What a Wonderful World This Would Be!

It's late on Sunday night/ Monday morning.  I'm working on a project for Bethany's teacher for this week - it's a tough week in most classrooms.  Only a few days left - kids are all excited and worked-up for Christmas - parents are stressed, which puts the kids even more on edge....  so I am cutting and cutting and cutting to help out and do my share.

The other day on Facebook I had a friend make a comment about how busy my schedule is - how there is always something I am working on or responsible for...  That used to be very true, but things are a little slower these days - I'm not working in the schools 40 hours a week on top of everything else like I used to do!  :)  But we still stay pretty busy around here - it's what we do - it's how God made us.

While I am working in the house, whether it is on the computer or cutting paper sacks, I like to have videos playing.  Mostly they are background noise - I pick videos I have seen before and use them more like a book on tape or an old-time radio show and listen more than watch.  I am currently into a series called 'Lie to Me'.  (Thanks, Corey....I love it!)  Tonight, while I was watching, the main character said, "You have to realize that your talent doesn't belong to you anymore!!!"  Wow.  I felt as if I had just been blown over - I really believe the Holy Spirit just 'WHOOSHED' right into me to make a point:

MY TALENTS DO NOT BELONG TO ME

I was created by God and given talents to use.  But these talents, these gifts, are not mine - they are God's gifts and talents.  He is just letting me use them..... FOR HIM!

I'm crafty.  I love to make and create.  How often do I use this talent to help someone find their way  back to God.

I tend to be insightful.  I can often 'tell' what a person is thinking or feeling even if their words are the opposite.  How often do I use this gift to help someone find their way back to God?

I have a lot of training for working with children with disabilities.  I have a lot of training for working with parents.  How often do I use this training to help someone find their way back to God?

Isn't that what we are supposed to be doing with the gifts and talents and opportunities God gives us?  We were created by God - we were all once with Him.  Finding our way back to Him is the most precious thing that can happen in our lives.  Are we sharing that goal, that journey, with those around us?  Are we helping others find THEIR way back to God?

I do a little - I like to help out at school because I am drawn to kids - because I have a better chance of finding out ways I can use my gifts and talents to help - because I can cheer and encourage the teachers and staff through small gifts and smiles.

What would it look like if we all used our gifts and talents this way?  What if I kept that goal at the FRONT of my thoughts instead of the back of my mind?  The line of a song is running through my head.... "What a wonderful world this would be...."

God's Beauty Found in a Halloween Costume

Isn't this the most precious thing?!?!  I missed it the first time, but there is even a little dog sitting next to the little girl dressed as a bumblebee!

When I saw this, first I just went, "AWWWWW!"  Then I heard all kinds of thoughts go through my head - how this image just screams out what a wonderful job this couple is doing raising their little girl and how this family costume says it all.

I'm a person who likes to put abstract ideas into concrete images, so let me share what I saw in this picture.

There sits little Violet.  Yes, her name is really Violet!  (hence, the costumes!)  Violet is a fragile, beautiful, precious little thing that God brought into this couple's life.  I know He was thinking of these two beautiful people as He created Violet - He had to have been!

Now, I could go on all day about this family, and I intend to talk about them a lot, but I want to start by talking about flowers - especially violets - and what they need to survive.

Flowers need water - plain and simple.  They cannot survive without it.  It keeps them supple, yet it gives them the strength they need to stand tall and stand strong in the world they face every day.  Without good, clean water a flower cannot process its food.

Flowers need sunlight - they cannot survive without the sun.  Sunlight and water combine within a flower to produce the food it needs to live.  Without the sun a vulnerable flower cannot grow to it's potential - it cannot become the flower God intended for it.  If it survives at all, it would be weak and pale and nothing at all like its intended beauty.

Flowers also need bees.  Yuck!  But it's true.  Bees take bits of the sweet goodness that is within the flower and share it with other flowers so they all can grow and reproduce.  The one flower itself does not need the bee to live and be beautiful, but to be all it was intended, a flower needs a bee.

God provided these things for this beautiful Violet when He sent her to this couple!

