Stewardship

As each one has received a gift, minister it to one another, as good stewards of the manifold grace of God. 1 Peter 4:10 NKJV

Originally, a steward was a servant responsible to bring food and drink to the master of the home.Later, it morphed into a larger occupation - that of managing the domestic affairs of the household including finances in some cases. When people began to travel more extensively in the last two centuries, a steward was the one responsible to see to their comfort, meals and other necessities during their trip by boat, train or plane.

But in 2012, the definition of a steward has expanded to refer to responsible planning and managing of our resources - everything from caring for our environment to our finances, health, property and even information as we communicate on a global level. We see the theme of personal responsibility all the time as we are urged to "go green" to protect our environment.

But for us as Christians, the term "stewardship" has an even deeper meaning - to take responsible care of all these resources because they really belong to God. To God, people have always been more important than material possessions so what is boils down to is that we need to live a life based on giving and serving, using the resources God has given us.

It means becoming attentive to the needs of others around us and serving them out of a willing heart - yes, even giving our very lives away if necessary to serve others in order to bring them to a saving knowledge of Jesus Christ.

Give away your life; you'll find life given back, but not merely given back—given back with bonus and blessing. Giving, not getting, is the way. Generosity begets generosity." Luke 6:38 The Message

Matthew 16:25 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake will find it.

In the end, it's the job with the best satisfaction / compensation rate!

Father, help me to be a good steward of the resources you've given me. Amen!

Just like a deer that craves streams of water, my whole being craves you, God. Psalm 42:1 CEB

Deer have always fascinated me - probably because I don't remember seeing any where I grew up, except for in the zoo or local wildlife preserves where they fenced in areas for them.


So when I met my husband, it fascinated me to see the deer as we drove through his childhood haunts. He was able to spot them long before I would, because I wasn't used to looking for them. Since we now pastor here in central PA at the edge of our little town, there are an abundance of deer.

Last night at the end of the day, I took several photos of five deer who wandered out of the woods onto our softball field to nibble at the grass. One, a fawn, isn't visible because he ducked back into the woods as I approached.

I decided to try to get as close as I could for a photo and walked slowly toward the grazers. One of them watched me the entire time while the others grazed happily away, looking up at me occasionally. When I got too close for comfort, about 75 yards away in the open field, the one standing guard snorted loudly, flicked its tail and bounded into the woods, followed by the other three.

Heavenly Father, even as I crave your sweet presence today like those deer craved the sweet green grass, , help me to be alert to the things that so easily tempt me to forsake you. Help me to flee from those things and to warn others as well. Amen!

Stone Soup's On

One of my favorite stories from childhood is the folk tale of Stone Soup. A poor man becomes hungry on a long journey and stops to fix himself a meal. He has no money to purchase the ingredients for a pot of soup and no one will share their food with him.

So he gets creative. He places a large stone in his pot with some water over the fire. As the water starts to boil, he sniffs at the steam, pretending it is the most delicious pot of soup ever.

At first those passing by scoff at the man. But finally one person stops to stare at the man and his pot of rocks. The man makes a show of tasting his soup and smacking his lips. “Ah such wonderful soup, but it would be even better with an onion.”

The passerby roots through his pockets and finds an onion which he contributes to the soup in exchange for a bowl when it is done. And so the story goes as another person stops, watches the traveller taste his soup and contributes another vegetable. Soon the soup fills the pot to overflowing and the wonderful aroma thrills the  travellers and the locals alike. It has become a feast they all can share.

Today, I thought about this story as I put a BIG pot of soup on the stove. It reminded me of the work Jesus does in our lives. He takes our hearts of stone and simmers them together with all of heaven’s good ingredients like love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self control.

Soon He creates lives overflowing with His love – fragrant offerings which draw the spiritually starving people of the world to Himself. One thing about the Lord – He never does things in a small way. He wants to fill our lives so full of His goodness, that there’s plenty of His love to go around.

Truly, the best part of being a Christian, like making a big pot of soup, is sharing with friends and family. So come on over, there’s plenty to go around. But you might want to bring a loaf of bread or some dessert to make it taste even better LOL!

I am valuable!

TODAY: I am Valuable

Matthew 6:25-26 "Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not more valuable than they?"

"Oh look! There's a yard sale sign. Pull over quick!"

My husband tells me the car won't stop at yard sales, but when I'm driving - it does. LOL!

I'm not sure why I enjoy pawing through other people's cast offs, except that maybe I'm hoping to find just the right "treasure" - that one thing I really need and can't live without at a real bargain price.

Over the years I have found some neat treasures too - all kinds of bargain children's clothes to help clothe my 7 grand kids; toys to keep at my house for when they come to visit; furniture to overhaul so I can change my home decor, kitchen gadgets and so on. These things were useless items to their owners, but now occupy places of honor in my home.

At least they do until I need to clean house or pack up the moving van! Then they go out the door into my own yard sale and bring in a few extra, much-needed dollars to purchase something else.

The point is, the things others think of as expendable trash have become useful and enjoyable to me. Sometimes they need a little TLC, but they are treasures nevertheless.

Think for a moment of where you were before Christ found you. What kind of crisis were you going through at the time? What hardships or trials drew you to Him? Did you feel like a heap of trash - with no value to anyone?

