Parents, for you about today's tragedy...

As I sit and watch this tragedy unfold and how my own children are at school, I wanted to give you some things that I am thinking about that deal with how Kiera and I will handle this with Madison and Wilson.

• As soon as our kids get home we will turn off our TV.  Continuing news coverage of developing stories such as today's shooting will only create more fear and unnecessary worry for our children.
  
  
• But, on the other hand, please don't ignore your children's questions.  Below are some ways that Kiera and I plan on talking with our children should they have questions.
  
  
• We will talk as a family about how sin affects the world we live in.  We will be sure to reiterate that this tragedy was not God's will, but instead what happened today in Connecticut was a result of the sinful world in which we live.
  
  
• Undoubtedly as we process this horror one question that will arise will be "How could God allow something like this to happen?"  Reassure your children (and yourself) that God did not stop this from happening but is working and will continue to work to redeem what has happened.  It's OK to let your kids know that God's heart is breaking too.
  
  
• We will assure our children, as much as possible, that they are safe.  It's important for kids to know that danger exists in our world, but it's more important for your kids to know that you as their parents will do everything in your power to keep them safe.
  
  
• We will pray as a family for the following:
• Pray for the families of the children who were lost.  That God's peace that goes beyond all understanding will surround them during this unbelievable and indescribable time.
• Pray for the surviving students and staff who have just begun a long road of healing.  Pray for God to help fill the minds of those who witnessed this horror with images of comfort and peace.
• Pray for the shooter's family as they come to grips with what their loved one has done.
• Pray for the churches and God's people in and around Connecticut that God's love and comforting Spirit will permeate that town.
  
  
• We will admit to Madison and Wilson that we simply don't know all the answers.  But we DO know that God WILL work to redeem this situation, that His heart grieves for those that are lost, and that God will continue to reign as He has always done.

Hug your kids.  Tell them that you love them.  And help them to understand that God loves them more.

On this sometimes difficult journey with you,

Pastor Beau

What Would God Like For Christmas?

What Would God Like For Christmas?

I can remember being little and actually losing sleep while trying to decide what I wanted for Christmas. Everybody seemed to ask me what I wanted, but it was my grandparents who were especially inquisitive.  “Do you want a new bike? How about a chemistry set? Star Wars? Here, take this Sears Wishbook and mark what you want.”  Later I realized why they did this. It was not because I deserved gifts, it was because they loved me. They desired to give me a gift to express how much they cherished me...a tangible token of their love.

Flash forward thirty years. While Christmas still holds a very special place in my heart, Christmas gifting has taken on new meaning.  I still like getting gifts, but now I find great joy in giving gifts, especially to my kids...not because they deserve them, but because I love them.  I desire to give them gifts to express how much I cherish them...tangible tokens of my love.

If we give gifts to those we love because we want them to KNOW how much we love them, I wonder what we would give God for Christmas? Don't we love Him? Shouldn't we desire to give Him a gift to express how much we cherish Him...a tangible token of our love?

2000 years ago God gave us a gift, not because we deserved it, but because He loved us. God desired to give us a gift to express how much He cherished us...a tangible token of His love.  So, it seems to me the only gift that could possibly express how much we cherish God is to give Him ourselves as tangible tokens of our love for Him.

Why not give God the only gift He ever wanted...yourself?

Pastor Beau

The one that rubs...

My wife has written a very thought provoking post over on her blog...

Go check it out!

On this journey with you,

Pastor Beau

Where I spent last week...

I spent all of last week being a counsellor at WES Camp (Whiskeytown Environmental School Camp) for a group of eight rowdy and rambunctious 5th grade boys!

My daughter's school, Manzanita Elementary School, sends their 5th grade class to WES Camp for a whole week every year.  With over 120 kids going this year they needed a lot of counsellors to make sure these said kids stay alive :) so I volunteered...

I was assigned a cabin full of eight rowdy and rambunctious 5th grade boys...

My cabin, Cabin 10 (dubbed Haleakala), became a place where my profession and the real world collided... and I learned a thing or two about who I am and how God sees me.

These boys and the staff at WES Camp, none of whom I knew before this trip, each in their own way confirmed what I have known in my heart about myself but never really truly believed.

