The "New"

There is a lot of "new" happening. I have talked with a few parents lately that are experiencing new schedules, new schools, new teachers...the transition from elementary school to middle school, from middle school to high school. Or just like our kids - a new school because we moved into new school boundaries a few months ago.

Well, here's more "new" for ya! Sunday, we will be moving our sweet little Kindergartners out of Promiseland down to KidzBlast. This will be a big move for them. Exciting though! Then, I will sadly lose our 6th graders to our awesome new middle school ministry SHIFT_MS. Sad for me, only because I am promoting some completely amazing kids.

Last, we are launching a new opportunity for our 5th graders to be leaders in KidzBlast. Previously we have separated them with the 6th graders into a class for Pre-teens. Now, not only will we target them through all of the cool stuff we already do in KidzBlast, we will use them as a "Timothy Team" - a team of kids that will help with check in, sound, worship, skits, and just overall being there to serve. I was able to talk to these kids last Sunday about their new role in KidzBlast, and the response was awesome! They were so excited - I know God is going to use them in really cool ways this school year.

Everything is launching new this week - We kicked off Royal Rangers and Girls Club last night, as well as classes for our little ones. Junior Bible Quiz gets it's start this Sunday, and Children's Choir is about to start again too. I love the summer...LOVE IT. But right around the end of August, I'm all pumped up for what God is going to do in and through our kids during the Fall months. Let's embrace the "new" and see what God does!

Life Journaling

Pastor Tim has been preaching a series, entitled "Hungry? Feed Yourself." It's more than a sermon series though, it is a way of life. Obviously, we aren't talking about physical hunger. Pastor introduced us to a book several weeks ago called "The Divine Mentor" by Wayne Cordeiro. While this book teaches much, the part we are emphasizing to our congregation is a method of personal devotions. In this method, you have a Life Journal (NOT a diary!), and a reading plan. Then from there, you read the plan each day (or any other plan that you may currently be following), then you S.O.A.P. SOAP is just an acronym.

S. - Scripture

O.- Observation

A. - Application

P. - Prayer

In your Life Journal, you write down your Scripture, make an observation about it, write how it applies, then your prayer. I usually journal about a page in my journal, sometimes spilling over to two.

It doesn't take long, and the rewards are huge. First of all, just being in God's Word daily is such a benefit. Secondly, it is so great to know that I am reading along with dozens and dozens of people from my church family, the same passages.

The Word of God is our spiritual food. Without it, we literally starve ourselves. Pastor Tim said Sunday in his message, that if Sunday is the only spiritual meal you are getting each week, you are starving! Imagine just eating food once a week. This seems ridiculous to most of us, but so many of us are starving ourselves spiritually.

It has been challenging to dive into this new method of devotions, because it has pushed me a little bit. I have gotten so much out of it. Parents, they even make Life Journals for your kids! It has a simplified reading plan, and place for them to journal their SOAP. So many of the Bethel Family are already doing this; I just wanted to encourage everyone to get on board. It will make a difference in your life!

The Business of Myth Busting

For the last 5 weeks in KidzBlast we have been going through a series called Mythbusters. We bust silly myths like "If you step on a crack, you'll break your mamma's back," and "If you swallow gum it stays in your stomach for 7 years." That part has been really fun, but we have been busting some spiritual myths as well. Yesterday, we busted the myth that "God is too busy to help me." We did some fun and crazy stuff leading up to the message, but as I got into the story of Jairus' daughter, and tied that too other miracles Jesus performed, the kids had focus like never before. Something about the story, about the subject, and about the foundations we had laid through silly games, skits and videos caught their attention yesterday. We normally break into small groups after the message, but I felt that we just needed to have them come forward for prayer; so that's what we did. Most of the kids came forward, and I saw something I had really never seen in KidzBlast before....distractions left, friendships were on hold, and a group of kids focused on Jesus and prayed.

