Red Kool-Aid Days of VBS

It is Saturday afternoon and I am trying to recuperate from vacation bible school. Boomerang Express rolled in bright and early Monday morning with 150+ excited children. After weeks of planning and decorating the rooms, teachers worked hard to share Jesus with the children who walked through the church doors.

I could not help but reflect back on some memories of my childhood in VBS. Of course, there were the bible stories but what I really recall (and please do not ask me why) is the red Kool-Aid that was served daily. As I think on it, we served red Kool-Aid even when my children were VBS age. Could someone tell me if this is the official Baptist drink? Of course, now we serve a little healthier snack which some days includes juice.

Seriously, I asked a few friends to share some of their memories both from childhood and adulthood of their VBS experiences. Almost everyone loved the Bible stories and learning memories verse. It seems this is where we all began our journey in studying God’s word. Several ladies shared that their favorite childhood VBS memory was the music. One of my fellow staff wives said she loved the “sit down” and “stand up” chords from the “Dark Ages” of VBS. (Gee, I wonder if this is why she married the worship leader and plays the piano beautifully!) One friend shared that she loved doing the crafts and even still has a t-shirt that she made one year. Another girlfriend commented that as a child she loved all the stuff-glue, scissors, and crayons. Today she loves teaching and meeting the children and sharing Jesus with them. My new daughter-in-law says she loves the singing and dancing. Also, she says working with five years olds remind you to have a child-like faith that adults often forget.

However, one comment stands out for me. It comes from a friend who is a pastor’s daughter. She said that she loved helping her father get everything ready for VBS. It was a special time of bonding for the two of them. She said while preparing the material her father taught her about Christ’s unconditional love for people. In addition, she stated that the words to “Fairest Lord Jesus,” which she learned in Vacation Bible School, brought her great comfort as an adult when one of her children ran away from home. Today, she loves to teach the children and says, “the Lord always puts a child there that needs that special encouragement or needs that special Sergeant Sally discipline.”

So girlfriends, there are benefits from Vacation Bible School. Sure it is hard work and we are exhausted when the week is over, but a child always has favorite memories from VBS. Vacation Bible School is one of the biggest evangelism tools we have.

What are your favorite VBS memories?

Wal-Mart Parking Lot

Girlfriends it is just HOT! Here we are in the first week of July and all I want to do is sit in the house in the air conditioning. I may be from the south but I do not like to sweat. While trying to stay cool, my little blonde brain was bumping into thoughts running through my head.

One thought that jumped and screamed for attention is the fact that often we ministers wives try to isolate ourselves from people. We get tired of running to committee meetings or meeting the needs of other people. I have one friend who would to drive to the Wal-Mart parking lot and just sit in the car so she could be alone. Now, I call that desperation. Sure we all need our private time to breathe and collect our thoughts, but sometimes we can overdo isolation.

One of my dear fellow staff wives shared her heart with me a few weeks ago on this very subject. She had traveled back home to visit with her parents. While there she met a couple of ministers wives. She told me that her heart just broke for these ladies. She could just see the weariness in their eyes and wanted to wrap her arms around them. This dear sister went on to say that all ministers wives need to know that we all experience times of joy and difficulty in the ministry and that we need each other to stay strong.

Girls, she is so right. Sometimes in ministry it feels so right to build up walls that no one can penetrate. God did not design us to be alone. He gave us a heart that must love others as well as be loved. Isolation hurts us in the long run. If you look at the life of Jesus, you will discover that he had close friends. Sure one of them betrayed him but our Lord still allowed friends to stay close to him. Jesus knew that the road he was traveling was a difficult road and that he needed trusted friends to walk the path with him.

Ladies, if you see me sitting alone in my car in the Wal-Mart parking lot, please tap on the window and check on me. It may be only place that I could find that was quiet in order to have my quiet time; however, I may be experiencing a difficulty. I personally need friends who care about me. Trust me, if I see you there, I’ll be checking on you.

Healthy Body and Soul

Last week I was on a marathon run to visit all my doctors. I had my yearly mammogram and ob/gyn visit. Then, one day was spent at my family doctor just having the routine blood work check-ups. On Thursday I got to visit my favorite place on earth-the dentist office. Why do I schedule all these visits in one week? Simple, I wanted to get them over with. The good news is that I was given a clean bill of health. Even my dentist did not fuss about all the chocolate I consume.

As much as I want to have a healthy body, I desire more to have a healthy soul. Sometimes sin creeps in through the crackles and settles in. In my case, one of my biggest sins is worry. I do not take it immediately to the Great Physician. Instead, I let this little issue grow and fester into a major infection. It spreads into my quiet time and into my prayer time. It hampers me from serving the Lord in my fullest potential. However, if I had simply carried this sin before the Lord, He would have cured me of the illness and taken away the undo stress.

So girlfriends, hear me when I say this because I am preaching right at me as well, let’s agreed to pray for one another and carry our burdens to the Great Physician before we become too sick to minister for Him. Let’s keep our bodies and our souls healthy and clean.

Happy 4th of July!!!

Happy 4th of July!!! For the longest time this was one of the biggest holidays in our family. It was my Dad's birthday, and he used to say that the whole country celebrated with him. When he passed away though, things changed. This year we will celebrate with church "family" instead. I love the fact that God is faithful to place us in churches where I are as comfortable with some of them as I am with my own family. I pray that as you celebrate today you will thank God He has given you people to enjoy life with!

