Responding to God

Kids amaze me. Every week something happens that keeps me so excited about being a children's pastor. Today's service was a great example. We had a wrap up sermon about Christmas. I preached about Simeon and Anna celebrating Jesus' birth in the temple. I talked about how sad it was that some people only celebrate Jesus' birth on Sundays and Christmas day. I told the kids there were TONS of ways to celebrate His birth but the three most important were to 1. Ask Jesus to be your Savior. 2. Celebrate His birth everyday simply by remembering Him and spending time with Him and 3. Telling others about Jesus and how much He loves them.

When I was talking about telling others, one of my girls was on the edge of her seat with such an intense look on her face, I knew that this was hitting home with her. It was beautiful to see God speaking to her heart as I talked about telling our grandmas and grandpas and other family members how much Jesus loves them. When I asked, "If we don't tell them, who will?", I thought she was going to jump out of her chair and shout, "Amen!" I even called her mom to give her the "heads up" in case she talked about it at home and mom said they weren't even out of the parking lot before the conversation started about witnessing to her family. WOW! I am so humbled that God allows me to be a part of something so powerful in the life of a five year old. She's so young, but totally gets it. This girl is going to do incredible things for God, well actually, is already being used by Him.

At the end of my sermon, I felt there needed to be a salvation challenge. As I asked the kids to raise their hands if the would like to ask Jesus into their lives, every one of them raised their hands. Now granted, some of them have raised their hands before but this was the first time for many. I was watching some of the kids repeat the sinners prayer and my eye caught one of my boys who is only three years old. He had his legs crossed in front of him on the seat, his hands folded and locked under his chin and his eyes were squeezed shut. As I had the kids repeat after me, his little brow was furrowed and he repeated every word. I had to stop watching him for fear I would begin to weep before the prayer was finished. Some people may think, "He's only three. How can you possibly think he knew what he was doing?" If you had seen his face, you would have NO doubt. The child was going after God with all his heart.

This Christmas has been one of the best I've had in a long time and a big part of it is due to my JCFC kids. Our Christmas program was a humble little affair but they gave it their all and really understood that Christmas isn't about us, it's about Jesus. They are an amazing little tribe that are growing physically and spiritually and I'm so very glad to be witnessing it all.

More Pics

BGMC Pizza Party

We had a great time celebrating our successful BGMC giving for 2006. JCFC was able to send $1000.00 to Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade to help spread the Good News of Jesus to kids all over the world. Enjoy the pics and thanks to the Sustala's for the expert photography. Hey, is the giant Buddy Barrel using Texas Ranger?

Trip, the Buzz and Stuff

The Eilers' had a great Christmas. It was fun to be together and see our families in Sioux City. Randy's mom wasn't feeling the best, so we didn't get to visit with her as much as we would have liked to but still good to see her. My twin seven year old nephews seemed very happy to see me and I got lots of hugs without even begging for them!

Now that Christmas is over, I've been excitedly thinking about the Buzz. Just four weeks away! It's gonna be awesome. Not only for our families at JCFC but for people who are not yet involved in ministry, people in our community and it's a catalyst for taking our church to the next level of reaching people with Jesus. It's gonna be a lot of work but so worth it. I think it's really going to be more fun than work and an opportunity to use people's talents in a new way for Jesus. It has the potential of changing families and how they grow in God together.

Before the Buzz starts, I'm going to preach the next three weeks on three different topics. This coming Sunday, December 31, I'll be preaching about Simeon and Anna, two elderly prophets that celebrated Jesus' birth. The following Sunday, I will be preaching about new beginnings; being a new creation in Christ - New Person, New Attitude, New Behaviors. And finally on January 14, I'll be preaching a sermon I recently did at DM Christian called "I am a Lion Chaser!"

Don't forget our BGMC Pizza and Ice Cream Party this Thursday night, December 28 from 6-8 PM. If you haven't signed up yet, give me a call so we have enough pizza. All Creek Kids and their families are invited to celebrate our generous missions giving to children all around the world.

Baby Steps

On Sunday, I was in Baby Steps with Morgan. Even though we had a good crowd at church, we just had a few babies. I was telling the kids some Bible stories and I asked Colin, "What was the name of the guy who built the ark?" Without hesitation, Colin said, "Bingo!" That was pretty funny. When I asked him if he was sure it was Bingo, he said he was sure.:) He cracks me up sometimes.

Laughter

Micaela is home! It's great to have my girl here for almost three weeks. Little does she know that for at least one more week, she will be my chauffeur! Keaton came home last night to see his sissy and have pizza with the fam. One thing is guaranteed when both my kids are home...there will be LOTS of laughter. Even this morning as Keaton was getting ready for work (we had a slumber party) we were laughing about some childhood memories. I'm so glad that I always took time to just hang out with my kids and laugh about silly things. We all have quirky senses of humor, so that made it even better. This shows me how important laughter is; Keaton is like his father in that he doesn't remember life details from when he was little. But any time we had a good laugh about something, he can tell you every detail of what was going on. Laughter is so powerful. Not only does it relieve stress and help our health, it is a bonding experience. Take time to laugh with your kids. It may seem like something totally weird and silly to us but makes a great memory for your kids. Proverbs 17:22 A cheerful heart is good medicine.

Movies

It's that time of year when there seems to be some better quality movies premiering. I found a movie review site within a children's ministry site I use. It has great info about the movie and all the other data you'd want before you take the kids. When you link to a movie, it may apprear that there's nothing there, but just scroll down some.

It's frustrating to see movies advertised as something that appears to be safe to take your four year old to and then to discover it's morally offensive or has verbiage that you don't want your kids to repeat. I love to go to movies although it's something Randy and I rarely do. I know I'll be reading these reviews before we chose one to watch.

http://www.childrensministry.org/content/moviereviews.htm

Program Success

Our kids did such a great job for our Creek Kids Christmas musical, Christmas Around the World! You just never know what will happen when you get a bunch of excited children in front of a crowd of people. There was no falling off the stage, flipping of dresses, or tears. They all sang, some louder than others, and did a remarkable job of remembering their lines. I have the BEST kids!

It was amazing to see the turn out, we had 190 people in attendance! What was even more amazing was that some people came for the first time just by invitation; no family ties. It was fun to meet extended family members; grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins. It was great to see some faces that we haven't seen for a while and even better to hear that they will be back again. God is really blessing our church and by His Holy Spirit, people are being compelled to come and check us out.

I am so blessed to work with such a supportive pastor who understands what it takes to have a top notch children's ministry. Thanks Pastor Josh for letting us have to whole morning to minister.

Thanks to all who jumped in and helped from beginning to end. It took many hands to get the job done and we have a great team. I'm already getting ideas to make next year's Christmas program even better. :)

Already Blessed

The big program hasn't even happened yet, and already I've been so blessed by it. What I mean is that I've gotten to spend some extra time with the kids, I've gotten to know some parents better than I had, and parents have been giving me such positive feed back about things that are happening and being said in the preparations. Everyone has had such servant attitudes and have gone the extra mile to help me prepare. I'm so thankful for you all and how everyone is working as a team to "get 'er done." Sandy May is helping me in a huge way by being on the stage with the kids, helping to direct where the kids need to stand, etc. Her daughter, Adele, said the cutest thing..."Mommy, I'm so glad you get to be a stage girl!" I laughed out loud when I read that in an e-mail from Sandy. How cute is that? Just a couple more days of listening to the CD moms and dads, then you can go back to your favorites. Since you all know the songs so well, you're welcome to sing along on Sunday! :)

Big Opportunity

Here it is...your big opportunity. This weekend is our Christmas Around the World kid's musical at 10:15 at Jordan Creek Town Center in the Century Theaters. I promise you this is the easiest invitation you'll ever extend to someone you've been trying to get to come to church. I know you've heard it said before, but I'm telling you it's true. God has been waking me up almost nightly with things He wants me to share during my sermon and your unsaved friends and family need to be there. Please be praying for the service. There has been a lot of sickness going around and we don't want anything to stop the Gospel from being proclaimed this weekend. Not just at JCFC. but churches across the state will be doing their programs, too. It's an important weekend for souls everywhere.

