Faith, Family & Fun

On Hold

2010-05-03T04:00:00.000-04:00

Sometimes our plans change, and we need to pause a moment to regroup.
Been there?
That's where we are right now. So for the time being, Faith, Family & Fun will be on hold.
But we don't want to leave you stranded! Feel free to visit Trinity's other blog, hosted by our Women's Ministry: SHE Blogs.

Nutrition Can be FUN - Get Sneaky!

2010-04-30T04:00:00.001-04:00

Goal: To increase the amount of veggies and fruits your children are eating
Challenge: Getting them to put them in their mouths and swallow them without having dinner time become a warzone
Outcome: ??

Ok – so if you saw the last post on nutrition, you read about the growing problem of childhood obesity, processed foods, and an overall lack of nutrition among Americans today. Maybe you agree and perhaps you want to begin to make changes within your own family. But maybe you are thinking that you have the pickiest eaters (spouse included!) known to earth and you don’t want your dinner table to double as a battlefield. Well, there might be a way for your children to eat their favorite foods – macaroni and cheese, chicken nuggets, brownies, and cookies and get huge doses of the nutrients their bodies need as well!

I came across Missy Chase Lapine, aka The Sneaky Chef. Her recipes include the kid-friendly foods but they have been chocked full of veggies and fruits. I was a little skeptical at first, but after ordering her cookbook and trying the recipes myself, I must say I am a believer! I figured it would be harder to “sneak” the foods by older kids – but a very picky 17 year old ate one of the hamburgers I made with the spinach and blueberry puree (unknowingly of course!) and LOVED it!

Even if you are skeptical, try it! It will be fun “sneaking” something good over on your kids. See the link below to Lapine’s website for free recipes. Remember that this is just one method to increase the overall health of your family. It is still very important to serve children fresh fruits and vegetables every day. You will be their model as they grow and begin to make food choices on their own.

http://www.thesneakychef.com

~Nicole Hamlin, Family Life Minstries Intern

Families Need Nutrition

2010-04-28T04:00:00.002-04:00

Families have many needs today! We live in a fast-paced society and that often carries over into our family life as well. One of the requirements of my Family Life Education program at Spring Arbor University is to design a program that will target one need that families face. While there were many directions I could have taken with this project, I felt strongly that many families are lacking in a crucial area – nutrition. America as a whole has higher levels of obesity and in fact as many as 1 out of 3 children are now overweight or obese.
God made the earth to produce the nutrients to sustain our earthly bodies. But throughout the ages, we have made food easier to fix and seemingly tastier to accompany our busy lives. In the hectic schedule of everyday life it is difficult to refrain from fast food and prepackaged meals at times, but we as a society are paying the price. With the rise in obesity also comes an increase in diabetes, heart disease, and various other diseases and behavioral issues. Even “healthier” choices presented to us at restaurants and supermarkets are often two times the portion we are supposed to consume, and are full of sodium and fat.

If I have you discouraged or upset (sorry!), don’t be! There are ways to change the direction we have been going. It will take time, energy, and even sacrifices. But as you look at your children and want only the best for them, wouldn’t that also include the best foods that will sustain their bodies in the years to come? We need to understand what healthy nutrition is and what it isn’t. Don’t just rely on what you have heard or what the media says is good for you. There are many good books, websites, and resources available that provide education on nutrition. Even your Christian bookstore carries a sizeable number of books on health as God designed.

If you are asking how you even begin to make healthy changes without dinner time becoming a war zone, stay tuned. Because on Friday I will have some ideas for how you can start increasing the amount of vegetables your children are eating…without them even knowing! To good health!

~ Nicole Hamlin, Family Life Ministries Intern

Low Fuel - No Fuel

2010-04-26T04:00:00.001-04:00

I never thought it would happen to me. I prided myself in pushing the limits without its embarrassing consequence. But once, as I was taking my son and his friend to their football game, it happened. For the first time in my life I ran out of gas. I mean, I saw the low fuel light flash several times (all right, it flashed so many times that it stayed on), but I ignored it. I ignored it because, in the past, I had driven miles with the low fuel light flashing and remaining on, without running out of gas. I am convinced more so now than ever, that if you keep driving on low fuel, it will eventually become no fuel.

This incident taught me a profound lesson about my life: I have a tendency to ignore the low fuel light flashing on the dashboard of my life. I ignore it because I believe I can push my body and mind to preach, teach, serve, minister, care for, and write one more day, one more week or one more month on the fumes of independence rather than the fuel of dependence on Jesus. Then it happens. I simply run out of gas in every area and relationship of my life. If I keep running on low fuel, I will eventually have no fuel to serve God, my family, my teammates, my community, and my world.
These days, I am learning that every week I need to intentionally find time to rest, recover, refuel and reflect, in order to give God and others my best self. Spending time with my wife and kids, writing, running/walking, praying, and journaling are just a few ways I rest, recover, refuel and reflect.
When do you rest, recover, refuel and reflect? What kinds of things do you do to refuel your energy tank and recharge your battery? What are some new practices you can begin to rest, recover, refuel and reflect, so that you give God and others your best self?

~Pastor Marvin

Road Trip FUN

2010-04-23T04:00:00.000-04:00

In a few weeks, my family will be on the road. We’re looking forward to the trip, but I also know there will be moments in the car when it will be a challenge to turn boredom into family fun.

We’ll stock up on snacks, books, paper, and a couple of clipboards. (Full disclosure: there will be an IPod and a Nintendo DS in the car, too.)

We’ll also fall back on some family favorites:

• The License Plate Game

We’ve played two versions of this game. For keeping track of license plates from the 50 states, I download a list of states here, a website with lots of great ideas for car games.

We also play a version of this game that requires players to come up with a fun phrase using the letters from a license plate as the first letters of the words in the phrase. E.g., MHG becomes Mom Hugs Grandma.

• CDs

We love The Chronicles of Narnia, Focus on the Family’s Radio Theater audio of this C.S. Lewis classic, available here.

Another family favorite is the silly songs on Sandra Boynton’s Philadelphia Chickens or Dog Train CDs.

• Story Writer

In our version, one person starts the story by writing the first line of the story, the second person writes the second line, and so on.

• 20 Questions

This classic works for us, but does elicit a few squabbles over whether the item in question has been visible to all during the duration of the game.

• Trinkets from the Dollar Store

When the kids were younger, I surprised them with a small toy as they got into the car each morning. I may do that again this year, simply because it’s a family tradition.

Do you have any suggestions or advice? Any road trip stories to share?

~Marilyn

Read the Bible with Your Family

2010-04-21T04:00:00.004-04:00

Something special is on the horizon.
And you and your family can play a part!
Perhaps you know the National Day of Prayer is coming up on May 6. But did you also know there is a Bible reading marathon happening the 24 hours prior to the May 6 activities?

Beginning at 11:00am on May 5, and continuing through 10:00am on May 6, the entire New Testament is going to be read aloud within the city of Lansing. People will read for 15-minute segments from the Capitol Building, a downtown church, and from their own homes.
Readers are still needed between 2:30pm and 6pm on May 5 at the Capitol, and between 1am and 8am on May 6. The 1am-8am readings will happen in individual homes. Our hope is that some families will read together. Perhaps spouses, or parents and older children, would be willing to wake up and read to one another during the over-night shift!
This reading marathon was a wonderful event last year and we trust it will be this year, too.
God's Word is powerful!

If you would like to sign up to read, or just have questions, please leave a comment with your contact information, or click here to email me.

Thanks!

~Karen

Do You Have a GPS?

2010-04-19T04:00:00.005-04:00

Once, when my husband and I were vacationing in Southern Florida, we decided we would drive the coastline south to Fort Lauderdale. We wanted to visit our friends who were staying there, as they sought treatment for their handicapped son. While I was hoping for an enjoyable, scenic drive, we ended up encountering four or five DETOURS.
All I wanted was the beauty and peace of the ocean and what did I get but the inconvenience of detours. A trip that should have taken an hour was turning into double the time. I tried calling our friends to tell them we were on our way down, but no one picked up. I had no idea how we were going to find them!
Just as we entered the city limits of Fort Lauderdale, the overwhelming urge to use the restroom overtook me.
So we stopped.
And before we got started again, we tried calling our friends. Still no answer.
BUT, as we turned back onto the main road, we could not believe our eyes. Our friends were pushing a wheelchair with their handicapped child across the street - right in front of us!
What were the chances???
We were in awe. And our friends were sure surprised! We had a great afternoon with them. It was truly God –ordained.

It wasn’t until the ride back to our hotel that I sensed God speaking a very simple yet profound message to my heart. I had mapped out my trip and was so disappointed when the detours interrupted my scenic plans .Yet because of those detours and inconveniences we arrived at the perfect moment to meet our friends.
This was a picture of my spiritual journey as well. Oh, how grateful and humbled I was to understand that God’s routing and timing of my life is precise and so well orchestrated. At that moment, I was overwhelmed by how TRUSTWORTHY my God is and how He truly does work all things together for my good.
All I could do was give praise and thanks for the amazing GPS (God Positioning System) that had led us on our journey.

How have you seen His GPS at work in your life?

~Wendy

Minute To Win It Fun

2010-04-16T04:00:00.003-04:00

I don't know about you but if you haven't seen the show chances are you have seen the commercials. Balancing, bouncing, bobbling and more all in the name of a challenge and if you are on the show a chance to win $1, 000,000.

While having a family dinner at my mother-in-laws recently we decided to give some of the challenges a try and what happened next was an afternoon of laughter, pure delight and FUN!

Here are some of the challenges that we tried:

This Blows
Line up 15 plastic cups in a row and using the air from a balloon blow all of them off the table or, in our case, past a line in under 60 seconds.

The Nutstacker
Using a chopstick or skewer stack lugnuts one on top of each other 10 high.
We varied the challenge making it whoever got the most in a minute as none of us were able to successfully get 10 in under a minute. :)

Movin' On Up
In this one you take a stack of cups, marking one. The challenge is to try to get through the entire stack in under a minute, by repeatedly removing the top cup and placing it on the bottom.

Wheel of A Deal
20 cards face down, 5 stands...T-minus 60. Sort the cards before the time runs out.

When we played we were playing with three generations ages 3-60 and every one had a blast. No one won a million dollars but we were all winners. I can here the tales being told 20 perhaps even 50 years from now, "Remember the time..."
To create your own family memories and for an afternoon or evening of laughter and fun, check out the website for even more crazy challenges!

Let me know how it goes!

~Sarah

Note- Be sure to click on the links above each description for more details on how each game is played.

Devotions for Little Kids

2010-04-14T04:00:00.000-04:00

Riley (5), Malia (3) and Lucas (10months) love this devotional book!! It's a simple 2-3 min read along with a song that reinforces the story. We play a song on the CD player while they lay down and settle in for the night and it helps them to have a bedtime routine.

One night, Riley said, "Mom, would you tell us the story about Ruth & Naomi again?" I thought I'd have to bring it down to their level so I proceeded to tell them about how Ruth said she would follow Naomi and help her. Riley interrupted me and said, "That's not how it goes. Ruth says, 'Your people will be my people and your God will be my God.'"
I guess they're learning a lot more than I realize.
And, they're growing SOOO fast!!

How do you do devotions as a family?

~Sharina

Coveting My Neighbor's Struggle

2010-04-12T04:00:00.002-04:00

Parent Night at my children’s school was over, and I walked to the parking lot with a friend whose son was in my son’s class. “This year is going to be tough for me,” she remarked. “The teacher is marvelous, but she mentioned that our kids are now old enough that less parent involvement is needed. I’m going to miss not being in the classroom very much.”

Inwardly, I sighed. That hadn’t been my reaction, and I felt guilty. If I loved my son as much as this mom loved her child, then I, too, would be grieving the loss of this classroom contact. Instead, what I had done was to make a mental note to share with my son at breakfast the next morning, my excitement over his new teacher and all the new things he would be learning.

But, I caught myself as I got into my car. I’ve come to realize that life with God means paying close attention to my thoughts. Psalm 139:23 (NIV) says: “Search me, O God, and know my heart; test me and know my anxious thoughts.” My anxious, self-defeating thoughts were leading me away from God, and I needed to turn them over to God.

So, I did just that. Now, God doesn’t promise that obedience will always be followed by understanding, but in this case God rewarded my obedience with a bit of insight.

I realized I had it wrong. I was coveting my neighbor’s struggle! My friend is an extrovert. (See last Wednesday’s post on extroversion and introversion.) She excels at organizing events and encouraging our kids to have fun. I can learn a lot from her about being in the moment with my children and giving other people the gift of inclusion. But, as an extrovert, she at times struggles with celebrating her children’s growing independence. In contrast, I’m an introvert. Celebrating my children’s development comes more easily to me. It’s an area where I can come alongside her.

I Corinthians 12: 17-20 (NIV): If the whole body were an eye, where would the sense of hearing be? If the whole body were an ear, where would the sense of smell be? But in fact God has arranged the parts in the body, every one of them, just as he wanted them to be. If they were all one part, where would the body be? As it is, there are many parts, but one body.

~ Marilyn

FUN with Bean Burritos

2010-04-09T04:00:00.002-04:00

Did you see this post about storing beans upside down? And about making cans of refried beans 'p**p'?
In it I suggested that I would share a refried beans recipe if anyone wanted me to. And someone did. *grin* So here you go, Marilyn. And anyone else who happens to see this!

I have refried beans in my pantry, boys who are ready to 'help,' and the following recipe. And tonight we're having Bean Burritos!

Mix together in a large bowl:
1 can refried beans (Be sure to let your boys help with getting the beans out.)
1 cup salsa
1 cup prepared rice
1 cup cooked, cubed chicken
1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Place about 1/3-1/2 cup mixture off-center on burrito-sized flour tortillas. Fold sides in and roll up. Place in a greased 9x13 pan, and sprinkle with additional shredded cheese. Cover with foil and bake at 375 degrees for 20-25 minutes.

I often make this recipe when taking a meal to a new mom, or ill friend. It's super easy to just double it - and then dinner is ready for them AND us! My family loves this dinner, and I hope yours will, too.
If not, at least your boys will have fun making the can of beans, well, you know.

~Karen

A Tale of Two Mothers

2010-04-07T04:00:00.000-04:00

I Corinthians 12 tells us that God delights in diversity! As the body of Christ, we are called not just to put up with each other, but to celebrate our differences and to need each other.

Psychologists tell us that extroversion and introversion are among the most stable of personality traits. I want to share some info about extroverted versus introverted moms that has helped me understand my strengths and struggles as a mom, as well as the strengths and struggles of moms whose personalities differ from mine.

