The Life of a Children's Pastor

It's All About Him...

2009-08-19T10:08:00.000-07:00

This past week God has just really been speaking to my heart. It has been such a clear statement that He has been giving me. Life is "all about Him". In the worldly view if someone made this statement, it would come across arrogant, controlling, selfish, and the list continues. However, when our Heavenly Father says this...it is to help us remember our purpose on this earth and why we are here.

Have you ever got caught up in the details? I do...all the time! I'm one that likes to be organized, structured, and know where I am going. But sometimes I joke with my friends that this type of personality can be used for "good" or for "evil". I live for details...but at the same time...details take my focus off of the big picture at times. Imagine yourself sitting in the movie theater about halfway back. Now, picture a lady with a bee-hive coming and sitting right in front of you. Then a parent with a baby that has a miserable cry due to sickness sitting next to the beehive lady. Now, watch a gentlemen come sit down that is having problems clearing his throat for the entire two hours. Then picture a family come in and sit down and all ten of their kids taking a bathroom break at a different time...and throwing popcorn at each other. Ummm...do you think that you will see much of that movie...or will it distract you to the point you will walk out of the movie theater and not even realize what movie you saw?

Having the detailed mind makes me have to mentally remove those distractions each day in order to focus on one thing..."Him". Why am I here on earth? "Him". Why do I love people? "Him". Why am I in ministry? "Him". Why, why, why...it all comes back to Him. There has been a song on my mind and in my CD player for the last week that I have played over and over and it truly is my prayer for my life...here are the lyrics...

This is my desire,

to honor You

Lord with all my heart

I worship You

All I have within me

I give You praise

All that I adore is in You

Lord I give You my heart

I give You my soul

I live for You alone

Every breath that I take

Every moment I'm awake

Lord have Your way in me

I Give You My Heart

Vocal Message - "I will praise you Oh Lord

With all my heart

And tell of all your wonders.

I will be glad and rejoice in you.

I will give thanks to your name"

I give you my heart

I give you my soul

I give you my heart

I give you my soul

I give you my heart

I give you my soul

Oh have your way in me

I give you my heart

I give you my soul

For the exact song...go to this site...
http://www.independentbands.com/cd/integrity/iworshipkids2.htmlI

What an amazing, intimate, and perfect, detailed God we serve!

Honoring Our Parents

2009-05-18T12:01:00.001-07:00

This weekend, my family honored our dad on his 70th Birthday by throwing a party for him. We invited all of his friends through the years and his family for an afternoon filled with fun, food, and most importantly precious memories. It was a wonderful day of being reminded how precious my parents really are and how they have led their lives and made Godly impacts in the lives of others.

My dad and mom will be the first to tell you they aren't perfect, but in my books they come so close to it. As long as I can remember, they have always loved God and put Him first in their lives. We have had our good times as a family and difficult times, but through it all, I have seen my parents lean on and trust God. There has been no greater life example to me than my mom and dad. My parents always told me that it doesn't matter what I do in life, but that I need to do it with all my heart because I'm doing it for God - not for anyone else. I could be a doctor or garbage collector it would make no difference to them...but they would want me to do my best at it because it is what God had placed in my hand. They have been my biggest supporters when I felt God calling me into full-time ministry. They have always been there to listen and encourage me in the plans God has for me.

I am truly blessed! If I could live my life half as well as my father has over the past 70 years, then I will be happy. He never meets a stranger. He has a good outlook - the cup is always half full. He has worked hard all his life to provide for his family. He has been there when I needed words of encouragment - whether down the street or hundreds of miles away. He loves and respects my mom. They have been married 44 years and their love and commitment is such a strong bond. They joke that when one goes to Heaven one day, the other will be on their coat tail! They are inseparable...and to me they are very inspirational. I have been so blessed and am so thankful for two wonderful parents who poured all that they are and stand for into my life. I couldn't have asked for anything better! I am absolutely blessed!

