PCC Children's Events for Sep 29 through Oct 5

UNITE PICNIC THIS WEDNESDAY NIGHT!

No children's Bible Study or Breakout Sessions this week.

GRILLS ARE HOT AT 6 p.m.

Bring something to grill and a picnic dinner for your family.

SUNDAYS IN OCTOBER

ROCK SOLID Children's Church

1st SERVICE

PRK Class, Room 1

(ages 3 years & completely potty trained through 5 year olds not in KG)

KG-4th Grade, Room 2

2nd SERVICE

PK/KG Class, Room 1

(ages 3 years through KG)

1st through 4th Grades, Room 2

A Promise for a Lasting Legacy: Psalm 112:1-3

"Praise the Lord!
How joyful are those who fear the Lord

and delight in obeying his commands.

Their children will be successful everywhere;

an entire generation of godly people will be blessed.

They themselves will be wealthy,

and their good deeds will last forever."

Psalm 112:1-3

Overwhelmed...NOT!

"Then the Spirit lifted me up, and I heard behind me a loud rumbling sound—May the glory of the LORD be praised in his dwelling place!- 13 the sound of the wings of the living creatures brushing against each other and the sound of the wheels beside them, a loud rumbling sound. 14 The Spirit then lifted me up and took me away, and I went in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit, with the strong hand of the LORD upon me. 15 I came to the exiles who lived at Tel Abib near the Kebar River. And there, where they were living, I sat among them for seven days-overwhelmed." Ezekial 3:12-15

Overwhelmed! This was Ezekial's response to the vision he just experienced. He saw God's awesome glory - the powerful display of His greatness! Some believe the four living beings Ezekial saw in this passage represented God's perfect nature. Read Chapters 1 through 3 to get a perspective of the powerful vision Ezekial experienced. Ezekial experienced something so magnificent, so great, so amazing that it left him OVERWHELMED!

In this vision, God tasked Ezekial to be a messenger to the people of Israel. Israel had rebelled against God. They had become hard-hearted and worshipped idols. Ezekial was to be God's mouthpiece of warning, a watchmen, warning of the impending doom of Israel if they did not repent and turn back to God. Ezekial was OVERWHELMED by grief...knowing His people, God's chosen nation, was facing impending judgement. It wasn't good.

I also imagine that Ezekial was also OVERWHELMED by the spiritual experience of the vision. God's magnificence and glory can not be missed! HE makes HIS awesome power and greatness very clear in Ezekial's vision. No doubt, Ezekial was in awe of God's greatness afterwards as well. The God of the Universe, the Creator, chose to make HIS presence known to Ezekial in such a BIG way. As a result of this vision, Ezekial had no doubt as to what God had called him to do.

Overwhelmed! I've learned a lesson from this passage. You know what it is? No matter how hectic, busy, overburdened, or overworked I am, I am in no way OVERWHELMED! Even if I think I am, I'm not. Worldly strife and stress are not what should be overwhelming to us! God has conquered the world through Jesus Christ. So let's give the worldy things that seem to overwhelm us to Christ. Instead, be overwhelmed by a God so great, so loving, so forgiving, and so glorious that HE'd send HIS ONE AND ONLY SON to die - for us.

In His Love, Cathy

Two Favors of the Lord

"O God, I beg two favors from you;

Let me have them before I die.

First, help me never to tell a lie.

Second, give me neither poverty nor riches!

Give me just enough to satisfy my needs.

For if I grow rich, I may deny you and say,

'Who is the LORD?'

And if I am too poor, I may steal and thus insult God's holy name."

Proverbs 30:7–9

The requests made in this prayer show the wisdom of the author. He models for us here the right attitude and spirit we should have when we approach God. Notice, his attitude isn't greedy. His request isn't for God to 'give me more blessings.' Instead, he's requesting God to just bless him enough to satisfy his needs. It's not wrong for us to request God's blessings for ourselves or others. But we do need to look at our motives for requesting these blessings. Are we asking for more because of greed, pride, or recognition? Are there underlying selfish reasons at work within us? OR Is our request pure, based on a real need? Are we making the right requests with the right kind of spirit? Are we asking for blessings according to God's Will, for His Glory, and to carry on His Work? Is what we are requesting a want or a need?

