When it comes to ministry, numbers aren’t everything. There are times when I have been able to minister to one small child, or young person that truly means more to me than when I have been able to preach before hundreds. But increased numbers do sometimes indicate that you are being effective at what you are doing, or that you have identified a need that you can attempt to help with. Today at our Respite ministry we had over 200 people involved. This was the largest one so far. We partnered with several churches, community groups, and various individuals who helped to make this massive event a huge success. With special needs children you need just about one-to-one attention. We had some special Christmas events this year like licensed beauticians/hairstylists who cut the children’s hair and Brody the therapy dog (who is a huge malamute).

I want to thank the two Kims (they know who they are) for being the organizational superstars behind this ministry. They met with close to twelve new families that were apart of this event. They took the registrations, organized the volunteers, and pulled it all together (and they made it look easy!) I would also like to thank all the volunteers from all over Frederick who helped today – we truly couldn’t do it without you.

I was very encouraged that a church from another county visited our Respite simply for the purpose of taking notes. They had heard of what we do, and had felt led by God to begin such a ministry themselves. Daybreak’s Respite ministry cannot get too much larger led by volunteers and located where we are. There is really no need for it to continue to grow larger. While the need is greater, (we did have a waiting list) it is my prayer that other churches will get the vision for beginning their own Respite Ministry, thus multiplying the impact. It looks like God may be answering our prayer in this way.

When I found out that I was going to be the one to wear the Gingerbread Man costume for the Frederick County Khris Kringle parade I was not all that enthused. It was difficult to put on, it was difficult to move around, and when we got to our group’s location it was very difficult to put on. I couldn’t see and it was terrible hot. But when we walked across the parking lot of the Delaplaine Visual Arts Center we walked passed hundreds of kids.

There were at least twenty kids who immediately ran up to me and started to hug me. Others smiled and waved from a distant. Then something changed in my heart. Pastor scrooge’s heart got two sizes larger. I discovered that whenever children (and many adults) saw me they smiled and many even cheered.

As we walked down the streets of Frederick I gave children high five’s and ran back and forth from one side of the street to another. I gave hugs, patted children on the head, and even petted a dog (which is very dangerous for a gingerbread man). By the half way mark I was drenched in sweat, but I was having the time of my life. I knew what it was like to be “the chicken.” (www.famouschicken.com)

There was another thing that brought joy to my heart other than the smiles of children. The children from our own church handed out over 800 cards advertising our Gingerbread House Building Fun Morning at our church. That’s a lot of cards! They were wonderful.

This morning, miraculously, we were ready to go to the bus stop and school over forty minutes early. I am still not sure how that happened. Our morning routine usually involves hedge hurdles and twenty-five yard dashes to lunge onto the bus at the stop. But not today; today we strolled to the bus stop with all kinds of time to spare. As I stood there basking in the rarity of the moment, Joshua and Caleb began to rummage through their backpacks. They pulled out postcards advertising an event at our church.

On their own they had gotten them off the desk in my office and began to hand them out, inviting their friends to come to the event. They lacked the hesitancy that I usually have to check – they gave them out with a huge smile on their face. It was like they wanted to hand them out (like they “got to”). It reminded me that everything that we do for Christ is because we “get to” not because we have to. It should give us joy to give away the news of what God has done for mankind. They are my little bus stop evangelists, and I pray that their hearts will always be tender toward their friends who don’t know Jesus.

Joshua lost his first tooth tonight. He came over to me, showed me how his tongue could push the tooth backwards and forwards. So, I asked Hannah-Grace to go and get some tissue. I used the tissue to hold the tooth, and with a gentle tug, out it came. The tooth flew into the air and was lost for about 30 seconds. I was scared that it was still in his mouth, so I told him not to swallow. Caleb found it on the floor, and handed it back to me. It is about the size of a match head. The whole event was very exciting and now Caleb and Hannah-Grace are trying to figure out how to get their teeth out as well.

This is the first tooth of eighty teeth that will come out of my children’s mouths. As I write this, Joshua’s tooth is in a zip-lock bag under his pillow and awaits the Tooth Fairy. He is on the top bunk tonight, by the way. Pray that the TF doesn’t break his neck trying to get the bag. How much should he give Joshua? A dime or quarter seems chintzy, but a dollar or five over the course of time comes out to $80 or $400. Yikes! I think we will start small (how does a piece of candy sound?)

This afternoon we had our church’s annual Thanksgiving Fellowship Dinner. We held it at a family restaurant in Thurmont, MD. Some ladies in our church did a wonderful job of decorating, and we even had door prizes. I gave a short devotion from Luke 17:11 ff. we had an “open mike” for testimonies. Caleb (my 5 year old son) wanted to tell everyone that he was thankful for his family. We then watched a slide show and concluded with prayer.

This particular event is always special to me because as the afternoon wears on, at one point I can look over the crowd and see how God has blessed so many people in our church. I know most of their stories and I know how much of a blessing they have been to me.

Also, as we watched the video I was reminded of how many things our church had done over the past year. We, by most standards are a small church, but God has used us to make a huge impact for His kingdom.

God, thank you for my church. Happy Thanksgiving!