How Great is Our God

2009-04-15T12:46:00.001-07:00

Today, sitting in my office, I am experiencing a day of God's presence. He is everywhere, all the time, and today He is with me in my office as I'm thinking of things on my mind. My parents - my dad had a situation with his heart today and is in the emergency room right now, My friends - in so many places over the world - how grateful I am to have them and praying for things they are going through; My Church family - how much I love them and appreciate them; My Kids at WCAG - how much I love them, pray for their spiritual walk with God to strengthen and deepen, that they even now at a young age hear the voice of God in their lives. Boy, I've become attached to "my" kids!

Some days you just have to push back from the desk...and say "okay God"..."I need YOU". Today is one of those days. I don't want to be a Martha today, I want and desire to be a Mary. My prayer is God fill me up with Your Spirit, with Your Mind, and with Your Heart. Let me see and hear everything through Your ears and Your eyes. May I always be sensitive to Your ways...may I always see every person and every situation as You see it! Have you just been at the place that all you want is to bask in God's presence? That is me! I'm praying for a pouring out of His Spirit in my life, in my family, in our Church, and in our Kids! Or should say..."I'm praying for a pouring out of His Spirit in His child, His family that He has blessed me with, in His Church and in His Kids."! Nothing we have is ours...it is His...and how perfect a thing knowing that He is taking care of it all...all we have to do is let Him! Let the flood gates of Heaven open today Lord and let us experience Your Presence like never before! How Great is Our God that we serve! His love is amazing!

Becoming Family...

2009-03-27T14:11:00.000-07:00

What an amazing time it has been over the last five months! God has been so good to me! I don't know if you have ever felt like this...but let's see...
"One day a girl visited a new church. The first thing she noticed was a bright, colorful, playground when coming into the parking lot. It looked like a lot of fun to her! She got out of the car and was greeted at the door and ushered into the church foyer. Signs were followed to where she was to be 'dropped off' for the day. She got to the door of the Kid's Church room and took a deep breath. She was thinking in her mind 'Will I make new friends? Will they like me? Will there be kids there my age to hang out with? Will it be fun? Or will it be boring? How will I get to know everyone? Will the leaders be nice or will they not talk to me?' The list went on and on in her head. So, she shook her head and walked into the room. A few people began to greet her and tell her how glad they were to meet her. They helped her to her place and told her jokes and funny stories along the way. It was five minutes before service was to begin and the butterflies hadn't gone away yet. Slowly as she talked with different kids she began to feel better. A couple of the girls asked her to sit by them. She said in her mind, "what a relief! They like me!" Slowly the time ticked by and the service was getting ready to begin. It was time! Time for HER to step up and lead the kids closer to God. The day went well, the prayer was great, and the kids were so open and enjoyed the day. After she left out of the Kid's Church room she took a breath and said out loud to God, "God you are so good to me! You have brought me to a new family! You have called me for this time and season to this place". That girl...was me."

That was my experience my first Sunday. As a new person, it can be a scary place coming in and not knowing anyone. As a new pastor it is easy to get to know others because they know me...my picture and bio was in the bulletin, as well as what my likes and dislikes! However, each week we have new people walking in the doors of our church and their family and their likes and dislikes are not in the bulletin for all to read and recognize when they see them. So, my goal for myself this year is to make sure that everyone I come in contact with...whether new or they have been here 10 years...I want to make sure they know that I am so glad they are part of the family at WCAG. They have a place! If they are a finger...I'll get them connected to the other fingers and hand. If they are a foot, I will get them connected to the toes and legs! They have a place in our family...and I want to help them find it. So, I would like to encourage each of you to make a commitment to yourself and to those in our church to be open to meeting new people, include them for lunch, introduce them to your friends, help them connect to our family. Open your heart and your arms to those around you...the new, the semi-new, the pillars of our church and the list goes on. Be a family to those without. Be a friend to those without. Don't just walk by in a rush...take time to walk slowly around the church greeting people...it is worth it. You can meet some of the most wonderful individuals...and who knows...you might just be entertaining an angel in disguise! :-)

