Last Chance for Early-Bird Discounts!!!

Tomorrow Night will be the last night of early-bird registrations so if you wan't the best discount you can get, be sure to contact us or stop by the registration table by tomorrow night!!!  Especially if you need financial assistance!  We want to make Awana affordable for everyone and one of the best ways to do that is to do it EARLY!!!

Epic Sports Tomorrow Night!

IT'S NOT WHAT YOU THINK!!  BRING YOUR KIDS TO JOIN US FOR SOME EPIC (AND UNUSUAL) TEAM GAMES TOMORROW!  WE MAY KEEP SCORE BUT WE WON'T EMPHASIZE IT.  ALL GAMES WILL BE FOR FUN!

7 Things a Daughter Needs from Her Father

As a girl grows up, men will come in and out of her life, but the one man who will always be there is her father. A father plays a vital role in his daughter’s journey to adulthood, and below are seven things that can help a father give her his best.

1.    She needs you to be involved.
A daughter needs her father to be actively interested in her life. “Actively interested” does not refer to the second-long conversation that sometimes happens between a father and daughter when he asks how her day went and she replies with one word. A father should participate in his daughter’s hobbies and activities by displaying interest. For example, if she is interested in collecting coins, take her to coin shows. Use the Internet to learn about rare coins and talk about them.  Is your daughter talented in the any sports, such as volleyball?  Whether she wants to play or just enjoys watching the games, become an enthusiastic fan and supporter!  Show your daughter that you are interested in her life by learning more about it and trying to become a part of it. 

Move heaven and earth to keep this from becoming reality.

2.    She needs you to demonstrate a healthy marriage.
The first relationship a daughter experiences is the one between her mother and father. If her father disrespects his wife with physical or emotional abuse, a daughter might come to believe that is the expected relationship with a husband. However, a father that displays physical affection, respect, and a true partnership with his wife provides an incredible example that his daughter will want to mirror in her own life. 

3.    She needs you to support her.
 Even though a father may not always agree with his daughter, she needs to know you will support her. When a father fully and wholeheartedly supports his daughter, she will develop strong self-esteem and a positive self-image. This doesn’t mean that you always have to agree with her, but show her that while you might not agree with a choice she is making, you will always believe in her as a person and have confidence in her abilities. 

4.    She needs to trust you as a confidante.
When your daughter does come to you and discusses personal issues and problems, she needs to know that you will treat them with respect and confidence.  They shouldn’t become dinner-table conversation with the rest of the family.

5.    She needs your unconditional love.
Just as our Father in Heaven demonstrates unconditional love, fathers on earth need to display this as well. Unconditional love requires that a daughter knows no matter how badly she messes up, her father will be there, not to ridicule and demean but to forgive.

6.    She needs a strong spiritual leader.
A father should be the spiritual head of a household and should take charge of his children’s religious education.  Pray with your daughter!  Don’t be shy about bringing the Lord into your conversations with her.

7.    She needs a positive role model.
Many daughters today lack a positive male role model in their life. A father is the first man in a girl’s life that she will intimately know. Her father sets the standard for all other men in her life, and a positive role model will help her choose a good husband in the future.   Take a moment for some self-reflection.  Are there any habits you need to break?  Are there some areas of your own life that could use a “spiritual overhaul” and prayer?  When your daughter sees that you are willing to examine your own life and make changes when necessary, you provide the best example she could ever have of accepting responsibility for her actions.  

- All Pro Dads

EPIC TOONS Tomorrow Night!!

We're changing things around a bit on our Epic Summer schedule.  This Wednesday we will be doing EPIC TOONS with a focus on the Torchlighters series.  This is a Christian series of cartoons depicting incredible biographies of church heroes and martyrs.  Your kids will be challenged by these 30 minute stories!  Join us tomorrow in the C.W. Playhouse for summer cartoons!  We'll probably even have POPCORN!!

Communication is Key

Communication is at the center of all relationships. Closeness is communicated in many ways, and people give and receive love differently. Five levels of communication provide opportunities for increased closeness in family life. Each level serves an important role for growing deeper. If tension and stress dominate your relationship with your child, start working through these communication levels and you’ll begin to see significant change take place.

1. Greetings are the oil that keep relationships cordial. Hugging your children as part of a greeting or welcoming them to breakfast in the morning makes an important statement about the value of your relationship.
2. Exchanging information about our lives helps people know what’s going on and contributes to a sense of connectedness. As you go through your day, think of a couple of interesting things you could share with your child.
3. Sharing opinions and judgments is the next level. Some people are hesitant to share their opinions because they feel like they’ll have to back them up or face an argument. Look for ways to affirm your children. “That makes sense” can be an encouraging statement even if you disagree. “Thank you for sharing your opinion with me,” can be a statement that encourages openness.
4. Communicating emotions takes us another level deeper. Facts and opinions often have emotions hidden behind them. “I bet that hurt” or “I can tell you’re excited about that,” acknowledges feelings your child might be experiencing.
5. Sharing spiritually brings an amazing amount of closeness into a relationship. Praying together, sharing what God is teaching you, enjoying worship together, and having a sense of spiritual fellowship are all ways to enjoy the deepest level of communication. As you strengthen your spiritual lives together, you’ll see more and more opportunities to discuss heart issues.

All five levels of communication are important. Don't think you can skip the first few and still experience closeness. Look for opportunities to enjoy all the levels with your kids.

This parenting tip comes from the book series, Parenting is Heart Work by Dr Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller.

FAMILY WEEK & KIDS CAMP!

FAMILY WEEK!

NO MID-WEEK EPIC ADVENTURE 

THIS WEEK!

PK WILL BE AT KIDS CAMP!

New Series Begins in the C.W. Playhouse!

