Summer Job Week 10

Easy week- last wet and wild wednesday followed by our annual Velma Picnic (think carnival/rodeo).

Our church cleaned the grounds in the mornings. Serving our community. I didn't feel the need or calling to participate and exercised freedom to stay in my bed in the mornings.

But Sunday night found us saying goodbye to my summer buddy Sarah.

Praying over her.

More than an intern she was a friend.

She leaves for college soon and has our prayers.

She will bloom there, she's just that kind of soul. She blooms where planted and will make an incredible wife to one lucky man!

She will glorify God in whatever she finds herself doing. She's that kind of believer.

She will worship, she will learn, she will discern his voice from all the other voices. She's that kind of follower.

She will have many friends and influence many. She's just that kind of person.

And I am happy to have found her and spent a summer with her!


In the end I had many expectations for this summer. We planted a lot of seeds in a lot of different lives. God is over the harvest. We were faithful to obey, to teach, to train, to serve and HE is faithful to do his part- the cool part of changing kids and families lives. To HIM be the glory for everything done this summer.

Summer Job week 9

I have been so impressed with Sarah. These last few weeks she's really shown a new level of comfort with teaching and leading out. She's a jewel. Whoever marries her will be blessed Eph. 3:20 style.

This week was dance camp.

Dance Camp at Velma BAPTIST church. Ha!

Psalm 149:3 was our theme- Let them praise HIS name in the dance.

Here's a few of the photos....

beginners - intro to ballet

The tall ones are all going in to Kindergarten, the shortys are all 3 and will wait another year for school.
We used typical preschool technics with them supporting our focus of God as creator of us , spiritually and physically and author of the dance. You use phrases like, "Thank you God for eyes so we can see Reagan dance" "Thank you for legs and feet to move and ears to hear the music"

The intermediate group....

This group had a devotion time each day.

day 1- Miriam in Exodus
day 2- King David and evil eyed Michal 2 samuel 6
day 3- Ecc. 3 passage - a time to mourn and a time to dance
day 4- Herodias's daughter dances for the wrong reason- we learned the word manipulate too, lol

And the advanced group- Sarah had fun with them, they were really good.

day 3 really hit home with Ecc. 3:4 a time to mourn....one of the girls' dad died Wed. night. She was unable to finish the week.  Life lessons, man! tough

Super sweet girls.

I didn't realize how much fun dance camp would be. We've never really done an all week all girl thing.

The end of the week program went well and was well attended....

Sarah danced for us, brought me to tears. I rarely perform as a music teacher- that should not be. I need to use my gifts more. Inspiring.

On admin notes...

We had the girls pay for t-shirt/dvd/hair bows, a reasonable $10
There was a deadline for sign up- highly recommend that, but stick to it, I tend to say one thing yet do another, letting others join us
We had them sign waviers-
We had around 37 girls, could have more had we advertised more (facebook event pages have been used a lot this summer with high success but there are a lot of people that aren't on facebook)

I could write a book about doing t-shirts.

I found vistaprint.com  a few weeks ago. I recommend it. They have good sales from time to time on lots of advertising stuff. I found $6 t-shirts a few weeks ago and a great logo that we went with. For me with t-shirts the logo is hard to come up with. I  like easy and quick designs.

Problem #1- vistaprint didn't do kid sizes.
We went to a local and new print shop problem #2 they would be out of town 10 days before camp
Problem #3 didn't do so good with the falls creek youth shirts
So I tried to make the design on my mac- success! thanks to Cody
Problem #4 where to find the t-shirts quickly in a small town, Coaches Corner in Duncan comes to the rescue, $5 a shirt, however Walmart did have some for 3$ but not near enough
Problem #6 iron on transfers - only 5 pages per pack, walmart only had 3 packs! and I was running out of time, so I used some dark color transfers which are different and more expensive but worked.

So I ironed and printed for hours on Tues. & Wed. And in the end they still cost $8 a piece.

Moral of the story- find a print shop with a good designer you trust & do it all early.

Summer Job - week 8

This week found me, Sarah (intern), Cody and Blake all at Falls Creek for the youth. 

Why all of us? Because we are a team. 

T- together 

E- everyone 

A-accomplishs 

M- more

The theme was love. Talk is cheap, love not in words but in action! 

Ed Newton brought the word from I John in night services. He's an adoption advocate, gospel teaching guy- we loved him!

and check it out he's a runner! 

Brad Clay brought the nightly devotion and they too were about holiness and confession and loving in action not just words. 

