Monday, September 30, 2013

We live in a “not enough” world.  I don’t mean that there literally is not enough stuff.  Have you looked in your closets lately?  If you’re anything like me, you sometimes think, “We have too much stuff.”  I mean we live in a world where most people think “it” –whatever the “it” is- is not enough.

This phenomenon is everywhere.  Facebook wasn’t enough to stay plugged in, so now you need a Twitter account and Instagram too.  The iPhone 5 wasn’t enough so you now have the 5c.  A large tea at Zaxby’s (formally 28, then 32 oz.) was not enough, and is now 42 ounces!

At this week’s BIG 45 meeting with some 4th and 5th grade boys, the conversation turned to this ‘not enough’ idea.  During a discussion on Gideon, one boy pointed out that Gideon’s doubts and fears seemed to him to stem from one thing- he was forgetting everything God had done before, and only focusing on the things he hadn’t seen happen. In his words, “It was like nothing was enough for him.”  Interesting perspective, don’t you think? 

So here is the question for the week. Are we perpetuating- even if not on purpose- the idea that “it” is not enough?  I’m asking myself this week if I’ve made decisions, and will continue making decisions, that say “not enough.”  I’m asking God to show me where I’ve lived in a way that says His provision for me was not enough.  I’m also going to ask the hard question- when have I forgotten all the things God has done, and focused only on the things I haven’t seen happen?  As a family this week, we’re going to talk about this in terms of tangible/material things as well as the Spiritual sense.  And, while we do it, I can assure you, we won’t be drinking a 42 ounce tea!

This Week’s Announcements:
Please remember that the doors open at 8:45/10:45 for children, and are locked for security at 9:15/11:15.  If you arrive outside of that 30 minute window, several things happen. 
1. You may be locked out with no way in
2. You interrupt praise and worship/large group teaching that begins at 9:20/11:20 for our elementary children in 164
3. Your child will have a MUCH harder time adjusting to the room if they come in after activities have started
Please help us as we strive to make Sunday the best part of your child’s week by being on time for check in and drop off.

What God is Teaching Us:
Follow the link below to see this past Sunday’s curriculum: 
This link is no longer available

Funny Things Kids Do and Say:
Along the ‘not enough’ theme, this week’s funny happening is from our 4k/K room.  Maybe one cup of goldfish wasn’t enough snack for one little guy as he decided to try eating his nametag.  This is a retelling of the incident from his small group leader:  “He (to remain anonymous) chewed his name tag and then spit it out, disposing of it in my hand. One long wad of wet, blue-colored paper emerged from his little mouth.”  Strangely enough, the leader found this endearing…proof that she is NOT living in the ‘not enough’ world. 

Monday, September 23, 2013

Summer to fall, baseball to football season…change is in the air.

As I watched two of our PathFinders get baptized on Sunday, I couldn’t help think about changes; specifically changes brought on by growth. 

Changes….
Our beginning 17 kids to our current 215+
Children who were just babies when we started but are now in BIG 45
Children who were just out of preschool when we started, and are now in middle school and volunteering in PathFinders
Children who were born into the StoneBridge family, and are now in preschool
It all seems to go by so fast, and yet, these changes are really gradual. 

Think about it…God spins the earth but we don’t feel it happening.  Change is taking place, but it’s so gradual that we don’t realize it until we see the results.  One minute your child has just learned to crawl, and the next thing you know they are walking.  This is not an overnight thing, but the gradual and unrecognizable changes that take place make it seem so.

I wonder if we miss the gradual changes that God does in the hearts of our kids because we only look for the big result.  Standing in front of your church family, proclaiming your belief and commitment to Jesus, and then being baptized…big result.  What gradual but very significant changes took place in the hearts of those girls to lead them there? 

My hope and prayer this week is that God reveals the gradual changes happening around me.  I want to celebrate those just as much as the big ones. 

This Week’s Announcements:
PathFinder Camping Day for 1st-5th graders.  Don’t forget to sign up via www.signupgenius.com
Registration closes on September 30th. 

What God is Teaching Us:
Follow the link below to see curriculum from this past Sunday (9/22)
This link is no longer available

Funny things kids say:
While reading and discussing the “wife of noble character” in Proverbs 31, one girl said, “I don’t get it…no woman would ever buy a field without asking her husband first!”

