As much as I love to blog, to e-mail, to check on my FB friends, and to read what Shaun Groves, Beth Moore, Travis Cottrell, and Chris Thomason are thinking every day...I realize that I am devoting way too much time to these activities...and because of my lack of self control, my children are missing out on, well, on time with their mama.
Ever since Carol Kelso handed me a cassette copy of his sermon, "A New Attitude" (which eventually formed the framework for his book, "I Kissed Dating Goodbye")--I think Carol thought someone in my pack of friends had a crush on her boy Jared, and she wanted us to know where her family stood...I can so see myself doing that in 10 years!!! --anyway, ever since I've heard that first sermon, I've really enjoyed what God has spoken through Josh Harris....here's one more that God really used to get in my face today. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EzxmMvbBilM
Saturday, October 17, 2009
Friday, October 9, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
SHAUN GROVES/ MISS PATTYCAKE LIVE / FAMILY WORSHIP FESTIVAL
MARK YOUR CALENDARS!
Saturday, June 27th, is a big day for families in our area! We will be hosting a "Family Worship Festival" at Celebration Church in Thomasville that day, which will focus on sharing God's Love and God's Truth with kids...starting in our homes, extending to a church setting, and even reaching out with the Gospel to kids around the world who are living in poverty!
Here's what you need to know about what's going on that day:
1. 10:30 a.m.--Miss Pattycake, Live in concert @ Celebration Church in Thomasville. Doors will open @ 9:30 a.m. Seating is general admission, and tickets are $5 each and are available through the Celebration church office (229-226-8332, or e-mail krisyoursis@gmail.com). They will also be available @ Rayann's Christian Bookstore later next week (wk. of June 15th). When you buy a ticket, you will also have the option of adding $3.50 to the price of your ticket to pre-order a delivered lunch (either a chicken sandwich or an 8-count nugget box from Chick-fil-A, both served with chips). To learn more about Miss Pattycake, see THIS LINK (The event she describes here is similar to the concert event she'll be doing in Thomasville).
2. Immediately after the concert, Chick-fil-A lunches will be delivered for those who pre-ordered. Attendees may take a few minutes to enjoy their lunches (Chick-fil-A delivery or something packed and brought from home), and then they may visit around our front building to enjoy a meet & greet time with Miss Pattycake, and also to enjoy some "meet & greet" activities with LIVE "Bible Story Characters" who will present Bible stories first-hand and do fun activities with attendees. The front building will be open for this "Bible Story Tour" until 2 p.m.
3. At 6:30 p.m., Christian artist Shaun Groves will be leading us in a time of worship in the sanctuary at Celebration Church, and he will be sharing about an amazing ministry opportunity that will allow us as families to impact the lives of children in poverty around the world as we "Go and make disciples of all nations...." While you will have an opportunity to give financially during this concert/worship gathering, ADMISSION for THIS event is FREE! Unchurched friends are welcome to come, but Shaun has a particular message God has laid on his heart to share with the local Body of Christ, so please invite every Believer you know to join us that evening! This gathering should be over by 8 p.m., so you'll have time to rest up for Sunday morning! To learn more about Shaun, see THIS LINK.
********Bonus: at 2 p.m. on Sunday, June 28th, Children's Ministry Leader Kristie Wooten and Jean Thomason (a.k.a. "Miss Pattycake) will be leading a workshop together for area Believers who minister to children in a group setting (daycare workers, church nursery workers, preschool teachers, etc.) It will be at the Madison Grove Clubhouse (corner of Pavo Road and Madison Grove Boulevard--which is just past Skyline Drive). It is sure to be a fun and very encouraging time for these grown-ups who give so much to "let the little children come"! Admission for this event will be $7 @ the door, but tickets are available beforehand @ $5 each by e-mailing krisyoursis@gmail.com. ...if you have any friends who are involved in children's ministry at area churches, please encourage them to come! They will be BLESSED (and feel like gasoline has been dumped on the fire in their hearts!) :) Churches who help sponsor the Family Worship Festival on Saturday, 6/27, will receive 10 free tickets to Sunday's Children's Ministry Leader Workshop. If your church is interested in sponsoring, please e-mail Kristie Wooten @ krisyoursis@gmail.com ASAP.
The Family Worship Festival is sponsored by the Everett-Milton YMCA Child Watch Center, Celebration Church of Thomasville, Trinity Anglican Church of Thomasville, and ReMax Realtor Dot Titus! Special thanks to our sponsors!
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
It May Not Come Out Exactly the Same Way It Went In
I am STILL cracking up over the results of years of quoting from Ginger Plowman's "Wise Words for Moms" (a WONDERFUL tool for assisting parents in giving their children "wisdom" via "a Biblical reproof") to my kids....
