as we celebrate our great big God using orange’s “turn it up” curriculum, each 1st-5th grade child will have the chance to collect kidlife bling from one of our high-five guy volunteers.  these high-five guys will be available throughout the day to greet, encourage, and share bling with the children.

 we also have a button for each day’s main point.  these buttons lay out the Gospel and we hope they will be reviewed many times at home after kidlife week ends.  we can’t wait to see how these buttons promote outreach to visitors, scripture memorization, and lesson follow-up.

i am thrilled to be a part of the homewood girl trotters church-league basketball team.  i love getting back on the court for fun pick-up games, but somehow the past competitive athlete comes out each week.  a light-hearted game transforms into a regional championship in my mind, even though my out-of-shape body struggles to keep up for the hour of play. the bottom line is these games really don’t matter.  there is no scoreboard, no organized plays, and no trophy or medal.  so why on earth did i see the need to sacrifice my body for a ball going out of bounds?

it was my night to lead the devotion before we played. i shared about how we are to come humbly to Jesus, because our very best is merely filthy rags.  then, the game began. we were not even 15 minutes into play and the ball was going out of bounds.  i am not even really sure if it was knocked out by my team.  there was no time to think, because something just took over.  i went after it. running full speed, i jump out of bounds and threw the ball back in towards my teammates.  now, another lesson i am learning at my age is that my body doesn’t cooperate like it did in my younger years.  yes, i got the ball, but i couldn’t stop my body.  so with no control, i flew head first into aluminum bleachers.  the top of my head hit square into the side of the second row with my neck taking all the shock.  my hands, somehow thinking they could stop my hurling body, were out in front and went under the bleachers and slammed into the supports.  moments later i was flat on my back with a circle of girls starring down at me.  i was mortified and most assuredly out of play.  honestly, i was thankful to be able to stand and walk after this collision.

hours passed and i was at home with an ice pack on the top of my head, my neck, and my fingers.  i sat there asking myself, “why in the world did that ball seem to matter so much?”  then i recall a friend saying to me on the bleachers after my injury, “wow, danielle, that was taking being humble too far.”  i thought to myself,  that had nothing to do with humility and everything to do with P.R.I.D.E.  this girl that opened the game night talking about humility, ended her night because she needed to be seen as some kind of hero.  somehow during “play”, my pride fueled me to sacrifice the whole for something relatively unimportant.  (i did ask later, did i save the ball?  my teammates said yes and they were in the middle of a fast break when they noticed me on the floor and others circled around me.  they stopped and didn’t even score.  my effort was in vain.)

with plenty of additional moments spent icing bruises, knots, and pain; i reflected on other areas in my life and how pride had skewed my priorities.

• where else had i sacrificed a bigger truth for a insignificant “win.”
• had i ever gone so far for something that didn’t really matter and been benched for a greater victory?
• what have i missed in my walk with Jesus and ministry to kids, because i was consumed with the “seen” while sidelining the sacred?

i sadly see traces of the same thing i was guilty of on the basketball court that night in my personal and ministry life.  i also see that time is short, eternal things too important, and ministry hours too precious not to learn from my knock on my hard head.  surely i am not the only one that learns lessons this way, but this one will not be in vain.

