I Pee-Peed In My Bed
Now you clicked on this thinking that it was actually me that pee-peed in the bed. Shame on you! Just because I have turned 30 now and am “Officially Old” according to some teenagers doesn’t mean I have lost the control of bodily functions…yet.
This is the statement that I heard as I woke up this morning from one of my boys. He had been doing so good going to bed without wetting it and then today happened. Immediately I thought as I was laying there, what does God think when {figuratively speaking} I come to Him and say “I pee-peed in my bed”, meaning, God I messed up again. His reaction was the same as ours. It’s okay well try it again tonight, come on, lets go get cleaned up. Just as we took Matthew into the tub of screaming {he doesn’t like baths in the morning} to clean him up, God instantly cleans us up when we ask and we start all over again that day as if it didn’t happen.
I was thinking. [Which can be very dangerous] I don’t remember every time my boys mess up because it happens so many times…in a day or in a week. God chooses to forget what we do, not because we mess up so many times in a day or in a week [although that is true], he chooses to forget because of His love for us. Because of his forgiveness. He says our sins are as far from the East to the West. East & West never meet on a globe. Your always going East or your always going West. However, this shows how awesome God is. Because if God had said, North from South, it wouldn’t have meant as much. North and South meet. If I am heading South and I get to the South pole I immediately begin to head North and vice versa.
God is awesome. He forgives, chooses to forget, cleans us up and tells us to try again. We cleaned up our son and told him to try again. What an example to follow from our Heavenly Father.
Knock-Knock
Matthew and Tyler love to tell jokes but the punch line usually ends up with them saying pickle. Let me give you an example. Knock, Knock…who’s there? Chicken. Chicken who? Chicken likes a pickle. NOT FUNNY, but they will laugh their heads off thinking they are the funniest people in the world. Of course we give them a little courtesy laugh and this will go on for several moments until Jess and I are ready to punch each other.
Driving home with the boys on Tuesday they were each taking turns telling us there pointless, non-funny, knock-knock jokes when Matthew said a joke that was really funny and it caught me off guard. “Why do birds fly south for the winter? Because it is to far to walk.” Now I know that is not the funniest joke in the world. But it is awesome to see the personality and sense of humor that God has given our boys. I was so proud. Of course not as proud as I was when they learned the “Beans, Beans, Magical Fruit” song…but will leave that for another blog.
I wonder if God is humored by our actions sometimes. Watching us as we try to amuse him with our actions. And then all at once God smiles because we do something with the right heart and the right motive. I wonder how many times God has “courtesy” laughed at my feeble attempts under my own power to serve him and others? Oh, how God must feel when we do it with the right motives and right attitude.
Top 10 Tips for Parents…Part 6
We challenge you to join with our staff in reaching students across the Delaware Valley. We love parents because you understand teenagers better than anyone. Our students come from all different background and family situations. From different faiths and social economic backgrounds to different levels of pain. The love and attention you give them when you serve may be the only time they experience true community and safety. Parents are always welcome to come to any program or even we offer to see it firsthand. Our only request is that when you come don’t just stand around but get involved. You will see our love for students and our commitment to their spiritual well-being.
Don’t feel called to work with teenagers but still want to help reach them? There are different areas that we have needs in or would like to try and branch out and do. Contact me if you have a specific skill that could be an asset to our team and students.
Top 10 Tips for Parents…Part 5
Memorable moments are the key to life change with the student ministry. We not only offer the best summer camps, but also mission trips, ministry teams, Bible studies and retreats are also highly effective in connecting your student to God. It’s during these special events that students will make life-changing decisions because they are away from the daily routine of life. There are so many unplanned and spontaneous student events that occur during the week.
Top 10 Tips for Parents…Part 4
Can you feel it? There is this buzz that is starting to happen with our student ministries…and right now it is starting as just a low hum but it will soon be a roar coming from the students. I am watching them starting to get the idea that it is not about them but about others. Catching that momentum as we head into summer is incredible.
We already have a number of students who are going to step outside their comfort zone to go to Russia this summer and serve. That will only add to the fire in their hearts to serve and worship God even more.
Were asking you to step outside your comfort zone and make Summer Camp a priority for your family and with your students. I know that it is expensive $270 per student. {Although it is not nearly as bad as some other camps that we have looked at, $500-1200} I know that the timing is during one of the most popular vacation scheduled times. {July 28th- August 1st} But more eternal decisions are made at summer camp than at any other time during the year. There is something about withdrawing from our typical schedules and connecting with hundreds of other students for an entire week. Just two hours North of us in Nyack, NY is a camp that knows what students expect, want and desire. Every effort is made to show students the love of Christ with hopes that in return they will accept Him and share Him with everyone they come in contact with through words and more importantly their actions. LIFT Camps gives your students a cool place to experience the closeness of God.
Please make camp a priority…it will transform your students heart, I have seen this time and time again.
More information and registration will be available on our website as we get closer to the camp dates.
Sunday Mind Dump
I have the greatest youth staff in the world.
We have the some of the best worship leaders at Fellowship.
Our praise band tonight was off the hook…Em & Alli great job!
Our team took it too a whole notha level.
I’m amazed that God still chooses to use me.
John did a great job with his vision talk today…it inspired me to dream big.
Jared, Trevor and Dan did a great job today with audio, video, lighting and setup…thanks Guys
We had our largest turnout of the year for Student Impact this morning.
Chrissy did a great job MCing tonight.
Remember the two challenges you got today…24 hour media fast? & Ask your parents how can you show them respect?
Looking forward to our Saturday Night Live kickoff on April 5th.
Looking forward to sleeping in and spending the day with the family.
Might put the soft top on my Jeep tomorrow? It supposed to be 60 degrees.
Top 10 Tips for Parents…Part 3
Ministry has so many opportunities to get involved. Jesus talked about serving so much throughout scripture. The reason, it is a selfless example of love, or at least it should be. So many times students lose that excitement to serve because they are not up front or don’t get credit. The key to serving is not the act of serving, but who are serving. When our intentions are to serve God and allow God to get the credit…awesome things happen.
We have tried to create environments where students feel safe and where students can be proud to call it home. At the same time it is our goal to give students ownership so they will continue to serve after they graduate. We never want to build a program on personality, unless that personality is Jesus Christ.
In every area to serve there are those who are starters and those who are second string. On a team every one is equally important. The second string may not get the credit or the attention but in reality they help make the starters better and are there to support them to be their best. I’m reminded of the movie Rudy. When Rudy was asked why he kept pushing so hard and making every one else look bad, what did he expect to get? He replied, If I don’t do my job, I won’t be helping you get ready for next weeks game. Every week we need to be pushing ourselves to get ready for the next “game”.
We have so many different teams that are serving right now and we have so many more we would like to start. Maybe as an adult you would love to get connected by helping to lead a ministry team. If that is you contact Ryan at ryan@fellowshiptoday.com for more information. We have trained leaders ready to navigate your students through the choppy waters of the teenage years. Teams are a great way to get connected and a great way to serve others. Visit us on the web to find out more information about the student ministry.
