Passion

By Whitney Jones

Just this week I spent an entire afternoon driving all over God’s green earth to find the exact items my daughter needed for a school project.  I went to three separate places looking for specific items, the most difficult of which to find were a particular type of Twizzlers. I was determined that I would find the exact kind she was describing so that her Science project which was due Friday, would be perfect.  

Driving home successfully with all the correct supplies I felt thrilled.  I walked in the door, beaming believing my thirteen-year-old would share my enthusiasm.  But much to my surprise she wasn’t as passionate about the Twizzlers that had eluded me all afternoon.

Clearly, I can be a passionate parent, and I have always had a very passionate personality. As a child I was passionate about gymnastics and practiced every day to get better and better. I disciplined myself to balance school and the long hours in the gym so I could be the best gymnast that I could possibly be.  This passion for gymnastics fueled my passion to live a healthy lifestyle as an adult and help others be healthy.

As a preteen I started becoming passionate about others and befriending those that got picked on at school. I wanted to be friends with everyone, even the kids that weren’t popular or well-liked by others. This passion led me to love others, even those that live very different lifestyles than me. Today, this passion for others is fueled by providing a safe, loving environment for children in a crisis through Safe Families.

As a teen I was passionate about children and I enjoyed babysitting. I wasn’t the type of babysitter that invited my boyfriend over and ignored the kids. I was the type of babysitter that painted with the kids and took them to the zoo and swimming. I truly loved being with kids and watching them learn about the world around them which led me to pursue a degree in Elementary Education. Now I am fueling my passion for others by teaching kids about God and His infinite love for them.

 No one taught me to be passionate about gymnastics, other people or children. It is the way that God wired me to be. However, along the way I had my parents and other role models in my life that helped guide me and turn up the “passion dial” in my life. You see we all are hard wired to have passion. We just have to figure out how to use that passion for God’s glory.

When kids move into the teenage years, we need to turn up the “passion dial” in their lives. It is critical for teenagers to make personal connections to what they learn. They need consistent opportunities to be the hands and feet of Christ so they can start to understand how to be the church. Teenagers can do amazing things with their gifts if we as parents and leaders give them something important to do.

We want our kids and teens to be young people fueled by passion, but that passion is only fully realized when we understand who God is and where we find our true identity. As parents and leaders we want to turn the “passion dial” in their life so we can help kids understand “Why Am I Here?”  

Can you imagine what life would be like if your kids developed a sense of passion that mobilized them to do what Jesus did on earth? What if they each understood they are designed to personally participate in God’s story to show His redemptive plan to every generation?

Our children look to us to discover what passion looks like.  Unfortunately, we often quiet the passion in our lives for things that are more practical or seem more responsible.  But if you want to unlock the passions of your son or daughter, and turn the “passion dial” up in their lives, encouraging them to use their gifts, talents and abilities to further God’s kingdom – then it starts by modeling what it looks like to live a passionate life instead of a passionless life.

You don’t always have to be efficient.  You can choose to live from your passions and pour yourself into the things that you care desperately about.  You can find the things that break your heart and you can make a difference in fixing them.  You can do all these things, and all the while practically demonstrate to your kids the results of a life lived from our passions.  So give it a shot this week.  Find something you are passionate about, drop everything else and turn up the dial together.

Discovery

by Desi Ash 

Have you ever discovered newborn baby bunnies in the wild? Or lived to tell tales of eating wild berries? Or mastered the art of peeing outside? Those are all lessons I discovered during the summers of my childhood. My brothers and I would spend countless hours in the woods behind our house.

One summer we discovered a nest of baby bunnies; recently born that they barely had any hair on them. In amazement of our discovery, my brother Martin picked one up and we trekked back to show mom and dad. Let’s just say that they didn’t enjoy our discovery as much as we did. We sadly then learned that we probably killed the bunnies because the mom would pick up our scent. (To this day I believe we killed them all).

My older brother was a boy scout and would use this fact to convince Martin and me that the berries growing in the woods weren’t poisonous. He would spend days saying the boy scout manual says it’s okay or that he already ate one and is fine so we should to, all tactics that older brothers are good at. Eventually we would give in, only to find out that they tasted gross and that he himself never ate one. Luckily, we never crossed any poisonous ones.

Being a girl I quickly learned that if I wanted to keep up with my brothers and get the most out of our time in the woods then I was going to have to master peeing outside. My brothers did it all the time no problem, but each time I had to go, I would run back home, and then have to try and find them when I got back. So I decided peeing outside was a skill I needed to have. Well, it’s not as easy for a girl to pee outside as it is a guy (something I didn’t realize as a kid). The first few times I tried I peed all over myself and was super embarrassed.  Over time I discovered the right way to stand and was a pro at peeing outside.