EXTROVERTED MOMS

Strengths
• Exploring the world with your young children
• Being on the go and thriving at a busy pace
• Providing your children with opportunities to be with people
• Teaching your children the importance of social skills
• Enjoying casual conversations with children; feeling free to ask them questions
• Being “in the know” when it comes to community, school, etc.
• Providing the spark to get things going and keep things moving
• Connecting and thriving in large group activities

Struggles
• Being isolated at home with babies and preschoolers
• Tuning out social and other external expectations
• Worrying whether your children have enough friends and/or activities
• Overextending
• Respecting a child’s personal space
• Listening rather than talking
• Understanding an introverted child’s need for alone time

INTROVERTED MOMS

Strengths
• Observing and reflecting on your children to get to know each one in depth
• Encouraging your children not to overextend
• Respecting and understanding a child’s need for time alone
• Respecting a child who’s not one of the crowd
• Providing a quiet and calming presence
• Tuning out distractions to concentrate on one child or one thing at a time
• Limiting extraneous involvements
• Standing back and watching your children be active and interact on their own

Struggles
• Being outwardly focused on children and the tasks at hand
• Conflicts between the need to tune out distractions and the family’s need to interact
• Handling a large family or large groups of people
• Finding the energy to maintain the pace of active young children and adolescents
• Responding “on the spot” without time to think things through
• Being as accessible to your children as you think you should be
• Understanding an extroverted child’s need to be on the go and to think aloud

Are you an introvert or an extrovert? Do the strengths and struggles on these lists resonate with you?

Source: MotherStyles by Janet P. Penley

~Marilyn

Who Needs Instructions???

2010-04-05T04:00:00.000-04:00

Just recently we purchased a couple pieces of furniture from Ikea--I was so excited. I was not excited, however, when I saw the size of the boxes and the realization hit me—assembly was required.

I know enough to know that the first thing you do when you open the boxes is find the instruction manual as fast as possible. It is only then that you can truly evaluate what you have gotten yourself into. I had gotten myself into a BIG project.

I began scanning the 16 steps and proceeded to charge ahead. Before long, I figured out that the first three steps were done incorrectly and I had to take the bed completely apart. It was going to be a long afternoon.

Deep breath.

I began again -- this time being incredibly careful -- but once again, I went too fast and overlooked another key step. Undo the work again.

Confession: I dislike having to follow instructions.

BUT instructions are important.

I have tried to assemble my life without looking closely at THE instruction book. I found the verses in the Bible I liked and skimmed over those that I did not like, or didn’t understand. I often just watched others' lives - especially those that were similar to me - and followed their lead. Eventually, though, my life would have to be disassembled so that it could be reassembled properly.

And at that point, I really wanted to look again at the instruction book. Boy, did I study it closely so as not to make the same mistake again. When I looked carefully, I started to notice foundational instructions that I had missed such as: Trusting God is a must. A life of forgiveness and love are critical if you a follower of Christ. God has a purpose for my life -- it is not my life anymore to do as I please.

Those are just a few of the key instructions I had chosen to overlook. Thank God that He loves me enough to break down my construction and rebuild me.

Have you ever gone through re-construction?

~Wendy

Resurrection Cookies - Have Fun AND Celebrate Jesus

2010-04-02T04:00:00.005-04:00

Here's a great activity you can do with your kids which will give you an opportunity to talk about Jesus' death and resurrection. You'll need your Bible, and just a few ingredients. So check your pantry, then be sure to set aside time tomorrow night to make these cookies!

Click here for all the details.

And, in case you need to know - service times for this weekend at Trinity are posted in the sidebar to the left. See you there!

Easter Basket with Meaning

2010-03-31T04:00:00.006-04:00

I saw this idea and thought it was WONDERFUL! Instead of doing the Easter Bunny basket theme, try giving your children a meaningful Easter basket filled with reminders of the true meaning of Christ's ressurection. Include a card with a description of the meaning behind each item:

A Lamb: This represents the Lamb of God who came to take away our sin.

In a plastic egg: Jelly Beans that are the following colors:

black : Stands for the darkness of our lives before Jesus when we were still in sin

red: Stands for Jesus shed blood

white: Stands for our sins that are washed away

yellow: Stands for streets of gold in heaven

green: Stands for growing in Jesus

Bookmarks or story books that represent the story of Easter.
Rock candy to represent the stone that was rolled away.
Chocolate coins to remind us of the 30 pieces of silver.
An empty plastic egg with a marking pen write "He is Risen" on the outside. The egg is empty for the "Empty Tomb."

Children remember EVERYTHING and are sponges for knowledge. Use this as a time to teach them about Christ and all that He means to us!

~Sharina

Easter Preparations

2010-03-29T04:00:00.004-04:00

Easter Sunday is just six days away!
What are you planning to do this week to prepare?
My kids and I will be talking throughout the week about the meaning of Easter and what Jesus did for us on the cross. Though they are young, my children all try to understand as much as they can grasp at their age. We are going to read Matthew 26:11-66, Mark 15:1-47, Luke 23:1-56, John 18:28 - 19:42 and discuss what the Bible has to say about Good Friday and Easter. I encourage you to read these verses with your family this week and remember what Jesus did for us on the cross.

Another thing we like to do as a family to grow our faith is to reenact the Last Supper. I love reading the scripture and hearing my kids repeating back to me what they learned or already knew. I am amazed how much they discover every time I read them this scripture in the Bible. Each time we talk about it they learn so much more and pick up on another little concept.

Easter is a very exciting, amazing day when Jesus rose from the dead three days after He was laid in that tomb. We will have a celebration on Easter Sunday and rejoice that Jesus is a living Savior and He is no longer dead! We will continue to teach our children about the Biblical meaning of Easter and every other holiday, until they can fully grasp the power and love of our Savior. And I invite you to join us on this journey of growing our faith.
Yes, Easter is just six days away. I hope some of the ideas I have shared today will help you this week to prepare!

~Betsy

FUN with Dinner

2010-03-26T04:00:00.001-04:00

Next Thursday is April Fool's Day. Do you know what you're having for dinner?
How about CAKE?

Actually, this delicious looking treat is two meat loaves, baked in 8-in. round cake pans, and frosted with mashed potatoes. I decorated it with ketchup and mustard dots.
My children look forward to cake for dinner every April 1.

And for dessert?
We'll be having taco salad. (Don't have a picture. Sorry!)
Scoop ice cream into waffle bowls and decorate them with coconut which has been colored green and yellow. (To look like lettuce and cheese.) Maraschino cherries serve as tomatoes, cut up licorice will be your black olives, and whipped topping looks like sour cream.

Give it a try. I promise, your family will love it!

~Karen

Quiet Time or Family Time - One and the same?

2010-03-24T04:00:00.008-04:00

Last summer I took my boys to Lake Lansing Park because they ~~wore me out with their begging~~ asked me to. I had gone through a rushed and hectic morning and hadn't been able to have my quiet time with God. Figured once the boys were happily settled with their fishing rods, I could sit and enjoy the quiet with God.
Yes. It all sounded great to me!
Upon arrival at the park, however, while Joshua ran quickly to the fishing dock, Matthew ~~begged~~ asked me to throw the football around with him.

But what about my quiet time??? I whined inwardly.

Throwing the football was not what I had in mind. I wanted to be alone with God. Wasn't that the better thing for me to do? I wanted to pray and draw close to Him!
Sounds all nice and spiritual, doesn't it? But do you see how selfish the above statements are? I, I, me, and I.
The Holy Spirit graciously pointed out my selfishness, and prompted me to put down my Bible and pick up the football. And do you know what happened?
I discovered that I could love God by loving my son. As I threw the football around with Matthew, I prayed for him. I prayed that he would grow stronger in his faith every day. I prayed for myself, as Matthew's mom - that God would use me to reflect His love to my son.
And even though I wasn't quiet, even though I wasn't reading my Bible, I was very aware of the presence of God. I'm sure I saw Him smiling on my son and I. It was a wonderful time of communion with God - playing football with my son.

In what ways have you sensed God's presence by serving your family?

~Karen

Gratitude and Grace

2010-03-22T04:00:00.002-04:00

In two recent Wednesday posts, I’ve shared a bit about how I’m learning to better listen to the Holy Spirit during day-to-day interactions with my husband.

There’s a brief space of time between my husband’s communication and my response. It’s during those brief moments that I can choose to listen to the Holy Spirit . . . or not. And after listening, I can choose the respectful response . . . or not.

Reflecting on these experiences brings to mind a short story by Christian author Flannery O’Connor. In “A Good Man Is Hard To Find,” O’Connor’s main character is a contemptuous old woman who is shot dead by a drifter. Only at the moment of her death, do her heart and mind open to God.

As she dies, her killer says, “She would have been a good woman if it had been somebody there to shoot her every minute of her life.”

While that short story has a somber plot, it resonates with me. Yes, I’m thankful for the many delightful gifts God has given me: my husband, our children, our extended family, our friends, my job, and our home. I’m also thankful for the simple pleasures that each day typically brings. I have so much, an outpouring of God’s grace.

But, I’ve come to conclude that the real evidence of God’s continuous grace in my life is the constant nudges from the Holy Spirit that convict me of sin. Sometimes they come during real-time interactions with the people I meet over the course of a day. Other times they come while I’m in prayer, or studying my Bible, or sitting in the sanctuary at Trinity on a Sunday morning. Just a few of weeks ago—during our sermon series on Reasonable Sins—I was prompted to write an apology note for some ungracious speech.

Often, those nudges are like being shot. They’re humbling. They’re an assault on my pride and my independence.

But because they are all of those things, they drive me to a greater dependence on God and a deeper appreciation of His love for me. They’re what I need to grow as a Christian.

For this outpouring of grace, I lift up my hands in gratitude.

John 1:16 (ESV): And from his fullness we have all received, grace upon grace.

~Marilyn

Family Fun Coming April 20!

2010-03-19T04:00:00.004-04:00

Here is a great opportunity for families to expand their global perspectives and support a worthy cause. Trinity Church is hosting a concert by the internationally acclaimed African Children’s Choir on April 20th at 7:00 pm. As their website states, "The African Children’s Choir™ is made up of some of the neediest and most vulnerable children in their countries. Many have lost one or both parents to poverty or disease. The African Children’s Choir™ helps these children break away from the everyday cycle of poverty and hopelessness."
There is no admission fee to the concert, but you do need a free ticket to come. The tickets will be available at Trinity Church's office and after worship services, beginning April 5th. There are a limited number of tickets available. A free-will offering will be taken to support the choir’s efforts back in Africa. For more information about the African Children's Choir, visit their website: www.africanchildrenschoir.com.
Come with your family and be a part of a wonderful evening of music and hope. Come and be a part of supporting these children. If you would like to volunteer on the evening of the concert as an usher or product table assistant, contact Carolyn Kersten by clicking here.

See you at the show!

Let Your Words Be Few

2010-03-17T04:00:00.001-04:00

We arranged for a baby sitter, but hadn’t decided what to do on our date night.
My husband suggested a bike ride.

I wanted to suggest some the other options. “You’re right, we could go on a bike ride. But, we could also—”

I wanted to analyze the pluses and minuses of the bike ride. The sun still sets pretty early. Can we really make it from Hawk Island Park to the state capitol—and back again—before the park closes?

Then I remembered the space between stimulus and response—that brief moment between my husband’s suggestion and the reply I would make. Perched right in the middle of that moment, I should take time to consider how my husband would receive my words. Could I say a Christ-like response instead?

The previous day, I tried to dream up with some ideas for our date. Drawing a blank, I reluctantly defaulted to “Well, there’s always a movie.” But, after scanning the movie reviews, I didn’t see a movie we’d both like.

In contrast, my husband had just made a marvelous suggestion on one of the first warm evenings of the year. I couldn’t think of anything I would rather do.

So, instead of firing a series of questions and comments at my husband that would come across as disrespectful of his insight, I decided to simply affirm him by enthusiastically saying yes!

Sometimes, we should keep commentary to ourselves. There’s a time for discussion, but often simple affirmation blesses our husbands.

It’s all about love and respect, as we listen to the guidance of the Holy Spirit during that brief space between stimulus and response.

~Marilyn

Faith Like A Child

2010-03-15T04:00:00.001-04:00

My husband and I joined the Parents Community at Trinity last Fall and learned about Leading a Child To Christ. Mark and I found that we often struggle with issues like "What age should we talk about salvation with our children?" or "When is the appropriate age for them to ask Jesus to be their Savior?" Here is a tidbit from the article they gave us.

You may wonder, "Can a young child understand the meaning of salvation?" Here is where we are mislead. We think that a child must "understand" rather than "believe" the message of salvation. Where does it say in the Bible that we must "UNDERSTAND" in order to be saved? It does say, however, "Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved." Salvation is God's gift to us. Have you ever noticed how quickly a child will accept a gift? He happily reaches out and accepts it, without wondering what he needs to do to earn it.

Children can be lead to Christ. God made the message simple so that even a child could hear and respond/believe. Take every opportunity to present this wonderful message to your children while their hearts are eagerly open!

There is no magical age that a child is old enough to accept Jesus as their Savior. Don't shove all the information that you can into the child, expecting them to "understand" everything before they can accept Jesus' gift to them. If they say they believe......that is enough! That is all Jesus expects and wants from us.....to believe and accept His gift of salvation!

What have your experineces been as you've talked with your children about faith in Jesus?

~ Betsy

Family Fun at MSU

2010-03-12T04:00:00.002-05:00

How often are you and your family on the MSU campus? Do you experience MSU in the same way that NYC residents typically experience the Statue of Liberty . . . it’s nice to know it’s there, but you haven’t taken advantage of what’s available?

If so, this post is for you!

MSU has a wide variety of activities for families. For example, kids can tour MSU Farms and pet baby animals during Small Animal Days. The Junior Spartan Club provides free admission to selected sporting events and a variety of special perks. The 4-H Children’s Garden has an interactive butterfly exhibit each year . . .

Intrigued? These activities—and many others—are included in a booklet available for browsing or free download at the MSU website. (Limited info about regional activities is also included.) In addition, you might want to check out the Spartan Youth Programs website, which includes a variety of MSU educational programs for children.

Finally, did you know that MSU’s Grandparents University offers courses every June? For three days, your 8-12 year-olds and their grandparents can take kid-themed courses and stay overnight in an MSU dorm. Our family hasn’t participated, but we have friends who rave about the program. Signup usually takes place in early December, and popular classes fill almost immediately. But it wouldn't hurt to check even now!

What MSU fun have you had?

~Marilyn

In Marriage - Decode!

2010-03-10T04:00:00.001-05:00

My husband sent a short email, “The conference has been cancelled.”

I quickly responded, “Thanks for letting me know. Now we’re free to go up north!”

I then deleted my husband’s message and accepted an invitation from friends that we’d been about to decline. The entire process took under two minutes. Kudos to me for my time management skills.

But my spirit wasn’t at peace. And that usually means that I missed the gentle voice of the Holy Spirit.

Scientists tell us that there is a fraction of a second between the receipt of a stimulus and our instinctive response. In the Christian life, we can capitalize on this short period of time to listen to the Holy Spirit and discern whether the response we’re about to give will honor Christ.

In the context of marriage, Love and Respect President Emerson Eggerichs describes this opportunity as “decoding.” Wives—who instinctively respond with love—should ask: Will what I’m about to say sound respectful to my husband? Husbands—whose instinctive responses are respectful—should ask whether the response they’re about to give is loving. Ephesians 5:33 (NIV) supports these recommendations: “However, each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband.”

