God moments!

I love "God moments" those moments you do not see coming, you cannot plan for, and just hit you like a truck sometimes (like I know what that is like....wait, I do, but maybe for another post!) And is just the right thing for the moment, let me "splain" as Ricky Ricardo would say! So Sunday our dear Doug shared with the kids in both hours about how his dad had just passed away and told the kids "it is o.k. to cry" and began to weep a bit himself....was just genuine and authentic with the kids and they took note, not a sound out of the 100+ kids while he shared! And today a dad stopped me to tell me how on the way home he asked his daughter about the one thing she got most out of the morning and she said "that Jesus knows and cares about my hurts and it is o.k. to cry!" Cool or what? I mean not anything we planned or programmed or scripted in any way, but God just using us to make a difference in the lives of His little ones! It is why I say again and again to our mentors "your job is to be prayed up and read up and ready to come and live out Jesus to these little guys!" It works, when we are honest and transparent with each other and the kids it works, God works, He is awesome!

Our prayers go out to the Follett clan today and tomorrow when they will gather together to celebrate their dad's life! I did not know him at all but only through his son Doug, and can only say that if that is the legacy this man left on this earth...it is a good one!

Gotta run, lots to do b/4 Sunday and am leaving town to attend the services of Dougs dad so will have to bolt for now, thanks to all you mighty mentors for making this last week great and will make this Sunday awesome I am sure!

Scraper Booger

I know, I know...gross! Well yes but the term "scraper booger" has as much appeal to a 5th grade boy as "Venti Latte" to you and I! I'll explain later (I know you cannot wait) this week in the Zone was just soooooooo awesome! I thing the energy and fun is at a high and the changes we have made to facilitate size and each group is really working out well! I had such a good time up with the kids and my 5th grade group of boys this last week, and I guess it showed by me going on and on and on in the large group time......yeah, sorry bout that mentors, promise to do a better job of watching the clock this week and getting you to small groups on time!

This last week we talked about that 2nd beatitude and how happy are those (can hear the laughing now) who mourn because God will comfort them! So how did God comfort you in your sorrow this week? And this week we will be doing another letter "T" and this time it is for the word take..........no we are not going back on one of the commandments and advocating theft this week, that would be bad and make for a bad year end review for me! Rather blessed are those who take the path that God has laid out for them! Think about it, these kids see nothing but how the world tells them that the path to true happiness is thinking of yourself, getting all you can for yourself, pampering yourself. I was watching t.v. the other night (something I do not get to do all that much) and....what commercial was it....brain burp, hold on....awwwww I lost it! Anyway the point of the commercial was "you deserve it"....hmph! Deserve it, I pray I never have a day where I get what I deserve, the Bible says what we deserve is nothing to be desired because of sin, but what God has planned for us is life through Jesus Christ and a ever present help in times of trouble!

Life is tough, and I am not going to lie to God's little ones and tell them that it is not! They need to know that through the flames, floods, tough times God is there and He will see them through anything that life throws at them! He is good...all the time!

Hey I gotta bolt and get some things ready for the Back to School Bash on Friday........come on out if you can and see some of the kids in a different setting and have some food and enjoy the free concert!

Oh a "scraper booger" I asked the kids in my group this week to tell me their name and what is the grossest thing they ever had come out of their nose? And a scraper booger (according to one of my dignified and highly refined 5th graders) that it is one of those boogers that is hard on one side when you pick it and it scrapes the inside of your nose as you pull it out...........all 13 of us at the same time went "Ewwwwwwwww"! (Man I love working with these kids...they crack me up!)

Later dudes, am praying and wishing you God's best all week long!

You punched him?

By far my favorite thing that happened this last Sunday is when I put the question to my small group of 5th graders "Can you tell me a time when you prayed for God's help and it happened?" One girl in the group told of how a older boy had been bugging her at recess last year, always threatening to punch her. And she said one day he came up to her and said "If you don't punch me I am going to punch you as hard as I can!" And she said that she was not going to let him hit her so she punched him right in the nose as hard as she could! I waited.....and waited.....and then asked "Sooooooo how did God help you in that situation?" And she responded by saying "Well I prayed that I would not get in trouble for punching him in the nose (as he ran off to the teacher crying and holding his nose) and then she said proudly "And guess what, I did not ever get in trouble for hitting him!"

Oh my.....the things we get to listen into each week with the kids, the ideas, attitudes.....ahhhh the attitudes! You and I are so blessed to be in this position of making a difference in the lives and attitudes of these kids! I shared with that girl an understanding of her circumstance and then we as a group look at Christ and what might of been His attitude if he faced the same situation.....how cool!

So people "When your having a bad day, God's help is on the way!" Have you caught yourself saying that to yourself this week? I know I have! I am amazed when we leave the Zone each week how many times I see that I have been the one ministered to and and have came away with a new nugget to chew on for the week, I hope the same is true for you!

We will be taking on the second beatitude this week and our practice point will be "Trusting God's Best." Matthew 5:3 "Blessed are those who mourn, for they will be comforted." Jesus healing the daughter of Jairus will be the lesson focus and we want the kids to learn and know.....I need to be reminded and know.....that Jesus knows our hurts and He truly has our best interest at heart and we can trust Him for His best in any situation!

Have a great week peeps, be good and remember if your having a bad day then God's help is on the way. Now go out and punch someone right in the nose.....no wait, don't do that!