Riverwood Presbyterian Church

Children

scary

by Peggy Drinkard

http://corner.nationalreview.com/post/?q=ZjhjMjc0MGZmOTVlMGZmMjM5MzgxNjZkOGUyYTAxZGE= interesting article on health care, if you like to stay awake at night thinking on these things.

Children

We were sooooo lucky!

by Peggy Drinkard

A week ago we set about delivering Angel Tree Christmas gifts. Our church has participated in this ministry of Prison Fellowship Ministries for several years. It is designed to assist at-risk children of incarcerated parents.We had several volunteer drivers. Prior to the deliveries we requested the congregation bring food for 13 food baskets to deliver along with the gifts. We had 13 families to visit…or so I thought. Just as we began preparations for the deliveries, I discovered that two of the families were in actuality one family. Poor paperwork. Oops, too late to let everyone know we now had only 12 families. On the morning of deliveries our pianist called to ask if we possibly had any extra food left over since she had just encountered a needy immigrant family with children and a “totally empty” cupboard. I let her know we actually had an entire extra basket of food left. This has never happened before. I try to keep a close count on things. Just lucky I guess!
Several of the families had their phones disconnected after our initial contacts, and couldn’t be located before the delivery of gifts. I told our volunteer drivers they’d just have to do their best. One set of directions came from a little boy, the only person I could reach at a particular number. I KNEW those directions were iffy, to say the least. But our astute driver just kept ferreting the neighborhood until he discovered the home. The Angel Tree recipients were there, and ever so happy we had found them. Again, weren’t we lucky?! Another family had been impossible to contact, again because of disconnected phones, so our driver went to the only address we had been able to secure. No dice. They didn’t live there anymore. Then the mother of said family, whom we had tried every avenue to reach to no avail, called and directed us to where she now lived. Amazing! Like I said, in this and several other details, things worked out despite everything being stacked against it. Yes, we sure were lucky this year. Or could God really be interested enough in the lives and welfare of these marginalized children to give us outside, providential help?

Children

Come Together. Right Now. Over Me.

by Peggy Drinkard

There is only one man qualified, and worthy, of giving the above imperative; the Lord Jesus. Last night we observed Reformation Celebration. I think it’s fair to say “a good time was had by all” and it went well. Nonetheless, I found it frustrating that the adults in attendance were primarily those who were helping to put it on. Each year as I prepare for this event, I learn more about the Reformers and the Reformation, and realize what an incredible event it was in the history of God s people. Psalm 78 commands us to recount His wonders to our children, and consequently, to their children. A favorite part says, “We will not hide them from their children, but tell to the generation to come the praises of the Lord and His strenghth and His wondrous works that He has done.” It also details some sad and dire consequences for failure to pass our inheritance in God along to our children. The Protestant Reformation certainly qualifies as one of His wonders. As time goes on I increasingly regard our own Reformation Celebration as less of a “Halloween alternative” and more of a genuine holiday in it’s own right that we really should celebrate as the people of God. (The advent of “Christian themed” horror houses and such in recent years disinclines me even further to try and “compete”with the world on the world’s terms anyway.) So, to my main point. ..On occasion I dismiss Covenant Kids’ Club on Sunday nights because of some event I REALLY WANT the children to participate in with the adults…something I want them to SEE and OBSERVE. The result is usually that the children AND their parents don’t attend because there is “nothing for the kids” that night. And conversely, when some event is held that is perceived as “for the kids”, the majority of adults don’t come. (Ive intentionally included some more sophisticated games in the Reformation Celebration that could be enjoyed by adults if only we had the childlike abiliity to enjoy playing.) We have become so acclimated to our culture’s system of “age-segregation” that even as Christians we have small regard for “coming together.” Recommendations on ways to help our church do this are most welcomed.

Miscellaneous

On the Lighter Side

by Lowell Urban

Wow, my head hurts. After reading the posts written before me I am not sure I have much to contribute to the wisdom of the ages or these pages. I am a simple man and I do not often have motivation or energy to ponder theology, literature, politics, or Christian chaff. I do know that if you feed your Golden Retriever puppy too much he will vomit on to your newly cleaned carpet. (Perhaps I should borrow a “Christian” t-shirt to help me clean it up!) Still, I do believe it important to dialog about such things. Even so, my posts shall prove to be of a more personal nature.

Last night I was putting my youngest daughter to bed, and we were playing her favorite game. In this game, I walk into the room and pretend I do not see her hiding under the covers like she has done for countless nights before. I sit on her bed and bemoan the prospect of waiting for her to return so that I may kiss her goodnight. She lies perfectly still until I comment about the lump in her bed, and then I start to tickle her mercilessly. Eventually she manages to beg me to stop. By that time the damage is done. The day has ended with love and laughter. She always breathes the sweetest sigh when it’s all over.

My question is this. When is the last time you were tickled? When is the last time you tickled someone else? I believe laughter to be one of the greatest gifts God has given to us. So, why is it as adults we tend to lose our “tickleability?”

Now, I know about personal space and sexual harassment, and I realize there is a time for everything. For instance, if the music minister was feeling kind of impish and decided to give the Pastor’s ribs a poke during the Pastoral prayer, well…probably not a good idea. But there are other people and more appropriate places. What about your good friends? What about your parents? What about your spouse? Couldn’t you tickle them? I could be wrong, but I think a good tickle might just make their day.

Perhaps you are afraid of the verbal or physical response of the would be “ticklee.” I understand. On more than one occasion my oldest son has retaliated to my tickling with a very painful blow to my arm. So, if you can’t tickle anyone else or you are too afraid to try, I hereby grant to you personal permission to tickle my daughter Hannah. You’ll love it when she sighs!