The wisdom of this prayer models for us the proper attitude for petitioning our LORD. Our prayer requests and motivations behind them expose our heart condition. Like this wise author, Agur, we too can ask God to help us not to lie, to have just enough to satisfy our needs, not to bless us with wealth but yet not to be impoverished. Jesus even said it is harder for a rich person to go to heaven than a camel to go through the eye of a needle (Matthew 19:23-24) . However, at the same time, the author of this prayer recognized the spiritual challenges that poverty could induce...stealing, living unrighteously (in our day, poverty could translate to drugs, alcohol, prost., etc..) Both wealth and poverty can be hazardess to spiritual living.

Though there was a time I naively thought money and success were important goals in life, I now realize that I would be unable to minister to people the way that God has called me to had I been wealthy - or had I been impoverished. I am exactly where God wants me to be and I AM RICHLY BLESSED because of it!

Continue to petition our wonderful God for His blessings for others and yourself. Trust Him, obey Him, and love Him. Then allow HIM to see fit as to how and where to apply those abundant blessings. Watch for His blessings with utmost expectations. He is sure to supply!

Grace and Peace!

In His Love, Cathy

TGIF: Sunday's Comining!

"Our 'moment to greet those around you'

has gotten out of hand..."

Candy Corn & Jesus

Okay, so my family and I just finished dinner. We were sitting around the table enjoying our dessert of ....Candy Corn. As we were enjoying a few sweet candy corn treats, my youngest son excitedly exclaimed, "Hey! Tomorrow is Ice Cream & Jesus!" Of course, I had to break the sad news to him that Ice Cream & Jesus was a summer program. Since it's officially fall, we were not having ice cream at Bible Study. But then, the Holy Spirit zapped my little pea brain with a novel idea...Candy Corn and Jesus!

Just like that, an idea was born! Not to minimize God's glory and greatness by any means, but I'd like to share with you some of the discussion among our family that was sparked by the Candy Corn & Jesus idea.

1. Candy Corn is the shape of a triangle, pointing to the Trinity...God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit.
2. Candy Corn is three in one...three colors in one wonderful treat. The Holy Trinity is three in one.
3. Candy Corn is sweet...there's nothing sweeter than God's Word!
4. Candy Corn consists of three colors. These colors could represent parts of the Story of Salvation.

• White - Represents the perfect Lamb that was slain, Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It could also represent our cleansing from sin when we accept Christ. This is the top part of the candy corn...pointing to the Risen Savior!
• Orange - Represents the sin in our lives and our need for a Savior. Orange could also represent the Sun setting on (dying to) our old life once we accept Christ.
• Yellow - Represents the new life we have in Jesus Christ. Could also represent His Resurrection on the third day.

5. Candy Corn is reliable, you know you'll get it every fall and you know it'll taste the same from year to year...and it never seems to run out! GOD IS RELIABLE. He is the ONE who WAS, who IS, and IS to come. HE is the SAME yesterday, TODAY, and TOMORROW! HE IS ALWAYS THERE!

Ok...so the idea here sounds a little 'corny.' But I hope it delighted you and gave you ideas for creative means to share Christ with your child, too. In fact, I might just use this at tomorrow night's Children's Bible Study! My pea brain is already spinning off ideas to utilize this at Halloween! Anything to help children understand God's amazing love for them!

In His Love, Cathy

WATCH OUT!!! Mad Mama with a Chain Saw!

So, this past Saturday, after Michael's morning soccer game, I decided to trim the hedges in our front yard. It was a BEAUTIFUL day. The weather couldn't be any more perfect...it was mild, early autumn weather. A wonderful day for yard work. I thought, "No problem. The shrubs need a trim." It was just a great day to be outside!

What I neglected to think about was the fact that the front shrubs had not been trimmed in 2 years. We've just been so busy between work, kids, ministry, and lots of other stuff that we've just not had the time for much upkeep other than lawn mowing. The shrubs didn't look too bad. The crepe myrtles were a little big. But still, no big deal.

