VBS and a bug that won't die...

On Monday we began Vacation Bible School at our church, which by the way is my most favorite week of the summer every year! On Monday at noon, I also began my battle with our beach bug.

It was not a good experience and could possibly have been the worst 24 hours of my life in recent memory. Thankfully Brian gave me sympathy and medicine, both of which I was in need of by Monday evening. And it is not that I thought I might miss a turn with the beach bug, it is just that I didn't expect to get the full fury and want to die!

So, that is how the beginning part of my week went.

I made it back to Vacation Bible School on Wednesday and I was so happy to be back!

Our church has the opportunity to reach out to one of the local camps for low income children and each morning we feed them breakfast so that they can come to VBS. This year, we had 54 that we fed and it is one of my favorite parts of the day.

These children are not only in need of a meal, they are in need of the spiritual food that VBS can provide them. While many children have parents who take them church or even read the Bible with them or pray with them, the fact is that there are children all over America that never receive any exposure to the one Father who will never leave them or forsake them. That is why we reach out to these children. It why I feel so compelled to love them!

I love music and at VBS music is one way that we can teach all the kids God's Word. The amazing thing is that once you pick up that tune, it sticks with you. Add some cool motions to a song and it is even more likely to remain on your mind. This year, the lyrics to one of songs were these words:

"change my heart O God, stir me up inside; I want to see Your glory shining in my life."

Those few words have stuck with me all week! Many of us need God to stir us up inside. Many of us sitting right in our church pew every Sunday morning need to say "change my heart O God!".

Our VBS kids learned this song and several others through the week...

 

 

On Thursday, our pastor presented the Gospel to the kids after morning worship. Following the invitation we had 15 children stay for counseling and 13 make professions of faith, 5 of which were kids that sat at breakfast every morning! AMEN and AMEN!

 

As we had more children than we had counselors (obviously we doubted the Lord and the way He would work) I grabbed my boys and some other youth and asked them to please help us in talking with the children. To look up and see your child praying with another child or talking with them about salvation is one of the most amazing experiences. Talk about having your heart stirred up! Brendan talked with a boy whose family is such dear friends of ours. We visited his family at the hospital when this child was born and because of the faithfulness of his family to expose him to the Word and through the movement of the Holy Spirit we were also there when he experienced a second birth that would change his life forever!

 

So, as you can tell VBS was another great experience this summer and will be on my highlight reel of life forever.

 

Kamdyn is enjoying her time at Disney and I owe a huge thanks to the Agerton family as they have let her be a part of their family vacation this week.

 

 

They sent me this picture of all of them at Epcot and I think it is safe to say everyone is having a blast! And because my daughter knows me oh so well, she has sent me pictures of things she has been eating this week at Disney...

 

 

 Apparently, this is the most amazing strawberry cupcake ever and at this point I was a little jealous that I was throwing up my toenails and she was eating amazing cupcakes. She has also eaten the best salad ever, the best rice krispie treat ever and much more. I have heard about the tower of terror and Animal Kingdom and a pearl that she got out of a "real oyster".  I have missed her this week and am thankful for the technology (iPhone) that allows us to pretty much stay in constant contact so that she can give me daily and sometimes hourly narratives of what she is up to.

 

Finally I want to tell you that Koby and 14 others left yesterday at 5:00 for a youth mission trip to Cincinnati, OH. Please lift them up in prayer for the next week as they will go and be the hands and feet of Jesus in this part of our country. Most likely I will not receive daily and certainly not hourly updates of what he is up to!

 

Have a great weekend where you are!!

 

2 Timothy 1:7