As I reviewed my reply to my husband, I thought about the importance of decoding. Had I been respectful? My upbeat email opened by thanking my husband for sharing the schedule change. So, why did I have a lingering concern?

Then it dawned on me. My husband was supposed to speak at that conference. He adds value at work this way, but for reasons outside his control, the conference had been cancelled.

He sent me an email about his desire to work and achieve, a desire that God has placed deep within his soul.

A typical wife, I responded with an email about the importance of family.

While family matters to my husband, I realized I’d missed his heart. I didn’t initially perceive that he actually shared a setback at work, not an update about his schedule.

So, I emailed an apology that acknowledged my husband’s disappointment, as well as my admiration for his commitment to his job. He accepted my apology.

But it would’ve been so much better if my first response showed appreciation for my husband’s desire to work and achieve.

It would have been so much better if I had used the space between stimulus and response to decode.

~Marilyn

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Love and Respect, Emerson Eggerichs (Integrity Publishers, 2004)

Love & Faith

2010-03-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

The only thing that counts is faith expressing itself through love. Galatians 5:6

I have probably breezed by this verse in Galatians many times and missed the importance of it. It lines up perfectly with 1 Corinthians 13! Isn’t it wonderful that God repeats truths he doesn’t want us to miss?
1 Corinthians 13:2 says “if I have faith to move mountains, but do not have love, I am nothing.” Faith to move mountains is nothing to sneeze at, but if that faith is not born in a heart of love, it means absolutely nothing.
Hebrews 11 presents a long list of saints such as Noah, Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and Rahab - among others. Their acts of faith were forever written in Biblical history, but it wasn’t empty faith that accomplished these great miracles. It was obedience to God out of a heart of love which caused Noah to build an ark when he had never seen rain; which moved Abraham to lay his son of promise on the altar; which motivated Moses to deny his earthly heritage and take up the cause of people in bondage.
I don’t know what miracles you need in your life today, but faith expressed through love can move your mountains. Love in action shows your faith, and faithful obedience pleases the heart of God.

May you seek to please His heart today!

~Nicole Hamlin, Family Life Ministries Intern

Pancakes for Dinner

2010-03-05T04:00:00.001-05:00

Sometimes we just like to have pancakes for dinner.......and it's usually when my husband, Mark, is out of town. However, he does enjoy them with us once in a while. :)
In case you'd like to try pancakes for dinner tonight, I thought I'd share my recipe with you from my Better Homes and Gardens Cookbook.

Combine 1 cup flour, 1 T sugar, 2 tsp baking powder and 1/4 tsp salt.

In a separate bowl whisk together 1 egg, 1 cup milk, 2 T cooking oil, and I like to add a little vanilla.

Pour the liquid into the dry mixture bowl and stir until combined.

......and start making pancakes.....mmmm.

........and keep making them.....because your kids eat about 5 each....no....just mine?

We like to eat our pancakes with butter and powdered sugar.....sometimes syrup and sometimes peanut butter with syrup. How do you like to eat your pancake?

Of course you can always add blueberries, cinnamon, chocolate chips, etc. to the batter (not all at once though...hee! Choose ONE! :) and make something special for your family! :D Enjoy!

~Betsy

A Promise Worth Keeping

2010-03-03T04:00:00.004-05:00

The good-looking kid (gets the looks from his mother) you see in the picture is my son, Micah. Last year he developed a love affair with baseball. One Thursday he asked me to work on his pitching with him. I told him that I would after I finished working out. I finished my workout, got something to eat, showered and before I knew it, time had slipped away from me. Now, I was rushing out the door to get to the office. As I was walking out the door, I heard his innocent but maturing voice, "I thought you were going to work on my pitching with me."

Now, I had every intention on playing with him, but had conjured up several "good" reasons why we should postpone his pitching session: I was running behind schedule, he had just finished eating, and it had been raining earlier (Now, it really hadn't rained long and hard enough to prevent us from playing). "Son, can we work on your pitching when I come back home this evening?" He said, "All right, dad." Although his "all right" sounded like he understood, I knew it was laced with disappointment. His "all right" sounded like a hope deferred, and I was the one who had deferred it.

When he conceded, I knew I was about to break a promise to my son. But, the Holy Spirit would not let me. He nudged me to put down my bag, my blackberry, and my afternoon snack and pick up my glove and work on pitching with my son. I obeyed. It was the best ten minutes of my day. Yes, it was inconvenient. Yes, it interrupted my flow. But, something more important than my schedule and my flow was at stake. My integrity was at stake. My example and reputation of being a "father who keeps a promise" was at stake. (I know another Father who has a reputation of keeping promises.) This was about more than playing catch. It was about making and keeping a promise to my son. I told him I would, and I needed to keep my word. It was a promise worth keeping.

What promises have you made to your spouse, children, family and friends, you need to keep today? What inconveniences or interruptions have you allowed to prevent you from keeping your word? What baby steps can you take to fulfill your promises?

~Pastor Marvin

Love With Actions

2010-03-01T04:00:00.002-05:00

Dear children, let us not love with words or tongue, but with actions and in truth.
1 John 3:18

Not yet being blessed with children ourselves, my husband and I take great delight in our 20 month old niece. She stayed with us overnight recently and as I was getting ready for work in the morning, she followed me around from room to room. I gave her a kiss and when said I had to go to work, she began to cry and say repeatedly, “Come?”

Her plea melted my heart.

Lately, God has been convicting me of how I love, or rather, do not love others as He has commanded. I may say that I love them, and perhaps believe that - for the most part - I have loving feelings toward them. But in actuality, I am not showing love to certain people because it’s difficult, uncomfortable, or requires something of me. It is easy at times to love with words but much more difficult to love with actions.
Not having fully developed vocabularies, young children love so well with their actions. My niece demonstrated her love by following me, crying, and clinging to me as I tried to leave. I knew for certain that she loved me and showed me that the best way she knew how - through her actions!

I want those around me to know that I love them by my actions toward them. I want them to have the distinct impression that they are loved by me, by Christ loving through me.
Love with actions means being patient with our children, being kind to our coworkers, and not being envious of those that appear to be better off than us. Love with actions means seeking another’s well being before that of my own. Love with actions means refraining from anger when my husband offends me. It requires that I keep no record of wrongs.
Loving people God’s way goes against our human nature, but through Him all things are possible!

How have you experienced love through the actions of another person? How have you expressed love with actions?

~Nicole Hamlin, Family Life Ministries Intern

FUN with Beans

2010-02-26T04:00:00.000-05:00

Did you see Sharina's post Wednesday about involving your kids in the kitchen? She inspired me to share this tip with you for some FUN on this wintery Friday. Because, not only will it benefit you - as the adult who is always looking for ways to save a little time - but if you have young boys in the house, it's a sure way to get them into the kitchen to help. If only for a moment!

Here's the deal: Do you use canned beans in any of your cooking? Tired of spending extra time scraping out the tricky beans that seem to cling to the bottom of the can? From now on, store your cans of beans upside down. Then, when you remove the lid and turn the can over, the beans fall right out. ALL OF THEM!
And here's the part that will get your young boys into the kitchen to help: If you're using refried beans and you've stored the can upside down, you can call your boys into the kitchen and tell them the can is going to, uh, p**p. Really. Remove the lid, turn the can over and give it a hearty shake. Gravity will take care of the rest. And believe me, the sounds and effects of the beans splatting into the bowl will make your boys laugh hysterically.
At least that's how mine responded. *grin*
By the way, this tip also works well for cream soups.

Oh, and I have a GREAT recipe which uses refried beans. Shall I post it here sometime?

~Karen

Kitchen Helpers

2010-02-24T04:00:00.000-05:00

If you’re like me, meal prep is a crazy/busy time when the kids are cranky(hungry), I’m famished(cranky) and all I want is to get a healthy meal on the table. My girls LOVE to “help.” But in my haste, I often shoo them away. Have you been there, too?

I’ve learned, therefore, the best time to invite my girls into the kitchen is not around meal times but - instead - when we’re relaxed. And through our times in the kitchen together I have also learned, cooking with kids has a lot of advantages and disadvantages.

Advantages:
1. Kids learn about nutrition, math, science, reading, and patience.
2. Cooking teaches kids to follow directions and enhances their imaginations.
3. Great conversations happen during cooking together.
4. There’s something for every child to do…sorting, measuring, pouring, cutting, mixing, etc.

Disadvantages:
1. It won’t be neat.
2. It won’t look pretty.
3. It may not taste great.

BUT the benefits your kids will experience from spending time with you in the kitchen will definitely trump the mess they’ll make. So, next time, think twice before shooing them out of the kitchen!

Got any easy, kid-friendly recipes you can share with us???

~Sharina

Matters of the Heart

2010-02-22T04:00:00.000-05:00

Everyone seems to go through a season in life (sometimes several times) where things just seem HARD and NEVER ENDING! Some days it just seems impossible to even get up in the morning.......why even "fight" through this day?.....It seems we'll get the same results over and over again.....failure.

This past year has been a season of hard times for Mark and I. We seem to have several issues going on in our life and all of them seem HUGE and STRESSFUL! One of these issues is having more children and it just doesn't seem to be happening for us.

I have had 3 miscarriages in the past year and I have never had trouble with having our first 3 children. We also have a heart for adoption and that doesn't seem to be happening right now either. Everything seems to be piling up on us and caving in. Sometimes it's hard to celebrate a holiday when your heart is so heavy and you feel suffocated with burdens. How do we go on each day? How do we keep the JOY that Jesus tells us to have?

Matthew 11:28 (Jesus says.......) "Come to me all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light."

It's during these tough days that Jesus walks with us even closer and we feel Him even more. We need to be the ones to draw near to Him.....He never leaves us! Mark and I have found that during the "storm", when things seem so bleak and impossible......that Jesus was taking care of everything....He had it under control....He never left our side and we come out even STRONGER in Him. He's GOD for goodness sake!! How could we think that we could do a better job or have a better way of living our life? He is our Creator! I know if God's plan is even BETTER......then I want to WAIT and TRUST in HIM!

We are learning....day by day.....not to let any life circumstance create our JOY! It's only through Jesus that we can have true JOY in life! We count ourselves so very BLESSED! He has given us SO much and MORE! That puts JOY in my heart and a SMILE on my face!

~ Betsy :)

Serving Together: FUN Ideas

2010-02-19T04:00:00.002-05:00

Use one or more of these family activities to help your children learn more about what it means to be a servant.

I Spy: Take the family to a sit-down restaurant. Tell the children they are spies who must identify the best servant. Help them notice the waiter/waitress by asking them to point out clues that suggest a servant’s attitude, spirit and work. (i.e. Listening well, taking care of the needs of others, etc.)

Frozen Arms: Tell the children that you magically froze their arms so they are not allowed to bend elbows or wrists. Place candy or cookies in the middle of the table and tell them they can each eat one. Without bending their arms, however, it will be impossible to serve themselves – so they must figure out how to serve one another to get the good stuff! When done, explain that we are called to serve those unable to serve themselves – but the real blessing comes back to us.

Read Together: Read and discuss the following Scriptures.
_ Mark 10:43-45 (Jesus described servants as “great.”)
_ Philippians 2:5-7 (Jesus modeled humility & service.)
_ James 1:27 (Christians are to care for the needy.)

Team up with us as we deliver food to 3,000 Lansing families in need on Sunday, February 21st. For details, click here!

Serving Together: Building the Family Bond

2010-02-17T04:00:00.000-05:00

Continuing with our focus on serving this week, let's take time to think about how our family bond can be made stronger as we serve together.

Here are some things to keep in mind during your family service project.

Build Your Relationships: Serving together is an ideal time to get to know each other better. Take note of what different family members do well. Intentionally encourage them and tell them you are proud of how they demonstrated a great attitude or area of strength.

Here are some things to do afterwards to get the most out of your experience.

Talk About It: Take time right after you finish serving to talk about your family volunteer experiences. By reflecting and talking about it, the experience will have a greater impact and allow family members to share what really meant a lot to them, moved or challenged them. This is a great way to get to know each other better.

Discussion Questions: The following questions may be helpful to guide conversations when you finish your time of serving together.

What? What kind of difference did we make together? Allow each member to share any stories about the experience. They can be sad, silly, frustrating, funny, serious or touching stories.

Why? Why was it important to do this project together as a family? How did it fit with the values and beliefs that are important to our family? How did it impact you?

Now what? Is there anything that we will do differently as a family as a result of our time serving together? How did it impact our entire family? What kinds of activities do we want to do in the future?

Pray for Those Served: Take a few minutes to pray as a family asking God to bless those you served by using your act of service to bring hope, healing and grace into their lives.

Team up with us as we deliver food to 3,000 Lansing families in need on Sunday, February 21st. For details, click here!

Serving Together: How To Get Started

2010-02-15T04:00:00.000-05:00

This week at Trinity we are excited about gearing up for the Church of Greater Lansing Food Drop - happening Sunday, February 21! With our focus on serving this week at church, we thought it would be good to focus on it here on the blog, too.

So, today, let's think about how to get our families started on a service project.

First of all, Why Serve?
*Experience God & joy in making a difference together.
*Increase a child’s sense of gratitude by seeing those less fortunate.
*Allows you to learn more about one another & opens communication

Before Serving Together
Find a Shared Passion: Spend some time talking with your child/teenager about the things that interest and concern them. It will be more meaningful if you have a shared passion for the specific areas of service. (Examples: If your family has an interest in poverty-stricken areas, find a place to feed the homeless. You may have a teenager that loves kids and it would be great to serve in an orphanage or at the church with the children’s or special needs ministry.)

Find a Good Fit: Serving can be as simple as baking cookies for a homebound
neighbor or making birthday cards for those in a nursing home. It can be an extended serving time such as a missions trip or meeting a particular need on a regular basis. Keep in mind, there are often great projects and scheduled mission events already planned that your family may want to take part in. It’s important for kids to participate in the selection process.

Set Expectations: Put your child more at ease by explaining what to expect. If visiting a nursing home, for example, explain they may encounter odd sights, sounds and smells. If feeding the homeless, share why some people may not be able to take regular baths but we love them anyway. If helping children with special needs, explain why some can’t respond “normally” to conversations, etc. You may also want to coach them on manners and explain what they will likely do while serving. Set the tone for a great time together!

Team up with us as we deliver food to 3,000 Lansing families in need on Sunday, February 21st. For details, click here!

Olympic FUN

2010-02-12T04:00:00.001-05:00

Ever since I was a child the Olympics have captivated me. I well up with emotion when I see the torch. I stand taller when I see our country's flag. I enjoy every story told of Olympians pursuing their dreams. With that said, you must know, I love the Olympics!

So, today's the day! The 2010 Winter Olympics are about to begin.

Here are a few ideas to help your family have fun with the Olympics.