I went into the garage and got out the hedge trimmers. As I set to my task, I quickly learned the hedge trimmers were not the tool for the job. They just weren't 'cutting it.' (Ha...ha...I made a funny...cutting it...get it...ok...back to the story). I was just a little frustrated at this point, until my mind came up with a wonderful solution...THE CHAIN SAW!!! PERFECT!!! But there was a catch. We had never used our chain saw. It was still in the box. We bought it after Hurricane Dennis to chop up debris. But since we had no more trees left in our yard, we've not had the opportunity to use it. I quickly pulled the chain saw out of the box and began to eagerly read the instructions. I was sure that I could get this new chain saw operational and my schrubs & crepe myrtles would be trimmed in no time flat. Shoot, in an hour, I was sure to be soaking in a tub of bubbles, votive candles surrounding me, with shrub trimming long behind me! BOY WAS I SO WRONG.

First, I had to mix the fuel with 2 cylinder engine oil. You guys know what I'm talking about. Then I had to put the fuel in the tank. But I also had to put bar & chain oil in the chain saw as well. I did both with little trouble. Oh, I was excited! "I am woman! Hear me roar!" I just knew I was on my way to trimming shrubs! But then, I tried to crank the saw. I couldn't CRANK IT! Yes, I turned it on and pulled the choke throttle, or whatever that thingy is called. I tried and I tried. I just wasn't STRONG ENOUGH on my own. Then, I got another idea. My daughter! Yes, she could help. Britt is 5'6" and much stronger than I am. Between the two of us, we CAN crank up that chain saw! I called her to come outside. We took turns holding the chain saw and trying to crank it. Then I held it down on the ground, and she tried to crank it. We could not get it cranked to save our lives!

So why didn't I get Scott, (my husband) to help? Well, he wasn't home!He was at a cross country meet with his team. I guess him being coach that morning was more important than HELPING ME CRANK THIS STUPID CHAINSAW!!! So, defeated by the chainsaw, I waited. I waited for my handsome prince to come home and rescue me from my foolish feat! Boy, was I embarrassed. "I am woman, hear me roar!" Yeh, right! I was more like "I am woman, hear me wimper!"

Finally, my hero pulls up in his trusty minivan! As he approaches me, eager to share his team's cross country results, I pounce. "I need help cranking this saw." With a concerned, curious look on his face, he quizzes me, "Why?" "Because I need it to trim the shrubs," I whine. With an even more concerned look he asks, "Why?" "Because the hedge trimmers are too wimpy! Just PLEASE crank this saw." So, he tries. It cranks! Ah, the loud roar that it made was joy to my ears, until...he noticed the chain wouldn't move...whether the brake was on or off, the chain didn't budge. He loosened the chain, still no movement! UGGGHHHH!!!! We took it apart and put it together again. STILL NO MOVEMENT! WHY ME???

Then, he gave the brake one more try. Finally, it released the chain and I was in business! That day, my shrubs felt the fury of my frustration! AHHH, what stress relief! Three hours later, my shrubs were trimmed, crepe myrtles thinned, and all was right in the shrub world. Although writing is a stress relief for me, I think I've come across a new way to deal with stress...Chain Saw Therapy! Sounds like a therapy for serial killers, doesn't it:-)

Happy Chain Sawing! Grace and pieces!

In His Love, Cathy

Psalm 42:8...God's Amazing, Unfailing Love!

"But each day the Lord pours his unfailing love upon me,

and through each night I sing his songs,

praying to God who gives me life."

Psalm 42:8

All I can say is thank you, Lord! Thank you for a second chance at life! I stand in awe of Your amazing love for us!

Sunday's Sermon

I don't know about you, but wasn't last week's and this week's sermon just awesome! Today's message made me realize even more just how precious each of you, my brothers and sisters in Christ, are to the Lord and to me! Thanks, Pastor Ron for doing such a great job in helping us understand that the Church is made up of people, members of the Body of Christ; and that because the Church is made up of our brothers and sisters, we are not to think of it from a consumeristic standpoint. The Church was purchased with the BLOOD of OUR PRECIOUS SAVIOR - Jesus Christ paid the ULTIMATE PRICE for EACH ONE OF US! Because of this, we should willingly lay our lives down for one another. In response to Christ's sacrifice for us, let's love one another, serve one another, encourage one another, and help one another in brotherly love.

I love each of you so dearly! Grace and peace to you!

In His Love, Cathy

Thank You Shout Out to Some Wonderful People

A BIG THANK YOU to CK, AL, & BD for stepping up and helping today at the last minute. Our PK class was HUGE this morning with 23 children first service. These ladies leaped into action when our scheduled help wasn't able to be at church today! You three ladies are just AWESOME in my book!

