Don’t we all want life to be simple? What about a Shop Vac that will suck up all the things on the floor in your room and spit it out the other side exactly where it needs to go, simple right? Reality is that kids live in a complex world of grown up decisions that they don’t get to make, they just have to live with - sometimes with understanding other times without. This month’s series breaks down what they can wrap their faith into in the most simplistic forms: Give, Pray, & Serve. Our challenge is to seek ways to share our faith in these areas.

Your ‘Biblical Character’ is made up of a foundation consisting of things like: integrity, courage, discipline, vision, endurance, compassion, and ultimately the ability to love and to forgive. Each of these components lay a foundation in life that can set you apart from everyone else around you. They are what the rest of your life is built upon.

So, how strong is your foundation? Do you have a weak building block? If you weaken one of these blocks by allowing sin into your life you may weaken the whole structure of your existence.

For the next couple of weeks we will examine different character traits that will help lay a biblical, strong foundation for kids. I would encourage you to follow along with me as we see through spiritual eyes the cracks of unbiblical character, how it’s influencing our children and how we, as parents, can help strengthen our children’s character foundation that will last a life time.

Next week’s Blog: Integrity

Pastor Allen

I was reading an article last week. It stated that people who have dreams and goals and don't physically write them down only have a 3% chance of achieving those goals. However, people with the same educational level who pick up a pen and write down their goals have a 75% chance of achieving those goals. Wow! What a difference! I am grabbing my pen right now and am writing down my dreams and goals as soon as I am done typing this. That brings me to another point, you are NEVER to OLD or too YOUNG to have dreams! So get with it. Make your goals....find your dreams.....think about today, tomorrow, and next week. But most importantly, think about ETERNITY!!! Now, go find a pen and get writing!

Pastor Allen

In order to begin the healing of these scars, we must first acknowledge that we have a scar and a need for healing. We have to unbury the hurt one more time. We have to locate where the source of our scar and pain is. Most of the time we already know what our pain stems from, but sometimes we may have to seek the guidence of the Holy Spirit. Then, we have to clean our scar that has been reopened into a wound by prayer. Don't let it stop at just prayer though. Take it one step further. With the help of the Holy Spirit, forgive those who have contributed to the wound and forgive yourself as well.

Let's get rid of our unsightly scars. This is the only way that God can fully use us for what He has designed us for!

Each year we go to camp with three desires for the campers. First is to have fun....and a LOT of it! The camp is full of activities such as Bible trivia, camp game competitions, swimming, scavenger hunts, and much more. The second thing we desire for our campers is for them to be open to hear God's truth and draw closer to Him.  From morning devotions to evening chapel services, it's all about God and His word. The last thing we desire is for our campers to apply their new knowledge to their everyday lives. Our speakers at camp greatly focus on this important step.

So, do you want me to wrap up the week? It was LIFE CHANGING for the kids.......and the adults!

Pastor Allen Borgen

Jesus' scars mean something in our lives. They mean a road to salvation and eternity. Scars that were once wounds.....bleeding and painful.....now a symbol of our freedom and escape route from the control of sin. Thank you Jesus for your sacrifice!

Pastor Allen

Step 1. Direct pressure- We CRY!
Step 2. Clean the cut - We PRAY!
Step 3. Bandage the cut - FACE our offense.
Step 4. Fight off infection - We FORGIVE!

The scar that is left is our reminder....Our TESTIMONY!.

Kids will be kids right? Yes they will. The problem is that kids haven't learned the boundaries of throwing the 'smack' around to going overboard and laying on some deep hurt by their words. Most of the time they don't mean anything by it. Unfortunitely sometimes though our kids are faced with some tormenting bullies that are ruthless in their endeavors to stick those words right where it hurts the most.

If you could give our kids a report card on their response how would they score? A - for come backs / B - for the continous smile / C- for the "leave me alone" response / D- for crying / or F for the act as you are response.  What do I mean by 'F'?  More often then not our kids just keep going on with life even when they are being continously hurt over and over emotionally from these teasing bullies. They hide the hurts deep inside and eventually it comes our in their behavior, their attitude, their grades, and even through other behavoirs such as hurting themselves.

If you are a parent reading this and you see some behaviors that you question I would recommend that you talk to your child. Be an advocate for them, and find out what the underlined issues are. Likewise, if you a youth and happened to find this blog. TELL someone, find someone that you trust and talk to them about what is going on in your life. If you can't seem to find someone to trust then contact me.  I care about you.

