Christmas Verse (Blog Revisited)

I will never forget the Christmas message I taught when Margaret was 5 months pregnant with Scout. We were working at a small church in Waco. I think we may have had 20 both preschool and elementary in kid's church. We met in a school's music room using a karaoke machine for sound. (I think back to those days and just realize how spoiled I am now with all the lights, equipment, and space we have now.) It was still one of those days in Ministry I don't think I will ever forget.

I decided I was going to use John 3:16 as a text to teach the kids about God's love for us at Christmas. I had written out the lesson. I spent time in prayer about it. I was ready to teach it. We went through the normal parts of our lesson. We played some silly Christmas game. Sang some fun songs. Had a puppet come out and taught the memory verse. Worshiped. I got to the lesson and began talking about this verse that we all have heard a thousand times.

For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.

I began crying right there in Kid's Church. It hit me. I don't think I really understood what God gave up for me that Christmas until I was teaching that room of kid's that day. I realized, I would not be willing to give up my unborn daughter who I had not even met yet for anything in this world. I realized my love for her was so strong that I would do whatever I could to keep her from any harm. I realized that instance what God gave up. I knew the verse. I thought I understood what it said. I knew at that moment I couldn't do what God did for anyone. That is why, to me, John 3:16 is the most important Christmas verse. He gave up the most important thing to him for me. He knew the pain Jesus would go through. He knew the kind of death Jesus would have to go through. This Christmas, think about that. If you are a parent, you know what I am talking about. If not, one day you will know exactly what I am writing. God sent his son that Christmas morning for each of us.
I decided I was going to use John 3:16 as a text to teach the kids about God's love for us at Christmas. I had written out the lesson. I spent time in prayer about it. I was ready to teach it. We went through the normal parts of our lesson. We played some silly Christmas game. Sang some fun songs. Had a puppet come out and taught the memory verse. Worshiped. I got to the lesson and began talking about this verse that we all have heard a thousand times. 
For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.
I began crying right there in Kid's Church. It hit me. I don't think I really understood what God gave up for me that Christmas until I was teaching that room of kid's that day. I realized, I would not be willing to give up my unborn daughter who I had not even met yet for anything in this world. I realized my love for her was so strong that I would do whatever I could to keep her from any harm. I realized that instance what God gave up. I knew the verse. I thought I understood what it said. I knew at that moment I couldn't do what God did for anyone. That is why, to me, John 3:16 is the most important Christmas verse. He gave up the most important thing to him for me. He knew the pain Jesus would go through. He knew the kind of death Jesus would have to go through. This Christmas, think about that. If you are a parent, you know what I am talking about. If not, one day you will know exactly what I am writing. God sent his son that Christmas morning for each of us.

The Makings Of A Snow Hill

Many times in life we have dreams that never come true. In my offices, you will find a picture of a piece of barren land in Florida with a quote by Walt Disney that says, "It's kind of fun to do the impossible". It is fun to dream up something and work out the crazy details and see it happen. Last night, I got to experience one of those crazy fun days that you get to do something amazing. Here is how it came about...

About a month ago, I was looking at the calendar and noticing our annual Kid's Rock Christmas Party. I thought to myself, "Last year was fun, but I need to take it to another level this year". I stepped back and began to think of things about Christmas and this time of year that would make the night memorable. I thought about giant Christmas cookies and Snow men. I considered Christmas light tours and hot chocolate drinking contests. Nothing seamed right. I kept going back and forth on different things and two different things happened. First, I was having a conversation with someone about the greatness of the movie "National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation". I thought about the scene where the Grizwalds put some special cream on a sled and it takes off across town like a rocket. I am sitting here chuckling as I am thinking about it. Then, I went and visited some friends in Cleburne for a wedding that I was supposed to perform on an icy weekend. I saw snow, ice, sleet, and a host of other cold stuff that totally messed up my weekend plans. I had fun hanging out with friends inside but while I was gone I had an idea. What if I made some sort of snow hill, real or fake, for our kids to sled down at our Christmas party? It would be worth thinking about. 