At the end of last year God quietly spoke to my heart again, as I felt He did the year before. He challenged me, since I was able (in His strength) to make a daily decision to run and practice the exertion of my will over my what I feel like doing for an entire year (one day at a time). He challenged me to commit 20 minutes a day to Him (roughly how long it takes to run 2 miles) for a year. So this is what I set out to do this year. I set a timer so it’s measurable. I write in my journal to record everything God teaches me. I get on my knees and on my face, I daily offer myself to the Lord, throwing off all opinions, excuses, expectations and plans about me, about Him, and about that time. He made it clear I was to practice being still and knowing He is God. I was to learn to stop and just BE STILL, to just BE me (without masks, without hiding), to BE exposed, to listen to His Voice, listen for His opinion, to let Him teach me the Word — to just BE in His presence and acknowledge Him as God. This felt up-side-down and backwards for days. This was different than my usual definition of a “quiet time” where I get all my devotionals out, put them in a pile and read through each one at a time to see, what “speaks” to me and then I do my Bible study or read a book or listen to a song etc. and then I would go on about my day after checking that off my list, feeling good about myself. This kind of “quiet time” was based on me being in control, sometimes it felt forced, I was attempting to experience God through other peoples experiences. Not that these things are bad, we are meant to encourage one another with our experiences with God. I just can’t sustain my soul on these things, I must personally BE in His presence have His first hand fresh manna, His daily bread, His living water, His Word revealed in the clarity of His light. I did not realize it but I was so thin and shallow spiritually because I was trying to fulfill my spirit with things & pleasures of the world, (possessions, people’s approval, good works, food, pleasure) and when I did meet with God it often tended to be processed, filtered down, experiences with God. It’s like the difference between reading a book about someone or being in personal, connected, raptured relationship with a Jesus, to feel His touch and hear His voice. Something was missing in my walk with God. I was missing Him, starving for Him, His presence, His voice, His revelation. Yes, I’ve had those times of “revelation” and experience with Him but that would be here and there. I am designed to BE in His life-changing presence every single day – my spirit is so desperately hungry for it. This 20-time was to be careful, sacred, open, in His agenda, under His control, His timing, His teaching. Some days, not much happens, but that is ok.  He assures me the process is slow and steady like a endurance running, but other days He moves mountains. Either day is progress. Either day is being with the Creator of the Universe (what a privilege).

So back to my family, when I made this cautious commitment to meet with the Lord everyday, I had the fear of failure staring me in the face (again), but God proved to me that my commitment, my will, could overcome my feelings (I practiced that every day the year before). A miraculous thing happened for me. The commitment shut down the conversation I had with myself of whether or not I would do it or had time for it or would run from God or shut Him out. I was going to do it no matter what – just like the running. And even if I did fail, I live in a relationship of grace with God What did I have to loose? And it’s interesting cause the running commitment started with unity with my husband – to do something for him (complete his year of running) and now my husband has joined me with his own

Josh’s (1st Grade) illustration: a scroll (God’s word) in a treasure box in a heart and in a cross.

commitment to meet with the Lord each day and it is transforming his life. My oldest son Josh who is 7 years old said, “I wanna do it too momma”. Each time I meet with God, he meets with God… he has met with God every day of the year so far. Before long, my other son Jayden (6) decided he was missing out and wanted also to take part in this time. So we all, every day, set the timer and our whole house stops and acknowledges God (for 20 minutes). Sometimes we meet God in our closets, sometimes we meet with God outside, and sometimes we just find a spot on the floor we can each be alone with God (together). It’s a humbling thing to see my home stop and honor God, to see my boys learning how to have a posture of praying, of being still and laying face down, of drawing pictures in their journal of what a verse means to them, seeing the prayers they write thanking God for helping them eat a vegetable or praise Him for making dogs or for healing their brother after he had been sick.

Jayden’s (Kindergarten) Illustration: Jayden and Jesus together – “God why is the moon in the sky?”

And although we meet for only 20 minutes, I have to confess there is a secret to this 20-time. It is a time that starts but it does not stop. God has used this time as an opening of the door to Him each day, acknowledging and seeking Him first and from there everything else is added. God has been using this time to speak to me, quiet my heart, fill me up so that His love spills over into the rest of my day and ultimately into others lives. It’s a natural overflow. And I have discovered that me getting myself in His presence and out of the way, I am actually seeing consistent traction in my walk with Him, because I’m no longer running from Him, hiding from Him, each day, not matter what my mood, no matter my failures, I come back to Him again. My main job is to show up, offer my body as a living sacrifice for this is my spiritual act of worship. Seek Him first, love Him most, and listen to His voice only. Then, I am able to love my family and others as an overflow of how much I love God first. This is a year commitment that I’m now convinced will be a lifetime commitment for me to not let a day go by (if it’s within my power) that I do not get on my knees and face and acknowledge Jesus as Lord.