Childlike Faith

2009-01-26T09:41:00.000-08:00

Boy, it has been a bit busy this year! I thought December was a crazy season, but I've hit the ground running this year and have not stopped until today! I guess an all-nighter with the M-Pact girls will do that to you! Yes, I made it from 7:00 a.m. on Friday morning to 12:30 p.m. on Saturday without one iota of sleep. Then, I hit the bed until Saturday night at 6:00 p.m. And you guessed it, I then couldn't go to sleep Saturday night/Sunday morning until 2:00 a.m. So, not precious! However, it was worth it! The sleepover was a blast!!! The girls were great...the leaders were amazing...and all went well!

I now can tell you the most amazing thing about being a Children's Pastor (thus far). It has taken me a couple of months to pinpoint the top thing I love most. It is the unmistakeable innoncence and openness of kids to hear the Word of God, take it in, absorb it, then run with it. I have stood back amazed over the last couple of weeks at the "childlike faith". My prayer for our kids is that they never lose that! My prayer for myself and the rest of the adults here and in Christianity in general is to find that "childlike faith" again and run with uninhibited abandonment into the arms of God. I want desperately for God's Spirit to pour through the church (each one of us) like never before. I want our kids to know, that they know, that they know, they have been to the thrown room of our Savior!

So, my prayer is for God's Spirit to move, be allowed to supercede our agendas. When the Spirit of God moves...lives will be changed...people will be drawn to the doors of our church to experience God! What an amazing, awesome, God we serve! To be serving Him each day is a blessing, but to be in His presence is breathtaking!

Excitement Over a New Year!

2008-12-30T08:01:00.000-08:00

I am so excited that a new year is just around the corner! This past year has been a year of transition for me and learning to leap out in faith and go after what God has for me. Although it has been a wonderful growing time in my walk with God, I am definitely ready for a bit of stability!

I'm at a wonderful new church, in an amazing new ministry, working with incredible people, and ministering to the most precious kids in the world! You might think I have rose colored glasses on and maybe I do, but I am so excited about 2009!

The year is planned with many incredible avenues of ministry! I'm planning the year's messages in Kid's Church and am excited about all the activites we will have this year! Our 4th and 5th graders will be learning how to minister in so many areas - puppet team, worship team, missions team, prayer team, drama team, mime team, handbells, and much more! Our K-3rd graders will be taking this all in and learning from the older ones how to worship God in all these many wonderful avenues! Our preschoolers will have a new room with a whole new look to Pre-K Kid's Church! They will have puppets, worship, mission's emphasis, prayer, drama teams visiting them and they will even learn how to play hand bells! Then, our nursery from 0-2 will have lessons they will be learning in a whole new, fun way this year! I can't wait until a 8 or 9 month old baby says "Jesus"! What an awesome year!

Not only will we have ministry for the kids, but outreaches as well! M-Pact for Girls and Royal Ranger for Boys will have a greater emphasis in outreach! Also, there will be mom and tot outings, Valentine's Party for all ages 0-5th grade, an all community Easter Egg Hunt, Family Movie Nights, WCAG Family Day at the Zoo, Kid's Country Expedition - for an entire week at night with an amazing Guest Speaker!, Kid's Camp in Southern MO District Campgrounds, Kid's Art Walk, Harvest Festival, Kid's Christmas Party and much more! What an amazing year this will be!

I guess you can tell by now...I'm excited! God is so good and I'm looking forward to one of the most amazing years I have ever experienced!

Blessed!

2008-12-23T12:38:00.000-08:00

It has been a very crazy season in my life, but I am just so thankful! God has been truly good to me in so many ways this year and I feel extremely blessed!

I know that this my sound Thanksgivingish, but I am ending 2008 with many things to be thankful for!

My family - My parents, siblings and their spouses, and my nieces and nephews. God has blessed us with love, health, and happiness. Even though we have had different scary bouts of illnesses, God has brought each one through.'

