Vacation Bible School is here at First Christian Church in Derby! From 9 a.m. until noon, there are kids ranging from preschool to 5th graders roaming all over the church building making crafts, playing games, and learning awesome VBS songs.
Shonda, the children's minister, was so kind as to give me the job of heading up the game station. I like this for two reasons....first, I get to play games! Second, I get to meet and hang out with all of the kids. One particular kid cracks me up! His name is Austin, and he is a gangster in a little white boy's body. He is around 8-years-old and has blonde hair. The first day of VBS, Austin is the first kid in line at the game station, and he has a name tag on that says "AUSTIN" in all capital letters. So i say, "Hey Austin, are you excited for the game station?" He turns around to his friend and says excitedly with his eyes wide-open, "That dude knows my name!" I couldn't help but start laughing, but I gained my compsure and began to introduce myself and the rest of my game crew members. Then today as VBS was coming to a close, I asked him if he had a good day, and he said, "Man....I had them ladies rollin' today." He went on to explain that he was a funny guy who was good with the girls. And when he was leaving with his mom I said, "Goodbye Austin. I'll see you tomorrow." He then turns to his mom and says, "He knows my name!" I love kids!
So what did I learn today at VBS besides that everyone seems to be a ladies except for me? Children, no matter how much they test your patience, are honored and loved by God. Jesus tells adult men and women that unless you become like a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of God (Mt. 18). Kid are very dependent. Survival is dependent upon other people. Jesus is telling us that unless we become humble and depend on God like children depend on their moms and dads, we will never understand what kind of relationship we must have with God. We must depend on God for our strength to live in this dark world. We must depend on God to get through tough times. We must depend on God just to get through the monotonous daily routine of daily life.
So we must all be like Austin and have a life defined by dependency on God!
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
Saturday, June 6, 2009
Don't Let Life Put You in a Corner
Sometimes life just forces you into situations you don't want to be in........just playing! This blog has nothing to with life and nothing to do with a corner. "Don't let life put you in a corner" is just some cheesy line i heard at a middle school church camp this week from a hilarious video called "Edwin's Corner." Camp was awesome! Not only did i get to know the kids a lot better, but it was really cool to be reminded of God's grace.
There were a couple of kids that went to camp that I got to hang out with a lot. There was Chase, the ladies man, Luke, the hypochondriac, Austin Thrailkill, who just has an awesome last name, and many other kids.
I'm a pretty seasoned veteran when it comes to church camps. Last summer, I traveled to 7 different church camps in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana. I thought I had been through it all, but I hadn't! I think it was Tuesday Night about 12:30ish, and Austin Thrailkill (I am so jealous of his name...unfortunately, the kid really doesn't live up to his name) said he wasn't feeling well. He was on the top bunk bed and i was on the bottom bunk, so I tell him to go to the bathroom just in case he was going to throw up. I get up and start walking towards the bathroom in front of him when I hear "it" start traveling up his throat and into his mouth. I started running but by the time i got to the bathroom door to turn on the light for Austin, I felt some chunky substance all over my feet. It was NASTY! But luckily, Austin felt better afterward and went right back to sleep. Unfortunately, my towell got all disgusting from cleaning up and was thrown away.....moment of silence........okay moving on! So after Austin lays back down to bed, Luke, the hyperchondriac, wakes up and starts freaking out because another kid told him that Austin threw up. Luke then beliees he is going to throw up and says he is going to start getting hives. Remember, this is all going on about 1:00 in the morning. It was crazy!
The kid named Chase, the ladies man, also gave me some insight into camp but it had nothing to do with getting sick.....it was all about how to pick up the ladies! I asked him how he got all the girls to talk to him and he said, "Man, all you got to do is go up to them and tell them that you forgot how to spell a word and ask them to spell it for you. AFter that, you are in!" Needless to say, I didn't try that one out at camp becuase it was full of middle schoolers but watch out ladies...when school starts in the fall, I might mysteriously forget how to spell.
Looking back to last week and camp, I have nothing but good things to say about the middle school kids and more importantly, God. He is so faithful and patient with a people who do nothing but turn our backs on Him again and again. One of the worship songs we sung was the old hymn Amazing Grace. I have sang that song so many times that I cannot count, and sadly, I just sing it...I am not telling God.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.
Wow! I forgot what I was singing about...GRACE! I can't express how thankful I am for God forgiving me, a sinner! I hope that i never take for granted the grace God has graciously granted me.
There were a couple of kids that went to camp that I got to hang out with a lot. There was Chase, the ladies man, Luke, the hypochondriac, Austin Thrailkill, who just has an awesome last name, and many other kids.
I'm a pretty seasoned veteran when it comes to church camps. Last summer, I traveled to 7 different church camps in Missouri, Arkansas, Tennessee, Ohio, and Indiana. I thought I had been through it all, but I hadn't! I think it was Tuesday Night about 12:30ish, and Austin Thrailkill (I am so jealous of his name...unfortunately, the kid really doesn't live up to his name) said he wasn't feeling well. He was on the top bunk bed and i was on the bottom bunk, so I tell him to go to the bathroom just in case he was going to throw up. I get up and start walking towards the bathroom in front of him when I hear "it" start traveling up his throat and into his mouth. I started running but by the time i got to the bathroom door to turn on the light for Austin, I felt some chunky substance all over my feet. It was NASTY! But luckily, Austin felt better afterward and went right back to sleep. Unfortunately, my towell got all disgusting from cleaning up and was thrown away.....moment of silence........okay moving on! So after Austin lays back down to bed, Luke, the hyperchondriac, wakes up and starts freaking out because another kid told him that Austin threw up. Luke then beliees he is going to throw up and says he is going to start getting hives. Remember, this is all going on about 1:00 in the morning. It was crazy!
The kid named Chase, the ladies man, also gave me some insight into camp but it had nothing to do with getting sick.....it was all about how to pick up the ladies! I asked him how he got all the girls to talk to him and he said, "Man, all you got to do is go up to them and tell them that you forgot how to spell a word and ask them to spell it for you. AFter that, you are in!" Needless to say, I didn't try that one out at camp becuase it was full of middle schoolers but watch out ladies...when school starts in the fall, I might mysteriously forget how to spell.
Looking back to last week and camp, I have nothing but good things to say about the middle school kids and more importantly, God. He is so faithful and patient with a people who do nothing but turn our backs on Him again and again. One of the worship songs we sung was the old hymn Amazing Grace. I have sang that song so many times that I cannot count, and sadly, I just sing it...I am not telling God.
Amazing Grace, how sweet the sound that saved a wretch like me!
I once was lost but now am found, was blind but now I see.
Wow! I forgot what I was singing about...GRACE! I can't express how thankful I am for God forgiving me, a sinner! I hope that i never take for granted the grace God has graciously granted me.
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