Look at mom - a watering can.  I remember when she left the job she loved as a teacher.   Almost overnight, she walked away from her career when God put Violet in their life.  She refocused her life for Violet.  This mom literally is pouring her life into this beautiful little girl.  Every day she spends her time making sure Violet get what she needs.  Mom's whole life is focused on one thing right now:  that Violet is taken care of.

I love how Mom is dressed AS the watering can, not just holding the watering can.  This isn't a role she can put down and walk away from - this is who she is at the moment.  This role she has chosen is one that she doesn't set down when it gets heavy or difficult - it is who she is.  Her role doesn't end when she leaves Violet in others' hands for a while.  She is still Violet's main lifestrength.  What she is pouring into this little one is making her strong and allowing all the wonderfulness in her life to sink down into the core of who she is and who she will become.  Without this wonderful water, Violet could never take what is provided for her to its full use.

Then there is Dad dressed as the sun.  What a wonderful provider he is to be able to allow Mom to stay home with Violet.  He makes sure she has all she needs - shelter, food, and lots of love.  I think I've only met Dad in passing once or twice, but I know that he is doing great things for his family.  His love and care, protection, and hard work are providing the basics necessary for mom to be able to pour all of herself into this beautiful Violet to help her grow into a strong woman.

And Violet needs her dad.  More and more, research is showing how important a dad is to a child's life.  Dads are the ones who instill modesty into a young girl.  Dads are the backbone.  Dads bring the morals.  Moms grow them and refine them, but those basics are actually brought in by the dads.  Dads are lifeshapers!  Just as the sun is needed to make a flower all that it was intended to be, so a dad will bring out all a child is intended to be. 

Then we bring in the little bee... what a cute little thing.  And what an awesome first friend for Violet.  This little dog will help teach Violet how to be a good friend - how to spread her love for her family and her love for God to others around her.  As Violet grows she will learn to be gentle, to sometimes give space to those around her when they need it, to spend time with, and to care for others in her life.  This little dog will help her learn to look outside of herself to see others and how she can help care for them. 

Then there is just the overall beauty of the picture.  All these elements working together to not only create a beautiful flower, but also a beautiful picture of life.  This is a family working to create beauty in their child and those around them.  As this mom and dad work to raise Violet, their care will spill over into their neighborhood and town, making it healthier and better.  It makes me want to live next door!

Oh, if only God guided the hands of all those around us, what a beautiful world we would life in!  That just challenges me all the more to shine strong and water abundantly - to do what God has asked me to do in such a way that I strengthen those in my care, spill over into the world around me, and choke out the weeds around me through His love!

I challenge you, moms and dads, to take a moment to ponder your role in the lives of your children.  None of us is perfect, but how are you doing, really, being sunlight and water for your kids?  Allow God to speak to you.  He may give you a big 'Well Done!" or he may give you a nudge.  Listen to Him.  And remember - the lives you are pouring into right now will shape the world in the future.  Love on those kiddos - it makes all the world a better place! 

Spiritual Growth

I have to begin this blog by stating how awesomely wonderful it is to have a youth leader at RFamily!  Alex has been such a wonderful addition to the staff.  His enthusiasm alone is growing the group!  He has volunteers just lined-up to help and he is constantly thinking and working on his next group, event, plan... just always on it!

So last night at youth group (I got to be there to help one of my Jungle students with special needs transition from The Jungle to Youth) the topic was FASTING - that wonderful/horrible thing we do (along with prayer - don't forget the prayer - it's supposed to be part of it, remember?!?!!?!?) to help us grow spiritually.  The kids really got it.  It was great.  The main focus was media over food, but all was discussed.  I heard several things.  No pressure to fast, just the idea.  Many are fasting something or other.  One is fasting 'Sims' and 'Facebook'.  Another is fasting texting.  Another is fasting TV time.  They each knew what they were supposed to fast.  God is really good about letting you know that when it's time and He wants you to do it.

So there I am, smiling to myself, thinking about when I was at that stage - those first few fasts I did and how awesome I felt.  I thought about how much I have grown spiritually since then.  In fact, I had a chance to really sit back for a few minutes and think about how far my walk with God has come in the past decade and be amazed at how different my life is today!

This morning God said to me, "So, what are you doing now?"

"Well, I'm planting a church, God," I answered.

"That is ok, but what are you doing NOW?" He pressed.

