Youth Ministry, Teaching, and Parenting

Youth Group & Children's Life Class Ministries
Our daughter has officially aged out of the children's program at church and is now part of the youth group.  She's now enrolled in a small group Bible study led by two young women, a college student and a new college graduate.  She loves the leaders and has long had a precious hunger for God's word.  She also attends the large group Refinery meetings.

The kick-off social was held at a farm owned by some of our church friends.They dreamed of this farm for ministry purposes for years, so it's been exciting to watch them constantly hosting large groups.  The barn is a multi-purpose game room for youth, and the large pavilion fits long buffet lines and large crowds when it rains.  The pond is great for fishing or pontoon boating, and their animals are always fun to watch.

Our entire family got to attend the social, and it was such a treat to be "promoted" to youth group parents and get to participate in all their exciting adventures.

You know your 6th grader has just joined a large youth group when it takes over 10 acres to host them all for the kick-off event.

And you know our God is merciful when He pushes back the rain clouds all around us throughout the social while painting the sky with a magnificent sunset. Thanks to our hosts for the amazing hospitality as always.

 

Our church's children's Sunday School program had it's move up Sunday the week after Labor Day.  When our son moved up, the same teachers who had taught our daughter three years prior welcomed him to class.  When he told his sister that his teachers remember her, she responded, "Yea, I've been around the block a few times." #Tweens

Teaching
I recently began teaching STEM classes for a homeschool enrichment program held at a Christian camp 30 miles away.  I debated whether or not the long commute would be too much for such a commitment, but this place of ministry is powerful, and I felt like I should at least give back a little for all they've done to sow the gospel and Christian discipleship into the lives of youth across our community.

Approximately 19 years ago, I stood with a dearest friend and college roommate as she married her beloved husband at this camp where they met while serving as camp counselors, faithfully sowing God's word into the hearts of young people. They have been steadfastly serving together in multiple ministries ever since.

At the camp's open house, I found myself standing right beside her once again as our i display tables "just happened" to be placed side-by-side. Thank you, precious friend, for your Godly example, devotion to ministry, abiding friendship, persistent prayers, and tough love all these years as our paths have intersected in such unique ways. What an honor it is to be joining you on staff this time. 

When two beautiful deer"welcomed" me at my classroom door that day, I knew my friend was right all along about this place of ministry. 

Hello deer!

I absolutely love my little classroom cabin in the woods. It's the ideal setting for developing astute observers, explorers, discoverers, and worshipers of the One who made it all "and saw that it was good".

Parenting
Midterm grade reports were released recently, and our kids had very different reactions.  Our daughter has moved up to middle school where letter grades are on a 10-point scale. Our son is still in grammar school which uses a 6 point scale.  As usual, they made almost the exact same grades, but one number they had in common was an A for her but a B for our son.  She was in tears with herself for getting a low A, while our son seemed completely unconcerned about his B, though we all know he could have scored better if he had not rushed through his assignments.  She is obsessed with grades, so she likes it when subjects are easy for her.  Our son is still bored out of his mind in class and only wants to be stimulated. Sometimes to break the monotony, he'll divide or multiply the problems instead of adding and subtracting them because he's so sick of addition and subtraction problems again when he was doing long division and pre-algebra at home years ago.  I feel for him, but he also needs to honor God by following the instructions and giving his best.  Similarly our daughter needs to honor God by giving her best instead of honoring herself by trying to be the best in the class.  So we parent them differently.  I can most relate to my daughter because I put entirely too much pressure on myself in school as she does even though my parents seemed to care less about my grades.  The pressure came within, and nothing they could say could change how seriously I took my studies.

So I tried to speak to her heart once again, trying to convince her not to be so hard on herself when she doesn't reach the unrealistic expectations she places on herself. I sent up an arrow prayer for God to open her eyes and help her see what a beautiful treasure she is, not because of what she accomplishes, but because of who He says she is and because of what He is doing in her heart and in her life. God is glorified when we give our best for Him, regardless of how we measure up by our own standards or those of others. Parents, relatives, and churches may preach these truths and make every effort to ease others' anxieties, but the battles still rage within as the culture's influence presses harder.

After my prayer, these words from a book by Beverly Lewis suddenly struck me:
"Finishing well in life is not so much about being the best or the greatest at something but rather, embracing lowliness of heart, laying down one's life."   That quote reminded me of Matthew 20:16, “So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” - Matthew 20:16

Speaking of parenting, I've been thinking and writing frequently about helicopter parenting.  We have a few of those at the school, and I'm sure I've been one at times.  Lately, I find myself just not having enough energy left to hover or micromanage their lives even if I wanted to.  Tough love and natural consequences are the theme these days, but I pray I'm balancing the relinqu of their responsibilities to them to handle with enough loving support.  This article resonated with what I'm seeing at school among anxious students and with what I'm trying so much to avoid with my naturally driven first born.  "Kids of Helicopter Parents are Sputtering Out"