(In DQ drive thru, Noah shouts something unkind at me because he doesn't like my singing)
Me: "Noah, excuse me, son?!?!!?"
MB: "Yeah, Noah--you're inspising destruction!!!!"
(despising instruction...which we've taught them, according to Scripture, is foolish...and they know that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, "but the rod of correction will drive it far from him," so when they despise instruction, they can expect a spanking.)
Noah: "NO!" (sings his best Judy Rogers impression) "I'm the one who causes trouble with his brothers!"
(In DQ drive thru, Noah shouts something unkind at me because he doesn't like my singing)
Me: "Noah, excuse me, son?!?!!?"
MB: "Yeah, Noah--you're inspising destruction!!!!"
(despising instruction...which we've taught them, according to Scripture, is foolish...and they know that foolishness is bound up in the heart of a child, "but the rod of correction will drive it far from him," so when they despise instruction, they can expect a spanking.)
Noah: "NO!" (sings his best Judy Rogers impression) "I'm the one who causes trouble with his brothers!"
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Real Children's Ministry via Compassion International
I have heard Shaun Groves speak online a number of times, and I had the privilege of listening to him speak at Travis Cottrell's live recording at First Baptist, Woodstock, GA, earlier this year! Amazing man of God with a heart to serve and to minister...in ways that are far from "status quo" or "comfortable."
Shaun is passionate about bringing forth God's Kingdom through REAL children's ministry...reaching children and their families (and many of them are children WITHOUT earthly families) who are living in total poverty in some of the dirtiest, scariest places in the world! Shaun is a spokesperson for an organization called Compassion International, which is funded via child sponsorships that help to provide food, clothing, medical care, education, and most importantly, the Truth of Christ, to these desperate, hurting children.
Shaun has teamed up with some other well-known bloggers for a trip to India, where they will be ministering and blogging to raise awareness of God's work in India through Compassion International. Be sure to check out the blog on a regular basis: http://compassionbloggers.com/trips/2009-india
Shaun is passionate about bringing forth God's Kingdom through REAL children's ministry...reaching children and their families (and many of them are children WITHOUT earthly families) who are living in total poverty in some of the dirtiest, scariest places in the world! Shaun is a spokesperson for an organization called Compassion International, which is funded via child sponsorships that help to provide food, clothing, medical care, education, and most importantly, the Truth of Christ, to these desperate, hurting children.
Shaun has teamed up with some other well-known bloggers for a trip to India, where they will be ministering and blogging to raise awareness of God's work in India through Compassion International. Be sure to check out the blog on a regular basis: http://compassionbloggers.com/trips/2009-india
Friday, February 6, 2009
Loving the Sinner...Hating the Sin
This past Wednesday night, we did our 3rd video in the series, Parenting is a Ministry--with Pastor Craig Caster.
The second video was basically about how, apart from an intimate relationship with Christ, we will be INEFFECTIVE as ministers to our children. We cannot run on "empty" and expect to fill anyone's cup.
The third video was the first session on Loving Communication. As Pastor Craig shared on the video, I was reminded of some teaching I'd heard a few years back from Ginger Plowman....
It's very important that we never discipline or correct our children in anger. We should use love, rather than ungodly fear, to motivate our kids to do the right thing. Our children should be able to understand, from our verbal communication and body language, that we are loving them and wanting God's best for them...that we don't want them bound by sin, because that will separate them from God...our correction should point them to their need for Christ's forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit's power to live victoriously.
We should never communicate to our children that we are irritated with them because of something they have done (love is not easily angered)...but rather, that we want to teach them to put off a sinful behavior because the sin displeases God.
So--when we speak with our children to give correction, it needs to involve Biblical reproof. Example:
(when getting into the car because we have to leave the Chick-fil-A playground early since "daughter" told her younger brother to kick a girl in the shin, and he followed orders)...
INSTEAD OF: "You guys cannot do this! It is ugly, and I am so embarassed! I can't believe you would do this to me in public!"
SAY: "Buddy, God tells us that we are to be kind to one another. Was it kind when you kicked that little girl?....Also, sissy told you to kick that little girl, and I know you were trying to follow her directions, but the Bible tells us we must obey God rather than men. If you know that sissy's telling you to do something that doesn't please God, then you should do the thing that DOES please God anyway."....................AND "Sissy, the Bible tells us to spur one another on to love and good deeds. (Explain how a spur is what a cowboy has on his heels when he kicks a horse to make it gallop faster...how we need to be like spurs that cause our friends and family to really want to be loving and do good deeds)...when you told Brother to kick that little girl, were you spurring him on to love and good deeds?"