"OH!  You mean spiritually!" I realized.  Oops!  I mean, I know I haven't been reading my Bible as much as I used to, but I'm really busy with the church plant.  I know I haven't had a regular quiet time in a while, but I'm really busy with the church plant and my kids!  I know I haven't done many of the things You have asked me to do, but I'm really busy with the church plant and my kids and the house!

"STOP!" I heard.  Uh Oh.  I did it again.  Excuses, excuses.  Pride.

Last night I sat and watched these kids put themselves under God's authority to be able to grow closer to Him.  I sat and remembered that stage of MY life as if I had arrived!  I looked back on where I had been as if I had arrived somewhere!  I looked back and felt PRIDE at how far I had come as if I were finished!

"What an idiot!" I thought.  (about myself, not God)

Now, I haven't taken any horrible turn down some dark pathway to hell.  I am not a complete and totally lost sinner.  I just got off in the weeds a bit and needed a turn back on path with my thinking.

But how often to we get to that point?!?  How many of us who call ourselves Christians fall into that rut of 'The Arrived' as we grow?  When someone asks us to teach, when we are voted onto a board or committee, when we begin to take on leadership roles - it's so easy to fall into that human mode of 'I have arrived!' and fill our time and energy on the roles and just gloss over and hurry through the important time of prayer and Bible study!

When we take on more and more leadership roles and spend less and less time following, we can forget how to do it.  Leading takes a lot of time and attention.  If it something God has gifted us with, then we tend to become obsessive about it- it consumes us.  But we cannot forget to follow.  We cannot forget that we are FOLLOWERS OF CHRIST first and Leaders of followers of Christ second!

We must remain followers.

But to follow someone we have to be close.  We have to have communication.  To follow Jesus we have to spend significant time in the Bible and in prayer.

What about you?  Are you reading?  Are you praying?  If I asked you today where you read the day before, could you tell me?  If I asked you what prayers of yours had been answered lately could you tell me?

It's a challenge.  It's a life change.  It's where we all need to be.

I hope you are able to take some time today and sit with God and let Him talk to you about your walk with Him.  Only He can tell you what you need to hear.  We don't often like to hear what He has to say, but it's only for our own good.

Walk That Someone Back to God

Last night during Youth Group I got to do a heartwarming thing - I got to help a young autistic man join the youth group and take the first step to overcoming some of his fears.

It started out in the van.  He didn't want to come in.  The other kids are big!  It was a new situation.  I believe there has also been another experience with a youth group that didn't go very well, so we had that to overcome, too.

I used my new iPhone apps to reward him for entering the building.  He was willing to enter if he could play those games.  We sat in chairs near the door and played for a while.  We stood in the doorway to Youth Group and played a little while.

Now he wanted to do something on one of the apps that meant another level - I used it to get him inside the room, then again, used another level to get him to sit with the group.

Now, this whole time he is not paying ANY attention to what is going on around him.  He is totally and absolutely engrossed in the games, and avoiding the group in his own way.  Is this how I want it to be each week, of course not!  Next week the play is to enter the building with no tears or fighting so that he can play on my phone.  The next week we will make a new challenge to work for.  Each week will bring him closer and closer to interaction, then we will work on social skills within the group.

You may think that this is a lot of work to go through for a kid.  It is.  But it is exactly what each of us should be doing for those around us every day!  This guy I am working with has an identified condition that causes his resistance, but the people you work with and shop with and live near have their resistances too!  Why don't they come into a church?

I visited with a waitress while on her break who said her husband is extremely bright and a strong believer, but won't step foot in a church - why? - judgment.  He is highly tattooed and doesn't want to be judged.  He has been judged.  He has reason for his resistance.  What do we do to reach this man?

Church-goers have been labeled many things by those who are resistant - hypocritical - judgmental - weak - fools - fanatics - the list goes on.  How do we reach these people?  How do we get them to make the first step of getting through the front door without losing them the same week through the back door?

Relationship

Time

Hard Work

Just like the work I did with my young friend last night, we all need to work to reach those in our area of influence!  Build relationships with the unsaved!  Spend time with them doing what they like (to a limit, of course!)  Get to know them.  Find out what they like and dislike.  Get to know their idiosyncrasies and their strengths.  I had spent time with my friend and knew a little bit about him.  I knew what some of his like and dislikes were and where he is strong and some of what will make him more uneasy.  I used these things while I worked with him.