A BIG THANK YOU to KM for quickly modifying her teaching location for her KG/1st grade class to allow the PK all of room 1, also to my friend C and her husband L for stepping in and helping with the PK class as needed.

Let's just say it was a record breaking day for the 1st Service PK class! Never in our church history have we had so many little ones...PRAISE GOD! I've been praying for the LORD to bless us with the oportunity to serve more children on Sundays. He not only answers prayers, He answers our prayers abundantly! AMEN!

Also, a BIG THANK YOU to all of children's volunteers mentioned above and JB,DN, PN, M&CH, VH, SP, BSl, RW, L&JK, HG, TF, AF, MH, TG, PP, & all who help in various other capacities. YOU are a blessing to the children! God bless each of you and your families!

Blog Site Hits - over 1000

Really? I'm totally humbled by this. To me, 1000 hits is a really big deal. It's simply God at work. Thank you, friends. I pray that I continue to be a blessing to each of you through my blogsite.

PCC CHILDREN'S MINISTRY NEWS for 9/22 - 9/28

With Fall officially upon us, it's time to say goodbye to ICE CREAM & JESUS until next summer. But with a new season, new programs designed with our kids in mind!

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS this FALL are AWESOME!

Check out our NEW midweek Bible Studies & Activities for Kids:

Starts THIS WEDNESDAY, 6:30 - 7:30 p.m.

HIS KIDS - Bible Study for 1st - 3rd Grade (A 6 week study on Prayer - Room 1)

CHRIST ROCKS! - Bible Study for 4th-5th Grades (A study on Spiritual Growth - Room 2)

WE OFFER TWO BREAKOUT SESSIONS IMMEDIATELY FOLLOWING

(7:30 to 8 p.m.)

BREAKOUT SESSION #1 Outreach & Community Service Team

BREAKOUT SESSION #2 Children's Worship Team

SUNDAY'S ROCK WITH ROCK SOLID KIDS CHURCH!

PRK CLASSES meet in Room 1.

KG-4th Grade meet in Room 2.

A Call to Return to God

I love reading the Bible. Each time I read it God always shows me something new and wonderful. No matter how many times I've read a passage, He is faithful to reveal more of Himself to me afresh each time. Today, I'd like to share something that practically jumped off the page at me. I just love the promises the passage holds.

“In the future, when you experience all these blessings and curses I have listed for you, and when you are living among the nations to which the Lord your God has exiled you, take to heart all these instructions. 2 If at that time you and your children return to the Lord your God, and if you obey with all your heart and all your soul all the commands I have given you today, 3 then the Lord your God will restore your fortunes. ... Then he will make you even more prosperous and numerous than your ancestors!
6 “The Lord your God will change your heart and the hearts of all your descendants, so that you will love him with all your heart and soul and so you may live! ...
9 “The Lord your God will then make you successful in everything you do. He will give you many children and numerous livestock, and he will cause your fields to produce abundant harvests, for the Lord will again delight in being good to you as he was to your ancestors. 10 The Lord your God will delight in you if you obey his voice and keep the commands and decrees written in this Book of Instruction, and if you turn to the Lord your God with all your heart and soul."

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 abbr.

I LOVE the promises in this passage! Though the promises were made to the Israelites, they hold true for us today as well! What is especially notable is that these promises are not just for us, but also our children. But wait! There's more! God goes even further! God's promise includes our descendents! He can do that...'cause He's God! Now go back, read the passage in your Bible, and write down all that He has promised. Those are HIS promises to HIS people! Those are HIS promises to YOU!!! Our God is truly wonderful!

Now, in order to receive these promises, what are we to do? Take another pass through that Scripture. First, we need to RETURN to God, (repent). We need to OBEY God, LOVE God with all of our heart, soul, mind, and strength. We need to TURN TO CHRIST.

Explore your heart. Ask God to point out any sin or areas in your life that might be causing you and your children not to fully receive these promises. Be totally open to what He reveals to you, asking for His forgiveness and help to overcome. Live for Christ and Love Him above all else. Live in humble submission. Then watch God bless you and your children in HIS way according to HIS will. You won't be disappointed. After all, He's God and that's how He rolls!