Don't forget your cameras, extra film, batteries, camcorders, binoculars, etc. Well, you probably don't need binoculars but you get the idea! I'm telling you...the cute factor will be off the charts.

Progress

Finally, a day at the physical therapist with some progress! Honestly, I was getting a little discouraged by how slow I am healing and I had to give myself a little pep talk. I had a very discouraging doctor visit last week and was determined that God didn't have me go through two major, painful surgeries to not be successful in my recovery. I know He has a better plan than that! So this morning's visit saw some gains. I have a long way to go, but I'm confident it will all work out. Even in times of struggle, God IS working. It may not seem that way, feel that way or appear that way, but we can rest and trust knowing it is true. Thanks to all who have faithfully been praying for me, driving me to appointments and encouraging me with kind words and scriptures. When I think about what God has allowed me to do in the past few weeks, I know that it's just that lyin' devil trying to slow me down. Ha, not gonna happen!

The Way to Start a Day

I re-published this without the random ad comment.

I had the BEST morning. I got to hang out with two of my young friends from Creek Kids, Isabella and Lisi. We had a great time watching Dora, doing crafts, talking about the ornaments on our Christmas tree and petting the kitty. Those girls are the sweetest, and so well behaved. I love to listen to their view of everything. Kids that age sometimes see things differently than we do. They almost always have a more fun and positive slant on anything in life. It was a great way to start the day, almost makes me wish we could still have babies. My poor kids will have to once again hear me "encouraging" them to get married so I can have me some grandbabies. They love that. :) Thanks for hanging out with me, girls.

Chapel

Today, I had the great opportunity to do chapel time at Des Moines Christian School. What an awesome school. Everytime I have been in the building, the staff has been so welcoming and friendly. I finally met the principal today. He seems like a pretty cool guy. I had so much fun even though you only get about 15 minutes to do your thing. I preached about being lion chasers. I was inspired by Mark Batterson's book In a Pit With a Lion on a Snowy Day. As soon as I read the first page, I knew there was a kid's sermon in there. Anyway...my friends Amy and Mark and my ever faithful husband helped me make 350+ bookmarks for the kids to keep that had a "lion fur" swatch on one end and the Big Idea for the day, "I am a lion chaser!" written across it. I think the kids enjoyed the message and they sure were well behaved and attentive. I would highly recommend DM Christian if interested in private school. I get to go back in February to do another chapel time! I better hurry up and get my inspiration for the next sermon so I can come up with another tactile way for the kids to remember the message. I cut it close with the bookmarks! Thanks Randy, Amy and Mark.

Pie and BGMC

Yesterday was the victory for the boys and our missions fund raising for Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade (BGMC). Good ole Pastor Lori got a pie in the face. But don't even begin to think I was disappointed! It is for such a great cause. If me getting a plate full of sugar-free cool whip splatted in the ole kisser means that even ONE boy or ONE girl will come to know Jesus, I'll do it every week! The kids loved it, especially my friend Jacob who gave with great sacrifice to see me get that pie. It makes me so proud of my kids that they will give so happily to help other kids hear about Jesus. I already have several ideas for 2007 to raise our goal of $1200.

What's the Deal?

Excuse me. What did you say? You've got to be kidding me! When did that happen? Are you sure? I'm not sure how I almost missed it, but do you realize it's December 1? EEEEK! Sixteen days until our JCFC program, Christmas Around the World, nineteen days until Mic is home again, twenty-four days until Christmas. Wow, that really snuck up on me. Randy and I haven't even started shopping. But we did spend the last two evenings putting up the tree and setting out all my snowmen. I really enjoyed it this year. Last Christmas, we decided not to put up the tree mainly because the house was for sale and we didn't want anything to make the house seem smaller. It was weird with no tree, so this year it didn't even seem like a chore to unpack it all. It looks great in our apartment and gets me to think about something else than my crazy knees. :) Yeah...Christmas.

Practice

We had our first Christmas program practice last night. It was fun to see how the kids are getting excited and nervous for the big day. I thought practice went well considering we have so many very young kids. We talked about how we all had very important jobs and that we were working as a team to spread the Good News of Jesus during the program. I'm getting pretty excited myself for December 17th. It's such a great opportunity to invite people who may have never been to JCFC or have for whatever reason been away from church. It's pretty easy to get people to come to a kid's program. All the kids did such a great job of listening and staying focused for an hour. No easy task for most adults let alone kids. We have such awesome families at JCFC. It was fun to have some of the parents hang out during practice , too. I enjoyed having them there, I don't get to visit with them enough. Start inviting everyone to "Christmas Around the World" on December 17th at 10:15!

I'm Baaack

Oh, it's good to be back in church! Especially when you get to preach about Christmas. The kids seemed to be glad to have me back, too. They are all so sweet, asking about my knee and being very careful not to bump me. I'm sure there were a few conversations at home warning against some of the usual leg grabbing hugs I get. :) I only missed two weeks but it sure seemed longer. Thanks to everyone who went the extra mile and pitched in while I was gone.

Our Big Idea for the next three weeks is, "Christmas is not about me, it's about Jesus." You'll have to ask the kids about Mister Randy's giant Christmas wish list. They all agreed he seemed rather greedy. :)

It seems our boys came through in the end and won the offering contest. So...next Sunday, Pastor Lori gets the pie in the face. That's okay, I'll do most anything for missions. One of the girls was concerned though because I had made the comment that I cannot eat pie because of the sugar. She said, "How can you get the pie in the face, you can't eat pie." I promised to keep my mouth closed. It's pretty exciting that our small group of kids have caught the excitement of giving to missions and we could possibly hit the $700 mark by December 31.
Awesome...way to go Creek Kids!

Ahhhh...The Noise

It's the noise I've missed. Kids in the house! If you know our daughter Micaela, you know there isn't much quiet when she's around. :) The girl loves to laugh, talk, quote stuff (don't ask), play games and generally make noise. It's great to have her home for a few days. The only drawback is she leaves a trail. Oh well, I'll take it over too much quiet. I know when we have small children, we beg for and dream of quiet...even just a few minutes of it but when they move out, the quiet isn't as precious as it used to be. It's been so great to have my kids home and to share the time with Micaela's friend, Clover. The quiet returns tomorrow.

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Thanksgiving everyone. We have so much to be thankful for. I am thankful that I have both of my kids home with me today. Micaela brought a friend who couldn't travel all the way to Alaska to spend the holiday with her family, so we are blessed to have Clover with us, too. Randy is in Sioux City to spend Thanksgiving with his mom and oldest brother. I don't really like being apart from him today but it was more important he get to see his mom who has been struggling with some health issues. There is no way my doctor would allow me to travel yet, so it's an unusual Thanksgiving for us. I cooked most of yesterday to send Thanksgiving dinner with Randy and have all my kid's favorites for here. I am thankful for...Jesus, who loves me unconditionally and saved my soul, the Holy Spirit who guides me (I need it!), the Word of God, my hunky husband, my awesome kids, my family, my church, my friends, my cat, my call (Thanks, Jesus, for allowing me to minister to kids and their families.), all of God's provision, my new knees (I think), and for the exciting things God is doing in our lives and community. Enjoy the day, take a nap, hug everyone at least twice and don't count calories!