Time - spend time not only with them, but in preparing and planning.  I downloaded apps to help my friend.  I spoke to mom.  I arrived early so I would be there when he arrived.  I thought through a plan of attack and some alternatives to turn to.  You, too, can prepare and plan.  Use your knowledge of the person to plan an event at church that will allow him/her to interact with the local church community without stress.  Take advantage of needs - ask him/her to help with an outreach event or a service project where the skills he/she possesses can be an asset.

Hard Work - one time is not going to do it.  Once inside the door your job is not done.  Continue to walk beside and stretch your friend little by little.  Some people are touched and make large gains immediately upon spending time in the presence of the Holy Spirit, but most are going to sit and soak it all up a little at a time.  First get them in the door.  God will work from there as long as your relationship and time continue.  For my friend, it may take until summer to get him to a point where he is comfortable entering, interacting, and paying attention to the teaching and the other kids.  Your friend may take more time or less time - but you have to be willing to continue the hard work of prayer, relationship, and time to get the job done.

So I challenge you - pray and ask God to help you pick a person - pray - begin to cultivate a relationship - pray - and work through the resistances and walk that person back to God.  You will never be sorry for the time you spend!

Protesting Republic

Interesting.  It is very interesting to read the latest reports about the Republic School District and all the commotion.  I see the correct words in the articles - "alleged" and the like - but the tone of the articles conveys the message that the accusers are correct, completely in the right, and fully truthful.

What makes me wonder about these allegations is the timing.

This summer, the Republic School Board voted to take a couple of books out of it's curriculum and libraries (Twenty Boy Summer and Slaughterhouse Five) after a complain from a parent.  Another book was also on the parent's list, Speak, but this book is still in the curriculum - in fact, my freshman son will be reading it in his English class this year.

When I was reading about the bans this summer, I learned that the district used the opportunity to create a process through which a book would go through for these type of decisions.  I do not know the process, but the idea is that it gives an approximation to what age level the book is appropriate.  If a book is considered to be appropriate for high school students in general, then it is left in the school.  If it is considered to be appropriate for college-aged or older, then it is taken out.  This doesn't mean that there aren't students who would be fine reading these books because they are mature or whatnot, only that IN GENERAL a book is geared to a basic age group.

When this system was applied to the books in question, two were taken out and one was left in.  This is a system that can be used over and over, no matter what leadership is in place.  It should be able to be used by teachers, parents, and administration alike, all coming to similar conclusions.  (I hope, anyway)

Now comes the girl.

Two years later.

Do we have all the facts here?  I have questions.  Why so long for a news story?  Why now?  Why didn't this family go to the news two years ago?  One year ago?  Why now?

Now comes the boy.

This one just came out today, I believe.

Another special education student.  More questions.  Again, I ask, "Why now?"

And I believe I know the answer.  I hate the answer.  Really - I hate it.  I hate that it's probably true and that these young, unsuspecting children and their families are being used, but I believe it's true.

It's the ACLU.

In an article I read this summer I read that the ACLU was gearing up for the charge.  I read that they were preparing.  I believe this is what they have dug up - are digging up - will continue to dig up.

They have had to dig deep.  They have had to resort to finding fragile families who may not realize what is happening.  They have not reported with documentation - they have reported with allegations.  They have not reported with fact, only libel.

Now don't get me wrong - I'm not standing up and stating that the Republic School District is perfect and free of all wrongdoing - these allegations may be totally true.  I just really believe that there is more behind the timing of the allegations that we are being led to believe.

Wait with me.

Watch with me.

Keep you mind open.

We will see.

And please do not use these allegations all over the news to taint your view or treatment of the staff in our schools.  Over all the years, with all the teachers, these are the two problems that have surfaced.  Teachers and staff do not work in schools for the money - they work for the love of the children.  Remember that, and support your child's teachers with enthusiasm.

The Republic School District has prepared a Public Statement.  You can find it here:  http://www.republicschools.org/home
In all fairness to this very serious situation in our schools, I pray that you will read and consider both sides.