Remember and Celebrate

Recently we celebrated our youngest daughter's tenth birthday.  We spent hours making a cake and food for the party, inviting guests, and setting up for this great occasion.  We had a wonderful time giving thanks for the ten years we've shared together.  The presents given were perfect symbols of the gift our daughter has been to us.  This reminded me that until we gather together as a community in a spirit of remembering and celebrating, it is sometimes difficult to see the big picture. In the midst of our chaotic lives it’s easy to lose sight of how good God is—that is until we stop to take time to remember. Once we do, we cannot help but celebrate!

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of gods. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the Lord of lords: His love endures forever … to Him who alone does great wonders, His love endures forever. to the One who remembered us in our low estate, His love endures forever. and freed us from our enemies, His love endures forever. and who gives food to every creature. His love endures forever. Give thanks to the God of heaven. His love endures forever. (Psalm 136:1–4, 23–26)

This Sunday, Kids Adventure will remember and celebrate the journey we've been on over the past seven weeks.  It will be a fun time recalling God's power, wisdom, and creativity.  But most of all, it will be a great time of recalling how much God loves and cares for us and has given us a place in His Big Story!  So, parents, stop by and celebrate with us this week.  It's a great weekend to observe, in one setting, where we've been and what we've experienced.

Here's an advanced look at this weekend:

Kids Safari (Preschool/Kindergarten) Homefront Weekly

Kids Summit (Elementary) Homefront Weekly

Whole-Hearted!

What does it look like to give God your whole heart?  

Read Saint Patrick’s Lorica (Breastplate Prayer):

Christ be with me, Christ within me,

Christ behind me, Christ before me,

Christ beside me, Christ to win me,

Christ to comfort and restore me.

Christ beneath me, Christ above me,

Christ in quiet, Christ in danger,

Christ in hearts of all that love me,

Christ in mouth of friend and stranger.

This prayer reminds me of the Psalmist’s words, “O Lord, you have searched me and you know me. You know when I sit and when I rise; you perceive my thoughts from afar” (Psalm 139:1–2).  God is everywhere, knows everything, sees and controls everything whether we live as that is true or not.  When we live with this truth in mind we find joy and peace in his presence.

To give God my whole heart is to acknowledge that He is already a part of everything I do. He is a part of my driving to work or doing the dishes, playing basketball, brushing my teeth, eating dinner, talking with my friends or with strangers. Giving God my whole heart is to ask Him to “Search me, O God, and know my heart … See if there is any offensive way in me, and lead me in the way everlasting” (Psalm 139:23–24). It is allowing Him to be so deeply involved in my life, my actions, my conversations, my thoughts, my hobbies, my desires, and my interactions that nothing can pull my heart away from Him.

The environment of RESPONSIBILITY goes hand in hand with giving God all your heart.  Responsibility is our environment for the next few weeks.

Check out the NEW HOMEFRONT MONTHLY HERE

Here’s your HOMEFRONT WEEKLY for this Sunday, February 20:

Kids Safari (Preschool/Kindergarden) Homefront Weekly

Kids Summit (Elementary) Homefront Weekly

REMEMBER!

Have you ever forgotten something and spent several agonizing moments trying to recall whatever it was?  A name.  A number.  Where you left your car keys.  It's a terrible feeling.  We need recall for almost everything we do.  Think about an everyday task.  Without recall we couldn't complete even the simplest one!  

The same is true for our spiritual lives.  We need to recall God's greatness; His holiness; His love.  That's why He's given us the Bible.  We need not just read it but also memorize it so we recall His character in the times of our day when we don't have our Bibles close by.


Memorizing scripture can be an incredible practice to engage in as a family.  But words in and of themselves will not necessarily transform us; it is God's Spirit in these words that transform.  We come to know God more when we are willing to open our hearts and receive His Holy Spirit through the words we memorize.  Have fun with these verses and think of creative ways to invite your family to open up to God as they commit these verses to memory.


ELEMENTARY REMEMBER VERSE:
"Jesus answered, 'I am the way the truth and the life.  No one comes to the Father except through me.  If you really knew me, you would know my Father as well.  From now on, you do know him and have seen him.' "  John 14:6-7

PRESCHOOL/KINDERGARTEN REMEMBER VERSE:
Jesus answered..."Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father." John 14:9b


HERE'S HOMEFRONT WEEKLY FOR FEBRUARY 13:

Kids Safari (Preschool/Kindergarten) Homefront Weekly


Kids Summit (Elementary) Homefront Weekly

Can't Wait for Summer!

If you're like me you've had enough of the snow already!  I long for the smell of cut grass, flowers in bloom, and SOME WARMER TEMPS (it's 8 degrees as I'm blogging).  But two of the things I look forward to most are Kids Adventure's biggest events: VBS and Camp!

Why so excited?  Well, mostly because we get to spend more time together with the children.  The concentrated focus of VBS and Camp coupled with the time together really helps us get to know our families.  It also gives us the opportunity to go to greater spiritual depths.  So, don't miss out on either of these events.  Here are some of the details.

VBS will be held June 20-23, 2011, at LSCC.  We will spend our week taking an in-depth look at Psalm 139, and the fact that "God is Wild About Us!"  LSCC will be transformed into a jungle adventure of discovery and challenge.  Kids Adventure VBS is for children entering first through sixth grades next school year.  Registration info will be released in a couple of months.

Kids Adventure Camp will be held July 11-15, 2011, at Windermere Conference Center on the Lake of the Ozarks.  Cost and registration will be released soon.  Kids Adventure Camp is for children entering fourth through sixth grades next school year.

Save these dates.  The Kids Adventure team is looking forward to these awesome events.  Please let us know if you have any questions.

Now, can someone please turn up the heat?!