In His Love, Cathy

WHAT A NIGHT! Wednesday Nights are OFF THE CHART!

WOW, what a night! Our midweek Bible Study, ICE CREAM & JESUS, is running 25+ children consistently each week! Tonight was the HIGHEST ATTENDANCE EVER! PRAISE GOD!!! Young hearts are being impacted for Christ! These children ARE NOT THE FUTURE OF THE CHURCH...yes, you heard me right. They are not the future of the church, THEY ARE THE CHURCH !!! (All believers are a part of Christ's Body, the Church. Our young believers are a part of His Body. There are no age restrictions!)

The wisdom these young ones display can only be a result of the HOLY SPIRIT! It's really amazing! God is WORKING BIG TIME on these young people, through this midweek children's ministry, as well as our Sunday morning ministry!

Due to the rapid growth of ICE CREAM & JESUS, we are going to create two, separate ICE CREAM & JESUS classes as follows:
- 1st-3rd grades (Room 1)
- 4th-5th grades (Room 2)

ICE CREAM & JESUS utilizes sound, Bible based, curriculum developed by Bill Bright. Currently we are studying 'Beginning the Christian Adventure.' Our current unit is focusing on the importance of Spiritual growth through reading the Bible, daily prayer, fellowship, witnessing, and obeying God. If your child hasn't joined us on Wednesday nights, make every effort to get them there! It really is an awesome study!

PARENTS, with this growth, we need extra helpers and teachers. If you can take turns helping or teaching, please email me. God is doing great things for our kids!

LET'S GET FIRED UP!!!

In His Love, Cathy

Thank You!

For your prayers for me were heard and answered! God has restored my joy and passion! Thank you, friends! I love you each so dearly!

A Thought for Today

"The LORD our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that He has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions." Deuteronomy 29:29

God has chosen not to reveal all things to us. There are some secrets He has withheld. Why? Maybe because they are too great for our finite minds to handle. After all, God is infinite and so is His knowledge. Maybe these secrets are things that we don't really need to know right now. Whatever the case may be, we are not accountable for the things God chose not to reveal to us.

Now let's switch gears. We are ACCOUNTABLE FOREVER for all that He has revealed to us. Not only are we accountable forever, but OUR CHILDREN are also! Jesus made His presence known to mankind once and for all when He walked upon this earth. Jesus Himself said, "If I had not come and spoken to them, they would not be guilty of sin. Now, however, they have no excuse for their sin." (John 15:22) The world is now without excuse, therefore ALL will be held accountable.

We must obey Christ's calling. We must teach our children so that they may know Him, love Him, and obediently follow Him! It's critical that we do!

Grace and peace to you, friend!

In His Love, Cathy

Heartbreak

My heart is broken, it's shattered into pieces.
The joy I once had seems so very lost.
Each way I turn, each path I follow, seems to lead me only to more pain.
Relationships end, friendships fade away, loved ones quietly slip into God's heavenly arms.
Leaving an empty hole in my heart, wishing for what can no longer be.

Sadness overwhelms me, I cannot bear to lose anyone else that I hold so dear.
I feel I must guard my heart so that that I'm not unprotected from this pain.
For it's when I open my heart to others I am vulnerable.
I don't think I can endure any more heartache.

No, I know that I cannot endure anymore heartache. It's just too much for my heart to bear.
Should I withdraw, should I pull away? At least my heart won't be hurt this way.
I open my heart, show love and kindness to others. Some turn away, some don't even acknowlege. So why do I keep subjecting myself to this personal torture? I just don't know why, but it's becoming harder and harder, to open up and befriend others. I just don't think I can lose anyone else in my life. I guess this year has been tough on my heart. I'm maxed out and just can't take too much more.

I do sound so selfish and so one-sided. I apologize, my dear friends, I do sound just horrible. I must instead count God's wonderful blessings and proclaim what He's done! Otherwise, I will sink deeper into this awful, dark despair! I am thankful to have so many wonderful, faithful friends! You all know that I love each you just so dearly. No, closing my heart just isn't the answer. My dear friends, you don't deserve that! You deserve my best love and my loyalty too. I must open my heart to minister, to love, and witness about His Grace. For if Christ LOVED me so much that He lay down His life for my sake, I must be willing to risk my heart for the sake of others too.

Thank you friends, for allowing me to pour out my heart. I love you so very much! Grace and peace to you!

