November Redo

I joked last night w/ a friend who is having some difficulties that we both need a November redo. Seems like November has been a stinker for many of us. I know of a friend w/ surgery gone wrong, one caring for an ailing parent, some losing parents, children sick, divorce, loss of job and of course my own family's situation w/ mother. It has been a tough month for so many people, yet I have seen so many just keep on keeping on! As Christian's God never told us this world would be easy, He never said everything would go our way. Every plan I have made lately, God has rearranged. I know His plan is perfect and I  have gotten over not getting my way & now I am just going with what ever comes my way. I have seen so many in the situations listed above doing that....just making the best of it and going w/ whatever God has planned. I am thankful for those people because they are such inspirations to me. We can't get a November redo but in less than a week it will be a new month & I am believing it will be a better month.

The kids should all have their music cd's by now. Please have them learning those songs & if they have a speaking part, memorizing it. We will be practicing Wed. nights upstairs in my SS class & every Sunday during children's church for the Christmas musical. PLEASE REMEMBER rehearsal is DEC 14 6-8. They will have a pizza supper then practice the entire play so I need every child there PLEASE!!! Show will be Dec. 16, 6 pm. I will have all the costumes for the kids who are in the nativity scene.

A few other reminders: This Friday night is the Polar Express PJ Movie Night. 6:30 in the gym. Everyone wear your PJS. We will have cookies, hot cocoa & watch the Polar Express. I do realize Mom is suppose to have surgery that day & if I can't make it, the show will still go on thanks to Katie & Teresa! Also, remember Breakfast w/ Santa. This is for anyone, I just need reservations in by Dec. 5th so I can prepare enough food. Santa has been located & I believe he will arrive by firetruck! There will be a heavenly angel named Ben Clough watching over Santa! Hint Hint!! Any of these events would be a great opp to invite someone to church.  I hope you all have a great week and remember even though we have alot going on at church, we do it all because of Jesus.

HAPPY THANKSGIVING WEEK

I am pretty sure we are all in the same boat & have so much to be thankful for. God has been so good to me and blessed me w/ a wonderful related family & a wonderful church family. I have really struggled (struggled is probably a mild word if you were Jami & Joey and had to listen to my wailing) these past few weeks w/ mom having cancer again & then the news of waiting to see if it is anywhere else & if it is there being nothing we can do. As usual, I doubt & God handles it. After going to church yesterday & hearing the choirs music I just felt like it was just for me...just the things I needed to hear. Same thing last night @ the Community Thanksgiving Service. The words of being thankful just spoke to my heart & then this young couple sang & I just knew God had this under control. WHY DO I DOUBT?? My brain knows God has this but my emotions have been all over the place! I have felt like a crazy person, w/ my insides churning & my mind running nonstop. Drove my Mom & her sister home last night in complete peace.  I am so thankful for my church family covering my mother in prayers. I ask for your prayers as she has all her scans tomorrow that the cancer is confined to the one breast. I am also going to ask that whatever she goes through that we pray that God uses that to bring someone closer to him. I want every situation my family & I go thru to be used for the glory of God & to bring someone to Him. We have to stay focused on God & he will handle the rest. I hope you all have a very blessed week w/ your loved ones! No church Wed. night.

Kids Reminders:
Christmas music went home yesterday. If you didn't get it please let me know & I'll bring it to you this week. I really need the kids to get those songs learned asap. Please read the letter that was included. The letter said the dress rehearsal would be Friday Dec. 15 but the date is wrong. The rehearsal is Friday Dec. 14. PLEASE  make sure your child is at the dress rehearsal!!!!The Christmas musical will be Sunday night Dec. 16 . Kids need to be at church by 5, show starts @ 6:00. This is the same night as the dinner theatre which will be after the kids perform. Mr. Edwards said he will have tickets for sale next week for that.

Polar Express pj movie night is Nov. 30. In the gym 6:30. Invite someone!!!Cookies & Hot Cocca

Breakfast W/ Santa (STILL NEED A SANTA) is Dec. 8, 9 am in the fellowship hall. There is no charge but I need reservations in by Wed. Dec. 5.

Just a Bunch of Kid Reminders

After a week filled w/ emotional ups & downs...well basically all downs, Moms cancer, my pick not winning the election & Al losing, it is great to be home today & have some quiet time to recharge. The twins are still on the youth camp out @ Arlo's so it is very quiet here.

I wanted to remind everyone that Wed. night is the packing night for our shoeboxes. The washclothes, soap, toothbrushes & toothpaste are already at church. All your child needs to bring is the toys they chose to fill the box with & whatever else they might like to include. We also have the boxes. Remember to include $7.00 for shipping but if that is a problem.... it is ok. Still do your box. I know we all have alot of expenses coming out of the budget right now. Thanksgiving is next week & the meal cost all our arms & legs then we have Christmas coming. I definitely understand! Don't let your child miss out on this great mission opportunity. The kids love helping others.

