Why don't we MOURN more?

"You created my inmost being, you knit me together in my mother's womb. I praise you because I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Your works are wonderful, I know that full well." - Psalms 139:13-14

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I set you apart." - Jeremiah 1:5

You may or may not be aware, but today is the 39th anniversary of Roe vs. Wade. In some circles it will be praised, and in others it will be scorned.

Today, if I'm really honest, I'm having a hard time. It's hard not to mourn the 50 million boys and girls, created by God, over the last 39 years who were never given a chance. That number is staggering to me, and I just can't shake it this morning.

[Note: Before you get angry/emotional about one side of the argument or the other, I want to say that I'm not judging here. That's not my job...the JUDGE will judge. All sin gets PAID for...it's either paid for by you or it's get's paid for you by faith through the blood of Jesus Christ on your behalf.]

I'm simply mourning a massive and incomprehensible loss...

...and I'm wondering why we all don't mourn more.

Friday Media...

Everyone knows how to "memorize" things. I can prove this because all of us can immediately pop off a whole slew of music lyrics right now. There's something about music that helps us memorize things forever. In fact, there are music lyrics from 20 years ago that are still in my head to this day.

So, one of the easy ways to combine memory and Scripture is to put Scripture to music. Luckily the folks at Seeds Family Worship who have done this for us. If you like it and think your kids will like it, there are lots of CD's available at their website.









Pretty catchy...I'm singing a couple of them right now!

6700...that's a big number!

If you're a parent, and bring your kids to Firewheel Church on Sundays and/or Wednesdays...I want you to take a long hard look at that number.

You might be asking, what is that number? I'm getting to that. :)


Week after week, there's a team of folks who willingly give their time, energy, and effort to assist you and partner with you in your task of raising your children in a way that honors God. That number (6700) represents a VERY conservative estimate of how many volunteer hours were spent by our children's ministry team (Birth-6th grade) during the 2011 year serving you and your family.

The crazy thing is that this number doesn't even include any preparation time or any of our special events for the year (like Winter Camp, Summer Camp, or VBS). That number is only the time they spend on campus with your children on Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights. I don't know about you, but I was floored at how big that number was when I started tallying it up.

I'm so thankful that I get to lead a team this generous, dedicated, and passionate about what they do!


So, here's a thought for you...Next time you see one of those volunteers, you might want to consider the sacrifice of time and investment of energy they are making on you and your family's behalf.

They don't do it for the praise...because if they did, there would never be enough to go around. They do it because they love Jesus and they want your kids to love Jesus, too.

MLK, Racism, and You

You may think racism, segregation, and the like don't exist anymore. As long as human hearts are sinful, there will always be subtle and not so subtle ways that people believe, think, and act in such a way where they assume they are "better" than others. There may no longer be separate drinking fountains, but racism still lives in each of our hearts - whether we realize it or not. Only through the gospel of Jesus Christ do these walls come down. No legislation can and will ever change the human heart...that power belongs only to the gospel of Jesus Christ.


A few resources for you today...

Dr. John Piper is offering his book "Bloodlines" in a PDF document for FREE today - You need to read this one. This is a great read on the topic of racism, Jesus, and why we are still fighting this battle today...it's an absolute MUST!


MLK's "Letter from a Birmingham Jail" - another must read!


Finally, a couple of videos for you...

The first is from MLK's final speech...the day before he will be assassinated.



The second is the entirety of the "I have a dream" speech...we normally focus on one part, but the entire thing is so good.





Enjoy!

Friday Media

Do you have prayers that you repeat on a consistent basis for your kids...

...I guess I should start at the beginning and ask if you are praying for your children on a daily basis?

Either way, so much is communicated in a prayer, and so much is taught about who God is to our children by the way we pray, how often we pray, and the things we focus on when we pray.

I ran across this video the other day and loved it. It's a dad talking about a certain prayer that gets repeated over and over in his house for and from his young son.

Praying for Your Children from Desiring God on Vimeo.

God, make me a man.
Make me a man who's tough,
Tough so I can handle life.
God, make me a man who's tender
Tender so I can love people
God, make me a man.


Are there certain topics that dominate your prayers for your children?

How have you taught your children to pray for the right kinds of things?

Are there things that get repeated over and over again in your prayers as a family?

What are some ways you can "teach" through prayer in the context of your family?

Full Circle

I know that in some ways (at least from an eternal perspective) tonight's BCS championship game is extremely trivial. Nevertheless, if you know me, you know that I am a very committed and lifelong fan of the Alabama Crimson Tide. Like most young boys, you pick up the sports love of your father. I'm no different. Growing up, we rooted for the Tide.

Something really cool is happening tonight...we're coming full circle. I remember 19 years ago, watching my first national championship game in my lifetime of our favorite team with my dad. It was Jan. 1, 1993 and we were at my uncle's house. Tonight, Jan. 9, 2012, I'll sit down once again with my father, watch a national championship game, and root on our favorite team.

Only this time, I'll have a son in the room. Now, he won't know what's really going on, but I can't wait to share special times with him as he gets older rooting together for our favorite team. And I can't wait to tell him about the night that we were all together (his Gramps, his dad, and he) doing something we love to do.


So, tonight, my dad and I, along with Nathan will be tuning in to watch our favorite football team. Three generations of Morris men in one house...and regardless of the outcome or which team wins, this guy "in the middle of two different generations" (an older and an younger) will have WON! I am, indeed, a very blessed man!


What special memories do you have with your parents...what special memories are you making with your children? I still remember 19 years ago...your kids will too one day!

Friday Media

Starting on Sunday, January 8th, we'll have some new themes and big ideas that we'll be leading children through on Sunday mornings for the month of January.

As usual, it helps you as parents know what we're talking about so that you can reinforce what we're teaching on Sunday's, so that, as we work together (parents and church), we can make a difference for Christ in the next generation. So, here are the summary videos for the month of January. Watch them, and begin to ask God to give you insight into how these can become part of your conversations with your kids.


Elementary

Preview: Game On (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

Preschool

FL Preview : No One Else (January 2012) from Orange on Vimeo.

Have a great weekend!