So much to write about - so little time to write!

This last month has been something else.  Something else, indeed!  Although I had made the discovery of my paternal DNA, and on paper, knew my ancestors/relatives, I had not had any luck connecting with a living person on my biological father's side of the family.  That is, until last week.  Previously, I had contacted a "potential" cousin via messenger, who said that "possibly" she might have relatives that had lived in South Dakota.  And then, nothing - no further contact.  And then later, I had actually discovered my half brother's daughter on Facebook.  However, my attempts to connect with her were not good.  She refuses to believe that her grandfather would have ever done "something like that".  After a brief message interchange, she also blocked me.  So, with a "last ditch" effort, I once again, messaged all of my cousins, hoping and praying one would hear my desperate plea to just have some information.  I don't even remember including a link to my blogpost about my DNA discovery.  But I had included the link.  

That day, I actually connected with my first cousin via email and then telephone.  He was completely accepting since the fact was our shared DNA made us undeniably first cousins.  As he said, "DNA doesn't lie"!  Not only did he provide me with family details, information I could not find anywhere else and also a 5 generation family tree, but 45 pictures of my paternal family.  He actually only met my biological father twice, but he remembers him being 6'5" and having a size 16 shoe.  Needless to say, this is a lot to process.  I haven't even had time to share the pictures with Gwen and Doug yet.  Between their busy schedules and mine, there has not been time!  But watch for future blogs with pictures of my new-to-me family and ancestors!  So, what have I been up to?

We took a family visit to the local Lego Discovery Center.  When I tell you this was a "pre-planned" visit, I mean it!  This is actually the fulfillment of a 2019 Christmas present!  Than there was Covid and the lock-down and then there was Jimmy (born in 2021) and not ready for Lego's until this year.  We had so much fun as a family and all of us (well, except Ellie) loved the 4D movie!  Jimmy even left the glasses on for the entire thing!  

We concluded the day with our family favorite - Portillos.  It is really something to do an order for 11 people!   But everyone always eats all their food when we go there.  It was interesting for me to sit next to Doug and watch him eat his Maxwell Polish.  It was Ken's favorite at Portillos.  Whenever our family is together, it is these little things that pop up and remind me of all Ken is missing out on.  

After a "normal" week and time to catch my breath, this past week was Bible Boot Camp Week at Fellowship of Faith!  

This year I helped out mostly with snacks and also helped out setting up some stations.  In my last blog I talked about taking Grace to a VBS program.  Now, it was Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna's turn!  Bible Boot Camp is not like a traditional VBS program in some ways.  However it is EXACTLY like any VBS because the kids hear Bible stories, they sing songs that help them remember the stories, they memorize Bible verses and have a wonderful time doing it!  Bible Boot Camp is an OUTSIDE program with obstacle courses, water balloons and slip and slide, plus capture the flag.  I think this might have been the first year that severe thunderstorms brought the fun inside for most of one morning.  The leaders did an amazing job setting up an indoor obstacle course, and the kids claimed it just might have been the best ever.  Thankfully, by capture the flag time, the severe weather had passed and outside play was able to happen.  Nothing beats seeing a church full of kids and youth and young adults singing and dancing and just having a celebration.  Each day had a "service project" that was completed at home. My favorite project this year, was a "Birthday Cake in a Pan" for the local food pantry.  Each family filled a foil cake pan with a box cake mix, a can of frosting and a can of soda.  You don't need any other ingredients so anyone receiving this from the food pantry can make a cake for a special occasion.  I don't know the exact number but a guess is around 40 will be delivered to the food pantry.  This project touched every child there. What a great way to extend the love of Jesus through a celebration! 

There is something about seeing families serving and learning together that is so good.  I was not the only grandma helping out!  My friend Colleen (another grandma) and I served snacks this year.  It was also wonderful to see several grandpas come to help with Firm Base  (Gwen and Tim's ministry - click the link to learn more) current mission while their grandkids were in Bible Boot Camp.  This "Container Home" project is in support of Good Samaritan Ministries in the East St. Louis area.  

