We’re doing a series on guy/girl issues and dating with our students at crew. As I was going through some old curriculum, I found an old series we purchased from Youth Specialties called “Good Sex”.
I left it on my desk last night.
Everyone that’s walked by my office has made a comment, snickered, turned red, or gotten nervous because of it.
I feel like I’m surrounded by 11-year-olds.
The other day I blogged about my son’s birthday party. I thought I’d share another story from that night.
In the last couple of weeks, Parker has developed a love for Fruit Rollups. I’m not sure when he had his first one or how he found out about them, but he’s decided that they are the greatest food around.
Knowing this, my brother-in-law, Rich, decided to separately wrap up four boxes for his birthday. As Parker unwrapped each one, his expression and excitement grew.
“Fruit Rollups!? I LOVE Fruit Rollups!!”
As his reactions increased, he began to be unable to contain himself. By the time he opened the last box he was overwhelmed and shouted “I share dem wif all of you!”
I find it amazing that a four-year-old boy’s first reaction to such a treasured gift is to give it away.
I’m a blessed person. I live in a wealthy country with countless opportunity. I have resources that most of the world can’t even fathom.
And there’s more. I’m a broken and flawed person who has found restoration and hope in Christ. I’m sinful and unrighteous, yet through the work of Christ, I’ve been made whole and righteous in God’s eyes.
So I have to ask the question: What am I doing with all of these great gifts? Am I hording them and keeping them to myself? Or am I like Parker? Am I willing to give it all away out of gratitude and appreciation for all I’ve been given?
God help me to give away my “Fruit Rollups”.
Tonight during our small groups we helped our Children’s ministry’s by stuffing 500 eggs with candy. We finished most, if not all, of them in about 45 minutes. It’s amazing how chaotic something like this can get. It’s equally amazing how many times I can be asked, “Can we eat the candy?” after I specifically told them that they couldn’t.
Later this week the eggs will be placed in bags. On Sunday, our congregation will be asked to take several bags and distribute them to their friends and family with an invitation to join us on Easter.
Tonight we had some family over for Parker’s birthday. I love watching him open presents. My brother-in-law got him four boxes of Fruit Roll-Ups and you would’ve thought that this was the high point of his life to this point.
Birthdays remind me of how much I can’t stand toys. Everything Parker gets seems to be packaged in those crazy impossible-to-open plastic wrapping. Then you need batteries. One toy he got tonight needed 10 batteries to work. Toy companies must have some kind of deal with battery makers because the amount of batteries we go through is ridiculous.
