Oh, The Places You'll Go!

You have brains in your head.

You have feet in your shoes.

You can steer yourself

any direction you choose.

You're on your own. And you know what you know.

And YOU are the guy who'll decide where to go...

Oh, the Places You'll Go! by Dr. Seuss

How true, isn't it? The other day, I dropped my girls off at school. I was stuck in that seemingly never ending line of cars, and before I drove away onto the next destination I watched them walk up the path towards their classroom. And suddenly they looked so BIG to me.

If you listen to me talk, or read my blogs, or follow me on twitter - you may get bored of me saying this. Parents, we impact every breath of our kids lives. I watch how my kids have developed. Of course they have unique personalities (this is by no means a debate on nature vs. nurture!) but I see the patterns and qualities that have risen out of hours and hours of spending time with Mommy and Daddy. Like the way Madelyn grunts when she is frustrated (yes, I do that). They way that JJ teases his sisters already (that one is all Jason). They have been impacted by us, and watched everything we do. The impact is also evident when Elyse prays, or in how all three kids are super excited for church every Sunday morning and Wednesday evening.

I am continually reminded of what Moses said in Deuteronomy 6 - "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your might. And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down and when you rise..."

Most of your are already doing this, but I want challenge you to be even more committed in your efforts to "...teach them diligently to your children..." as Moses commands. Our kids grow and change seemingly overnight sometimes. There are so many teachable moments in our lives - use them to teach your kids God principles that will become part of their spiritual DNA.

I don't want to drop my girls off at middle school in a few years and regret that I didn't put Deuteronomy 6 in to practice years earlier. Soon my kids will make decisions on their own without the help of Mom and Dad. The impact I make now will determine their choices then.

I'm pretty sure I got honked at while I held up the line watching my two cute girls walk to class. Oh well - it was worth it to remind me of the challenge that lays daily before me.

This Weekend

This weekend is one of those weekends that you look at coming into it and wonder how alert you will be on Monday morning. Or better yet, if you will have any clean clothes to wear to work since you didn't have any time to do the laundry!

Tonight we have Children's Choir. We are getting close to our first ministry opportunity in "big church." The kids are sounding great, and I can't wait to show them off to our congregation on April 11th.

Tomorrow we are leaving for our last away Junior Bible Quiz tournament of the season. (The last one next month is at OUR church, whew.) I have the pleasure of joining 12 quizzers and their parents in Salem for a day of quizzing on Saturday. These meets excite me because I get to sit back and listen to the kids' hours of studying pay off. They answer questions that quite honestly, most adults wouldn't be able to answer. They win graciously, lose graciously and have fun doing it. I have been so proud of this team this year. As Jason would say, Rock the Q!

On Sunday morning I am excited to see what God is going to do in the hearts and lives of kids in each of our groups. There are so many amazing people that serve each week, with new volunteers coming on board all the time. It's going to be a great day!

After church on Sunday, I will be heading over to Central Neighborhood Church to attend a meeting for Royal Family Kids Camp - a camp we help put on the last week of July every year that is especially for abused and neglected kids - most of whom are in the "system." If you are on the fence about going to Royal Family this summer to be a counselor, come to the meeting, have lunch and learn more. (It's at 1:00pm)

Sunday evening we have Connection Groups. I love this time because I get to sit and talk with people that I may not see from week to week as I am involved kid's services most of the time. I get to participate in great discussion about a sermon that most weeks I was not present to hear, but it's great conversation nonetheless. I love my Connection Group.

Just a little update. I hope your weekend is fabulous!

My Dad

This is going to sound like part 2 in the "men of my life birthday tribute" but I assure you it's merely coincidence that the last blog I posted was about Jason's birthday.

Today is my Dad's birthday. I, like so many other doting daughters LOVE my Dad. I have the pleasure of being one of the few daughters that has followed in their father's footsteps in regards to a career. I grew up a Pastor's kid, and truthfully, had a really really good childhood. My parents handled their ministry and family with such wisdom and grace. Looking back, now that I am in full time ministry myself, I see how I was mentored by my Dad in these areas. He had some rough times in ministry while I still lived at home (and long after I moved out); I watched my parents both walk through some difficult times. But I also saw them handle these difficulties with such dignity. There were also wonderful times of ministry - too many to count, I imagine. The fruit of those wonderful times is spelled out all over his Facebook Wall today with birthday wishes from people touched by his ministry.

