EVERYONE LIKES TO HAVE FUN

For those of you who know me well, know that I like to have fun. I even try to make some of the most miserable tasks fun. For example, everytime I go for a mammogram...I make sure that I have something to look forward to afterwards. It may be buying a fun drink at a coffeehouse or maybe shopping for a new outfit. The last is my favorite and while I am being smushed in the mammogram machine (really) I am thinking about my shopping excursion. I wouldn't recommend bra shopping...you never come out the same size you went in. (I don't mean to scare those of you who have yet to have this done) Patsy Clarimont nailed it when she said that a mammogram machine is the only machine that can turn a cup into a saucer. (ha ha)

This thought of always wanting to have fun came to me yesterday at church. I am the Children's Director at our church and one of my responsibilities is to make sure children go to the classes they are suppose to be in. Yesterday, I gave the second hour teachers the day off. One little boy came down for class and I had to inform him and his mother that class was cancelled. The little boy shouted "Hallelujah" and I don't think he meant it in a spirtual way. He was thrilled that he didn't have to go to Sunday School. It made me think...why did he prefer to go and sit in a service with adults versus playing games and having a good time with other children. The key words in that thought is "good time". I contemplated if it was my responsibility that children have a good time or is it my responsibility to make sure they are learning Biblical truths whether they like it or not. I came to this conclusion. My responsibility is to make sure that children are learning Biblical truths in ways that are relevant and yes "fun" for them. I know that Sunday School shouldn't be an extension of the same school that they attend 5 days a week. I know that I am working with children who are use to video games, television and other forms of media and I need to make sure that they can see that being a Christian is fun.

I know that I have a long way to go and I need to continually learn new and find creative ways to teach children. I hope some day that the little "hallelujah" boy will someday run to church...not away from church.

Big Day!!!

Yesterday was a big day at our house. The children received a letter telling them who their new teachers were. Everyone was happy and were glad to see that there would be some familiar faces in their class. It was sad to see that Austin's teacher was not listed. The teacher that he was to have was killed 2 weeks ago in a motorcycle accident. She was wearing a helmet and took all necessary safety precautions. The school assures us that there will be a teacher there on the first day of school and we trust God for his provision.

Her name was Sally Finley and we only knew here as Mrs. Finley. I knew her as the teacher with cute clothes and good hair. Ally and I attended her funeral and were not surprised that this large church was packed. I truly felt that her funeral was a time of worship. It was clear that Mrs. Finley was a believer in the Lord Jesus Christ and that she was in the presence of God.
One gentleman read from a book called 90 minutes in heaven. He spoke about arriving in heaven and being greeted by all of those who have gone ahead of us.

I believe it was one of the most beautiful funerals I have ever attended. The pastor talked about all of the lives that Mrs. Finley had impacted. Just through her teaching, she touched at least 600 lives. It made me think...who have I made an impact on. What am I doing everyday to help make someone else's life better. I need to try harder. To be a better wife, mother, friend co-worker etc. Some great advice that was given to me recently was "Always build bridges...not walls."

Here I go...

I have spent a lot of time reading the blogs of others and I was starting to feel the urge to create my own. I will try this for awhile and see how it goes. I am constantly writing down ideas of stories that I would like to write someday...so maybe this is the beginnng to the book that I dream of writing someday.

I am sure that the word dream will be used alot in my blogs.(that sound strange....I'm a 40 year old mother of 4 and I have a blog...what's next...a belly ring NOT!!!!)

I am so glad this week is over. We had an exhausting week of ministry at the church. I felt like I was barely there this morning..more like walking through the motions until...the church door opened and a little girl ran to me and gave me the biggest hug. She'll never know what thathug meant. I suddenly felt energized and had strength for the rest of the journey.

Hugs like that make all the headaches and hard times of ministry fade away.

My new motto is "I do it for the Lord and the hugs."