My Dad

Yesterday was a great day for me. I got to see my dad and step mom. They stopped by for a short over night visit on their way back to Michigan. We only get to see them once a year so the visit is a little too short but I'm so thankful we got to see each other. I have an amazing dad. He is a wonderful man of God who leads his family with great commitment, he's an awesome grandpa, and a loyal friend. My step mom is this terrific person who has always treated me with love and respect and as though I am one of her kids. She is also an awesome grandparent, the type we all dream about having for our kids. I wish we lived closer together! We all have "family issues" with siblings or parents, but I'm really counting my blessings when I get to see them. Hopefully, this coming summer Randy and I can get to Michigan and see my whole family. I have a sister and two brothers, three nieces and two nephews, a sister-in-law and a brother-in-law there, also. I haven't seen my Michigan siblings in four years. That visit sure blessed me and lifted my spirits. Thanks dad and Val!

New Lessons in Patience

I've always considered myself a very patient person. For three years, I worked one on one with behavior disorder kids in a middle school, I am the oldest of six kids, I can listen to people who take forever to tell a story, etc. But God has new lessons in patience for me in the last two weeks. Anyone who knows me very well knows I'm a "get over it" person when it comes to myself. I am so ready to be done with all this knee stuff that I am being taught that my way and my timing are not ever better than God's. Last night, for the third time, I really hurt myself. This time, I was alone and was trying to get up when I somehow almost ended up on the floor. It happened so fast, I'm not even sure what caused my accident but the pain caused everything to go black for a second, immediate sweating and choking back the urge to throw up. It scared me so bad! Poor Randy was at Walgreens when he got my hysterical phone call. He handled it so well, talking me through it until I could breathe and settle down. Evidently, I am being too impatient. It got my attention, I need to slow down and let my body heal. I want to have all this done but I need to trust in God's timing. What a humbling experience. Makes me dwell on the scripture of Isaiah 40:31 that teaches us to wait on God, "but those who hope in the Lord will renew their strength. They will soar with wings like eagles; they will run and not grow weary, they will walk and not be faint." I will be singing that old chorus to myself today!

Kids and Worship

I am not a singer. I have some things that I am good at; cooking, talking with just about anyone, fairly organized, neat and tidy, yada, yada, yada. But singing, as much as I love to do it, I am not very good at it. I don't have to worry about it with the kids at JCFC, they tolerate my singing because what I lack in talent, I make up for in enthusiasm! One of the advantages to having so many younger kids in Creek Kids is that they are not to the age of being too cool to worship yet. So each week I try to share what it means to worship God, why we do it and why it helps us prepare to receive from God. Now if you came in and watched what was happening, you may not think that anything "spiritual" is taking place because we are having such a good time doing it. Fun and spiritual...can that happen together? Of course. Anyway, a lot of our songs have motions. It helps the kids remember the words, helps us to not take ourselves too seriously and it gets the wiggles out. I have parents tell me all the time, "I need to learn the motions to the________ song." I was joking with my friend Amy that I may need to have a "motions clinic" for parents. Amy is one who occasionally hears from her daughter, Isabella, "Mom, you must not know the right motions." It's awesome to hear how Isabella and her sister, Lisi, belt out our songs while riding in the car. Oh, I hope they never get too cool to do the motions, it's too fun for me to give up. I love to watch the kids worship without fear of what others are thinking of them. When we "grow up" we think it's undignified to jump or move our feet when we worship but remember, King David danced before the Lord. If it's not undignified for a king, why is it for some of us? Okay, so maybe we can get too old for some things. I'm probably too old to train for the Olympics or have a baby but I'll never be too old to worship God.

"The Bionic Rev"

That's what my beloved husband calls me. With two new plastic and metal knees, I guess I am kinda bionic. The progress this time is a little different. My swelling in not near as bad, and my bend seems to be advancing a little quicker but I cannot lift my leg yet. That part is slower than last time. My left knee is working overtime, so it's pretty sore but seems to be holding up. My balance is not very good yet. I have fallen once and nearly fell again last night. Thank God when I fell, I was close enough to the chair that I landed on it with my rear but it felt like I tore everything from my ankle to my hip. I was thankful Randy was home but I scared him so bad with the blood-curdling scream I let out. Last night, I tried to pick up something off the floor and almost lost it again and pulled my knee pretty good. I guess I need to be more careful with the balance thing. My pain level is the same as last time, so that's a little frustrating. But after all that complaining I really am thankful that I have no more knees to fix, my husband is my knight in shining armor, I have the BEST friends ever, and Jesus is with me every wobbly step I take. I can't imagine what this would all be like without the Lord.

Speaking of friends....they are feeding us so well, I'm sure I'll need to fast a few days after all the awesome chow we are having delivered to our door! Thanks to those who came by to visit, especially those who brought the kids along. I know things are fine at church without me (Dara and Camille are incredible) but I miss the kids so bad, I can't wait to get back.

Taking a Break

I will be taking a break from the blog world. I will have my next knee replacement surgery tomorrow. Not really looking forward to it but know the Lord is with me and it needs to be done. The first one is still healing and sore but making slow progress. The hospital has my number on speed dial from so many surgeries, I'm praying this will be my last one, EVER. Thanks for all the prayers.

Advice from "Peanuts"

Randy loves the cartoon Peanuts. It's never been my fav but you've got to love the creator Charles Schultz's philosophy. We at Jordan Creek Family Church want to show the people in our community that we truly care for them. Everybody needs a friend, everybody needs Jesus, but not everybody always feels welcome in the "church". JCFC wants to change that. May these words inspire you and help you remember that kindness, caring and being genuine with people are what really counts!

Charles Schultz Philosophy
The following is the philosophy of Charles Schultz, the creator of the "Peanuts" comic strip. You don't have to actually answer the questions. Just read straight through, and you'll get the point.
1. Name the five wealthiest people in the world.
2. Name the last five Heisman trophy winners.
3. Name the last five winners of the Miss America.
4. Name ten people who have won the Nobel or Pulitzer Prize.
5. Name the last half dozen Academy Award winner for best actor and actress.
6. Name the last decade's worth of World Series winners.
How did you do? The point is, none of us remember the headliners of yesterday. These are no second-rate achievers. They are the best in their fields. But the applause dies. Awards tarnish. Achievements are forgotten. Accolades and certificates are buried with their owners. Here's another quiz. See how you do on this one:
1. List a few teachers who aided your journey through school.
2. Name three friends who have helped you through a difficult time.
3. Name five people who have taught you something worthwhile.
4. Think of a few people who have made you feel appreciated and special.
5. Think of five people you enjoy spending time with.
Easier? The lesson: The people who make a difference in your life are not the ones with the most credentials, the most money, or the most awards. They are the ones that care.
Amen Charles!

Upcoming Stuff

I'm very excited about the upcoming events in the children's ministry area of Jordan Creek Family Church. We are starting our Christmas program practice this Sunday, working on some music. Our presentation of "Christmas Around the World" will be at 10:15 on Sunday, December 17. The "cute factor" will be off the charts so be sure to invite every person you have ever met in your life and make sure you all have cameras, video equipment, extra batteries and please practice your "ooo's and ahhh's"!! :) The program is a simple message with some new and traditional songs and what I like best about it is that it has a missions emphasis. Our JCFC kids love missions! There will even be special appearances by all of our Baby Steps members. Come on...how can you even think about missing that?

After Christmas, on December 28, we will celebrate the kids making and surpassing our missions giving goal with a pizza and ice cream party. We will keep you posted with more details but mark your calendars and let's make it a family event.

In January, Randy and I will be starting a new Life Group. We are leading a parenting class that I pray will not only help you be all God wants you to be as a parent but will also empower you be the spiritual leaders of your kids.

