Monday, November 24, 2008

Lots and Lots 'O Boxes

We did it! Operation Christmas Child- The Musical was a HUGE hit. I am so thankful for all the work put into this program by the Bergesons, Miss Patty, the choreographers, the tech crew, the costume crew, the prop crew, and especially to the kids. I am so proud of you all!

The pictures are online and look amazing. Go check them out... (click on extras, there will be a drop down list where you can choose Photo Galleries. Click on Christmas Musical)
http://www.judsonchurchjoliet.com/

In cast you aren't completely convinced, I'll give you a glimpse to see what you are missing...































Thursday, November 20, 2008

Operation Christmas Child

The technical rehearsal was SO fun and the kids are so excited for the performance on Sunday. Hope you come out and join us at 10:30am! The tech crew would love to see you there...

Michael forgets where his mouthpiece belongs



The adoring fans


Sharon and Patty give the kids cues



Joe thinks he is Britney Spears with his super cool headset




Garrett loves rehearsal





Monday, November 10, 2008

fe, fi, fo, fum...

So I'm not very good about keeping this here little blog updated. I guess it is because I feel like nothing very note-worthy (or I guess I should say blog-worthy?) is happening. On the contrary though, much is happening with the kids and in my life personally. Let me sumarize.

1. Operation Christmas Child. The photo does not truly represent how this project has overwhelmed my life. Not only are The Rock kids collecting boxes as well as the Sunday School kids, but we are also encouraging adults to get involved in this great ministry. I find myself constantly answering questions as to how to pack a box, what goes inside, etc. It's great. We are also preparing for Operation Christmas Child- The Musical. The characters have been practicing and perfecting their lines and I guarantee that it will be an amazing production. Stop by my office and you can catch a glimpse of all the fun props that dear Miss Nancy has been faithfully collecting!



2. Glow Night. J-Factor and Jr. High will join forces as we play Glow In The Dark Games on Wednesday night. Are you afraid of the dark????


3. J-Factor Party. Two fun activities in one week? The 5th and 6th graders will be very busy this week with our J-Factor party just mere days after Glow Night. Saturday night from 5-8pm...join us for some PIZZA, a little wiffle ball for the boys, a little crafty fun for the girls and excitement all around!!!

4. Christmas is coming soon! Which means my birthday is coming as well! Yay! I have been workin on my Christmas cards and having so much fun planning and preparing for the season.


5. This is Shari. Sometimes she visits my office when I'm not there and she takes pictures of herself with my camera. Sometimes I post the pictures online for the world to see.



The End.

Thursday, October 23, 2008

Would you rather...?

have sand in your shorts
OR
water in your ears???

Giving Generously

Last night at The Rock, the kids learned about giving. The lesson was called "God is Generous: I should give back to Him." I challenged the kids to list ways in which we can give back to God. They all came up with some great suggestions: help others, love him, tithe, worship, etc. I was pleased with the responses that I received, it seemed they really grasped the concept of what it means to be a giver. Then I pushed them a little further. "So how do we do these things?", I asked. Now I was greeted with blank stares. It seems that we have taught our kids WHAT to do, but not necessarily HOW to put our actions into practice.

It is essential that we instill in our kids a spirit of giving. I read an article once that pointed out that the behaviors and values that kids have processed and experienced before the age of 12 are the ones that they will carry into adulthood. Simply put, if a child practices giving before the age of 12, he will see this as a valuable behavior and continue to practice it. If he does not, he will see this behavior as useless and will disregard it. Wow! What a responsibility we have as teachers and parents to instill the values of serving, giving, caring, etc. in our kids.

Think about it for a second, are your children practicing giving? Moreso, are your children observing you exhibit a spirit of giving?

"But don't just listen to God's Word. You must do what it says. Otherwise, you are only fooling yourselves." James 1:22 NLT