In His Love, Cathy

Training Up a Child: Eating Right - On Spiritual Growth

Last Wednesday night, the children learned a very important lesson about growing up. We had a wonderful time learning about the food pyramid and how it is so very important that everyone eats enough of the right foods. We discussed how a baby can not eat the same food we do, but how baby food and formula can not sustain us as we begin to grow up. We all took a sample taste of baby food to remind us of what it would be like to live by eating it only. We also learned, how, if we don't eat right, we don't grow up as strong and healthy as we should be; we become tired and don't have the energy to do well in school or other activities.

Even as adults, we need to eat healthy and excercise in order to maintain good health. It's at the times that we don't take care of our bodies, eat poorly, and don't excercise that our health is most at risk. But you know, if we don't get the proper spiritual feeding and spiritual excercise we need, we are at an even greater risk than just poor health. Not only that, our spiritual anemia also impacts our children, our marriage, our relationships, our work, and most importantly, our relationship with Jesus Christ Himself!

God didn't intend for us to just get saved and that was that. He didn't intend for us just to go to church, or just to pray, or to 'just get by' spiritually. There is so much more that God has planned for His people! He wants us to be spiritually healthy and spiritually fit! WE are HIS MESSENGERS to this lost world! We are in TRAINING for the ULTIMATE MARATHON!

Allow me to expound further...wow, I sound intelligent...expound! First of all, just like we need the eat the proper servings of the right foods in order to maximize our health, we also need to have the proper spiritual nutrition to grow and mature spiritually. Many believers are at different stages of spiritual growth but all should be on some type of spiritual growth plan. Let me share with you The Six Spiritual Growth Groups for healthy, growing Believers.

The 6 Spiritual Growth Groups
Group 1. We must READ God's Word EVERYDAY.
Keep in mind, when you read the Bible, READ IT TO CHANGE! Take notes, highlight passages that seem to speak to you. Memorize a verse a week to help you in your walk. (Or a verse/passage a day.)

Group 2. We must PRAY EVERDAY! "Pray without ceasing." Pray quietly to yourself, pray out loud, pray long prayers, pray short prayers throughout your day. No matter how you do it, just pray and truly seek God out through your day. Me, I keep a prayer journal. I'm a little ADHD so writing my prayers in a journal at the start of my day keeps me focused and points me to Him! Let me also suggest that a good way to start your day is to get on your knees right when you get out of the bed and pray a short prayer of praise, thankfulness, and submission to God.

Group 3. We should FELLOWSHIP with other believers. Attend church, join a small group, participate in fellowship activities. God didn't intend for us to do life all on our own in a vaccuum! Network with other believers and develop friendships with them. For by doing so, you can encourage and help one another. God promises that "Again, I tell you that if two of you on earth agree about anything you ask for, it will be done for you by my Father in heaven. 20For where two or three come together in my name, there am I with them."Mathew 18:19-20

Group 4. We must WITNESS FOR CHRIST! This is the Great Commission, "Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit." (Matthew 28:13) We believers have been chosen to be God's voice to unbelievers. He didn't chose angels, cherubim, or any other heavenly creature to bear this news. The Holy Spirit reproves and convicts. But He chose to use us in the process by giving us the responsibility of testifying for Christ. For it is through our faithful obedience to this command that unbelievers hear the Good News through us and then are saved by the Holy Spirit. Not only that, we grow as believers when we reach out in love to the lost people of this world with the Message of the Cross.

Group 5. We must OBEY God! 'Nuff said...by the way, you can't obey God if you don't know what He wants you to do, hence the importance of Spiritual Growth Groups 1 through 4!

Group 6. We must SERVE Him! This spiritual growth group is important for many reasons. Ever heard the saying, "Actions speak louder than words." The Work of God's Kingdom on earth is done through His people - us! If we are too busy, too sick, or too whatever to serve, then who is going to do the work? I have seen people chose not to serve for some of the silliest of reasons! On the other hand, I have also seen many very dedicated, devoted, God loving volunteers come to serve in children's ministry with obvious hip pain, sickness, migraines, headaches, family issues, or other life difficulties. Their actions CLEARLY spoke volumes about their love for God! If you truly love God and are devoted to Him, your actions for serving Him through ministry, tithing, volunteering, leading a small group, or helping others will speak louder than just your words. In addition, we will only grow to a certain point as believers if we don't serve.