Driving home, I asked Marge to look up snow machines, snow rentals, snow blowers, snow makers, anything to do with snow. I had no idea what it would cost to make this happen or if it was even possible to make it happen. We found fake snow that they use in movies and productions. We found people that sold snow by the bag. We found someone that would mail you snow from the Rockies at a small fortune. She would read information and websites to me as we drove. If it sounded like something I needed to look into further I had her text me the information. I got back and tried to figure out a plan for staff meeting and had some general stuff, but not all my details. I knew I needed to just throw the idea out there. If you don't ask about a dream then you will never know. My Pastor kinda looked at me like I was crazy at first, you know we do live in south Texas. Then, he said get good details like how much and stuff and then we can talk more. I preceded to calling "snow" companies about this crazy idea. 

The first company, they never returned my call. They had different ways of doing this but I know God was guiding this dream because the next company I called was the one we ended up using and they were great. It costed about a third of what my Pastor initially thought it would cost.  It was still kind of expensive but I was willing to bring our Youth department in on it too. We split the cost and Pastor said he could make up the difference. He was on board and that encouraged the dream. Called the snow guys up and everything was booked. They showed up about 6:30 last night and shot about 8000 lbs of snow onto the front lawn of our church on a day that it was in the 70s in San Antonio. Our kids got a "white"Christmas... party and got to have an evening of sledding. It was a great night.

The thing I love about this, I knew I could dream and take a shot. Whatever you do, "Dream!" You don't know if it is crazy until you tell someone. Even if it is crazy, do your homework and see if you can get others to get on board. I love my pastor, without him being encouraging this would have never happened. He saw the potential for kids to have a very memorable night at God's house by helping make this happen. I have worked with and know other kid's pastors that work for Pastors who may have thought this was just a waist of money being put on frozen water. They would have missed an opportunity. Nights like these are the things outside of the altar that I want to create. Memorable moments that kids fall in love with church time and again. It is at church where they can learn about God and have fun. So dream, dream big and don't be afraid to ask. Even if it does seam as crazy as putting a snow hill in San Antonio. 

Christmas Plays Past

This is the first year in many that I decided not to do a Christmas play. Over the last couple weeks, via Facebook, I have seen all my Kidmin friends posting about their Christmas plays. I did miss it (a little). It did give me a few moments to actually reminisce about some of our previous productions. We have had some very cool moments and some moments that well... they are kids. I have been blessed to do some very cool productions. We did one on the Riverwalk in SanAntonio. We did one on the front lawn of our church. I have had full on set changes and massive costumes made for different plays. I will always remember our first Christmas play as a kid's pastor.

The first year I was a kids pastor at Christmas was in Arlington. We had a small group of kids because it was a small church. We spent the entire fall working with our 16 kids to do this program. I told those kids, "This may be someone in this audience one chance to hear about Jesus." You got to love the "putting extra pressure" on kids (young kid's pastor mistake). It worked for the most part. The kids were taking a play about a rebellious angel serious because they wanted to be a witness. It was smooth right up until... we added the 2 preschoolers playing Mary and Joseph. They were supposed to walk out and stand at the manger and really just look longingly at the baby doll in the manger. The little girl playing Mary decided she wanted to hold they baby, of course that made our little Joseph want to hold the baby, too. These two wonderful little ones, they began playing tug of war as we are singing this grand finale. Of course, the idea was no longer on this great ministry moment like I had been building up with the kids. It is now a crowd of people laughing at our Mary and Joseph now fighting over the sweet baby Jesus. I am just trying to get the rest of the kids through the song. It was great. I went up to the microphone to tell people the great news of our savior coming. I found a crowd that was still laughing their butts off because these two precious little ones fighting during this great finale. I then returned to the backstage with steaming older kids that were extremely mad at our poor parents of Jesus, "You messed up people getting saved!" It was quickly something I never thought I would have heard an older kid yelling that but I did. 

I messed up and told the kids the message was the key. The key was actually them. The key was them standing up in front of a group of people and being the light themselves. They were the ones that could show family members what they were becoming, young men and women of God. Their lives were so much bigger than any song they sang and any words I shared. They were the gospel that night and any time they do anything. Who those kids are what matters. 

A little bit more thanks

Thanks (Part 2)

I am blessed to work hand in hand with groups of people. Last week, we I wrote to parents. Today, I want to thank another very special group in our ministry.  Without either of those groups we would not be able to do Children’s Ministry at our church. If God is the head of this ministry, then these groups are the hands and the feet. They are so important to all of us. Today, I want to thank the volunteers, the teachers, the helpers, and the leaders. 