Some things God has shown and confirmed within me last week;

1. We live in a fallen world
2. God brings people into our lives who need Him
3. God's creation is wondrous to behold if we just take the time to see
4. Being a part of God's plan even if I don't see it at the time is spectacular
5. Bringing hope into a child's life is breathtaking
6. Speaking words of affirmation to a child who has never heard them before is amazing
7. The human touch is powerful
8. God really can hear silent prayers
9. God really does care for everybody
10. A lot of people are lost and lonely

There is no way I can relay to you (or even remember) all of the God Moments that happened at camp. But what really sticks out in my mind is this:  I am surrounded by followers of Christ on a daily basis... I am a children's pastor and work at a church for crying out loud.  When I am taken out of the 'Christian Bubble' and placed in the 'Real World' I am confronted with the reality of a fallen world.  I am confronted with children who are not loved by their parents.  I am confronted with children who are severely depressed.  I am confronted with children who have parents who are drug users and pushers.  I am confronted with the result of a fallen world... and my heart breaks.

God confirmed in my heart last week something that I have been wrestling with for a while now.  He confirmed to me that I am not doing all I can to reflect His light into this dark and lonely world.  For too long I have been living in my 'Christian Bubble'... content to go about my day living in denial, when all around me... in my own city, in my daughter's school, are hurting, lonely, dying children and families who desperately need Jesus.

Last week I had a chance to share the light that Jesus has given me to a small cabin of eight rowdy and rambunctious 5th grade boys.  By letting the Holy Spirit work through me I was able to bring some of the hope and affirmation that Jesus has given me to a few children.

Thank you Jesus for using me last week.  Help me to let you use me more for your glory.

This week, let God use you to shine His light into your areas of influence.  Ask Him to bring people to you who need Jesus... but be careful, because if you ask Him to do this... He will :) Because the truth is, all of us are surrounded by hurting people.  Ask God to let you see through His eyes for a bit.  I think you may be surprised by what you see.

On this journey with you,

Pastor Beau

I Love Building...

Yesterday, as I was perusing Youtube, I discovered Paganomation.
(pronounced pa-GONE-no-mation, after the lead designer's last name, not PAGAN-o-mation :)

And believe it or not, God reminded me of something while I was watching these little LEGO guys :)

You see, these guys create unbelievable LEGO animations.

I'm going to come clean here... I've never been a good LEGO creator.  I am the guy that follows the step-by-step guides to a 'T' and never strays from them.  In fact, once I build something... it stays built.

I just don't think in LEGOese.  My son, on the other hand can.

I am always amazed when he takes a pile of LEGOs and creates something out of thin air... without a step by step guide... a robot here, and spaceship there, a time machine just last week... always awesome and head-shakingly inventive.

The guys at Paganomation take things to a whole different level though...

Take a look at this video and prepare to be amazed.



For a behind the scenes look at how Paganomation did this, check this out:



After watching these videos I was reminded how our human creativeness is a direct reflection of God's own creativeness.

The Bible tells us that we are made in God's image, and being made in God's image we humans are given the gift of creativity.  In fact, in Genesis 2:19-20 we learn that after God created all of the animals and birds, He brought them to Adam to see what names he would give them.  God let Adam use his God-given creativity to name all of the animals!  How cool is that?!

Check out the middle of verse 19...  Truly amazing to me is that God, without the use of a step-by-step guide mind you, formed all of the animals (and us) out of the ground! THAT is awesome.

Watching the Behind the Scenes video above reminded me of two things:

1. Our creativity, given by God, is truly awe inspiring and amazing.
   
                                   BUT...
2. Our creativity, given by God, is but a speck of God's own creativity.

All the hours of painstaking, minuscule movements... all the planning and rehearsing... all the collaboration that went into a one minute video pale in comparison to God's creative glory.

While it is true that video above is a wonder to behold... and a testament to God's creativity given to us, I can't help but be even more in awe of God's creativity that is so evident in God's creation all around us.

I mean, just look at this poisonous, duck-billed, mammal that lays eggs:

Pastor Beau's challenge:

This week, as you're out and about with your children, slow down and take time to actually see God's creativity.  Talk about it with them... ask them what they think about God's creativity.  Believe it or not, kids have a lot to say on the subject :)

And, as your children live out God's gift of creativity through their artwork, music, writing, dancing and personality take the time to remind them that their creativity comes from God.  That because they are made in God's image and loved so much by Him, He gave them the ability to be creative for the glory of Himself.

We have been given the gift of creativity to glorify God and reflect His creativeness to the world!  How unbelievably SWEET is that!?

On this journey with you,

Pastor Beau

Children <> spiritual understanding? I think not...

