Blessings From A Steamy Bus
Bus 5 was the #1 bus today with 48 in attendance. That included 3 very first time visitors. I thought sure that one of my children would win the $100 gift certificate to Toys R'Us but, lo and behold, an adult from Bus #1 won. Bless her heart. That will probably make a big difference in her Christmas shopping this year.
The kids on our bus were disappointed but such is life. We win some and we lose some. (Life lessons!)
The bus was getting crowded and the windows were all steamed up on the way in but we enjoyed our trip. I can't say so much for the trip home although once the bus load was lightened a bit I was able to move some of the older kids up and visit with them about some important spiritual things.
We discussed deceit. Teens are so good at sexual inuendo.They will then deny that there intention was impure. I felt I should make an issue of it yesterday. I was careful not to sound mad or condescending in any way. I confronted the boy that had made the remark and all listened. Then I made the talk to everyone. I asked them how many people had ever done such a thing. One honest girl raised her hand.
When I asked the boy if he realized that what he had done was sin, he gave me a very confused look. You see, he isn't a church goer. I'm sure sin is something like murder or stealing to him. So we discussed how such a small thing to us was just one more sin on our pile of things we had done against God and yet when we accepted the perfect gift for our salvation, He accepted us, KNOWING about ALL of those sins, past, present and future. My hope is to encourage these kids that are saved to understand the gravity of our sinfulness and to encourage the unsaved to see their sin for what it really is. Unless they understand that, how will they ever appreciate or accept this free gift of salvation.
I believe this is one of the problems in our society. The United States is such a forgiving culture, and well it should be. After all,who are we to judge another. Other christians are servant to God and He is the judge. But in accepting the sinner, sometimes I believe we make light of the gravity of sin.
Scott was the one I was speaking to who had said the off-color remark. As I was talking to him, he interrupted me at least twice with something to get off the subject. Of course, he said it in a way that would get a laugh. Each time he did it, I said, "Now Scott, don't you see that Satan is trying to get you not to listen to me! He is not your friend. Your conscience says,'She is right. Listen to her!' Satan does not want you to acknowledge your sin." He finally got quiet and listened. I don't think anyone had ever confronted him with the fact of his sin. Scott needs Jesus but he really doesn't know it yet.
We have a young girl on the bus that is hyperactive. She doesn't take medicine but she has been conditioned to believe that it is out of her control. I have observed that she is very much lacking in self confidence so she covers by trying to make people laugh. The other kids will call her "psycho". She needs attention so badly that she will try most anything to get it. Yesterday, she threw her bible out the window. I could tell it was one of those things that she did on the spur of the moment and really wished she had not done it. I finally made her move up on the front seat with me. She was just fidgeting and moving around and finally she asked me if she could have some bubble gum. She said that chewing it would help her keep her mind off the hyper stuff! Oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.....I just don't think we have time for me to go there. I think that is so degrading to make a child think that they have NO control over their own actions. I will not let them play that card with me. I tell them that if they KNOW they are doing wrong then they have the ability to make a conscious decision not to do it. I'm tired of our society making social cripples of our children. By the way, after she saw that I was not going to give her the gum, she controlled herself very well.
If I could do what I wanted, I would bring this little one home with me for a day and give her special attention. Maybe I would fix her hair and get her a new outfit for church and take her out to eat and just love on her a little. I think it would make a world of difference BUT in this day and time, I can not feel free to do such a thing. There are so many ramifications concerning child abuse that it is almost impossible to pay too much attention to one child. So I must continue to pray that God will use me in special ways to minister to her. You know, He loves her more than anyone else. He surely knows her inmost needs.
Church was great yesterday with several salvations and a new couple joining. The husband of the couple is from Zambia and he gave his testimony. They hope to go to Zambia as missionaries someday. Hopefully, God has sent more workers our way. We need them.
Mt 9:38 (KJV) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
The kids on our bus were disappointed but such is life. We win some and we lose some. (Life lessons!)
The bus was getting crowded and the windows were all steamed up on the way in but we enjoyed our trip. I can't say so much for the trip home although once the bus load was lightened a bit I was able to move some of the older kids up and visit with them about some important spiritual things.
We discussed deceit. Teens are so good at sexual inuendo.They will then deny that there intention was impure. I felt I should make an issue of it yesterday. I was careful not to sound mad or condescending in any way. I confronted the boy that had made the remark and all listened. Then I made the talk to everyone. I asked them how many people had ever done such a thing. One honest girl raised her hand.
When I asked the boy if he realized that what he had done was sin, he gave me a very confused look. You see, he isn't a church goer. I'm sure sin is something like murder or stealing to him. So we discussed how such a small thing to us was just one more sin on our pile of things we had done against God and yet when we accepted the perfect gift for our salvation, He accepted us, KNOWING about ALL of those sins, past, present and future. My hope is to encourage these kids that are saved to understand the gravity of our sinfulness and to encourage the unsaved to see their sin for what it really is. Unless they understand that, how will they ever appreciate or accept this free gift of salvation.
I believe this is one of the problems in our society. The United States is such a forgiving culture, and well it should be. After all,who are we to judge another. Other christians are servant to God and He is the judge. But in accepting the sinner, sometimes I believe we make light of the gravity of sin.
Scott was the one I was speaking to who had said the off-color remark. As I was talking to him, he interrupted me at least twice with something to get off the subject. Of course, he said it in a way that would get a laugh. Each time he did it, I said, "Now Scott, don't you see that Satan is trying to get you not to listen to me! He is not your friend. Your conscience says,'She is right. Listen to her!' Satan does not want you to acknowledge your sin." He finally got quiet and listened. I don't think anyone had ever confronted him with the fact of his sin. Scott needs Jesus but he really doesn't know it yet.
We have a young girl on the bus that is hyperactive. She doesn't take medicine but she has been conditioned to believe that it is out of her control. I have observed that she is very much lacking in self confidence so she covers by trying to make people laugh. The other kids will call her "psycho". She needs attention so badly that she will try most anything to get it. Yesterday, she threw her bible out the window. I could tell it was one of those things that she did on the spur of the moment and really wished she had not done it. I finally made her move up on the front seat with me. She was just fidgeting and moving around and finally she asked me if she could have some bubble gum. She said that chewing it would help her keep her mind off the hyper stuff! Oh myyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy.....I just don't think we have time for me to go there. I think that is so degrading to make a child think that they have NO control over their own actions. I will not let them play that card with me. I tell them that if they KNOW they are doing wrong then they have the ability to make a conscious decision not to do it. I'm tired of our society making social cripples of our children. By the way, after she saw that I was not going to give her the gum, she controlled herself very well.
If I could do what I wanted, I would bring this little one home with me for a day and give her special attention. Maybe I would fix her hair and get her a new outfit for church and take her out to eat and just love on her a little. I think it would make a world of difference BUT in this day and time, I can not feel free to do such a thing. There are so many ramifications concerning child abuse that it is almost impossible to pay too much attention to one child. So I must continue to pray that God will use me in special ways to minister to her. You know, He loves her more than anyone else. He surely knows her inmost needs.
Church was great yesterday with several salvations and a new couple joining. The husband of the couple is from Zambia and he gave his testimony. They hope to go to Zambia as missionaries someday. Hopefully, God has sent more workers our way. We need them.
Mt 9:38 (KJV) Pray ye therefore the Lord of the harvest, that he will send forth labourers into his harvest.
posted by momlinda1945 | 4:32 PM
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