Well Done

This week has been tough.  Wednesday evening, Jake went home to be with Jesus.

I'll never forget hearing his mother say during his final hours ... "Jesus is going to say, well done my good and faithful servant" ... it was a powerful moment and so true of the person Jake was during the past seven years.  Jake has ministered to thousands through his dream of giving Pillow Pets to sick children.  He didn't let his age stop him and became a spokesperson for sick children.

Over the last several months there have been so many amazing and painful moments. But, as things came to a close this past week  I've reflected on the things I've learned this past year and the ways the Jake has impacted my life.

Ultimately, Jake and his family has taught me to live life ... to go to the store and get ice cream just because, to take a vacation even when you don't have the time or money, to go home and spend time with family, to be with friends even when you don't have the time, to do the things you enjoy ... to simply live life and not let the limitations of money, time, people, etc stop you!

Jake ... I'll miss you, I'll miss your heart and the way you genuinely loved people and animals, I'll miss you hanging out with me in the hallway during the 11a service when you didn't feel like being in your class, but still wanted to be at church, I'll miss your stories about frogs and bugs and your love for life.  You are an amazing kid!

Hug your kids tonight!

Speechless

Now that I've begun writing this for the third time I'm going to be honest ... I'm speechless and in complete awe of a Maker who knows every detail of every situation.  The past four months haven't been easy.  We've been walking the road of Childhood Cancer with two kiddos in our ministry ... two kiddos who were diagnosed the same week and two families who in a moment their lives were changed forever.

Throughout this journey there have been moments that seemed hopeless, but in those moments we've seen God move in mighty ways.

One of the things that has happened over the past month has been a simple Pillow Pet Collection.  It began with a 7-year olds dream to give 1,000 other kids at Riley a Pillow Pet ... the same toy that he himself loves to play with and then snuggle during his own treatments.  As I put together the flier to promote to our families that we would be collecting the Pillow Pets I remember thinking "I hope we can help him get to 1,000" ... "wonder if anyone will bring these in" ... "when we collected Build-A-Bears for a local children's shelter we got 75 ... hopefully we'll get at least that many".

I shouldn't have put God in such a small box.

It wasn't long after that day that I was being pulled from our Children's Staff Meeting to speak with a rep from KLOVE (headquartered here in Indy) - as I sat there with another co-worker she explained to me how they had heard about the little boy and the collection, called Applebee's and wanted to know if we would be okay with them helping!


Sure ... why not - it sounded great ... a radio ad here in Indy and then the day after the concert they would talk about Jake and the Pillow Pets and share his story nation-wide on the morning show.

The following Monday I had a txt from my brother in Columbus, Ohio telling me he heard about the little boy from the church ... that was the moment I knew God was going to do much more through this little boy and some Pillow Pets than we had ever imagined.

See what God does in tomorrow's post!

Jake Update

So, you might have seen this post a few weeks ago ... "Jake" ... well, what began as a small, simple way to help a few kids here in Indy seems to be inspiring a nation.  Over the past few days I've been blown away by the people who I've heard from all around the United States!  People starting their own collections for their local children's hospitals, shipping Pillow Pets for distribution, and just being inspired to love others.  It is a story that ONLY God could have ever created or imagined!

Today Jake was featured on local TV here ... http://www.theindychannel.com/news/27052979/detail.html

And on the Pillow Pets Blog here ... http://mypillowpetsblog.com/please-help-our-friend-jake/

And on KLOVE here ... http://www.klove.com/events/detail.aspx?i=148865

Like I said ... only a story God could create.  I don't know why God chose Jake to tell HIS story, but He has and the past few months a simple little boy from a small town has changed my life and reminded me what's truly important.

Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

This was probably one of the more creative Super Bowl Commercials that has been produced in the past few years!   I am sure there are little boys all over america running around in Darth Vader suits today using "the force"!

I'm sure this little guy I took trick-or-treating this past fall has already tried "the force" out today!

Jake

This is my buddy Jake. 

Last June, God began to cross my path and his mom's path through a simple conversation about his younger brother.  In July, God crossed another path with another coworker at church.  By October I was standing in our children's ministry hallway looking into the eyes of parents who had been dealt an unimaginable blow.  Jake has cancer.  Without a miracle, Jake's time here on earth will be short.

Through the pain has come perspective.  A perspective on life that I began to peer into four years ago when I found myself holding a four year old in his mother's hospital room as she slipped into the arms of Jesus - it was a time when I began to truly grasp the effects of cancer and the reality that we aren't guaranteed eighty years.  In fact, we aren't guaranteed the next eighty seconds.

Sometimes, I find myself thinking "Jake probably won't experience next year's Christmas, next year's super bowl, etc", but do any of us really know if we'll experience tomorrow?