“Be still, and know that I am God; I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth.” (Psalm 46:10)

“But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.” (Matthew 6:33),

“Jesus replied: “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your mind.’” (Matthew 22:37)

Josh’s illustration of scripture: Josh trusting by thinking of Jesus.

Josh’s prayer: “God i want people to know you God and for people to get the Bible and to read the Bible and if people have a Bible and they don’t read the Bible i want for you to tell them to read the Bible.”

I am a mother of three young boys (ages 3, 6, 7). Needless to say my house is loud and chaotic and full of sound effects and many unsettling noises. I never quite know whether they are sounds of play, of mischief or sounds of disaster. I love being a mom, here is no doubt, on any day, that I am so thankful for my boys whom I prayed for and longed for years and years. God blessed us with three wonderful and precious boys through the beautiful yet challenging calling of fostering & adoption. I say that to let you know that I do not wish away one minute of these years. But if you know me, you know I am a quiet person (although some of my close friends would beg to differ). I like quiet places and I like order and peace and predictability. When life becomes too busy and chaotic and distracted and noisy, I become thin and frazzled and shallow and impatient. And life happens, laundry, dishes, bills, dinner, dishes again, shuttling kids from here to there (and back again), my job, character building and correcting with my kids, keeping up with my bible study. Oh and I do have a husband to take care of, and I can’t leave out all the times i HAVE to check facebook, my email, or have watch that favorite show of mine, or two. It seems, if I’m not intentional, my default is that I get up in the morning and I set my head to the ground and go, go, go till my head hits the pillow again. Then repeat.

Business. Noise. Aimlessness = me tired, uninspired, lethargic and shutting down – barely hanging on, living a half-life, knowing deep down that there must be more than this. I don’t have time to stop, to deal with personal stuff, to take care of myself, to make a meal for myself, it’s not about me anyways, right? I’ve got others to take care of first.

I wanted to share what God has been teaching me over the past few years. I am not a disciplined person by nature. I tend to be lazy & distracted with my mind and I can talk myself into and out of just about anything if given enough time to think it through. I admit this gets me into trouble more times than not.  Several years ago now, I have slowly developed the discipline of running. I like how running makes me feel and how it makes me feel physically AFTER I run – it’s a sense of well-being and personal accomplishment and I can eat more!  But I realize that I run because I have concluded it is what is best for my health and quality of life (a greater goal), so I do it. After all how much is it worth to be able to play soccer in the back yard with my kids (without becoming winded & tired) or go to a play area with blowups and race your kid through the obstacle course or run with them down the street talking about our days together – this is quality of life to me (worth the hard work – worth fighting for).

I run every day. Let me share with you why on earth I do this and how this all started. A few years ago, both my husband and I had started running a few times a week to attempt to be more healthy & fight off the aging process & slowing metabolism. Inspired by a friend who ran 2 miles every day for a year, Wayne, my husband, decided 2011 would be his year. He ran and ran and ran every day all year until December came around and he developed a shoulder injury that required surgery. We had to get the procedure done by the end of the year. That means he could not finish his year of running.

I felt sad for him that he had worked all year on this goal and was unable to reach it (he got to 358 of 365). I remember sitting in church on Sunday the week of his surgery (scheduled for Christmas eve) and I felt this impression as I sat there that God had suggested to my heart that since we are married and my husband and I are ONE,  that I should finish his year for him as a gift. I felt the suggestion was a strong one and it felt heavy on my heart for a day or two but I did not mention it to wayne and here is why… FEAR of failure… it would have required me to run every day for a week and I thought that sounded impossible. What if i didn’t feel like running every day, Christmas was coming up, we were going out of town – after all I had never done this before how did I know I could or would do it. I have also had a pile of unfulfilled goals, made with great intentions, mounted up in my past and felt pretty inept to do such a thing. I did not want to let him down.