We have begun practice on our kids Christmas musical. It will be Dec. 16, 6pm. I am still in the process of figuring out what & who is doing this or that. I told the kids I'll be sending home the CD next Sunday for them to memorize the music. Believe me... I know it gets old listening to that music over & over but please have it playing every chance you get. The quicker we learn the music the better. Remember to start looking for your VBS red t shirts. I want us to wear them w/ white or green shirts underneath. If your child does not have one please go ahead & let me know.  Ok, so that is the 16th. Mr. Edwards asked me if the kids would perform Sun night Dec. 9 @ the dinner. Idk any details yet but he wanted the kids to perform 2 songs & they will be regular Christmas songs like Rudolph or Jingle Bells that we will not be singing in our musical. I told him we would but once I got to thinking about that I better ask yall moms because that will be 2 Sunday nights in a row that you are committing to be at church. Let me know what you think. I am fine w/ it but I want to make sure yall are ok too. December 8th will be breakfast w/ Santa & I still need a man to be Santa. Let me know if you know of someone one willing to do that. I know all of this seems far off but it will be here literally in a few weeks. Hold on to your hat, time is gonna fly by! Stay focused on Jesus because He is the reason for the season!! Please keep my momma in your prayers this week. Pray for Kendra's brother Harry. He had a heart attack last night & open heart surgery. I hear he is doing well. Have a blessed week!

Info on Operation Christmas Child boxes

This is the easiest way to make sure everyone who has a child in the kids' dept. at WBBC knows what is going on for the week or month. I could text but would take too long. I hope you check this blog every Monday afternoon so you have the latest info & so your child doesn't miss out on fun church stuff.

Last night we watched the kick off video for Operation Christmas Child & your child filled out a sheet about themselves to include in their box. Boxes were assembled & now just need to be filled & delivered. The children will be filling those this coming Wed. night & I will be delivering them Thursday or Friday. To make the process easier this yr. Jeannie, Arlo & I will handle gathering the hygiene items. We will have washclothes, soap, toothbrushes & toothpaste for each box. Your child will just need to bring in the other items they chose to fill the box with. Some suggestions are coloring books & crayons, writing materials, flashlights & batteries, small balls & dolls, stuffed animals, small games, brushes, hair accessories & even flip flops. The Dollar Store is a great place to shop for these smaller items. This is a regular size shoebox not the large boot size box.They can also include hard candy( nothing that will melt) & it needs to be in a ziplock baggie. PLEASE make sure you do not send military figures & plastic guns. If you have questions about what you can & can't include please call me. Each box needs $7.00 shipping but if you can not provide that, it is fine, it will be covered. We will be showing the video to the church Sunday & hopefully they'll be people in the congregation who want to do a box too. Thanks for all your help & for the encouragement you provide your child & the church when it comes to supporting mission outreach! Have a blessed rest of the week!

Kid's Stuff

What a wonderful day @ WBBC yesterday. The Ayre's did a great job spreading the message of orphans & adoption. The whole family is such a blessing to have at WBBC. I look forward to watching them raise two more precious children up in God's home! I am going to make it short today so on to the kids's stuff.

This Wed. night the kids will have a pizza supper as we kick off our shoeboxes. I'll show them a dvd & send them home w some info on how they can participate the following week. You do not need to bring a shoebox. We have premade ones from Samaritan's Purse. The following Wed. night, Nov. 14, we will stuff the boxes. I am anticipating church will be canceled Nov. 21 due to it being the night before Thanksgiving & our church does not normally have service that night. I was thinking we would do Big City Nov. 28 to finish up this month but I might just have the kids work on the Christmas music. Starting this Sunday, I'll be doing children's church every Sunday thru Dec. 16. We will be practicing for the Christmas play which will be Sunday night, Dec. 16 @ 6 pm. Please go ahead and locate your child's red VBS t shirt. I plan on the kids wearing these w/ either a white or green long sleeve shirt under these & if your child does not have one let me know asap. I want them to match as much as possible. After the performance I would like for us to offer desserts, coffee & drinks to the congregation. I would love for a parent to say they will handle all the arrangements for that. You know making sure the fellowship hall is arranged & that we have plenty of desserts & drinks. This night is always a great opportunity to have visitors in our church which is a huge blessing. I have 3 other kid reminders. Friday night , November 30 is the Polar Express PJ Movie night in the gym & Dec. 8 Santa will be coming for breakfast at WBBC. I am looking for a Santa if you know someone willing to play him. The breakfast will be free but I will need reservations in no later than Dec. 5th. I am going to ask some of our youth moms & students to help w/ this so you all can enjoy time w/ your little ones. We ring the Salvation Army bell Dec 21 @ the mall from 10-6. I have hour time slots we can sign up for as that day gets closer. I told y'all it is full speed ahead from trunk or treat but even though we are supper busy we need to remember who we are working for and make every opportunity a chance to reach someone lost & to show them love! This is just kids stuff I know the church has several other holiday functions going on. I hope you all have a great week! Say a little prayer for our family as the 10:00 hour approaches please!