As I've spent time with Jake and his mom and dad and siblings over the past several months I've not only walked along with them through their journey, but also seen the reality and effects of cancer on many families and many children at Riley.  The 5th floor is the cancer floor - it is a floor that you hope you never have to press the elevator button to ... and when you do, everyone looks at you with a sadness, knowing that you are somehow connected to a child with cancer.

Yet, through the ashes is beauty.  Jake has a heart that is impacting others and helping other children at Riley.  Even as he undergoes his own cancer treatments, he spends a little extra time at Riley handing out Pillow Pets to kids in the hospital, undergoing the same treatments he is.  Not thinking about his own situation, but instead loving and helping others - knowing first hand how each of these children are feeling.

This past weekend on the Northview Blog there was an incredible article posted about Jake and his servant's heart.  He and Northview will be collecting Pillow Pets over the next two months for the kids at Riley - the goal is 1,000 of the plush pillows - so far he has nearly 200! 

As Jake walks this road pray for him, pray for healing, for understanding, and for comfort.  Pray that he has the strength to visit family in Florida in a few months and that others are impacted by his story.

You can read Jake's article here: Jake's Compassion

And if you would like to help, Pillow Pets can be dropped off at Northview.  There is also a fund at 5th/3rd Bank for donations - "Jacob McConahay" is the account name.

Jake's Caringbridge (follow Jake's story here!)

Through A Child's Eyes

***NOTE: Somehow this never got published and I just found it from the spring!***

(NO we weren't playing outside in 5 degree weather!)

My friends are adopting, in fact, I have several friends who are adopting, fostering, or talking about adopting.  The other night I was watching my friends' kids ... there's four of them now and they're at the age where I can sit back and watch them play ... they can negotiate their own issues, stay in the backyard, ride bikes, etc.  Their yard is also a "kid magnet" ... all the neighbor kids like to be at their house.

So, last week as I was watching them, a couple neighbor kids were over and I couldn't help but notice what they wanted to play.  To you or me it looked like a pretend game of house on the swingset ... complete with the youngest being the family "dog", but instead of house ... their game was called "orphan".  There was a "dog", a "lady in charge", a "sister", and an "orphan".

Like I said, it looked like just another game of "house", but it was so much more.  It was an example of children playing out what they are familiar with in their home - lives lived outside of themselves and focused on others.

Fostering

Reaching children is a passion of mine, however I truly believe that a child can not be ministered to until their basic needs are met.  These basic needs include shelter, safety, food, clean water, and love.  Fostering and adoption are two things that I have a HUGE interest in and hope that one day the Lord will allow me to make both of those things part of my life.

Today I saw this video and was deeply moved by it - especially knowing that I one day want to foster and adopt children it shed a whole new light on what that child goes through and why the church can be and is the answer to the foster care crisis in America.

I hope you'll be inspired as you watch this...


Fostering Together Launch from North Point Media on Vimeo.

Well, you'll actually need to click here to see it since it is only available for embedding with the subscription to Vimeo!

Hand in Hand

Each quarter we gather our families together and serve.  The projects range from things around the grounds of the church to our urban church on the near-eastside of Indianapolis.  But, no matter where the project is, its guaranteed to be kid-friendly and an opportunity for families to engage with one another for three hours in a setting and situation that is different from their "normal".

Saturday, was no different than any other Saturday, except that a group of 60 people ranging in age from 2 years to 60+ gathered in Noblesville at Janus Developmental Services to serve alongside the employees there and complete many projects.  Ranging from gardening and organizing to painting and washing windows and walls.  All over the property families were serving alongside one another.

And since I love photos, I think these are the best way to truly communicate the power of families serving alongside one another, so sit back and enjoy...

Veggies Video

This is a beautiful song about adoption and the video is filled with many "gotcha day" photos and videos - VeggieTales new movie is all about adoption ... enjoy!

Beyond the ABC's - Thursday's Tip

Sometimes, succeeding at school isn’t about the child at all … it’s about the parents’ approach to it.  Here are a few tips to help your child do their best!

Expect THEIR best … not THE best

Know what your individual child is capable of – it might not be what their big sis or brother is capable of.  Study your child – learn their learning style, talk to their teachers, and understand child development for their age group.  Then expect THEIR best, if it’s an “A” – then expect an “A”, but if it’s a “C” – then expect a “C”.

Words DO Matter

“Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” – yea right!  We’re hurt by words constantly … and so are our kids.  We’re also motivated by words – saying: “I love you” “You’re doing a great job” “Your grades are improving”, etc will help your child try harder and do better.  Sometimes it’s easy to get caught up in the frustration and forget the words that matter!

