Yesterday I was watching a show called Little People Big World on TLC, and the show is about a married little person family (they have 4 kids and only one is little). This particular show was about one of their sons and his first soccer game and how his mom (even though she has a height problem) is in the field playing, practicing with her son to make sure he can do his best. Latter that day she even takes him (and the rest of the kids) to a semi-pro soccer game, the whole day. The next day she takes her son (and the rest of the kids) to his first competitive game (I guess it was a higher up club). Her son had the winning goal. As they get home, she makes an awesome lunch (kabobs), and as they are eating, celebrating and enjoying the triumph of the game, dad came home. The whole time I was watching I continued to cheer the mom for investing so much into her son, making him feel loved, accomplished, and well taken care of. While all that was going on with his family the dad was busy having his custom 64’ Bug built and had to be sure every detail was taken care of. After the car was done, he went to a car show to drag race and try and win a 2^nd place gold platted plastic trophy for best in 62’- 64’ category. Back to when dad walks in at the celebration lunch for his son, he walks in and immediately begins to talk on and on about his day at the show, shows pictures, and the mom asks (actually tells him) to stop that they are there to celebrate their sons victory, and proceeds to tell dad she even bought him a cake. He got the message, thank God. We can learn something about this. Nothing else matters more than our relationships with first God, then our wife, lastly our children. As we are going to be parents soon I realized watching this that that father will never get to see his sons first winning goal, first game, first excitement, and his sons first time walking off that soccer field feeling like a champion. Let us not do this, let us do everything we can to not miss out on our teens. We have to put them first. They are the only thing we can take with us when we die, the 64’ bug is going to burn. Let it. Love you all.

_pastor tim

Unashamed is the theme for this years winter camps. Oh what fun it is. Camps are not only tons of fun, and great relationships are built, but it is a chance for our teenagers to DETOX from the world. At camp it’s 3-4 days (depending on if you have a Jr. higher or a High schooler) of wakening up to a bible study (in the cabin or right out side, put on by one of the teens themselves), to breakfast, to a morning session of the word, worship, and prayer. Then outside for games, lunch, and free time (no iPods, videogames, magazines, T.V. or a movie, to distract them from the beauty of what God is doing or the nudging of the Holy Spirit. After free time is dinner (i have always wanted to start a food fight, but i never have and never will), back for an evening session in the word, worship, prayer, and usually a time of confession (wow). Then more games and food to finish off the evening (at about midnight), then the fun really starts. The cabins do not shut down till about 1:00am, then the deep conversation starts. The wheels have been turning and they begin to question, wrestle, and find answer. God is good, so please take and do what ever you can to get your teen to winter camp. Love you all.

_pastor tim