Thursday, September 06, 2007

First Things

On September first I realized that the firsts seem to be significant this year. Even if nothing significant is happening, I feel different on those days. There is expectancy and a philosophical attitude to my activities.

The first day of this month I participated in my first (conscious) abortion protest. (I held a sign along a highway when I was little, and while I didn't object, I didn't choose to be a part on my own.) My two brothers and I joined some friends to stand outside Planned Parenthood, not to chant or hurl insults, but to pray, and to ask the women to let us at least talk to them about their choice. We wanted to save the babies and give the gospel to the mothers.

A book I'm currently reading is Living the Cross Centered Life by C.J. Mahaney. In it he uses 1 Corinthians 15:3-4: "For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures," My beloved King James Version says that Paul delivered to the Corinthians "first of all that which" he also received. Whether the meaning is "of first importance" or if the gospel was the first thing Paul communicated, both add meaning to this topic of firsts.

Tonight was my first night as Game Director at my church's Awana program. Working with 3 year olds through 6th graders is hard work. For one thing, I know almost nothing about 3 and 4 year olds. Any ideas of games to play with them? My instruction book says they should be very active, but the twelve I had tonight weren't. They were content to stand around and look at the balloons I gave them to play with. I'm praying for wisdom.

Are there any firsts you want to share? What is of first importance in your life? When you talk to others, what is the first thing you tell them? Is that the most important thing to tell them?

To God be all glory.

1 comment:

Anonymous said...

3 year olds are generally active...the hard part is chaneling their activity into something you'd like them to do =) My experience is the larger the group, the harder it is to get them to follow rules properly. We did group game time last year but all the years before that we'd just have game time as seperate classes in our rooms. Then again, twelve is the size of one of our classes =) So you might be able to pull off "duck duck goose", "Doggy doggy where's your bone?", "Simon Says" and stuff like that. "Red Light Green Light" sometimes works. Or just random races...or "obstacle courses" =) They don't usually do them right but they have fun anyway =) Ooh, or the Bunny game! I'll have to tell you about that one sometime. Ask me on Monday, ok? =)