Choose a country. Every Olympics each member of our family chooses a country to adopt as our own. I print off flags, we color them and then track that country during the Olympic games. You can take this as far as you wish; reading books about the country, finding a missionary stationed there, eating ethnic foods, or finding it on a world map. During the Summer Olympics my daughter cheered on Germany, on a recent trip to Frankenmuth she was delighted to find the German flag and see yet another glimpse of their culture.

Keep a world map and book of flags nearby. My kids enjoy the challenge of finding the different countries and flags as they are highlighted throughout the Opening Ceremonies and competetion. Who knew learning could be such fun?

Get active! Take this time to try out some new winter sports; an afternoon ice skating, a trip to your favorite sledding hill, try out different positions and nickname them the different sports. For example, wearing your helmet go head first on your belly and pretend you are doing the skeleton, or pile multiple people in a longer sled and pretend you are doing the bobsled, for the luge lay flat on your back and push off with your hands. Practice balancing on a snowboard or pretend while the Olympians are making their runs. Have a Wii Fit? Try to break a new record for ski jump, skiing or snowboarding.

Watch the games! Be inspired by men and woman pursuing their dreams. Keep an eye out for athletes professing faith. Hear stories that will inspire and find teachable moments about overcoming defeat.

Do you and your family have any fun family traditions related to the Olympics? I would love to hear about them!
Enjoy the 2010 Winter Olympics!

~Sarah

Love AND Respect on Valentine's Day

2010-02-10T04:00:00.000-05:00

Is there anybody out there with “purchase Valentine’s Day card for my husband” on her to-do list?

If so, I want to encourage you to scratch that item off your list! Instead of a card that affirms your love for your husband, consider writing him a short Respect Note.

The Bible reveals that a wife's respect for her husband is as powerful as her husband's love is to her. As Ephesians 5:33 states: "Each one of you also must love his wife as he loves himself, and the wife must respect her husband" (NIV).

Dr. Emerson Eggerichs, President of Love and Respect Ministries, tells wives that through RESPECT TALK we can......

* Re-kindle moments of closeness in the midst of stress

* Open your husband's closed spirit when he feels everybody respects him but you

* Counter the misperception you are trying to be his mother

* Give him hope that you view him equal to you, not worse than you.

* Re-energize his deflated ego in the midst of outside factors that are discouraging him.

Intrigued? If so, here are some suggestions for how to proceed. First, keep your note short. Second, think of three things that you respect about your husband. Keep in mind that husbands are energized when their wives show appreciation for their desire to protect and to provide, to serve and to lead, and to analyze and counsel. So, focus on those areas in your note.

Third, write the note and give it to your husband!

Does a respect note sound like a crazy idea to you? Have you ever told your husband how much you respected him? If so, what was his response?

RECOMMENDED RESOURCE: Love and Respect, by Emerson Eggerichs (Integrity Publishers, 2004)

~Marilyn

Catechisms Anyone??

2010-02-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

We have started catechisms with our family, so the kids can really hide God's word in their heart and really KNOW why we believe what we believe!

"These words that I am giving you today are to be in your heart. Repeat them to your children. Talk about them when you sit in your house and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up." - Deuteronomy 6:6-7

A catechism is a way of teaching the doctrines of the Christian faith in a systematic way using a series of questions and answers.

We are taking one question per week, so the kids can really understand, take it in and memorize the scripture. There are 60 all together, so it may take us a while, but we'll go through them all and when they are finished.....they will know all the answers to "why we believe what we believe" and better yet.....WHERE it tells us so in God's Word!

Here is our Question for this week:

Question: Where do we learn about God, ourselves, and the world around us?
Answer: From the Bible
Scripture to Memorize: 2 Timothy 3:16 - All scripture is inspired by God and is profitable for teaching, for rebuking, for correcting, for training in righteousness."

I would love to encourage you to start catechisms with your family, so your children can know why you believe what you believe and the scripture to back it up!

~ Betsy :)

Homemade Pizza...What Could Be Better?

2010-02-05T06:46:00.010-05:00

Most Friday nights we make homemade pizza! It's been a tradition for quite a long time. We are so spoiled to have this recipe and now it's hard to order pizza out! So here it is: First....you will need 1 T of yeast mixed with 1 cup warm water. Let the yeast set in a separate little bowl for about 8 minutes or until it's foamy & smells yeasty.

In another larger bowl, you'll add 3 T of honey, 1 T of salt & 3/4 cup warm water...........along with 4 cups flour.

I like to use 3 cups all purpose flour and 1 cup wheat flour. It really gives the crust a lot of flavor!
I also put some of the wheat flour down on the counter to kneed the bread & any extra I throw into the dough (if it's too sticky), I use the wheat. So start working the dough. Get out all of your aggressions!! You will really start to feel it in your arms after about 8 minutes or so.

I also use cooking spray on the pizza pans & a sprinkle of corn meal. This helps the pizza not to stick to the pan.

This recipe makes 2 large pizzas.....

Then I take melted butter and brush the crust and then sprinkle it with garlic salt.

Next, comes the sauce! We have found that our very favorite pizza sauce is actually from Walmart! It's the Great Value brand of pizza sauce. It's really light and sweet.....not such a heavy tomato flavor that knocks your socks off! It's perfect!

Gather up all your cheeses! I usually use mozzarella, Parmesan & Asiago. I buy the chunks, so I can grate it myself!

Into the oven they go!! Put them in a cold oven and turn the oven to 475. They will need to cook for about 20 minutes or so, but just until nice and golden on top and the crust is done.

......And now we wait.......

...and wait...

It's DONE!!

It's the best!! We love it!! I can't wait to eat it........

Enjoy!! ~Betsy

Not Your Average Trip to Target

2010-02-03T04:00:00.000-05:00

My family and I were getting ready for a mission trip to Jamaica, and had to go to the store to purchase several things. We stuck together in the beginning - filling the cart from the list we were given. Toothpaste, baby powder, sun block, goldfish, etc. The list went on and on. Slowly, however, the older kids and my husband drifted off to other areas of the store until it was just me and my youngest son, Luke.
Luke had already estimated in his little mind how much money we had to spend for the mission trip. He was excited to find just the right items for the family we will be staying with at Whitehouse, Jamaica, but was aware there was a cost.
As we started unloading our overflowing shopping cart onto the conveyor belt, I told the cashier about our trip. It didn’t take long for the total to be revealed—almost $100 over the amount we had set aside for shopping. Granted, we had purchased a few items for our family's personal use but it was still more than we had expected—or at least more than Luke had calculated.
Without a blink, Luke reached into his pocket, pulled out his wallet, and gave me a $20 bill. For some reason, it didn’t register with me what was going on. But the cashier understood, and she began to tear up. All of a sudden I saw Luke's eyes and they were full of tears. Something (better yet Someone) had moved him to empty the last of his money to pay for the purchase.
Now tears streamed down my face, too.
Part of me wanted to give Luke back his money, and tell him it was the thought that counted. But a still voice prompted me, Let him give it; the way of the cross always COSTS.
Oh, to see his heart revealed in such a beautiful manner. I saw Jesus in those precious eyes. And so did the woman at the register.
We walked out to the car, bags in hand and hearts overflowing.

Have you ever seen the heart of your child revealed? What happened?

~Wendy

Let's Pray

2010-02-01T04:00:00.000-05:00

I recently received the book God is No Stranger. It is a book of prayers and has touched my heart. "These prayers of Haitian Christians converted from Voodooism reflect the paradoxically childlike yet deep faith of a mountain people who have come to know God as a Friend acquainted with their culture and daily lives." (from the book's back cover)

This prayer particularly gets me today:

The people on the coast are beginning to drink sea water.
We here in the mountains don't even have sea water to drink.
Dear Lord send the rain.

Our Father knows exactly what our brothers and sisters in Haiti need today. Will you join me in praying for them?

Father in heaven, You see what has happened in Haiti. You know the needs of each individual. Needs for food and water, for shelter and rescue. Needs for comfort, and assurance that You are still faithful. You see each person who is hurting and scared, and You hear their cries for help.
And You are able to meet them, to provide for each need, and to show Yourself powerful.
We praise You, God, because that earthquake did not knock You off Your throne, and the after affects are not too much for You to handle.
Today we are asking You to bring peace and hope where there is still chaos and fear. Please empower the men and women who are working for relief. Make them Your hands and feet. And please, LORD, continue to grow the faith of these brothers and sisters, even in the midst of the devastation.
Yes, LORD, glorify Yourself through this circumstance.
We're asking it in Jesus' Name.
Amen and amen!

~Karen

True North FUN

2010-01-29T04:00:00.002-05:00

Do you have some sportsmen in your family?
Like tasting wild game?
Looking for something special to do this weekend?

Trinity's Men's Ministry - True North - is holding the 2010 Sportsmen's Banquet and Wild Game Tasting event this weekend. And you're invited!
There will be displays, clinics, game tasting, a silent auction, a meal and a program. And the best part? You don't even have to be a guy to go! Women are welcome, too.
Tickets are almost sold out for Saturday, but we have it on good authority that there is plenty of room Friday. Tickets will be available at the door up until meal time. (6:00 Friday, and 5:45 Saturday)
Click here for complete details on Trinity's website. Then grab the family and head on over to the church!

Praying for our Children

2010-01-27T04:00:00.003-05:00

As parents, I think one of the greatest things we can do for our children is to pray for them. And sometimes it's easy to know what to pray.

*Our children are facing a struggle, and we pray for resolution to their trouble.
*They have a test coming up in school, and we pray they will do well.
*There's an overload in the sibling rivalry realm, and we pray for peace.
*They're driving us nuts, and we pray that God will grant us patience.

Ahem, I mean, I'm not the only one who experiences this, am I?

Yes. It's easy to consider the moment and pray accordingly, but what about our children's futures? How can we pray thoughtfully and intentionally beyond the momentary circumstance?
I have a good friend who gave me something that helps me pray for my children. It's a bookmark I keep in my Bible and it has printed on it, 31 Biblical Virtues to Pray for your Kids. There are prayers written out for each day of the month which lead me in how to pray for my children.
Today is the 27th and this is what I'm praying: "Lord, please instill in my children a soul that 'followeth hard after thee.' (Ps. 63:8 KJV)

Yes! Today I am praying that my children will develop a Passion for God.

Will you join me?

~Karen

No Accident

2010-01-25T04:00:00.001-05:00

My 19 year old daughter was recently in a car accident. She is ok. The little girl she had in the car was ok. The car was not ok. It is totaled.
Yet I am so thankful.

In years past, thankfulness would not have been my response. My typical mode of response was nothing less than FREAK OUT. And then after a while, continue to freak out and heap on the blame and assign plenty of guilt. But, praise God, that was not the response this time.

My response this time made me realize something had changed in me. I understood that I am not in control. I became convinced that my God is trustworthy and that He really, really loves me.

Believe it or not, I haven't always believed these things about God. Sure, I said I believed them. I even lead Bible studies on believing and trusting God. But my actions and reactions showed what I really believed--that I didn't trust God (I trusted me), and I didn't think HE was paying attention. I thought I needed to make my plans succeed and, therefore, I needed to manipulate and control life.

Yet over the last few years, I have gotten personal with HIM. I have found that even when there was pain and suffering, He was there with me. When life didn’t go my way, He showed a better way. When my expectations in others were disappointed, He remained faithful. Even when others rejected me, He always accepted me.

So today, I rest in the fact that God is GOOD. I choose to trust HIM because He has proven Himself trustworthy. God has shown me that He is in control - even in the midst of the painful, scary, out of control events in my life. God has done an amazing work in me. And in the face of my daughter's car accident, I have come to understand that His work in my life has been purposeful. That the change I see in me was no accident!

And bottom line - I know in the depths of my heart His incredible love for me.

Do you?

~Wendy

FUN with Check-in

2010-01-22T04:00:00.002-05:00

Have you heard? Trinity's Children's Ministry is soon going to transition to registering children’s weekend attendance electronically. Doing this will make our children safer, be more efficient, and save us all time.
But since change can sometimes be painful, we thought it would be a good idea to ease you into things right here at Faith, Family & Fun.
Yep. We're always looking out for you!

You may have already noticed the kiosks, like this one, where you’ll register your children. To transition to this new system, we will begin registering ONLY elementary children electronically. All children, infant to pre-kindergarten, continue to register as you currently do.

For electronic attendance, here’s what you’ll do:

Each week, stop at a kiosk and register each child in your family. There are 4 kiosks and a computer at the registration desk for you to choose from.

Begin by entering the last name of your child.
Select the child you want to register.
Select the group/room you would like to register your child for.
After entering your information, labels will be generated for you. Then, take your child to the appropriate room. Parents, or a designated family member, are expected to both drop off and pick up children at each service.

When you register each child, you’ll receive 3 labels per child per weekend service.
1. One label is for room attendance. You’ll take this tag and hand it to your child’s room volunteer.
2. One label is a nametag that goes right on the child.
3. One label is for you, the parent or individual dropping the child off. This matches the child’s nametag and allows only you - with this label receipt - to pick that child up from that room. This label will function in a similar way to the current “family number.”

When it’s time for you to pick up your child, bring your matching label to the room and show it to the room volunteer. Both your tag and your child’s tag will be matched with the attendance label.

For the first few weeks of this transition, we need you to update some of your child and family information. We’ll have a card by the kiosks for you to fill out. This will include updating your e-mail address and child allergies. It is important that we have this information.

Once families are comfortable with enrolling elementary children electronically, we will begin transitioning Early Childhood families. While we are in the midst of this transition, there will be someone at each kiosk to help and assist you with any questions you may have. Also, don’t hesitate to contact us with any questions by emailing Ashley at: Ashley.richards@trinitywired.com.

Looking forward to continuing to grow with you and your precious children.

~Belinda

Raising Great Kids

2010-01-20T04:00:00.001-05:00

Were you at the Christmas Eve service at Trinity last month?

Remember hearing Kirk Cousins speak about his faith?

Wasn't that an inspiring moment as a parent???

I remember sitting in the balcony listening to Kirk, and praying that my boys will grow up to be fine, godly young men like him.
Yes, I was picturing in my mind - my two boys as well-spoken, faith-filled young men. Ahhhh. *peaceful sigh*

Then we went home.
I don't remember what happened, but something set one of my son's off and it was not pleasant. He was yelling and arguing and being disrespectful. And that image I'd had in my mind an hour before? It was long gone.
Then suddenly I wondered, When Kirk was a pre-teen, did he ever have moments like this one? Is there still hope for my son?

So, do you know what I did?

I emailed Don Cousins and I asked him. And I asked him what he thought the most important thing was that he did as a parent, raising Kirk.

Don's reply?

Yes. Kirk had moments, too. All kids do, he assured me. (Thanks, Don!) He said it was the grace of God working in Kirk that made him the young man he is today.
Don also pointed me to a sermon he gave at Calvary Christian Reformed Church in Holland about parenting. It is filled with principles he believes are crucial to us as parents, from Deuteronomy 6.
Click here to listen. You'll be glad you did!