I cooked with the lovely Jana Loveall

and her husband....

All my clothes smell like bacon. 

It comes with the job.

I really enjoyed the kids. 

Guess what Shelby was doing....

Rolling with the bags and Bibles.

Sticking by my side lego style. 

Children wise Sarah did Wet and Wild with team leaders on her own....we'll have to check in on how the story of the great fish catch and slip and slide went. She was an awesome addition to our group at camp. We sat down last Sunday and went over some evaluation questions- she continues to grow learn and be so teachable, so glad we had the summer to really get to know her heart and abilities. She is quite flexible with serving in a lot of different rolls. I see her marrying and serving along side a minister in a lot of different areas. Blessed will that man be who finds and fights for her! 

Next week is dance camp and the registration has closed, we are doing t-shirts again which prove to be crazy. word out - find a good t-shirt person early in ministry, it will make life easier. But I do think the dance camp will be good. We have 3 classes and over 30 signed up. Different but a good program. We'll disclose all the details next week.

summer job - Week 7

We are now on the down hill slide, with only 3 more weeks left of activity and Seattle is calling my name.

These next two weeks we are low on activity- youth falls creek is next week and all 4 staff members are going.

I will cook, I will be learning from the best. My heart longs to be in NC learning from my kin but Jana is a beloved friend, we will have a great week.  She cooks well. This is quite an opportunity.

Tonight we returned with wet and wild wednesdays-

Matthew 7, the wise men built his house upon the rock!

started off asking them to tell me in one word how their day went- emotional was mine.
then reviewed all the things Jesus had been doing (all our previous lessons) and how a lot of people were following him and he taught them things, he used stories to make it interesting and as they listened they were much like ya'll having good, happy, normal, or emotional days. then Jesus told them this story....
I read out of the Bible  and give context when talking about it. I followed with a clip.


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GByss2oqDHw&feature=mh_lolz&list=FLU890mYyC1sk

then we made ice houses with ice cubes- wet business, be prepared!
with younger kids I should've had granite and sand to touch and compare and some building materials,
we did sing the song that goes with as well as "on Christ the solid Rock " from the Go fish Guys kicking it old school- I am lovin the Go Fish guys btw!

http://youtu.be/zlx5rUc1gj4

In need of rest,
Lori

summer Job - Week 6

VBS week.

I sat today in staff meeting- da 4 of us and got one sentence like/dislikes about Family Fun Days, our VBS.

The basic overview- Use VBS event name and budget to provide a parenting seminar. Clearly my focus was on parents.

We ate dinner each night together, large extended families in our church provided that each night, no one person did it. A representative from the family would do a little interview each night and I'd give a plug for eating together as a family. We encouraged our senior adults to come join us.

We had a large group time of singing (Go fish guys) , announcements and a devotion (live and learned preschoolers don't do well here and the space was too casual for much serious Bible Study ( I would've liked to have seen more Bible reading together as a family here)

From 7-8 we had the breakout sessions, several speakers from all over the state came, the teaching was wonderful. We offered everything from grief counseling to adoption, leading your child to christ to major league parenting, survival skills & leaving your mark on a young child's heart. I learn A LOT, and even  taught a class the last night on families on mission.

While I had originally planned for a 3 hour night it proved too long in the end to do organized games, so we left that time open for fellowship.

Everyone's favorite- Community. Older/ younger, grandparents, parents, kids-
Dislikes- 1. wished I'd seen more new faces, we exist for those how aren't here
2. our kids programing was minimal, chould've gone with a curriculum instead of making up our own. Saving money aside it did stretch us, and I think it was good for us, esp. Sarah to see how it is possible to do. If she finds herself in a foreign country this skill will be quite used!

What VBS does...

Directing VBS does this....

to my laundry room

to my mud room

and this to my kitchen....

but it does this.....

in my community

and this....

for families

and this for senior adults

and this for teenagers.....

and this for my soul

I will clean tomorrow, for today I worshiped with my family!

Summer Job - Week 5

I think we are on week 6. But here's week 5

The weeks are blurring.

Long days, Short years. Heard that tonight- excellent!

So blessed by the first night of Family Fun Days, hope the other 80-100 people were too!

So week 5- no staff meeting for me, silas had a dental appt I couldn't change, Sarah went on my behalf. But I went today and I'll say this - I'm have not been big on staff meetings ever esp school ones. I have found out why I work alone.  But yet I see where we all help each other. And life really is better together. It's different. Prepare to loose some time. Relationships cost. Mostly time. They are definitely needed.