According to one Christian psychologist, 99% of people who seek Christ are in a crisis situation at the time they call out to Him. Many feel worthless and hopeless. Only 1 % of Christians can actually say they "grew" into the family of God. That's a staggering statistic!

God saw us among the enemy's trash and bought us back, took us home, and put us to use in His Kingdom. Yay! He fixes us up, repairs the broken parts of our lives and loves us because He sees value in us - He sees what we CAN be.

True, even after He works on us we may bear scars of sin or of our poor choices down here on this earth, but He finds ways to bring beauty and wonderful things from those scars. They become our personal experience evidence of Christ's love and care in our lives. As we share those experiences with the hurting around us, they too allow Him to rescue them from the "trash." What a beautiful trash to treasure story!

As one Christian bumper sticker put it:

"I know I'm somebody 'cause God don't make no junk!"
Our value isn't determined by our perfection, but rather by His grace.

Thank You Lord!

Don't be afraid to share your story just because of your scars or imperfections. The hurting around us need to see those things to know He can minister to them too, right now, right where they're at. Just as He still bears the scars from the cross, He values the scars that remain from our hurts and mistakes. He redeems them by using them to touch the lives of others. We are VALUABLE to Him.

I Am Victorious

Today: I AM VICTORIOUS

Deuteronomy 20:1-4 When you go to war against your enemies and see horses and chariots and an army greater than yours, do not be afraid of them,because the Lord your God, who brought you up out of Egypt, will be with you. When you are about to go into battle, the priest shall say: Hear O Israel, today you're going into battle against your enemies. Do not be fainthearted or afraid; do not be terrified or give way to panic before them. For the Lord your God is the one who goes with you to fight for you against your enemies to give you victory.
I am a visual learner so the Lord often helps me understand His presence in my life through visuals - pictures of His relationship with me.

Many years ago when I started on my journey toward wholeness, God showed me a picture of how I saw myself. I was dressed in Roman-type armor - you know, the sandals that laced up the calves, a skirt of leather strips which covered the thighs, a leather breastplate, etc.

I had removed the helmet and stood with one foot balanced on the helmet. In my hand I held a long Roman spear with the butt end planted in the ground. My other hand perched on my hip.
I stood there on my cliff poised for battle, my long hair whipped back away from my face as the winds of adversity buffeted me.

I saw myself as a strong, fearless warrior for the Lord. However, I failed to see how alone I was on that hillside as I tried to handle the battles on my own. I didn't know how to trust Him through the battles. I was afraid of being a "bother" to Him so I stood firm on my own two feet, fighting FOR Him.

Twila Paris sang a song many years ago called the "Warrior Is A Child" As God began showing me this picture of Bonnie, the warrior princess, I began hearing the refrain of that song : "deep inside this armor, the warrior is a child" - a broken, wounded, hurting child. God dismantled that visual in one fell swoop. I was reduced to a small frightened child with no armor at all, naked and exposed to the elements.

Thankfully, God never leaves us in a place of brokenness. He always heals and works with us to bring out the beauty and strength He sees in us. For me it meant a long process of healing as He slowly changed my picture of myself from warrior princess to warrior bride.

What does a warrior bride look like? That picture of Christ is still evolving in my heart and life. But as of now to looks something like this: I am riding on the back of a strong white horse, but I am not alone. Christ rides on that same horse, right in front of me and I am comforted as I hold on tightly to Him.

I can feel the strength of His armored breastplate as I rest my cheek against His back. Even though I know we are at the forefront of the battle, I can't see the enemy because He fills my immediate vision. He feels strong, safe, secure.The muscles of His arms ripple with strength. I can hear His war cry ringing in my ears and I'm not afraid though I sense the enemy is quaking.

As His warrior bride, I fight with Him instead of alone, though most of the time, I must admit, my energy is spent clinging to Him so I don't fall off the battle steed! Because of that, I don't carry a spear. Instead, my weapon is prayer - watching the works He is doing and praying for those I see in the battle all around me. At times, He deposits me on the ground so I might minister to the fallen in battle, like Lucy of Narnia with her Aslan-given gift of heavenly cordial that has the power to heal those who drink of it.

How do you see yourself in this battle?

As Christians, we are definitely warriors on the forefront of the battle. He has given each of us a work to do to bring healing, encouragement and victory! Allow our Warrior King to give you the necessary training and weaponry as you fight this battle with Him.

After all, I've seen the end of the book - and WE WIN! Hallelujah!

I Am Chosen

I am chosen
Ephesian 1:3-6

How blessed is God! And what a blessing he is! He's the Father of our Master, Jesus Christ, and takes us to the high places of blessing in him. Long before he laid down earth's foundations, he had us in mind, had settled on us as the focus of his love, to be made whole and holy by his love. Long, long ago he decided to adopt us into his family through Jesus Christ. (What pleasure he took in planning this!) He wanted us to enter into the celebration of his lavish gift-giving by the hand of his beloved Son. (The Message)


When I was a small child, there was a large portrait of Jesus and the children at the bottom of the stairway leading to my Sunday School class. It portrayed a smiling Jesus seated among a cluster of children. I loved to envision myself in that group of children and thought how wonderful it was to be loved by Him.

