Freedom and Duty to Give

Where I work there is a high turnover of clients. The population we serve ranges from 2-17 years of age. We serve the children of families that are experiencing a variety of difficulties but more often than not they are related to abuse or neglect. Though there are cases where there has NOT been such, those cases are rare, unfortunately.

We recently took in a 3 and 4 year old. Now where we get those ages it makes it harder for me emotionally because of my own daughter being the same age. I tear up about every night while they are here. Certainly it's unfair to a degree, but I take a show a special interest in what happens with them and where they go from here. Thankfully those above me understand and identify with that so they keep me from overstepping my bounds.

Anyway, the second night the 3 year old girl was here she woke up crying fro mommy 3-4 times. The last time I asked her if she had any stuffed animals or "friends" she could hold and sleep with. She shook her head. I promised she would have one the next night. We have some here at work, but there are just small ones.

Here is the best part. I went home, hugged my family and held my 3.5 year old on my lap and told her about this other little girl. My daughter has a ton (literally) of stuffed animals, many she doesn't even play with. Lately she has offered to give of her stuff to help others. Case in point: not too long ago my wife and I were talking anonymously about another family enduring financial hardship. When we paused, Megs stated in no uncertain tone and with half a smile and big eyes, "Them can have MY money!!"

If you are not smiling right now are are amazed at this purely unselfish offer, you need to either wake-up more and re-read this, OR you need to pray and do a serious heart check.

I was beaming with pride and Steph began to cry...typical happy proud mommy reaction :-) This time after explaining to her that I though she may want to look through those she doesn't play with and may want to share or give to this other little girl. Offering her the opportunity she has shown interest in previously. Without a word, she got down, went to her room and a minute or so later mommy began to cry again. Megs came back in the kitchen with one of her larger baby dolls that she DOES play with.......WOW!!!!!!! When I explained that whatever she gave away, she wouldn't see again or get back, she just replied "I know."

Yet again the simply pure obedience, motives, and faith of a child far surpass that of the rest of us.

Oh, the big doll stayed home for the sole reason that it was only a tad smaller than the girl, LOL. BUT I was able to bring in a kitchen sized bag of other "friends". She should be able to pick a few special ones from that!!

Heart Check/Parental Debate/Porn Hurts-God Heals/Updates

So there has been quite a bit since I have been on here last. Readers know due to word of mouth and facebook that we had our second daughter, pics coming soon. A gorgeous little girl indeed.

 

I have been continueing work on master's studies. Slowly making headway toward the end. Only 2 classes left there. Romans and Song of Solomon. Yikes is right. Glad I have til next January to finish this, but won't need that long.

 

Been going through a rough change in leadership at my church. But I have been VERY encouraged in what I have been hearing from the leadership that should have been doing better are realizing their mistakes and are really stepping up to correct and improve and guide the church to build it up even more and effect revival in Harpursville. Please keep us all in prayer as the transition is delicate as it always is no matter what the circumstances. 

 

Been speaking more to the teens in our youth ministry, planning the monthly activities for the year.

 

Trying to get vehicles sorted out, paperwork in order, things fixed, always an ongoing thing there.

 

Losing sleep and extending my level of patience with family due to new baby and other extended family issues - punk sister...love ya sis LOLOL

 

I think that is about it. But the rest of this entry has no conclusion to it. Comments more than welcome, you all know that already.

 
So here is the background: Last week I was going to speak to the teens and I have been doing a sex and porn series this year (I am scheduled for every 6 weeks or so). Well I was really going to focus on porn last week. I knew that it would be uncomfortable for all of us to talk about but with the way the world is and media is, there is so much of it just plunged and forced in our faces, these teens and we staff need to talk about the obvious "white elephant" and give a Biblical perspective on the whole thing.

 

So during our music time there were 2 of 3 brothers (the oldest was pretty wild, got saved and a noticable change has been seen in him, praise the Lord) were just off the wall, more so than usual and were distracting everyone big time. Well they just escalated, got violent, threatening, made me spill a few drops of my soda on me, throughout the evening, went into crisis and were told (as well as their parents) that they were not allowed back for 1 month.

During this whole thing I got about 1/5 of my planned "lesson" actually done. So I am getting to "redo" it next week. Please be praying, what some of the teens heard and saw interested them and impacted them already. Some tears were starting to flow. Lives were being touched and that is where I want to dive into as it relates to the pain of porn. I am gonna coin the title from one of Doug Fields' series, Life Hurts-God Heals, and call it Porn Hurts, God Heals.

 

Most of our teens in our Wednesday night youth ministry are totally unchurched teens. Meaning that the only connection they have to any church is through their 2 hours with us a week on Wednesday nights. Only some of our "churched" teens come out to Teen Scene and there are some familes that will not allow their youngins to come to the youth ministry partly because of problems like we had last week, but also because of the "bad influences they will be around". I have a great problem with this. Yet I found myself thinking the same exact thing. The youth pastor and I are also on the deacon board and were in a meeting recently (actually I am just an "associate" deacon, sort of a "junior" deacon, not full deacon) where this came up as we talked about wanting to do something specifically for our "church kids" to reach out to them and minister to them.

That all being said, here is what I emailed to the youth pastor that night of the meeting. It was a heart check because I was not feeling right about what I had said/confessed to these guys that all have kids of their own and have thought about this over the years.

 

I got to tell you that I was somewhat troubled about a part of our deacon's meeting, the part about not wanting our own kids involved in our youth ministry. That is partly true, but at the same time it could be some of the best real world training/experience they get. So much has to factor into that thinking bro, our desired and needed heavy involvement and knowledge in and of our kids lives, knowing them and training them up in the way they should go. I kept thinking about some Christian kids I used to know back in the day, that they were stronger in their faith because it was tested almost daily in their school and with their peers, public school.....whereas mine was not tested nearly as much being in a Christian school and growing up in the church and Christian home basically.

I find myself thinking about this more and more with Megs growing up and the time to make those types of decisions is getting nearer. Every parent struggles with this question...

how much of the world and the lost people do I let me kids connect with and at what level? The fear of will they choose poorly and go downhill, or will they step up and allow the Holy Spirit to use them mightily. We want the latter so badly and would be so proud of them, yet will WE give them the chance or hold them back til they are all grown and out from our roof? 

 

Yeah, the great debate continues. Hmmmm. 

 

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<' (((   ><