As I sit and reflect this week, I realize just how awesome Easter weekend was. We had fantastic worship services on Good Friday and on Sunday. And the Easter Carnival on Saturday was an incredible success thanks to an awesome, huge God! We were able to minister to 38 families in our community that do not attend Rock Springs. Of those 38 families, 14 of those families don't attend church at all. Please pray for these families and that God will get a hold of their hearts so they can actively seek Him in their lives. Thank you for helping and being a part of something bigger than us, bigger than our church. And, thank you Lord for letting us serve you - may we do it humbly and for your glory!

I just wanted to remind our Rock Springs Church families to "simply invite" this weekend and sit back and watch how God works in the lives of your unchurched friends and family. I'm praying that He blows our minds! Please join me in that prayer too as we embark on the "superbowl weekend" (as Shelby likes to call it) for churches.

And, if you are reading this and looking for a place to go this weekend. Go here to our church website for all the activites on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. It truly is a weekend of worship all done for the glory of our Savior.

I just wanted to let our parents of preschoolers (birth-four) know how our curriculum is handling the Easter Story. Here is a quote from First Look....



A Special Note About Easter

Easter is a special time in churches. It’s a time of celebration and thankfulness. But because of the graphic nature of the Easter story and the crucifixion specifically, we need to be careful as we choose what we tell preschoolers about Easter.

In order to be sensitive to the physical, intellectual, and emotional development of preschoolers, First Look has chosen not to include the Easter story in our curriculum. Instead, we are focusing on the Last Supper, when Jesus shared a meal and spent time with the people He loved. We have made this choice because the crucifixion is simply too violent for preschoolers. And if we were to skip the crucifixion and go straight to the resurrection, then preschoolers would be confused. Additionally, preschoolers, as concrete thinkers, are simply unable to truly grasp what it means to die and then be raised again through the power of God.

We know that God wants all people to come to know Him and accept His gift of salvation. We believe that, by waiting until children are in elementary school to tell them the marvelous story of Easter, they will be better able to understand it and accept God’s offer of salvation. We’re using these formative preschool years to build a foundation for that eventual decision by focusing on God’s love and telling preschoolers that “Jesus wants to be my friend forever.”

Carrie

I was browsing through the ads yesterday in the paper when I saw some cute shoes for little girls. The brand name was X-appeal.

Now let me remind you that these shoes were being marketed not to 30-year-old call girls or 20-year-old single girls but to preschoolers....PRESCHOOLERS!

As a mom of girls, this subject can get me on my soapbox in no time flat. So here it goes...let me step up on it now.

I'm sure most of you heard about the study that came out last week...1 in every 4 teenage (14-19) girls have an STD. Appalling! So since this is my soapbox, I'm going to give my opinion about why this is happening.

We let our two-year-old dress like 20-year-olds. Don't believe me? Just walk through the girls' section in your local department store. We think it's cute when their little round bellies stick out of the cute little two-piece swimsuits.

So when do you start teaching them modesty? My answer? Yesterday!

We can't have our toddlers running around scantily clad but then teach them as teenagers that their bodies are temples.

Modesty. It's that simple.

Ok, soapbox rant over...I'll get down now!
Carrie

Have you seen all the controversy about homeschooling in the news? Yes, it seems that even mentioning the word homeschooling brings about controversy. However, there is new controversy surrounding homeschooling.

In Tennessee, the legislators are currently considering a bill in which all homeschoolers will be required to do standardized testing every year. The big news is that a court in California ruled that parents who are not licensed educators should not be allowed to educate their children in their home. As well all know, California usually stands to the left of any given issue. However, we also know that what one state's court rules, many will follow. Needless to say, this is troublesome on many levels.

Well, in light of the most CA ruling, I have devised my own licensure exam for parents who want to home educate their child(ren). If you can answer yes to every question, then no one should stand in your way.


1. Are you prepared to be not only teacher but also be the school board, Principal, Vice Principal, P. E. teacher, Home Economics teacher, janitor, librarian and bus driver?

2. Do you realize there is absolutely no pay, no raises, no sick days, no teacher in-service/training days, no weekends away from your students, and no lunch room monitors?

3. Can you juggle? An example would be to give spelling test while changing a diaper, making your bed, answering calls from the pharmacy while paying bills.

4. Do you know that friends and relatives will think you are crazy? And those are the people who love you!

5. Are you prepared for you child to want to be around you and expects you to know the answer to everything?

My answers are yes, yes, yes, yes, and praise God for google! Some days my answers are more boisterous and optimistic than others. However, this is where God has called me at this point in our lives.

We all know folks who like to take advantage of the system - whatever system that may be. However, I truly believe that the majority of the folks who sign up for this lifestyle truly think it is the best for their child. Most Moms I know spend an inordinate amount of time thinking, planning and researching books, curriculum, and teaching methods.

If you would like more information regarding home education and the recent CA court decision, check out http://www.hslda.org Please sign the petition while you are there! Also, I'm always up for answering questions about homeschooling, just ask my friends!

This month's Bottom Line Jesus loves everyone.

Virtue COURAGE - Being brave enough to do what you should do even when you are afraid.

Sometimes one of the girls will wake up from a nap and I promise you, they look like they've grown and inch or two. You know what I mean, right!

Well anyway, Emily woke up from her nap the other day, and it happened...she grew again and the following conversation took place:

Me: Emily, wow whee baby girl I think you grew again. Let me see you.

Emily: I did Mama. Look! (Stretching her little arm up and standing on her tip toes)

Me: Oh my goodness Sissy, you've sure got this growing thing down.

Emily: Yes Mama, I read my Bible.

She's talking about "The Shrink Song," a song we sing almost every Sunday in the preschool large group...

Neglect your Bible. Forget to pray. Forget to pray. Forget to pray. Neglect your Bible. Forget to pray, and you'll shrink, shrink, shrink. Read your Bible. Pray everyday. Pray everyday. Pray everyday. Read your Bible. Pray everyday, and you'll grow, grow, grow.

Here's to growing everyday,
Carrie