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Finally Finishing a Project

Jeremy
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I have a lot of ideas. Sometimes more ideas than the time to accomplish them. It is really easy for me to start things… but a whole lot more difficult for me to finish things. I’m realizing this about myself.

Last year, after our big remodel project in which we expanded our children and youth space at the church, I felt it was pressing to get our new playground ordered and up and running because we had removed our old playground. The students has been raising $$ for the previous 2 years in order to get a new playground and I felt it was important to honor their hard work and get the playground done.

Hindsight is always 20/20 isn’t it?

I should have waited. We got the playground last summer, but it took 3 months to erect. Then the snow came early so we didn’t have time to finish the weed fabric, landscape timbers, and mulch. This spring was really busy as well as the summer.

And finally, finally, we got it done! The weed fabric is down. The landscape timbers are in. And 26 yards of playground mulch is in. That means it is safe and ready to go!

Whew! That project only took one year!

This project was so visibly “undone” and unfinished that I think I learned something about myself: don’t start a project unless you’re committed to getting it done in a timely manner and with an appropriate amount of help.

Parenting | Honest, On the Edge, Creative Parenting

Jeremy
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A while back I came across a blog entitled: EpicParent.tv Great blog! There were (and still are) so many thought provoking ideas and conversations going on in this blog. It’s refreshing. My intent was to tackle some of these issues one at a time (and I still might in the future). But these links have been sitting in my hopper for a couple of months, unshared, and I felt it was time to share.

So here are my top 11 posts from EpicParent.tv:

  1. Are You Confused About Spanking? 10 Tips on Discipline
  2. 10 Creative (and Funny) Discipline Ideas
  3. Are You a When – Then Parent?
  4. Answer Your Kids’ Questions
  5. 10 Tips to Protect Your Kids on Facebook
  6. Don’t Force Your Kids
  7. There’s a Difference Between Tattling and Telling
  8. EpicParent Sex Check
  9. 15 Things to Tell Your Teenage Daughter Before She Closes Her Eyes
  10. Force Your Kids To Go To Church
  11. Parents, Please Slow Down!

Every Life Has a Story Video

Jeremy
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Every Life Has a Story Video

We travel through life so fast nowadays that we forget or are often unaware that every person we walk by, drive by and/or push a Walmart cart by has a story. Maybe it’s a success story or a painful story or perhaps a disjointed, cracked story. Maybe their stories are old and they bare the scars. Or maybe they are recent and fresh and raw.

I’m not saying that we have to stop everyone we meet to ask them to share their story, they might look at you weird. Why I am sharing this is that maybe, just maybe, in our hectic, fast-paced world, if we remember that every person has a story, perhaps we will treat them less like a stranger and an inconvenience, and more like a human with respect and patience and dignity. Hopefully our “digital” lives and worlds don’t negate real humanity and the genuine stories that are inherent in the creatures God decided to place His “image” in – humanity.

HT Life2GetherBlog
source YouTube

What Do Your Kids Say About You?

Jeremy
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I really enjoy talking with kids. They are always brutally honest. When they are young it is cute. However, the older they get (elementary school age) they learn more and more and there is no “learned” filter on their thoughts or take on life and family.

I have to be careful the kinds of questions I ask about their family. Because if I ask, they will tell me (both the good and the bad)! Oh, if parents only knew the goods I have on them!

Kids don’t know what normal is. Normal is what they experience in life (both good and bad).

I wonder what my kids say to people who ask them about our family? I wonder if they say:

  • they are loved?
  • they have fun?
  • their parents play with them?
  • we lovingly correct them?
  • we pay attention to them?

What do your kids say about you and your family?

Sam Luce had a great Father’s Day reflection post entitled: What Will Your Kids Remember When You Are Gone? He said something that has been ringing in my head for the last month:

I am not judged by my kids for a single instance of perceived anger but that single instance is judged in the context of all my interactions with my kids.

Sam was talking out of his fear that the last thing his kids might remember of him (if he departs unexpectedly from this life) is a “discipline” moment, or an angry comment. But his comment captures more than just a momentary fear. That statement hopefully encourages and chastens all of us as parents to make sure that our kids our lovingly corrected and played with more often than being yelled at or ignored.

What do your kids say about you and your family?

It would be interesting to ask them…

You Know You’re in Children’s Ministry If…

Jeremy
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I came across this funny list of “requirements” or recommendations for children’s ministry leaders and volunteers (you’ll understand and “feel” them when you read them!):

  • Sense of humour is not mandatory, but you won’t survive without it
  • Should be quick to recover when you forget a kids name: a staple of generic names such as ‘Buckaroo’ or ‘Fella’ or ‘Bud’ is a must
  • Even though you would watch them anyways, Cartoons are now considered research.
  • Having the ability to always tell a joke or fill in time is a major plus
  • No sense of embarrassment is a plus – especially when doing action songs
  • Must have the immune system of a robot
  • Must be able to use random junk as props
  • Must be able to rig contests so the girls don’t always win
  • Willingness to pray for all sick pets by name
  • Must be able to “Hold it” for entire service rotation
  • Ability to distinguish where “That smell is coming from”
  • Must be able to come up with 10 games from 1 piece of toilet paper.
  • Must remember that ‘knuckles’ are 75% more healthy than high fives.
  • Able to turn all your mistakes into a funny story
  • Able to tolerate bright yellow & orange walls in your office
  • Breath mints … really, kids will call you out for dog breath
  • When faced with embarrassing & awkward situations, must be able to laugh loudly even if no one else does
  • Must realize that every parent believes their child is “very mature for their age” and should not have to stay in that class
  • Must be willing to do and try new things even if “we’ve always done it this way”
  • Must not be satisfied with the status quo
  • Must be able to ignore foul body odors

