Olympics

I'm looking forward to the Summer Games. Four years ago, Smartie loved watching. All four kids will be excited, I think. While I appreciate him as an athlete, I really hope these Olympics don't become the Michael Phelps Show like Beijing. Yes, his 8 golds were amazing, but there were a lot of other fantastic athletes who were ignored. I remember one female swimmer who won gold. When they interviewed her, they said, "You just won the gold! What do you think of Michael Phelps?" Her face fell for just a second, then she graciously said he was so great, etc. I felt so bad for her. I wish ALL our athletes well, and hope they all get the praise they're due.

Zynga

I read an article today that the stock of Zynga, the complany that makes Farmville, Frontierville, and a dozen other -villes, is dropping fast. I can't say I'm surprised. I played Frontierville for quite a while. It's a pretty fun game. But the business model is inherently flawed. It's a "free" game. How can you make money off a free game? By offering virtual in-game money paid for with real money.

You can spend your virtual money on the ability to skip a mission, or to purchase the items needed to complete a mission. (Also on decorations, but how many people will buy a virtual rock garden?) Think about this: you can pay money to not play the game. Really. Why would I pay money to not play the game when I can not-play for free by just, you know, not playing? Not to mention the whole reason a game is fun is the sense of accomplishment when you conquer it. Very few people will pay actual money to skip/complete missions.

They made the missions harder to complete in an attempt to force people to pay. When I finally quit playing Frontierville, I had 15 missions in my queue. In order to get the things I needed to finish said missions, I would need to request gobs of items from my neighbors. I can only make a certain number of requests a day, can only receive a certain number of items per request, and can only get a limited number of items per day by answering my neighbors' requests. I counted up the number of items I needed, and it would have taken me at least 2 months to get the needed items, assuming I was able to ask the full number of allowed times and got the full number of answers every day. And that was just for the missions currently in my queue! The only way to catch up is to pay to not play which, as I said, defeats the whole point of playing.

And that's why players are leaving Zynga games in droves, and why Zynga stock is dropping like a rock.

Motherhood is a Ministry, Too!

Last year, Papa Runner and I participated in a three-session Bible study on spiritual gifts. The last night of the study, someone mentioned, with my talents and interests, I was probably involved with the crisis pregnancy center. I said I would like to work with them someday, but not at this time since my children are young. This threw the conversation off on a tangent where someone (I don't remember who) said we can't use having kids as an excuse not to serve God. A young mother mentioned how guilty she felt that she couldn't do more to serve the Lord, and a mother whose children were grown felt guilty that she hadn't done more when her kids were young.

This conversation upset me a lot, but I didn't say anything at the time, partly because I'm an introvert and partly because when we got home I discovered I had a fever of 104 and just wasn't able to organize my thoughts properly. It's been over a year, but it still pops into my head from time to time. I know I won't be able to let it go until I get my thoughts out, so here goes.

I am not working with the crisis pregnancy center or any other formal ministry at this time because my children are young, and I don't feel the least bit guilty. I am already called to a very important ministry, and it takes number one priority. In fact, it's SO important, it takes numbers two, three, four, and five priority! My calling is to raise my children to know and love the Lord. Period. Any other ministry that takes away from my first ministry is NOT what I am called to do, no matter how good it is, no matter how well it fits with my gifts.

Now, if I can serve God in other ways without neglecting my role as mother, great! If I can find ways to serve God with my children, even better. Part of my motherhood ministry is to teach my children to serve God and others. But the ministry of motherhood is of utmost importance!

Part of what bothered me that night is that I'm already getting the message from the world and from the feminist movement that being "just" a mom is not good enough. Motherhood is not valued, and only productive work outside the home counts toward my worth. I do not need to hear that from the Church. Quite the opposite, the Church should value and support the ministry of motherhood. If we fail in raising our kids to know the Lord, there won't be a Church much longer. I don't have to serve God outside the home to have a worthwhile ministry. In fact, I shouldn't serve God outside the home if it takes away from my calling within the home. I'm not saying it's wrong to be involved in other ministries if you can, but they should not take away from raising our children.

So mothers, don't feel guilty for not doing more to serve God. You're already doing the most important ministry you will ever do. And don't get so busy in outside service that you neglect your motherhood ministry.

"And ye shall teach them [the Word of the Lord] your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up." Deuteronomy 11:19 KJV

"I have no greater joy than to hear that my children walk in truth." 3 John 4 KJV

VBS Object Lesson: Gentleness

ETA: I get 50ish hits a week on this post most of the year, and 250 hits a week during VBS planning season. I'm glad people are interested in the lesson! If you'd like to take the time to come back and comment, I'd love to know if you used it and how it went, if you have any suggestions or alternative stories, etc.

Last night I taught the object lesson on gentleness for VBS. Here's what I did.

Topic : Gentleness

Intro: Has anyone ever been mean to you? Have you ever been mean to someone else? Have you ever seen someone be mean to someone else?

Story: The Woman with an Issue of Blood (Mark 5:25-34). Emphasize the woman was unclean, dirty. If anyone touched her, they would be unclean, too. If she sat in a chair or ate from dishes, they would be unclean and no one else could use them. No one wanted to touch her or be near her because, eww, she was dirty. How did she feel? (sad, angry, lonely) She spent all her money on doctors, but all their medicine just made her worse. She suffered for 12 years. Finally she went to Jesus and was healed by touching the hem of his garment. When He found out what had happened, He didn't say, "Gross, you're unclean and you made me unclean, too." No, he treated her with gentleness. He said, "Daughter, your faith has healed you. Go in peace."

Object lesson

Supplies: two raw eggs with smiley faces drawn on them (VERY IMPORTANT: make sure there are no cracks in the shells), safety pin or straight pin, q-tip, bowl and table, drop cloth to protect floor (or do outside), apron for adult

Process: Did you know it's impossible to break an egg by squeezing it, if the shell is intact? Let kids squeeze it. [I did not let the VBS kids try to squeeze it, too many kids who might throw it! But I would let a smaller group try to squeeze the egg.] Give your egg a name. Have the kids say mean things to the egg. You're stupid, fat, ugly, you smell, I don't like you, etc. For each mean thing that is said, carefully use the pin to poke a small hole in the shell.

I did a pattern with one hole in the center and several holes in a circle around. [I drew dots to show what I mean. In actuallity, you can barely see the holes.] Does "George" look any different? No, he's still smiling. But what happens to his heart when mean things are said?

If you put your thumb in the center of the pinhole circle, you can smash it easily. Crush the egg with your hand into the bowl.

Can we put the egg back together? No, only God can heal a broken heart.

Now have the kids use gentle words to the second egg. For each nice thing, rub the egg with the q-tip. Can we break "Bob's" heart? No, no matter how hard we squeeze, we can't break this egg because it's been treated with gentleness.

Conclusion: Treat others with gentleness, as Jesus did to the Woman.

Verse: Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am meek and lowly in heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls. Matt 11:29

Sunday School Nominations

Nomination ballots went out for Sunday School teachers today. This fall, all of my kids will be in Sunday school. I have a degree in education, and I love working with the 10 and unders. So if you're wondering whether being nominated would make me happy or sad, the answer is happy.