Will You Pray This Week?

I know I haven't been on here much lately, and to be honest, I miss it!  Blogging provides and outlet for me, and it helps me to empty my brain of all of these things floating around in it!  I have photos to share also, but those will have to wait too.

In the past few weeks we've been out of town, Robert's been out of town, and we're still schooling through the summer, though Jacob is now off his ADHD medicine.  Enough said there, I'm guessing!  I'm also spending any free computer time planning what I'm about to ask you to be praying for...

I'm getting ready to go to Joni and Friends camp for the third year.  I LOVE this time!  I am totally in my element when I'm there, so while it is an exhausting week, I come home feeling very refreshed.

Like I said, I'm totally in my element there.  I am very "at home" among the disability community.  But each year I have ended up with an assignment outside my realm of experience.  I have had adults both years (where I'd prefer children, especially those in my own church so I can build relationships with those families), and one year had a non-verbal buddy.  This year I said I'd help with the childrens' program however I could (thinking I'd be supporting one of my best friends in her responsibilities).  Then I said I'd teach.  (I can handle that.  I've taught for years and don't mind it at all.)  Then I found out that teaching meant I had to write my lessons!  (I think the Lord has determined I will be out of my comfort zone!)

I can see how the Lord had His hand in this as the other two leaders had other major things come up during this planning time (emergency eye surgery for one, and a child's wedding for the other) and would have had a terrible time getting everything done, but I'm feeling completely overwhelmed with nervousness.  I'm having to write lessons combining two unrelated themes, using a power point (never done that before), for a group of children ages 4-12 (cognitive levels 12 months to twelve years and including 21 boys!), and be fun, entertaining and challenging while I present the lessons.

I have the lessons written, though I'm not sure they're really beefy enough to challenge the twelve year olds.  I've never taught anyone with a cognitive ability over 8.  I'm just really nervous about it all.  I'm nervous that the kids will be bored, unchallenged and that my lessons will take too little time to deliver.  Plus I'm really intimidated by our recreation guy - he's a childrens' pastor!

I have to say if I get there and it's "not good enough," there really is nothing more I could have done.  I have prayed over our theme verse for two months.  I have studied the context, prayed it for our children, begged God to give me my lessons, and spent a lot of time writing them.  So any lack is not because I have not given my best.  And I must say, the Lord has given me some pretty cool illustrations as I've studied this verse and put all of the themes together!

So will you pray for me this week?  Pray that I get the power point made and that it's easy to use without being a distraction to me while I'm trying to teach.  Pray that I stay nervous enough to remember that I need God to work through me.  Pray that I choose to cast my anxiety on the Lord instead of allowing Satan to rob me of much needed prep-time this week.  Pray that the lessons will be "enough" for even the seven rowdy 12 year old boys.  And pray the I will bring HIM glory in my weakness, according to the power that is at work within me, and believe the lessons I'm teaching!!!  (He-llo!  Our theme is "God can do MORE than I can even imagine!")

Now to HIM who is able to do immeasurably more than all I ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within me, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! 

Amen.

Ephesians 3:20,21

One praise too... I get to take Jacob to camp with me this week!  I'm really excited about him getting to come, and he's pretty excited too.  When I asked if he wanted to go to camp he asked if we were going to have bacon for breakfast.  Hmmmm...guess that's really important to him!