Get Ready...I'm Gonna Rant

Well, I haven't had a good rant for a while so I thought these two topics would get the conversation going.

First, what is up with parents who so desperately want to please their pre-teen they are willing to fork out $4572 for a front row seat to a 14 year old Miley Cyrus concert? Come on people!! I read an average ticket price to see "Hannah Montana" live is $232. What gives? Does she really sing THAT well? No, I'm afraid not, we just have a culture of people who have nothing better to do than waist their money and cater to their children. Eek, Grrrr, Ha-Na-Wha?, don't get me started!

Second, have you heard about the new billboards that have an ad for a website to help you cheat on your spouse? I WILL NOT tell the web site and give them free advertising but their line is...."Life is short...Have an affair." WHAT? As if there are not enough people who struggle with adultery, we now are helping them organize their sin with a web site. They say they want to help married people make those connections. Wow, how they gonna explain that one on judgement day?

Ahhhh, a good rant always makes me feel better. It would appear that we have a lot of dumb people in the world but the truth is they just desperately need Jesus. Now get out there and make a difference! Care to comment?

Parenting

Here's a little phrase to chew on. "What gets rewarded, gets repeated." It's so true in lots of life's areas but in parenting, it's profound. It's obvious that when our children do well and are obedient, we will reward their good behavior with words of affirmation, special privileges, etc. But let's think of this phrase from the other side. When we ignore bad behavior, give in or "cave", or tell ourselves we'll deal with it later, we have just rewarded our children with a message that may not verbally say, "That was acceptable.", but implies it. Next time you are tempted to show retreat, remind yourself what gets rewarded, gets repeated. Hang in there!!!

It's On

Wednedsay...October 10....It's totally on...PINK HAIR!! Yeah, my kids did it! Over $547 in one day for BGMC!! Way to go kids. I'll have pics to post of the big event. Because of you, many children around the world will know about Jesus and start their personal relationship with Him. Thanks for all your hard work (you, too, moms and dads).

My Buddies

I have had two interesting conversations with Colin in the last two days that make me laugh every time I think about them. First conversation was about his friend "Joe" who is kinda tall like dad, has black hair and was 4 yrs.old yesterday but was 3 today. We talked about how Joe lives close to Colin in a place called "Marentha" (I think he might be trying to say America) and they had plans to eat dinner together last night. Okay...so I asked what they were gonna eat and Colin begins to list off several items: dirt, worms, snakes, bacon, eggs, snow... I then asked who was gonna cook all that and without hesitation said, "My dad." Apparently Pastor Josh has been watching the Food Network or something! It was a lengthy story full of imagination!

Today, Colin, Lisi and Dara joined me for some Chic-fil-a and shoe shopping. We had the second conversation over chicken nuggets and let me just say Dara and I were laughing so hard we were nearly sweating. I probably shouldn't blog what he said....maybe Dara will but it started with talking about "muscles" and ended in a hilarious spot. Oh boy, what kids will say! And say very loud on top of it! The picture is of Colin and Lisi at the Clark's store with nylons on their heads for "hats." It was so funny, they wore them in the play area, too! Thanks for the laughs! If you want free entertainment, hang out with a couple of three year olds.

Fun at "Work"

How can I call my job "work" when I have such a great time doing it? I got to spend a little time with all my friends at Des Moines Christian School this morning as I spoke at chapel time. The theme for the month is Purity/Boundaries and the scripture verse is from Proverbs 4:23, "Above all else, guard your heart for it is the wellspring of life." Our Big Idea was, "Ribs ain't just for dinner!" (Have I made you curious?) I had so much fun sharing from God's Word and just being in such a wonderful atmosphere. I even get to go back this afternoon and share with their pre-kindergarten class. I'm so blessed!

Pink Hair?

Will it happen? Can my tribe of beautiful, smart, precious kids of JCFC bring in $500 in one day for missions? I have the hair appointment set...the camera ready...the calculator warmed up, now we just have to wait until this Sunday, October 7, to find out just how cute I'll look with pink hair tips. I even had a button made that says, "Ask me why my hair is pink!" It's not every day you see a 46 year old woman sporting a punk hair do. Can't wait!

New Pics of JCFC

This is for all my friends who don't get to come to Jordan Creek Family Church. We got some new signs and I took some shots of our coffee bar area. We had a great day yesterday with over 150 in attendance.

Our worship time in Creek Kids was awesome. It's amazing to watch children as they show their joy and excitement about Jesus when they sing and the freedom they feel to "dance" before God. Our Big Idea was, "The Bible is NOT just a book!" and discovered just how BIG it is in our lives. We focused on how when asked, God provided everything Moses needed to bring the Israelites out of Egypt. The pics include some from our Super Size game. Hee Hee.

