Elves Shelves 2009

What started about 5 years ago with our Children's Minister Christy Butler learning about a few families that needed help at Christmas has grown into what we call Elves Shelves.  I was so proud of the family of First Baptist last Thursday, Friday and Saturday.  Over 500 people gave their time as volunteers during those three days to distribute toys to 577 families representing over 1300 children right here in Denton!  And hundreds more brought toys over the past several months as well. 

I'm proud of what First Baptist has done over the last decade in missions.  We have sent hundreds of people all over the world on mission trips and we plan to send hundreds more in the years to come.  But missions begins right here at home.  In the first message of our Christmas series yesterday I used the verse from John 15:12 "My command is this: Love each other as I loved you."  That is exactly what you did this past week.  you loved the needy of Denton as Christ loves you.

As I worked Friday morning as a volunteer at Elves Shelves I had the privilege of being at the "exit" door where the parents left the building with a bag full of toys for their children.  Over and over I heard things like "thank you for making our Christmas special."  "My kids would not have had Christmas without this."  "God bless you for giving to us."  It was a joy for me to see smiles on the faces of people who seldom have much to smile about.  It helped remind me of what Christmas is all about. 

Brad Cockrell was our staff liason to Elves Shelves this year and he did a great job.  Jane Naugher, Brenda Eckel,  Tracy Lau, and Mary Tickner were our "head elves" but there were so many more that gave of their time not only the past couple of weeks but all year long.  Elves Shelves is now a year round ministry at First Baptist.  So if you are interested in being a part of next year's ministry the first meeting is this coming Thursday December 10th!

Can the Family Survive?

The family is in trouble in America in 2009.  The signs are all around us.  I came across 15 signs recently that confirm the family is in dire need of resusitation in America. 1. 60% of children born in the 1990's have lived in single parent homes at least part of their childhood.  2. 1/4 of girls and 1/10 of boys have been sexually abused.  3. 3 out of 5 teens have tried illegal drugs.  4. 10% of adolescent boys and 18% of girls have attempted suicide.  5. 72% of teens have sex by their senior year in high school.  6. Boys on average are 13.3 years of age, girls 14.6 years of age when they lose their virginity.  7. 1 million girls, that's 1 in 10 under age 20 become pregnant every year.  8. 40% of 14 years old girls beocme pregnant at least once before age 20.  9. 2.5 million new cases of adolescent sexually transmitted diseases are reported every year.  10. 9 of 10 have tried alcohol by their senior year and 39% get drunk at least once every two weeks.  11.  72% of adolescent murders are from fatherless homes.  12. 70% of all long term prison inmates come from fatherless homes.  13.  25 million children grow up in a home without a dad.  14. 40% of adults have no contact with children.  15. The average mother spends less than 17 minutes a day, and fathers less than 7 minutes a day with their teenage children.  The family is broken and if we dont' "fix" it, things are only going to get worse.

How do we "fix" it?  By going back to the original intent of the family.  God designed the family as a man and a woman bringing children into the world. Teaching them the things of the world and then sending them out into that world to live and to start the process all over again.  That's is how God first designed the family and put it into place in the Garden of Eden.  Unfortunatley satan came along one day and changed all of that.  He tempted man to take things into their own hands and now in 2009 the family is in the mess it's in.

Now don't get me wrong the family is not dead.  There are great examples of what the family is supposed to look like all around us.  There are some who are still fulfilling God's original plan and are raising children to follow in their footsteps.  There are no perfect families but there are millions of families in Amercia who with God's help are raising their children and teaching them to continue to be the family as God designed it.

I believe God wants you to have a family that honors Him and that meets your needs as well.  The family certainly looks different than ever before.  We have the traditional family with a husband and wife and children.  But we also have single adult families with children and without.  Each of them have their own unique strengths and weaknesses and each meet the needs of those involved in different ways.

I believe it is the responsibility of the church to build families that thrive.  To equip husbands and wives to have marraiges that stand the test of time, that survive through the storms of life.  It is the church's responsibility to teach parents how to raise their children to be responsibile adults and raise their own children.  All of the answers for how to do that are found in the Bible.  God doesn't leave us out in the cold and ignorant on how to have a family that thrives.  Instead the Bible is full of tools and principles that will help you to have the kind of family that "makes it" in 2009. 