As a kid discovering the world of the woods was what we wanted to do. We hated when mom would add “and stay out of the woods” to our daily rules. What I didn’t know was that discovering was a second nature because God wired me that way. I love that my parents let me spend countless hours in the woods.

Genesis 1 tells us God created us in His image and in His likeness. We as adults need to help kids discover what that means. We can do that by entering their world and letting them trust us. The more we walk beside kids the more they will see in themselves how they are a masterpiece of God’s.   As you walk through the different phases with the kids in your life the more they will see how you discover and deal with the world and the more their future relationships will model what you show them.

How are you as parents provoking discovery within your kids? How are you provoking discovery in your life? As you add discovery into your life and the life of your kids be prepared to see God come alive in new and wonderful ways.

Wonder

By Devin Dummel

Growing up, I was a very inquisitive boy.  I would ask my parents question after question trying to figure out more about the world.  As they would answer my question, to the best of their ability, it would naturally lead to another question.  And another and another.  My “go to” questions became ‘why’ and ‘how’.  As I child I thought this line of questioning was innocent enough, but now that I am a parent, it’s amazing I didn’t drive my parents insane with my never-ending string of questions.

My inquisitive nature might be the explanation for one of the best Christmas gifts I ever received.  During the height of my “wonder years” my parents bought me a copy of what looks like a college text book, put together by Reader’s Digest, titled, “How in the World?  A Fascinating Journey Through the World.”  When I opened that gift, I was thrilled.  I started reading, and I read that book from cover to cover.  It was a gift that meant the world to me.

What my parents realized was that I was filled with wonder, and as tempting as it might be to stifle the incessant questions, they believed that there was value to be found in a wondering mind.  I will be forever thankful for that gift as well.

I wish the same could be said about the faith culture that I grew up in.  Don’t get me wrong, I love the church that I was raised in, but it wasn’t a place that helped me wonder.  I grew up in a faith culture that discouraged wonder, and valued hard answers.  Everything needed to be right and wrong or black and white.  To be a Christian meant that you had the ‘right’ answer to every wondering spiritual question.  And that worked just fine for a while, until some of the answers I had been told to the wondering questions I had no longer seemed to be enough. 

The struggle with having to have all the answers is that when something doesn’t add up, when one of the answers doesn’t seem quite right, the whole system starts to break down.  But what I discovered as I began to look for the right answers, wasn’t a God who wanted me to have it all figured out, but a God who had created and designed me to be amazed by the wonder of who He is.

When I began to embrace wonder again – and look at the world in a different way, what I began to see all around me were signs and signals – revelations – of the creator that I could not see.  And once again my heart was captured with wonder.  Once again I was amazed.

You may or may not realize this but God has designed each of us for wonder.  And the reality is, every child walks around with an invisible sign saying, amazing me, capture my wonder, entangle my heart and my mind.  Our problem is too often we are more worried about preparing them to live in the world, than allowed them to be amazed by it.

It’s our job as parents and leaders of the next generation is to incite wonder in the lives of our children.  It is our responsibility to help our children discover a world that is filled with and points to the signs of a creator that cannot be seen.   Our divine calling is to worry less about having all the answers and instead join our children, praising God in the same way the psalmist did so long ago saying, "For You are great and do wondrous deeds; You alone are God.” (Psalm 86:10).

This week, try to incite some wonder into the lives of your kids, and embrace the wonder of God in your heart.  I promise the world will be a much more beautiful place when you do.

Wonder, Discovery, Passion

by Desi Ash

Just today I wondered about swollen vocal chords, discovered that not all Hobby Lobby’s look the same, and was passionate about crossing things off of my to do list.

Everyone wonders. Everyone discovers. Everyone is passionate.

What have you recently wonder about, discovered, and been passionate about?

Here at Pendleton Christian Church the Next Generation Team use wonder, discovery, and passion and let those elements help our kids seek a deeper connection with God.

As our kids grow up they enter and exit different phases. From birth to graduation kids are growing, learning, and experience life in unique ways.

At different phases kids experience wonder, discovery, and passion differently. Wonder is strongest amongst the preschool phase. Preschoolers live in a world full of wonder and imagination. They can easily make a simple cardboard box into a boat or airplane and begin exploring world’s miles away from home. We take the time to repeat stories and let our preschoolers use their imagination to put themselves into the story. Kids in the preschool phase are able to use this imagination and incite wonder about their Creator.