Working for Him

I got into SS yesterday morning in time to study my lesson, which I had not done the night before, and it was on serving others & how Jesus had served His disciples by washing their feet. This made for some good laughs because I tried to talk the kids into rubbing my aching feet & washing them. Of course they refused and made all kind of comments. Then we got down to the seriousness of the lesson. I explained Jesus was serving His servants and in turn wants us to serve others. Perfect story for the ending of the Trunk or Treat weekend. I explained as a church we were serving our community the night before. People got a hot meal, entertainment and hopefully they felt the love of Jesus thru our friendliness & welcoming attitudes. I know all of those who volunteered were exhausted by the time we locked the doors Sat. night but I do hope you feel good about the work you did for our heavenly Father. Everyone from the kitchen, bake sale, those poor guys on the other side of the church who could not see the ballgames, those who drove the hayrides, people who cleaned up, to trunks & those who dressed up, to the men still taking down signs yesterday, hauling off trash this morning & returning equipment today, you all went above and beyond serving your community & I know one day you'll receive a special blessing for your dedication. I was so proud of our youth! I know many of them have worked before but the younger youth who were use to running around playing & getting candy were so dedicated to their jobs that night. I am so glad they have hearts willing to serve God. I even had a sweet elementary child beg to work a game. She wanted to help & I believe she stayed on a game the whole night! Sometimes kids can teach us so much! LOL I wish I could figure out how to post pics on here!!

Ok now to kids stuff! No church Wed. night. Sunday, Nov. 4th is "Orphan Sunday" and Jason & Lauren Ayres have special music and a special message for us so we will not have children's church. I know this message will be a blessing to those who hear it. Starting Nov. 11th every Sunday during children's church the kids will be working on the Christmas program. I still do not know what we are doing but I'll have something in the works by then. I am pretty sure your household is like mine and from Trunk or Treat weekend on it is full speed ahead until the end of the year. Let's try to stay focused on God while we are doing the other 100 things we need to do!

One last thing...Wed. night is halloween and I know it can be a controversial holiday for many Christians. Do we partake or not? In my opinion a holiday is what you make of it. You can chose to do the gore & devilish stuff or you could make it more about celebrating the harvest of fall. If you are looking for something more Christian to do, go to www.ministry-to-children.com & you'll see the pumpkin prayer. We did this prayer in children's church & I know your child would have so much fun at home carving the pumpkin as they do this prayer. Hopefully they will grow up remembering God removes our sin like we remove the gunk from the inside of the pumpkin. Have a great week & stay warm!

P.S. Arlo I know you are reading this & you better be glad you live so far off because I know several boys in a certain youth group who plan on going ROLLIN, ROLLIN, ROLLIN!

Judgement House

I had to share what I experienced last night. First, I want to give 12th St. a big thank you for what they do each yr. So many people come thru their doors for the Judgement house and I know lives are being changed by this outreach! I was suppose to have been at church last night pulling out trunk or treat stuff from upstairs but the opportunity worked out for me to go to the Judgement house and I am so thankful I did. I got to church a little late & never saw how many kids loaded up into the van or cars & I rode by myself to 12th St. so I was later than everyone else getting there. Once we all get inside and I see sooo many youth I was in AWE! 27 YOUTH and 11 adults.....38! Now I know that is no big deal to some but I can rem back several yrs ago when I went w/ the youth the 1st time to the Judgement house and we might of only had 10 of us youth & adults. I could barely keep from crying when those numbers hit me because I just rem how hard it was back we were trying to grow the youth & children's dept ( not that we have stopped trying now). God has been so good to us and He just keeps reminding me that if we are faithful and do His work then He will bless us. I am not going to give the story away but at the end God comes up to you and touches your shoulder and say something to each person there. I almost passed out when he touched me. His words were,"do not worry". Did he hit the nail on the head. I worry about everything and I know I shouldn't. Coincidence? I think not!

I also wanted to say how blessed we are at WBBC to have  a preacher wants to go be involved in youth and kid activities. Joey went w/ us. Then to have parents who are just as excited about being at the Judgement house as the kids are. It is a wonderful thing. Arlo & Jennie did a great job last night guiding kids and showing them love. They are doing a great job leading this group! It was awesome to have some youth & adult visitors with us. I love how God makes things work out and i am so glad He worked it out for me to go last night. BIG THANK YOU to Katie & Teresa for working w/ the kids last night. I appreciate all you do!