My Friends - God has blessed me this year with both new and old friends alike. There are special people in my life that feel like their angels of encouragement, wisdom, kindness and love.

My Ministry - God has blessed me tremendously in bringing me to WCAG as the Children's Pastor. It has been a long journey this year of listening for His direction in my life. Picking up and leaving Springfield in a major step of faith and waiting for God to open the door for me to minister. Little did I know how wonderful a plan God had for me! It is so true that His timing and His plan is so much greater than ours!

The Kids - I love the kids at WCAG. What an amazing, amazing time I am having ministering to and loving on the kids here at WCAG! It has been a blast and I am looking forward to this next year with anticipation and excitement for the things to come!

The Staff - The pastors and secretaries and maintenance team are amazing! I have been made to feel so welcomed and part of the team! When God brings you into a caring and loving place to minister...it is a blessing!

There are many more things to be thankful for, but this is what is on my heart and mind today. I hope you all are able to count your blessings this season and truly thank God for His amazing plan in your life!

The Circle of Life

2008-12-22T12:33:00.000-08:00

Over the past few weeks and days, the circle of life has been on my heart and mind. What a deep sadness we experience when our loved ones are diagnosed with critical conditions or when we lose someone we love. It is a comfort knowing that we have our Heavenly Father to turn to at these times, but even though we have Him there is a grieving process we must walk through to heal the pain and loss.

It is natural to feel pain and loss even as Christians. Just because you believe in eternity, it does not make the feeling or depth of loss any easier. You still lose someone from earth that means very much to you. You go to make those phone calls to them and then realize suddenly that they are no longer with you on earth. Over the past several weeks, God has given me a realization in my heart like never before how precious this life is and how our relationships on earth should be cherished. Never take a day or a relationship for granted. "Don't let the sun go down with anger in your heart". How petty we are at times and we don't even realize that a tiff or an attitude with a family member, friend, co-worker, or EVEN someone in our church family could be our last conversation or interaction with them. Wouldn't you hate to know that your last conversation with someone that was not your kindness interaction was the last one you had with them?

Due to the many illnesses that has hit my family throughout the years it has taught me to NEVER live with the possibility of regrets. If I'm having a bad day and I'm snippy with a family member, I call and apologize. If my family member is in the hospital and I am out of town, I come home to see them. Never do I want to live with a personal regret in my heart that I wasn't there, I didn't love them, or I had a petty fight with someone and chose to ignore the situation rather than straighten it up. My favorite motto in life is "In the realm of eternity does this really matter." I know it might sound weird to you, but to a black and white personality it helps to distinguish the important from the petty. If the answer is "no"...then I need to get over it. If the answer is "yes" then I need to deal with it and bring a resolution to it.

I guess what I'm trying to say is life is too short to not treat everyone how God has asked us to treat them. Life is too short not to cherish the special moments and those around us. Don't take people for granted...don't leave things unsaid...don't walk with anger or bitterness in your heart or your relationships. Enjoy life, cherish your family, treasure your friends, be caring toward your co-workers and neighbors and stand with your church family in unity. When you do this...you've done all you can do...and you are living a life that will leave no regrets!

Now...It's Time to Enjoy The Holidays!

2008-12-17T14:25:00.000-08:00

Last night when I was talking to my mom, she made a comment that suprised me. I was talking about how crazy the last month has been in my life...new job, moving, her illness, my Christmas schedule and to top it all of a nice, wonderful winter cold! She said, "Yes, the last seven weeks have been insanely crazy for you." When she said that I thought she had added wrong. I told her that I had only been here at WCAG for four weeks. She laughed. When I thought about it, it has been seven weeks. Boy, time flies when you are busy!

It has been the greatest seven weeks of my life! It is so incredible to be in the center of God's will and to be at the place you know He has sent you! I love everything! The office staff is wonderful, the pastors are so kind and gracious, the congregation is so welcoming and the kids, the kids are so amazing! It feels as if the church opened it's arms to be and has embraced me as family. What a blessing...and what an incredible start!