In October, we will focus in respect in Creek Kids. We will talk about respecting others that are in charge whether we want to or whether they deserve it and about respecting God in all things. I'm very excited to be adding several team members in CK! We are having a dinner meeting tonight and I'm looking forward to our connection time.

Parenting Life Group

I'm super excited for next Wednesday's Parenting Life Group. We are jumping into discipline and searching the scriptures to find out what God says about raising our kids. We have such a great group of people and it has been fun getting to know a few that I haven't got to spend much time with. If you are a part of the group, don't forget to bring your Bible this next week in case you want to mark some of the scriptures we will use. Come prepared to be encouraged and maybe stretched a little.:) We CAN raise Godly kids who have a Biblical world view! So what are the Three Key Elements to parenting? Come find out Wednesday.....

Facebook Blessings

You know...I signed up for Facebook because Micaela's college friends asked me to but it has opened up some cool re-connections. Several of my "old kids" from Berean have re-connected with me through Facebook and it has been so fun catching up with them! Most of them are either in high school or college now and it's so interesting seeing how they are serving God and what paths they are going down in their lives. It's such a blessing to think that just maybe I had a teeny-tiny bit of influence on how they are Christ followers.

I got a message on Facebook today that blessed me so much. One of my kids, now in college, messaged me (not on my wall) and said he was thinking about all the great times we had together in kid's church and how fast time goes. He was one of those kids that could be challenging but we had a very good relationship and I think he knew how I truly cared about him. I just thought it was so sweet to take a minute to say hi and let me know he was thinking about me! Blessed me so much!

It also helped me remember to touch base with people even if we don't have an opportunity to get together. Who has been on you mind lately? Maybe it's the Holy Spirit prompting you to pick up the phone or send an e-mail. You may make someones day like mine was made!! Oh yeah...and JCFC has a Facebook account, too. Check it out!

Laughin' With My Boy

The last couple days have been extra fun not only because of the pastor's conference but because I got to spend some extra time with our son, Keaton. I needed to laugh and I got extra dose of the chuckles compliments of Keaton. By the way...Pastor Glenn Reynolds has a new nickname for Keaton - "The K Train." Good one! Anywho, we are in the elevator of our apartment riding down to the garage and for some unknown reason, Keaton begins to sing, "Can't Touch This", the old MC Hammer song. Not only is he singing it, he's doing the dance moves...you know...the side step thingy. I am nearly wetting my pants laughing and the whole elevator is shaking. When we safely stopped and the doors opened, I said, "Portly men should never MC Hammer dance in elevators!" So if you ever have someone ask you in passing, "What do you know?", feel free to use our new one liner!

Mark Batterson

Wow, two days of being blessed to hear Mark Batterson speak...doesn't get much better than that! After reading his blog for the last couple years, I feel like I kinda know him. I had this idea of his personality and presence and I am so glad to say I was right. He is humble, kind and SMART. I loved how when asked a question he stopped for a moment and really thought about what he said and made sure he was actually answering the question. Most of us have been around people who simply like the sound of their own voices and don't really have anything significant to say. But Pastor Mark not only had timely information and wisdom to share, he presented himself as a humble servant who just wanted to be a blessing to some Iowa pastors. I love being around people who love what they do and Pastor Mark obviously loves being a pastor. Hope I someday get the opportunity to visit National Community Church...and Ebenezer's too.

May I Recommend?

Here's a GREAT little daily devotional book for your 3-7 year old. It's called "Jesus Wants All of Me" and it's based on Oswald Chambers' "My Utmost For His Highest." It is on the bargain book aisle at the beautiful new Family Christian Bookstore by Costco. For a mere $4.97 you can have a whole year's worth of devotionals. They also have a bedtime prayer version that is the same devos every day but has a place at the bottom of the page to write on. Are you investing in your children's spiritual growth on a daily basis? We make sure our kids get fruits and veggies, milk and protein. Think of the basic spiritual food groups, too; prayer, reading the Word, worship, and submission (repentance) to God. You won't ever be sorry for taking an extra 10-15 minutes a day to go over something from God's Word with your kids. :)

Operation Christmas Child

I'm excited to have received our kit to participate in Operation Christmas Child this year. If you have never heard about OCC, it's a simple way to bless a child somewhere in the world with a Christmas gift that also helps them know the true meaning of Christmas. I have everything we need to get involved! It's super easy...start with an average size shoe box (the $1 plastic one's at Target or Walmart work, too!), you choose an age category and whether you want to bless a boy or a girl. Then fill the box with small toys, personal items and $7 to cover shipping costs. Bring them to church and I will take them to the distribution point the week of November 12-19. I will be sending home the print info with the kids in their Creek Kids bags so you can see all the details. I'll be bringing a sample box to church in the next week in case you want some ideas. What a great family project and an inexpensive way to teach our kids about missions and giving.