As an adult I am awed by the idea of being "chosen" by Him. It's not because I'm good enough, or flawless enough. Rather, it's because He chooses to love me - to want me. It's His choice. He sees my innermost being - my naked real self - and He likes what He sees. It's because He sees past the destruction of sin to the innocent being He created.

Wow! His choice gives me value.

What a priviledge to write this message so other women who are hurting might learn to know they are chosen too - to be lifted from their own inadequacies to the knowledge that His love gives them worth!

I Am Born For A Reason

Several weeks ago, a fellow pastor's wife began a series of e-mails about who we are in Jesus - the "I ams" of scripture. While I have seen similar lists over the years, this list once again challenged me to begin a series of e-mails and blogs of my own to encourage my Christian friends. Understanding who I am in Jesus has lifted my heart so much, I decided to share them here as well.

Day one:
I am created for a purpose Psalm 139:16 (The Message)


13-16 Oh yes, you shaped me first inside, then out;
you formed me in my mother's womb.
I thank you, High God—you're breathtaking!
Body and soul, I am marvelously made!
I worship in adoration—what a creation!
You know me inside and out,
you know every bone in my body;
You know exactly how I was made, bit by bit,
how I was sculpted from nothing into something.
Like an open book, you watched me grow from conception to birth;
all the stages of my life were spread out before you,
The days of my life all prepared
before I'd even lived one day.


In Bible college many years ago, our class song was written by a gifted music ministry student.The chorus to our class song has always stuck with me:

I was born for a reason
Not just by chance
God has a purpose
For letting my breath last
If I seek Him I will find HIm
He will see me through
For with the help of God
There is nothing I can't do.

It had been an eventful year for me. I went off to Bible college convinced I would one day go to the jungles of South America and translate the Bible into the native tongue of some remote Amazon tribe.

But somewhere along the way, I began to believe that I wasn't good enough, my motives weren't pure enough so God couldn't use me as a missionary. I abandoned my teenage dreams in a pool of crocodile tears.

Thankfully God didn't abandon me! He continued to work with me, bringing experiences across my path to help me discover the writing ministry He had in store for me. That year, the class leaders came to me and asked me to write the dedication pages of our college yearbook. I was to write about Sister Mary Campbell, an intrigal part of Zion's history and a shaper of many young college students.

What an honor! And I felt so insignificant and unworthy of it.

I argued with God saying, "I'm not a writer!" And it was true. At that time, I had never written anything for publication. I had never even dreamed about being a writer. But because I couldn't say no to anyone, I told my classmates, "Sure I'll try."

I sat and stared at the blank piece of paper. I struggled to put something down - anything - all the while fearing it would be horrible and ruin the whole yearbook. I wrote sentence after sentence, scratching them out and crumbling the paper into trash can missles. As the deadline approached, I finally was able to draft 4 simple sentences that described Sister Mary Campbell. I turned in my feeble attempts, feeling like it was a big flop.

But when I saw the finished page with the words embellishing her photo, I knew the words were just what they needed to be. They fit Sister Campbell, her life and her ministry:

To be born for a reason is to live a life of dedication.

To be born for a reason is to live a life of self-sacrifice.

To be born for a reason is to live a life of quiet waiting before the Lord.

To be born for a reason is to live a life of faith.

As the years passed, God began showing me He wanted me to write. I fussed again, believing I was inadequate and untrained for such a profession. I even quit a writing training course after only 5 lessons because I was too intimidated about the process of writing, revision and submission.

God took me back to that yearbook page and reminded me of the struggle to get those words down on paper. "That's what a writer does," He said softly. "She works to find just the right words to bless, inspire and move the hearts of her readers. You already have the heart of a writer and I will teach you what you lack."

And He has!

Each one of us has a purpose in God's plan. He orchestrates every event of our lives to educate us, to develop the necessary skills and bring us to the place where we can fulfill that plan.

What is God's purpose for your life today? If you don't have any idea, begin by praying for the Lord to reveal His purpose to you. Then sit down and look over the past events of your life.

What lessons have you learned? What people have inspired or encouraged you? What obstacles have you overcome? All of those things are signposts to guide you toward the fulfillment of His purpose.

Share your heart with someone today!

Frugal Living - Learning the art of giving

Like most people, I have a "wish list" of things I'd like to have someday. But it's just that - a wish list. Most of the things on that list aren't really necessities. As I look around, I have what I need to live comfortably, especially when compared to others.

A friend recently forwarded an e-mail that contained the testimony of a 70 year old widow living in an African nation. This woman not only lost her husband, but her home when he died. Once she lived in comfort, but with his death, everything changed.

Since she didn't receive any inheritance, she survived by selling what she could - all the remaining household furniture and even the precious gifts her husband had once given her. Medical and dental care are non-existent for this woman so she pulls her own teeth and stitches up her own wounds with a needle and thread. She supports herself by painting and selling her work, gardening and limiting herself to one meal per day.

Yet somehow, in the midst of her own need, she has found a precious secret - that of giving to others, even when she doesn't really have it to give. She banded together with another family of seven, even more destitute because they have no income at all. A small family of four with two infants and a young man with limited resources also comprise her "family." Together they look out for each other, doing what they can to survive.

