Most of what I know about kids or students comes from what other parents have told me.  I don’t ever remember getting more “advice” from people than when my wife and I had our little boy.  EVERYONE has their opinion and EVERYONE wants you to know it!!  Despite my slight sarcasm here, we really appreciated all of the advice given and have truly taken it to heart.  However, this last weekend I learned an important lesson as a parent that I will never forget.  I learned how quickly time with your child goes by.  My little boy, Oliver, turned 1 on Tuesday and it hit me like a train . . . only 17 more of those until he moves out!  For some of you this may be exciting  For others, like myself, it is a wake-up call to the reality that the time you have with your child is short.

I don’t want to sound too depressing!  Relationships with children continue after they move out.  In fact, I’m closer with my parents than I ever was when I lived at home.  But despite the countless times friends and family told me how quickly our kids grow up, I didn’t fully realize it until Tuesday.  In fact, I would venture to say I still don’t fully realize how fast time will go by these next 17 years.  All that I do know is how much I want to get to know Oliver and instill in him that his daddy, mommy, and Jesus absolutely love him to death.  Don’t let life fly by without taking the time to love your kids, no matter how old they are!  I’m committing to this as a new dad and I hope you will commit to it along side of me!

Josh Bollen

FUSE Worship Leader

Memorial Day is creeping up and that means a number of things for many of you. Some of you will take a mini vacation. Others of you are excited to pack your vans and suburban’s with your family and head to the beach. Than there are those of you who want to lie in bed, turn on soaps or ESPN and just chill. In other words…you’re exhausted. You have been “running hard” since the New Year began and you are looking forward to a chance to catch some fresh air and renew your spirit.

That is where I am…tired, exhausted, and anxious to rest. Is that not the reality for many of us? If there is one thing I am learning through moments like these, it is to finish strong. God continually communicates to run all the way through the finish line. This is such a difficult thing to do with all the stress and worries of our everyday lives but God simply says press on.

I urge all of you to take this seriously. It is very frustrating but I know our God ask this because he believes in us. When we chose to give our lives to him he said he would forever remain in our hearts. He is right there giving us the strength and courage to continue through the roughest season of every school year. Ask yourselves what you are made of. Keep fighting! Dig deep! Finish strong. And lean on our Father in Heaven as we finish this leg of the race.

Jeff Kiwanuka

Fuse Junior High

This past weekend I had the opportunity to be a part of Baby Dedication.  For those of you that attended this weekend you know that it is an amazing thing to witness. Hundreds of parents that are excited to make a commitment to raise their children in faith.

This weekend always reminds of how important it is to parents that there kids know and love Jesus.  I’m on both sides of this; I am a ministry leader that loves to create an environment that revolves around kids getting excited about church.  I’m also a parent that thrives on my kids getting excited and asking questions about their faith.

Take a look at where you are.  Maybe you’re at the starting line with a newborn and you just dedicated your child.  Or you’re journeying with your child that is thinking about baptism.  Regardless of where you are as a parent, remember that you have an amazing opportunity to be your child’s biggest cheerleader and coach in this journey.

Andrea Kessler
CentralKidz

As of two weeks ago, I became a roller hockey player. It didn’t matter that I hadn’t skated since 6^th grade and that my slap shot isn’t the most accurate, my friends’ still convinced me to join their team. Since I have played sports all my life and I am an avid sports watcher, I figured this would help substitute for my lack of actual hockey talent and understanding. Well, when it came time for my first shift, my sports background did help in some area, but not the area I needed to be most effective at, skating.

While on skates, I feel as if I am trudging through mud. It takes me so long to get going and when I do, I can’t stop unless I run into the boards. I can’t turn without making huge circles and skating backwards is going to happen through a miracle. The most frustrating part about the process though is I know what my teammates want me to do and where they want me to be, but it doesn’t happen because I either can’t do it or it takes me longer than expected. Their timetable for results is on an entirely different timetable from my abilities.

The more I reflect on this, the more I realize how often this occurs in other aspects in my life. There is nothing more than for me to see our elementary kids learn more about Jesus, understand who He is, make wise choices, tell others about God, listen to parents, love others, etc. Parents, you probably have a destination as to where you want your child to end up too. Sometimes, the destination is reached and at other times, there are snags, holdups, and frustrations along the way. Through the journey, keep encouraging and showing patience as your kid gets to their destination on their own timetable. Build them up, walk alongside them, and reveal to them qualities of God as they continue to grow.

Tony Caniglia

Central Kidz – Henderson

Okay so the NFL Super Bowl happened a few months ago- congrats to the Saints (that’s hard for me to say, being a Cowboys fan). However, as summer quickly approaches and you, as parents, scramble to find stuff for your junior high and high school kids to do- let me tell you a little bit about the Super Bowl of Central’s student ministries. You see while summer is a time of swimming, eating, sleeping and watching television for most students- we here in Student Ministries are working hard to pull of two weeks of Ignite- our annual Summer Camp. Camp is a huge deal in the Student Ministry world! We call it our Super Bowl of the year because it is 5 days where students get away from everyday life and spend them immersed in their relationship with God. 2 sessions a day, great worship, small groups, friendships, great conversations and a ton of fun helps students to really experience life change in their lives! Whether its a first time commitment to Christ, a rededication of a life that has gotten lost, or any of the tons of other ways God changes lives- we see it in great ways over these 5 days in the lives of students. Freedom from addiction. Healing from hurt. Forgiveness. Life Change = Super Bowl in the world of Student Ministries. Plus- lets not forget the week away without the kids mini vacation for you parents! Almost just as important!

This summer you do not want your student to miss out on summer camp. You do not want your student to miss out on life change. You want your student playing in the Super Bowl! Check out the central parents homepage for the link to register your student for their week of camp this summer!

Frank Tappe

FuseWednesdays Pastor