Venango County Conservation Hall of Fame

We were honored to be able to attend an awards presentation program for my Father-in-law, where he was inducted into the Venango County Conservation Hall of Fame. He was recognized for his years of service of teaching the 6th graders through a Conservation Camp that he began in 19709 and the camp continues today. This program has brought the outdoors to hundred of youth in our area and an understanding of how to care for our environment and how to appreciate what we have been given.  To be able to develop a program where youth are taken to the outdoors and getting them out of the classroom has been an exciting event at the school. To be able to teach the children in a hands-on way, makes it more real and important to the students.

 Congratulations Ed Schick!

The world is a better place because of your work! Thanks

Operation Christmas Child

I know that I have already posted about Operation Christmas Child, but I just wanted to share that our church reached Robert's goal of 200 actually the surpassed that goal and turned in 225 shoeboxes that will change a child's life somewhere in the world. We turned these boxes in during Collection Week towards the end of November, but I am just now getting time to sit and blog like I like to do.  Here is how the boxes were presented in our church before moving along to the next destination. So here is our "Operation Christmas Child Christmas Tree" with the shoeboxes from our church.

 

Merry Christmas and please continue to pray for the boxes as they are being sent around the world and for the children who will receive them, may they change their lives!

Clarion County Music Festival

Robert was selected to participate in the County Band Festival. He had a good time during rehearsal and the day out of school.  Here is the program, but they didn't perform the songs in this order and the director decided that he wasn't happy with the 1812 Overture and so they didn't perform it. The performance was very good  and I wish this would load the videos that I took of the performance, but for some reason the video won't load :(

Children's Sermon- What is Advent

To begin the Advent season, I had the Children's sermon. I was torn as to do I discuss "hope"- which is what the first candle represented or do I discuss "Advent." After some prayer and thinking things through, I decided "Advent."
So I asked the children what that wreath was called that they lite those specials candles on was called- one child came up with "Advent wreath" so I then asked "-okay but what does that mean? We have the Advent wreath, the advent calendar, the advent season, but what does that mean???" They looked at me with blank stares. So I asked if any of them were the big brother or sister in their families and they raised their hands. "So do any of you remember what you did before your younger brother or sister came along or maybe what your parents did before the arrival?" I got cleaned and paid attention to me. "Cleaned- exactly they cleaned the house because who wants a dirty house with a brand new baby? and did they get a room ready? Did they maybe paint the room, get a crib and furniture? So they got ready for the baby. Hmm What happens at the end of this month? "Christmas!!!" Right and that's who's birthday? So what should we be doing? Getting ready for a baby?!?! YES- Advent means to prepare or get ready for Jesus. Now does Jesus really care if our houses are clean and perfect or does he care about our hearts and minds being clean and focusing on him? Right - he wants us to focus on him. So throughout this month, when you hear the word Advent, I want you to think "get ready because Jesus is coming" and I want you to take a little extra time thinking about, talking about Jesus and his story of coming to the world as a baby.

I then shared that we had Advent Calendars available in the entry for families that didn't have an Advent Calendar and that there were Advent devotionals
available for the adults. And we closed in prayer.