In the midst of her loneliness, she finds her joy by helping others - at 70, she hopes to share her nursing skills in areas of the country where cholera runs rampant, but government officials think she is too old to help and refuse to allow her to go.

"I am still here and refuse to let go. There are too many people left in this country who need compassion, care and hope to go on. Although there are organisations and charitable groups who try to help, there aren't enough of them. But the solution lies with all of us here - black , white and coloured, to start caring for each other. It takes more than courage, it takes fury and grief to explode into action," she writes.

"To all those who live elsewhere and who have never experienced this deprivation, let me tell you, it is a testing experience. Above all, learn from it, because - but for the Grace of God there goes You."

Father, help me learn to live frugally so I may give to others - not only sharing Your words which are rich beyond measure, but also to give tangibly, doing what I can to ease their hurts and desperate needs. Amen!

Scenes from our August 2008 Kid's Crusade

I feel like I've been away from blogging for months! We had our kid's crusade last week so I didn't have much of a chance to write so now I have to get back into the swing of things.

We did have a great time with the children as they learned about God's word and sang some really fun songs. So..... here's some pictures and videos of what we did. (It's my first experience with videos so here goes!)

They also learned how to do puppets and put on a show for their parents.

And of course they played games...

and ate! Though we were few in numbers, everyone had a great time.

Women's summer meeting idea - Have a fruit fest!

Feeling a little fruity? The long hot days of summer can sure make you feel that way at times, especially if you're home with the kids all day. Why not celebrate the bounties of the summer season with a fruity party idea?

Our ladies are having their annual Fruit Fest tonight. Each one who comes is bringing 2 cups of one summer fruit which we will mix all together for a fantastic fruit salad. On the sign up list I saw blueberries, strawberries peaches, melons, grapes - you name it, it was there. Are you salivating yet?

Or if you want something a little fancier, serve the fruits with a variety of dipping sauces from chocolate fondue (yummy!) to a whipped cream or cream cheese type dip. Oh, I can just see the calories adding up with this one.

Along with the fruity theme of the party you might plan a "getting to know you" game - What kind of fruit are you and why? Plus a time of devotions on Biblical fruit. Scripture has lots to say about fruit - bearing fruit, the fruit of the spirit, being the apple of his eye, etc.

Try fruit trivia - I googled "peach trivia" and found all kinds of interesting things about them like where they originated and peaches in early America. I feel a quiz coming on...

Have everyone bring their favorite fruity recipe to share and you could even have someone give a demonstration on making some kind of fruity dish or how to can/freeze certain kinds of fruit. Most of our ladies here have been canning and freezing foods for so long, they know how by heart!

Decorations can include pictures of fruit, displays of artificial or real fruit - or just skip the decorations all together and have your get-together at a park or church pavilion like we're doing with picnic table cloths, paper plates and no clean up!

However you choose to do it, fruit makes a fun refreshing theme for a women's summer get-together. Have a fruity day!

Have a dip cook-off at your next women's group meeting

Monday evening we had a fun get together for our women's group.

We carpooled to our group leader's home to help her make wedding favors for her upcoming wedding reception - little pill boxes made from pale yellow cardstock and stamped with royal/navy blue wedding stamps. After the boxes were stamped and assembled, a ribbon accent was added. She will stuff them with small candy treats near the wedding date.

Of course, we couldn't work so hard without a snack, so we had a "Dip Cook-Off." Each of us brought our favorite dip recipe to sample while our hostess provided an assortment of crackers and pretzels. The "winners" of the dip contest would be featured on the refreshment table at our group leader's reception.

A yummy assortment of dips appeared on her counter including a crab dip, 2 kinds of spicy buffalo chicken dip, cheese logs, a fruit dip and honey mustard dip. They were all so good, I thought I'd share a few here.

Honey Mustard Dip

I found this recipe a few years ago when I needed to make a dip for a party and had no sour cream. It was so easy and tasted so good with pretzels, cheese and summer sausage that I've made it for all my parties. It can be made in any quantity using the following recipe:

One part mustard - brown spicy, Dijon or yellow - you can mix them if desired.
One part honeyTwo parts mayonnaise - you can substitute Miracle Whip, or the low fat varieties to cut the fat and calories

Mix together and serve.

Crab Dip
I had never tasted this one before, but thought it was excellent.

Soften 1 package of Cream cheese and mix with 1 package of crab meat. Spread in the bottom of an aluminum pizza pan and top with your favorite cocktail sauce.

So easy and tasty.

Buffalo Chicken Dip
I'm not sure if this is the recipe used by one of our ladies, but it sounds like the dip she made. I love the heat to this one and could easily go overboard with it.

2 pounds of chicken breasts
Frank's hot sauce - 12 oz bottle
2- 8 oz packages or one 16 oz package of cream cheese
1 - 16 oz bottle of Ranch dressing
8 oz. of your favorite cheese grated (sharp cheddar, Jack cheese, etc.)

Cook and shred chicken. Mix all ingredients and place in crock pot (a small one quart crock pot works great for this dip) and heat on low until ingredients are melted and heated through. Serve warm.