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

“Parenting is the easiest thing in the world to have an opinion about, but the hardest thing in the world to do.” This statement from a popular blog is just about the truest thing I’ve read all week.   We’re all guilty of it at some point- judging other parents on their parenting skills-or lack thereof.  God’s Word tells us very clearly- “judge not, yet we be judged.”  This is true in so many areas of our lives, and parenting is no exception. 

At the very least, we’ve all wanted to give another parent the benefit of our experience and opinions.  At worst, we’ve had fleeting thoughts of how we could “do better” when it comes to someone else’s children.  Our judgments can range from the benign like how to get kids to clean up their toys to more serious moral dilemmas. 

The bottom line is this, God chose us to parent the children we have.  Whether our children come to us naturally, through adoption, or in a foster care situation, they are ours to parent- for a lifetime or for a season.  It’s my opinion that because God has chosen to give me the kids I have, then somehow, someway, I have something they need; I am equipped to be the best mom I can possibly be to the ones in my care.  One day, I will have to answer to God on how well I stewarded the lives of His creations in my care.  Because of that, answering to anyone else about my parenting skills seems really silly.   And…even sillier- and downright presumptuous- is to think that I could parent someone else’s child any better than the one chosen to do it. 

This Week’s Announcements:
Our 4th (or is it 5th?) Annual Camping Day at Red Top Mountain is October 5th!  This event is open to children in 1st-5th grade.  The cost for the day is $20 per child and includes transportation, lunch, fishing, canoe rides, crafts, games, and S'mores by the camp fire!  We will leave the church by 9:15am, spend the day at the Pioneer Camp Site, and return to church by 4:30pm.   Registration is open now, but will close on Monday, September 30th.  Medical release forms and permission slips (available in the PathFinders area) must be turned in NO LATER than Wednesday, October 2nd.  To sign up, visit www.signupgenius.com and search under penny@stonebridgemarietta.org.
 
What God is Teaching Us:
Check out the link below to see last week’s curriculum. 
This link is no longer available

Funny Things Kids Say:
A small group leader asked his 3rd-5th grade boys what exciting things they had done the past week.  After a few minutes of no responses (can you hear the crickets chirping?)- one 3rd grader finally raised his hand.  His answer, “I watched paint dry…in my mind.” 
Not exciting, but very funny!

Judgment Gone Wrong:
As a parent of a 3 year old and an infant, I was sure of very few things; however I could do this- make sure my children were dressed “properly.”  One day while at Target, I witnessed a family- mom and three kids- all entering the store barefooted.  In my mind, I thought, “How redneck is that…they are all going shopping with no shoes.  That mom could at least dress her children before leaving the house.”   Well less than a week later, my baby boy woke from a nap with a bad case of croup.  I rushed to get him and his older brother in the car to drive from Marietta to Roswell to the doctor’s office.  Once in the parking lot, I looked down to put on my shoes (I drive with no shoes a lot in the summer), and guess what…I had none!  I frantically searched under seats and in the trunk for a stray pair of flip flops or anything else with a sole. No luck.  So, yep…I judged someone else, not knowing their circumstances or story, and there I was …going into the doctor’s office with two children (dressed properly), but no shoes for myself.  I saw the judgmental eyes of many moms that day, asked forgiveness more than once, and have prayed many times since that I wouldn’t judge another parent so harshly. 

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

24 hours…
….in a day.
….stomach virus.
…isn’t enough time.

When we think about time as it relates to God’s Word, I have no doubt many of us think about the “time” verses in Ecclesiastes 3, where it is pointed out that there is a time for everything.   When you read that section of Scripture, does it ring true in your life?  Is there really a time for everything or do you live in more of a “there isn’t enough time” state?  

If God gave us only 24 hours in a day, and only 7 days in a week, then that must be enough.  Enough time to work.  Enough time to worship. Enough time to play. Enough time to rest.  Enough time.

I think we not only do ourselves a disservice, but our kids one as well when we say things like “there isn’t enough time.”  I’ve recently wondered if I’ve unknowingly set my kids up for stressful living by living at such a hurried pace myself.  They’ve heard me say on more than one (okay, MANY more) occasion that there aren’t enough hours in the day.  How absurd those words are, and honestly, they don’t honor God.  His timing is perfect and His time is enough. 