I recently listened to a podcast saying that all children do not have the mental capacity to understand spiritual ideas and thoughts.  As I listened, trying to understand where this pastor was coming from, I found myself getting more and more agitated as what he said absolutely did not jive with what I have experienced... at all.

What follows is just a recent example of many:

Last Sunday the kids and I continued our discussion on the many "I Am's" of Jesus and talked together about what Jesus meant when he said in John 6:35 that He is the Bread of Life.

For kids, who tend to take things pretty literally, Jesus' statement of being bread conjured weird and funny pictures in their minds... one child started laughing and said that she didn't know that Jesus was a loaf of bread, another said he wasn't ever going to eat bread again :)

Still another child, a 6 year-old, connected some dots regarding communion.  He remembered that when we take communion we say, "This is my body, broken for you..." as we eat the bread.  This led to a wonderful discussion and an opportunity for me to explain that just as the bread we eat sustains our physical bodies, Jesus sustains our spiritual bodies.  Too little of either kind of bread and our bodies get weak and ultimately die... physically or spiritually.

As we were discussing this, one of my students, an 8 year-old, shot up his hand and said, "Pastor Beau!  I think I understand!"  Clearly a lightbulb had gone on and he was excited!

This is what he said:

Reaching out for the Bread of Life is like asking God into your heart.
Chewing it is accepting Jesus into your heart.
Washing it down with water is praying every day.
Digesting it is keeping your faith in God.

I told him, "You know what just happened here?  The Holy Spirit just talked to you!  A little thought packet from Heaven."

I asked him to write it down so we wouldn't forget and here's what he gave me:

Brilliant!

Who says that kids can't grasp spiritual ideas and thoughts?

Not me... and certainly not Jesus :)

Today I encourage you to ask your children what they think about something spiritual (who is God, who is Jesus, tell me about what Jesus did for us, what is sin, etc...).  I think you'll be amazed at what they tell you.  Besides, starting a spiritual conversation with your children is never a bad thing.  It gives us a glimpse into their thoughts about God and a chance for us to speak truth into their lives (and the other way around!).  We should do it more often.

If you need some help talking to your children about spiritual things or if you just want to talk to someone about kids and God in general, drop me an email.  I would LOVE to chat with you as we discover God's will for our children and families together!

On this journey with you,

Pastor Beau

Fun Pass

This video has everything I could ever want in a short film:

• Imagination
• Ingenuity
• Community
• Compassion
• Fun Passes
• Perseverance
• Yarn and an S-hook
• Heartwarming Story
• Happy Ending
• Flash Mob
• Custom Song
• Cardboard
• Arcade
• Lots of Tape
• Army Guys
• Pizza

The video is a bit long, but it's way worth it.

What would our world look like if we as Christians lived out our faith as passionately as Caine's devotion and passion for his Arcade?

Even with no customers... his Arcade an inside joke with his family...  nobody at school believing he has an arcade, Caine still had passion because he believed.  He knew that his Arcade was awesome and the best cardboard Arcade in the whole entire world.

What would our world look like if we truly believed that Jesus is awesome and the best thing in the whole entire world?

I have a feeling we would attract onlookers and curious passersby who just might want to buy one of our 'fun passes'... but instead of 500 plays, our fun pass is eternal life in Jesus Christ.

Living out our Christian faith with the passion that Caine ran his Arcade would change the world.

God gave us creativity, ingenuity, passion, and influence... are we using it for His glory... or for something else?

On the journey with you,

Pastor Beau 

How Many Marbles Do You Have Left?

So, I'm reading a book right now... a 'just for fun book'... from an author that I've never read before.  This particular book has everything I like: action, guns, strong lead, humor, car chases, a hint of romance, believable dialog, etc...

I started the book a few days ago thinking it would be a quick, light read... something to aid me in a temporary fantastical escape into someone else's life... but instead I stumbled onto an idea that has been haunting me.

A little back story to catch you up to speed :)

The lead character in this book is a 40ish year-old homicide detective and he's a very busy man... he's also a father of three children.  But he's gone from home more often than not.  To help raise his kids after his wife dies tragically after his youngest son was born, his grandmother moves in and assumes the role of mom and housekeeper.  This particular book finds the lead character questioning whether or not his job is more important than his family... wrestling with the fact that his kids are growing up, and he's missing it.

To illustrate how precious time with his family is, his grandmother gives him two jars full of marbles.  She explains to him that each marble in those jars represents either a past or future Saturday in his life.  One jar holds the Saturdays that have already gone by and that can never be taken back... the other holds the Saturdays that are still available to him and full of potential.  She then reaches into the jar of Saturdays with potential, picks one marble, hands it to him, and says, "How are you going to spend this marble?"