Do you have a favorite (and easy) dip recipe to share? I'm always on the lookout for things to try at church gatherings!

Bulletin Board idea for June

On Wednesdays I always enjoy sharing ministry ideas that my readers can take and make their own.

Today's idea is a bulletin board design inspired by a similar idea I saw on the web...

Growing In God's Image

For the month of June, my husband plans to share a series of sermons on the Image of God. Since June is a month for gardens, I googled free bulletin board ideas on the web and was inspired by a garden themed board one person had posted.

Our board is 4' high x 6' wide and because it is such a big space, it can be daunting. But as I started putting together my first ever bulletin board, I began to realize it was like creating a giant scrapbook page!

The background is a wonderful 2 yard piece of blue fabric with tiny dots. Fabric works well because it covers the length of the board almost from top to bottom and is easy to tack in place - no seams to fit together..

For the garden soil, I used recycled paper grocery bags, cutting off the bottom and opening up the side seam. It took 1 whole bag cut into 2 strips to fit the length of the board. I actually made 2 layers so I could make it look like I planted things in the soil. To get the look of soil, I crumbled the paper bag pieces before mounting them on the board and then used my brown dye-based ink directly on the paper to give it texture.

With the background of the board covered, I added the other elements - a trellis made from strips of brown cardstock, vines out of the twisted paper ribbon, construction paper leaves and beans which I photocopied from the front of the package of beans I planted in my garden. I wrote various character traits God is "growing" in us on the beans and lettuce plants.

The lettuce I drew freehand and the letters I made by taking 5 sheets of construction paper and cutting them into 4 pieces each. With the uniform pieces, I could create regular block letters large enough for the board.

As a finishing touch, I added dimension and whimsy to the board with silk flowers and vines. It was a fun board and took about two hours to complete with a little help from my hubby. It's my turn again in October so.... any ideas out there?

Pray for those who've never heard

This morning, my heart was moved by this AP photo on the Yahoo news on my home page about uncontacted tribes living in the Amazon River basin between Brazil and Peru.

According to the article, there are still over 100 tribes worldwide who have never had outside contact with about half of them living in this Brazil/Peru Amazon River Basin region. They are in danger of being forced off their land by companies logging in the rich rain forest areas. Also. because of their isolation, they've never had contact with diseases we now immunize our children against - diseases that could wipe out whole tribes.

What really blew my mind was that there were still over 100 tribes in our world that have never heard the Good News of the Gospel of Christ!

One of the biggest influences in my life was the story in the 1950's of Wycliffe Bible Translators who were killed making contact with the Auca Indians in this region of the world. Following this tragedy, the wives of these men ventured int the area to bring Christ's message to the very people who killed their husbands.

For years after reading this missions story and following the life of Elisabeth Elliott, my teenaged heart longed to go into this region of the world and reach those uncontacted tribes. I never realized that dream, but have often thought about those who have never heard the Gospel in those regions.

Today I was reminded to keep praying for them that they will hear and believe the message of Christ. I also sensed an urgency about it - you see we are living in the last days according to the prophetic message of Scripture. It isn't hard to see that as we look at the events in the world around us lining up with the future events prophesied in Scripture.

But one of the things that is supposed to happen is that all nations will have a chance to hear the message. That includes these uncontacted tribal nations in remote areas of the world.

My blog today is a call to prayer for Christians everywhere to pray for those who haven't yet heard the good news of the Gospel. He is coming soon - May all the people hear the message of love and forgiveness in Christ.

Let the hunt begin - a fun meeting idea for your ladies or youth group

Remember the scavenger hunts when you were a kid? You were given a list of items and let loose to find as many as you could with your teammates. After a specific amount of time, you all gathered together again and counted the items you were able to find.

There have been many variations on the scavenger hunt idea, but this one I recently heard about tops the list! It's a "grown up" version which would make a great outing for a women's group or teenagers.

Karen, a fellow pastor's wife, shared this idea at a recent luncheon for pastor's wives. The group got so excited, we decided to try it ourselves Unfortunately it coincided with my trip to Florida to see my grand kids so I couldn't participate . But the gals had fun and took lots of photos.
Here's how it works:
.
Girl’s Nite Out Scavenger Hunt
Everyone meets at the food court of a local mall and is assigned to a team. Each team must have a digital camera and will be given a list of rules, a "Girl's Night Out" sign and a list of photos they must take in the mall (See a suggested list below). Set an hour or 2 time limit and have everyone meet back at the food court at the end where you may have a devotional if desired.

Rules
~ Be as inconspicuous as possible…pretend you’re on a secret mission.
~ Put EVERYTHING back where it belongs…be courteous!
~ Put the “Girl’s Nite Out” sign in each picture. Have someone different hold it each time.
~ Everyone needs to be in every picture—except for the photographer. You can rotate if you want…
~ Pictures do not have to be taken in order, but the whole group needs to return to the Food Court by 9:00 PM whether or not all the pictures have been taken..
~ Have a GREAT time!

Required Pictures
(may be changed to reflect the stores in your local mall.)

1. Everyone pick out your favorite colored towel at Penney’s and pose with it! (Be sure to fold it and put it back neatly!)

