Be a World Changing Family!

Today at MOPS we had an awesome speaker who spoke on being a world changing family. Shelley was awesome. Not only did she talk about some great ways to change the world with our kids (Operation Christmas Child, making sandwiches to give to the homeless, etc) she also brought treats!!! She made the adorable cookies herself!!!

But is it hard to be a world changing family, especially with younger kids? I don't think so. The focus is to teach them to be generous and to care for others starting at a young age. The best way I can see to change the world is to show it God's love. So start involving your kids (or start serving someone yourself) in showing love to others and that alone will change the world.

I think of the joy my kiddos have gotten putting change in the Salvation Army buckets. Or helping me take food to a family with a sick mom or a family that just had a baby. I love the idea of just making bagged lunches and handing them out to people who need them. I don't know where you live but around here we seem to have people begging on every corner. You can also do canned food drives, collect change for your local Pregnancy Care Center or just about anything. Just do something no matter how small.

It isn't hard but it is intentional.

That was a word that Shelley used a lot, intentional. This doesn't just happen but you have to do it. Shelley had a great idea we might start doing. She has a friend that takes all of her kids' artwork down to the convalescent home. I might have to start doing that. Between church and what the kids just make at home, we are swimming in the stuff. To think it might brighten someone else's day and not have to go in the recycle bin (at least so soon) makes me happy.

So what do you do with you kids to make them World Changers?

Pray for Shelley and her family! They are a world changing family in a big way. They have sold their house and will be moving their family down to Colombia to preach God's Word. They are not already in the ministry (her hubby is a teacher) and their kids are young (4 girls ages 10-6). So this isn't convenient but they were called by the Lord. So I ask you all to keep them in your prayers!

Updated: I was asked why I would consider this a WFMW. I can say that for many years I was looking for ways to help my kids serve others. I think there are some really good ideas on how to get your kids active in showing generosity and love to others!

Sunday School Reflections

In James 4 there is a verse that says to "Wash your hands, you sinners, and purify your hearts, you double-minded."I put before you that this is so much more than just getting the dirt off. When I was a freshman in college I was blessed to attend a Shabbat at the local Chasidic rabbi's house. 1 of the things I remember was a ceremonial washing of hands. Everyone (including me) did it after the men's prayer time and before the meal. There wasn't any scrubbing but a specific calm procedure that served to cleanse you. Could this be what James is referring too? A solem cleansing of our sould and being?

These are the things that I think about during Sunday School. Where the Old and the New collide without fanfare or attention.

Jelly Telly

I love VeggieTales! If you didn't know that just means you don't know me well;). Now Phil Vischer is behind a new venture called JellyTelly. Originally they were going to be charging but they aren't any more (at least not for a while). While we are a pro-tv family, we wish there was more Christian media out there and this might be the answer! Watch the clips and then go check it out!!!





They are letting churches use the clips for download $4.99 to use over at JellyBits.

Tithe Rap

This is great! Hilarity and a lesson. I think Pastor Pat should arrange something like this next time he preaches on money;).

What if Starbucks Marketed Like Church?

I find this very thought provoking. What do you all think?

VBS Coming Up!

One of my kids' favorite time of summer is coming up and our church is gearing up for a good VBS!



VBS is July 7th -11th. If you are in the Fresno area and are looking for a great VBS just go over to New Cov site and sign up!

Everyone Has Their Line

First, watch this. Now don't pause halfway through and start formulating your arguments. Watch all the way to the end but there is a bad word beeped out.



Stephen Colbert is usually pretty irreverent and chooses to point out ridiculousness that way. But apparently there are somethings you don't leave unsaid (which I agree with) and hope that people catch. Even someone on Comedy Central can take a stand for God.


(HT: The Anchoress)
Technorati Tags: Satan, Lucifer, Stephen Colbert, evil, God

Deaths

Madeline L'Engle died Thursday at age 88. She was the author of Wrinkle in Time and many other great books. Literature and the world will miss her.

