Youth Christmas

So this year most of our older, responsible (I say that loosely)kids are singing with the Choir so that kind of ties up their time, which is fine. We are having the choir's Christmas program the same night as the youth Christmas program. This program has greatly evolved in the last couple of years. The first year we were here (like a month after we got here) the older kids did this really cheesy play that was all about a poor kid giving the teacher a gift and all the kids joking on her for it, only for the teacher to explain to them that it's not the gift that matters just the thought behind it. Following the play Santa came, old Christmas songs like Santa Claus is coming to town, Rudolf the red nose reindeer ect... were joyfully sang and then Santa handed out gifts to the children whose parents remembered to bring them gifts, while if your parent didn't bring a gift you got nothing from Santa........yeah I was shocked, saddened, and just felt a little sick that no emphasis was put on the true reason for Christmas.

After that I was probably totally against the idea of Santa......I have shifted some in my thinking. Last year I suggested doing away with Santa............ohhhh noooo. I tried to compromise by saying well lets have Santa pass out only "christian gifts" you know, no guns, and crap like that.......oh nooooo we couldn't force families to do that. So thankfully some compromise was given and we sang songs like Joy to the World, and O little town of Bethlehem and someone read a poem about SANTA with each letter talking about Jesus or something to do with Faith.. then Santa passed out gifts.......again from parents who remembered. I bought 5-10 extra's so no one would be left out.

But this year.............Oh I am excited about this year. Still have to plan it out but that's where you come in. After the choir sings their hearts out, we are going to transition into a full out "Birthday Party for Jesus" Santa will push a cake on a cart with lit candles, while the children carry gifts to fill Santa's bag. The gifts will be given to several of the families that have already contacted our church this year for help. After this we will have a full out Birthday Party, with cupcakes and ice cream and other birthday party food, and birthday party games and Santa will be mingling and celebrating Jesus' birthday with the rest of us.

What do you think? What are some games and stuff that we could do during the celebration?

God is good!

What's new right :) Back in early August God opened up the door for me to go to a conference to be spiritually renewed and I was. He has also brought into my life recently some pretty amazing people to encourage me. He has also helped me work through some emotional baggage I have been hanging onto. And He continues to sort things out in my life.

In most recent news

I got a raise above and beyond yearly stuff at work!
I got a much needed weekend away with one of my favorite friends!
I have had some hard but heart to heart conversations with my family!
I have prayed for direction in ministry and gotten answers!
I have seen my husband encouraged!
I have been blessed!
I am extremely thankful!

As far as ministry is concerned I have been worried often about what to do with the teen program. We only have 2 teens that consistently come to the Sunday night program and yet I worry myself weekly with trying to come up with new and improved ways of ministering to them. I know that the ministering really happens by getting into their lives but I just felt this obligation to keep up with this schedule that they have always had. Finally after the advice from several I called a "planning" meeting and even though this is what I wanted I let it come from them. We are going to have a monthly event that includes the whole family on Sunday night. This will be the 3rd Sunday. Several are going to help plan it so I will not have to. We will go to the Path the last Sunday of every month. That's it! throw in some events like CCYC or SNL or things like that and we are done! This makes my heart happy!!!

Great Weekend...........Over

Avrial and I had such a great weekend at the Women of Faith conference. Next year, now that I have been once, I will try to get more people to go. It was really great. Basically it's a weekend full of women sharing their stories. I laughed, I cried, I was convicted, I was uplifted... so many emotions and i just plain relaxed with by buddy. We stayed at a really cute hotel (the Hyatt) try it sometime. We watched movies ate great Thai food, enjoyed each others company.... it was like we were back in college :) Good times. It was funny how many people I saw that I knew... lets see... well obviously we ran into Christ's Church people, but also Towne South peps.... one girl from there even won the grand prize 4 WoF tickets and 2 hotel rooms for next year. Also Ruby from back home, and Jenny Gross....Carson's grandma.......I am sure there are others I just don't remember.

Not being around for Halloween this year has really thrown me off. I didn't see any costumes, pass out any candy, or even carve a pumpkin..........the last part is kind of depressing. We have 3 pumpkins and one especially would have been fantastic for carving! oh well

No I have to get back to normal. I have been looking forward to last weekend for several month.. I think mid August is when I decided to go. So now I have the holidays to look forward to. Man time is flying by.

I need to go be productive at work now. Have a great day bloggy friends.