Church Youth Day

Fabulous day yesterday at the Open Day for our Youth Club.  Our church opens it's doors every Friday evening to a group of 11-16 year olds and they come in and have a great time playing pool, table tennis.  They use the Wi and Exbox or just sit around on bean bags and chill, chatting to their friends. We have a 15 minute God slot where we either show a video, have a question and answer time and the nice thing is most of these kids are not from Christian homes but they come regularly each weekand ask some really good questions.
Well during the school holidays we opened our doors for 2 days and invited all the kids in the area to come and see what we did.  We did breakfast from 9.00- 10.30 and then did lunch for them around 1 p.m.  It was 2 very successful and fun filled days.  They played a type of golf game, sang on the karioki, played with the other games and just had a great time.  We even played the chocolate game where you roll the dice, if you get a 6 you put on a coat, hat, scarf, gloves then try and cut into a bar of chocolate with a knife and fork.  Once through the paper you get to eat a square of chocolate but if another person gets a 6 you have to take the hat, scarf etc. off and it's there turn.  I've never heard so much laughter from a group of kids.

We didn't think we'd have enough food the second day but the Lord was good and provided with even enough for seconds.  Sad part is, we didn't get any photographs but who knows next year we may have to put on extra days.

You are beautiful

This is what greeted us as we arrived at the 'Cherish' Conference and I have to say I had the most fantastic four days. I have always wondered about these huge conferences and wasn't quite sure what to expect but the teaching was excellent and the praise and worship very moving. 
One of the speakers was Lucinda Dooley.  Lucinda showed a picture of her mum on the big screen and said that her mum had left her a beautiful legacy of faith.  She went on to ask what kind of legacy we would leave and this really did bless me.
Lucinda went on to say much more. She said that we ought to be leaving a lasting legacy. Her mum could have left a negative legacy and if that was your mum and you'd been caused a hurt the Jesus is the restorer of the soul and you can honour your mum just because she's give you life.
We needed to be leaving something of real worth and value, a good foundation for those coming after you.
She stressed the need to get our children to church so that they can get through seasons of challenge and said that every choice we made would take us somewhere and that we needed to ensure the choices we made were not selfish. If we made the right choices then we would be leaving a spiritual inheritance for our children's children.
Paul, she said, left a lasting legacy of genuine faith. We need to do the same. This genuine faith needs to be a raging fire. A real fire spreads fast and is difficult to contain and this is what we need to do, fan into flame the fire on the inside of us.  I would love to be able to explain in more detail what she said with the scriptures she used but I hope the little bit I've shared will be a blessing to you.

Quite a number of years ago I visited a little gospel mission in my home town and met a lovely lady called Hilda.  It turned out Hilda knew my family and with tears in her eyes told me that to see me going on with the Lord was such a blessing to her.  Apparently as a young girl she remembered my great, grandmother and said how much she loved the Lord and that she was such a great prayer warrior.  She remembered my grandma Murray praying for her children's children.  This was a huge blessing to me and even more so after listening to Lucinda Dooley asking what type of legacy we would leave behind.
I have a very clear memory of seeing my great grandmother.  I remember my aunt Vi taking me as a young child to visit someone in hospital. I remember the room having an old fashioned metal bed and the walls being painted white with a small window with bars across it in the corner of the room.  In the bed was a very frail old lady and as I got older I realised that this had been my great grandmother and my aunt Vi confirmed it.

I determined after this message from Lucinda that I wanted to leave behind the type of legacy my great grandmother had left; one of faith in a Saviour who loved her and one of praying for her children's children.
I have three of the most beautiful grandchildren and am blessed that they are growing up with Christian parents, but I shall still be praying that the Lord will have his hand upon their life just as he has had on mine all these years. What a wonderful and most awesome Saviour Jesus Christ is.

Just chillin' out with a cuppa before going into conference.