My favorite verse in that section of Ecclesiastes is Verse 11 which says, “He has made everything beautiful in its time. He has also set eternity in the human heart; yet no one can fathom what God has done from beginning to end.”  He makes everything beautiful in its time.  The least we can do is try to make the time He has given us beautiful. 

This Week's Announcements/Reminders:
- In case you missed it last week, PathFinders (all ages) has officially been moved up to our new space!  Please check in all ages in 164. 
- Speaking of a time for everything…Children’s rooms open 15 minutes before each service time.  Doors are locked for security at 15 minutes after the beginning of each service time.  Please check in children within that 30 minute window.
- Now that all PathFinder rooms are up the street, nursing moms are welcome to use the “old” nursery room A in the main space.  There are two rocking chairs in that room and it will be open for use if you need it during the service. 

What God is Teaching Us:
Below you will find a link to view a copy of last week’s curriculum.  To decode our titles: “Toddler…” is for children in nursery room C (16-23 months), “TT…” is for children in nursery room D (2-3year olds), “PS…” is for children in 3k, “PF-4k&K…” is for children in our 4k/Kindergarten small groups, “PF-1st&2nd …” is for children in 1st and 2nd grade small groups, and “PF-345…” is for children in 3rd-5th grade small groups. 
This link is no longer available

Funny things kids say:
When the teacher was getting ready to tell the kids a story, she told them the story would be excited, that it would be amazing, and that it would be true.  She told them that the person in the story was incredible…that He could do miracles.  She then asked the kids who they thought the story was about.  Many of the children yelled out, “Jesus!”  Confirming that they were correct, one little voice in the front said, “Really!? Not Him...again?  We always hear about Him!”

Yes…we do. There is a time for everything, and there is always time for more of Jesus. 

Thursday, September 5, 2013

Making the Moments Matter

Ever have one of those days when you seem to get nothing done?  We all have them...you do work on the computer, and then the printer doesn't work.  You finally load the dishwasher, only to discover you're out of dishwashing detergent.  You're helping your child finish his school project, only to find out (at 10pm!) that you forgot to pickup the poster board he needs.  There are days that just don't work out.  
 


So...even on those days, how do we make moments matter...how do we make them count?  We make ourselves available, that's it.  As I told our volunteers at training, kids don't really care that much about our abilities, they care about our availability.  I think the same is true for our own children.  My son says I'm the best mom in the world.  This is true only in his world which is the world that matters.  My abilities are not great...I'm an average cook, I'm an okay housekeeper, I don't have the June Cleaver gene.   None of that makes one ounce of difference to my kids.  They know I'm available to them; I listen, I talk, I pray, I love.  
 


This year's theme in PathFinders - "Make Every Moment Count" - is meant to remind us all...parents and children's ministry leaders- that we have a very finite amount of time to influence our kids.  For a child born this month, there are only 920 weeks until they turn 18, for a 5 year old- 659 weeks, for a 10 year old- 398 weeks, and for a sixteen year old (like the one living with me)- 89 weeks.  
Need a visual to make it real?  Every marble represents a week in the life of a child at each of the ages I mentioned. 

That last jar is empty, and the question is this...did we make the moments count?  We're committed to making every moment count for your kids...for our kids. We believe that all the moments we make count will lead kids to the game changing moment we all pray for... when they accept Jesus as Lord. 

This Week's Announcements:
- PathFinders (all ages) has officially been moved up to our new space!  Please check in all ages in 164. 
- Open House for new space: We will have an open house/orientation to the new space for parents this Sunday at 1:30pm.  We will start in the 164 space.  Please plan to attend so that you and your children are informed and feel comfortable about our new surroundings. 

What God is Teaching Us:
It's all about getting to know each other this week!  With all the new space and new leaders starting, we will be doing lots of activities to get familiar with our new surroundings and each other. 

What Kids are Saying: "Momma, are there lions in heaven?"  (Mom)- "Yes, I think so...and if there are lions in heaven, they will be gentle and sweet."  (After thinking for a minute) "Well, mom...I think you should hold me in heaven...up in your arms...just in case."  (Mom) "Okay, I'll hold on tight...until my arms fall off."  (Child) "Yep, that's a good plan...good deal."
That was just a moment...but it counted.