Busy Weekend!

Whew! Where did the weekend go?! I know I said I was going to post Friday about the cloth diaper deal, but time just slipped away from me.

Friday night I voulenttered at KidVenture for church, Saterday we met and had bible study with our GA family/small group, and today we volunteered at church and ran errands. All fantastic things...but we sure are tiered!

We are so blessed to be apart of a fantastic church family at North Point Community Church. The programs that they have for children and adults of any stage are so fantastic. We cant wait for Parson to be old enough to really experience learning about God's love for him at Wuamba Land (pre-elementary) and Upstreet (elementary age).

Two years ago I started volunteering at Church in our elementary school kids program called Upstreet. I started off with 4th graders. The reason I started at such a random grade is because this is when they split the groups by gender. Not that I don't love boys...I do, but have you seen seven 4th grade boys together after eating a handful of starbursts? Any-who, I started with a roster of 16 nine year old girls. I only ever have met about 9 of them and about 5 that attend regularly. I had such a great time getting to know these girls that I "moved up" with them when they started 5th grade this fall. I thought that being a small group leader for these girls would be all about flannel graphs, goldfish crackers and kids praise music...boy was I wrong. Within my first two weeks I had heard things like "My uncle just died and I am sad", "I don't have a Dad", "My parents are getting a divorce", and "I am moving to Thailand for a year and I am really nervous". YIKES, I did not read the fine print at the small group leader orientation, I was no where near prepared to actually mentor these kids through life situations that I don't even know how to get through. Luckily, our church has wonderful staff and resources to help us mentor children and really show them God's love.

It is amazing how much I have and do learn from my now 10 and 11 year old girls and the children's messages. I think every adult should stop and listen to a children's message every now and then because we often worry to much about grown up stuff and forget the important things that help us have the child like Faith we need to get through the grown up stuff.

Looking back at what I just wrote reminds me of why I wake up extra early on Sundays, watch service online, and spend the occasional Friday night away from my family and instead bowling with a fantastic bunch of kids hyped up on soda and pizza. I do this knowing that I was that 10 or 11 year old girl who is confused about church, school, and life. Looking for a peer to tell me I am important, to tell me that God loves me, to want to hang out with me, and to take time away from their lives and invest in me.

"Do not neglect to do good and to share what you have, for such sacrifices are pleasing to God"
Hebrews 13:16

"Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interest of others"
Philippians 2:4

Patty

P.S The cloth diapers are going great...totally worth the investment!