So, I eventually gathered up courage to announce to him I felt I should do this FOR him, in his place. And while he was down from surgery, I ran the remaining days of the year for him. I did it one day at a time for a week – this was a HUGE victory for me to be able to follow through. I ran that week, 2 miles every day, and then something curious happened, I kept running and running and did not stop running and ran the entire year of 2012 – every day, at least 2 miles a day (typically 20 minutes of my day 24 hour day) for 366 days. How did i do it? I still ask myself that. Looking back I am amazed it even happened. Something unexpected happened that year, this daily discipline became a daily battle of my will (my commitment) verse my feelings coming head to head. I just made a choice EACH day to do it even though I hardly EVER felt like doing it, even though some days I was so busy or sick or tired or fill in the blank with an excuse. But I did it because I knew it was what was best for me (to be healthy, to fight for a quality of life), I had a greater goal, a greater commitment in mind. I learned one day at a time what it meant to be disciplined, to follow through – something with which I have always struggled. I also learned that I don’t have to have that conversation with myself about why I can’t do it, it just did it. This commitment of the will shut down that self-defeating self talk. This discipline of learning, by God’s guidance and strength, to control my mind and body is changing my life.  Because it was not about the running, God had a greater goal in mind that even that…

be sure to check back in a couple of days for part two!

- study God’s Word in a interactive way
– worship God in a kid-friendly setting
– be poured into by passionate adults and youth
– build relationships with their peers in a safe environment
and more.

so, from this vision came 24 Hours 4 Him – a spring discipleship event that begins at 6p.m. on a friday night and ends at 6p.m. on saturday night.  yes, the kids sleep.  we even put them to bed in order of their age.  no, we don’t sleep in family homes.  we nestle down right in church classrooms so we don’t lose anytime driving back and forth to the church.

our themes come from great sources like northpoint’s superheroes curriculum, children desiring God backyard Bible club lessons, orange’s past vbs curriculums, and more.  the entire 24 hours revolves around the theme in hopes of not only helping children understand these truths with their head, but to grasp them with their hearts and then apply them to their lives.

the schedule usually looks something like this:

friday

•  children arrive, report to BIble study rooms, and play a get-to-know-you game
• dinner
• Bible study (by grade)
• worship
• 1st & 2nd graders go to bed while 3rd-5th graders participate in special areas (i.e. cooking, crafts, drama, puppets, secret service, etc.)
• 3rd & 4th graders go to bed while *5th graders have a special late night event.
• bedtime

saturday

• wake up
• breakfast
• morning celebration
• quiet time
• Bible study
• lunch
• BIble study
• recreation
• Bible study
• clean-up, pack-up (kids help put the church back together for sunday morning.)
• closing worship (parents are invited to attend with their children.)
• go home

additional information

• Bible study leaders are parents, college students, or older youth.
• parents come and help serve meals and also make goody buckets for each of the Bible study leaders.
• we have a designated first-aid/meds person that handles any medicine brought by parents for their children during the weekend.
• we bring in a special speaker and worship leader for the worship sessions.  (children also get the chance to lead in worship.)
• children receive a t-shirt from the weekend and we encourage them to wear it to school the next week.
• parents receive an immediate email after dropping their children off that shares with them what the children are studying that weekend and ways to continue the learning at home.
• *the late night 5th grade activity is fun activity where children make bridges out of various random supplies. (i.e. straws, legos, rubber bands, paperclips, etc.) then, we talk through how Jesus alone is the bridge between our sinful selves and our Holy God.  children then fill out a questionnaire about where they are spiritually, so that we can more effectively minister to them in their remaining months in kids ministry.

i have been blessed at both of the churches i have served at with pastors that understand the importance of children’s ministry and take time to promote and share the vision with others.  below is an excerpt of what my current pastor, dr. gary fenton, is sharing in next week’s church newsletter about dawson kids first ever 24 Hours 4 Him.