One gift that my Dad has given me over the years (with help from Mom, of course) is an unyielding support that has given me loads of self confidence. There was a time in high school when I was playing varsity volleyball, in a show choir, and in a couple of orchestras. At the time, you couldn't have convinced my Dad that there was a better setter, alto, or flautist in the world. I'm sure deep down he knew the truth (that a 5' setter wouldn't go much further than college, that my flute skills were limited, and that my alto voice blends nicely in a choir, but that's about it!), but I didn't know that then. His support continued as I graduated high school, went on to Bible college, got married, and entered ministry. I enjoy talking to my Dad about ministry - bouncing ideas off of him, sharing victories with him, and frustrations as well. He is talented, gifted, analytical, intellectual, hard working, loving and the wisest man I know.

I know everyone who knows my Dad knows he is a one of a kind guy. Special. My Mom tells me sometimes that I am "just like your father." I love it when she says that! (Even though most of the time when she says it, she's annoyed with me :) I'm going to get in trouble for saying that!)

So Happy Birthday Dad. I love you. I am extremely thankful for you. For your example, your wisdom and your love for our huge, crazy family. I pray that this year exciting things happen.

Happy Birthday Jason

Today is Jason's birthday. This year has been different for Jason. This same week last year, we were packing up our house and getting ready for a move to Medford. Jason had resigned his position as youth pastor, worship pastor and interim pastor in Eureka, but he did more than that. He resigned from full time ministry, so that I could take a full time position at Bethel as Children's Pastor.

This year he has worked hard. He has taken the plunge into "secular" employment, yet all the while he has spent many hours volunteering himself at our church. He has told me often that it is "different" but not once has he complained to me or said that he wished that he would change the decision we made.

It has taken us this full year to adjust to our new life, and even through employment changes for him, moving houses, and daily hearing me talk and ask questions about what I should do, or how to do it, Jason has gone with the flow and been a great daddy, husband and provider. I wouldn't be able to put into words how much it has meant to me that he gave up a full time career in ministry so that I could have one. Jason is still called, and he still serves the church - a lot.

So, Happy Birthday Jason. I love you and I'm especially thankful for you this year.

What I'm reading

I often have a small stack of books I'm working on. Here is what is in my stack right now:

I read the book Crazy Love last week. I've had it either on my desk or in my bag taking it to and from the office for about 2 months now. I just haven't made it a priority to read it. I recommend this book to everyone, especially if you are pretty comfortable with your relationship with God. It is incredibly challenging, and I don't mean that casually. It will absolutely turn the way you think about your life and your walk with Christ inside out.

Another book that I should have read months ago is Think Orange. There is a lot of buzz about this book in the Children's Ministry world, and I felt like it was time for me to see what all the talk was about. Why Orange? The author, Reggie Joiner uses the color Orange as an analogy not by itself, but as a blending of the colors yellow and red. Yellow is the church and red, the family. When you blend them, you get Orange; and a ministry philosophy that is catching the eye of a lot of Children and Family Pastors.

I am also currently making myself a student of special needs ministry. There are a couple of books on this topic that I'm reading so I can be better prepared to minister, and to train our volunteers to minister to kids with special needs.

I also spend some time reading some blogs each week. I have a few favorites that include speakers I've heard, children's pastors I follow, plus other miscellaneous people who have great things to say (including my Dad). A couple I recommend - www.jonathancliff.com; www.bostern.wordpress.com; www.ryanfrank.com; and www.insidenorthpoint.org. Those are just a few of my favs.

So, what are you reading? Anything that is challenging you?

Identity of Motherhood

This will probably surprise you, but I never aspired to be a mother when I was younger. Or a wife...I just really didn't think about it much. When I was 11, God called me to full time ministry and I really never looked back. I was super involved in my youth group, went on missions trips, then after high school graduation I packed up for Bible College. Oh sure, like any fairly typically teenager I had a boyfriend here or there, but I was still pretty focused on God's calling. Then...then I started dating one Jason Peter. I was only 20 at the time, and still had a couple of years of college left, but God's Will was clear from the beginning.