~Karen

Just Give It

2010-01-18T04:00:00.003-05:00

You never really understand how much you need your vacuum until it breaks—especially if you have a dog and three kids.
When our vacuum broke down for the second time in three months, we decided to purchase a new one. While the old one sat in the garage—waiting to be set out with the trash - I began to wonder, what if the old vacuum could be repaired? That would mean we could have two vacuums which would be great in case one broke again. So I took it to the repair shop and, sure enough, for a small fee this vacuum could be repaired.
A couple weeks went by and I kind of forgot about the vacuum. Out of sight, out of mind, I guess. Finally I went in and picked it up. As I was putting it in the trunk, I sensed God saying, “Who needs this vacuum?”
Of course my answer was, “I do!” I proceeded to explain to God all the reasons a second vacuum would be helpful in our home. Yet, I sensed Him asking once again, “Who needs this vacuum?”
A name came to my mind.
I wish I could tell you that immediately after the name popped into my mind, I proceeded to drive it right over to that individual’s home. But I didn't. I drove around with that vacuum in the back of my car for days. I knew who I was to give it to, I just didn’t want to part with my second vacuum.
The next week, a Bible verse came to my mind “if a man has two vacuums and sees someone who has none, you are to give the vacuum to them.” (my very loose paraphrase) I called and asked if this family needed it (they said yes) and proceeded to drive it right over to their home.

I am beginning to understand that God wants to provide for others and He wants to use us to do it. We need to unclasp our fist, ask with whom we can share, listen for His prompting, and JUST GIVE IT.

Have you ever sensed God prompting you to give something away? What happened?

It's COOOOLD outside!

2010-01-15T04:00:00.001-05:00

People often ask me, "Why in the world did you move from Maui to Michigan?"
Honestly, during January and February I begin to question this myself. But there are a few places in town that we enjoy during the cold winter months:

Jumpin Jax: Jumpin' Jax is a 10,000 square foot facility with 7 big inflatables, and a NEW JUST for toddlers area, for your child's enjoyment. There are obstacle courses and slides, fun for all ages and parents are welcome to bounce too. Our kids bounced for 4+ hours and took great naps!! http://www.jumpinjaxbouncearena.com/

Red Cedar Gymnastics: There's an open gym time for kids to play on the trampolines, bars, beams, rings, bouncy floor, etc. It's a great alternative to signing up for weekly classes and the kids love the treat! http://www.redcedargymnastics.com/
Edru Skate: Enjoyment for the whole family, skating lessons, laser tag, special parties and much more. They have a special skate time for toddlers where you can bring your own push toys. Skate rentals available. http://www.skatarama.com/
FunTyme Adventure Park: We love the mini-lane bowling, arcade games and indoor golf dome. Free parking and food on site. Phone for hours of operation, varies by season. There's one on Jolly Rd West of Okemos Rd and another in Mason. http://www.funtymepark.com/
Time together as a family is a wonderful thing!
What are your favorite places to go???

~Sharina

Time with God

2010-01-13T04:00:00.003-05:00

Marvin Williams is our new Senior Teaching Pastor at Trinity and through the course of interviews, someone asked Marvin to talk about his personal relationship with Christ. He shared about his times studying the Bible, journaling and prayer, which were all things I expected to hear. And I am glad he is investing that time with the LORD.

But then Marvin said something I hadn't anticipated hearing.

He said that most recently, he has found community with Christ through his relationship with those in his family.

When he loves and serves his wife, he senses God's presence.

When he plays basketball with his boys, or stops to have a coke with his daughter, he finds community with Christ.

Time with God is a part of his everyday life. It isn't just the time he spends alone in the scriptures.

I find this concept so freeing and encouraging as a parent. To be sure, I enjoy my time alone with the Lord. But I have found a new sense of God's presence with me as I live out my roles as wife and mother.

*To know that I can experience God and have community with Christ while I am doing the "duties" of a wife and mother - even the boring, mundane things like folding laundry and cleaning up spills.

*To know that HE is with me in every single moment.

Ahhh! This delights my heart!

Thank You, Lord, for using Marvin to open my eyes so that I may recognize Your presence more and more.

~Sharina

Prayer and Popcorn

2010-01-11T04:00:00.001-05:00

Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. Philippians 4:6

The area of prayer can be a struggle for my children. Throughout the day, I will find little things we can stop to pray for...an ambulance rushing past - we pray for the person who is hurt; a new scrape from a fall - we pray that Jesus will bring healing; a sick friend or relative – we pray Jesus helps them feel better. Of course, they have the meal time and night time prayers mastered, but getting them to open up to Jesus, about any personal fears and struggles or even personal words of thankfulness, can be difficult.

The other night we decided to pray in a circle all holding hands. I explained that I would start and that they could jump in - at any time - and add to the prayer. My son says, “oh, a popcorn prayer!”. Perfect, I thought, he knows how this works.

It started out simply enough. Jimmy said a few words to get things moving along and then Anna (3 year old) chimes in with “I am thankful for popcorn”. My husband and I smiled a bit...makes sense, it’s fresh on her mind. This was followed by words of thanks for the wii, cake, babies, popcorn (again by Anna -perhaps she had her own agenda). Of course, it was quite giggly at this point. Just when I had given up hope, Leah gave thanks for all the people in her family, each of us by name. Ahh…a step in the right direction!

Sometimes living out our faith in front of our children can feel awkward. We may not have the right words to say to help them open up. Timing can be everything! Waiting for the right quiet moment to bring them into prayer before God is important (instead of forcing a bedtime prayer when emotions are running high and the battle for bedtime has begun. Anyone?)

Our first popcorn prayer may have centered too much around popcorn but hopefully the next time we hold each other’s hands and come before God we can pick up where we left off – with giggles included!

~ Kelly

FUN with Spiritual Growth? Absolutely!

2010-01-08T04:00:00.001-05:00

Have you entered the world of Webkinz?? Our girls are HOOKED!! Webkinz are plush pets that each come with a unique secret code. With it, you enter Webkinz World where you care for your virtual pet, answer trivia, earn KinzCash to buy virtual items such as furniture, clothing, charms, food and many other things.

Well, there is a free website similar to Webkinz but for older children that can help your child grow spiritually. Compassion International designed an interactive online journey into four distant villages. Your kids will explore fun games while discovering some of the stark realities of the developing world. They'll learn things they never knew, keep a prayer journal, read Bible verses on poverty, and much more.

Plant the seed of compassion in your child's heart. Check it out!

~Sharina

In-the-Moment Prayer Partners

2010-01-06T04:00:00.003-05:00

And pray in the Spirit on all occasions with all kinds of prayers and requests. With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying for all the saints. ~ Ephesians 6:18

The other night my husband was talking to our son about a concern he had regarding our son's friends. Things started getting heated - as our son wanted to be treated like the grown-up he wishes to be, rather than the child he is.

Been there?

Listening to the two of them arguing, part of me wanted to jump in and add my two cent's worth. I wanted to tell my son about the many times I thought my parents didn't know what they were talking about. Then I would have added that now - as an adult – I understand what they were saying, and I wish they had provided more guidance for me to make wise choices as a teen.
But, listening to the two of them arguing, I knew my son was in no way ready to listen to my two cent's worth. Not even one of them!
Instead of opening my mouth, I opened my heart and began praying. I prayed for my husband and asked God to direct his words. I prayed for my son and asked God to give him ears to hear. I prayed this situation would ultimately have a good ending.

As I sat there praying, it occurred to me how valuable it would be for parents to have in-the-moment prayer partners. When you're "in the middle of it" with one of your children, wouldn't you like to know someone is holding you before God in prayer, asking Him to give you wisdom and work in your situation?
How about asking your spouse to pray for you in those moments?
Are you willing to do the same?
If you aren't married, or your spouse isn't a believer, is there someone else you can ask to fill that role? Someone you can text in the middle of the battle - simply saying, PRAY- and trust them to take it from there?

This parenting thing is tough stuff, and we need all the help we can get. Let's pray for each other!

~Karen

A Fixed Gaze

2010-01-04T04:00:00.002-05:00

I was in Kohl’s the other day when I saw a mom with her three or four year old daughter, over in the toy section. Something caught the little girl's attention. She was so captivated by it that she pulled on her mom’s arm to get her attention.
“Mommy, I see a...” she expressed with tenacity.
Then this woman gently spoke of something in another section of the store that she wanted to take her daughter over to see. In an instant, that little girl's total attention switched from one object to another. Completely.

I wonder sometimes if that is how we are as children of God. The initial object that catches our complete gaze is God. We see so much when we first come into relationship with Him. We see His love, His grace, His mercy, His salvation, and His power and strength. We also see our need, our sin, our shame, our incompleteness, and our deep longing. We “want” Him.
But just like the dogs in the movie “UP”, it is as if someone whispers SQUIRREL and our gaze shifts. Distraction has been placed before us and our flesh responds with lightening speed. Suddenly we can’t even remember what held our attention before. We are on to the next object of our attention.
I can’t help but wonder how many times my gaze has shifted that fast - away from the face of the one I hold as most dear, to the possibility of something else. I have done this with my God, my husband, my children, and my dear friends. I have also done this with the calling He has placed before me at times.
Thankfully, there seems to be a way for my gaze to be more constant. As God has drawn me closer to Himself, less and less seems to distract me. It is as if I am so close to Him that any additional stimuli are hedged out. Oh, how I desire to focus on the one I love, to the exclusion of all else.
As we are beginning this new year, I am praying for myself and my family - that we may draw close and not be led away.

How do you keep your gaze fixed upon God?

~Wendy

"What is Christmas?"

2009-12-18T04:00:00.001-05:00

I love Christmas. I'm one of those people that bust out the Christmas music late October in anticipation of the season. One of my favorite things about this season is getting cards and letters from old college friends and families. Although I'm not someone who could sit and right a letter interesting enough for someone to want to read, I do enjoy seeing what others are up to. I keep all the cards and letters we get, hole punch them and then string them on a ribbon, so my kids can enjoy looking through them and adding to it as they come in the mail.

This year I recieved a card with the following poem on it. The poem was familiar to me as I'm sure it's quite popular, but I couldn't help but read it a few more times. It seems that every year, the world wants to phase out the "Christmas" season and replace it with a "Holiday" season. I can't help but be worried about the impact that has on mankind — shifting the focus from love, peace and hope found in Christ, to the the self indulgent season of gifts and parties.
How do you keep Christ in your Christmas?
Are there ways to stretch it out to last all year?

What is Christmas?
It's more than a day

at the end of the year;

More than a season

of joy and good cheer —

Christmas is really

God's pattern for living,

To be followed all year

by unselfish giving.

For in giving to others

and in being kind

Man finds true joy

and peace of mind —

And peace on earth

will come to stay

When we live Christmas

every day.

Helen Steiner Rice

~Kelly

P.S. Faith, Family & Fun will be taking a blogging break until January 4, 2010. We wish each of you a very Merry CHRISTmas. And look forward to seeing you again in the New Year!

Parting Words

2009-12-16T04:00:00.001-05:00

Teach them to your children, talking about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.
Deuteronomy 11: 19

It's the same every day.
At 8:10 my son and I stand on the corner waiting for our neighbor, and then the three of us walk to school.
The boys will lag behind and I'll tell them to keep coming. Then they'll run ahead and turn around to wait for me.
They'll grab sticks laying by the road and pretend to shoot passing cars. (If you drive by us, don't worry. They're harmless!)
At some point, there's usually talk about the latest game in gym class, and more recently - what's on top of the Christmas wish-list.

But whatever the topic of conversation has been, our parting words are always the same.
Me: Remember, Matthew - God created you.
Matthew: I know.
Me: He loves you.
Matthew: I know.
Me: And He has a purpose for your life.
Matthew: I know.
((Hug))

I believe Matthew does know those things. But I will continue to remind him every day when I take him to school. Because Matthew is only nine years old, and I know there will come days when he's older and the questions of life are more significant than whether to have pizza or a hamburger for lunch. There will be a time when his trials are more serious than learning how to order decimals and memorizing state capitals. One day he'll wish his greatest fear was asking the class bully to give him back his ball.
When those days come, I want my son to be firmly established in his confidence that God created him, loves him, and has a purpose for his life. So as long as he'll listen, I'm going to keep stating those parting words.
And, you know? The day he thinks he's "too big" for me to say them, I think I'll start whispering them to him when he's asleep in bed.

How about you? Of what do you want your children to be confident when they're older? Do you have any special parting words - for school, or bedtime, or otherwise? We'd love to hear about them in the comment section!

~Karen

Building Your Family's Faith

2009-12-14T04:00:00.007-05:00

***Congratulations to the winners of the Zap Zone giveaway - Brian Hossink, Autumn Johnson, J. Olger, and Sarah Surline. Keep your eyes open for more fun giveaways in the future!***

At Trinity, we conduct a monthly Family Moment during our weekend services. These times are designed to encourage and equip parents to teach their children about God. In September, we heard a testimony from Mike Krumm and launched our Family Devotionals for our Philippians study. In October, we shared our vision for Family Ministry, our church findings and taught parents how to pray scripture over their children. In November, Jim Richards shared how he’s learning about God by reading the Bible to his kids at night and we provided a list of recommended Bibles for kids at every age.

You can view these 5 min Family Moments and download free materials here. Enjoy!

~Sharina

Friday FUN - Laser Tag Style

2009-12-11T04:00:00.001-05:00

How's bedtime at your house? Do your kids generally get all ready when you say, "Go!" and you don't have to remind, nag, or cajole them to get the job done?

What's that? You're wondering why I'm bringing this up in a Friday FUN post? No, it is not because I'm trying to take the FUN out of your day. Rather, I am hoping to inspire you with a FUN idea.
Because if your house is anything like mine, bedtime is a chore. Looked upon with about as much enthusiasm as cleaning the bathroom. But after one particularly frustrating night, when my husband and I decided we just can't continue with the nagging, we came up with a plan for FUN.

Here's the deal.
When we say, "Go!" that's all we're going to say. We've told the kids they are responsible for getting themselves ready without Mom and Dad providing constant reminders to do this and that. (Our children are 13, 11 and 9 now. They KNOW what they need to do to get ready for bed!) And if they're ready at the determined time, if there has been no grumbling along the way, we're going to put a star on the calendar for that night.
And when the kids have earned 30 stars?

We're going to Zap Zone for a round of two of laser tag!!!

The kids are excited about this little incentive program. Zap Zone motivates them. Brian and I are looking forward to the FUN, too. But more than that, we're anticipating peaceful evenings between laser tag shoot-outs.

What would work for your family? How could you motivate peaceful evenings by offering some family fun? Maybe it's an outing to the movie theater, a visit to the ice cream store, a trip to the zoo, or an evening of laser tag? We'll be going on Tuesdays ($4 Game Day!). Care to join us???