“Speaking of children… as we do frequently at Dawson, because ministry to children, preschool, middle and high school students are a priority… this Friday, March 01 6:00 pm to Saturday 6 p.m. will be one of the more important 24 hour periods in the church this year. We will host “24 hours 4 Him.” This is an intentional step toward healthy Christian discipleship that involves interactive Bible Study, age appropriate worship and teaching for grades 1-5. In the last several years several books including You Lost Me and Almost Christian have documented that a large number young adults 18 to 30 indicate that their faith is not relevant to the issues they face in life. Many of them have not totally abandoned their faith in God; but they are unsure if and how it relates to their daily life. The Christian faith is unfortunately too often seen as a ticket to heaven, rather than a way of life. Some who drop out may have had experiences with God but have never learned about a daily walk with God. Others may have just heard enough to be confused. During 24 Hours 4 Him children will learn about heroes of the Old and New Testament as the Bible stories will be taught in an age appropriate ways. This is not a child evangelism program but an opportunity for spiritual preparation. 

Still speaking of children…If you sense excitement on my part, you are right. The first time I heard of 24 Hours 4 Him I thought it was probably a children’s version of a lock-in during which exhausted kids would be manipulated into some type of emotional decision. Then my first grade grandson participated in one in another state and I saw how helpful and healthy it was for him to hear Bible stories. I learned sleep and rest were built into the program. It was like spending the night at Christian friend’s house that involved healthy Christian teaching. I invite you to be praying this wonderful foundational discipleship event.”

i so look forward to what next weekend will be and what God will do at dawson kids first 24 Hours 4 Him.  for those of you who want more info, i have provided some links to some promotional and leader information from our present 24 Hours 4 Him.  

24 Hours 4 Him registration 2013
24 Hours 4 Him leader guidelines

Click here to view the embedded video.

another reason is because i see sweet spiritual fruit from these intentional times spent together as families. fruit shared in an email i received the next morning after vine family worship that had a subject line stating: “One more for God’s Kingdom!” after our first dawson kids vine family worship, a young boy went home and prayed to receive Christ as his Lord and Savior. how cool to think that a worship song sung and a hands-on activity shared as a family (things he referenced from the night of family worship) contributed as one of many puzzle pieces that lead him to the cross, confessing his need for a Savior. glory!

our theme for our first vine family worship was “love, why?” we were following a church-wide emphasis from matthew 22:37-39 to “love God and love people”. i wanted the children to see in God’s Word why were are to love and not do so out of: religious ritual, because i told them to, because the church was emphasizing it, but because God said so and He first loved us! below is the order of our service for that night along with pictures that help paint the story. i am already smiling as i think about what God may do in the lives of families in our next family worship.

vine family worship – “love, why?”

click to see larger image

- we began with a “why” family intro activity that families had to work on together. (it was important that they sat as families so each part of the night could be shared as a family.) each table had dot stickers and an info sheet that gave them instructions. (see pic) i was overwhelmed by something someone shared with me during this opening activity. she said, “you realize there are three languages being spoken in here tonight?” as i panned the room, i could see many english speaking tables, but it was the spanish and arabic speaking tables that made me beam. such a sweet picture of the body of Christ.

- we then opened with a child led worship song that was straight scripture. here is the one we used for this service. i love seeing the kids up in front leading and the parents doing the motions.

- then a family and another child performed a skit entitled “the love family.” this was precious, because the young boy that played “the love man” is a new believer and his part was to share the love of God with this family so they could be freed to love with God’s love.

- next, families discussed what the skit meant to them. i think this part is crucial because each person could have received something different. if we are not intentional to discuss it immediately, we may lose valuable family faith teaching time. i loved sitting back and listening in on families grappling with what this skit had to do with their daily lives.