So fast forward 12 years, one marriage, and three kids later. I am now a wife, a mom to three, and a full time pastor. I have been in this pastor role for a couple of years now, but only full time for almost a year. I have been battling myself for the last 11 months trying to find that perfect "balance" in life that takes care of everything and earns me the title of "Super Mom" in the process! I remember once hearing a pastor's wife talking about "juggling" all of her roles in life, and I immediately thought "I don't want to juggle all my stuff - what if I drop something!" (I tend to be a little clumsy) So, my ambition has led me to carefully balance these things, because as soon as I throw something up in the air and momentarily take my eye off it, it will surely come crashing to the ground. I realized early on in this job that I work in a world where a lot of my colleagues are men, and that presents challenges to me. I bet some of you can relate.

This revelation has led me to these thoughts:

• The following priorities: Jesus, Jason, the Kids, and the Church are to always be in that order. No discussion. Period. (I actually learned this 9 years ago when we started in ministry but I truly see the importance of it now.)
• My Mother role does not lessen my Pastor role. This goes for any of you who have a career that you are passionate about. This is a false idea that my own brain managed to conjure up when I started this job.
• I CAN read a ministry book and help with homework, and stir the dinner on the stove all at once. I didn't think I could, but indeed I can.
• It's okay if you stay at home with a sick kiddo - you aren't weak or putting your job on the "not important to me" list. Your kids need the hugging and nurturing more than anyone else does right now.
• Your life can be the perfect blend of everything you chose to put in it. Chose wisely - it's the unnecessary things that cause the out of control kind of chaos. (A little bit of chaos happens. Mothers of two-year-olds say amen.)
• My kids get excited when I teach KidzBlast and Girls Club...they don't care if I'm their children's pastor and truthfully, I like that.
• My job as a Pastor and my role as a Mother will, and do overlap daily. It's my choice to embrace that fact, and to love this season of my life. It's hectic and tiring, but exciting and exhilarating.
• And last, I love my iPhone. It allows me to check my email during the above mentioned multitasking (cooking, reading, homework...) It also allows me to stay connected to all of my friends and family via facebook and twitter without pulling out my computer. You have to love that one.

So, make sure your priorities are in check, that the chaos is managed, and most of all, that you are tuned in to what God says your identity needs to be. Oh, and make sure you tweet about it!

These three things...

Three different times in the last 24 hours I have learned of a little life that is struggling. One through a blog; a friend of a fellow Children's Pastor. One through television and one through a prayer request this morning. It has caused me to pause and be thankful for my three healthy, vibrant, happy kids. Three little lives ranging from just a few days old, to just a few months old - hanging in the balance, fighting for life.

On Monday, I started a blog post about two year olds. I was furiously typing away, talking about all of the quirky qualities that many two year olds possess (namely the ones my son possesses), and recounting my experiences with the two and three year old class that I taught on Sunday. I was intent on recommending a book to help keep your sanity during these busy mom moments. I didn't have time to finish it that day, and I'm glad I didn't. The reason why? While I humorously complained about how JJ put his snack in the dog's bowl and ate out of it, put pennies in the dishwasher, or used a half a bottle of soap to wash his hands - thousands of other families are wishing that their little ones could just make it out of the hospital, or worse - just make it.

It made me think of the times lately when the kids volume has seemed to be at an all time high as they play, or fight or do whatever it is that fills their evenings, just very very loudly. I may have asked them to quiet down! or go in the other room! or please stop fighting! But I think even more disturbing than the loud noise, would have been complete silence. Chaos has become comforting in our lives of three kids. Today, more than ever, I am thankful for that chaos. Thankful for loud laughing voices. Thankful for running through the house. Thankful for that enormous mess that JJ makes every meal.

So, three times in the last 24 hours. Three kids - Madelyn Mae, Elyse Kathryn, and Jason Lee, Jr. - that I am thankful for. I am blessed, but I'm sure the parents of the other three would tell you the same thing.