After the Shock

By now, most of our family and friends have heard my latest news on my ongoing drama with my right knee. After waiting a whole month, I finally got to see the new surgeon that my orthopedist referred me to. From what I have been told by several knowledgeable sources, Dr. David Vittetoe is the man to resolve my issues. I went with the expectation of some additional surgery to fix the pain, dislocating knee cap and "giving out", but I was not expecting the drastic news I received. He said that the prosthesis is not aligned and needs to be completely replaced, they call it a revision. It was a gut puncher. Dr. Vittetoe explained that it is a longer, even more difficult surgery than the original but he was confident that he could help me. He said that he does everything differently than my last surgeon even down to the anesthesia. He is such a busy guy that I must wait until February 11 to get the surgery done.

But after the shock, some crying and even some anger, I am praising Jesus. First, the Lord hooked me up with the best guy in Des Moines to do the surgery. Second, it is a relief that it can be fixed. The doctor said many times he has to tell people that they just have to live with it. Third, this doctor had a better recovery plan and he was such a great listener and had so much compassion. Next, by waiting until February, I can keep all our fall church events on schedule, enjoy the holidays and plan my 2008 calendar around it. And lastly, I am so confident that Jesus is in control of this whole situation and has a plan and purpose for me. Jesus is so loving and kind, and knows me inside and out and understands just how much I can handle - He is not going to give me more than I can bare. He loves me so much He would not have me endure this without there being a reason. I look forward to whatever it is....a divine appointment with someone who needs Jesus, a new level of compassion, or maybe an opportunity to give Him glory and praise for a miracle. Maybe I just need to personally learn something more about patience, endurance or trust. I know He will also provide all we need with medical expenses.

Thanks for all your prayers and encouragement, concern, love and help. We have such a great circle of family and friends....so blessed! :)

Hangin' With My Guys

Randy, Keaton and I made our weekly Target run with a little added fun. These "hair" hats were calling our names! The family that acts weird together....well, errr...they just get stared at!

Something to Consider

As Christ-followers we want to grow in our relationship with Jesus. We believe that in order to grow we must attend church, listen to a sermon, and walk away with life application bullet points that we attempt to implement throughout the week. Then we return 7 days later to repeat the process. This is all good.

Many of us add elements to enhance our spiritual growth. ( Bible study or life group, accountability group, prayer group, etc.) These are the things we do or actions we take in order to instigate spiritual growth in our lives. Of course, this is also very good.

Volunteering (a.k.a. serving) is something we view entirely different. Much like tithing, we view serving as our contribution. Something we give back.

The truth is… volunteering is another method by which we grow spiritually. (As is tithing.) Find a ministry that makes your heart race and you’ll find something that stretches you spiritually more than anything else you could attempt as a Christ-follower. Some of you have hidden talents and hobbies that would be a wonderful addition to Creek Kids. Some of you may have always wanted to play with puppets or dress up as a wacky character but have never had the opportunity. I'd like to help you grow in your relationship with Jesus by plugging you into children's ministry. I promise it's the funnest way to grow! Just something for you to consider.

Good Times

Randy and I had an opportunity to hang out with our sweet little friend, Mia. Isn't this one of the sweetest faces, ever?! We had some fun at the play area in Jordan Creek Mall and some good ole chicken nuggets for din! Can't beat that. :)

Life Group

Our first night of our Parenting Life Group got off to a great start. We have a nice size crowd with a great variety of parenting stages including expectant, first timers and elementary aged kids. We have started with learning our children's love languages. The most important thing to remember though is that whatever their love language is, we have to always show unconditional love. No strings attached!! I'm really looking forward to getting to know our group better and hopefully be an encouragement in their parenting journey!

New Music

Here's a CD I recommend you get your kids and if you hurry out this week, you can get it at Family Christian Bookstore for $5!! It's one that even mom and dad won't mind listening to. It's by Phil Joel of the Newsboys and called "Deliberate Kids." All the songs are very scripture based and super fun. I'm sure we'll break it out in Creek Kids!

Baptism

What a great time we had at JCFC's Baptism and BBQ Sunday night. We met out at Lake Panorama, thanks Mark and Amy, and it was a beautiful night. It was a smidge chilly but if you know me, I think 75 is a little chilly! All the ladies brought yumm-o side dishes and Mark manned the grill. Pastor Josh had the honor of baptising 19 people. I'm so proud of those who took the next step in their faith journey and followed after Jesus in baptism! Can't wait to see the video footage and the professional pics from Erica. My snap shots will not compare, I'm sure. I sure hope I get to baptize some kids this next spring or summer when we do it again! If you think your child may be getting old enough for baptism, let me know and we can talk about it.