Kingdom Rock VBS is FINALLY over!

Whew!! I. AM. EXHAUSTED. 

VBS is finally over. Yes, we had our county fair and VBS the same week. I'm never doing that again! 

But we survived and boy did we have a blast!! The kids really enjoyed all of our crafts and songs and lessons and games. Boy, did we have some great volunteers helping and the other directors and I would surely have been lost without them. 

Heather and Chrissy did awesome every night with their skit! This two ladies are awesome!

I made the backdrop and most of the decorations. I had so much fun!! Check out that throne!! Our AWESOME pastor put that together for the kids so......

...every kid got their picture taken sitting on the throne that they'll receive Sunday after the church program.

A real suit of armor!! Thanks Brooke for letting us borrow it! 

Any offering the kids brought we collected for the Kazembe Orphanage. We had a table set up to represent how many books we were able to buy for the orphanage. I think this pic was taken the second day and the kids were outstanding!

The kids enjoyed yummy snacks all week!! Thanks Carol and Liz, Sue and Jeanne! 

Our great feast hall, otherwise known as our church basement :) 

Best of all the kids got CRAZY! And it was a blast! We got them singing and dancing and jumping and really learning that God helps us STAND STRONG! 

Amanda and Shannon thanks so much for all the games you played with the kids! I think the water games were especially a hit! 

Our Medieval Castle crafts were pretty popular with the kids too! 

They made popsicle catapaults which resulted in a mini marshmallow war! 

Torches...

3D Castles....

..and shields! I just love Yahoo's SERIOUS expression! 

But the most anticipated event was PIES IN THE FACE! We made a deal with the kids that if they could get 45 kids to come one night of Bible School then Friday they could EACH put a pie in one of the director's or Pastor Jerry's faces. What a blast!! 

We were going to let the preschoolers go first but I didn't anticipate that they wouldn't understand what to do...HA! So I had a teenage helper give a demonstration. That's my babysitter up there covering her mouth as she's about to wallop me with a whip cream pie! Oh joy!! 

I think Yip and Yap were enjoying it just a little too much! 

There's Yip going after his poor mother and Heather sneaking up behind me to add even more stickiness to my hair! Ugg! 

Despite the fact we had Bible School the same week as our county fair we still had a fantastic turnout and the kids had a ball! Just one more day to go. Tomorrow we'll have the kids program at church and then we'll tear down all the decorations. So maybe, just maybe next week I'll get to enjoy a little rest...please??? 

Sunday Devotions - Returning to God

“People of Israel, return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, that he may return to you who are left, who have escaped from the hand of the kings of Assyria. Do not be like your parents and your fellow Israelites, who were unfaithful to the LORD, the God of their ancestors, so that he made them an object of horror, as you see. Do not be stiff-necked, as your ancestors were; submit to the LORD. Come to his sanctuary, which he has consecrated forever. Serve the LORD your God, so that his fierce anger will turn away from you. If you return to the LORD, then your fellow Israelites and your children will be shown compassion by their captors and will return to this land, for the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate. He will not turn his face from you if you return to him." 2 Chronicles 30:6-9

I recently downloaded a free book on my Kindle, Gods and Kings; Chronicles of the Kings #1.

Gods and Kings is the story of King Hezekiah, heir to the throne of King David. When his evil father plots to sacrifice him, Hezekiah's mother, Abijah, searches frantically for a way to save him. But only two men can help her, and neither of them seems trustworthy. In a time and place engulfed by violence, treachery, and infidelity to Yahweh, Abijah and her son must discover the one true Source of strength if they are to save themselves and their country. Book 1 of Chronicles of the Kings.

Reading this novel has been quite enjoyable, I could hardly put it down, but also very educational. It has put into context Old Testament people, places and events that can be rather confusing when reading about them from the Bible. Much of contemporary Bible studies are focused upon the New Testament, and rightly so, but this novel reminded me that the Old Testament still has lessons for us to learn.

If you remember, after the reign of Kind David the kings of Israel became more and more evil by worshiping idols and not following God's commands. In Gods and Kings, one of the main characters is Zechariah. Zechariah had been a high priest in the Temple and an adviser to King Uzziah. But Zechariah had failed with King Uzziah (2 Chronicles 26: 16-20). In the novel Zechariah is an old man, a drunkard and grandfather to King Hezekiah. One day he reflects upon his life, his time with King Uzziah and wonders in despair how it is that his life has deteriorated to such an extent. His answer is he had lived only for himself, wasting a life that had been dedicated and belonged to God. Through his life he slowly, in small steps, bent the rules or made small concessions to God's laws that served his own purpose until he realized he no longer had any relationship with God. But Zechariah finally sees the error of his ways and asks for forgiveness and a second chance to serve the Lord.

It got me thinking about how we serve the Lord in our lives. How easy is it bend God's rules. We miss church one Sunday, then two and before we know it it's been months since we've worshiped. Or that one tidbit of gossip we happened to overhear that slowly turned us into judging someone else. Or we tell a small white lie that turns into keeping secrets from loved ones and it only snowballs into lies.

How do you live your life for God today? Have you "bent" God's rules? How can you go back to living your life for God?

Because, really, our lives are not our own. Our life belongs to God.

Dear Heavenly Father, Teach me and guide me that my life is lived for You and for You alone. Amen.