Discovery is highest amongst the elementary and Jr high phase. Elementary kids are combining wonder with discovery to search for answers. Our preteens discover the Bible on Sundays during the Bible Milestone. They are learning how to use their Bibles and how the stories are connected.  Jr high kids are blending wonder, discovery, and passion to solve problems. They are quick to point out problems and even quicker with a solution to said problem. During Adventure Camp we challenge the kids to solve problems the way God would want problems solved.  Elementary and jr high kids are provoking discovery with their relationship with God and wrestling with their identity being determined by Christ or something else.

Passion is strongest amongst kids in the high school phase. High school kids are searching for meaning and passion to discover their place in the world. They are looking for freedom to make their own decisions, trying to figure out what they have to offer and places to try out their skills. It’s great to see our high school kids serving Sunday mornings and Wednesday nights and seeing them using their gifts from sports to singing to just loving kids.

As our kids grow we want to be able to incite wonder, provoke discover, and fuel passion.

“What if children grew up amazed with the WONDER of their heavenly Father and how much He loves them? What if they understood God is big enough to handle whatever they will face in life?”

“What if children were provoked to pursue a lifestyle of DISCOVERY, where their identity is determined by a personal relationship with Christ and they are guided by His Spirit?”

“What if kids developed a sense of passion that mobilized them to do what Jesus did on earth? What if they understood they are designed to personally participate in God’s story to show His redemptive plan to every generation?” (Excerpt from Think Orange.)

When our kids are able to add wonder, discovery, and passion, into their relationship with God, they form a deeper connection with God that will last them a lifetime. 

New Year: No Longer Empty

By Devin Dummel

Just last night I finished miles twenty-seven, twenty-eight and twenty-nine.  And now I am back on track.  Earlier this month we looked the idea of New Year’s Resolutions or goals.  And we talked about how part of our problem not just with the New Year, but will all sorts of goals is that we set unrealistic expectations.   The goal that I set for myself was a mile a day, and after last night I am right on target.  It hasn’t been easy, but I’ve been able to keep up with my goals because I have made it a priority.

When it comes to your spiritual life the same is true, if you want to make sure that 2017 is different for you spiritually, then you are going to have to set some goals and make them a priority.  This month we have encouraged you to drop the guilt associated with not being “spiritual enough”.  We have challenged you to find some time to stop and listen to God.  It doesn’t have to be for extended periods of time, but just being able to make space for God can make a huge difference.  And last week we looked at the importance of being quiet.  Not only do we need to eliminate the noise around us, but we must quiet our hearts and minds, even if it’s only for a few minutes so that we can hear from God.

While growing spiritual can be difficult, it doesn’t have to be hard.  And as Adults who are responsible for raising up the next generation, it is essential that we learn how to grow on our own so we can show our children how to do the same.  The truth is regular connection with God move us toward consistency and intimacy with Him.  The temptation is to try and be perfect, but the truth is God used all kinds of flawed people in the scriptures.  They each had weaknesses and needed God – just like you and me.

If we want to ensure that we are no longer empty followers of Jesus just going through the motions, then we must create small spaces of time and quiet to connect with God on a regular basis.  Author and Pastor, Doug Fields says, “When you connect with God, you are trusting that He has a master plan in mind for you, worked out in the midst of a journey filled with fears, bouts, questions, failures, inadequacies, pain, loneliness, anger, frustration, and loss.”

What a great way to understand the importance of connecting regularly with God.  It is one way in which we can say to God: “You are God and I am not, and I trust you even though I’m not really feeling it right now.”  And the best part is that God is totally okay with that.  He can handle all of those things.  What He can’t handle is losing the connection with us.

The reality is goals are great, and plans are important – but there is nothing more important than your connection with God.  Without that connection you will be run-down and worn-out all year long.  Goals don’t change anyone, only God’s Spirit truly changes to our core. 

So the challenge is, will you find time and space, just small amounts, to connect with God on a regular basis?  Will you allow Him to start to change you, so that He can also change your family?  Will you trust Him and continue to seek Him even when you aren’t feeling it?  Will you commit to saying, “I no longer want to be empty”?

It’s our hope and prayer that this year will be a special one and that you will find your connection to God as the source of fuel that propel your family all year long.

New Year: Be Quiet

By Devin Dummel

If your house is anything like our house, then you likely share some of the same struggles we have.  With a four year old and a two year old constantly playing games, watching shoes, and being creative – our house is a fairly noisy place.  There are days where it feels like from the moment we got out of bed until the moment we tucked in their sweet little heads there has been constant noise.