Pastor Allen

Recently I had the privilege to cast myself into the lot of FLU Survivors of 2009. It was a rough time… my body chilled and sweated within 30 seconds.  Every muscle ached and pain radiated from every pore of my body. I was miserable.  I laid there in bed hearing my kids and wife in the house doing all those things families do during Christmas break and yet I could hardly move.  It was nothing but sleep, drink, and sleep some more. Food didn’t even cross my mind for several days.

Have you ever felt that bad? Ever feel that the cold or virus had you in its grips so bad and you just had to surrender to the path that it’s taking you on no matter what you have tried to steer it back to healthy  living?  Yep, we all have.

 I often use the analogy in FUSION with the kids that we have a spiritual body just like we have a physical body. What we put into our physical body effects the way we live, breath, act, and sleep. In the same way what we put into our Spiritual body effects the way we live, act, talk, share and are seen by others. A cold virus can take our physical bodies to places where we don’t want to go much like sin does in our spiritual body. My bout with the FLU showed me that our spiritual bodies can have virus’s too… like greed, anger, lies and just plain sin! It introduces germs into a healthy body that slowly, if not treated properly, can lead to a place we don’t want to go.

This holiday season I am making an effort to ward off those sin virus’ by taking my daily vitamins of reading scripture, prayer, and putting a smile on someone’s face each day.  I plan on having a happy healthy 2010. What about you?

I couldn't have come up with a better message title myself! Which way to Christmas? Perhaps the Magi or the shepard that wondrous night asked the same question? The angels pointed the way... this way to Christmas... Many people came together in that small Bethlehem town all for a purpose to take a peek at a newborn child. They came asking questions about what is next in His life, in their lives, in their world. Perhaps many of us are asking the same questions, which way do I go?

This year as 'Christmas' comes nearer perhaps we should be angels to our family and friends... we should listen and watch and then point... this way to CHRISTmas. 

If you get a chance you should read Luke 17:11-19.  It talks about Jesus healing ten men with leopards. They all were kicked out of the city where they lived because of their 'skin diseases'. No one wanted to be around them, no one wanted to love them. They were bound by laws preventing contact with other 'unaffected people'.  As Jesus was walking along they yelled from a distance at Him. Knowing who Jesus was and no doubt hearing the stories of Jesus healing people they asked for mercy, a chance at living again. A chance to see their family and feeling the closeness of a hug. Jesus did just what they wanted, He healed them and instructed them to go what the law said, to show themselves to the priests to be given permission to enter the city and their lives once again. I can't imagine the feeling they had to love on their family again. To hold their children in their arms. They must have been overjoyed and thankful. 

The story doesn't end there. Only one man came back to Jesus to thank Him for what He had done. He came back and the Bible says, threw himself down as Jesus' feet in an act of worship. Only one man gave thanks to the source of his thanksgiving and he did it in worship at Jesus' feet. The next time we are thankful for something a good way to show our thanks to the source of our blessings, is at His feet.... lets worship in thanksgiving this year!

I think watching the human video tells it all… click HERE to watch it.

Happy Easter!

Pastor Allen

To top off the weekend 8 kids from 5-12 years old were baptized showing their family and friends that they have made an internal decision to follow Christ…to be a Christian and to love and serve.  Seeing some of these kids grow in the past 10 months has been so exciting. I was on cloud nine when I got home that night but the night wasn’t over.

As I quickly got a meal in front of my boys and tried to rush them into bed my oldest began to drill me on the proof of the Bible…did Jesus really die? Why do we have to be baptized? How can we know the Bible is true? Questions I normally don’t get from a 9 year old…but the God prompted me to not let this moment pass just because it’s past bedtime. I answered his questions and showed him that we have to have faith, that proof (evidence) just can’t be seen all the time. It was like opening a door that was slammed shut for him. He begen to weep uncontrollably. As I held him I asked him about his faith and after some more questions and thoughts, Isaiah said what a parent always hopes to hear…I want Jesus in my heart! As I began  to lead him in a prayer for Salvation through my own tears I realized my prayers have been answered. Isaiah’s name is written in the Lamb’s Book of Life.

Do I believe kids have what it takes to make a decision for good that will affect the rest of their life? Absolutely… Do you?  

Lord, teach me to have the faith of a child, the kind of faith you instructed your disciples in. Teach me to never look over, through, or beyond a child because of my rush in life…but always take the time to get to their level and look directly into their eyes….and see YOU in them, no matter what is be shown on the outside. Teach me to be a better father, parent and pastor to your children. Amen

I think that many times we all feel that way, like nothing we do matters. Well, we do! All of us matter. Each of us was born for a reason, a purpose and that reason is to share the love of God with others. Like my daughter hugged my leg last night for no reason...perhaps we should be conscience of sharing love with others when we can. They just might be in that moment that they need it!