And now, the giveaway we've been promising all week: Zap Zone has donated four Family Fun packs for our readers! Each pack contains one pass for a FREE game of laser tag and five buy-one-get-one-free passes for laser tag or glo golf. All you need to do to enter is leave a comment here by 10PM tonight (Friday) telling us you would like to be included in the drawing. (Telling us how much you love this blog will in no way increase your chances of winning. But it will bring a smile to our faces. *grin*) We'll draw four winners randomly from all comments left.
If you don't know how to leave a comment, click here for step-by-step instructions.
Please be sure to include your email address in your comment so we are able to contact the winners.
May the peace of Christ rest upon you this weekend.

~Karen

Building Faith In Children As A New Christian

2009-12-09T04:00:00.001-05:00

Are you a parent like me - new to Christianity? I didn't grow up going to church and wasn’t exposed to the church until 12 years ago when I met my wife. Early on I was able to grow in my new faith at my own pace, and challenge myself along the way. Then - six years ago - children entered the picture. Now I’m facing the challenge of growing the faith of my children when I’m still new to my own faith. How do I know if they will believe what I’m saying, or even if what I’m saying is correct?
I think for new believers this can be one of the biggest challenges we face when trying to raise children. How do we build the faith of our young children, when we are still building our own?

I’ve found in the last couple of years is that it is not easy, but taking small (child-like) steps really helps. One of the first things I started when my son was young was reading the Bible to him. We were given a children’s Bible from Trinity Church. He seemed to enjoy it and it was the first time I had heard some of these stories as well.
When my son got to be between 4 and 5 we went to a Christian bookstore together and picked out the next level Bible - fewer pictures and more details in the stories. Each night I was not only learning the stories, I was building his faith. (Along with my own!) Over the past few years we’ve read 2 Bibles, a couple of devotionals and Heaven for Kids by Randy Alcorn.
Reading to my son has made it much easier to transfer my head and heart knowledge of Christianity to my daughters. It seems to be easier because my confidence level is higher (At least not everything I read is brand new...) and I find myself looking for opportunities to talk to them about God and what it means to be a Christian.

How about you? How has having a family impacted your faith? And how are you impacting theirs?

~Jim Richards, guest blogger

P.S. Be sure to come back Friday to enter for the Zap Zone giveaway!

Will a Band-aid Do?

2009-12-07T04:00:00.001-05:00

Imagine you are about to get in your car when you hear the harsh whisper
of a stranger demanding you to remain silent. Before you know what is happening your wallet has been stolen and four inches of sharp metal has been inserted into your flesh.
Blood is flowing from the wound.
The assailant flees.
You reach for your trusty first aid kit. You always knew it
would come in handy. Taking out a large band-aid, you place it on the
wound and drive home - satisfied that the wound is out of sight and on
the path to healing.

Preposterous, right? If you don't take care of that wound immediately
you are either going to die of blood loss, or eventually from an
infection. You have to deal with the wound. It is senseless not to...
But this is what we inherently condone when we try to change
the behaviors of people without focusing on their motivations. When we
look only at the actions and not the heart. When we try to fix our sin
problem without acknowledging that it's a heart problem. It's like
putting a Band-aid on a deep stab wound.

In Mark 7, Jesus alludes to the power of the heart when he declares,
"Listen to me, everyone, and understand this. Nothing outside a man can
make him 'unclean' by going into him. Rather, it is what comes out of a
man that makes him 'unclean.'" (Translation: Why are you focused on the
behavior and not the motivation?)

Seems like it's easy to identify the knife wounds in our kids' lives (the places where sin is infecting) but how can we focus less on the outside condition and more on the inward reality? Let's talk about it together!

~Jordan

P.S. Be sure to stop by Friday. Zap Zone has donated some free passes and we'll be giving them away here.

Friday FUN

2009-12-04T04:00:00.000-05:00

Happy Friday to you!
Take a minute to celebrate life with this wonderful couple and their piano duet.
I dare you not to tap your toes and clap along!
Blessings to you this weekend.
~Sharina

A Meeting with The Physician - Part II

2009-12-03T04:00:00.001-05:00

Did you miss Part I? Click here to read it.

But then His eyes caught mine. He had that look again. The piercing one which went right into my heart. Only this time His gaze was moving back and forth from my heart to my eyes, and from my heart to my mouth.
I wondered what on earth He was doing now. Hadn't we reached our conclusion already?
And I rolled my eyes.
That's it! Do that again. No. Wait. And He put a mirror in front of me. Now do it.
So I did. I might have been a little too expressive with the eye rolling the second time around, but I was losing my grasp on patience.
Thankfully, the Physician had lots of it. Yeah, patience and patients! But at the moment, I had His full attention, as if there were no other patients on His mind except me. And without even a trace of the love leaving His expression, He began to talk.
Karen, that thing you just did with your eyes? You did it because you were not being patient with Me, didn't you.
As if He needed to ask.
It didn't look very nice, did it?
Of course, He was right. Again.
Darling, do you realize that is the same look you give your children when they are asking you for help, and love, and attention all day? Many times when these precious ones just want you to love them, when they need some mercy, you roll your eyes at them because you think you have something more important to do. Why is that, dear one?
I lowered my eyes and replied, "Uh. I don't know. Because I'm busy?"
When I glanced up, He was still looking at me. And that love was still there.
And He opened His mouth to speak again. Come closer. Let me have a look at your mouth. Oh...This is not good. My child, you have allowed harsh words to come out of your mouth. When your son was too busy playing to remember to use the toilet, you got upset with him and made him feel bad. Why did you do that, sweetheart?
Again, I lowered my eyes and replied, "I don't know. Because he should know better?"
Precious, Karen. My beloved child. I want you to model mercy for your children. They need to see it coming from you so they know how to show it to each other.
This time, I looked right at Him. And with tears running down my cheeks I said, "You're right. I know You're right! And I'm trying, Physician. Believe me, I'm trying! But I can't seem to get it right. No matter how hard I try, I lose patience and I say unkind things. I am so sorry. You've got to believe me! I just don't know what to do!"
And then He did the most amazing thing. The Physician reached out and took hold of my right hand. With His other hand, He wiped the tears from my eyes. He looked upon me with that love, and He spoke. My child, do not fear. I will help you. I am going to work in the hearts of your children. I promise. But first? Come. I need to do some work on yours.

A Meeting with The Physician - Part I

2009-12-02T04:00:00.003-05:00

For I am the LORD, your God, who takes hold of your right hand and says to you, Do not fear; I will help you. Isaiah 41:13

A few days ago I was meeting with our Physician.
The GREAT Physician, that is.
I was talking with Him about my children. My friend gave me a list of 31 Biblical virtues, and every day I talk with the Physician about one of those virtues as they relate to my kids. On this particular day, we were focusing on mercy.
As I do every day, I told the Physician how much I love my children and how great my desire is for them to grow up and become young doctors, walking in His footsteps. Then we started talking about this "mercy" issue.
See, my children are pretty good at being merciful to small animals, and cool bugs they find outside. They know when their friends are in need of kindness and they're able to be merciful toward them. And my kids sure have a handle on understanding when they, themselves, should be the recipients of someone's merciful ways.
But when it comes to showing mercy to one another? Oh, they are desperately lacking.
It is much more common for them to cut each other down and tear one another apart with unkind words. Words which show no signs of mercy. And it hurts my heart when I hear them say these things.
It really makes me sad, and as I talked with my Physician about the sadness in my heart, I nearly started crying. I told Him I know it is more than just the words coming out of their mouths which need to change. I understand it really is a heart issue, and I asked Him to change their hearts. I asked Him to give them new hearts which spring forth mercy and kind words, which build each other up.
At this point, the Physician was quiet and looked at me with gentle eyes. Though His look was full of love, it pierced right through my heart. And I got silent for a moment.
I just looked at Him.
And He kept staring at me with a shocking love, and a look which told me He could see right into my heart.
I asked Him, "Why are You looking at me like that? I'm here to talk with You about my children!"
But He simply kept looking at me.
So I stared back. And I couldn't get over the look of love in His eyes. He wasn't trying to be more stubborn than me. I knew He was trying to tell me something.
But He wasn't talking about my children, and that's what I didn't understand. He knew that's what I was there for. I had made an appointment to talk about my kids, and I fully intended to keep it.

In time, His love won me over and I began to hear what He was saying. And as soon as I heard Him, I knew He was right. The Physician told me that He will work in my children, but He has also given them me. And the Physician reminded me that I am to be a model of mercy to my children. He told me I was right - they need their hearts to be changed - but they also need a model of mercy to follow, and that is one of my primary roles as their mother.
"Oh, Yes! You are so right! You are! You are! I will be that model for them. Yes, I will!"
And I thought we were finished. I was ready to hug Him and be on my merciful way.

But then...

Come back tomorrow for the rest of the Meeting with The Physician!

~Karen

Reconciling

2009-11-30T04:00:00.002-05:00

1 Timothy 2:5 (New Living Translation)
For there is only one God and one Mediator who can reconcile God and humanity—the man Christ Jesus.

Ever have the sneaking suspicion that something isn't quite right in your checking account?
Let's say your balance on line is significantly different than the one in your checkbook. When this happened to me, I chose to trust MY balance. I continued to purchase as if nothing was wrong.
Some call it denial. I call it another 'd' word.

Deception.

After a week of living in my fantasy world, my bank sent me a statement. Now I had a choice. Ignore the statement and put it with other bills, or address the issue head on. I took a deep breath, sat down at the computer, and proceeded to open the dreaded statement.

Let the reconciling begin.

I found only one mistake. I had recorded a $150 debit as a $150 deposit. That's a problem. Not a $150 problem but a $300 problem!
Whew! So glad I balanced the account. At the rate I was spending, I would have dug a very deep financial hole.

I stopped and thought of the spiritual ramifications of this lesson: Avoiding the truth has consequences.
And I know I have done this with God.
He has whispered something is wrong and I have listened for the moment, then continued on as if I heard nothing. But eventually the Truth has been revealed - in a broken relationship, a deep wound, or a host of other painful experiences.
Then I faced a choice.
Would I open myself up to the opportunity to be reconciled to the Truth?
I hate to say it but at times in my life I have removed myself from Truth. I have avoided the statements that allow for reconciliation to take place. Rather, I have believed a lie: Reconciling is a bad thing and will limit your happiness.

The Truth is that Jesus Christ desires to live in harmony with me and transform me into His likeness. Only reconciliation can bring the freedom and joy I long for. I love knowing how I stand in relationship to Truth -- I am deeply loved and accepted. Therefore any errors that need correcting are for my good and His glory.
I have begun to love being reconciled. Both in my bank account, and with my God.

~Wendy

FUN with Turkey Leftovers

2009-11-27T04:00:00.008-05:00

Happy Friday!
Hope you had a great day of thanksgiving yesterday - enjoying family and friends and the goodness of God.
Now, what to do with all that leftover turkey???

Here's an idea!

~Kelly

Turkey Tortilla Soup

http://www.bhg.com/recipe/turkey/turkey-tortilla-soup/

A Divine Calling

2009-11-25T04:00:00.003-05:00

“…you have known the Holy Scriptures which are able to make you wise for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.” 2 Timothy 3:15

We have many different roles in life, mine include: wife, friend, sister, daughter, member, customer, employee and parent. Some of these roles come easily - like daughter, didn’t need to do much for that one! Others take some time and effort - like employee and friend. The one role I choose and continue to develop is that of parent. Often parents are described as “caregivers” or “providers”, but really it is so much more than that.

What if we started to think of parenting as a divine calling? Our primary goals are to raise children that continue to grow in faith, encourage them to use their gifts to glorify God and to serve others with the same compassion that Christ teaches us in the Bible. We need our kids to understand how the world works - in the light of the way God instructs in the Bible. We can send them to their Sunday schools for an hour a week, maybe have them in a Christian school, but if what we do as parents is in conflict of what they are taught in church, it’s all for nothing. It’s a divine calling, that honestly, only falls on us.

“Religion (Faith) never thoroughly penetrates life, until it becomes domestic." Horace Bushnel

I love this quote, it’s like anything in life, unless it is repeated, practiced, shown, displayed, acted out, talked about over and over and over… it just won’t stick.

We need to act it out in front them – prayer during difficult moments of the day or times of praise, and not just for food and as a quick blessing before bed. Acts of love towards your spouse and others - kids see this and mimic it to each other. If we show them that patience and kindness is the norm, and not the exception to every day interactions - we are shaping their hearts for the future. Helping them learn values and attitudes that can help them cope in life when they get older and get into difficult situations with peers, etc.

It’s a difficult role we are blessed with, but as I start to think of it as divine calling, it almost doesn’t seem as daunting. God’s grace makes it possible for spiritual formation and He has provided us with the Bible, a church family, and the Holy Spirit to help us nurture our children’s faith.

How about you? Do you find it difficult to make "religion" more domestic? It's easy to slip into the Sunday only mode of being a Chrisitan. What do you do as a family or even individually to keep every day focused on Christ?

~Kelly

Love. Thanks. Ask.

2009-11-23T04:00:00.002-05:00

Our kids always fight about who gets to pray. Once we figure out who’s turn it is, we usually sit for a while listening to one of them go on and on with lots of “um’s” and peeks from behind their little hands. So, after more than a few nights of re-heating cold dinners, we gave our kids a little fun instruction to help them with this special time.

We have begun encouraging them to use a 3 sentence format:

1) LOVE: Tell God how much you love him.
2) THANKS: Thank Him for something.
3) ASK: Ask Him for something.

So Riley, our oldest, gave it a shot one night at dinner. In her sweet voice she prayed, “Dear Jesus, I just want you to know how much I love you. Thank you for my family. Please, please, please I’d really like it if you gave me more Polly Pockets.”

Priceless! Ryan and I barely contained our laughter to tell her what a great job she did. To this day, we remain hopeful that one of the kids might get around to praying for our food. But, in the meantime, we are going to enjoy these sweet prayers and often funny requests.

Now, my goal is get Ryan to use this format so I can stay awake until the end of our bedtime prayers.

Please share! We'd love to learn any tips or stories about your prayer time with your spouse or your kids?

~ sharina

It's Time for Friday FUN!

2009-11-20T04:00:00.002-05:00

Happy Friday to you!

Today I want to do a little experiment with you - and your kids.
Quick, now, call them over to the computer and listen to the Chicken House Mix together.

A few times.

C'mon, it's only one minute and two seconds long - you can do this!

The experiment is this: I want to know if this crazy little song makes you all smile like it does my kids and I. And I want to know if it makes your kids do funny dances around the room.
Seriously. My thirteen-year-old daughter throws her arms around to the beat of the music and seems to have an involuntary urge to crow with the rooster.
It's hilarious.
Enjoy!!!
~ Karen

Getting ready for Thanksgiving.

2009-11-18T04:00:00.003-05:00

Philippians 4:6-7 (New International Version)

"Do not be anxious about anything, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus"

I love getting ready for Thanksgiving. I think it's the perfect way to enter the Christmas season. I saw on Facebook recently one of those, "make this your status.." type suggestions of mentioning something you are thankful for with every status update. It seems after the first few days of the more "obvious" selections, the choices would get more personal and reflective.
I think it would be a great idea to start a November tradition of thankfulness around the dinner table. Maybe get a poster or journal and have each child say something they are thankful for each day, but make a rule of no repeats. My three year old Leah is usually thankful for the same thing - "all the people of the world." I love the way she says it, like all the people in the world are a gift to her. So sweet. I hope she keeps this same sentiment as she gets older - taking care of all people, being able to think beyond herself and even those in her family or at her school.

