Wednesday, June 4, 2014

Let the Games Begin....


For a number of years our children have joined a group of other young people every Wednesday (during the summer months) to play games, fellowship and have a Bible study.  The group is made up of "kids" ranging in age from 14 to about 24 and from an area roughly 100 square miles.  They all attend different churches and most are home schooled however a few go to public school.  Ultimate Frisbee, volleyball and soccer are their games of choice and they generally have enough people to play all three at once.  There is, of course, good natured completion, but everyone plays, no matter their skill level.  Their camaraderie is evident as they pit sibling against sibling and friend against friend, not really caring who wins or loses.

 These "young adults" (we don't have teenagers in our home) gather to play, but the good stuff happens after they have worn themselves ragged on ball fields.  Weary, the kids settle themselves into a covered pavilion at the park, pick up instruments and begin singing praises to God.  Frequently, other park goers, drawn by their exuberant singing, filter into the pavilion just to listen or even join the chorus of young voices.  After many songs of joyful praise, the kids pull out their Bibles.  One suggests a scripture and soon the rustle of pages is heard as one person after another reads their chosen verse and chapter out loud to the group.  This is no organized bible study led by a youth pastor, but a bunch of friends that want to know what the word of God says.  They read, then they talk then they question.  One question leads to another and soon the pages of their bibles are rustling again as they search for answers.  They seek and question - they search the Word like they are looking for gold or silver.  And every week they meet again, digging deeper each time.

Serenity's rolls rising

Just out of the oven
Today is Wednesday and it is almost time to let the games begin.  Miss Serenity has spent her day baking.  She and a couple of her friends have found that their efforts in the kitchen are monumentally appreciated (especially by the young men) after a rousing game of soccer or Frisbee.  Three of these lovely young ladies have taken to bringing goodies - Miss Serenity, something savory and the other two young ladies, something sweet.  Last week Serenity took 60 freshly baked soft pretzels, none of which came home.  Today she made a double batch of oat rolls (click here for the recipe).  It's perfect - she gets kitchen time and her friends benefit from her baking skills.  It's a win all the way around!

I hope that your young adults have a wonderful group of friends to encourage them and to sharpen them....

"Iron sharpeneth iron, so a man sharpeneth the countenance of his friend." 
Proverbs 27:17

Until next time....

Enola

6 comments:

  1. Ummmm...so delicious looking! What a fine woman Miss Serenity is; not only is she a talented public speaker as well as a skilled hunter, but she's a fine baker!
    It sounds like a wonderful group of young people, having a blast in each other's company in fun and in faith. It is so good to read of such things and it gives me such hope for our future.
    Thank you.
    sidetracksusie

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  2. Those are wonderful looking rolls. Yum.

    PS Ordered the book you mentioned, anxious for it to arrive. Thanks for mentioning it.

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  3. The Frisbee is good for many games-a favorite of mine as a teenager(or young adult). If you can find the illuminated Frisbee clones ("Future Flight" is-or was-one), those are make for fun night games. Everyone can play Frisbee games-that's the great thing about them. No one gets left out. If you can find an Aerobie, those are a lot of fun....

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  4. I am intersted to know how all these young people got together. What I mean is, how do they all know each other? Were they part of a big homeschool group? Do they use the internet to contact eachother? Reason I ask is that I would like to see something similar happen here. There are many homeschoolers here who go to different churches and who don't really have any other way to get to know eachother but who are missing out on potential friendships (or potential spouses!) Any suggestions on how to start something like this would be welcome. It sounds like such a wonderful time of learning and fellowship!

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    1. Me too! Would love to see that here in our neck of the woods. Our challenge is organized sports has taken over ALL of the their spare time. Even Wednesday nights and Sundays are no longer reserved for worship. And many of these kiddos play multiple sports with multiple practices, sometimes even on the same day.

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    2. As a parent I have a rule, no more than one sport at a time. If it interferes with worship, it can't continue. We are talking about eternity. This is serious business. There is time for fun and self- gratification, but it really is a trivial thing and should never be given the over-inflated importance that it is today. We're talking about the Creator of the universe. How has little league baseball/high school basketball/ski racing/etc,etc, become more important than giving thanks to the Creator? Children need intensive bible teaching so they can know what they believe and understand the gift of their salvation in Jesus Christ. They also need to be taught to pray, both for others and for themselves. It's really important. We need to assert that to the secular world and to our children first.

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