Christmas At the Bay

Volunteer Caught on Camera!

This blurry picture caught one of our volunteers (her initials are CB) sneaking a snack before service started. She was trying to run away from my phone camera but I got her. So now you know what goes on behind the scenes at CATB Children's Ministry. And you trust your kids to these kinds of people? LOL!

Seriously, we have some of the best volunteers in the country and I love to brag on them. You should have seen the Kindergarten kids singing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus on Christmas Eve. It was awesome. And then watching their eyes light up when they saw the snow coming down and Santa Claus and his elf- it's what I live for.

Guys, you lit it up this week. Thanks to all of you who gave so unselfishly so these kids could get it. I can't wait to see what God does in the coming year!

Christmas Trains

When I was a little boy, every year at Christmas my Dad put the Lionel trains under the Christmas tree. One year he took a picture of me kneeling in front of the trains, watching as they circled the tree. Last year I took this picture of my grandson doing the exact same thing at my home.

It's amazing how much influence we have on our kids. They imitate us is so many ways, often when we least expect it and frequently with behaviors we don't want to duplicate. Ever heard your kid say something bad and then realize they learned it from you?! Whether you want to be or not, you are a role model to the kids who observe your life.

But the good news is that imitation is a great teaching tool and when we leverage it for positive outcomes, everybody wins! I'm convinced that most of what kids learn from us is caught from observing our behaviors and attitudes, our responses to life situations- and not nearly as much from what we say as from what we do. That means that we will improve our influence- by improving ourselves- by being passionate Christ followers. The more we imitate Christ, the more kids will imitate us- and ultimately Him.

I want to lead by example and the best way for me to do that is to chase God as hard as I can. It's cool that Tyler kneels to watch trains like I did. But I'd be more impressed if he learns to kneel and pray from watching the example of my life.

Correction

Sorry about the wrong link on my last post. It has been corrected. Here is the correct link for The Gift Revolution.

Generosity Plus!

Today I went with some of our volunteers to deliver all the Angel Tree gifts that our CATB family provided for the Salvation Army. This is the third year we have done this and every year we have exceeded the previous year. It was so rewarding to hear how these families will be blessed by our generosity.

It took 4 vehicles to carry all the stuff. I calculated that it represented over $10,000 worth of gifts! What a church! I am so happy to be a part of such a caring group of people. As we launch the Gift Revolution, I know we will see even more examples of unselfish caring as we focus on others. As we taught the kids this weekend, "Christmas is not about what I get; its about learning to give like God, my best."

Whatever you do over the next 25 days, look for ways to express God's love to people around you. We can change the world, one heart at a time.