Today's Playground

There are very few things in life that have not changed drastically since I was a kid. One thing that I've observed in the last few weeks as I have lunch at school with "my kids" is the playground of 2006 is pretty much the playground I used in the '60's. Oh yes, the equipment is a little nicer and some have mulch instead of sand and maybe look a little "artsier", but really they are the same. Today when I followed Leighton around the playground after lunch, there was still shrieking girls, hand clap games, swings, slides, teeter-totters, kick ball, boys tackling each other and the classic....boys chase the girls! Our little Miss Leighton was the object of one little guy's goal. Darrin chased her with all he was worth, but she was too quick for him. He finally gave up and went his own way. Good girl, Leighton...stay away from those boys. When I hear girls talk about their boyfriends, I always tell them the only boyfriend they need is Jesus! Anyway, it's kinda nice to see some childhood things are still in place. It's a lot harder to be a kid in 2006 than when I was in kindergarten in 1965. Let's hear it for good ole traditions!

Friendly Competition

Today one of our sweet little girls, Lisi, arrived at church full of excitement as always. She and her sister, Isabella, both came with their Buddy Barrels full of offering for our kid's missions program, Boys and Girls Missionary Crusade (BGMC). We are having a contest in Creek Kids that if the boys bring in the highest total offering for the next month, Pastor Lori gets a pie in the face. If the girls win, Mister Randy gets the pie. Well, as little Miss Lisi, who by the way isn't even old enough for Creek Kids yet, came running to me with Barrel in hand proclaiming, "Pastor Lori, GIRLS WIN!" Sounds good to me, Lisi! How cute is that? It's fun to see the kids get into the spirit of fun, but even better how they are excited to give to missions.

Old Friends

This week, I had the opportunity to reconnect with a couple that I ministered with at Berean. Our good friends Pastor Kevin and Trudy Umphress were in town doing a Kid's Crusade and I crashed a couple of services. It was so great to see them and catch up on each other's news. I'm so thankful for the time I got to work with them. I learned a lot from Pastor Kevin and we worked so well together. My favorite memories are of us doing character skits together, adlibing all the way...no scripts ever. The Umphress' are people who bring a smile to my face by just thinking of them. Do you know someone like that? Drop them a note today and tell them how much you love and appreciate them. I know I don't do that enough, I'm gonna try to do better.

Kids and Marriage

Some of you may have seen these come on an e-mail forward but they are so funny you have to read them. A challenge follows...

The Funny Things Kids Say: Kids Talk About Marriage
How do you decide who to marry?
(1) You got to find somebody who likes the same stuff. Like, if you like sports, she should like it that you like sports, and she should keep the chips and dip coming. - Alan, age 10
(2) No person really decides before they grow up who they're going to marry. God decides it all way before, and you get to find out later who you're stuck with. - Kirsten, age 10
What is the right age to be married?
(1) Twenty-three is the best age because you know the person FOREVER by then. - Camille, age 10
(2) No age is good to get married at. You got to be a fool to get married. - Freddie, age 6 (very wise for his age)
How can a stranger tell if two people are married?
(1) You might have to guess, based on whether they seem to be yelling at the same kids. - Derrick, age 8
When is it okay to kiss someone?
(1) When they're rich. - Pam, age 7
(2) The law says you have to be eighteen, so I wouldn't want to mess with that. - Curt, age 7
(3) The rule goes like this: If you kiss someone, then you should marry them and have kids with them. It's the right thing to do. - Howard, age 8

So after I read these and had a good chuckle, I started to think about how our kids see our marriages. Do your kids see you and your spouse hugging and kissing, holding hands and exchanging loving glances? Or do they only see and hear the strife that comes with everyday life? Do they see you working as a team or as two separate figures that they can play against? Randy and I have always tried to show our kids how a marriage partnership works and I'm sure we had our failures along the way but I was determined to be a chain breaker. By that I mean, I came from a family of divorce and all the time I was growing up, I would watch how disfunction in my home effected every person and every minute of "family" life. I did not want that for my future family! I challenge you parents to take a look at the marriage picture you present in front of your kids. Let them see how dads should be the priests of the home. How he should love his wife as Christ loved the church. Let them see moms who submit to their husbands, not in an abusive way, but in the way the Word shows us. Let our children learn that they do not run the house or set the tone, but we as parents are in charge and are working for their benefit. Let our kids see we are not perfect but in everything we work together and with love. Divorce in "Christian" homes is just as high as in any home. Let us be chain breakers! Kids learn by example and will unfortunately repeat our mistakes so keep in mind they will also repeat our successes!

Travelin' Girl

Micaela, my travelin' girl, is in Camden, Tennessee the next four days. She is spending her fall break from Evangel University ministering at a church in Camden with her outreach team, "Oath". They will be working around the church, ministering in both AM and PM Sunday services and working at a Habitat for Humanity site building a house. She was so excited when I talked to her. She has a real heart for serving and missions. I'm so proud of her and love how she is enjoying campus life so much. But...I miss her something fierce! I'll get to see her in a couple of weeks when she comes back to DM to be the Evangel rep for Iowa Youth Convention. Unfortunately, it's while I'm in the hospital. But it will be better than nothing. Hope I still can make some of her favorite foods while she's here. I know she wants some of her fav Mexican Chicken. Have fun in Camden, Mic!

Lunch with Pastor Lori

Okay, I messed up. I should have included in my birthday top ten reasons I love Pastor Josh, the fact that he is cool with me having flexible "office hours." The reason I love it is because it gives me the opportunity to spend time with the kids to whom I minister. Like this week I started having lunch at school with some of my kids. They are so funny and react different to me seeing them outside of the church setting. Awnna would have had me spend the whole day and she introduced me to every person at DM Christian, well it seemed like every person. I got the grand tour and even played on the playgound! If you know Awnna Claire, this will not surprise you...she doesn't know a stranger! Jaron wasn't quite sure what to do with me being at his school. He was polite, quiet, and looked a little nervous. He would only talk when I asked him a question. He wrinkled up his nose when one of his buddies asked if I was his mom. I asked him if he wanted me to stay for recess and he said, "AAAA, no, that's okay." I had to stiffle a laugh, he is so adorable, a great little man. Today I had lunch with Jordan. She smiled so big the whole time I was there, she looked like she was going to bust with excitement. She is such an angel, so loving and happy. She was thrilled to show me her purple water bottle. She knows Pastor Lori's favorite color is PURPLE! Each lunch date had one thing in common. Their friends. They were all so curious who I was, why I was there and when I said I was their pastor, I got the most hilarious looks. I guess in most churches, they don't have women pastors or pastors that they see outside of Sunday morning. I LOVE doing this. I hope it shows my kids how much I enjoy just spending time with them and just maybe it will be a way to reach someone else with the love of Christ. I hope in a small way it speaks of how very important children are to us at JCFC. I did have a great conversation with someone at Jordan's school that I hope leads to a visit to our church. This person seems like they could use a friend and a support system.

