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.

The problem with the internet...

A good friend of mine and I have had previous discussions about an idea involving the internet. One day we were talking about the reality that people say and do all kinds of things they would never say and do when they can hide behind the internet instead of being face to face with that person. And then, the other day, he found this video and sent it to me.

A real person, a lot like you from Derek Sivers on Vimeo.

You might be wandering...Robert, what does this have to do with parenting. Here's what. Every generation from this point on is growing up in the online world. 10 year old's have facebook (forget the problem that they are on their illegally, and that they either have hid it from their parents or their parents have helped them lie about their age...that's a whole other issue). They are growing up "detached" from having to tell people hard things face to face. They can just shoot off a text, fire off an email, or send a facebook message.

We see this even in adults. We've all heard stories of people breaking up a relationship with a text message or leaving a church that has invested in them for years with a short email. We all do this...instead of having discussions face to face or being respectful enough to sit down with someone and explain ourselves, we hide behind the computer...feeling like it would be less awkward. But it's not less awkward...especially not for the person receiving the message...they just think you don't care about them enough to have a face-to-face conversation (and that can be an awkward feeling).

But remember what this video says, there are some things that we would never say to someone's face, that we might send electronically. How can you model and train your children to not "hide" behind the perceived anonymity of the internet and to grow up being careful of how someone might hear what they are "sending" with a few quick finger strokes?.

These are just some of the thoughts running through my head today...if it seems like a jumbled mess of thoughts, it's because that's what it feels like in my brain too. I'm still mulling some of this over...but I think there's a problem with the internet!

Any thoughts?

Having a family fight?

Families are going to have "fights." It's inevitable...like the rising sun or the Chicago Cubs not winning the World Series. Fights are going to happen.

I ran across an article the other day about how to have a "family fight." Not only is it good advice for a family fight, but conflict in general. Give a read and let me know what you think?

How to Have a Family Fight

Enjoy!

Mom's and Daughter's

There's may not be any other relationship that has so much potential (both good and bad) than the relationship between a mother and a daughter. One of the growing problems in our culture is the extreme lack of "modesty" that young ladies are learning, and moms hold the key to this principle and whether or not their daughters learn it. In a world of Miley Cyrus, Victoria Secret, and the like, why not start teaching our daughters a "different way." This website below addresses lots of those issues (as well as others) in a fun way.

I ran across this website the other day, and it is a great resource for both mom's and daughters. Moms, if your daughter is 7-13, you should click on this website right away. If your daughters are younger, get ready for it!

Secret Keeper Girl