BRACELETS AND DRAWINGS - by Tammy Bowman

A few months back there was a random warm day and my kids headed outside to play. After a while, I looked outside to see what they were up to and saw them sitting on a blanket drawing and making bracelets in the sunny 50 degree weather. I just stood in the doorway and watched. I was amazed at their activity choice. There was so much they could have been doing and this was it. No sports, no electronics, no bikes, no friends, just them sitting on a blanket enjoying the sun, the warmth, each other and using their creativity.

This reminded me of a couple things: 1) The fact that my children really do like each other, and 2) what an amazing God we serve, who can fill our lives with such simple things that bring us so much joy!

I realized that the joy wasn’t just in my children as they were creating bracelets out of string and an imagination or a vision coming to life through paper and pencils. They joy was also bursting out through me as I watched!

This led me to thinking about God. It’s hard for me to describe how I felt watching my children that day but I know it pales in comparison to the way God feels when he watches us imagine, build, grow, serve and walk with Him.

As I write this, we are in the middle of Vacation Bible School at Redeemer Church in DeWitt, Michigan and the theme for the week is how God takes ordinary things and makes them extraordinary. He really does! I have witnessed many volunteers this week doing what could seem like such an ordinary role yet it is having a huge impact on the kids. When God is involved ordinary roles become extraordinary. I am so deeply humbled every time I think about how God uses me, someone very simple, ordinary & full of sin, to do extraordinary things for His kingdom here on Earth.

VBS the Mary side - by Sue Campbell

Well…I planned to start this blog with some numbers – how many kids are coming to Vacation Bible School next week, how many volunteers are serving, how many items have been purchased or donated…but really it’s not about those numbers at all. 

 

It’s about one number – the number 1 – the 1 God we strive to learn about, to love, to serve, and to follow.  That’s what ---

• all the decorations are for – to provide a fun environment to engage our senses to focus on Him
• the lessons – to help us learn about God’s nature and His love for us
• the Bible verses – to hide His Word in our hearts
• the songs – so we can praise Him with our voices and actions
• the crafts – to express the creativity He places in each of us
• the games – to celebrate the active bodies He made
• the snacks – to fill those active bodies while He nourishes and fills our souls and
• the community – to make new friends and to grow in our relationships with each other as we become better disciples for Him!

 

For me - it’s easy to get caught up in all the details and the lists and the schedules – to focus on the Martha side of things (remember she was the sister who was concerned about making sure that everything was ready for Jesus’ visit).  Don’t get me wrong – that’s important – we all want to honor God by doing things with excellence, not to mention making sure we have safety, etc. covered. 

 

But I also want to make sure to remember the number 1 reason we do VBS in the first place – to do what Jesus gently reminds us – the Mary side of things – to sit at His feet and be fully present in His presence.

VBS from a kid's (9 yrs old) point of view

We asked one of our long time VBS kids to write something about Vacation Bible School, below is what we received. Enjoy!!

"VBS has lots of games and crafts for you to do. One the first day you get your name tag and find your group. You will have lots of fun! One group name from the past is Leaping Lizards. Also, in the past we have done lots of water games. Each year we have a theme like Ocean, Desert, and this year it is a Work Shop - you will see lots of Legos. I hope you have a great time. Lets say a prayer, 'Thank You God for everything you have given us. Thank you for all the people who help make VBS , and thank you for giving us Jesus your Son, and we all thank Him for dying on the cross to forgive our sins. Amen.' Hope you have fun. Good bye!"

Rejuvenate with the Scripture - by Kim Metzer

You may have noticed a theme with the monthly scripture readings this year.  Each month, the suggested scripture readings revolve around words starting with “re.”  I’m really trying not to have any repeats but it’s getting increasingly difficult.  You would think with a book as big as the Bible, there wouldn’t be an issue but surprisingly there is.   

The July Scripture readings will be Psalm 119 because the word is REPITITION.  I use the CEB study Bible at work and some of the study notes for Psalm 119 are below.

”Because it’s so long, Psalm 119 contains elements of every type of psalm: petition, complaint, expressions of praise and trust, and teaching material.

Obviously, Psalm 119 is repetitive; but the repetition emphatically makes the point that God’s Instruction – that is, God’s will – is pervasively and extremely important in the lives of the faithful and the life of the world.”

So repeating a verse or two throughout the year is not necessarily a bad thing – it’s through repetition that we learn how to do things, how something becomes a vital part of our being.  Think about the verses you have memorized over the years.  How would you have memorized them if you had not repeated them or read them repeatedly?

What are some verses that REJUVENATE you?  Rejuvenate is the Scripture word for August which I’ll be working on when I return from work camp next week.  Send me your favorite verses – the ones that pick you up when you’re down and give you strength to keep moving forward.  I’ll use blog-reader submitted verses for the month of August.  Deadline for submission is July 11.

I’m looking forward to reading your rejuvenating picks! kim@dewittredeemer.org

-Kim

 

Cough Drop Encouragements - by Susan Jensen

Recently both Tom and I had been battling coughs. Welcome to spring in Michigan.  One of the mainstays in our arsenal was cough drops.  At the tail end of sniffles and coughs we were in South Carolina visiting with our girls so we went to their church Sunday morning.  The sermon that morning was “No King - But God – Strength in Weakness” based on Judges 7 and 8.

Naturally, just as the worship center gets quieter and the pastor begins to get to the meat of the message… that darn cough set in, so I slipped a cough drop out of my purse.  In my fidgeting with the wrapper I noticed, there were little inspirational messages on the inside … YOU can do it… You can handle it… nothing is too big for YOU. I couldn’t miss the irony. Isn’t that the way of our world, with its focus on self-achievement.   I have to admit, I have even done that with our girls as they were growing up.  “Don’t worry, you can handle this, think of all you have already accomplished.”  “You have a natural talent for that.”  “You are doing a wonderful job.”  Of course, all I was trying to do was nurture their talents and confidence… but WOW – this message the pastor was preaching was hitting me square in the forehead.

Judges 7 verse 2  The Message  God said to Gideon, “You have too large an army with you. I can’t turn Midian over to them like this—they’ll take all the credit, saying, ‘I did it all myself,’ and forget about me.

It is so easy to get puffed up and full of self-satisfaction when everything goes right or something great is accomplished, but we need to remember to give God the credit and praise. It is in remembering to praise God for all He provides and the help He gives that we are truly strengthened and encouraged.  Just think of it, what would you (or your children if you are encouraging them) rather rely on, your own strength or the promise from God that He is all we need and He will never leave us.  I love the Holman Christian Standard Bible interpretation of Psalm 23 verse 1 “The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I lack.”   That just says it all!