If I haven't set a date with your child for lunch, please let me know if they are interested. Thanks Pastor Josh, you help make it possible! Those school hot lunches looked better than when I was in school! I just may have to try one. :)

Conversations With Colin

Today, I had the opportunity to hang out with my buddy Colin Singleton. We went to mom's group together and had a great time. The drive there and back was the best. We had this sweet, funny conversation that merits recording. When we left, I asked this adorable 2 year old if mommy's tummy was better. His mom, Dara, had an emergency appendectomy the other day. He said yes and I asked if he prayed for mom and he said no, so I said let's pray now. After praying for Dara, he started listing off others who needed help with their tummies. He said to pray for Lisi's tummy. After we did, I asked him if Lisi was his friend and he very emphatically said, "NO, GIRLFRIEND!" Our conversation varied from trains (a Colin obsession), trucks and toots. Yes...I said toots. Out of the blue he said, "Awnna did it, not me." I asked what she did and he said, "tooted." I said Awnna is at school so he said, "You did it." Of course followed by a sweet little giggle. I asked him if it was really him that tooted and he said, "Yes, it's gross." I've never heard him say gross before. All that just on the way to mom's group. On the way home we got to talking about today being daddy's birthday. I asked if he was going to sing Happy Birthday to daddy and he said no. He tried to convince me that it was really his mom's birthday. When I asked him how old dad was now, he said without pausing, "18." I asked if dad was old and he said, no, so I asked if Mister Randy was old and he said, "Yes, Randy's old. I love Mister Randy. Awnna loves Randy, too." AAAAHH! How sweet. I'm telling you, if you need a good laugh, hang out with a toddler who's vocabulary is exploding. Good times, thanks Colin.

Happy Birthday

Hey, it's Pastor Josh's birthday on Friday, October 13. In honor of my favorite pastor, I thought I would share the Top 10 reasons I love Pastor Josh....

10. He's cool with me wearing slacks to church, which is great when I have to crawl under the theater curtains.
9. He totally understands the importance of premo coffee for church even though he doesn't drink it much.
8. He makes awesome guacamole!
7. He has the greatest laugh.
6. He thinks out of the box.
5. He still loves toys like I do. How many senior pastors do you know that buys himself a water balloon launcher?
4. He doesn't micro-manage.
3. Seriously, he's very humble.
2. He's almost as passionate about children's ministry as I am.
And the #1 reason I love my pastor...He's not afraid to do whatever it takes to win the lost to Christ. He genuinely loves people, is compassionate, and never asks us to work any harder than he does.

Okay, that was a couple more than 10, but he's easy to love. Have a great birthday Pastor Josh!

Knee Update

I am finally feeling like I'm making significant progress with my new knee! God has been working over-time for me, and you know how great that extra income feels. :) My bend is supposed to be 110 degrees to have "normal" use of my knee and after five weeks, I'm at 105 degrees! The pain level is getting better each day and I'm so thankful. Randy has been so awesome (as always) through this whole business and the poor guy has to relive it in four more weeks with my other knee. Does anyone know of a "Husband of the Decade" award I could nominate him for? Seriously, he's the BEST, sorry girls, he's all mine! Thanks for all the prayers...keep 'em coming. The kids have been so sweet at church. They are so concerned and always asking how I am, making me cards, praying for me and trying to be helpful. I love those little monsters!

Blog-a-holic

Okay, I must confess, I love to read blogs. One that Randy has me hooked on now is http://perrynoble.com . If you like pastors who say like it is and have a great sense of humor, check it out. His entry today was awesome. His church is experiencing an incredible move of God and it's fun to rejoice with them through their testimonies.

Comments Anyone?

Just FYI...I changed the setting on my blog so non-bloggers can leave comments. I didn't realize I had that set and had a request to change it. Comment away, my friends.

Kids and Lying

Yesterday in Creek Kids, our sermon was from Genesis 27 and 28, Jacob Lied and Had to Run. You all know the story; Jacob pretends to be his older brother Esau to trick his ailing father, Isaac, into granting him the family blessing. The kids listened with wide eyes as I told the story of lying and how even Jacob's mother was involved in the scheme. Jacob's consequence of sin was pretty drastic, he had to run for his life when his brother discovered the truth. I told the kids that when they lie, they may not have to run for their lives, but we all have consequences and it makes God so sad when we lie. During the challenge time after the sermon, several kids raised their hands when I asked who needed help with this sin and who wanted to ask for forgiveness. I could tell a couple of them were truly convicted and then repentant. It was beautiful to watch their faces as they received from God, sadness turning to joy and peace.

I've known very young kids who have been caught lying. You may ask how little kids learn to lie. Most of them don't need to be taught, it is in our sin nature. We may even be tempted to think it is cute or funny when our kids come up with some grand story or excuse, but we must be ready to instruct and help them to realize the truth is ALWAYS the best way. I assured the kids that when they make a mistake God still and always will love them but they must make it right with the Lord. Mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, or even Pastor Lori cannot do it for them, they must ask to be forgiven themselves. Of course we can help them know how, but the younger they learn how to ask for forgiveness, the better their walk with Jesus will be. I'd love to hear if any of your kids talked about the sermon, it's always interesting to hear their slant and what spoke to them.

Junior Bible Quiz

JCFC launched it's first Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ) team today! JBQ is a wonderful discipleship program that kids 1st-6th grades can be involved in. They make up teams and study Bible facts and memorize scripture and then meet one Saturday a month and compete with other churches. Within the season they can win several different trophies and advance to state, regional and national levels of competition. I personally have been involved with JBQ and Pee Wee (1st-2nd grade division) quiz for about 13 years and have been one of four state of Iowa coordinators for the last 6 or 7 years. It is one of the best ministries for kids to learn the Bible and something that will stay with them forever.

Our team of three hard-working boys, Rob, Christian and Drew, finished the day with a 4 and 1 record and between them earned 4 trophies! What an awesome start! I'm so proud of them and am so thankful for their families who coach the team and work so hard to help them be successful. Keep up the great work fellas. The team has a great name...Redemption Phase III. I love it. Next month, we travel to Oskaloosa. We'll keep you posted on our progress.

"Watch Me"

"Pastor Lori, watch me!" I heard that several times this morning as I "crashed" our JCFC mom's group. Every Friday, our mom's get together at different locations and let the kids play while they get a little fellowship time in. I am going to make it a habit of crashing more often...it was a blast to watch all those kids. As I enjoyed them playing at Backyard Adventures, I had great memories of our two kids at those ages and even shared a couple of stories. Each one of those kids were having such a great time and all were playing so nicely together. It was fun to listen to their giggles and them using their imaginations as the served each other bread and milk in the club house. Kids are so interesting to watch and I can't help but think about how they are also watching us. I pray they see in me, and all the important adults in their lives, someone who is trying to live each day in a way that is pleasing to God. That they see how much they are loved by people here on earth but how much more they are loved by God. I pray they see the evidence of God all around them and their lives are always a "Backyard Adventure" for Jesus. "Pastor Lori, watch me!" Oh, I am and will keep watching them grow up to be all God wants them to be.

Want to be a part of the JCFC mom's group? Hop on our web site http://jordancreek.org and you can look in the upcoming events for times and locations. Everyone is welcome...even dads! :)

Great Team

I am so blessed! Last night, we had a great meeting and fellowship time with most of our Baby Steps ministry team. We have some awesome people on board who are loving and teaching our babies. I am so thankful for each and every one. It's exciting to see how more people are catching the vision for our children's ministry at JCFC. I absolutely love having some husband and wife teams serving together in Baby Steps. As someone who gets to minister with my husband, I can tell you when you serve together it gives you another way to be close with your spouse. Thanks to the team, you guys rock!

School Shootings

What a scary world we live in. If you are a parent with kids in school, the recent school shootings are at the forefront of your minds. I know it may make you want to keep your precious children right by your side 24/7 but we must be realistic. Just a couple of things that come to my mind. First, this is a reminder of how important that you and I are working as a team to get your children ready to make their own decision to be a Christ follower. Most kids by the age of 4 understand enough about Jesus and what He did for us to make a real decision to ask Him into their lives as their Savior. Daily help them to know that no matter what, Jesus is always with them. Second, be pro-active in your school. Whether public or private, don't be afraid to point blank ask your teachers what the safety plans are for their classrooms and schools. Having worked in a public school for 9 years, I know we had codes and procedures in place for strangers in the building, bomb threats, and other emergencies. Don't assume that everyone knows what they are supposed to do. ASK and be assured that your kids are as safe as possible. Get involved with your PTA or many schools have PACs (Parent Advisory Committee). It's a great way to be "in the loop" of what's happening at your school and doesn't take a lot of time or committment. If your kids are hearing about these school shootings, and they have fear, let them see you are helping to make sure their school in safe. It breaks my heart that our kids have to even think about being safe at school but we are surely living in the end times, getting closer and closer to the return of Jesus. Please let me know if I can help your kids in any way. Pray for our schools!

