Bible Club Week 9

Today was our first day of Bible club after Christmas. When we got there, we learned we were able to have the teen room again. I am so thankful. (Last night before going to sleep, I had asked the Lord if we could have that room back!) Even though we had only 7 for club today, they were all excited to see us. We actually started out with 8 but 1 little girl remembered she still had homework to do. And homework gets first priority. You cannot participate in the afternoon activities if you have not completed your homework.

We had been to club one week between Thanksgiving & Christmas...I just didn't write about it. So there was only one lesson left to tell in the Sunday School Charlie lesson. I reviewed it so I could tell the girls what happened. And then prepared the #3 SS Charlie story to begin today God's Little Leaguer. I was glad I had prepared that one.

The girls arrived in club & I asked them to tell me their name & one thing they got for Christmas (if they could remember). One girl couldn't remember what she got for Christmas but shared with us her late birthday present. Her birthday is Dec. 27 & her mother's is the 30. They always celebrate their birthdays together. They do this because sometimes there isn't money to celebrate them separately. I said something to the effect that it's hard having a birthday after Christmas isn't it. She agreed. I kind of wonder if there isn't money enough to do both Christmas & birthday presents.

We then started the story. I told the girls that I knew we hadn't finished the last story & here is what happened. Today we were going to start a new one. There was only one girl who even remembered the previous story. None of the rest remembered. So that was a positive to my having prepared the 3 story. In this lesson Charlie & Red are going to play baseball for the Midgets. They are playing against the Tip Tops for the Little League pennant. If the Tip Tops win they will be the champions. If the Midgets win, they will be tied & have to play another game. Charlie has learned in SS that being a Christian has lots of similarities to being a ballplayer. For one you're on God's team. And you're playing against Satan's team. Satan will try to discourage you & get you to fumble and sometimes you will. But God has His Word that goes to bat for us. And like Paul we can keep our eyes on the prize (VICTORY). On the way to the game, Charlie meets a new boy, Preston. Preston is also a Christian & he & Charlie become very good friends. They get to the ball field & a group of boys being led by a bushy haired boy nicknamed Bushy meet Charlie. Bushy offers $5 to Charlie to fumble & let the Tip Tops win. Charlie knows he shouldn't fumble on purpose but $5 is a lot of money. (Now I will admit the story has been around for a few years & $5 isn't what it used to be. I just said they offered Charlie money. I don't know what amount would be tempting in today's culture).

We finished our story & prayed. I asked the girls to each share 1 thing with me that I could pray with them about. Most of them had one item to share. Ranging anywhere from taking our puppy to the pound to world peace to a little girl who had been shot in the head. Her dad shot & killed the mother & sibling. The little girl survived the shooting but has a "bump" on her head & doesn't really remember anything anymore. So sad. I prayed for each one & then Uncle John came up & led them in a few songs.

We sang "Head & Shoulders, Knees & Toes", "Stop" & "Go", "Untold Millions Are Still Untold", "I'm a Missionary's Helper" & ended with "Father Abraham". Then I came back up & we played the ice cream cone review game. I told the girls that with the snow we were expecting, I didn't want to think about the cold. I wanted to think about warm weather & this game helped me think of that. The girls enjoyed the game.

The girls were so well-behaved that we were able to play the review game for the remaining 25 minutes. At the end of club, they all went to get a Tootsie Roll lollipop from Uncle John. Instead of having them line up at the door & then dismissing them, I had them come back & sit down after getting their candy. Then the last row to get candy was the first row to line up. That took up the remaining time until it was time to leave.

I think next week I will take a jar which has conversation hearts in it. I'll give the girls a chance (for the next 2 weeks) to guess how many hearts are in the jar. The 2nd week, the girl who came the closest will win a grand prize. The one catch is that she will have to be in club to get it. If she's not there, then the 2nd closest will get the prize.

My eyes are telling me that it's time for them to close for the night. We both want to work on our Bible Study some. We're studying the book of Jeremiah on Tuesday nights.