What I find even more shocking than all the noise, is what typically happens when we finally turn off the lights and say goodnight to our kids.  The silence is some odd way even seems noisy.  Perhaps it’s because in a world where noise is everywhere, even silence can see deafening.

Maybe you have discovered this to be true in your life as well, that the trouble of a quiet room is a noisy mind.  When everything else is muted, it forces us to think, reflect, and examine what’s going on in our hearts and our heads.  And while we manage to fill that space with things like worry, want, and procrastination, what we need more than anything is quiet.

If you and I are going to make the most of this year and make it the best year it can possibly be for our families, one thing we must fight for in our homes and our lives is quiet.  What is quiet so important?  Well, there’s a story from the Old Testament that might help us.

Elijah was a prophet for God, and he did some very amazing things for God, but one day he felt like his life was being threatened.  He was scared and overwhelmed and he decided to run away from everything.  So Elijah found himself in the wilderness, praying desperate prayers to God.  And God chose to answer his prayer.

First Elijah was told to stand at the top of the mountain and God would pass by.  So Elijah made the hike and waited for God.  As he waited a hurricane like wind ripped through the mountains and shattered the rocks.  It was a powerful display but God was not in the wind.  Then there was an earthquake with shook the mountainside, but God wasn’t in the earthquake.  After the earthquake there was a huge fire, but although spectacular, God was not in the fire.  But following the fire there was a gentle and quiet whisper, and when Elijah heard it, he knew it was God. (1 Kings 19:11-13)

Quiet is essential for us, because it is where we are most likely to encounter God.  It’s in the silence, with nothing to distract us, where God often reveals Himself.  And while many of us look for God in the “big things” like Sunday morning, sermons, events, conferences, etc. – I believe you will find that God may be speaking directly to you in the small and quiet moments of your day.

We often feel like God is far off and we feel disconnected to Him.  But the truth is God is not distant.  He is right here with you, and wants to speak more and more truth into your life.  The question is, will you slow down enough and be quiet enough to listen.

This week, we want to ask you not just to make space and time for God.  We ask that you would find some quiet for Him in your life.  Turn off the TV.  Take out your headphones.  Ignore the honey do list, or the pile of paperwork.  Find just five minutes of quiet, and ask God to show up and speak to you –  we think you may be surprised at just how much He wants to share with you.

New Year: Just Stop

By Devin Dummel

If you were asked to describe how things were going so far in this New Year, I wonder how many of us would reply with some of the following words:  busy, rushed, empty, stressed, worn-out, overloaded.  Too many of us, say yes to everything, believing we will able to check everything off our lists.  Sadly, when we take a moment to come up for air, we discover just how tired and exhausted we have been all along.

Maybe you haven’t even got a chance to take a break yet, maybe you discovered just how busy you are because you over-reacted to a simple situation and you wondered, “Where in the world did that reaction come from?”  The reality is when we are worn-out we don’t have anything extra in the tank.  When we are busy and tired our emotional reserves are running on fumes.

The truth is if you want this year to be any different than the past years, then you are going to have to do something different.  You are going to have to develop a new way to navigate a world where we believe that “busy” is something to strive for.  And if you’ve bought into that lie, that being busy means that you are doing something right, then what I’m going to suggest for you to do, will come as quite a shock.

If you feel like you are running on fumes, barely making it, and desperate for a break for the break-neck pace of life you live, here is what I want you to do ….

JUST STOP

That’s right, you read that correctly.  If you want to get recharged, if you want to get refueled, then you my friend will have to discover how to STOP.

Think about it this way, when you are getting low on fuel in your car, what is the first thing you have to do?  It seems silly to even mention it, but if you want to refuel, the first thing you have to do is stop.  You have to take time to pull up to a service station, and put your vehicle in park, and let it do it’s thing.

In the same sense, you need to stop and refuel every day.  It could be five minutes before a meeting, two minutes in the car before you drive away, or thirty seconds at your desk at the end of the day.  Whatever it is, you need to create margins in your life to find some rest.

Psalm 46:10 says, “Be still, and know that I am God.”  When was the last time you were still?  If you are wondering why you feel run down and worn-out, my guess is it’s because you haven’t been still in a while.  So I challenge you, find a few minutes every day to be still before God.

Stop saying yes to everything, stop filling up your tank with trivial and meaningless things.  Quit overloading your life and eliminating all of the margin you have.  But Stop so you can refuel your sound and have the spiritual depth to handle everything that comes with the life that God has given you.