So last week wet and wild- just never can be fully prepared for that! We had a good crowd, talked about peter walking on water (I still haven't put the wet & wild program on paper....I loose the drive to do that when camp comes but so want to share my Wet and Wild Ideas online!) I used hand prompts with the little ones. Prayer hands for Jesus praying, round mouth for the wind of the storm, rowing for the disciples, 3 for the time of night, 1 for peter who stepped out of the boat....We'll see if they still get it next week.If they are gonna get home with a concept, a story, God's word on their minds and hearts I've got to review and do it a lot! 4 times is a good #. Also we let them paint their feet and make a poster for publicity- can never have too much of that and connection with the parents, can never have too much of that either.

Lake Murray day trip- Fun again...

Letterboxing with 29 kids and adults in 99 degree weather, ...we found one stamp before the complaints rose up for water! I felt like Moses....WOW I can not wait to talk to him in heaven about that whole 40 years in the dessert thing...

Teaching moments.....I led them the wrong way. Yeah it wasn't good. And quickly used it to tell them what repentance looks like. We have to admit we were wrong, then turn around and go back. And amazingly they got it real fast.

Precious souls!

This one looks like she needs a good home maybe I'll take her home with me. 

We splashed around on the beach area at Lake Murray, squishy at first but clear when you get out a ways. We let them eat as they came in, there was no way I was forcing that many to some sit and behave. Let them enjoy and when hunger came (and quite often for some) they joined those on shore for snacks.

Moments for teaching...

When a little girl lost her ear plugs we started searching and praying for eyes to see it. Carol miraculously found it. And we celebrated! As God and the angels do when a lost person is saved. Luke 15

Murray has Tucker Tower. An old odd mansion turned nature center. Charis called it Punzel's tower (we have been watching Tangled)

She was very sad when we didn't find Rapunzel at the top!

summer job - Week 4 & 5

I rested some during week 4....

Wet and Wild Wednesday went well, with Sarah gone I had to revamp...we were doing Jesus calming the wind and the waves (Mark 4:36-41) and no we didn't get a storm...we got a stray dog! I got an early comer to guard the blow up pool I had set up but he still punctured it- by time to start we were losing water...so we improvised....and my early comer had a great game idea which was good I took time to listen b/c tug o war over the pool last all of 3 min. I had 20 to fill. The game was great- have kids line up at one end of the pool and cross over on multiple sponges, as they make it across separate those who made it from those who didn't. The ones who didn't held the punctured side and made "waves" a storm like in the story...then take away sponges to make it harder and weed it down to a winner...I started with 10, went down to a challenging 3. This game lasted awhile too, maybe 10 min.

Case in point...listen to the kids! They have good ideas

and during week 5....

started with a young girl coming forward during sunday morning service!!!! She's pictured with the monkey down below, not me...the young one

and we did day trip #1

Tiger Safari in Tuttle is Awesome...I didn't do a sign up sheet for the day trip and facebook got the msg out but I didn't have a whole lot of response - just word of mouth- kids telling kids is still the best method! hum...should be use this tool more for evangelizing the lost??

Feeding the tigers...

For the day trip- study the map, know where you are going, get plenty of sponsors, call ahead of time and check the website...we had to postpone b/c they were closed on our original day, I honestly think weekdays are better for ppl- and we got a discount on the price

Wet and Wild- Pool Party review- games are best done impromptu and in small groups (for non swimmers throwing dive sticks at a floating bucket was good, the floating bucket was one of those ice cream tubs) , a story is not so bad (they sit out on the side with feet in) but yelling instructions for the game got old quick.

Started advertising for our vbs family fun days event....signs are hard work....we are saving hundreds of dollars by doing them ourselves though, Cody said I was old school but we are using what we have (some yard signs, posterboard and metal sign holders and some plyboard signs. A shaped on hinges...use a projector and word program to project the letters)  got signs up around town too but word of mouth is still the best!

Been scheduling everything for this event, I always think it's gonna be easier to do something new and different and it's always still a lot of work. But pray big and watch God work, our county's only pediatrician is coming- big surprise!

30 ppl enjoyed one another and felt apart of something bigger than themselves today on our trip and saw God's awesome creativity in animals today- I love this job...