I was overwhelmed by God's goodness in that moment, also overwhelmed to see my own two girls come forward and seek God. But I think that what I felt most of all, surprised me. It was an appreciation for God's faithfulness. I always spend time in preparation and prayer for KidzBlast, but this week I felt more of a need to pray, and more need to spend time on the delivery of my message. The result? God was faithful. He showed up big time.

Let's be honest. Sometimes kids just don't get it. They haven't learned yet what it feels like to be in the presence of their God. They aren't quite in tune with His Spirit. But yesterday was different. I'm praying for many many more of these Sunday mornings.

Royal Family Kids Camp

Last week I spent my week at Royal Family Kids Camp. If you are not familiar, Royal Family is a camp designed specially for kids that are currently in the foster care system. They come up to the camp for 5 days, packed full of activities, swimming, games, fun, music and bible story times.

Foster care, you could say, has been a reoccurring theme throughout my life. My parents were foster parents before I was born, and actively took kids into their home until about 12 years ago. Three kids stuck, and they are now my siblings, having been with us since they were infants. A few years ago, I had the privilege of working for a foster care agency in Kansas were I assisted a social worker in case management of foster and adoption cases. Now, I am blessed to be able to minister at Royal Family Kids Camp. I know that God has placed these experiencing in my life for a reason. It definitely has given me different perspective on these very special kids.

I caught myself standing back and observing a lot last week at camp. Observing the kids behaviors, their mannerisms, their interaction with the other kids and with their counselors. My heart was heavy all week, knowing that these kids have experienced things that no child should ever experience. I did, however, see transformations in the kids just over a 5 day period. I saw bright smiles replace skeptical looks, I saw scowls replaced by laughter. I saw introverted kids make amazing connections with their counselors.

There are 52 weeks in each year, and I know that for a lot of these kids, 51 of those weeks are pretty close to a living nightmare. I also know though that for one week each year, we can give those kids a refuge, a place to be a kid - to run, play, swim, create, and make a friend with an adult that loves them just because.

I am already looking forward to next year. Until then, I'll just be praying for each of the 32 kids that I met this summer.

The Great Kid Swap

When I was a kid, for a few weeks every summer, my parents gave myself and my brothers a gift. They sent us away to our Grandma and Grandpa Salazar's house. For a few of those years we lived fairly close - about 30 min from them, and we would meet in Modesto, at the mall in the JCPenny parking lot. The swap would take place, and off we would be for the best weeks of our summer. I LOVED going to my Grandparent's house. We did things that seem normal to most people, but as a kid the sum of all of those little things made going to Grandma's the most treasured time. We would go to the library, swimming, on walks every night, walk to the corner store to get a slushie, playing at the park, and lots of other things. These are some of the best memories of my childhood.

Yesterday, we arrived back home after "swapping" our kids with my mother-in-law. We don't live 30 minutes from them, in fact we live 16 hours from them. So, rather than drive 15 minutes to a JCPenny parking lot, we drove 8 hours to a hotel and spent the night together. Yesterday morning we transferred carseats and luggage, and I said goodbye to my 3 kiddos for 2 weeks of fun, just Nana, Aunt Candice, Aunt Amber and the kids. I would be lying if I didn't say that I was sad, especially to see my 2 year old go without me. When we arrived home, the silence was deafening. This morning when I woke up, I missed JJ's feet in my face, and I jumped to turn off the alarm clock so it wouldn't wake him...but he wasn't there. In short, I already miss them. But all I have to do is think back to those wonderful summers. Orange soda still reminds me of swimming at a public pool because that's what we drank when Grandma took us swimming. The smell and sound of wood being cut on a jigsaw reminds me of my Grandpa because he let us cut out our creations on one. When I see Black Cherry ice cream in the store it reminds me of hot summer nights in Turlock, CA. After I think of those things, I realize that my kids are making their own memories with their Nana. When they are in their 20's and 30's they will sit around and talk about those times just like I do with my brothers. How Josh got his first stitches, how I almost drowned but Grandma saved me, the hours and hours and hours of playing at "bee" park.