These old shipping containers are given a second chance by recycling them into homes for the many homeless people in the East St. Louis area.  Firm Base acquired these two containers which have been cleaned, painted and converted into usable space.  There is interior wiring and plumbing pre-set as well as drywall.  When this pre-finish is completed, these will be transported to Good Samaritan, where they will be set on foundations and connected to water/sewer and power.  This project has several completed homes, already occupied by people who had no where to live.  I can't think of any better way for kids to see service in action than through their friends and family.   This week, all the kids at Bible Boot Camp played, ran and shouted right by these container homes as the grandpa's worked!  And most of the youth and young adults who were helping with Bible Boot Camp had already cleaned and painted and pulled weeds around the existing container homes in East St. Louis.  This photo is from the Boulder Mission Trip in early June, 2023.

Having these Container Homes right on the property of Fellowship of Faith brings the Mission Trip back home and helps shares the mission.  Seeing moms and dads and grandmas and grandpas making time to help others, will help change the world of tomorrow. 

I have seen Jesus working in so many ways during these past few months.  In just a matter of weeks, I found out more about my parentage, connected the dots to find my family, got connected with the right person, have photo's and information to fill a family tree and even more.  I have also celebrated being together with my family, enjoyed spending time with my grandkids, had time with friends, and even had some time just enjoying the outdoors (when it wasn't a heat advisory or an air quality alert).  In it all has been a great measure of peace.  I can't recall a time when I have felt more joy and more peace in just the normal day-to-day.  Every day has brought something new to me. A new understanding, a new discovery, a new thought.  New is especially good when you are approaching your 69th birthday and so many things seem old.  Someone recently asked me how I was "handling" finding out all my growing up years contained hidden untruths.  I am so thankful that Jesus is taking care of it all.  The evidence of this is that peace and joy.  I wake up each day, thankful for all the new that is ahead.  That is good advice for everyone, not just us old folks!  

Jesus, thank you for always being with me.  For your presence in my life, your peace and your joy.  Holy Spirit, remind us each day to walk forward into the new that you are bringing to us.  Keep our eyes set on you, Jesus as we share you with the world around us.  Amen

Being an observer to something really good...

 

It was so good to be able to watch (and participate) in the yearly Vacation Bible School program that is called Bible Boot Camp at Gwen and Tim's church.  I got an extra bonus this year, when there was an opening to help with the preschool kids one day.  It was so much fun!  There is nothing I love more than watching all the kids have so much fun learning about Jesus. 

Gwen and I were talking about the very first time that I coordinated a VBS program.  I think it was in 1987.  I pretty  much made it up as I went along.  We had several dozen kids and it rained all week.  We were doing this program in a really small space and with very little help.  What I most remember about that week is the joy on the faces of the kids.  Although I had been leading the Sunday School program for a couple of years, there is something totally different about a summer program.  A few short years after that VBS, I began the most amazing times serving  the Lord in children's ministry.   

Time spent with children is never wasted.  As a matter of fact I just heard yesterday that the best way to de-stress and relax is to play with kids.  I know that this is certainly true for me.  Every single second that I spend with my grandchildren is life giving.  Whether it is playing cards or games or pretending alongside a 4 year old, it simply fills me and makes me smile.  Sharing God stories and the love of Jesus with children is so much more than just "helping out" or "babysitting.  Over and over the Bible shows the importance of children in Jesus ministry.  Jesus told his disciples that they needed to be like a little child to enter the kingdom of heaven.  In fact, the Bible is filled with stories about children and how God loves them.  Most of you know that God put children on my heart and gave me a passion to see more for the kids than just a couple of Bible stories.  Through Holy Spirit inspiration, I wrote and planned a station rotation Sunday School program that was way before this model became the norm in schools and churches.  There were after school programs, mid week programs, Bible studies, and worship times for even the youngest preschoolers.  I know that these little ones can and will be touched by the Holy Spirit if we just create the atmosphere and expectation for it to happen.  Leaving my time working with children was hard.  VERY hard.  But, I felt God calling me to move into a new areas.  Over the next few years, I began to understand that the message that was so big in my heart - the value of children experiencing a real relationship with Jesus - needed to be heard by the ADULTS.  Sadly, the entire time I was pouring my heart and soul into children's ministry, the leaders - the adults - didn't really see and/or understand what Jesus was doing in and for the children.  As a matter of fact, there were some that didn't want this for the children.  As the years passed, the heart of God for children never left me.  While Gwen had been a part of much of my ministry (mostly as a leader), she was pretty clear that her calling was with the youth.  However, when Jesus has a plan and a destiny, it will be accomplished.  Gwen is now the Next Gen Director at her church.  And this includes ALL the children - from birth - college age.  Watching her accomplish so much more than I could have ever dreamed of brings me to tears.  Even during 2020 and the COVID pandemic, she planned and carried out ministry that has touched and changed families.  Watching the church filled with children, seeing the youth serving and leading, filled me with joy.  I am so thankful that I get to be an observer to all that Jesus is doing.  And it is good!