All of these people prepare each week. They pray for our kids. They show up ready to be with kids. These people attend meetings. Many of them hurry from work on Wednesdays or get up early on Sundays. They spend their own money. They do so much because they want all of our kids to know that Jesus is the best thing anyone could ever know about. 

As the Children’s Pastor, Thank You doesn’t ever seem like it is enough. Each one of these teachers make me look good every single week. They are the people that create discussions. They plan field trips. They create crafts. They are the best. I am blessed to be able to work along side each of them. Kid’s make sure you tell each of your teachers, “Thank You!” They are the hands of this ministry. They make it happen. 

Pastor Darrell

A little bit of thanks.

I have a very unique job. The entire time my kids have been alive, I have been specifically their pastor. I got to baptize them. I have been there when they walked to the front to pray in the altar. I have seen them pray for other kids. I have gotten to see them develop spiritually  first hand. I don’t take lightly that privilege. I also don’t take lightly the honor I have to partner with other parents in seeing their children grow spiritually. 

Today, I want to say thanks to parents for giving me this opportunity. Thank you for bringing your kids each week. Thank you for allowing me to speak God’s word into your kids life. Thanks for supporting us as we develop programs to help you see more of your kids growing spiritually. It truly is an honor. 

I pray that we can grow and Kid’s Rock will be a great asset to you in your child’s spiritual growth. Thank you for that opportunity.

Rugby, Crossfit, and Church

I have been taking measures over the last few months to get fit and knock a couple things off my bucket list. I figure I need to get started with some of that stuff. During this process, I have noticed some things in comparison to the church. 

So, in August I joined a rugby club. I have a friend, Levy, who is ridiculously good at the sport and has played all his life. He has been wanting me to come try it out since I have met him. In August, they have a touch tournament. I figured what could it hurt? It is touch. I went and ran with the guys. We had fun. They had a tournament going on for kids too. I signed Cooper up. He loved it. One night, we got in the car to come home and he looks at me and says, "Dad, apparently I am a natural at this (rugby) thing." The guys working with the kids were so uplifting that he was hooked. He was disappointed that there is no rugby league around here for him to keep playing during the year. The last night of the tournament they had a big cookout at the field and these people sat around and hung out. They shared their lives together. I used to wonder about the world outside of the church. Especially in a post Christian society like we have now. Where do you find people outside of work to create those relationships with? Well in this case, a rugby team. They made everyone there feel at home. It was so welcoming. I pray people see our church as welcoming as I did this rugby team. 

Then, sometime in September, Margaret and I started getting up bright and early (scratch that just early because there is nothing bright about it) and going to a crossfit class at 5am.  This was amazing for so many reasons mainly my wife who hates to sweat is really enjoying it. I am so stinking proud of her. It has been a great small group of people who show they care. They hold each other accountable in fitness. You don't want to miss because the people in your class are looking for you to be there. They text you and make sure you are okay if you miss. They show they care. I was sick this morning and the coach was even asking Margaret about me. He has shown time and again he truly cares about the people showing up to his box (that's a crossfit term for gym). I hope as a pastor, the people coming into my ministry see that I care the same way about there spiritual well being as Julian does for their physical well being. 

You see church is supposed to be a place to worship, but it is also supposed to be a place where we take care of each other. Throughout the growth of the early church you read about the early church breaking bread and caring for one another. This is a vital part of who the church is. I believe we have lost that feeling in many avenues. When was the last time you encouraged someone at church? When was the last time you called to check up on someone when they missed? When was the last time you asked someone if they were going to be at church? Do you take guests and ask them to sit with you? Has your church become a place where you show up and go home or is it a place where you really truly get to know the people in it the God intended us to? Our churches have to be a place where people connect to other people as well as God in order for them to survive. It can't be a place that is only apart of our lives for a couple of hours on Sunday and Wednesday. Love the people at your church or find another church. People want to be connected at church. They really do. 

I am going to continue playing rugby and going to crossfit. It is more than just the fitness now. It is the relationships I am creating in both places. Is your church about relationships? That's what the world needs, a church that is about relationships. 

One Scary 15 minutes

Yesterday, I had probably the scariest 15 minutes of my life. At least, I can't remember a scarier quarter of an hour. It led to an interesting and exhausting day to say the least. 

