Remember.

We just finished a very exciting week of Vacation Bible School. I am so excited about the way our church ministered to a record-breaking number of children this week. God was really able to use His people to share the love of Jesus with a great bunch of kids who have never known that kind of love before. It was awesome!

We spent the week traveling through the story of Moses and the Israelites. Such a great study on the Israelites breaking free from the bonds of slavery with God's power.

During today's Bible reading, I sort of haphazardly turned to Deuteronomy 24. I was struck by this passage and feel compelled to share what the Lord has revealed to me.

Deuteronomy 24 reads as a sort of Rules of the Classroom list. If a man divorces a woman once, he shouldn't remarry the same woman. Men shouldn't go to war for at least a year after marriage...to make their wife happy. Kill anyone who kidnaps an Israelite. Be careful with people who have skin disease. Be fair to people who owe you money. Treat hired servants well. Each person has to die for his own sin...not your friend's sin...not your parent's sin....just yours. Be fair to foreigners, orphans, and widows. Leave a little of your harvest in the field so that if one of these passes by, they can have something to eat.

You get the idea. God wants us to treat others nicely. He wants us to watch out for evil and protect our camps from sin. Deuteronomy 24 is a call to a God-honoring life.

There is so much more to this passage. A fairly short little line that ties it all together so well. A couple of times, after giving these commands to us, God says: "Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; this is why I am commanding you to do this."

"Be fair to others. Oh, and don't forget: you were once a slave to Pharaoh."

"Be a little kinder than necessary to people from distant lands, women who are grieving for their husbands, and children who have no one to love them. And while you're doing that, remember you used to be a slave in Egypt until I saved you."

"Pay those guys that work for you well. They are really poor and need the money to take care of their families. Remember that you were slaves in Egypt. Don't ever forget what opression felt like under the rule of that controlling King."

You know, after a week of thinking of Moses trying to be God's voice, demanding the freedom of all of God's people, that little sentence really spoke to me.

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I am commanding you to do this."

God found a sinful, runaway shepherd with a speech problem wandering alone in the desert and called him into His service. This shepherd would become God's tangible voice to a hard-hearted, slave-driving Pharaoh. He would speak God's message of freedom for His people. Moses would do the talking. God would prove He meant business by sending forth some serious plagues to the Egyptians, while protecting the Israelites. Nothing made Pharaoh budge. Until the final plague. The Death of the Firstborn. That did it. Pharaoh was driven to his kness and in his grief he finally allowed all Israelites to exit Egypt. He would put up a final fight right in the middle of the Red Sea, but it wouldn't get him anywhere. He and his army would go down into the sea and never return.

This story allows me to see that God will go to ridiculously amazing lengths to save His people. There is nothing He wouldn't do to rescue them from slavery. Because a few thousand years after this Moses fellow exits Egypt with a bunch of free (albeit, whiny) Israelites, God sent His only Son to earth and allowed Him to die so I wouldn't be a slave anymore.

I've never been one of Pharaoh's pyramid-building slaves. I've never answered to a master. I've never experienced a lashing intended to force me to produce more mortar or haul more bricks.

But, I have been a slave. At points in my life, I have been enslaved to sin. I've thought bad thoughts, said bad things, made poor choices. And it had a great hold on me. No, I wasn't building pyramids, but I was building a life layered on poor choices. Sin became my master and oppressor. It was the driving force of my life, controlling my every thought, crushing me with the consequences of being "in control" of my own life.

And then, He saved me. He died on a cross for me and the moment I turned my life over to Him, He became my only Master. I started answering to Him. He is the boss...not me, not sin...Him. He broke the chains that enslaved me to my former life.

And He has no intention that I should ever forget it.

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; that is why I am commanding you to do this."

God was not asking the Israelites to remember a historical event that occurred in a distant land. He was asking His people to remember when God of the universe showed love for some pretty sinful humans. He was asking them to remember His protection, His provision, and His power when they couldn't protect themselves, provide for themselves, or yield enough power to demand their own freedom.

He commanded the Israelites to honor Him in their new-found freedom way back when and He commands the same thing of me today. He expects me to show the same grace to the people in my world that He has shown me. He asks me to treat people fairly. To get rid of the sin in my life. To be kind to people. To give a little of what I have been given to people who are not as fortunate as me.