- after they discussed the skit, a young man came and read the scriptures for the evening and i talked about two reasons why we are to love: 1) because God says so and that is enough (it was a command, not a suggestion) and 2) because He first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

- i ended my talk confessing and challenging families that maybe we don’t love like we should because we forget all the many ways we see proof of how God loves us. (i.e. His Son Jesus, His comfort, He made us, etc.) families were then challenged to take each dot off of themselves and place it on the pot of their vine plant. with each dot they removed, they were to name one reason why they know God loves them. i told them if they ran out of reasons (which we really never could) they could say the name of Jesus, because no other has given up their life for sinners like us. this was my favorite part of the evening. watching families count the ways they see God loving them was priceless. a child at one table even turned to grandparents and an uncle to hear from each of them.

- we then ended the night in worship singing “i could sing of your love forever” and “amazing love.” i don’t think i will ever tire of watching families worship together.

- after closing prayer and me encouraging them to take their pots home and put them in a place where the family would always see them, we ended with dinner and sweet fellowship.

i still stand amazed at how our great big God showed up and blew us all away with His love.

many of my ministry days are like snow days. they bolster much hype and a flurry of activity, but without the right conditions nothing sticks. ouch! as i head into a crazy busy week of ministry may this be my prayer each morning:

Lord, help the condition of my heart and the motivation of my intentions be in line with the unparalleled awe of the Savior, so that the flurry of activity in the day ahead brings truths that stick.

planned last was a time where the smasH students wrote a prayer to God about the remainder of their smasH year. each child spent a great deal of time writing this prayer and then they brought it up to the lock box at the foot of the cross. their prayers will be locked up until the end of the year and then they will receive them back to discover how God had answered their prayers. we finished this activity at 11:40p.m. and i promised parents their children would be ready for pick-up at midnight. no sweat, i had just enough time to finish what i had prepared — the adult leaders were to pray over the smasH students. as i was explaining this to the students, one student asked, “well, can we pray, too?” i will be honest, the first thought that ran through my mind was that they had just prayed in their letters, but as one of their leaders how could i tell them they couldn’t pray? so i said sure, thinking it would all go quick and fit in the nice package i had organized for the evening. i am so thankful that God pushes me out of the way when He wants to work.

what happened next was orchestrated by God and as one of my leaders stated, “we had church.” for the next 20 minutes child after child prayed humble, specific prayers about everything from their upcoming year at church, to the children and families in connecticuit, and then for a family in our church whose daughter had passed away in the fall. it was a holy moment. i sat there in awe and profoundly convicted. these kids poured out request after request to their Heavenly Father. as a leader with a plan i knew this might effect my schedule, but i sat quietly and they continued to pray. after a while, there was finally a break in the consistent prayers and i wrapped our time up and we went hurrying off (just a couple minutes late) to where their parents were waiting for pick up.

out of the six hours we spent together as a group it was the last bit that really drew us all closer to Him, and i had nothing to do with it. i kept hearing, “danielle, stop worrying so much about the plan and what you prepared, and let the children pray.” i constantly state that i believe that children are not the church of tomorrow, but the church of today, but i now see when it comes to prayer my actions don’t match my words. where am i intentionally giving children opportunities to pray not only in dawson kids, but in the church as a whole? i have often said if i am ever in need of great prayer i will welcome anyone’s prayers, but please let the children pray for me. let the ones who pray passionately believing and leaving their requests at their Father’s feet intercede for me.  this group was a prime example.

i am reminded once again that children need to be given purposed time to pray. we not only need to provide the time, but teach them and challenge them to make prayer a priority. this lesson, like every other lesson, begins with me. i hear it  loud and clear and it is still ringing in my ears — let the children pray. may their passionate prayers of faith and hunger to learn and live His Word change our world and bring glory to God.