It’s about THEM

Keeping up with the Jones’ has gone from the bigger, better boat to the bigger, better kindergarten derby car.  Keep in mind that it’s YOUR CHILD’S work. Your child needs to do the work so that they can LEARN – that’s really what its all about.  Don’t step in and do the work for your child – instead, provide “scaffolding” (a support structure) – if needed. By supporting your child you teach them that you think they’re doing a good job.  When you do their work for them, you send the message that their work is never good enough.

Ultimately, CELEBRATE your child’s accomplishments … even when it means getting a “D” on the weekly spelling test instead of the “F” they’ve been receiving.

CM Telesummit

Interested in hearing from some leading people in Children's Ministry???  Check out this FREE Telesummit...

www.cmtelesummit.com

It takes place from 9a-5p next Monday and Tuesday ... go to the link above to register!

Kuyasa Kids

I had the opportunity to hear the Kuyasa Kids Choir perform at Northview.  They are an amazing group of children from South Africa who share their joy with everyone they meet.  Below is one of the songs they sang tonight and a little more about their ministry.

Blogging for Kenya

I came across this on a blog I follow from time to time. At first, I have to admit, I was a little unsure of the whole idea. While I didn't know that much about it - it sounded to me like Compassion was taking bloggers to another country to "show" them something - to show them a life that we'll never know and ask them to tell the rest of us about how the people in Kenya live.

BUT

I was wrong in so many ways. More than likely only a small percentage of the millions who follow these six blogs will ever travel to Kenya and experience life there. BUT through the words of these bloggers millions have been made aware of the life of the people in Kenya.

Not only have they made millions aware of a life most of us will never know - they've called us to action. This was one of my concerns when I heard about this ... why are they just going to "see" ... why aren't they going to "do" something. Wrong I was! They are "doing" more by "seeing" than they would have ever been able to accomplish with just their mere hands.

They have called us to action to do something ... whether its for a child in Kenya or a child across the street they are challenging their readers to do something for someone less fortunate.

You see, these six bloggers are doing more for the children in Kenya and around the world by telling their story and being their voice than they ever could have done with their mere hands. The children of Kenya have had a voice this week - they have had their stories told ... I hope these six blogs move you the way they've moved me this week...

MckMama

Brad Ruggles

Kristen Welch

Kent Shaffer

LV Hanson

Ryan Detzel

And if God so leads you ... you too can sponsor a child through Compassion International.

Baptism

This is baptism weekend ... and its not only going to be special ... its going to be a memorable one as people in service are given the opportunity to respond immediately and be baptized!

Every baptism weekend it takes me back to a conversation I had about a year ago with a five year old. This little boy had been pulled from class and was sitting with me in the hallway until he could settle down and return to class. As we were sitting in the hallway the live baptisms were on the screens ... which led to this conversation...

Kid: "Can I be bap-ti-tized?"

Me: "Yes, when you're a little older"

Kid: "Oh, well ... when I get bap-ti-tized can I wear my swimmies?" (swimmie = flotation device)

Me: "I don't think you'll need your swimmies"

Kid: "Yes I will, can I wear them?"

Me: (now trying not to bust out laughing) "I'm sure if you need your swimmies they'll let you wear them"


Oh how I hope I see the day this kid wears his swimmies into the water on Baptism Weekend :-)

Thursday's Tip

Tweens ::: 9-11 Year Olds

Found in the Stadium and Arena, they're often called the "tweens" - they're in transition from being a child to a teenager and are caught in the midst of a changing world. Coming to the realization of the world around them, tweens are no longer egocentric; they now understand that there is a world that exists outside their own. Friendships are very important at this age. The "tween" thinks about the future, is goal oriented, has great ideas, but struggles to follow through, and enjoys games with more complex rules. The girls in this age group are also typically two years ahead of the boys in maturity.

At this stage, the tween has begun to realize that adults make mistakes too and may defy or belittle authority. They would rather be with their friends than their parents and can at times be cruel to their peers through the use of “put downs”. The tween also sees things as either right or wrong and does not allow for a difference of opinion.

The family is still the central influence in the child’s life, but it is important to them that they belong to a group of friends, often of the same gender. At this age, they realize that actions have consequences and are beginning to take responsibility for their actions.

What does this mean for me as a volunteer?

As a volunteer in this age group it is important to connect with both the child and their family, since the family still has a great amount of influence into the life of the child. Providing opportunities for them to lead in times of reading, discussion, and prayer is also important. Share your story, this age group has realized that adults mess up too and make mistakes, so incorporate your own stories and lessons into your discussions with this age group. Be open and willing to talk with the child about issues that concern them, they are likely to share their thoughts and opinions. Watch for children who may be excluded from groups or “put down” by other children. Encourage groups to incorporate “outsiders” into their group and to only use encouraging words with their peers. Finally, encourage the child and their family to take part in service projects. Studio 6.7 offers Family Service Projects quarterly and the Good Neighbor website is always available for families to find projects that interest them.