As the kids were walking to the car yesterday morning, Coop told me his stomach was upset. I remember being a kid and telling my mom I had an upset stomach on days I didn't want to go to school.  I told him, "Give it a try and if your stomach doesn't feel better then go to the nurse and have her call me". So, at 8:30 Margaret got that call. Evidently, I we missed his fever. I figured no big deal. It has been a busy week, and I could use a day watching cartoons and hanging out with Coop. 

We went to pick up my computer from the office and ran a couple of errands because Coop was acting just fine. I could tell his stomach was a upset cause he didn't eat much of his taco when we stopped for some food. We headed home and declared a "Voltron" marathon for the day as coop was recuperating.

We were talking as we watched TV. I was telling him how I used to watch this show all the time when I was a kid. We were having a great time. About 11:35, I asked him something and looked over and he didn't move. I said his name and he didn't respond. I had a bad feeling so, I got up and noticed he had wet himself and still wasn't moving. I grabbed his shoulder and said his name to wake him up. His mouth was filled with saliva and it just came poring out. I yelled his name and still had no response from him. I grabbed my phone and dialed 9-1-1 as I checked for a pulse and breathing. I noticed his ear was red as a firecracker so I know he was burning up.

 I was really starting to stress as I waited for the emergency operator to pick up four different times I hear, "Thanks for calling Bexar County Emergency Services, all operators are busy with other emergencies at the moment and will be with you as soon as possible" At least it was something like that and then that repeated in Spanish. Each time I got that message, I freaked out just a little bit more. I was beginning to think I needed to pick him up and carry him outside and see if any of my neighbors could help. I thought I needed to keep him still cause I didn't want to mess anything up. I thought it might be a seizure, I remembered from some first aid class years ago to put him on his side and make sure nothing was blocking his airways. I did that and continued to yell his name and get more angry as the emergency operator finally answered the phone. 

She told me to calm down as I was speaking pretty loud when I gave her my address and described what was going on. I blew in Coop's face cause I thought that might help him breathe or something. I don't know maybe I was hoping my bad breath would work like smelling salts and snap him out of it. During all this, he finally opened his eyes. It was pretty much like a deer in the head lights type of look. I still couldn't get him to say anything or move or make any kind of motion to let me know he was snapping out of this. The emergency lady on the phone asked if I knew what his temperature was. I grabbed the thermometer on the kitchen counter and tried to use it. Pressed the button and ran it across his forehead. It said 71.4. I wanted to cuss. About that time I could hear sirens. The lady on the phone told me to put away in animals that may cause problems. I stepped back and looked out the front window and saw a fire truck pulling up in front of my house. Finally, Coop moved. He even said, "Dad" very quietly. I finally took a breath. 

Before I knew it half a dozen people were in my living room looking him over. I told them what happened. I picked him up and put him on the gurney. The EMT's looked at him and every time they asked him how he was the response was "Good". You could tell he was still out of it and that was just an automated response. I found out what hospital they were taking him to and at that point I knew it was safe to call Mom. I called Marge and told her as calm and quick as I could what happened and where we were going. She said she was on the way to the hospital and would meet us there. We loaded onto the ambulance and headed out. 

About a month before this happened we were watching an episode of "Shark Tank". Coop saw this thing on there that was a sticker that takes your temperature. He thought that was the coolest invention. The EMT put one on his forehead while we were at the house. He started actually talking to me while we were on the ambulance to the Hospital. I asked him if he knew he had one of those stickers on his head. He reached up and felt it and just smiled. I am really starting to feel better at this point. I called the church to get the pastors praying and let them know what was going on. 

We walked into the Emergency room from the ambulance. Went straight to a room and got him hooked up to monitors and nurses were there taking his vitals. Mom got there and sat down with him. It was okay for me not to step away for a minute.  I got up left the room and bawled. I don't think I have ever been so scared in my life. 

All this to say, if you are a parent, take a first aid class. Be prepared for the unlikely. Coop has never had a seizure before. I hope he never has one again. The doctors are pretty sure it was a freak thing that won't happen again. We are going to a neurologist in a couple of weeks to make sure he checks out okay. I am just relieved that my little boy is back home today sitting with me watching Voltron and He-Man laughing as he is feeling better. I just hope you are more ready than I was. So, please take a class be ready.