And while I'm doing all of those God-honoring things, I am to remember that He gave of Himself so that I could be free. He's called me to remember how oppressed I was, so I can see how free He has made me.

"Remember that you were slaves in Egypt; this is why I am commanding you to do this."

I will never forget.

Another Kid Magnet...

Earlier today, the world paused in memorium of Michael Jackson. A tragic life with a tragic finale was honored.

You might wonder what this has to do with a Children's Ministry blog and to that I say...believe what you will, but in my heart, I think this man was a real Kid Magnet...and not in any of those ways that he was accused.

I do not come to you today as a lawyer, seeking acquittal. MJ has already been found innocent of all charges brought against him. I can think of many, many reasons why the allegations brought against him were false. But, at the end of the day, nothing speaks louder to me than the settlement. As a Kid Magnet...an advocate for children...there is no way I would ever allow someone to buy me off and shut me up if they had hurt my child. It just wouldn't happen. And, in my opinion, these were money hungry people, chasing the almighty dollar with no regard for truth.

I do not even come to you as fan. His music has always been something that I would sing along to, but I never Googled him, sought out news articles about him, or followed Gossip columns reporting the latest details of his life. Only in the past couple of weeks, have I been made of aware of the vast amount of humanitarian efforts he was a part of.

Today, I come to you as always. As a Kid Magnet myself. A woman who loves kids and loves people who loves kids. Grown up people who realize that kids are not the future. They understand that kids are the right now and that they have value just because Jesus said so. Grown ups who get that rock my socks.

I myself am a single woman who cares deeply for children. I am sure that God has shaped me to love His kids and share Him with them. And I have to admit, that I have been in some of the same situations as MJ in my journey of working with children. I have allowed children to spend the night at my house because they needed some peace from a tumultous home life. I have brought children into my life and developed meaningful relationships with each of them. I would consider many of them friends. I do not have children of my own, and maybe I never will, but I am sure of my calling to mold this generation into a generation of believers and doers. So, I do whatever it takes to reach these kids. And if that means giving them a break from an abusive father by allowing them a night at my home, then so be it.

To the world, this kind of love seems strange. Because of Michael Jackson's legal issues, I have been made very aware of how the world sees adults who pour everything they have into children who don't belong to them. But, to Jesus, it is just another day...another way of sharing His love with a group of people who really matter to Him. Jesus is the Ultimate Kid Magnet and he admonished his disciples when they thought that His involvement with children was strange. (Read all about it.) He commanded us to love them because He loves them.

And I believe that Michael Jackon explemified this kind of love. For example:

• He donated proceeds from the 1988 song "Man in the Mirror" to Camp Ronald McDonald for Good Times, a camp for children who suffer from cancer.


• He donated all the money he received from his Pepsi endorsements -- $1.5 million -- to the Michael Jackson Burn Center for Children at Brotman Medical Center in Culver City. Jackson had been treated there when he was burned during the production of a Pepsi commercial.


• Before a concert at Wembley Stadium in 1988, Michael met with Prince Charles and Princess Diana, handing over checks totaling more than $400,000 for the Prince's Trust and a children's hospital.


• He founded the Heal the World Foundation to fight illness and poverty among children around the world.

If money talks, then Michael Jackson's money is screaming what he felt in heart for the smallest among us. This doesn't even include all of the orphanages he visited, the children who's dying wishes came true with a visit to Neverland, the love he showed children who became a part of his life.

At the end of the day, you will believe whatever you believe about Michael Jackson. As his legacy unveils itself, I believe it will reveal a man who showed the love of Jesus with some kids in some really bad situations and made all the difference in their lives. I can only hope my own legacy is a portion of that.

Not Listening

Today was a rainy day. Truly a welcome sight in the almost desert we reside in. It never reached Noah proportions, but it was looking somewhat promising for a little while.

If you work with kids at all, you are intimately familiar with, what I like to refer to as, Rainy Day Syndrome. Children worldwide can be afflicted with this temporary disorder. Symptoms begin at the first sign of a grey sky and often do not let up until the sun returns. Symptoms are general, but can include: abnormal behavior, inability to focus and greater propensity to talk out of turn.