Picture This ::: GraceWorks

During Picture This earlier this month we honored one of our GraceGivers. He is a freshman in high school and is very committed to serving each weekend in the ministry. He and the little boy he serves have become friends and look forward to spending time together.

One of the girls at church wrote this great article about the Christopher Beltz Award that was given to Gregg. You can read it here.

You may remember that Christopher was one of the kids in our ministry, who passes away last winter ... I was excited to honor his memory this year at our dinner and am excited to continue to honor Christopher in the years to come!

Thoughts on Puke...

"help massive vomit"

Those are the exact words that came to my phone less than five minutes after sitting down in service last Saturday night! After leaving service (yes ... the only seat I could find was near the front!) I got back to the room where it had happened and well, to spare you the details I had to ask which child was sick since there were three kids covered in it.

But, here's the deal ... this was the fourth weekend in a row that I've had a situation like this! It's been a rough winter with many many cases of the stomach flu (thankfully, I haven't had it yet!) And to be honest I've gone from not able to handle it to not having a problem with cleaning it up in four weeks.

In the midst of the past few weeks I read this blog post about puke - you too can read it here! It really got me thinking about what would happen if we responded to sin the same way our body responds to being ill. When we're physically ill our body attempts to rid itself of the illness in whatever way possible. But, when we're spiritually ill we make little attempt to rid ourself of the sin.

What would your life look like if you "puked" your sin and just got rid of it?

Not that I want to puke every time I sin, I do want to react to it as if I did puke ... basically I'm saying that when I sin I want it to be a big enough deal to me that I change ... I change what I'm doing, who I'm around - whatever circumstances led me into a situation where I sinned.

Observations on Curling ... and Life

Curling ... I can't even give you a definition or a single rule. In my mind it is something played on ice that involves human beings, a large rock, and some brooms. Yet, it intrigues me. I found myself sitting in front of the television for several hours this past week engulfed in Curling and as I sat there pondering what on earth they were doing with this large rock ... I began to ponder the things of life.

You see, I realized that curling doesn't make sense to me for one simple reason ... there's no celebration. Hours passed ... no one smiled, no one jumped up and down, horns didn't sound and lights didn't flash. I don't understand the rules of hockey either, but I do know that when they jump up and down and hug each other it is a good thing ... and over the years I've correlated that response to the fact that the little black puck is always inside the little net. Same thing with football ... when the ball lands at the end of the field in a players arms and they jump up and down ... well it must be good!

There has been no moment in Curling yet where I have watched a reaction and said ... something good just happened ... and it has left me utterly confused and unable to figure out the sport of curling.

Yet, as I watched it, I realized that for this same reason we need to celebrate the good things in life. We need to celebrate when a child makes a good choice, another year that passes, the time with friends ... for it is our celebrations that help us and others to identify what is good in our lives.

So, what are you going to celebrate today?

Chapter 1 ::: Orange

Red + Yellow = Orange ... OR ... Church + Family = A Stronger Influence.

Think Orange is a new way of thinking about the partnership between the church and the family, or maybe its really an old way of thinking re-found. Partnering the church and the family isn't much different than what was done in Biblical times, but its something that we've moved away from. In Think Orange the thought is to come back to that original way of thinking - to combine the two main influences in a child's life, instead of pitting them against each other.

Over the next few weeks I'll be blogging through Think Orange and hope that you'll join me in discussion, thoughts, reading, and even trying it out in your own life!

From Reggie Joiner (Chapter 1, Page 26)

"Both groups are simultaneously hard at work to build faith in children, but the problem is that they are not working in sync. Working on the same thing at the same time is not as effective as working on the same thing at the same time with the same strategy."

Snow

This past week we got quite a bit of snow. Now, here in Indiana people are tough when it snows a lot ... when it snows a little not so much. I think its a "macho" thing ... lots of snow = great driving, schools open, life is normal ... small amounts of snow = terrible driving, schools delayed, and chaos ensues. I will never understand the things that snow does to people.

Including me...

I was leaving my neighborhood this past week following nearly 6 inches of snow when I passed two grown men on the side of the road. One was laying in the snow ... the other was taking his picture. My immediate thought was "look at those grown men acting like children!". Then, as I attempted to turn my head to look at them, I realized I couldn't. You see ... I was wearing 3 pairs of socks, 3 pairs of pants, 3 shirts, a jacket, a winter coat, a hat, and gloves ... thus rendering me unable to move. I myself, was headed to the highest point in Hamilton County to go sledding ... with TONS of children!

It was at that point I decided that we all need to act like kids sometimes ... lay in the snow, go sledding, just do something fun!

So ... go do something fun today! Let yourself act like a child and just enjoy life!