give me an "A!"

every wednesday evening since last october, i have found myself in the middle of about 40 kids, screaming my head off in complete and total excitement as our high commander (our one and only, mike eisenman) calls for order to begin our AWANA club meeting. for those who are unfamiliar with the club like i was, AWANA is an acronym that stands for "approved workmen are not ashamed" which is taken from second timothy 2:15. the main emphasis of the program is to encourage, teach, and inspire our young people to memorize God's Word. our AWANA night is an outreach for kids from 1st through 5th grade and each night contains a few basic essentials: opening prayer/announcements, song time, bible time, handbook time (where the kids work on memorizing verses), and GAME TIME. that’s where julie and i come in.

game time and the AWANA game circle is my domain. i was BORN for it. sure when i first started i was TOTALLY nervous about getting in front of kids (yes kids) and directing the games but THANKFULLY julie and cobie were there to make everything go smoothly. we play lots of games; beanbag games, balloon games, and even the classic AWANA relay games. i try to put emphasis on competing hard, while keeping a good attitude. and i encourage good sportsmanship and the importance of both winning and losing with graciousness. these are not easy lessons for those who are competitive (like myself), but slowly some of these character traits are sinking in. i thoroughly enjoy the perks of being the game director: wearing and using a whistle, utilizing the "5 count" to keep the kids on point, pretending to view an instant replay of controversial calls, and being entertained by the kids as they compete along with their leaders.

i have truly been blessed to be part of the AWANA mission and i can’t wait for tomorrow night when julie gets to unleash her relentless whistle blowing skills on the unsuspecting saplings. okay, okay, she’s not that bad.

i am. muahahaha...!