Kids Klub 4.28.10 & Zacchaeus

Yesterday evening, classes learned abou the wee little man who climbed the sycamore tree to see Jesus.

Can You Keep Your Hand....

Out of the Cookie Jar?

At Teen Night Friday evening, Caleb shared about temptation--sources of it and how to resist it.

There was an object lesson with some mysterious goods veiled beneath a towel. The question was: Which treat is the most tempting, and to what lengths will you go to retrieve it?

Pray for Matt

Injuries aren't much fun, and neither is hobbling everywhere you go. Matt injured his knee nearly two weeks ago during a game of basketball. Today, he flew home to Ohio, where there are physicians he knows and trusts, and his family will be able to care for him if his knee needs extensive rehabilitation. Please pray for an accurate diagnosis of the problem and complete healing of his knee.

Springtime!

It's springtime and picnic time! Dreamy Draw Park was the meeting place for this month's staff & volunteer potluck. Several board members and their wives joined us as well.

There were a few Aim Right'ers in training!

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Even the desert blooms.
Lost Dutchman State Park

"The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad; the desert shall rejoice and blossom like the crocus; it shall blossom abundantly and rejoice with joy and singing." Isaiah 35:1-2

What to do with Immigration?

Arizona has been in the news lately, and it's all because of this impending legislation.

How do you respond Biblically when you live and work and serve in a community, county, and state filled with immigrants? In essence, What would Jesus do?

The president of the National Hispanic Christian Leadership Conference weighs in with these thoughts in a recent article in Christianity Today.

A well-known pastor and author expresses his opinion.

One thing is sure: There are no easy, pat solutions to an issue of this magnitude.

College Acceptance Rate: 100%

Click on the image below to find out how an inner-city school in a violent, gang-infested neighborhood managed to have its entire 2010 graduating class accepted into college.

Of Roaches, Lice, & Calvary Love

Yesterday evening, I knocked on the apartment of one our Kids Klub families. When the mom opened the door, I noticed that what I could see of the living room was completely devoid of furniture. I asked if they were moving. "No," she said, "our furniture is gone until we get it back." Immediately my thoughts wondered to, Oh, how sad. I bet they had to pawn their furniture.

However, that wasn't the case at all, as she clarified: "We had a problem with roaches--and we need to paint the walls. We've lived here for 9 years, and they need to be painted."

Oh.
Roaches.
Ugh.
Double ugh.

It reminded me of The Lice Story.

Several years ago, I had a little friend who lived in the Projects. I'll call her K. She was around 8 or 9 years old and regularly attended Kids Klub and church. She was being raised by a single mom; her dad was in prison. She and I did a few special outings together -- the zoo, trips to McDonald's and the park, to name a few. Often, I would visit K on Saturday afternoons, and since her mom never invited me into the apartment, we would sit on the steps and talk.

One particular Sunday at church, an adult sitting in the pew behind K and me noticed activity in K's hair. That adult promptly informed me, and unfortunately, it only took a quick glance to confirm the awful diagnosis.

One of my main concerns was not to embarrass K, but I knew the problem had to be discussed and addressed. When I dropped her off after church, I talked to her mother. She was aware of her head condition and "working on it." Thinking that money might be an issue, I came back later and left some lice shampoo.

Fast forward a few days. I stopped by to pick up K for a church activity, but before we left, I did a quick head check. Those creatures were still there!

Ugh.
Double ugh.

K stayed home from the activity, and the next day, I made a call to the school nurse, who I knew would find a way to take care of the problem if K's mother wouldn't or couldn't. It bothered me not just a little that the nurse was very familiar with K and not at all surprised by the nature of my call. Was lice a perpetual visitor to K? Were there other neglect-related health concerns? Of course, with confidentiality issues, I would not have been privy to the information had I asked those questions that floated through my brain.

K's head eventually received a clean bill of health, although I will confess that I remained on subtle head patrol for some time after that incident -- for her as well as for myself!

There's a challenging little book by Amy Carmichael called If published in 1953. It's also a repetitive little book. Each sentence begins with "If" and ends with "then I know nothing of Calvary love." Here's an excerpt:

If I ask to be delivered from trial rather than for deliverance out of it, to the praise of His glory; if I forget that the way of the Cross leads to the Cross and not to a bank of flowers; if I regulate my life on these lines, or even unconsciously my thinking, so that I am surprised when the way is rough and think it strange, though the word is, "Think it not strange," "Count it all joy," then I know nothing of Calvary love.

Here's another Amy's version, circa 2010:

If I ask to be delivered from rubbing shoulders with people who have head lice or roaches in their apartments; if I expect only sweet-smelling, well-behaved boys and girls to attend Kids Klub; if I insulate myself so that nothing dirty or poor or hurting ever commands my attention and interrupts my schedule; if I regulate my life on these lines, or even unconsciously in my thinking, so that I am surprised when there are encounters with head lice or roaches, or persons smelly, dirty, poor, uneducated, or ill-behaved--then I know nothing of Calvary love.

More Easter...

A cast of mainly teens presented a play of the events of Passion Week for 70+ children yesterday evening.

The play was followed by an egg hunt.

Interestingly, upon returning to the church after taking children home in the van, I discovered that Disciple #3 and Angel-at-the-Tomb had been fighting. From eyewitness reports of other children around, we're talking cussing, yelling, hitting, name-calling, on-the-ground fighting. Angel-at-the-Tomb had already left the scene, while Disciple #3 was still there, looking rather shaken and guilty.

Angel-at-the-Tomb and Disciple #3 are fourth graders. I know them both fairly well, and on a typical day, they're very sweet girls. They're outgoing, and they love helping with activities, so that's why I asked them to be in the Easter drama.

Less than an hour after their time in the spotlight helping to tell the wonderful story of Jesus, they're hating and hitting and hurling insults. How could these "good" girls stoop to such behavior?

They remind me of someone else whose behavior was appalling, despite his emphatic statements:

"Though they all fall away because of You, I will never fall away."

"Even if I must die with You, I will not deny You!"

"Lord, I am ready to go with You both to prison and to death."

"I will lay down my life for You."

Just a short while later, Holier Than Thou had become Big Fat Liar. A cursing, swearing, angry liar denying his Lord and shaming His name. I have to wonder, as Peter went out weeping bitterly, if he recalled these words of consolation and hope that Jesus had gifted him with earlier:

"Simon, Simon...Satan demanded to have you, that he might sift you as wheat, but I have prayed for you that your faith may not fail. And when you have turned again, strengthen your brothers."

Peter had been lovingly prayed for, yet the test had come. Peter had failed--miserably failed! But that was not the end of Peter's faith nor the end of his ministry. Just as Jesus had said, Peter "turned again" and found in his Savior forgiveness and Spirit power to lead the early church.

Jesus knew we could never be good enough or holy enough or clean enough to make it on our own. We need Him to save us from ourselves and from our sin, from our past mistakes and failures, from our arrogant statements and appalling behavior.

He died for Peter, for Disciple #3, for Angel-at-the-Tomb, for you, and for me. And He's already prayed for us, because He knows our weaknesses and our tendency to be dumb sheep.

That's the kind of Savior it's good to know.