I'll be honest, it's easy for our family to be Thankful this year - steady jobs, healthy kids, a home, school, and a church. There have been Thanksgivings in our life where it was more difficult to be thankful - trying to get pregnant, watching my husband struggle with illness and weight loss, dealing with overtime and stress at work, my husband being without a job, and even just feeling far from God as we head into a season where His grace and love are most apparant.
Does this circumstance sound familiar?
We all have different seasons of life filled with highs and lows. And in the midst of them, the Word urges us to not "be anxious" (Yikes! Something I struggle with for sure!) but to give thanks. And we have a great resource for finding things to be thankful for - our kids. They may surprise you with some moments of gratitude or things to be thankful for that you never would have considered.

Ask your kids over the next few days to tell you why they're thankful, and let us know what they say. We all could use some insight from a childs heart once in a while.

~Kelly

Experience the Power!

2009-11-16T04:00:00.002-05:00

The word experience can be defined and used in a variety of ways. For today's purpose, how about this way: Experience the mighty power of Christ.

I grew up in a culture where the charismatic, hand raising, holy rollers “experienced” Christ BUT the the rest of us Christians were much more reserved. We didn’t “feel” and “experience” Christ. Our righteousness was built like a ladder. The higher we climbed, the more righteous we became. The ladder was a set of rules and guidelines. If we followed the rungs of the ladder higher and higher, we would become more righteous in the eyes of God and man. But, don’t get over-excited when you climb that ladder! Don't let the experience take hold and emotions overflow...because emotions are not seen righteous.

Am I the only one that grew up this way or has felt this way at some point during their Christian experience?

Philippians 3: 9-11 “….. I no longer count on my own righteousness through obeying the law; rather, I become righteous through faith in Christ. For God’s way of making us right with himself depends on faith. I want to know Christ and experience the mighty power that raised him from the dead. I want to suffer with him, sharing in his death, so that one way or another I will experience the resurrection from the dead!”

Paul wants to experience mighty power! Two things strike me. One, his righteousness is not about him. Two, he wants to feel, yes experience the very power - that earth changing totally amazing power - that God used to raise Jesus from the dead. What could take more power than raising the dead? Paul wants to know what it must have felt like to be dead and have God awaken his heart with a kiss from his healing lips. To open his eyes from an eternal death to find his face nestled in the very hands of God. Pulling his face closer to His with a smile and hearing Him speak in the softest and at the same time loudest voice, “Wake up and Live”.

I want to experience this! I want to feel what it is like to be awakened by God. I want to experience the emotion, feel the emotion and, maybe even, display the emotion. Yes, I do!

I want to feel my heart beating wildly in my chest. I want to know Christ for the first time, every day. I want what Paul wanted. I want to experience the Power!

~ Tim

Friday FUN - Faith-filled Resources

2009-11-13T04:00:00.002-05:00

Hooray! It's Friday!!!

Do you have any special plans for the weekend?

My family and I will be celebrating my niece's birthday at a pool party on Saturday. And Sunday we're going to learn more about the Old Testament at the Walk Thru the Bible seminar at Trinity. Can't wait - because I think having a clearer understanding of the Old Testament is going to be a great help to all of us during family devotions.
So thankful for this resource!

Hey, did you know Trinity offers lots of great resources for our families?
Why not take a minute to follow this link to the Family Life Resource page and see what's available to you. I noticed some great studies coming in January. (Hint: click on the 'Small Groups & Classes' link.)

Enjoy your Friday!

~Karen

Loving God, Loving Your Baby

2009-11-11T04:00:00.002-05:00

When I see a baby laugh, I think of pure joy. We’re drawn to babies laughing, which is evident in the proliferation of baby clips on youtube and America’s Funniest Home Videos. For a super fun pick-me-up, check out triplets laughing on youtube.

There is so much that is innocent, precious, sweet, and a true picture of who our amazing creator God made us to be that can be seen in the joy of a child. As pure and precious as babies are, they need to know their Heavenly Father, and we begin sharing God’s love with them, long before they’re walking and talking. When we talk about sharing Jesus with our children, we usually think of school-aged children, but building faith into their lives begins long before that.

We’re clearly told “God is love...” If God is love, then infants will connect the love they experience from us with Him. So... how you hold your baby, the tone of voice you use when you talk to your child, the songs you sing, and how often you tell your baby that Jesus loves him is even now planting the seeds of love and truth in his heart and life.

A baby’s first impressions of Jesus is up to you. Your hugs, smiles, laughter, and a loving tone of voice are God’s love directly to her. As your child grows, and learns more about God, he will be more open to trusting Him and to loving others. Your child begins her spiritual journey long before she starts walking.

“Jesus loves me this, I know...” can be the song your child hears you sing, as you stroll him, lay her down for a nap, travel in the car, and as you go throughout your day together. It can be the tenor of your lives.

As for me, when I see parents showing love to a child through their words and their deeds, I think of a God who loves me, His child, and I’m grateful for the reminder. And, at the same time, I’m grateful for loving parents who are living their faith and making a difference for all of us.

- Belinda Lund Bjarki, Trinity's Children's Ministry Director

Everyday Moments

2009-11-09T04:00:00.003-05:00

Ever feel overwhelmed with the task of raising your child spiritually? Does it have to be that complicated? When I was a child, I vividly remember times where my parents used everyday moments to show me Jesus.

At the age of 4, I stole quarters from my dad’s nightstand. He used that opportunity to share with me about Judas and how he betrayed Jesus because of his love for money. I learned how Jesus died on the cross for my sins and how much He loved me. That night, I invited Christ into my heart and it’s a night I’ll never forget.
Another time, my brother and I were goofing off. He pushed me and my face slammed into the pavement resulting in my teeth penetrating through my bottom lip. Blood gushed everywhere as my parents rushed me to the hospital. My dad and brother sat in the waiting room in agony as they listened to my screams as the doctors stitched my lip. My dad used that moment to share with my brother about the pain Jesus suffered on the cross for our sins.
The memories of my mother passing on her faith are less intentional. I recall her banging her head on the kitchen cabinet and saying, “Lord, these kids are driving me nuts. Please help me!”

A friend recently shared that he will use his failures to teach life lessons. At a store one day, he received terrible customer service and got angry at the salesperson. While steaming and sitting in the car, he told his kids that Jesus would not want him to treat people like that and we should always treat others in a way that we would want to be treated. He went back into the store and apologized to the salesperson. What a lesson!

There are many ways to pass on our faith to our kids. It doesn’t have to be just at bedtime or praying at dinner. There are hundreds of opportunities we have in our daily routine. How are you using everyday situations to share Christ with your kids? Let’s hear them!

~ Sharina

Fun for Families coming December 6th

2009-11-06T04:00:00.000-05:00

The Wharton Center is putting on a show for kids again this winter - Click Clack Moo. I went with my son's school last year and just loved it. This is a great thing to do as a family, or for some one-on-one time with one of your kids. More details from the site:

All day long Farmer Brown hears “click clack moo, clickety clackety moo...” The cows are typing and protesting their working conditions! Will Farmer Brown give in to the animals’ demands, in this hilariously “moo-ving” new musical about compromise? Based on the award-winning book by Doreen Cronin and Betsy Lewin, Click Clack Moo is performed by Theatreworks USA, the same artistic team who brought you If You Give A Pig A Pancake. Book by Billy Aronson; lyrics by Kevin Del Aquila; music by Brad Alexander.

~Kelly

Gifts for Life

2009-11-04T04:00:00.001-05:00

Listen, my son, to your father's instruction and do not forsake your mother's teaching. They will be a garland to grace your head and a chain to adorn your neck. Proverbs 1:8-9

Dad, Mom, do you sometimes feel like you do nothing but instruct and teach your children? Do you feel as though you're just no fun, because all you do is say, "Do this," and, "Don’t do that"? Have you been concerned that your children see you as nothing more than a litany of lessons?

Or maybe you're totally cool with the way you teach your children and I'm the only one who struggles???

I love the wisdom of Solomon in the Proverbs, and the encouragement he gives me in raising children. What if we took to heart what Solomon said in Proverbs 1:8-9? (Go ahead and read the above verse again!) What if we thought of the words we speak to our children - the instruction we give them – as gifts for life?

I'm picturing my children opening a gift I've just given them. Imagining the excitement on their faces as they tear open the paper to see what's inside. And, the sheer joy coming from them as they lift the present from the box to examine it more closely.

Yes, that is how I want them to receive my teaching. I am not speaking to burden them with useless information. My role as their mother is to prepare them for adulthood and I want every word I say to them to be like a gift – given and received with the understanding that it will benefit the one who hears it and believes.

Oh! I think I may have just discovered our next family memory verse. How about you?

~ Karen

Hot Bath

2009-11-02T04:00:00.005-05:00

But when God, our kind and loving Savior God, stepped in, he saved us from all that. It was all his doing; we had nothing to do with it. He gave us a good bath, and we came out of it new people, washed inside and out by the Holy Spirit. Our Savior Jesus poured out new life so generously. God's gift has restored our relationship with him and given us back our lives. And there's more life to come—an eternity of life! You can count on this.

Titus 3:4-8 The Message

For twelve years, since the building of our home, I have existed without HOT water—in the bath. Why is this important??? Some could care less whether or not they ever take a bath. I, on the other hand, LOVE baths. It allows me a place in my home where no one can follow me. I can take a book and escape. And that’s what I have always done in each of the houses we have lived in - until this one...the new house. Go figure.

From the moment I discovered this problem, I started asking questions—questions to the builder, questions to the plumbers, questions basically to whoever would listen. Someone must have an answer! But, no one did. Maybe this was a plot against me! Or, maybe God just didn’t want me to take baths. In my madness, these seemed to be viable options.

Finally after 11 years, I became completely desperate. I began transporting hot water from bathroom sink to the bath tub. Ten pitchers later - poof! - I'd have a hot bath. On some level, though, this still did not seem right—shouldn’t I be able to turn on the water and it get hot! Other people I know have hot water every time they get in the tub—why was I not one!

After many, many years, I had resigned myself to this sort of existence. It had become “do-able”. Until one day this fall when my mom and dad came to visit. Before long we were in a discussion about the water upstairs.

All of a sudden my father says, "I’ll take a look at it. I think I know what is wrong with it." Okay, whatever, I thought. In a few moments, he came back down stairs and behold there was HOT water. “What was it?” I desired to know that which had plagued me for years.

“A scald protector—it just needed to be removed.”

It took all of a minute—and now a whole new life of HOT BATHS. In fact, sometimes it is SCALDING—so hot I cannot get in right away or I have to add COLD water (go figure).

One day - as I was getting into my hot bath - God spoke to me in a story.

I had for many years lived a LUKE WARM existence spiritually—I wanted to live with a different temperature but it seemed to elude me. I had always been drawn to God and "knew" He loved me. Wasn’t that enough? Something inside of me cried out “NO—there is so so much more—how bad do you want it?” Looking back I see that I didn't want it bad enough. I was unwilling to search after it with everything in me.

Every so often, thanks to an author or sermon, I would sense my temperature change, but then it would go back to temped. On one level the bath accomplished the cleaning part of the process but with no enjoyment.

Then I became more desperate for more—I started asking more and more questions, started studying more and more books and the Bible. This is the phase of my bath life where I took others “vibrant hot filled lives “and poured them into my life. This is when I couldn’t get enough Beth Moore Studies, not enough books on God, self help books—you name it. Most of my vibrancy came from someone else’s experience. I seemed to “control” in one sense the temperature of my life by how much I poured in. If I stopped pouring in, I would almost immediately go back to my normal lukewarm life.

I think I had finally resigned myself to this being all there was for ME. Others could have the hotness but mine was going to have to be (mostly) artificially created.

Then my FATHER came. And, out of the blue, identified and removed the hindrance. The hindrance in my life centered on a desire to hold on to an offense, and not forgive, which lead to a root of bitterness.

Basically, I had allowed this sin pattern to become a way of life. It is amazing how easy it was for HIM to remove it—He knew right where it was hidden and how to correct the problem. What was also amazing is how quickly transformation of the heart can take place when the blockage is removed. The Holy Spirit was no longer constricted by my sin; it was free to FLOW.

I LOVE my bath time now. I have hot water that flows and flows and flows….thank you JESUS.

~ Wendy

Fall, Faith, & Fun

2009-10-30T04:00:00.003-04:00

I used to love paint by number pictures. My type A, non-creative brain could easily create a masterpiece! The earth is alive with color right now, as if the hand of God was lavishly painting each tree and every leaf with rich and vibrant tones! Have you looked around lately? Have you paused from the hectic rhythm of life to marvel in the beauty that is exclusive only to autumn? My breath has been taken away many times over the past couple of weeks as I have tried to soak in what seems to be so fleeting. What have you done with your family to take advantage of the season?

We took my 16 month old niece to a beautiful park last weekend. After taking a bunch of pictures I was struck by one in particular. Raegan was standing in the middle of a pile of leaves with a look of pure wonder on her little face.

Don’t miss the little things…take time to enjoy, marvel, and wonder in the simple things around you. Recapture the beauty our Creator has surrounded us with by seeing it through the eyes of your children.

Take a trip to a park or even in your own backyard. Make leaf piles or build leaf houses with your kids! Afterwards, have them collect a few leaves and use them to make leaf-print placemats. You can find the directions right here!

As you are making the placemats with your children, remind them that just like these placemats will represent their place at your family table, Jesus also has a special place for them at His table in heaven.

- Nicole Hamlin, Family Ministry Intern

Don't Give Up!

2009-10-28T04:00:00.003-04:00

Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up. Galatians 6:9

I've got great kids. I love them so much!

I know the same is true of you. I know because I've had some of your children in my Sunday school class. I've experienced their charming personalities and I've seen your tender love for them when you drop them off for, and pick them up from class.

Indeed, we have great kids.

But sometimes I feel weary in parenting. Sometimes I get tired of hearing my children complain. Sometimes I wonder if any of the spiritual training I'm trying to give them is making a difference. Sometimes I feel like a failure, and I want to quit.

Do you know what I mean?

However, the Word of God tells me not to give up. It promises me that one day my efforts will produce a harvest.

If only I don't give up.

So, although sometimes I find myself feeling weary, I will not give up. In spite of their tendency to eat with their fingers, I will keep reminding my children to use their forks. Though my children fight, I will continue to pray that God will place in their hearts a desire to live at peace with one another. While it may seem to be inconsequential, I will persist in hanging Bible verses on the bathroom mirrors because I know the kids read them. And even though I am not perfect, I will keep asking God to reflect His love through me to my children.

Because I know my God is faithful. I know He is the One who will ultimately raise these kids. I know I can trust Him. And I know He will produce a harvest, if only I don't give up.