This simple illustration is certainly not new... in fact I'm pretty sure I've heard it before somewhere else, but maybe because I've been doing a lot of thinking about parents and our roles, it hit me pretty hard.

As I was reflecting on the implications of how many Saturdays I have left with my children, the illustration took on a whole new dimension.

Consider this sobering thought for a moment... how many more DAYS do you have left to directly influence your children in the ways of Jesus before they leave home?

My daughter is 11 years old.
She will be 18 in 7 years.
If I take the number of years before Madison leaves home and multiply that by 365, I will get the number of days I have left with her to directly influence her while living at home.

It looks like this:

7 * 365 = 2555 directly influential days left

Now that number may not look too small... but think about this:  each and every day that number is getting smaller.  And as each day passes so does that precious time that we can never get back.

So, what are we to do with this number?

I'll tell you what I'm going to do... I'm going to begin to think of how I spend my time more intentionally.

How many hours do I waste sitting at my computer while my children are asking to play a game?  How many times so I choose to watch a baseball game instead of reading to my children?  How many times do I think that a couple of extra hours at work won't hurt when my children haven't seen me all day?  How many times do I shoo my kids away while I'm trying to work on something that has no real meaning?

Too many times.

Instead of missing opportunities of sharing God Moments with my children,  I will begin to intentionally look for those moments and seize them!  I am going to choose to say "yes" when my kids ask me to play with them because they are more important.  I am not going to say, "I'm too busy" when a teachable life lesson presents itself, instead I will make a conscience effort to teach my children in everything that I say and do... because in reality, through my actions and non-actions, my interactions and non-interactions I am teaching them whether I know it or not.

Moms and Dads... let's be honest, the time we have with our children is ticking away.  We often get caught up in the insulating thoughts and feelings of the moment and forget to step back and see the big picture.  We don't have a lot of time to directly influence our children.  And with each passing day another marble moves from one jar to the other, never to be retrieved again.

So here... here's today's marble.  

How are you going to spend it?

How many marbles do you have left to directly influence your children and show them how important they are to you?

On the journey with you,

Pastor Beau

PS:  Take a look at my friend, Emmaus Church Pastor Nathan Oates' blog and his wonderfully insightful thoughts on how important time spent with our children can be.

Important Lessons From Vinyl Records...

It's no secret that I love music... I have a collection of vinyl records (kids, records are like giant, black CDs... ask your parents :) that has steadily grown since my college days to somewhere in the neighborhood of 3500...

I know, right?

Believe me, in the beginning I heard it from my wife... a lot.  But after 13 years I think she's resigned to the
fact that this is who I am and music is a big part of me.  And even though my hobby takes over half our living room she loves me enough to be OK with that...

Whenever someone comes over to our house they are immediately bombarded with what I like to call my little "reintroduction to retro".

Here, it's easier for me to show you in pictures...

And yes... those are more LP's on the back wall.  By the way, thank you Ikea for creating shelves perfect for holding records! No more cinder blocks and plywood :)

How could I have missed this?

So there I was, drying my hands with one of those crazy blow dryer thingys, all the while thinking why they don't just hang up a pair of pants instead because that's what we all end up using anyway... when I discovered something that in all my hand-drying years have never known...

This may be the single, most important discovery I have made in at least 16 months... Something so amazing it has the potential to be life altering, world shattering, yes, maybe even world-peace attaining...

You mean we're THERE already?

This Saturday my daughter and I are going to our church's 7th Annual Father Daughter Feast.  This event is a great time for dads and daughters to eat spaghetti, laugh with each other, run in The Amazing Chase, and get their pictures taken.

Now, even though I'm the children's pastor, I have absolutely no part in preparing the feast or designing the activities.  This is by design... because for that particular night, I am not Pastor Beau... I'm Madison's dad and she gets my undivided attention for a full night.

With 6 years of Father Daughter Feasts behind us Madison and I have 6 different pictures, each depicting a special moment suspended in time.  As I was working today I began looking at some of these pictures and was struck by a reality that I didn't particularly like.

My little girl isn't so little anymore.

Next year Madison will be a 6th grader... I mean really, a 6th grader!  Am I really old enough to have a 6th grader for a daughter?!  For crying out loud, I still feel like a 6th grader... at least in my head :)

Now, if I sat down and really dwelt on the fact that Madison is getting older, if I allowed my mind to play