Summer Job - Week 3

learned-

- enlist prayer support for each kid and sponsor, prayer changes things, pray big and for everything!
- coaches corner in Duncan for t-shirts really helped me out of a bind
- a sponsor for every 5 kids is good
- I need wider bottom cups, we had a lot of spills
- cancelled wet & wild, it's ok to cancel things if you don't have time to properly train the workers
- God does want he wants, when he wants- be prepared for when he moves & rest in his complete sovereignty when he chooses not to
- what happens at camp is the compilation of what's happened all year at your church( preach the gospel every week, disciple your sponsors, hire help where needed, stay in God's word and humble before him, having your elders praying at the alter each week, follow your pastor's leadership )
- be careful on assuming about camp pastors, some will surprise you (with anyone and esp kids visuals are very helpful and really cement the sermon in the brain)

Sarah can do an incredible toe touch dance when people are saved  and I sadly don't have it on video :(

How to pack a bag for camp....

First off go with an old bag. My husband bought new luggage for all the travel we do...

good bye old stuff!

But I;m not letting camp be it's first outing. Camp is dirty, kids are messy and dirty and when you live that close together their filth rubs off on your stuff.

Here's what I pack....

-something for dirty clothes- preferably a stand up hamper that'll hold things up till we get home, and walmart sacks for the wet stuff
-label all your stuff the kids I had last week were messy, stuff always goes missing
-pack a sample of laundry detergent, ( we have a washer at camp but if you don't you can hand wash, may save something with a tough stain from getting trashed) a stain stick helps too

- ear plugs, after having children I wake up over the slightest noise- but not if I don't hear it :)
- an ipod, helpful on mission trips as well, music lifts me up, keeps me going and I always have a mellow  album on their to help me sleep or while I'm waiting on kids to calm down
-sleep aid is a possibility but it leaves me dragging if I have to get up early so I avoid it
- 5 hour energy drink crossed my mind
- a flashlight (it never fails I'm usually coming in late to bed and need something to help me see) could also be useful for a fashion show spot light or wall silhouettes

- a clear bag for toiletries that'll hang ,  and in a plastic bag to prevent spills
- flip flops for nasty showers
- a bath mat, some of our cabins have concrete floors-
- a dry erase marker for writing notes to the girls on the bathroom mirrors (if you have 3 stalls label them 1 john, 2 john 3 john :)

& fun stuff
- bed time stories
- bunk decorations (streamers, balloons)
-makeup and hair stuff, it's a lot of fun to try something new, just beware they may say you look 10 years younger lol

for church camp-
- extra readable Bibles to giveaway
- highlighters
- devotional books
-pens
- good music, I prefer an ihome

We had an amazing week at camp....God's kingdom was expanded!

A Summer Job (week 1) & A Cool File tote

I was in Walmart earlier buying some much need organizational items when I came across a file folder totebag. Cha-ching! Love.

Not as cute as the one above though. I didn't purchase it 1. because it was pricey, 2. because with the amount of bags I haul around with 3 kids in the mix it's bound to get dropped and then all my organization would be lost (it didn't have a top)

At graduation one week ago we were given this quote by John Wesley.....

“Do all the good you can,
By all the means you can,
In all the ways you can,
In all the places you can,
At all the times you can,
To all the people you can,
As long as ever you can.”

I have been giving it a try....

& I am exhausted....

I am starting a new series here for the summer, involving this new bag I find myself into this summer- Children's minister...

I love kids, I love Jesus and I am trying to connect the two together

And that is the mission statement for the summer. 

Week 1

 as children's minister for the summer at my church-

how I got this job is unclear, but I am here for the next 10 weeks

I have an intern too!

Sarah McGough

 She's a blessing. Delightful, charming, hard worker & loves kids. How she came to help is nothing short of God's provision for Velma Baptist and His sovereignty. A story I'll let her share if she wishes to. 

So what did we learn this week? 

Children's work is hard work.

I should've been planning sooner, (like last September).

Your relationship with the Creator is top priority. I have to stay in the word, listening, praying for what we need, memorizing scripture. I can not do this on my own strength, it gets overwhelming fast. 

Keep the goal in mind- Kids finding Christ- Is what we are doing helping us achieve the goal?  Create opportunities for them to know who he is, how he loves us & what he's done for us.

Practically this week I learned I need to....

try out all your equipment a day before your time with the kids, nothing like stuff that doesn't work with 28 kids in the room, 

 your helpers need more than 10 min. to prepare for the next hour with kids if any connection with Christ is going to happen, save full emersion water slide/pool games till later in the summer when it's hotter, they were freezing!