On a completely different note, it was wonderful seeing so many of you at the SBC. The Minister's Wives Luncheon was fun and there was so much good information. I don't know how many of you got to attend, but they announced a new Bible study for minister's wives. I am going to try to involve the wives on our staff. I will let you know how that goes. It seemed like such a great idea and I am sure it will help with us getting to know each other better.

If you would like more info, just let me know.

Thanks, and I hope you have a great 4th!!!

Please Pray 4 Clarksville

It is with very mixed emotions that I write this post this morning. 

I totally believe that God has some very big plans for this area that my family and I call home. You may not know that Clarksville is the 9th fastest growing metropolitan area in the nation. Nearby Ft. Campbell is growing and the city just landed the largest single investment in the state's history with the commitment of a major company to build a factory here. While most areas of the country have been hit with growing job loses and a suffering housing market, Clarksville is in the unique position of not having enough homes for the area's projected growth. Yes, Clarksville is on the verge of something big . . .

With my husband working for our local association, we get a unique perspective on what God is doing across the area. Churches are growing. New ministries are being started. It is an exciting time to be in Clarksville if you are a Christ follower. 

BUT . . . (here is where my prayer request comes!) Satan and his forces are attacking. They see the potential too and aren't sitting idly by. 

World Changers has come to Clarksville for the first time. They are poised and ready to spread the gospel as they lovingly, sacrificially work on the homes of needy residents. However, there has been roadblock after roadblock as Satan has attempted to block their work. Yet, our God is bigger and more powerful as He has brought each obstacle down in His timing. Pray for the students and the leadership as they work for Him this next week.

Another area that Satan has attacked is in some devastating news from one of our churches. A young youth minister has been arrested this week on some horrible charges. Unfortunately, they appear to be true. The church is in shock, as I am sure this man's young wife is too. Personally, I thought I knew this young man and am having trouble thinking through all of it. I am turning to God through prayer. It is the only thing I know to do. Please join me. 

I never thought Clarksville would be the center of so much . . . but we do live in a fallen world during evil times. God, in His word, encouraged us to on our guard for Satan as he prowls around like a lion looking to devour. Pray for your area too. If it can happen here, it can happen anywhere . . . It is only by His grace. 

Summer Missions

I was so excited to learn in my first days as a college freshman that I could do summer missions. I had grown up in GAs and had always adored and admired missionaries in any form. Now, I was going to have the opportunity to be one. The opportunity totally changed my life. 

That first summer I ended up in the spot I would eventually transfer colleges to keep. God led me to work with the middle school students at First Baptist Church, Clarksville, Tennessee. I fell in love with these students, their families and this church. I grew in so many ways that, in a way, I felt like I no longer "fit" in my old place back at college my sophomore year. I wanted to do more than just attend class, BSU meetings and sorority socials. So, when God called me back to Clarksville and then prompted me to transfer to Austin Peay State U to stay with this church, I knew that was where He wanted me to be.

Ultimately, that is where I met my husband. God used the dear family I was living with to shape me in so many ways, we named our first born daughter after them. I got so much firsthand knowledge about church work, that God really grew my love for His bride. And He used His bride to do it!

Do you have a summer missionary story yourself? Have you seen God do amazing things for and through a summer missionary that you know? Has God placed a young person near you this summer for a purpose? Please share your summer mission experiences and prayer requests .  . . God does amazing things for and through those who are willing to follow Him in obedience- even through temporary, short-term summer mission assignments!

Summer Ministry

When I married Wally he was serving a church in Kentucky as their youth minister. I had served a church as a youth intern and thought I knew what I was getting into. Things were going alright and then summer hit. 

We went from one activity to another. We helped teach the children's VBS recreation in the morning and led the student activities that night. The Saturday after all that, we left with a group of older kids and middle schoolers for Crosspoint, a Christian themed sports camp. 

Upon arriving home from that week-long event we had only a couple of hours to do laundry and re-pack before leaving with the rest of the youth group for Nashville, the location of a week of Mission Fuge. 

I had done alright until about three-fourths of the way through that last week. 

I was tired. I was stressed. I missed my husband. I had been near him for the previous month, but we hadn't really seen each other. The kids had become overwhelming and hard to love. Somehow, sensing that I needed to "get away," Wally took me to a Wendy's on the West End. After a quick trip through the drive-through, I had me a good, old-fashioned cry right there in the front seat of the church van. 

Recently, Wally and I had a good laugh over that good cry. I just wanted to let you dear ladies know that I know that ministry can be crazier in the summer. Church calendars seem to get busier as school lets out. There is VBS, camps, fellowships, mission projects and other events that get added onto an already busy weekly schedule.

Hang in there. Stay connected to God and don't let that relationship slide as you might let other things go. Be sensitive to other staff wives at your church or in your area. As the Music Minister's wife your summer may not be too crazy, but just look at your Student Minister's wife as she tries to juggle her husband's absences with the needs of their two small kids. Pray for these families. Minister to each other as our men minster to our churches. 

Do you have a funny summer mission/ministry story? Please share . . . I know we could all use a good laugh. Even if it isn't funny at the time, we need the reminder that what we are dealing with in the summer of '09 may be hilarious this time next year!