Toughest Job

Hands down the toughest job in the world...parenting. All you parents are shouting "AMEN" and those who aren't parents yet are probably thinking "whatever", but in my opinion, successful parenting is the biggest accomplishment you'll ever gain. As someone who has worked with kids my whole life, I've seen every parenting style out there. I've had the benefit of working in both secular and Christian settings and have learned from each. I want to say I am NOT a parenting expert, I have no official parenting education and I made my share of parenting mistakes but I do have common sense, two adult children who love and serve God and a lot of God's grace! I feel to be a successful children's pastor, I need to minister to the whole family. So, throught this blog, I'd like to occasionally include some parenting facts, tips, and encouragements. I was reading an AOL parenting poll through Parenting magazine. It was pretty interesting. The title was "Moms dish on how they handle misbehaving kids." It's pretty much inevitable that kids will misbehave, so what do you do when yours act up? More than 2,500 moms fessed up about discipline in our Parenting poll: How you decide what to do about bad behavior:
44% of you do whatever you can think of at the moment.
28% always handle it the same way.
26% wait a few minutes to figure out a punishment that fits the crime.
3% wait until you can discuss it with your partner
WHAT? No wonder our kids have so many problems. Only a little more than a quarter of parents consistently discipline in the same way. In my opinion, if your kids understand what the consequences are for misbehavior, your job just got a lot easier. When we find out that we are becoming parents we start planning everything. Names, room decor, college funds, what's the best age for Disney World, you know, all those fun things to think about. I think if you start talking about discipline, too, you'll be ahead of the parenting trials. Let God show you through His Word His ways of raising kids. There are tons of great parenting resources out there but the best advice I can give is go to God and be consistent. No should mean no, if you say you're going to spank, leave the store, take away a toy, whatever the threat, be prepared to follow through. We all want healthy, well adjusted, happy children and discipline is one of the main keys.

Comic Books

Do you have a comic book fan at your house? Here's a great web site that has Bible stories in comic book form. You can also order the print versions. Check out http://www.theheroesofthefaith.com. It would be an awesome site for nonchurch kids to get into. Happy reading.

Great Day

The anniversary celebration for JCFC was great. We had 116 people and 41 of those were from Creek Kids and Baby Steps! It felt so good to be back at church. I was gone only two weeks, but it felt like a month. As tired as I was after service, it was worth it to hear the kids say, "Pastor Lori, I'm so glad you're back." We had several new families again. My poor husband is working so hard at remembering names, something he has always struggled with. Yesterday, he said, "Wow, I'm having to work really hard at all these new names." He's doing great, though, he knows how important it is to kids that you remember their names. Good problem to have. :)

Anniversary

This Sunday is a celebration of the first anniversary of launching Jordan Creek Family Church. I am very excited about this milestone. God has been so good to us, bringing us people who have caught the vision of the church, people who are willing to serve, people who are well into their walk with Jesus and people who are just starting their journey. All are here not by accident, but as a part of God's plan. It has been a lot of work starting a church but even more fun. I think about how much the Creek Kids members have grown, literally and spiritually and feel so blessed to be a part of God's church. Like the morning I took a pack of my girls to the restroom before church and Isabella said, "Look Pastor Lori, now I can reach the sink without you giving me a boost!" And those mornings during worship in Creek Kids when I looked down and see all those little faces with their eyes closed and hands lifted toward Heaven, worshipping Jesus with all their hearts. Big steps for little people! I think about how the Lord worked it out for me and Randy to work along side Pastor Josh and Dara and never cease to be amazed at how it all happened. I think about the people, who one year ago, I didn't even know but are now such an important part of my life. And most important, I think about the people who before JCFC didn't know Jesus and now they DO. For God's Kingdom and His Glory...Happy Anniversary JCFC.

Today I had the opportunity to be a part of leading a new group of people who minister to kids. Pastor Brian Bopp, children's pastor at Des moines First Assembly of God asked me to be a part of T.A.L.K., Teaching and Loving Kids. It's a networking group of children's pastors, lay leaders, volunteers, and others who serve children in some capacity at their church. It's a group for all denominations and an exciting way for all of us to work together to build the Kingdom of God. I love the fact that we may be a part of another church, but are still on the same team with the same purpose of reaching kids with the gospel. We meet monthly September through May and share ideas, resources, victories, trials and anything that helps us be better ministers. If you are a part of a children's ministry team and would like more info, let me know! We'd love to have you join us the third Thursday of each month, 11AM-1PM, at rotating churches. We bring our own lunch and "Talk"!

Big Day

Well, Texas Ranger and I had a big day today. I had three doctor appointments and for some reason, riding in the car is tough on this old gal. But it was a good news day. First of all, my blood levels are where they need to be. I had another ultra sound on my leg and the blood clot is gone - praise God. And my physical therapy session was filled with screaming and tears but I had a 50% increase on my leg extension and got 80 degrees on my bend. I'd like to tell you, I was tuckered when we got done. My good friend Angela brought us a yummy Mexican dinner and to top off the day, Micaela called with good news, too. She tried out and made a church impact team from Evangel called "Oath." Isn't God good?! He knew I needed a day of encouragement, thanks Lord. It was also good to hear that church went great yesterday even though both Randy and I were gone. We have such an awesome team of people that are always ready to go the extra mile. Thanks team, you all are the best. Stop by and see Texas Ranger and me. :)

Marketing

Okay, in all our stuff that's going on, you will think I'm nuts for the following observation. I like to watch the Today show in the morning. The much anticipated arrival of the new co-host Meredith Viera was scheduled this past Wednesday. I thought it was kinda weird that the network was bringing her in mid-week rather than fresh on Monday morning, which to me, made more sence. That is until I tuned in Monday morning. It was the 5th anniversary of 9-11 and the show was totally focused on that. It occured to me then...marketing. Meredith's arrival was to be a celebration, a new beginning and it wouldn't be great TV to start her on such a solumn day. That's good marketing. As church planters, we need to be sensitive to timing also. I hate to think that we should follow worldly examples and think of church in a business-y way, but we are smart to use some of those same strategies. Most of the time, we have ONE chance to make a good impression on a church visitor. Carefully planning and following the Holy Spirit's leading will help us to "market" our church to the seeker and help them see Jesus through us. This is all another way of redeeming worldly views and practices for the benefit of the Kingdom of God. Just an observation.

Good Friends

Wow, I am overwhelmed by all the love and help Randy and I are receiving these days. We know we have lots of friends who care about us, but when people take so much time out of their busy lives to help, it shows the level of caring around us. Not only are we messing with my surgery recoverey, Randy's mom is in the hospital. She had a heart attack and is showing signs of other problems. Thank you to all those who are going above and beyond to help us through this time. You all give the great example of "bearing one another's burdens" Galations 6:2. Satan will attack in whatever way he can to bring discouragement and trials but when we stand firm together, Jesus brings the victory! We have the best friends anywhere. Love you all.

My Awesome Kids

Okay, on a lighter note. If you know our son Keaton, you know he is super funny. The kids were laughing and teasing me about having to use a walker after surgery. Keaton decided we needed to name my walker. Okay, son, I'll bite, what should we name it? Texas Ranger...Walker - Texas Ranger. Admit it, you're laughing.

