This Boy

I have story to tell you about this boy.  Something special is happening in this boy's life.  He was involved in our children's sports program, Upward this past year.  In Upward he received a Bible.

This boy came to Vacation Bible School.  I taught the Bible study one night for he and his fellow fourth graders.  He made an impression on me.  He was very attentive, bright eyed and interested in what we talked about.  He even made a comment about a particular Bible verse which, though I really can't repeat here, showed me he was getting the point of the verse.  This boy doesn't know how to do "church talk."

This same boy came to Summer Music Camp and during the Bible study time there, he made a realization.  The stories we were talking about at SMC were, as he termed it, "in that book I got from Upward."  He asked his teacher to write down the scripture reference where each day's story was in "his book."  Each night he would go home and read it for himself.

On the last day of SMC, he did not get written down where that day's story came from so he found his Bible teacher before the performance to make sure he would be able to read it that night.  This boy is very interested in the Bible though he does not yet know all our terms.

Sunday, this boy and several of his family members came to church for the first time to a worship service.

We don't always get to see how God is working in a boy or in a girl or in their family, but He is making it clear in the life of this boy.  Slowly, step by step, God is leading this boy to understand His love.  Slowly, step by step, God is using a whole church's efforts to impact this boy.  Would you keep this boy in your prayers?  Will you keep on being the kind of church that God can use to reach this boy and others like him?

for the journey...

Tim

A Two Way Teachable Moment

When she had just learned to walk, one of my daughters (I will not say which one) began to get into a lot of things that she shouldn't because she could now reach them.  One day, things got really quiet around our house, and I was supposed to be watching her while my wife, Judith, finished cooking dinner.  Quietness is very often a sign that things are not right.  I found her in our living room destroying a dried flower arrangement that had, until recently, been out of her reach.

I saw a great opportunity for a teachable moment.  I walked over to her, got down on my hands and knees to be at her level and said very authoritatively, "No, you may not touch that."  She looked at me a moment then when back to her flower disarrangement.  I repeated my fatherly command as I moved closer to her face, "No, you may not do that."

She looked at me for a moment longer than before, then she did something that reversed the teachable moment.  She took one hand and put it over my mouth, then proceeded with the other hand to continue to break up the dried flowers.  I could not help but laugh.  But the thought quickly came, "No, I can't let this just slide even if I am laughing, this is a moment for teaching discipline."  So, trying not to smile, I shook her hands free of my mouth and the dried flowers, said "No," again and then we went off to a little time out.  I wondered if that was enough but tears starting coming pretty quickly - from her, not me - which let me know she was getting the message.

Sometimes, not often though, childish behavior can be funny.  Always, without exception though, childish disobedience must be disciplined.  You can go laugh later if you have too.  It does not take too much disobedience before the "cute" wears off.

It also brought home how much our sin nature is a part of our lives, even from a very early age.  How often have I wished to put my hand over the voice of conviction that says, "No, this behavior is wrong?" Then use my other hand to continue to do what I want. 

Not only is it disobedience, it gives us a divided heart and life, trying to silence our conscience on one hand while trying to do life our way with the other.  There are times that we are too young to see that though and that is where we need the guidance of a parent who loves us enough to discipline us.  Thank goodness we have a Father God who loves us enough to speak truth into our lives.  What would you say about your life right now?  Are you listening or are you trying to cover up his voice?  We will talk about discipline, children and God this week as we look at the "Four Needs of Every Child" on Sunday.  I hope you can come with a free conscience and free hands.

for the journey...

Tim

For Father's Day

My post on the video about Mother's Day - "The Toughest Job" is probably my most viewed blog posts.  So in following that vein, here is my post for Father's Day.  It is a video that answers the question, "What happens when kids tell the Bible story and the adults act it out?"  It was made by a group of adults at FBC, Marble Falls.

I hope you enjoy another video- blog because to be honest, I am too tired from VBS to write anything worth your time.  This is.

http://www.godtube.com/watch/?v=WGYW6WNX

for the journey...

Tim

Vacation Bible School

I ran across this and wanted to let all of you read this so you know we are a part of a larger effort when we do VBS.  This is not the usual time for my blog post but this is very timely for us.  Please check this out and hit "Read More" when you get to that tab to see the best part of this post.

CALL TO PRAYER: Vacation Bible School

I am glad to be a part of something big.  Aren't you?

For the journey...
Tim

VBS Reflections

It has been an interesting week in Vacation Bible School at Northside.  VBS usually stands for Vacation Bible School but when you deal with the human mass of 340 children in one place we have found that it can also stand for Vomit, Blood and Spit.  Don't get me wrong; it has been a great week, but when you deal with that many kids you deal with those things too.  Fortunately, there have not been too many instances of the body fluids VBS.

There were interesting encounters with kids sharing some unusual insights.  Here's one of mine.
Girl:  Are you tired?
Me:  Well, yes, I am a little tired.  Why?
Girl:  Because you have these dark things under your eyes.  There is a girl in the mall who can fix those though.
Me:  Really?  Is it free?
Girl:  Ummm... no.

Even with dark things under my eyes I have seen a large number of kids turn to follow Christ or deepen their walk.  With others, it was planting a seed that God will grow in His time, maybe before the next VBS.  I have seen an army of volunteers work together this week to serve children and point them to God - students, adults, senior adults - all came together for a common goal and worked incredibly well together.   With workers and children I have sense God at work.  The good news is that when VBS is over, He doesn't stop.

For the journey....

Tim