Rainy Day Syndrome was approaching pandemic status with my (no, His) children today. I reached my monthly "shh" quota in the first fifteen minutes of class. I have never been more thankful for active learning games in all of my life. It saved us big time today.

As things began to settle down, I thought about the kids who were struggling to hear the point today. I can easily explain their actions. Kids are kids and it is hard to be locked up inside when all you really want to do is enjoy some sunshine.

But what about me? How many times in my own life have I stuck my fingers in my ears and refused to hear, I mean really hear, the message that God was laying on my heart? The answer to that question terrifies me. More often than I care to admit, I miss the point because I'm so busy trying to figure out ways to do life my way.

The symptoms start popping up. First, with abnormal behavior. When my ears are switched to "off," the out of character conduct creeps in. My Bible collects dust, my heart becomes less pliable, my feelings hurt easily.

Then comes my inability to focus. When God is trying to teach me, mold me, shape me, I see a blur instead of an opportunity to become more like Him. Life becomes hazy and the path becomes unclear.

The last symptom to present itself is my ability to speak when it's not even my turn. God isn't able to get in one word while I rattle on and on to fill Him in on my dreams and goals, and my plans for all of my tomorrows. Once this symptom appears, it becomes impossible to hear God as my own voice becomes the only noise in the room.

At this point, I find myself locked up in the middle of the thunder when all I really wanted to do was enjoy a little sunshine. Grey skies prevail. In my ambitious attempts to see the sights and taste the world, I come out broken and bruised...a sort of permanent Rainy Day Syndrome of the soul.

Life becomes a struggle to stay ahead of the storm. To beat the lightning before it can strike. In this moment, the realization that storm chasing was never my life's calling really settles in my soul.

So I get still. And listen. It takes awhile to tune back in to the Path Maker's voice when you haven't heard it in awhile. So I wait. And listen. And then I hear all of the plans He has laid for my journey and the directions down the path that He has chosen for me are whispered softly to my soul. Grey skies lift and the shining sun permeates my soul. Only then, can I really enjoy life the way He intended for me to enjoy it.

"I came so they can have real and eternal life, more and better life than they ever dreamed of." -Jesus (John 10:10)

Love, Love Like That

One of my favorite quotes of all time was penned by a Persian poet somewhere around six centuries ago. It goes like this: Even after all this time The sun never says to the earth, "You owe Me." Look what happens with A love like that, It lights the Whole Sky. (The Gift: Poems by Hafez the Great Sufi Master)

I've been really working hard these last few months. The end of the school year was coming in full force and really it's the starting and the stopping of school that is so hard. The rest of the year is much easier. Vacation Bible School is scheduled for the end of July and we have been working hard on several fundraisers to alleviate a budget affected by an ever changing economy. I'm also trying to accommodate my volunteers, making sure they are able to rest and take well-deserved vacations during the Summer. And, of course, my regularly scheduled programming requires my daily presence.

I, along with some wonderful ministry partners, are working hard to make sure that our children, His children, get the very best. We need them to see God for who He really is. So, we roll up our sleeves and pitch in to make sure that our kids see more about God than a made up image on a coloring sheet. And it's hard work. Really hard work.

We aren't always thanked for shaping and molding young hearts and minds. I don't always feel appreciated or even respected. Sometimes, I have to deal with budgets that won't balance, upset parents, teachers who call in, unruly kids, or misinformed church members. Sometimes I'm so exhausted that I'm asleep before my head even hits my pillow. Other times, I lay awake for hours upon hours worrying about something that occurred earlier that day or making plans for the next.

And I'm reminded of our friend, Hafez. Look what happens with a love like the sun has for the moon. A love that would do anything, give anything, be anything that the object of its affection needs or desires. A love that never felt like it was owed something in return for all of its great sacrifice. A love that knows it is a verb and strives to show itself in its fullness day after day with no expectation of gratitude in return.

So, today, I make this my goal. To do ministry in the same way the sun radiates and lights up the moon. Nothing halfway. Complete sacrifice, no need for repayment of any kind.