2. Have a child take a picture of everyone at the mall playground.

3. Have one person in the group try on a formal and have the group pose with her.

4. EVERYONE try on a pair of crazy shoes at Pay Less or Famous Footwear (both shoes need to be on and the right size). Take a picture of just your feet.

5. Have everyone get on the glass elevator and look out except for the photographer. Take a picture from the outside.

6. When the group arrives downstairs, do a creative pose and the photographer should take a picture from the floor above.

7. Take a picture in front of a mural.

8. At Bath & Body Works, have everyone choose their favorite lotion and pose with it.

9. At the toy store have everyone choose her favorite game & pose with it.

10. At Dollar Tree, everyone choose their favorite snack and pose with it. Then, put all your pennies together and buy one package of bubble gum. Note how many pennies you used here:____________

11. When you leave the Dollar Tree, give everyone some bubble gum and see who can blow the biggest bubble. Take a picture of everyone with a bubble!

12. Get a picture of everyone on a sofa at the furniture store.

13. Buy $1 size French Fries at Wendy’s. Take a picture with the fries, then have someone time how long it takes for the group to eat ALL of the fries. Write the time here:________________.

14. Get a picture of the group behind a bathroom stall door with only your heads showing.

15. At the Bon-Ton, everyone pose with your favorite purse (or pocketbook).

16. Get a picture of everyone at the ride-on toys. Have at least one person on a toy. Give 50 cents to a child to go on a ride.

17. If possible, take a picture of everyone with the “Yummy” Chef while taste-testing the chicken. If he’s not out, just take a picture in front of the restaurant & everyone say, “Yummy, yummy!”

18. Go to Hallmark and find your name on something—see if you can find something that tells what your name means. Hold up the item and take a picture. (Remember what your name means—write it on the back of this paper.)

19. Take a picture with your favorite TY Beanie Baby.

20. Do a creative pose at the fountain.

For her devotional, Karen used:
One Body with Many Parts
I Corinthians 12:12-31 (NLT) and tied it in with how the women worked together to accomplish their assigned task.

Thanks Karen for this great idea!!!!!

Legacies Revisited

We had a great banquet Saturday evening. Our theme was Legacies and we decorated with vintage items, took vintage photos of everyone who attended and talked about the Legacies that have been passed down to us by our families. Because some have asked, I have posted the message outline I used Saturday night.

LEGACIES

Introduction: I used mom and daughter volunteers to show how we pass down family traits in our appearance. We can't control this physical legacy, but it is something we pass down - sometimes even generations later, there will be a trait that will pop up out of the blue -For example, my son is tall but the rest of the family is shorter. He apparently got that from several generations back - one of my grandfathers who was very tall.

1. Another legacy we pass onto our children is a historical legacy. Here I talked about family trees - genealogy. I shared some interesting facts about my ancestors that I had found out through research and stories that were passed down through the family. We also cannot control this legacy -we have no choice who our ancestors were or what they did, whether they were preachers or horse thieves.

2. But we do have control over the Intellectual/educational legacy we leave our families
a. I shared some important lessons my mom passed down to me - bits and pieces of advice
b. I shared how my grandmother and mother in law taught me to cook and shared some old cookbooks
c. I also shared how my parents made it possible for me to do many different things to help me develop my fullest potential as a person
d. Then I tied it in to how Christ provides the opportunities and experiences we need to prepare us to be all we can be for Him

3. Spiritual Legacy
a. How we as parents pass down a spiritual legacy to our kids -taking them to church, teaching them to pray, modeling the Christian life - with family examples
b. God also brings people into our lives to mentor and guide us - examples
c. God also gives us the legacy of His word - full of stories of real life people who suffered as we do, who felt the same emotions we do including, fear, abandonment, anger, etc.
d. Deuteronomy 6:4-9 challenges us to keep his life-lessons always in front of us - He does this through object lessons - like the feasts the Israelites celebrated and Communion

Conclusion: So the question is - Who are we in Christ?
- You are who you are because of the physical and family tree legacy passed on to you. You can't control what you look like or who your family members were, but God gives you the choice to be the same or different from them.
-You are who you are because of the intellectual and educational opportunities you have had or will have whether they were provided by God the father or your earthly parents..
- You are who you are because of the Spiritual legacy from you r Parents and your Heavenly parent who loves you and is investing in your life through people and experiences to bring out the best in you

Christ has provided us with an inheritance - a legacy as unique and individual as each of us here tonight. He is investing heavily in our future each day though we don't always see it . Why? So we can bring as many to heaven with us as we can. He's giving us a living legacy - a legacy of faith to pass on to future generations.

I finished by singing the song by 4 Him - Future Generations

We must be a light to future generations!

Funeral Saturday

To all my dear friends who may have been wondering where I am:

This has been a rough week. My father was in the hospital with severe pneumonia and the doctors wanted my brother and I to make a decision regarding long term care for him. He was on a breathing tube but that needed to come out because it wasn't helping.

We opted not to do the tracheotomy and feeding tube, just having the doctors keep him comfortable. He has been through so much and is a Christian. Since Mom passed away in November, he really missed her and longed to go to be with her. He was 82 years old.

Dad passed away quietly on Wednesday afternoon. The funeral will be Saturday morning.
So that's been my week. Keep my family in prayer if you will. Thanks!