Will you join me in NOT giving up?

~ Karen

Poser

2009-10-26T04:01:00.005-04:00

I just received a truth that is rocking my world. How did I miss this all my life?

Poser. We have heard that word before. We all fit into that mold in one way or another. I truly have known poser days. But Philippians 2:3 just hit me upside the head. It states, “Don’t be selfish; don’t try to impress others. Be humble, thinking of others as better than yourselves.”

Don’t try to impress others? Man, do I ever want to impress others! I want people to think I have my junk together. Is that so bad? Why is it that being transparent - being real and open - is so hard to live day-to-day?

Easy! If I weren’t faking, posing, or painting on the face I wanted you to see, it would show you who I really am. And, that scares me. I know my heart and my thoughts and if you did, too, you would say, “Nut job!” But, here’s where the verse struck me, “…thinking of others as better than yourselves.” Honestly, I think I’ve always translated that word in my mind from “thinking” to “treating.”

Personally, I believe “thinking” is deeper and more intense than “treating.” Think of you as better? Hmmm…wouldn’t it be much easier to do this thing superficially, treat you nicely, put you first, give you my parking space? But, really I must be thinking of you as better, too.

That is where the poser comes in. I spend most of my life posing to others that I value them and think highly of them based on my actions towards them. We are a pretty civilized group, for the most part. We do treat most people kindly and, in an insincere kind of way, we are act as though we like those around us.

But what about our thoughts? Why did God ask for our thoughts in this verse and not just our actions? Is it possible to muster up thoughts of love, selflessness for our mother-in-law, our boss, our brother? Can we do this? Can we love and care for the hardest most difficult people in our life on a heart level? My first thought was, “not in this life time!” and then came Philippians 2:13 “God is …..giving you the DESIRE and POWER to do what pleases Him”.

Can He give me the desire to love others with a deep and honest love that does not end with a thought of, “that person drives me crazy!”. Can do away with the pretense? Can the poser become real? God says Yes!

~ Tim

Neighborhood Outreach Idea

2009-10-23T04:00:00.003-04:00

Ever get caught up thinking, “Why am I really here? What are we doing?” There are so many pressures on our time and on us, as individuals and families. It’s easy to feel torn: We’re pulled in so many different directions.

It’s simple, I know, but Jesus said, "Let me tell you why you are here. You're here to be salt-seasoning that brings out the Godflavors of this earth. If you lose your saltiness, how will people taste godliness? Here's another way to put it: You're here to be light, bringing out the God-colors in the world. God is not a secret to be kept.

We're going public with this, as public as a city on a hill. If I make you light-bearers, you don't think I'm going to hide you under a bucket, do you? I'm putting you on a light stand. Now that I've put you there on a hilltop, on a light stand—shine! Keep open house; be generous with your lives. By opening up to others, you'll prompt people to open up with God, this generous Father in heaven.” (Matthew 5:13-16, The Message)

God’s plan for growing us up is that we become Godly parents building faith into their children (see Deuteronomy 6). It all begins with the family, but it doesn’t end with family. His plan for reaching the world is us, His church. And, He made it clear: we are to be light shining bright in this dark world.

On October 31, when much of our culture celebrates darkness and death, we want to be light bearers, celebrating Jesus, the very breath of life. Because of our very busy lives, many neighbors don’t get to know one another. So why don't we consider this: opening our homes to build relationships with others. How? Maybe instead of passing out candy from behind our doors, we invite a group of neighbors to roast s'mores in our front yard. Or, make a fun activity out of hiding candy in a haystack in our driveway to foster interaction and fun with those neighbors around us. If you'll click here , you'll find a variety ideas for family fun!

Let's be the light we were intended to be.

-Belinda Lund-Bjarki, Trinity's Children's Ministry Director

Stages

2009-10-21T04:00:00.006-04:00

I love that God still speaks...I love that he speaks through His Word and His creation. And, recently, I was in awe of how others speak yet I hear His voice so clearly.

That was definitely the case this weekend when my husband and I went out to dinner with a couple that we have not connected with since college. They were within leadership of our campus group at MSU 25 years ago. We had wonderful conversation about family and work and life in general. We spoke of miraculous things we each had seen God do and then some how we ended up on the topic of marriage...specifically our marriage.

The gentleman began to describe his thoughts and concerns when he first heard we were getting married--something like, "Those two are so opposite...this is going to be interesting." Now looking back, I'm sure many people thought the same thing. Let's put it nicely - my husband can be described as a calm, gentle, easy-going type of guy while I, on the other hand, can be described as rather strong-willed and high maintenance type of gal. Yet, God brought the two of us together and the sparks began to fly!

Our friend continued to describe stages that he, in his forty some years of marriage and ministry, has watched couples transition through. Sometimes successfully and sometimes not so successfully. He described the first three stages which made complete sense - it seemed like we had just gotten through them. First, we come together because we are ATTRACTED to each others' differences. Then we marry and becomes ANNOYED by the very things that attracted us! This leads us to the third stage - ANGER. We become angry because we cannot seem to change them. This third stage is the point at which marriages seem to thrive or die. You have a critical choice to make at this point --were you in this for the long haul or not? It is usually at this point that one or both of the spouses, if they can't get past the anger, find someone they are attracted to and start the three stages all over again.

If you make it past the ANGER stage you begin to ACQUIESCE (big word for you basically give up trying to change the other spouse). Then you begin to ACCEPT the spouse which allows you to move toward actually ADMIRING the spouse that used to drive you crazy. Finally you come to the end where you actually ADORE your mate and can't imagine how you could ever live without them.

When he got done going through the list, I had tears in my eyes. With each and every stage he described, my heart resonated. I knew these stages, I had lived through these stages. I actually had lived in the annoyed and anger stage for a very long time and did not know or really care that there were any other stages. Now looking back, I am so thankful we have found life on the other side of anger and frustration in our marriage. Most of all, I am so amazed to see how God had changed ME. And, in changing ME, He has changed our marriage, stage by stage.

~ Wendy

Cupcakes & Fire Engines

2009-10-20T04:00:00.005-04:00

In our last Parent's Community class, nearly 50 Trinity families joined together to live out "SERVING like CHRIST" (Philippians 2). Both parents and children decorated and delivered treats to our local firefighters who risk their lives to keep us safe. We hit 11 fire stations in the Greater Lansing area and had a BLAST!! It was so cool to see families interacting together and reaching beyond themselves.

Riley, our 4 year old, meticulously iced and decorated her cupcakes with 5 m&m’s. When she heard that she could eat one, her eyes got BIG and she proceeded to load it with so many m&m’s that you couldn't find one bit of the frosting! I couldn't stop laughing!

Our family went to the Marshall Street fire station. We were given a HUGE welcome…kids hopped on the trucks, toured the facility, ate popcorn, sat around with the firemen.

This was a wonderful experience. Our children learned the joy of serving others! God truly does work through M&Ms, cupcakes and little hands! Check out our Parents Community...we meet from 6:30-8pm at Trinity on Wednesday nights through November 4th. We'd love to see you.

~Sharina

Time Better Spent

2009-10-19T04:00:00.007-04:00

I've always spent time on the computer. Sometimes, in the evening, surfing aimlessly. You know...checking in on the celebrity scene (people.com)...spending a little time salivating over new shoe arrivals (ninewest.com)...checking in on my teams (espn, msuspartan.com)... checking the weather back home so i could feel sorry for myself about how cold it is here (weather.com). Sorry, I'm a southerner having a tad bit of difficulty (understatement) adjusting to the cold.

HOWEVER, something then happened. I stumbled across Beth Moore's blog last Christmas. And, honestly, i can't remember what happened after that. In what order. How it began to snowball. But, today, i have a handful of blogs I love visiting.

Blogs that feed my faith while often making me laugh and sometimes cry: Lysa Terkeurst, It's Almost Naptime, Jordan Jones, Surviving Motherhood.

Blogs that are creative, inspiring, just plain fun to look at Fabulous K, Simply Seleta.

Blogs that get me in the mood for a little home decorating A Soft Place to Land and the Nesting Place.

Let me give you just a taste of what I'm talking about. Promise me, if you don't read anything else today you'll read this.

See what I mean?

Today I don't know the latest celebrity going into rehab. I couldn't tell ya what Nine West's new fall line looks like. And, I don't know today's temperature back home. (Of course, I still check in on my beloved Spartans.) NOW my time on the computer is better spent because of many gifted folks, sharing a little of themselves -- their faith, their creativity, their talent.

As we begin sharing on our new Faith, Family and Fun blog, we encourage you to visit often. It is our hope to come along beside you - in your faith walk and the faith walk of your family. Let's do this together - let's share our faith, our creativity and our talents!

This blog was created to provide a special (and fun) opportunity to build a new found sense of community, with an increased level of connection. Trinity families - and all those who visit this site - who may not have connected before can connect now! A great way to do this to share your comments. By commenting on our various posts, you share your insights and maybe even your struggles. We want to hear from you! To learn how to post a comment, please simply click on the word "Questions" found above.

~Leigh Ann

A Measure of Success

2009-10-17T04:00:00.004-04:00

Ryan and I are in the early stages of raising our family. We have a four year old, three year old and six month old. The other night our conversation became quite serious. As parents, in the midst of it all, how do we know if we are successfully raising our children? How do we measure our success (or lack thereof)?

Do we look around - to the families we admire - and see how we're measuring up? Do we compare the behavior and hearts of our children with other children? What measuring stick do we use? How do we gauge? How do we know?

When we look at scripture, it all points back to loving the Lord and loving others. Deuteronomy 6:5 -7 gives us clear instructions for raising our children.

5 Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. 6 These commandments that I give you today are to be upon your hearts. 7 Impress them on your children. Talk about them when you sit at home and when you walk along the road, when you lie down and when you get up.

In a society where families are busier than ever, how do we keep Deuteronomy 6:5-7 the foundation, the guiding force in raising our family?

God designed the HOME to be the primary place for spiritual growth. Studies show that parents are 2 – 3 times more influential in the faith development of their children…more than any pastor or church program. Yet, we see today spiritual life in the home is virtually non-existent.

Research tells us that fewer than 10 percent of churched families read the Bible, pray (other than at meal times), or do acts of service together as a family.

At Trinity, we are committed to helping families Build Faith @ Home. We created this blog as a way to inspire, motivate and equip you as parents in reaching your kids for Christ. Each week, we will feature new posts emphasizing Faith (Monday), Family (Wednesday) and Fun (Friday).

Please join us as we grow and learn together! Bookmark this page and check in often!

~ Sharina

Welcome!

2009-09-17T19:08:00.006-04:00

Welcome to Trinity's Faith, Family & Fun blog. We're so glad you found us!

We created this blog as a way to inspire, motivate and equip you, as parents, in reaching your kids for Christ. Each week, we will feature new posts emphasizing Faith (Monday), Family (Wednesday) and Fun (Friday). Our goal is to help families Build Faith @ Home.

The blog will go "live" Saturday, October 17.

But in the meantime, since you're here, please feel free to check out a few of our posts below and explore some of our links!

Tell Them Now

2009-09-11T16:00:00.010-04:00

So I say to you: Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find;
knock and the door will be opened to you. Luke 11:9

My son had lost his Nintendo DS. One minute he had it, and the next? It was gone.

Now, Matthew is known around our house for misplacing things, so I wasn't surprised when he told me he couldn't find the DS. I figured it would just show up – like all the other lost items tend to do. But this time, the lost item stayed lost for weeks. In fact, Matthew seemed to nearly forget about it. Until his friend called and invited him over to play.

Matthew was excited about the invitation and quickly donned his shoes and coat, and began looking for his DS. Matthew and this particular friend always play their DSs together.
Always.
Suddenly his eyes filled with tears because he remembered his DS was lost. And he began a frantic search. Yes, Matthew began searching and I began praying.

LORD, I know You know where Matthew's game is. Would You please, please show him today? Even now?

I was confident God knew the location of the absent DS and I planned to tell Matthew after we found it that I had prayed for God to show us. And then it was as if God said to me, No, Karen. Don't wait. Tell him now.

But, God, I argued, what if we don't find it now?

Tell him!

So I did. I said, "Matthew, I'm asking God right now to show us where your DS is."

Moments later – we found it! Stuck inside the couch through a hole I didn't know existed.

This time, it was Matthew who prayed, "Thank You, God, for finding my DS!"

And this time, his tears were happy tears.

As I reflected on this event with Matthew, hoping it would be something he always remembers, praying it would be a moment which grows his faith, I realized there was a lesson in it for me, too.

While it's good for me to point out God's faithfulness and remind my children of the ways He has answered our prayers, I think it's better for me to tell them I'm praying while we're still in the middle of the storm. I think it helps them learn to watch for God. I think it models faith in the midst of what we cannot see. And when God, in His perfect timing, resolves our situation – I think it brings Him more glory.

Are you in the middle of a difficult circumstance today? How about telling your kids – right now – that you're asking God to show you the way!

~ Karen

Acts of Kindness

2009-09-09T09:06:00.018-04:00

“Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you.” Ephesians 4:32

Last winter I took off a few days during the Christmas season to spend with my kids. Earlier that year, I had stumbled on a great site with ideas of acts of kindness that can be done as individuals or in groups: Acts of Kindness

My kids and I chose a few items from the list to put into action. What a great couple of days! We baked brownies and cookies with notes inviting our neighbors to Trinity. One neighbor sent a thank you note in return, which was great to share with the kids.

We also picked up big box of donuts and took them to our local fire department. They were very appreciative and gave the kids a tour – of course, the kids loved the fire trucks. It was a big highlight for them!

Later in the winter I was able to find an organization that accepted care packages for soldiers who were not receiving anything from home. We shopped for the necessities and they colored pictures thanking them for their service.

This fun website offers a number of daily acts of kindness that are sure to provide your child with what faith in action can look like. Here are a few of my favorites:

10 Students can clean classrooms for the custodian.

25 Be a good neighbor. Take over a baked treat or stop by to say “Hello.”

28 Say something nice to everyone you meet today.

38 Volunteer to read to students in the classroom.

52 Give another driver your parking spot.

53 Leave a treat or handmade note of thanks for a delivery person or mail carrier.

66 Pay for the meal of the person behind you in the drive-through.

77 For one week, act on every single thought of generosity that arises spontaneously in your heart, and notice what happens as a consequence.

82 Let the person behind you in the grocery store go ahead of you in line.

So here's your challenge: check out the Acts of Kindness site by clicking here and share with us the acts of kindness that resonate most with you and your family. Then, "GO!" and spread a little kindness and compassion.

~ Kelly

Questions?

2009-08-01T12:00:00.008-04:00

Thank you for visiting Faith, Family and Fun!

We hope to inspire you and your family in your walk with God.

Our goal is to share an array of resources and ideas to help you, as a parent, grow your child’s faith.

If you have specific faith questions or if your family is in need of assistance, rather than using this blog to contact us, please email us directly at http://trinitywired.com/contact.

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