I was loved in this same way on a very dark Friday some 2000 years ago. My Savior payed the ultimate sacrifice on a Roman cross as my substitue and He has never once called me for a payment.

And that kind of love, buddy, it lights up the whole sky.

Summer

Ahhhh...church in the Summertime. The children's hallway is buzzing with more laughter, talking, and movement than it normally sees throughout the rest of the year. Joy is alive and well. Smiles abound. Souls are soaring. This is the product of freedom. Things that cannot possibly happen in Fall, Spring, and Winter, suddenly become possible in June.

Why? Because school is out for three whole months! Attitudes relax. The pressure is off. Carefree replaces stress. No one has to worry about homework, book reports, bullies, or lunch money. So, personalities are finally allowed to come out and play. To show who they were really meant to be all year long, but couldn't find a way to shine under the overwhelming responsibilites of having to be a student.

In the Wintertime of my own life, I was a slave to sin. I was bound to the pressure of bad choices and stressful living. My heart was heavy and burdened. My soul had taken a beating...a bad one. I was tired and I didn't see a way out.

And then Summer came and I met Him. Really met Him.

He said to me, ""Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me—watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly." (Matthew 11:28-30)

And away with Him I went. I traded in all of my sin and bad living for grace and light living.

My heart was finally allowed to take a deep breath, my soul was able to soar, my burden was lifted. The pressue was off. I was free, indeed. No more worrying about being good enough, beautiful enough, or just enough in general. In that instant, I knew that He was enough of everything to make up for whatever I lacked. My personality could shine because I was finally able to be who I was meant to be all of my life. A child of the burden-lifting, freedom-giving, rest-offering, life-recovering, one true God.

Are you living in the Wintertime of your own life? If so, I compel you to try His way. He is freedom and restoration. He is joy and grace. He is Summer.

Return of the Kid Magnet

So. I'm back. With almost zero excuses for a prolonged absence. Actually, when I started this Kid Magnet blog, I don't think I realized the great work required in posting my random thoughts on a daily basis. I was like a child with a new puppy. The new wore off, the passion faded, and I let my cute little blog die of starvation.

That being said, I've missed it. I've missed sharing my collection of thoughts with my little computer and whoever else blessed my blog with their presence.

So. I'm back. For real this time. With a full understanding of all that is required to keep this puppy going. I get the commitment involved. "And, honestly mom, I will feed and water it every day." ...says the child with the new puppy and the woman with the blog.

In this past year, I've gained so much and grown with the kids that I'm blessed to serve. I have some largely funny and deeply profound insights to share with you that I never would've collected had I not been ministering to His children. I know they belong to Him, but, gosh, am I glad He allows me to be a factor in guiding them toward faith.

So. I'm back. In case you didn't hear. And I'm glad you're here with me. Join me and the smallest of my friends as we walk our journey of faith together. It's a split personality, this journey. Some days will be wild and crazy, some will be sorrowful, and some will be bittersweet. But, its our journey and our story to tell. And tell it I will.

See you tomorrow.

The Great Race-ist?

A trio of well know Second Grade troublemakers called me over to their lunch table so they could tattle on one of the members of the Troublemakers Trio. They informed me that this little darling (let's call him John) had called them a "racist". This is outside of the norm. Really racist is not in a Second Graders vocabulary for the most part. Usually, we hear that kids have been called a butthead, a jerk, a crybaby, etc. But, racist? Never.

I thought it would be wise to further investigate what I believed to be a rather serious claim. Here's how the conversation went down:

Me: "John, did you call these two boys racists?"

John: "Yup."

Me: "Why?"

John: "Because they are racist."

Me: "What makes you think that? What did they say or do to make you think they are racist?"

John: "Well, they are racist because they were racing to drink their milk."

Me: "Oh." walking off, stifling my wild laughter

I am so thankful for all the funnies I have throughout my day. It reminds me how very much I love kids, even the "Troublemaker Trio". Sometimes, in the midst of dealing with all of the name-calling, shouting, cartwheels in the middle of my lesson, and silly questions, I forget that I am called to this high purpose of instructing, no guiding, His kids. These little moments always help me focus on what's really important...the heart of the child...the beautiful, funny, sensitive, and downright precious heart of His child.