Micaela told me today that she is on a powder-puff flag football team. Go Mic, please don't break anything. I'm so excited for her, she is also trying out for a school ministry team that travels and does various service things for churches across the country and does drama. Not sure how it all is incorporated, but sounds neat.

And even though he's not one of my kids, I must include a Jason Huffey hospital funny. He was totally fascinated with the commode in my room. Too bad I couldn't get one for him. :)

And my others kids, you know, my JCFC ones, did a great job on the last BGMC contest for the heaviest barrel. Miss Isabella and Mister Jaren had the top girl and boy spots. Iz's dad, Mark, wasn't too far from joking when he said we'd need a fork lift for her barrel. Way to go kids, the real winners are the boys and girls across the world who will now hear about Jesus' love for us all.

Opportunities

While in the hospital, trying not to be totally self absorbed, I prayed God would use me there. I had the opportunity to tell many people about JCFC and how much I love the church and being a pastor. I also met two women who are in life struggles that broke my heart. One woman is ending a bad relationship and has a 10 year old son. She was telling me about how her son found her crying one night and crawled up next to her on the couch. He hugged her and said not to worry, he would be her man. I hate it when kids have to pay for adult's bad decisions. But I think our conversation ministered to her and I encouraged her to get involved in a church I've heard about in the new community she's moving to. She has a friend that goes there, too. There was another nurse there who's husband is slowly dieing, he weighs over 600 pounds and has multiple heath issues. We got into a conversation about weight loss when she assumed I had knee surgery due to an accident. Here it is, four in the morning, my knee is screaming but it felt so good to give some encouragement to this women who is so frightened to lose her husband. You know it's a terrible hurt when they are in tears during work. I think she felt better by the end of our conversation, I pray she did. We all have our struggles and it sure helped me to come away from the door of the pity party I was about to enter into.

Home Sweet Home

I'm soooo glad to be home from the hospital. My surgery went okay but had a few set backs that kept me there for three extra days, which felt like a week. I have a new compassion for people who have knee replacement surgery. Whatever you do, TAKE CARE OF YOUR KNEES! I'd rather have gone through labor and delivery 100 times than experience what I did. Anyway, in my trial, I kept praying and telling God that although I didn't understand why I had to experience these things, I would try to trust that His ways are always better than mine. Proverbs 3:5-6 says, "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight." More later about some opportunities God gave me at the hospital. Thanks to the hundreds of people who have been praying for me. I KNOW it has been what has got me thus far. Continue to pray that my swelling will go down, the blood clot will dissolve and that I can bend my knee to a 90 degree angle.

Away From the Blog World

I'll be checking out of the blog world for a few days while I'm in the hospital for knee replacement surgery. Say a prayer for me and I'll catch up later!

Bible Knowledge and Kids

I'm very excited that Jordan Creek Family Church is going to have their first Junior Bible Quiz (JBQ) team this year. JBQ is a great ministry for kids 3rd-6th grades to learn the Word of God. It helps them to memorize scripture, learn biblical history and doctrinal truths. The kids travel to different churches once a month for a quiz meet against other churches. It's a lot of fun and the kids make lifelong friends in JBQ. Sometimes it gets a little too competitive in my opinion so here is something to think about the reason we teach kids the Word of God. This is the study note from I Timothy 1:5 in the "The Full Life Study Bible." "The supreme goal of all instruction from God's Word is not Bible knowledge in itself, but an inward moral transformation that expresses itself in love, purity of heart, a clear conscience, and faith without hypocrisy. Concerning this truth two important facts must be kept in mind. (1) The Biblical concept of teaching and learning is not primarily to impart knowledge or to prepare oneself academically. It is to produce holiness and a righteous lifestyle, conforming to God's ways, (2) The teacher of God's Word must be someone whose life illustrates perserverance in truth, faith and holiness." What a great reminder of our goals and motivation. Let me know if you want more info about JBQ. There's a Pee Wee division also for 1st and 2nd graders!

My Girl

Sounds like Micaela's first week at Evangel University went very well. We've talked every day and she is always excited to tell me about a new person she has met or something fun they did. She visited her first church today, Hope Community Church, and she said their worship was incredible. (Probably not as good as JCFC! :-) Classes are off to a good start with a lot of homework already. Evangel had their first football game but I forgot to ask the score. Next week, she will attend her toughest class....archery. Ha Ha. Now I could have been an A student if those were the kind of classes I had to do. It's funny, when Micaela heard she had to take a PE class, she just about paniced. Then she heard they had kind of a life style fitness class that counted toward the requirement so archery and bowling saved the day. When Mic was in high school, she said she'd eat a bug every day for the rest of her life if she never had to run again. That still cracks me up whenever I think about it. She gets her athelitic ability from me. The most exciting thing she did all week was get her nose pierced again. No hoops or chains, just a cute little "diamond" stud. It's kinda quiet around here without my girl. Somebody bring me a tissue.

What a Day

Here it is, Labor Day weekend. The last three day weekend for a while and the traditional marking of the end of summer. Usually this means a low day at church, but not at JCFC! We had 102 people today! Our second highest day on a holiday. God is doing some incredible things. With my Baby Steps and Creek Kids helpers included, we had 37 in the two kid's services. I praise God for this wonderful opportunity to meet these people and help them meet Jesus. This is going to be a fall to remember. Years from now when we think about how our church has grown, I think fall of 2006 will come to mind and bring many smiles. JCFC will have it's first Junior Bible Quiz team starting this month, I have purchased our Christmas musical, and we just added more Baby Steps equipment for all those new babies. Great things are happening, hope you are a part of it all and if not, you'll jump in!

New Baby

Today, I got to do one of my favorite "pastor" things....visit a new baby and mom at the hospital. Isaiah and Megan had a beautiful baby boy, Elisha Keith. I guess I shouldn't say beautiful for a boy, but he is. He's got a lot of dark hair and a sweet little nose. Megan looked great. It never ceases to amaze me the whole miracle of birth. We are such complex and awesome creations, I don't understand how anyone could think we are anything but a miracle of God. Congrats to the McGee family, we love you guys.

Movie Web Site

I love to go to movies, but it's hard to go sometimes. You don't want to be exposed to all the garbage that can be in a movie and we especially want to protect our kids from profanity, violence and nudity. TIME magazine recently listed their 50 Coolest Web Sites and listed is one I would recommend for parents. It's a movie site that lists all the "heads up" things we parents need to know. It's http://kids-in-mind.com. On a scale of 1-10, it rates content in the areas of nudity, profanity and violence. I think it's a great tool to help know if it's a movie for your family or not. There is a Junior Bible Quiz question that comes to mind: Why should we be careful about what we think? Answer: Because we become what we think about. (Proverbs 4:23-27; Matthew 12:34,35). I know I've seen movies that I think about for days after I've seen it, whether it was worthy of thought or not. This is a tool that I think will definatly help. Pass the popcorn, please.

Rock Star

Yesterday I went to visit Parkview Middle School in Ankeny where I worked for nine years before leaving to pastor full time. I felt like a rock star, everyone was so excited to see me and couldn't wait to hear about the church. Even some of the kids who were 6th graders last year stopped me to see how I was. Wow, everyone should feel so loved! PV was an awesome place to work and I made some lifelong friends there but it was not my call or my passion. Sure, I miss those people, but I am right where God wants me. It was fun to "brag" about JCFC and all "my kids" and everyone was genuinly thrilled that we are doing so well. It was a great chance to invite them to church, too.