Pastor D. James Kennedy also dies this week at age 76. He actually died as a result of a heart attack he had in December. While I listened to him on the radio in hugh school and college, I was shocked (pleasantly) to see he was a founding member of the Moral Majority. He will also be greatly missed.

Both families are in my prayers.

Christian Carnival

Hello everyone and welcome to this week's Christian Carnival. We have received many interesting and thought provoking entries so let us jump right in!

The first group we are looking at is ones pertaining to church life and body issues. Martin at Sun and Shield asks a thought provoking and scary question. Is your church ready to have a child molester attend? He looks at it both from the aspect of forgiveness and protecting our children. Tantalizing if True presents us with the idea of The Hidden Gospel of Indices. Is this the extra gospel that even conservative Christians use? Bounded Irrationality takes a look at Biblical Justifications for Killing. He even compares the Old Testament exceptions to the New Testament. Then John at Brain Cramps for God asks "Are Evangelicals 'Owned' Politically?" Then Steve at An Accidental Blogger discusses Christians - the Reluctant Greens. Next up, Pseudo-Polymath gives us Essence and Energy from the East. Mark attempts to explain the essence/energy distinction, a feature of Eastern theology which is not practiced (or understood?) in the Western church.

In the area of personal growth we have many insightful posts. Let us first look at Lucas Vaden on The Power of Gratitude. CatHouse Chat presents us with Love Gifts. Basically, it's a discussion of Psalm 103, and all the reasons we have to be grateful to God. Annette at Fish and Cans clearly states I am a Servant of Christ. She then presents us with a series of questions. Is it important to consider how Paul introduces himself when he writes the various epistles? In Philippians he calls him a "servant of Christ". What does that mean for us? Romans 15:4 Project gives us the 2007 Bible Challenge. Mick points out that pagans go to great lengths to build their god's temple, can we spare 15-30 minutes a day to read the very Word of the true and living God? Then Threads from Henry's Web provides us with Hearing God's Voice Redux and deals with the difficult subject of hearing God's voice. Thinking Christian offers us The Beauty of Explanation: The Solution. All worldviews save one tell us it is up to us to solve our problems. Moslems, Hindus, and Buddhists tell us we must work our way toward the final solution, be it Paradise or Nirvana. Secularists know we are hurting ourselves and each other, and offer nothing beyond ourselves for hope. They all say it's up to us--all but one...

As usual we have many great Bible Study posts where we are dealing with Scripture and what it means. First the Evangelical Ecologist looks at an issue that came up in Bible Study with his son in Death of the Firstborn Camel. Then Chasing the Wind looks at I Peter with Christian Submission. God’s plan is that as Christians, we are to lead lives of submission in service to one another. Our submission first is to God and to God’s Word. But when we think about submission to others, it can make use feel uncomfortable because we are voluntarily surrendering authority to somebody else. The Bloke in the Outer discusses what type of fishers the disciples were called to be in Fishers of Men? At Crossroads they ask us Who's Narcissistic? She tells us about a book out detailing what the self-esteem movement in schools has done to the postmodern generation. And sadly, the news is not good. Perhaps it's not all about ME? Then Church Hopping discusses The Messianic Secret where they ask an interesting question. What was Jesus' occupation and why was He always requesting that His identity be kept secret? Then dokeo kago grapho soi kratistos theophilos asks, "Is Matthew a pyromaniac?". He looks at what Matthew may have thought the consequences for the Temple should be.

That brings this carnival to a close. Please go, read and comment. Make sure that you submit your articles for next week's carnival at BlogCarnival! Go in grace and peace!

Frustration

I am officially frustrated with book writers. I have been on the search for a biography (or auto) on a woman in church history or women's ministries. Not the wife of a pastor, missionary, or historical figure (like First Lady). I needed it for a class. I ended up ordering a book on Susanna Wesley (mother of John Wesley) and can find a way to tie it in but it isn't what I wanted. I know that there are women who are (and have been) involved in church leadership in roles other than pastor. So where are the books? There are many women who are involved in women's ministries like Elizabeth George, Beth Moore, etc but they seem to be to young to have biographies yet. Maybe I have found a calling or maybe I have just found a rant;).