More prayer ideas for children at home and in the classroom

Wow! I received such a great response to yesterday's blog, I decided to share some more great prayer ideas for kids.

• Prayer Scrapbook

Several pastors' wives suggested creating a prayer journal with photos as prayer reminders. "V" in the Midwest suggested a different theme for each day:

Sunday - Church, pastors, Sunday School Teachers, etc
Monday - Home, Family, Extended family with photos of each one
Tuesday - Schools including teachers, administrators, volunteers, bus drivers, etc.
Wednesday - Our Nation, President, Government Officials, Local Government Officials, etc.
Thursday - Teen Challenge, Samaritan's Purse, any organizations you support
Friday - Missionaries and world situations like the war in Iraq, poverty, etc.
Saturday - Anything Day : Those prayer requests that are important to the children like pets, people they know who need extra prayer, etc.

To adapt this to a classroom situation, have the children make collage pages for a spiral binder, using page protectors so the pictures can be changed as needed. Have them cut photos out of magazines for church, family, and school. Use brochures or missionary prayer cards for those pages. Perhaps you could designate each Sunday as a special prayer day. The first Sunday of the month, pray for your church, etc.

Thanks "V"!

• Prayer Chain

Another ministry friend I know as "pw" suggested making a prayer chain. You know, the same paper chains children make at Christmas out of construction paper. She starts with a heart, decorated with a Bible verse and glitter and hangs it on the wall to remind the children we pray for others because we love them.

Then for each prayer request, a chain is added with the request and date on it. As God answers prayers, a note is attached directly to the corresponding link on the chain with the date on it. This could be another heart with a thank you to God on it if desired.

Great idea "pw".

Let me add my two cents to the above idea - to use the prayer chain as an object lesson, you could have each child make a series of links with their requests on them. Then have the children gather in a circle and each take ahold of one end of their chain with one hand and the next person's chain with their other hand to form an unbroken circle showing the strength we have in corporate prayer. When we fail to pray, the chain is broken.

• Global Praying

Here's another Idea I have used for missionary praying. I found a clear inflatable globe (like a beach ball). We sat in a circle and sang "He's got the Whole World In His hands," and tossed the ball back and forth across the circle. As each child caught the ball, they closed their eyes and pointed to a place on the globe. We then prayed for the missionaries there as well as the people for salvation and whatever else needed to be addressed in that country.

If you can't find an inflatable globe, a wall map works well too with push pins and little flags (Could be played like "Pin the tail on the donkey.")

This is really great and I'm getting a lot of wonderful ideas to adapt for my Children's Church group! Thanks to all who have contributed so far! Feel free to leave your comments or ideas

Bonnie

Making prayer real for kids

Have you ever lived through a natural disaster?

Ten years ago in 1998, we lived in Northern NY when a dangerous ice storm hit the area. A few days into the New Year, the rain began falling and freezing on contact. By 5 AM, transformers began popping and sizzling as telephone and electrical poles toppled like rows of dominoes

Streets were dangerously impassible because of the sheen of ice as well as live power lines in some areas. To top it off, the Senior Citizen apartment complex located near the Oswegatchie River had begun to flood, necessitating the evacuation of the elderly residents. People who had no alternative way to heat their homes evacuated to shelters which were set up in churches, schools and other public buildings.

This disaster became a means to teach my children’s church students a valuable lesson on praying for others. Since all of our church families were affected in some way by the storm, the children understood how it felt to be in the dark and cold because of the disaster. It created an empathy with those in other parts of the world who were also suffering from disastrous events.

I purchased a map which I posted in our room. Each week when the children came into their class, we talked about the things that were happening around the world like floods, storms, fires and other disastrous events. We placed push pins with little flags on the map and then prayed for the boys and girls in that area who were going through difficult times. We prayed for their salvation as well as for God to help them through their difficult and scary times.

What ideas have you used to teach children to pray? I’d love to hear from you this week!

The icing on my Easter Cake!

What a beautiful Easter Service we experienced yesterday, celebrating the resurrection of Jesus.

The most inspiring part of the service for me were the words of the song our ensemble sang from the mini-cantata, Because He Lives:

Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Sin has been defeated the enemy has failed.
Hallelujah, Hallelujah,
Sin has been defeated, The Lamb has prevailed!

The Easter Message, coupled with the sweet presence of the Holy Spirit and the fellowship of believers, it was a blessed day.

But I think the frosting on the cake came this morning as I met a new friend online from Bangladesh. He shared photos on his blog of a large crowd of believers standing with hands raised and joyous expressions on their faces, celebrating Christ's resurrection at an early morning sunrise service in his community. No doubt many of them walked a long way in the predawn to get there. I sensed how important of a celebration it was for them.


As I looked at those photos, I felt as though I was one with them, my heart singing praises to the Lord: "Sin has been defeated, the Lamb has prevailed!"

Meet my friend Author Delia LAtham

Hi! I'd love for you to meet a good friend of mine - Author Delia Latham.

We met two years ago while writing for an online e-zine. I was checking out the bios of my fellow writers and noticed Delia had published her first book, Almost Like A Song, with the same publisher as mine so I contacted her. Since we were both married to pentecostal pastors and had adorable grandkids, we had a lot in common and developed a friendship. We ended up exchanging books and I've been a fan ever since!

