Friday, June 23, 2006

The End

Well, here I am at the end of a very fun, but long, week! We just finished our week-long VBS program - Fiesta! Where Kids are Fired up About Jesus :) It was awesome!!!

On Monday, I was wondering what I could have possibly been thinking when I signed up to be a crew leader. As already stated in my previous post, I found out that I am not very good at handling children with severe behavioral issues. I came home worn out, and frustrated, thinking that if the rest of my week was going to go like that day did, I didn't think I'd be able to fulfill my commitment to VBS without totally losing my mind. At any rate, our bible point for that day was "Jesus is our Friend" (this is where you raise your hands into a 'V' and yell VIVA!).

Tuesday was much better. I had my entire crew, minus the 'trouble maker' and it was wonderful. God gave me an awesome group of well-behaved kiddos. Everyone was polite and helpful, and, most importantly, could listen to and follow instructions :) Our bible point on this day was "Jesus is our Life" - again, the obligatory VIVA! should be yelled at ear-piercing decibles.

Wednesday, our bible point was "Jesus is our Leader" - uh-huh, you guessed it...VIVA!!!

Thursday, our bible point was "Jesus is our Savior" - yep, VIVA! This day was most important because this was the day that we shared the salvation message with the kiddos in attendance. Do you know that I had 2 girls give their lives to Jesus? It was very moving and exciting for me to be a part of bringing them to the Lord. I now know that my participation in VBS truly meant something...

Today, Friday, our bible point was "Jesus is our Helper" - come on, one more time...VIVA! And, yes, I can relate whole-heartedly to this one! Not being a morning person, I felt His help every morning with the simple task of dragging myself out of bed each and every day. I'm a walking zombie at this point of the week - is it bedtime yet?

In short, I thorougly loved being a part of such a wonderful week of worship and fun! I would strongly encourage you to jump on it anytime you're given an opportunity to be a part of something like this - be it a VBS week or just assisting with a kid's camp. You won't be sorry! We may not see the rewards immediately, and may even feel some frustration (as demonstrated by me on Monday), but the long-term affect you've had on a child's life may have a lasting, eternal reward greater than anything else you could have imagined!!!

Tuesday, June 20, 2006

Ah, the Memories...

Remember when...it was a hot summer day (for those that lived in the south, anyway) and your mom woke you up at the crack of dawn and instructed you to get dressed and head to the table for breakfast? No, I'm not talking about summer school...I'm referring to Vacation Bible School. That's what we're in the middle of right now.

I decided a good way to get us all out of the house was to sign up to be a crew leader at our church's VBS this year. Didn't quite know what I was in for, but it's safe to say that today was a much better day than yesterday. The reason? One of the children that enrolled yesterday morning wasn't there today. Upon some investigation, I discovered that she is ADHD, and apparently hadn't taken her medication - or maybe she had! Uugghh!!! (and shudder). Anyway, with her absence, peace reigned. Now, I know it is very, very wrong me of me to feel this way, but fact is fact! She was a huge distraction for the group, and I've discovered that I have absolutely no coping skills when it comes to dealing with children with severe behavioral problems. So, last night I prayed for decent enough weather so that she could attend the summer camp she's signed up for, rather than our VBS. I know that's absolutely horrible of me, and I repent (really, Lord, I do!), but I just knew that if I had the original group, minus the never-ending-running-mouth-running-feet-meddling-hands child, I'd have a better day. And, I was right!!! Even one of the older kids in my group commented on how much quieter it was...without my coaxing him in the slightest!

I thoroughly enjoyed today with my other 6 kiddos - none of whom were related to me. My children have been assigned to other groups, by design, mind you, and are loving it! We've been singing our songs over lunch the last 2 days, discussing our bible points and scriptures, and giving daddy a run-down of each activity we did while eating dinner! The kids are having a blast, which is what I was shooting for. I'm having a blast (well, today, anyway!). And, most importantly...we're all taking naps when we get home :)

Tuesday, June 06, 2006

Just a filler...

Ok, so I don't really have the energy to post anything right now, but I saw this on Minivan Mom's blog and thought it might be fun to do. Granted, I've never watched the Simpsons, so this doesn't mean allot to me, but maybe someone else will find it funny. Anyway, here you go!



You Are Ned Flanders

A good neighbor and a devout Christian, you are a community leader.

And you are called to make the world a better place, especially for left handed people.

You will be remembered for: your goofy expressions - "hi-dilly, ho-dilly!"

Your life philosophy: "I've done everything the Bible says - even the stuff that contradicts the other stuff!"