Each of the above spiritual growth groups are equally important. You can only grow so far if you are not balanced in each. Use the spiritual growth groups to help you set up a Christian Growth Plan for yourself. Help your children do the same...ask them for a copy of their plan from Wednesday night or email me and I'll be glad to give you a copy. To help you get on the right track, take the time to answer the following questions for yourself. Once you do, you will quickly see areas of spiritual weakness that you may need to work on. Remember, God will help you through this, after all He wants this for you!

1. How many times have you read your Bible this week?
2. How often have you prayed in the last 24 hours?
3. How many hours have you spent in church and small groups this past week?
4. How many people have you shared Christ with in the last week?
5. How many times have you disobeyed God in the last 24 hours?
6. How often do you serve in church or in a ministry role?

"So get rid of all evil behavior. Be done with all deceit, hypocrisy, jealousy, and all unkind speech. Like newborn babies, you must crave pure spiritual milk so that you will grow into a full experience of salvation. Cry out for this nourishment, now that you have had a taste of the Lord’s kindness." 1 Peter 2:1-3

Grace and peace to you friends! I love it that we're all growing up together in Christ! I'm praying for you. Please pray for me too!

In His Love, Cathy

There's Nothing Like...

a good cup of coffee in the morning!

TRAINING UP A CHILD: Let's Get Our Priorities Straight!

Hi. My name is Cathy and I have a confession to make.

I'm a soccer mom...as well as a basketball mom, cross country mom, and in past seasons of my life, a cheerleader mom, golf mom, dance mom, and a football mom. I guess you can say I'm an All Star Mom! Like the t-shirt says, "Any Game! Any Field! Any Time!" and I'll be there with the gatorade and the team snack! BRING IT!

Not only am I an 'all sport' mom, I'm married to an 'all sport' guy who played basketball, baseball, and even ran cross country at good old Pace High. He also played football when he was younger. He and his best friend even prided themselves on being "Quarterback Killers!" Yes, all you former quarterbacks, Scott LOVED squashing you!

Sports and extracurricular activities play big roles in our lives. There was a time in my life where I thought that it was so very important that my children be involved in sports. I guess that's an understatement. I felt that it was IMPERATIVE that they were intensely involved in sports and extracurricular activities. I was under the delusion that these things not only would lead them to social success but also athletic success. I was so sure that they had to be heavily involved in their sport, play on all of the 'select' teams, and just immerse their lives in the sport in order to play at the high school level. But wait, there's more! I not only wanted them to be ready to play competively in high school, I hoped they would earn an athletic scholarship to college! You know, it isn't a bad deal if they went pro, too! The problem wasn't the desires I had for my kids to be successful in their sport. The problem was the priority that this took in our lives.

"Then there was light." I realized, like the scripture says, our lives are but a vapor. Earthly success is fleeting. I was leading my children in worldly persuits, chasing after the wind. Our family life revolved around the wrong things. Sure, we were believers. Sure we taught our kids about Jesus and Salvation. But our family life wasn't centered on Christ. It was centered on sports.

All too often, it's easy for us parents to place way too much importance on extracurricular (or worldly) persuits and not enough importance on what impacts our children for ETERNITY. We all want our kids have the best and be the best. We all should support our children in this way. However, we must be careful not to sacrifice the spiritual for that which is earthly. You see, it's quite easy for our focus to be shifted off of God. Anything that shifts our focus off of God is a distraction, (and is idolatry if we give it higher priority than God). Distractions are what Satan uses to keep us Christians off task and off mission. Our mission as parents is to raise children up in Christ. So, are you on task? I wanted to share a verse with you that speaks volumes to me as a parent.

"You must not bow down to them or worship them, for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God who will not tolerate your affection for any other gods. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children; the entire family is affected—even children in the third and fourth generations of those who reject me." Exodus 20:5

As parents, God commands us to raise up our children in His Truth, teaching them His Word, sharing with the the Good News of Salvation of Jesus Christ. We are to help them to grow up spiritually as well as physically. We are to discipline them ...a.k.a. DISCIPLE! When we parents prioritize worldly persuits over spiritual, we are in danger of showing 'affection' for other gods and rejecting God's plan for raising our children. As parents, to fail in our spiritual responsibilities to our children is to 'lay our sins' on our children. The consequences for our children could be eternal.

