Thursday, August 29, 2013

Camp Wiregrass

My Dad has been a Director at Camp Wiregrass 3rd & 4th grade for many summers.  The session has always been a High energy and Fun filled week.  But the last couple of years my brother has introduced a new level of entertainment by adding Skits to reinforce the lessons the kids learn each day.  This year he had 3 high school students travel back in time to meet the "real" apostles and see the stories first hand.   Now when I say "real" apostles  I mean.  Peter, Mr. Jeff, who appears on stage with a faulty bread.   John, Mr. Benny, who is peaceful and calm with a proper Old English accent.  Paul, my husband Eric, Who is  Uncle Si in a dress.
Day two we studied about the Story of Paul on the road to Damascus.  As the younger Good looking actors portrayed the Story.  The Older apostles added the humor.  Such as the time when Paul fell to his knees in fear at the bright light that blinded him, Uncle Si added that he was really not that afraid just a little concerned.

Day three we discussed Peter escaping with the angel.  This is Wednesday and our actors have gotten "into" their rolls.  So when the younger actors are portraying the scene older Peter decides they are not "good enough looking"  for him so he takes their place and proceeds to roll through out the audience as he escapes.  When he finally appears at the home of the believers who had been praying all night for his release, the young girl doesn't believe it is him.  But it is not a young girl, it is my brother Seth.  So the older apostles proceed to "girl" him up by adding lip stick.  This time when Peter knocks Seth busts out in full falsetto. "WHO IS IT?" and tells Peter there is no way it is him because he is still in prison because that is why the group is meeting and praying.  After this exchange Peter finally convinced her (or him in our story) and he runs off to tell the group leaving Peter outside standing at the door.

Day Four When our "older" apostle came on stage Uncle Si was speaking with John's old English accent.  Eric had gotten so caught up he couldn't remember how to talk like Uncle Si.  John (AKA Mr. Benny)  had to remind him "You know you talk like "Hey Jack".
 The Lesson today was on Paul and Silas praising the Lord in prison.  The narrator tells the younger "good looking"  apostles to sing and they politely sing "When the saints".  Uncle Si (AKA older Paul) interrupts and declares that music was not good enough and has the Narrator Blare Toby Mac to which the whole stage begins to bust a move. After the music dies down there is an Earthquake on stage and Paul tells the jailer that everyone was still in prison and the Guard is converted.

 
Mom Lesson:  Saturday when we got home from Camp I was asking the kids about their favorite parts.  All 3 boys told us every detail of the skit.  I mean EVERY Detail.  Hutch would laugh out loud as Curtis did the high knee dance like Eric to that "super cool" song.  Gage summed it up best with "It was like the real stories but very Funny"  The remembered details of the Bible stories.  They Thought is was so funny when the characters "got it wrong".
As teachers it is important to make the stories of the bible come alive for these children.  Yes I believe facts are important but how and why they did what they did can change children's lives.  The same Joy from the fruit of the Spirit that allowed Paul to Praise God in Prison is in us.  The Bible is full of unbelievable miraculous stories.  Everything is True and the reason that the apostles were able to act the way they did was Jesus.  And when we show those same Fruits of the Spirit we are also Showing Jesus in us.  The same Jesus that was in those amazing stories.
I know that Uncle Si and funny stunts are not factual but it brings a new angle to the same lesson. People are not cookie cutters, we all learn different so why teach the bible in boring colorless methods.  We need to put as much effort into teaching God's word as we do into teaching ABC and 123.  We need to have as much of a passion of our Children learning bible stories as we do about children learning in school.  We are dropping the ball if we don't make God's word Come alive for our children.  It is the bread of life and we settle for a couple of hours a week to teach our kids the most important lessons there is.  I know we are "busy" but that is the devils biggest Tool.  Overwhelm your senses until you don't have time.  We can find time for what we WANT to do.
I will step off my soap box to say I am as guilty of this as anyone.  But the Work and extra effort my Dad, Brother, Husband, and Friends put into teaching the bible at camp Wiregrass are doing powerful things in our campers life's.  The outside world may look at us like we are crazy but I have memories from Childhood from the same camp that has made me into he person I am today.  I can close my eyes during a song and see the Pavilion full of 80 Kids singing praises to God in my memory as clear as day.  Make that a priority for your children.  It doesn't have to be camp, it can be other spirit filled places BUT MAKE JESUS MORE IMPORTANT than your busy schedules.  Expose your children to life changing moments, where they realize how real the bible is. 
 

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Homemade Granny Biscuits

I find no joy in cooking in the kitchen.  Don't get me wrong I love to eat, but trying new recipes and adding fun spices is torture for me.   All that said I love watching someone Cook who is a master in the kitchen.  You know the ones that don't have to measure anything!  My first experience with this kind of Cook was my Great Granny Varnum.  My brothers and I could not wait until it was time to watch her make her famous Granny Biscuits.  She took her flour and added just enough buttermilk and oil and whipped her fingers around until a perfect round dough formed.  That was our favorite part because that is when she would pinch us each off a piece of dough.  She continued to pinch perfect biscuits with her magic fingers and when she was done she had nothing left on her hands.   As I grew my granny gave me a cooking lesson.  I tried to mimic every motion she did.  As you can imagine by the end I was covered head to toe with flour and my dough was a stick mess.  In my memory I can see Granny laugh and smile her patience smile, and remind me she had cooked biscuits everyday since she was 13 and all it takes is practice

As the years pasted to quickly, I had the blessing of visiting Granny in the nursing home with my own children.  Even though she did not exactly know who we were she smiled that beautiful smile. After giving Granny hugs Hutch realized that Granny's skin under her arm was very soft.  Through out the visit Hutch kept working his way around to rub Granny's under arm skin.  I tried to get him to stop, trying to explain that women don't like you to bring attention to this "excess skin" on the back of their arms.  But not Granny she smiled and hugged him and Aunt Reby had Granny raise her arm and swing her skin back and forth.

Country Girl lesson:  My precious Granny went home to be with the Lord last month.  As I sit here I would love to go back and revisit that cooking lesson again. (I am sure my husband would love that also)  I tend to struggle with finding Joy in Day to Day chores.  I get bogged down with the details of life and forget to enjoy it.  I know I don't have the joy in my eyes that Granny always did.  The older you get the more you realize how little you really know, and the more you wish you had listened To advice those older than you had given.  I have to remind myself "all it takes is practice".  Hopefully by the time I visit with my Great Great Grandkids they will think I find Joy in the simple things.

Whatever you do work at it with all your heart as working for the LORD not for men.  Since you know that you will receive an inheritance from the Lord as a reward.  It is the Lord Christ you are serving. Colossians 3:23-24