On Sunday mornings in October and November we are learning some of those Biblical principles.  "Buiilding Families that Thrive" is our theme.  We are spending four weeks on marriage and three weeks on parenting.  If you live in the Denton area I invite you to join us on Sunday morning at 9:30 or 11:00 if you don't go to our website at http://www.firstdenton.org/ and you can listen to these messages about the family.

As the family goes, so goes our country.  If the family is thriviing our nation will as well.  But as long as the family is not what it was intended to be our country never will be either.  Let's put the family back where it was created to be, at the very center of our lives and our community.  We can do that if we listen and follow the principles found in God's Word! 

Is "Winning" the Most Important Thing?

Those who know me know I am a competitive person. I like to win. It doesn't matter if I'm playing ping pong on the patio, cards in the kitchen, softball at the park or my "team" is playing on the football field or any other sport. I like to win and I like to be around winners. Sometimes my competitive nature takes over and I make a fool of myself. Thankfully those occasions have become less frequent as I have aged! But the point is I like to win. I think you should always play within the rules, respect your opponent but you should do what you can to win. When my kids were growing up I very seldom if ever "let them win." I wanted them to work for it and earn the win so they would feel good about themselves and what they had accomplished.

Having said all of that I was not really surprised but a little saddened when I read two articles in Sports Illustrated last week. I just recently subscribed to Sports Illustrated once again. For 25 years I have been a Newsweek subscriber, but last month I canceled that subscription and used my refund for a year of SI! Not sure what that will do for me, but it's already given me a blog idea so it must have been a good choice. Back to the stories. One was about Michael Vick and the other about Rick Pitino. As you know Michael Vick spent time in prison for dog fighting, was recently released and now is playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, who by the way I cannot stand! Rick Pitino is the head basketball coach of the Louisville Cardinals who had a sexual encounter with a woman in a restaurant a few years ago. She became pregnant with his child (she says) and he gave her $3000 for medical insurance with which she says she had an abortion.

Both articles detail the pasts of these two men and both went on to say that their past "indiscretions" should have no bearing on their roles as player and coach. The articles said as long as they WIN it doesn't matter what they do outside of their respective athletic endeavors. One fan was quoted as saying the first time Michael Vick scores a touchdown in an Eagles' game all will be forgiven. Another fan said that if Louisville beats Kentucky this year no one cares what Rick Pitino does in his personal time.

From someone who is an competitive as anyone you will ever encounter I say those articles are WRONG! It does matter what people do in all areas of their lives. Both of those men are role models to the young athletes and coaches or our country. Winning is important but it's not the most important thing. Who wins the Super Bowl and the NCAA Basketball Championship this year will soon be a distant memory but Rick Pitino's wife and kids will have to live with his "indiscretion" the rest of their lives.

Winning is fun and winning is important but how we lead our kids to live their lives is much more important. Let me know if you agree or not.

Sweet Sixteen

The day finally arrived last Monday, June 29, 2009. Alyssa, my youngest child and only daughter, turned 16 years of age. We celebrated all week long. We went to dinner on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and lunch on Saturday all to celebrate her birthday. She left for Jamaica on Sunday morning or I'm sure we would still be celebrating this week.

In some ways I couldn't wait for her to turn 16. For the last couple of years it seems that Tami and I have spent an increasing number of hours taking her places and picking her up. When her brother left for college last Fall it seemed to multiply. So from that point of view I'm glad she can now get in the car herself and drive to her destination and back home. On the other hand I'm sad that my little girl is no longer a little girl. Tami and I know from experience that once they get their drivers liscense everything changes. With more freedom and opportunity they need us less and less. As I said in my last blog I will miss taking her to school this coming Fall. I will even miss taking her to events and other things all across town. I will miss our conversations in the car and her "need" of me.

But while I will miss those things I'm thrilled at the young lady she is becoming. Tami and I are very proud that she is spending part of her Summer on a mission trip to Jamaica. She left last Sunday morning and was thrilled that she was "leaving the country without either of us," something even her big brother has never done! I know that she will love on the children there and be a great asset to the team.

When she gets back she will take her first "college class" this Summer. Hard to believe they can earn college credit before they even begin their Junior year in high school! This Fall she will be on the sidelines with the VARSITY Ryan Raiders cheerleaders! They told me it all happens too fast, I believe it now!

Happy birthday Alyssa. I love you and am proud of the Godly young lady you are becoming!