Let's get our priorities straight! Let's make sure our families are in church every week. Let's join a small group and connect with other believers. Let's get our children to Youth and Children's groups on Wednesday nights. Let's pray daily with our family and take time to read the Bible with our children. All are very simple steps, but steps in the right direction.

We love our children and want what's best for them. But God loves them more than we could ever imagine ! He has such wonderful plans for our children...even better than a pro basketball contract. Our children's future begins by making HIM the foundation of our family life!

Grace and peace be with you, my friends! I love you and I'm praying for you!

In His Love, Cathy

Homework Wars

I love this video! Especially since I'm a math teacher. Sometimes, working with my own kids on their homework seems just like this video. No matter how hard I explain it, they just don't get it. They have their own, strange logic that they insist is right - though it often isn't. Then I spend the evening trying to show them how to correctly do their homework. In the end, we all seem to get frustrated and impatient with each other. But then, we all survive it, get over it, and get a good laugh out of it - after a little time has passed anyway.

Yes, school has started. Let the Homework Wars begin!

Grace, peace, and patience to you, friends! Love on your children, even in the most trying of moments and the most trying of homework, for they are God's gift to you! (Smile!)

"Children are a gift from the Lord, they are his reward." Psalm 127:3

In His Love, Cathy

PCC Children's Events - Week of Sep 9 - 14

WEDNESDAY NIGHTS for KIDS

TIME CHANGE for ICE CREAM & JESUS

NOW 6:30 to 7:30 p.m.

Breakout sessions from 7:30 to 8 p.m.

Parents, Please ESCORT your child to room 2 and sign them in.

Please DO NOT drop them off at one of the church entrances.

Thank you for your help in ensuring the safety of all of our children

CHILDREN'S CLASSROOM OPENS AT 6:20 p.m. Thank you.

Walking with God

"Walking with God down the avenues of prayer we acquire something of His likeness, and unconsciously we become witnesses to others of His beauty and His grace." E.M. Bounds

Prayer not only changes things, it changes people, starting with the one who prays. E.M. Bounds so eloquently described the transformation of those who earnestly pray. When you pray, God is changing you, your heart, your desires, your mind, and your spirit. He begins a great work in you, transforming you into the image and character of HIS SON JESUS CHRIST. For it is through prayer that your spiritual transformation begins. It is on bended knee, recognizing the power, grace, and beauty of the ALL POWERFUL God, that real change begins within you. Others will notice the change as the Holy Spirit works in and through you. Your life becomes a living testimony to Christ.

Ground yourself each day in prayer. You and others depend on it!

"And we, who with unveiled faces all reflect the Lord's glory, are being transformed into his likeness with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit." 2 Corinthians 3:18

In His Love, Cathy

PCC Children's Events - Week of Sep 1 through 7

ICE CREAM & JESUS Bible Study for Kids

Wednesday Nights 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Room 2

ages 1st grade through 5th grade

Breakout Sessions Immediately Follow

(Worship Team or Outreach Team) 7:30 to 8:00 p.m.

PRE-K Teacher Training for New Curriculum

Wednesday, Sept 3 at 6:30 p.m. in room 1.

HELP NEEDED to put another set of partitions together for the PK classroom.

Either Wednesday Night, Sep 3 at 6:30 p.m. or check with me for hours during the week. WE NEED TO GET THESE UP ASAP so that the PK teachers can set up for the new PK curriculum.

NEW THIS FALL: PK classes will expand their Sunday experience with the New Willow Creek PK Curriculum! PK classes are now being offered BOTH SERVICES! Check out what all of the excitement is about!

Prayer for a Family

"Lord, you know the hopes of the helpless.Surely you will hear their cries and comfort them." Psalm 10:17

Please pray for a family who lost their their young adult son this weekend. He was involved in a wreck with two other young people. They were hit by another vehicle. Pray for the two who survived but were injured. Pray for the hurting parents, family, and friends. Pray for God to envelope them in His loving embrace, giving them the love, peace, and comfort that only He can provide. This family has been heavy on my heart.

"God blesses those who mourn,for they will be comforted." Matthew 5:4

God bless you and keep you!
In His Love, Cathy