Is it really Monday!?

As I was driving back to Kentucky this morning the guy on the radio said "happy Monday!" I shook my head and thought "dude is it really Monday already?!" Last week is a blur and it seems like just yesterday I was blogging about Thanksgiving. So here we are Monday afternoon. A new church calendar year started yesterday and we are anticipating Christmas morning when we celebrate Jesus' birthday. I drive through a couple of major cities on my way from Toulon, IL. As I was driving through the cities I was watching the hustle and bustle of the Christmas shopping and trying to find the best deal. I wonder if that is what the first Christmas was like... Mary and Joseph were headed to Bethlehem because of a census. Something we do even today. In the United States a census of the number of people living in the states is done every 10 years. I heard on the news the other day that the 2010 census people are being hired right now. It is a lot of hustle and bustle to get a census done. Back then each person had to report to the city in which they were from. For Joseph he was from Bethlehem. Not an easy trip from where he was living at the time. I sometimes wonder if he toiled with the thought about leaving Mary behind but back then it was the law that you had to present your entire family. I bet there was a lot of packing and planning that went into play as they prepared to go to Bethlehem but also prepared for the birth of their son Jesus. When I rushed to get packed and to leave last week after hearing of the death of my future father in law I thought about what is important to pack and why do we pack it. As we prepare for Christmas there are somethings that we should pack in our bags just like Mary and Joseph packed into theirs as they prepared for Jesus' coming. Love is the first thing we have to pack. It is the greatest thing that God gives us. Love from Him and love for others. You can see God's love all around us from the clouds in the sky to the people who are in our lives. Faith is another thing that we need to pack in our bags. Faith is defined in Webster as: "a (1) : belief and trust in and loyalty to God (2) : belief in the traditional doctrines of a religion b (1) : firm belief in something for which there is no proof (2) : complete trust" Faith in something we can't see. Sometimes it is hard to see God working. I can't imagine what Mary was thinking as she looked down at her growing belly. Faith that everything is going to be alright that God's plan is perfect and never fails. Some times that is easy to say and do then other times so difficult it paralyzes you. That is where hope comes in, the last thing to put in our bags today. In staff today we talked about our hopes for the Christmas season. Hope is something that we hold on to in times when everything else seems to fall apart around us. When I think of hope I think of Abraham. A man of many lessons for us but one being home. In the book of Romans it states: "Against all hope, Abraham in hope believed and so became the father of many nations, just as it had been said to him, "So shall your offspring be."" Hope is something that is lost easily and hard to get back. When we hope for something and then it doesn't happen or the worst happens we get hardened to having more hope. Before Jesus was born people hoped and prayed for a Messiah. For many the Messiah that showed up was not what they were hoping for. Sometimes what we hope for doesn't happen or it does but just in a different way. God always has a plan and His plan is perfect. As we look forward to Christmas and celebrating Jesus' birthday we also look forward to Jesus' return.

Happy Thanksgiving!

I asked the children on Sunday to name some of the things they were thankful for. I am blown away by the depth of their answers. Here are some of their responses:

- Family
- Cousins
- Pumpkin Pie
- The world
- My House
- My friends
- The church
- My sunday school teacher
- God
- Jesus
- Parents love
- Brother
- Sister
- Pilgrims and Indians

What are you thankful for this year? Leave a comment and tell us what you are thankful for...

Fun Activities for Thanksgiving

Before you eat your Thanksgiving meal have each person say one thing that they are thankful for that happened over the last year. Another idea is to write down those things on pieces of paper and put them in a box to open up next year and add to. This is a great way to remember year from year what has happened and what God has done in your families life. An alternative idea for the box is to place a box somewhere in your home with a pad of paper and writing utensils that is designated for giving thanks to God. It is a box where the family can write down what God has done and what they are thankful for or place pictures in. Then at thanksgiving next year you can look through what is in the box.

Some fun coloring sheets



After Thanksgiving shopping tips

Turkey Craft

Thanksgiving story

Reminder for the Week

There will be no FaithWeaver Friends or children's choir this week.

Happy Thanksgiving!!

Joshua Sends Spies into Jericho

A couple of the girls came down the stairs tonight saying that they were spying on everyone. I chuckled and said "why are you spying on everyone?" I got a mix of Ms Barry said to and something about Joshua. In further investigation I learned that they went looking for spies tonight in FaithWeaver Friends during their lesson on Joshua.

"I spy with my little eyes something...."

One of my favorite games to play with kids is I Spy. I played this with one of my friends a few years ago. At the time she was just two years old. She started spying things that weren't really there. I soon teased and she looked up at me with her big brown eyes and said so sweetly, "Miss Bekah, you just need a little faith and you would be able to see it." Isn't that so true in our own lives though? Sometimes we just need a little bit more faith and we would be able to see God's hands at work. Their are a lot of examples out of the Bible that I could use. Noah who built an ark without knowing what that much rain looked like. Abraham who picked it all up and walked away from what was normal because God told him to. Or Moses who put his staff into the water not knowing what God was going to do but trusting Him and having faith in Him because He had never let him down in the past. But Joshua is another person who had a lot of faith. He sent spies into land of Jericho. He obeyed God and knew that He would take care of them and give them the land that He promised. Because God is faithful He provided Rahab who was faithful in what she was told to. Read teh story to find out what happens: Joshua 2:1-24.