NEXT SUNDAY:  The Amazing Journey: Life's Up and Downs

Lessons on Saul & David

The Time of the Judges has come to an end with Samuel, the final Judge, Priest, and Prophet.  In August we begin the era of the Kings in Israel starting with Saul and moving into the life of the Shepherd boy turned King-after-Gods-own-heart!  Our theme this series is a woodland journey that follows loosely, the Pilgrim's Progress!  We'll have all the usual fun: puppets, crazy characters and games.  And through it all, we'll be teaching the kids to turn to God for strength in darkness and trial, pain and fear.  

Was it Worth It?

Today’s blog post is from Chance Scoggins, a singer, song-writer, music producer, and blogger. 

Like many of you, my wife and I are the parents of young children.  We wouldn’t trade these days for anything in the world, but it’s not an exaggeration to say that it’s 24/7.  We’re also self employed, and as our business and responsibilities grow, we’re feeling the pressures that come with filling every role from receptionist to CEO – while also raising a family, maintaining our marriage and serving our community.  I imagine many of you feel a similar pressure, so I thought I’d share this story.

The other night, after a string of tough days, we fell into bed, both of us almost asleep before our heads hit the pillows.  But in the stillness, as I tried to quiet my mind, all I could think about was how hard Jennifer’s day must have been with all she had on her plate.  I realized I’d spent my whole day taking great care of my to do list, but not taking great care of her.

Sigh.

I reached over, took her hand, and gave her a little squeeze.  “How are you holding up?”

Tears welled in her eyes, and she said, “I’m okay… It’s just a lot, you know?”  I gently squeezed her hand again.  Then the tears came.  “Sometimes I just wish we could move to the middle of nowhere and get a cow.”  This is absolutely hilarious if you know Jennifer.

“We can, babe.  We can do that.  We can move to Montana and get a cow!”

She laughed out loud and asked me if I was gonna milk it.  The thought of me trying to milk our cow dried her tears and had her laughing just a little too hard, if you ask me.

“We don’t have to stay on this road, Jen.  Maybe it’s too much.”

She thought about it for a while, and said, “No… this is our road.  I know it’s where we belong…  I just hope it’s all worth it someday.”  I knew what she meant.

We laid there in the stillness, partners – no blame or hurt passing between us – but feeling the weight of what this short season of life is requiring us to carry.

And then the question came…

I looked her in the eyes and said, “How would you know it was worth it?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean, what would life need to look like someday for you to be able to look back on this season and say it was worth it?  What would life be like?  How would you know it was worth it?”

You guys, it’s a simple question, but I’ll be honest and say I’m not sure I’d ever asked it about my personal life – at least not like this.  I cling to benchmarks in my work.  And when I reach my goals, I’m not surprised because I’ve pictured the end product from the very beginning.  So why am I not projecting my personal life with that same kind of attention and detail?

If we’re honest, most of us would admit our personal goals are more like wishes than a forecast of what’s actually to come.  A hope, more than a plan.  So we keep running and running, doing and doing – trusting and hoping we’re on the right road.  We stay busy – life makes sure of that.  But are we effective?  Would we notice if we got off course, or are we so busy that we’re unaware?

Jen and I sat up, and for the next half hour, we talked about what life would need to look like someday for us to know that this present sacrifice and investment was worth it.  We talked about things like financial freedom, but that obvious stuff paled in comparison to the intangible things we stumbled on.  Who would we be?  What would we know?  How would we help?  What would we leave behind?

Since then, I see everything through a new lens.  Does this get me where I’m going or does it steer me away?  If it’s hard, but it gets me there, I’m in.  If it doesn’t, in this season when I have so little “extra” time and energy to spare, I might need to let it go.

If you could look into your present life from somewhere further up ahead on your road, would you sign off on how you’re spending your time and using your life – or would you recommend some changes?

How would you know it was worth it?

Thirty minutes answering a simple question brought us clarity and peace we really needed – and quite possibly saved me from a future milking a cow in Montana.

Originally published at http://www.chancescoggins.com/how-would-you-know-it-was-worth-it.

EPIC TREASURE HUNT TONIGHT!

TONIGHT: THE EPIC TREASURE HUNT!

Have your kids bring their thinking caps tonight because to find the great treasure they will have to decipher clues as they move all over the church and church property!  Through the epic hunt, they will learn what the greatest treasure in life is and compare it to counterfeit treasures and fool's gold.  The fun starts at 6:30pm!

A Peacemaker or a Troublemaker?

A good way to help children overcome the problem of anger is to teach them how to be peacemakers instead of troublemakers. Anyone can get angry and most people do. Few are mature enough to be peacemakers.
Being a peacemaker helps to break down anger in one's self and in others. Peacemakers seek to bring people together in agreement and look for solutions where everyone wins. They think of the needs of others and try to make everyone feel good. A peacemaker honors others and promotes harmony, bringing joy into the family.

So, how can you help children become peacemakers? Here are a few practical ideas. Target your parenting so that children can learn to be peacemakers. Teach children to:

Look for things in common, not differences.

Try to agree, not disagree.

Work toward common solutions where everyone wins, not where one person wins and others lose.

Use love as a motivation, not anger or meanness.

Work to give your angry child a vision for being a peacemaker. It will open up new ways of thinking about offenses and provide opportunities to deal with anger in others as well. That's why Jesus said, "Blessed (or happy) are the peacemakers," Matthew 5:9.
Anger is one of the roadblocks to sibling harmony. Being a peacemaker is a demonstration of honor. To learn more about how honor can teach kids to get along, consider the book, Say Goodbye to Whining, Complaining, and Bad Attitudes In You and Your Kids by Dr. Scott Turansky and Joanne Miller, RN, BSN.