimes a busy family needs a break.  God has  commanded  that we take a break. A family pause is an ideal time to regroup, reconnect, and recharge.
11. Family Mission Statement — Stephen Covey introduces an important concept in the life of a family by encouraging families to come up with mission statements. Covey writes that there’s a “supreme value in the process of long-term thinking and planning in building strong families. Deciding as a family what your worthy purposes, worthy visions, and worthy values are will unite your family in ways you’ve only dreamed of.
12. Family Conference — We have family night every Saturday. We take turns planning an activity. . We also have three or four family conferences each year to assess our assigned chores and responsibilities, to evaluate family nights, and just to connect in a formal way.
13. Conflict Resolvers — Sometimes siblings can get on each others nerves. What better way to redirect tension than to think about the good qualities of one another. Whenever someone in our family is mean-spirited to another family member, the offender has to say or write four things he or she appreciates about the other person. This makes us thankful for one another and tenderhearted.

Times when we have to discipline our children become great opportunities to share God’s forgiveness and unconditional love. Last night my two boys had a water fight in the basement with their friends. They were in their rooms awaiting the punishment, and their contrite hearts melted my wife and me. They were truly sorry and said, “I wish I could take it back.” What a wonderful time to share the forgiveness that resembles God’s forgiveness.

Conflicts, as with all family situations, provide clear opportunities to put flesh to Jesus, put teaching into practice, and make Christ the center of our homes and therefore our lives.

– Keith Johnson is a children’s pastor in Eden Prairie, Minnesota.

Raising Obedient Children

I found the following post on another blog that I follow and thought I would share it with everyone. These are some great tips and insights when it comes to parenting and discipline. Hope you enjoy. You can find the blog here: www.theresurgence.com/

Here are a few ways that we are trying to raise obedient children:

1. We are confident in our God-given parental authority.

God has set parents in place as the authority figures in the lives of children. Hebrews 12 speaks of how discipline is actually a privilege of being a son. Don’t fear that your child will resent your discipline. On the contrary, they will soon realise that it is a sign of your love for them.

2. We never count to three.

The counting-to-three routine undermines your authority and places your child in the driving seat. You are training them that, essentially, obedience is a negotiation and they can determine the timing of their obedience. Train them to think, “I must obey straight away.”

3. We model it ourselves to authority figures in our lives.

Several times a year there is a clash between what my “boss” is asking me to do and what my family and I would like to do. I always seize these opportunities to explain to my boys that I must obey my boss straight away and with a good attitude, and that although I would much rather spend Saturday morning with them, I must obey my “boss” and go to that meeting.

4. We try not to exasperate our children (Eph. 6:4).

Avoid petty rules. Pick your battles. Be merciful and compassionate. When you are in the wrong, say a sincere “sorry” to them. Also, make sure that you are giving them sufficient attention so that they are not compelled to rebel just to get some time and attention from you.

5. We use appropriate forms of punishment.

We discipline mostly for three D’s: disobedience, disrespect, and destruction (of property or your brother’s nose). Punishment must be proportional to the offense and also proportional to the child’s stage of life. If it is not then you will find that you exasperate a growing child. Also, the mode of punishment must be what will best help the child. Different parents have more “faith” in some forms of punishment than others, and different children respond differently to different forms of punishment. I acknowledge and respect that, although we have had continued success with the primary biblical form of disciplining children with a wooden spoon on their chubby bottoms.

6. We are convinced that it really is worth the effort.

The joy of parenting increases dramatically when you have obedient children, and most importantly, you are equipping your children with the vital life-skill of obedience, which will stand them in good stead in their obedience to God, life, at school, and in the workplace.