Well, I am moved and as of tomorrow, everything will be unpacked, hung and in place! My mom is doing much better and my family and I are so thankful! God truly brought her through when doctors did not expect a favorable outcome. What an amazing blessing and gift this Christmas! My cold hopefully is getting better...and I'm eating up the cough drops so that always helps! SO...now I can enjoy Christmas!

I have not shopped for one thing! My family Christmas with all my siblings and nieces and nephews is Sunday afternoon and I have not bought one thing! Yikes! I have my work cut out for me on Saturday - purchase gifts for eleven people and wrap them all nice and neat! Another yikes! My parents and I will have Christmas together on Christmas Day, so I can wait to purchase their gifts until Monday or Tuesday! Yet, another yikes!!! I can't wait to hit the malls and stores and hear the Christmas music, the long lines, the lights, the parking spaces at the very end of the parking lot! I know, it doesn't sound fun to you, but to me...its time to begin the Christmas season!

It is my favorite season and hate that it seems it has been cut short due to unexpected events, but I'm going to enjoy my socks off the next nine days! Christmas here I come!

PEACE DURING THIS SEASON...

2008-12-09T09:28:00.000-08:00

Have you ever had times in your life where the world is spinning and you're standing there shouting "slow down"? Well, I am experiencing one of those times in my life right now!

Over the past four weeks, I: 1) Began a new position, 2) Moved to a new place, 3) My Mom is in the Hospital, and 4) I have been sick. What a combination of things! Boy, has it been crazy! Living in boxes, at the hospital, and learning the ropes at a new job have been a bit insane and at times I stand there and try to figure out where to begin! Do I unpack, go visit my mom, sleep so I can stay well, or attend an event. However, in the midst of all of the chaos that life brings, I'm sitting at my desk looking at my constantly lit candles and just remembering God's goodness.

I don't know what it is about candles, but when I stare at the fire and sit there for a minute and smell the aroma coming from it, I began to relax. God's gift to my life...CANDLES (and pedicures...but that's another story)! Today, the candle on my desk focused me and reminded me that yes, life can be crazy, but in the midst of it and after the craziness of it, all God asks of us is that we remain "lit" for Him. Though troubles come or hard times, it is when our candle or our life should burn the brightest...because we come through those times not in our strength, but His. It was just the perfect reminder for me today to keep my focus. Don't allow the craziness to overwhelm me, but allow His Spirit to give me peace! I hope that makes sense...if not, it does in my mind :-)!

Hope you all have a great day being reminded how wonderful it is to have a Heavenly Father there for you constantly and carrying you during difficult times!

Waiting...

2008-11-24T14:46:00.000-08:00

Isn't it crazy how much time we spend waiting in life? Think about it...waiting at a drive thru at the bank, waiting for someone to call you back, waiting for pay day, waiting for a friend who is always ten minutes late...the list goes on. We are constantly waiting in a society that is the most faced paced society since the beginning of mankind. All I have to say is thank God that I live in today's society. Think what our forefathers had to wait for...they had to wait to arrive to their destination across town for a day or two in a covered wagon...they had to wait for their crops to come in...they had to wait for their clothes to dry on a line...they had to wait for their house to heat up. So, all I'm saying is really that I hate waiting...but I'm so thankful for the things I don't have to wait for! Does this make any sense??? Thoughts from Pastor Tina today!

TODAY...My first day to blog

2008-11-18T10:07:00.001-08:00

Today is my first day blogging! How exciting! I am currently in my office, with a heater on, Christmassy candle going, and Christmas music playing. I am working on the next four weeks of Kidz World, Children's Church Curriculum! It's going to be a fun series for the kiddos!

To me, there is no better time of year! This is a season where (most) people become kind and are well-wishers for joy and peace. Snow begins to arrive and makes the world a blanket of peace! There is nothing better! So, yes, I'm praying for snow!

Well...I need to get back to the lessons!!! Enjoy the season!