Kasen (4yrs) is playing in the U6 (Under 6) soccer league for the Tornados. We worked it out so he’s got quite a few of his friends on his team and he’s having a blast. I made this video from his highlights during the game.
Powerpoint Games
Thought I’d post some of the powerpoint games that I’ve created for our youth group. Feel free to download them and use them however you’d like. I’ve attached zip files with all the pics and the photoshop template so you can add to it and make your own questions. The “Would You Kiss?” game is one of our favorites – especially when I add pics of some of our own youth.
If you click on the pic, the download should begin.
 Alien Game |
 How Old Game |
 Guy Movie Trivia Game |
|---|---|---|
 Would You Kiss? Game 1 |
Would You Kiss? Game 2 |
 Fastest Longest Game |
If any of you have more games like this, I’d be happy to include them here. Let me know.
Rock Band Priorities
I saw a man carrying a “Rock Band” video game box in a stroller today. It wasn’t a big deal, but his wife was carrying their baby in her arms. I’m sure he’s a good dad, and I’m sure it was just more practical since the game box was heavier than the baby, but it just struck me funny. It just didn’t seem right. I’m sure someone else will watch me one day doing something similar with Kasen and they’ll question my intentions too. I’m just wondering when that will be? Has it already happened? What kinds of things do I do that people watch and make judgments about? Do they judge me in this sort of way, or do they see Jesus in some way? I wonder if someone was watching me watching him? What would they have thought if they could have read my mind?
Man God, I need you. I’m pretty messed up. Help me become who You want me to be.
Rockets
Miranda and I went to see the Rockets tonight with her bro and sister-in-law. Jared won them on a radio show by being able to tell them where four of the Atlanta Hawks went to college. Can you say nose bleed?? You can’t beat free though – we got free food, drinks, and even a Rockets puzzle. Fun times!!!
It was also the first time we left Kasen with Gigi for this length of time. It went well and he’ll be spending more time with her in the future.
Are you Smart enough to Feed the World?
Check out this website – you can answer some vocabulary questions and feed the hungry. For every question you get right, they donate rice to feed the hungry. If you’ve got a little time, you can feed quite a few people in just a few minutes. It’s pretty fun too.
Stories I Need to Tell – Swan
One of the classic questions used by youth ministers in “get to know you”-type games is this: If you were an animal, what animal would you be and why? My standard answer to that question comes from an experience I had in a park one day. I was feeding the ducks out on a dock in a park when I was in college, and there were two swans out quite a distance from the dock.
I didn’t want them to miss out, so I threw the bread as far as I could out near them. One of the swans would pick up the piece of bread and then drop it in front of the other one, then he would eat it. Eventually I was able to get them near the dock, and each time I threw the bread the swan would take it to the other one to eat. I soon realized that one of them was blind. The one who could see was bringing the food to him.
So what animal would I be? I’d be a swan – I just don’t know wether I’d want to be the one who provided for his friend, or the blind one who was able to trust that God would provide for him. It’s my prayer that I can live my life in both ways – trusting God to provide and serving the people around me.
Stories I Need to Tell – Sword Fighting
I’ve told you guys quite a bit about my nephew Tyler. Here’s a story about his younger brother, Tucker.
Tucker and Tyler were really into the “Lord of the Rings” movies, so we played swords a lot during those days. (I couldn’t find a pic with swords – only this one of Tucker with the hulk hands – we used to do battle with them too.) One day while playing with Tucker, we slung the swords at each other like crazy and as the swinging ceased for a brief moment, he decided that he had beat me. There was no real reason – he just said that he had beat me. I was still holding my sword though. He pushed his sword up to my chest and demanded for me to drop my sword. I acted as if I were going to and then started swinging again. He wouldn’t fight back though. Why? According to him, he had already beat me. So I let him put his sword in my chest again and we began this dialog.
I said, “Why should I drop my sword? I’ll never let you kill me. Never surrender!!”
He said, “You will.”
“Why would I do that?”
“‘Cause I said so.” (let me remind you that he was about 3 feet tall.)
“I won’t.”
“You will.”
“No, I won’t surrender. . . . . .Ever.”
“Yes, you will,” he said.
One more time I asked, “Why would I do that?” Then I dropped my sword.
He dropped his too and ran to me with arms wide open saying, “This is why.”
He hugged me as hard as he could and I held him too.
I actually held him and said in my most evil voice, “Now, I’ve got you!” And we played the “You can’t escape game.”
Anyway, later that night when I laid down for bed I wondered if there had been times when I was trying to fight or do battle with the world, and God just wanted a hug? I wondered what would have happened if I had never dropped my sword with Tucker? What about other people that I think I need to do battle with? Is there a way I could hug them instead of fighting? Would I allow myself to drop my sword with them?