This is it. The week of the Christmas musical is finally here. I plan on making this a short blog post with the info you need to know for the rest of the week before I do that I have one message and I hope you will use it to encourage your children. Timothy 4:12 tells us to not let anyone look down on you because you are young, but to set an example for the believers in speech, in life, in love, in faith and in purity. To me this means that just because you are young doesn’t mean you can’t do God’s work or make a difference in someone eternal life. Our children have so much faith and have hearts full of so much love not just for God but for His people too. I challenge you this week, parents, as I challenge myself with my own children, to encourage the children. Tell them how loved they are, tell them how much God loves them, tell the children they can make a difference in this world by letting people see God in them, tell them you are proud of their efforts on with the musical, tell them how proud you are that they are willing to participate. . Let them know that age doesn’t matter when you are working for God. I have told the children since we started “Hark” and in the years past, people will come to church to see children sing and perform when they will not come to church for anything else. Let’s use this opportunity to make sure our kids know just the act of singing about God and putting on a performance might be the only time someone hears about Jesus. They might be the reason that someone’s life is changed! How awesome is that? I know some of you might doubt me but I have seen it happen. I have seen people never come to church except when the kids perform & I have seen families changed just because a child was in church and they encouraged their parents to come too. It just takes one time for someone to hear God’s message and the seed is planted. So this week pray for your children & encourage them.
I woke up last night at 1:30 to Jack’s screams. I guess he was having at nightmare. After he fell back to sleep all I could think about was the musical. I found myself singing the songs and my mind running over and over about how to decorate the stage. I still don’t know when or what I am going to do but as soon as I do I’ll send out a message to see if I can get some help. Thank you to Wendy & Bruce for painting one of our props. It turned out great! Catherine McBurnett did a great job on Gabriel’s scroll too. Be in prayer for her as she works on sashes this week. I know she has had the flu, Josh has the flu plus they had the wreck so I know she is feeling some stress, or at least I would be! Thank you to Tyla & Courtney for assembling the manger for me, or almost assembling ! haha. If you could see all the pieces & the instructions & how it fell back apart you all would laugh too! Thank you to Ashley Fortenberry who has so much musical talent! Practice would be a mess without her, especially since I can’t sing nor read music! On a plus side, I am learning how to work the sound board (I think that is the term for that thing) this year! I hope everyone has their white robes by now, if you do not please let me know ASAP!! I know the robes are see thru so please have your child wear something under them. I would prefer something white, maybe a white t-shirt or turtleneck & either white bottoms or very light colored shorts. We want to maintain the look of WHITE!!!! On their feet just wear white tall socks. no shoes. White tights might work well for the girls. REMEMBER Looking for a SOLID WHITE appearance. The children need to be at church no later than 5:30, DRESSED IN THEIR COSTUME Sunday night Dec. 8. We have practice Wed. night from 6-7 in the sanctuary. Friday night is dress rehearsal. The children need to be at church at 6:00. I had said we will be finished at 8 but I am changing that to 8:30. They will be fed a pizza supper. Many kids have missed the extra practices which we have done in the sanctuary so it is very important they are there Wed. & Friday night because they are not going to know where to enter from, where to stand, when to move to the nativity set/costume change or how & when to use the mics. If your child has a speaking part please make sure they get it memorized by Wed. Kids are always so nervous when they get on the stage, having the confidence that they know their lines & where to be when will really help them feel better about the performance. Please continue to have your child practice the songs. Thank you for your dedication to this musical! I do know making extra practices has not been easy but I appreciate yall supporting me in this! I want to encourage you, just as I encouraged the children last night to get out and invite people. I had mentioned in several posts that I would like to offer refreshments when we finished with the musical. I would love for the children to have time to mingle with visitors & the children socialize with those who came out to support them. So let’s plan on desserts & drinks in the gym. Nothing fancy, just a table with desserts & drinks & people can help themselves. I can get every parent to bring a dessert & a 2 L drink or a tea. Let me know if you can help & their might be some parents that do not have kids in the musical who would bring too. I think the musical will last about 30-40 minutes & then refreshments so we should be out of church no later than 7:30. I can’t think of anything else about that night.
Breakfast with Santa is Dec. 14, 9am in the gym. This year I am using tickets so I can better plan for the purchase of food. The tickets are free but you must have a ticket to enter. Please get with me to get your tickets. Breakfast will probably be pancakes, bacon, sausage and fruit. Santa will be available for pictures. Feel free to bring a camera. We will have someone available to take pics if you are not able too. I am striving for a more organized breakfast than last yrs. so this year as you request tickets I am assigning a number to them & that number will be called for you to go have your picture taken with Santa. There will also be a few doors prizes. I know as usual I am all over the place with this stuff but my mind is running in circles a little more than normal. I wonder if Lauren Ayres or Brandi Johnson has one of those essential oils that are supposed to help you focus... I don’t know the name of it but I need to rub it all over my head! Invite people to the Santa breakfast too. Get some extra tickets! I know I have left something out on the breakfast too!
I was so proud of our youth who gave up a HUGE Iron Bowl game to so work for Operation Christmas Child. I know the youth had a great time bonding & working on such an awesome mission! My boys said the boxes they worked on were going to Madagascar. Isn’t it just amazing to know our youth’s hands were on boxes going to Africa & to know that they touched something that a child will touch who might have never known about Jesus without the mission of ‘Operation Christmas Child”. Thank you to Arlo, Jennie, Teresa, the adults from Riverbend & the youth from WBBC & Riverbend for stepping out of what would be the “Southern Football Saturday Norm” and being the hands & feet of Jesus.
One last thought….As “Gabriel” said last night,” You might be the only Jesus someone sees!’ So I encourage you to get this week and make a difference!! Be the hands & feet of Jesus!
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