Hebrews 11:6 says, “And without faith it is impossible to please God, because anyone who comes to him must believe that he exists and that he rewards those who earnestly seek him.”

Something to remember as we journey with Jesus:

Jesus makes time for you. You can pray any time, anywhere.

Jesus tells you the truth. Here’s something Jesus said you can trust: he loved you enough to die in your place. That’s good news!

Jesus forgives you. If you ask for forgiveness, Jesus will forgive you.

Jesus sticks with you—no matter what. Jesus knows you—all about you—and he loves you. You won’t find a more faithful friend.

Reasons to be Thankful for our Children

1. They bring us joy
2. They love us without limits
3. They make us laugh even if it is without them seeing
4. They will accept anyone, even that kid who is wearing different colored socks
5. Their smiles can make any gray day look look sunny
6. They will give hugs even when we have a bad hair days
7. They offer forgiveness without strings attached
8. They teach us about God in a deep way
9. They give us excuses to swing on swings, color, play with play dough, watch cartoons and act silly
10. They will tell you how it is without fear
11. They are the greatest judges of character
12. Their prayers bring even the tallest men to their knees
13. They give wet kisses
14. Their giggles
15. Their excitement is contagious!

Fall Festival!

This Sunday evening there will be a fall festival out at Andover. Bring your friends and come over for some fun, lots of good food and fellowship!

All booths and games start at 6 and will end around 7:30.

First UMC Andover Fall Festival!!

This Sunday November 15th at 5:30 pm!

Chili, Soup and Desert Cook Off starts at 5:30pm. Festival booths and activities begin at 6pm. Booths and activities will include: hay ride, bonfire, campfire songs, hot apple cider and hot chocolate, fun carnival games, crafts, cake walk, face painting, and much more!


We hope you will join us!

If you are interested in bringing an item for
the cook off, please contact Lisa Michelle
859-797-2651 or lisa@1stumc.org.

Let us know if you have any questions
or want to help out.

This is a great opportunity to invite your
neighbors and friends!

Nehemiah

I was so excited when Paul told me that the story for Sunday morning was going to be Nehemiah. I love the story of how they built the wall in less than two months. When I was a child I loved to play with Lego's. There are many walls talked about in the Bible. The wall of Jerecho that was knocked down by God's amazing power through God's people's faithfulness and then the wall in Nehemiah that was knocked down by evil forces and rebuilt by God's people because of their obedience. Here is the story:

Nehemiah (knee-a-my-a) was a man that helped the king. He tasted the king’s drink to
make sure no one poisoned it. He was called a cupbearer. He was a very trusted man. The king liked Nehemiah and cared for him. One day Nehemiah’s brother told him some sad news. He discovered that the walls of his hometown (Jerusalem) were broken and had not been repaired. This troubled Nehemiah. He cried and prayed for several days. He had such a love for his beautiful city; he couldn’t bear to see it in ruins.
The next day, Nehemiah served the king his drink. The king immediately noticed that
Nehemiah was upset. He asked him what was wrong. Nehemiah quickly prayed and then told the king and queen of his sadness. Then he boldly asked the king if he could go rebuild the city wall. After some talk, they agreed. Nehemiah set out quickly. But he was very careful about the things he did. In fact, when he got to Jerusalem, he kept his plans a secret. First, he went at night to look at the broken down wall. He rode a horse around the city and inspected it. Then, he told the people. He shared how God had answered his prayers and how the king let him come to help. Everyone was excited. They wanted to start rebuilding the wall right away. However, some people didn’t like this plan. They asked lots of questions. What was Nehemiah’s answer—“We are God’s servants. We will start rebuilding.” He knew that GOD was helping them rebuild the wall. He wasn’t going to let someone discourage them or stop the building.
Nehemiah trusted God. He knew that God had answered his prayers. The wall was built
faster than anyone could imagine! They finished the wall in 52 Days!!!
When the wall was complete, Nehemiah and Ezra helped the people worship God. They
took time to read the Bible and obey God. It was a very special time.
Nehemiah listened to God and did what He said. We must also listen to God and obey Him.

In KidsOwnWorship they learned about Joshua. Both Nehemiah and Joshua teach us that if we are faced with a project or situation that just seems so big that we will never finish or couldn't begin to know what to do, that we should trust God and obey what He is telling us to do. What is it that you are facing today that seems to humongous for you to handle by yourself? Talk to God... He will be there for you... He promises that and He never breaks His promises!