HT Ministry-To-Children, CM Connect

Evening Activities

Jeremy
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Yesterday after work, I picked up the girls at daycare and was intending (like normal) to go straight home. The girls (actually Sari) had other plans.

Sari: “I want to go to God’s house!” (that’s code for “let’s go to church and play, and possibly get some candy from Dad’s office!”)

I wasn’t in a hurry to get home so I thought that Sari’s idea was good (the play part, not the candy part!). However, as we pulled into the parking lot of the church, I suggested going over to a friend’s house. This idea sounded good to the girls, so we went on.

When we arrived at our friend’s house they were moving stuff out! (In case you’re not from the Hayward area, we’ve had some intense severe storms here lately). Many shingles on their roof had blown up and back down during one storm and the subsequent rain storms proceeded to “carve” their way in to their home. Anyway, the girls’ friends weren’t there, but my friend invited us in for the girls to play with their toys for a bit. That was fun!

Then we were headed back to God’s house after a little while and Sari had another idea.

Sari: “Dad! Let’s play at the Rainbow playground!” (that’s code for the colorful playground located at First Lutheran Church in Hayward).

So we went there and played for a bit. Then we saw some other friends across from the Rainbow playground playing on their trampoline, so we went over there and visited for a little while.

It was a fun evening of activities! All of this happened in a span of an hour and a half and the girls had a blast touring around visiting people and playing! I had fun, too, because I got to talk with some people! Fun times!

By the way, Macie just goes along with whatever Sari is doing! She just loves her big sister! (most of the time…)

Curriculum?! Where Do I Start?

Jeremy
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Last month I wrote my first article for The Spiritual Formation Department’s Children’s Ministry Blog/Email Newsletter. It was entitled: Curriculum?! Where Do I Start?

It’s a story about a ministry couple that struggled (like many of us) in the pursuit of good, usable, biblical and contextual curriculum. Check it out.

Book of Daniel Teaching Lessons // Graphics and Videos

Jeremy
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Book of Daniel Teaching Lessons // Graphics and Videos

This summer we have been teaching through the books of Daniel (6 weeks) and Esther (6 weeks).

It’s been light and fun (for the summer), yet still deep and meaningful (because we are interacting with God’s Word!).

Here are the links:

Daniel Teaching Videos:

Daniel Graphic Slides:

Daniel 1

Magnet Dolls Find a Unique Home

Jeremy
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My daughter, Sari, loves her magnet dolls. And she just happened to find a new, unique home for them to abide: the fireplace!

The Elephant // Game

Jeremy
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The Elephant // Game

How to Play “The Elephant” Game

You can run this game with as many participants as you want.

Materials you need

  • paper clips,
  • pipe cleaner,
  • a cup,
  • and a table to play on.

Take the paper clips and bend them up and flared out a little. Take the pipe cleaner and make a hook with them. We used three paper clips per participant.

Object of the game is to take the pipe cleaner, place it in your mouth and then without using your hands, hook the bent paper clips with your pipe cleaner and place them in the cup. First one to place all three paper clips, wins!

source YouTube

Toilet Paper Wrap // Game

Jeremy
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Toilet Paper Wrap // Game

I was reading Children’s Ministry Magazine this past month and I came across about 13 game ideas they had referenced. Normally I gloss over these sections because we already do a lot of fun elements to our children’s ministries and I don’t find them useful. This time, however, I thought they would be a great addition to our Summer Main Street (Sunday School) time with the students… you know, something summer-y and fun to do. Well, it’s been really fun and the students have really enjoyed the competition and the chance to win a piece of candy! Here’s one of the games we did (which wasn’t listed in Children’s Ministry Magazine, by the way):

How to Play the “Toilet Paper Wrap” Game

One roll of toilet paper per participant. Each one needs a friend to wrap them. The first team to be wrapped with the entire roll of toilet paper wins!

source YouTube

Passing Along Some Wisdom

Jeremy
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Jonathan Cliff wrote a blog post a while back entitled: Whippersnappers, Listen Up!

Here are two of the “pieces of wisdom” he shares with his “younger” friends:

Influence isn’t gained by only listening to those with status. It’s gained by listening to people from all different areas of life. The big-business guy making millions can definitely speak life into areas of your life, but so can the guy scraping by on pennies in order to live life at the pace he chooses.

Ask questions and then take the time to listen for the answer. I wish that I had talked less and asked more questions.  If you have young kids, then ask questions of the guy with older kids.  If you aren’t married, ask questions of the married guy.  You get the point?  Ask and listen, ask and listen, ask and listen?

Read more…

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