It will surely be a long 2 weeks. Then Jason and I get to pack up, and go spend a little over a week with them at Nana's before we come home. I miss the girls talking, I miss JJ's sticky kisses, but I am thankful for the memories being made right now.

What I took away from iCamp

Thursday afternoon ended 4 days at Kid's Camp that I will never forget. Our entire pastoral team went, as well as 8 other amazing adults from Bethel Church, and a handful of teenagers that made a BIG difference. Here are some things that I took away from our week at Sis-Q-Meadows:

• I knew that our Pastoral Staff was awesome; this week watching them serve our kids just confirmed what I already knew. They are indeed, awesome.
• I can not, will not, or do I want to ever do another camp without Susan Greisen. She rocks.
• Our kids came expecting a great week at camp. They left thinking that it was the greatest camp ever. Mission accomplished!
• Our 5 couselors - Bryan, Donavan, Tonia, Crystal & Renee did an awesome job. I hope to have them all back next summer.
• Barry Dale is one great cook! What a servant.
• When I said a few times to our counselors that the greatest things at camp often times happen after the altar call has ended, in the quiet times before bed, they listened.
• You don't have to do much to impress kids: they find the most fun in the simplest things: nature hikes, swimming in the river, and fishing with Pastor Ron and Pastor Lance.
• Kid's Worship is WAY better when Pastor Roger leads. (He is totally a rock star among the youngest of Bethel attendees!)
• Throw a little team competition in, and it changes everything!
• The kids loved activity time with Pastor Troy. We even provided the camp with a permanent game on their chapel floor!
• Teenagers make a big difference. Thanks James, Cyle, Taelor, Alyssa & Gabby. I'm very thankful you all came.
• Sis-Q-Meadows is a great camp. Everyone loved it.
• God moved in big ways, small ways, and weaved Himself between everything that we did. I truly believe that is why our week was so great.

I prayed from the beginning when we put this camp on the calendar that it wouldn't just be another week in the lives of our kids, but that it would be THE BEST week of their summer. I think for many of these kids, it was the best week. I know for a cabin full of boys, God moved upon their hearts late Wednesday night after the other campers had fallen asleep. Those are the kind of moments you cannot not plan, but you pray for because they are what creates true life change in them.

I'm already dreaming, and praying about camp next year. My head is buzzing with the possibilities, the dreams fill my head while I sleep. Thank you to all who took part in making camp a success. It meant the world to me, but even more to the 43 campers that will never be the same.

Days Zooming By

About 6 weeks ago, our 2 year old, JJ barely uttered a word. He just didn't talk. He could get his point across pretty easily through hand motions and grunting and signing a few words, but he just refused as we tried to teach him words. Now, just a few weeks later, he is almost putting together whole sentences. We have been parents now for 8 1/2 years, and sometimes I can't believe so many years have gone by. I am really fascinated by how quickly kids grow and change. A few short weeks ago, as I put JJ to bed, I said "I love you JJ." He smiled and answered, "yeah." Last night, as I tucked him in, I said, "I love you JJ." He smiled, thought for a second and said, "I love you....(thinking)...too much!" I'm pretty sure he meant, "so much" because he has said it before, but I'll take too much!

All of these fascinations make me love the normal, ordinary days. I had been thinking about this just this morning, and when I got to the office, one of the bloggers I follow, Jonathan Cliff, had blogged about this very thing. He posted a link to a video (mom's beware, you will cry...) that sums up the gift of ordinary days, and about savoring them. You can find it here -http://www.strategicdads.com/blog - go down to the video "The Gift of an Ordinary Day"

I remember around 11 months, I couldn't wait for my kids to walk. Then one day it became normal. I remember wishing that Madelyn could read the "big words" in her books one day on her own, and now it seems like there is nothing she can't read. Same with JJ's talking - it's almost hard to remember those days just a few weeks ago that we couldn't beg a word out of him. Time just goes by so fast. Cherish the normal, ordinary days. The days when you get to play video games or watch movies and read books with your kids. The walks, the trips to Sonic. Soon, too soon, those moments will be gone.