DLmail 11/11/2008 Kevin and Jewish Customs

You know you are in Central Illinois when at 5:00PM on Nov. 8th you are walking in to church freezing and in the dark, with memories of walking in to church at 5:00PM on Nov. 1st in the daylight enjoying 75 degree weather.

It takes an attorney to elaborate on a passage that is essentially a list of names Paul wrote a word of thanks to in the Bible. Good thing we have a legal practitioner on our roster of teachers. (Actually all we seem to have is a lawyer on that list...uh, pray for some gifted volunteer teachers to step into this role with Kevin). The lesson was a good one and Kevin used his gift well as he skillfully lead the kids to an understanding of listing those we need to express our gratitude to. I know in my small group of 4th grade girls (with a couple of boys mixed in for their own good) we came up with some good lists and they left church planning to express their gratitude to those on their lists. (While you are praying for gifted teachers to join Kevin - and "sometime" Factory teachers Rick Rogy and Keith Lindgren - look at this pic, take mercy on these girls I am small grouping with, and pray for a gifted woman to step into this role, really, for the girls.)

Big thanks to Tim Thorson and Zach Van Buren for taking care of the boys. Zach prepared an Operation Christmas Child box with his boys and said it went really well.

I was really thankful when Emi Ragan said she could help with the 5th grade girls at the last minute. My original sub for Monica ended up with a funeral and couldn't make it. Emi then upped her cred with Jeannine by jumping up on stage to help with worship as well, right as I was about to jump in to help. Sort of. Not really. thnx emi i o u. (Emi is in high school and only reads text)

This weekend Kevin and Monica will be back to join me and hopefully one other leader as we continue our study of Gratitude, letting others know you see how they've helped you. Our memory verse is 1 Chronicles 16:34 "Give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; His love endures forever." The Bible story is Day Job (The parable of the vineyard workers), Matthew 20:1-15. Bottom line, don't let the wrong attitude spoil the gratitude (this lesson applies to adults as much as it does to any of the kids). Study your lesson, read your Bible and above all, pray for the kids who are coming, for the other leaders who are serving and for the ministry of Northwoods as a whole. Important stuff. Click here for the small group leader material. Click here for Tim Reist's sermon from last weekend if you missed it. Click here for something totally useless.

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I know that most of you talk to 77 year old men pretty much everyday in your jobs about the botched circumcision they got at age 75. I recently had this conversation with a client as well, but man I don't think I can get used to it. He came in to talk about car insurance?!? That conversation was over a week ago and I can't shake the mental images from my mind. And why did you click on the circumcision link and what did you expect to see by doing so? Leave a comment below if you clicked. Looking forward to those.