Hearing God

This week the children have been learning about hearing God. I was once asked if a child could even hear God. I would say that they are more in tune to God than we are. That is part of the reason why Jesus said we must become like little children. The story of Balaam and the donkey has been their focus. The story is found in Numbers chapter 22. Balaam was historically known as a pagan priest. Someone who would interpret peoples dreams, cast spells on people and use evil methods to predict the future. He was a worshiper of many gods and never thought of looking to God for guidance. One morning God had had enough and in verse 22 it says "God was very angry when he went, and the angel of the LORD stood in the road to oppose him." It is here that we see that God is willing to use anyone or anything to get our attention. He used Balaam's donkey to get his attention. For Balaam this was a humiliation for God to use an animal of burden to get him to obey. In verse 29 Balaam says to the donkey "You have made a fool of me!" But God helped Balaam to listen and to be able to hear Him. It took using a donkey to get him to listen. As I write this I wonder, what has God used to get my attention? When I was in high school He used a friend to help me to hear Him and to answer my call into ministry. I had decided that I would be a professional photographer and not follow what God had told me to do. I had a friend come up to me right before graduation and like Balaam's donkey made me stop and listen to what my heart and God was saying. I love the end of this story in chapter 22 when Balaam finally reaches Balak, a man who did not like God but worship other gods. Balak was angry because Balaam was late and Balaam says to him in verse 38 "Well, I have come to you now, but can I say just anything? I must speak only what God puts in my mouth." Like me and probably you even after we finally hear God we still have a lot to learn. There is always more to learn. Read on into Numbers through chapter 24 and find out what happens to Balaam.

"These false teachers left the right road and lost their way, following the way Balaam went. Balaam was the son of Beor, who loved being paid for doing wrong. But a donkey, which cannot talk, told Balaam he was sinning. It spoke with a man's voice and stopped the prophet's crazy thinking." - from My Time with God.

All Saints Day

We had a great time last night at the All Saints Party. A great big thank you to the youth for treating us to an awesome time!
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I was reading in a book this weekend and found this quote. I think it is something we all need to be reminded:

"Life is not a game we win, and God is not a trophy we merit. No matter how "good" we are, we are not good enough for God. On the other hand, no matter how "bad" we are, we can never be outside of God. We can only hope in each instance to come to such a consciousness of God that no lesser gods can capture our attention and no trifling, self-centered gods can keep us from the fullness of awareness that is the fullness of Life. It is the project of life, this coming to Wholeness, this experience of Purpose beyond all purposes, this identification with everything that is." - Joan Chittister author of Illuminated Life
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In Sunday School this week the children started a new stewardship curriculum. It is all about God's Toolbox and the tools that he gives us to serve Him and others.

This is the story that the children were read:

The Story of the Farmer Who Didn’t Share
Can you think of a time when you didn’t want to share?

We all know what it is like to feel selfish and not wanting to share. Adults are like that too. All of us have times like that. But, selfishness hurts us. So, we all need help from Jesus to become thankful and generous. To help us Jesus told us this story.
A farmer had a little red barn. He worked very hard to plant his crop in the soil and it grew because God made the sun shine. God made rain to fall, watering the plants and helping them grow. I can imagine this famer was very thankful to God for all God gave – the seeds, the soil, the sun, and the rain. I’m sure that he said a thank-you prayer to God every time he and his family sat down to eat.
What thank you prayer do you think they said? Maybe it is like one you say? What about mealtime prayers? My favorite mealtime prayer is “God is great; God is good; and we thank him for our food. By his hand, we all are fed. Give us, Lord, our daily bread. Amen.” It is important to keep saying thank you prayers to God so we remember all that God does for us.
I think this farmer went to church every Sunday with his family, too. Just as you are all here today. Important things happen here in church. Can you tell me some of those important things that we do here on Sunday mornings? (offering, singing, acolytes, Sunday School, KidsWorship, reading the Bible, talking with friends, worshiping God, greeting visitors, etc)
We need to stay close to God. The farmer did at first, but listen to what happened.
His fields grew so much wheat. He put it into the little red barn, and it got so full that it nearly burst! So, he tore it down and built a new larger barn. He worked hard every day. He got too busy to say thank you prayers at mealtimes and too busy to go to church on Sundays. He forgot all the ways God helped him. He wasn’t thankful anymore. He complained a lot, forgot about the poor and hungry people God wanted him to help and didn’t give gifts back to God anymore. There was no smile on his face anymore. He got grumpy and sad and became someone who worried about money instead of being thankful to God.
Jesus taught us that we cannot be happy if we pile up money and things to keep all for ourselves without giving any of it back to God or to other people. Do you think Jesus is able to make this farmer thankful, happy, and generous again? Only Jesus can help us all to be thankful and generous. Let us ask Jesus to help us be thankful.
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A small devotional thought for the day:
Sharing His Love
Luke 6:38

Give your child a piece of candy (a Hershey Kiss). Tell them that they can decide to keep their Kiss or they can take it and give it to someone else. It is their choice. However, remind them that you freely gave them the kiss it wasn’t for any reason but that you love them. A kiss is one way that we can use to show someone that we love them. Another way that we can look at it is that this Kiss represents God’s love for you. God’s love is given freely. We don’t have to pay for it. Jesus paid the price when He died on the cross. When you have God’s love, you can keep it to yourself, or you can choose to share it with another. The more you choose to share God’s love the more you get in return. That’s the way it is for the Hershey Kiss. If you choose to give it away there will be more given in return.
Prayer: Heavenly Father, thank you for your love for us. That you that you freely give us your love. Help us to remember to share love with others.