Jesus, thank you so much for your plan and purpose and destiny for children.  Holy Spirit, help us to hear your plan for each of us.  Give us courage to walk out those plans, even when others don't understand. Thank you Jesus for your love and care for every child.  Continue to pour out creative ideas and give strength and stamina to all those who hear your heart for children.  Thank you for your love for us.  Amen

Never back down, I've got my "God Suit On".... ...

I always wait anxiously for the Bible Boot Camp week at Gwen and Tim's church.  This is so much more than a traditional VBS program.  Lia, Ellie, Zeke and Anna just can't wait for this week to arrive.  Zeke has a count down calendar and keeps close track of just how much longer he has to wait until Boot Camp finally arrives.  Zeke especially asked me to be sure and come to watch (which I have done most of the last few years).  There is something really special for me to actually see Gwen leading/teaching this program.  We were talking about the many, many years I was the one doing the planning, leading and teaching at VBS.  It is really wonderful to see her just continuing on with this valuable ministry for the kids.  This years theme was the Armour of God from Ephesians 6:10-18. 

I never actually managed to get a picture of all four kids together.  Lia actually was a crew leader and Ellie was a junior crew leader.  And this year was Anna's first year "with the big kids" (they have the preschool separate from the older kids).  Zeke was just very excited to finally be a Bible Boot Camp. I love the energy and the music and most of all I love the message of these days.     

The very first song of the day - that sets the theme for the entire weeks message was called "God Suit On".  I love this song!  It is really worth listening to this and really hearing the lyrics.  Quite frankly I think that most of us adults need to hear this song and learn this lesson.  I sure needed it!  This song starts ....."when I wake".  And isn't that true.  We all need to - every day -  start off remembering that there is a battle we are in each day.  And we have a "God suit" that will carry us through the day.  It was the "Good News Shoes" day when I visited.  So the focus was on going and sharing about Jesus.  I loved this so much!  The Children's Ministry leader, Becky Williams, shared her own testimony from this summer - doing Bible Boot Camp in Turkey!  Really amazing photos and wonderful story.  Gwen had one of the youth share about her mission trip experiences.  What a powerful testimony for all of these children.  In addition to these "far off places" the kids were reminded that they can share right now.  On the playgrounds, at school, with their neighbors and even with their families.  They can share on vacation, at the amusement park or at the store.   Every day also includes a bible verse and these kids are really learning and remembering these verses.  So they end this week knowing five important verses and filled with a great message to carry into their daily life.  To top this all off, they also do a service project each night that often involves the entire family.  The project assigned on the day I visited, was to create a "Birthday goody bag" to be given to the local food pantry.  These will be given to the families so these children can get a small gift on their birthdays.  What a fantastic way to give the Bible Boot Camp kids a chance to share something that they all have received themselves.  

While I was standing in the back of the room, just observing all that was happening, someone asked me how it felt to see Gwen singing and dancing around with the kids.  WONDERFUL!  That is how it felt.  I was remembering seeing Gwen participating in VBS as a crew leader.  And now I can imagine Lia and Ellie and Zeke and Anna standing up front, with a microphone sharing with a new group of kids about the love of Jesus.  

If you have any doubt that these kinds of experiences are valuable for children, just listen again to "God Suit On". Let this song touch you the way that it has touched my heart.  Share this song with a child in your world.  Better yet, share this song with your friends and family.  Join me in my silly dance as I shout................

  10, 9, 8, 7, 6 -  Got my hands in the air and your praise on my lips!

  5, 4, 3, 2 1  Never back down, I've got my God Suit On!

Jesus, thank you for your Word that is living and active.  Thank you for blessing us with music and song writers who give creative melodies to your powerful messages.  Holy Spirit, remind us all to start each day getting ready for the battles that are in each day by putting on your armour.  Thank you Jesus for knowing exactly what we need.  Amen