Delia is a master at creating plots with unexpected twists and turns, making her Christian romance novels so much fun to read. Several months ago, I was privileged to preview her newest book Golden Eyes published by Vintage Romance Publishing, which is due to be officially released March 30th. Believe me, it's a "must read!"

Pssst - I have it on good authority, it's available now at Amazon! I can't wait for the 30th and am planning to order my copy now!!!

Golden Eyes

A man’s eyes are the windows to his soul … if he has one.

Deep in the darkness of a Depression-era night, a man addicted to alcohol commits an unspeakable crime to obtain it. His vile action impacts the lives of two entire families, and over two decades will pass before the horrible wrong begins to be made right again.

Two young women – strangers to each other – unknowingly enmeshed in a Pandora’s Box of secrets that could prevent them from finding happiness with the men they love. Two adoring mothers who know more than they are willing to say. A newsman with a story he cannot tell. What is their connection, and who is the golden-eyed stranger who moves in the shadows of their broken lives?

Excerpt:
The old cuckoo clock on the shelf in the front room struck midnight. It’s persistent chirping irritated Jack Kelly’s already frayed nerves as he paced back and forth across the small room.

“Shut up! Shut up!” he growled beneath his breath, casting an anxious look at the crib in the next room. When no signs of disturbed sleep were forthcoming, he breathed a grateful sigh of relief. The last thing he needed right now was a squalling infant to further vex the burning demon within him. He had promised his wife he would not spend a cent on liquor. New babies meant new expenses, and those things must come first.

So far he had kept his promise; he’d had no choice. Every penny he earned with his hoe, day after blistering day in the cotton fields, was swallowed up in scratching out a meager existence. There never seemed to be a penny extra, to say nothing of the few dollars a bottle of whiskey would cost. With the addition of this new offspring, who knew when he would be able to quench the gnawing demon of thirst that drove him insane? He had to put food on the table and a roof over their heads. The arrival of more children would only make that job harder, and it was obvious Annie did not intend to stop at one pregnancy.

Another glance into the small bedroom revealed no unwelcome stirrings from the crib. A bright moonbeam, however, lay across the bed, and Kelly’s tormented gaze fell on the lovely face of the woman he had married. He had considered himself a lucky man when she said yes to his proposal, despite her goody-two-shoes, Bible-thumping parents. If he loved anything on this poor excuse of an earth, he loved Annie. She was a perfect wife.

Their home might be barely more than a shack, but it sparkled, and she was a real wonder in the kitchen. He could not remember her voice ever raised in anger, even when he had fallen through the front door, dog drunk, a week after she married him.

Kelly’s fevered mind wandered to his conversation with the poor fish in the cotton field. Had it only been eight or nine hours ago? It seemed an eon; every moment without the drink he craved was an eternity.

Poor fella don’t know how lucky he is. Only has to worry ‘bout that pretty little gal and hisself. I bet he could buy a bottle of whiskey if he wanted one!

With the thought, an idea was born, full-blown and itching for action. He actually stopped pacing for a moment, shocked to the core by the undiluted vileness of the seed taking root in his mind. He stood staring at the crib against the far wall and shook his head as if to toss out the evil thought.

“You’re crazy,” he whispered. His heart pounded painfully against his chest; little beads of sweat dotted his forehead and chin. “You’ve done gone stark, starin’ mad!”

And perhaps he had, for suddenly he found himself across the room, gazing down into the hand-me-down crib. He was horrified at the darkness within his imagination, yet knew full well he hadn’t the strength of mind or will to resist its powerful pull.

One more almost desperate glance at his wife’s face … if she would only wake up he would have to forsake this notion, and perhaps he could rid himself of the unforgivable intent. Indeed, Annie did stir a little and drew a deep sigh, almost as though she heard his desperate mental cry. But hers was the sleep of utter exhaustion and she slumbered on.

A few moments later, Kelly slipped silently out the back door of the little shack, clutching a tiny pink bundle in his arms and blinking back the tears of shame and self-loathing that sprang unbidden to his eyes.
********

You can contact Delia at her website: http://www.delialatham.com/ And be sure to check out her blog: http://www.themelodywithin.blogspot.com/

Also, for one lucky blog reader, Delia is giving away a Golden Eyes tee shirt and electronic copy of the book at the end of her blog tour! Just be sure to leave a comment on my blog today. For more chances to win, visit these blogs and leave a comment as well

Mar. 20 – Cynthia Hickey – http://www.cynthiahickey.blogspot.com
26. Mar. 24 – Pamela James - http://www.pammer.blogspot.com/
27. Mar. 24 – 28 – Tracy Ruckman – http://www.pixnpens.blogspot.com/
28. Mar. 25 – Christa Allen - http://cballan.wordpress.com/
29. Mar. 27 – Melissa Meeks - http://forstrose.blogspot.com/
30. Mar. 31 – Gina Conroy – http://portraitofawriter.ginaconroy.com/
31. April 20 – Marian Merritt – http://www.marianmerritt.com/
32. April 27 – Margaret Daley – http://www.margaretdaley.blogspot.com/