Obvioulsy, it takes more time and more thought (and wisdom that comes from spending time in God's word)--and MUCH emotional self-control (but if we walk by the Spirit we won't satisfy our flesh) to correct children the right way...I'm not always perfect with it, but I am asking the Lord to help me give a Biblical reproof when my kids need correction...and by His grace, we are beginning to see a wee bit of fruit starting to come forth from this effort at our house!
I'll leave you with this last thing I learned from Ginger...Scripture teaches that we are all born sinners. We aren't sinners because we sin, so much as we sin because we are Sinners. So, until your child comes to know Christ, don't be shocked when the child sins. Just be prepared to point the child to his need for Christ through proper Biblical reproof.
The rod AND REPROOF give wisdom...don't leave out the reproof part. If you do, you'll just be exasperating your children (and shooting yourself in the foot).
The second video was basically about how, apart from an intimate relationship with Christ, we will be INEFFECTIVE as ministers to our children. We cannot run on "empty" and expect to fill anyone's cup.
The third video was the first session on Loving Communication. As Pastor Craig shared on the video, I was reminded of some teaching I'd heard a few years back from Ginger Plowman....
It's very important that we never discipline or correct our children in anger. We should use love, rather than ungodly fear, to motivate our kids to do the right thing. Our children should be able to understand, from our verbal communication and body language, that we are loving them and wanting God's best for them...that we don't want them bound by sin, because that will separate them from God...our correction should point them to their need for Christ's forgiveness, and the Holy Spirit's power to live victoriously.
We should never communicate to our children that we are irritated with them because of something they have done (love is not easily angered)...but rather, that we want to teach them to put off a sinful behavior because the sin displeases God.
So--when we speak with our children to give correction, it needs to involve Biblical reproof. Example:
(when getting into the car because we have to leave the Chick-fil-A playground early since "daughter" told her younger brother to kick a girl in the shin, and he followed orders)...
INSTEAD OF: "You guys cannot do this! It is ugly, and I am so embarassed! I can't believe you would do this to me in public!"
SAY: "Buddy, God tells us that we are to be kind to one another. Was it kind when you kicked that little girl?....Also, sissy told you to kick that little girl, and I know you were trying to follow her directions, but the Bible tells us we must obey God rather than men. If you know that sissy's telling you to do something that doesn't please God, then you should do the thing that DOES please God anyway."....................AND "Sissy, the Bible tells us to spur one another on to love and good deeds. (Explain how a spur is what a cowboy has on his heels when he kicks a horse to make it gallop faster...how we need to be like spurs that cause our friends and family to really want to be loving and do good deeds)...when you told Brother to kick that little girl, were you spurring him on to love and good deeds?"
Obvioulsy, it takes more time and more thought (and wisdom that comes from spending time in God's word)--and MUCH emotional self-control (but if we walk by the Spirit we won't satisfy our flesh) to correct children the right way...I'm not always perfect with it, but I am asking the Lord to help me give a Biblical reproof when my kids need correction...and by His grace, we are beginning to see a wee bit of fruit starting to come forth from this effort at our house!
I'll leave you with this last thing I learned from Ginger...Scripture teaches that we are all born sinners. We aren't sinners because we sin, so much as we sin because we are Sinners. So, until your child comes to know Christ, don't be shocked when the child sins. Just be prepared to point the child to his need for Christ through proper Biblical reproof.
The rod AND REPROOF give wisdom...don't leave out the reproof part. If you do, you'll just be exasperating your children (and shooting yourself in the foot).
Wednesday, January 21, 2009
No, I Can't...But YES, HE Can!
A friend sent me an e-mail today with this devotional from Proverbs 31 Ministries...what a great encouragement!
I love Beth Moore's comment at the most recent "Living Proof Live" event I attended in Jacksonville:
"How can I tell somebody there's victory in Jesus when I can't seem to get victory over a sink of dirty dishes?"
If that's where you are today--feeling swallowed up by your "to-do list," then take a minute to check out the devotional from Renee Swope. It's good stuff.
Thank You, Lord, for Your encouragment, and for Your promise that we can obtain mercy and grace when we boldy approach Your throne in our time of need!
I love Beth Moore's comment at the most recent "Living Proof Live" event I attended in Jacksonville:
"How can I tell somebody there's victory in Jesus when I can't seem to get victory over a sink of dirty dishes?"
If that's where you are today--feeling swallowed up by your "to-do list," then take a minute to check out the devotional from Renee Swope. It's good stuff.
Thank You, Lord, for Your encouragment, and for Your promise that we can obtain mercy and grace when we boldy approach Your throne in our time of need!
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