Missouri Trip

We successfully delivered our daughter to Evangel University in Springfield. The campus was so exciting. I thought Micaela was taking way too much to school, but I watched other girls hauling their stuff in and Mic had a pretty average load. Her dorm was remodeled this summer and it's really nice. They have brand new beds, desks and chairs. The building was all rewired and recarpeted and smelled all clean and new. I was a little jealous, do you think Micaela would mind if I crash there sometimes? :) Randy and I were very impressed with all the people who came to help whoever needed it. They had Evangel alumni of all ages, local college church groups, Evangel staff and professors all pitching in to help. Great place, so glad she's there, miss her already.

Priceless

Do you ever have those moments when you ask yourself if what you do makes a difference? As a children's pastor, somedays you wonder if the kids you pour your life into are actually "getting it." This morning, I was a little tired from our trip to Missouri, one of our nursery workers called in sick and my crazy knee was really hurting. But it all didn't matter when after service, I was helping pack up Baby Steps and one of "my kids", a four year old sweetheart named Isabella, was sitting by her mom teaching mom the scripture verse we had in Creek Kids. She said it perfect and was so proud to tell me she could say it all by herself. At that moment, that one thing that most people would not think twice about, was priceless to me. She "gets it," she listened, she's learning God's Word. I wasn't quite so tired after that, it blessed me so much. Thanks, Isabella. It's always those little things that God uses to encourage us to keep on doing what He's called us to do. Thanks Lord!

6 1/2 Hours

That's how far away our daughter will be. Tomorrow is a big day at the Eilers' house...Micaela moves to Springfield, MO to finish college. We are so excited for Micaela, we know this is going to be an awesome experience for her, but 6 1/2 hours is a long way. I'm not sad or nervous but I know I'm gonna miss her a lot. It's a new chapter in all of our lives. When I asked her who she was going to miss the most, she said her brother Keaton, then her best friend Katie, then dad and then me. I got a good laugh from that one. Thank goodness for cell phones. I know we will talk almost every day. It should be a fun trip tomorrow.

Love Languages

I know it's an old book but I recently read The Five Love Languages by Dr. Gary Chapman. If you haven't read it, DO. Even if you think you know your spouse frontwords and back, you may discover something that takes your relationship to the next level. Not only is it important to understand your spouse's love language, we need to know our children's, too. There is a children's version of the book but the same principles apply. The five love languages include: Physical Touch, Words of Affirmation, Quality Time, Gifts and Acts of Service. How do you know a child's love language when they may not be able to communicate or understand it? Observation. If your child is always begging for you to play with them or read to them, their love language is probably Quality Time. If they are super affectionate, probably Physical Touch, and so on. Ministering to our children's intimate, emotional needs will pay off in your relationship as they grow up, especially when they reach the teen years. If their "love tank" is consistantly full, they will be more apt to have that open relationship with us that every parent desires. If a child's needs are being met at home, why would they need to turn elsewhere to feel loved and accepted? They probably won't. Happy reading!

Creek Kids

Today in Creek Kids, our Big Idea was "I am responsible to do my part." We talked about how the Bible says to watch the ants and see how hard they work. The kids looked at me kind of funny when I said we were going to talk about ants today. :) I was really proud of their answers when I asked what they could do at home to fulfill our Big Idea. They said everything from making their beds to taking out the trash and Leighton even said, "I can obey my mom and dad." When I asked about what they could do at church to do their part, they were a little slower to answer. You see, some kids (and adults) don't think they have anything to offer as service to the church. In Creek Kids, I want them to begin a life of servanthood as soon as possible. Why, because they need to follow Jesus' example just as we do. There are tons of things you and I can do to make our church more productive and a place people want to be. After I made a few suggestions, they came up with more on their own. Smart kids! If you haven't found a place to serve at JCFC or your church, I encourage you to jump in and let God use you.

Tuckered

Yes, I used one of my Lori-isms. My kids always make fun of some of the words I use. But I am tuckered. Moving day went awesome, we have such great friends to give up a Saturday to help us. But Randy and I are tired, a little sore and very happy to be moved. My cat, on the other hand, was a little tramatized by the whole thing. She made a lot of noise during the car ride and then hid under Micaela's bed until about 4 AM when she jumped in bed with us. Poor kitty. Now if I could just get the unpacking done, we'll be in good shape.

Discovery

Well, I learned something about myself tonight that has me a little irritated! I've always boasted (a little too proudly) that I am NOT a pack-rat. But when it comes to ministry stuff, I AM a pack-rat. I was cleaning out my storage cupboard in the basement, getting ready for the big move on Saturday, and wow, I've got a lot of stuff. Some of it brought back fond memories of past programs, families I haven't seen for a while, and past places I've ministered. It made me relive some of the awesome things God has done in our lives. But the Lord reminded me he has NEW things for me to learn, fresh anointing and people I haven't met yet that JCFC will help lead to the Savior. That's exciting. So....out with the old, well, some of it anyway. I've got some cool stuff I just can't give up yet. :)

School Days

Okay, if you're a mom you are probably doing a little hallelujah dance right now. School is about to start again! It's a great time of excitement, new beginnings, shopping, and maybe even a little nervousness. I think it's so important to lift our kids, schools, teachers and administrators up in prayer. You all know that school is a totally different experience now compared to when most of us went. Not necessarily in an all bad way, but a lot more challenging and stressfull. Here are some things I think we should pray for and about. Pray for our children as they begin school this year, that God would use them to be world changers for Him in their schools. Pray that the doors of schools will be open for ministry. Pray for Christian school teachers, that they may have favor with school administrators. Pray for Christian administrators, that God's wisdom and anointing will rest upon them. Pray that God's guidance and anointing will be upon the teachers as they teach this year. Pray for protection over our students and teachers. Pray for our home schooled kids, also and for their parents who teach them. I'm looking forward to getting into the schools this year to have lunch with our JCFC kids and to build relationships with teachers and administrators. I'm really hoping to get in and do some character building assemblies. Pray for that, too please. If you don't already do family devotions, why not start now when school begins? We always did devotions over breakfast when we could. Now, get back to that hallelujah dance! :)

Changes

As a woman, sometimes we have a hard time with change. I can think of many times in my life that change has come about and it was frightening, frustrating, or faith-challenging. I remember when we moved to Ankeny in 1989, I felt all three of those things. It really rocked my world. I feel like the last two years of our lives have been a huge series of changes that have stretched us in every conceivable way. And here we are...facing a few more changes. But this time, I feel a wonderful peace in it all. As I've grown in my relationship with Jesus, I can be a little more "go with the flow." We are moving to West Des Moines after being in Ankeny 17 years, we are going to live in an apartment instead of a house, and the biggest change of all...we are now empty nesters. A couple of years ago, I was almost physically ill thinking about my babies leaving me, but I can now say, it's cool with me. It's an awesome feeling knowing that your adult children are ready to be on their own and the greatest blessing you'll ever have as a parent are adult children that love and serve God! I'm so proud of our kids! So even though life is always changing, rest in knowing Jesus never does! He will always get us through, as the Bible says, "He's the same yesterday, today, and forever."

Here we go!

Okay...I've been kicking around the idea of starting this for several weeks and decided to jump in. I LOVE what I do and thought this would be a great way to communicate with our church, friends, and family. Being a children's pastor has been my dream for many years and I'm ever so thankful for the opportunity to minister at Jordan Creek Family Church (or JCFC as we affectionately call it). Today was an incredible day at JCFC, 117 people including 13 babies in our Baby Steps nursery. It is so exciting to see how God is helping us to share his love in our community. One of our moms told me today how her girls were talking about Jesus at home and her three year old told them she "has Jesus in her belly". Her five year old sister asked, "Do you mean you asked Jesus into your heart?" After clarification, they were able to pray together and seal the deal. Jesus is definetly in her heart now. I love it when parents share those things. It encourages me to know that they do listen in Creek Kids!