Enjoying Some Sunshine!

Don't have anything super exciting to tell you guys today.  My wife has been working on another book.  She is the co-author of several devotionals.  "A Little God Time for Mothers

Some of the other books she has co-authored are A Little God Time for Woman, Lord It's Me Again, and My Strength and My Song.   I know there are some others but I cannot remember them all.  I'm super proud of my wife, she really works hard at whatever she does.  Today she headed off to the local coffee shop to get some writing in.

While she was gone I decided to take the kids out on an adventure.  The temperature was going to break fifty degrees today and we were desperate to get outside.  I decided to take the kids to a local park.  I decided to take them on a two mile hike on a bike path, that was still covered with snow.  My kids are 6, 5, 3, and almost 2.  The kids started the hike running up and down every hill we came to.  By the time the hike ended I was herding them along promising them that the end was very close.  I think I almost had a mutiny on my hands!

We eventually reached the end of our hike and I got the kids into the truck.  We drove the five miles it took to get home and had some lunch.  They didn't give much of a fight when I told them it was nap time.   I think the hike we took wore them out!  SUCCESS!!!  Is it bad of me to say I love nap time?   Freedom!  :)  It gives me a chance to work on schoolwork, and the business my wife and I own.

Thought I'd give you guys a peek into our lives!  I look forward to getting to know you all more!

Sin's Trap

I had the kids watch this video prior to giving my message.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VcSBO8YAnTQ

What is it that attracts a mouse to this mouse trap?  Is it the wood that was used in its construction?What causes a mouse to come to this trap?  It's the bait in this case cheese.

If the mouse knew that by eating the cheese he would die do you think he would have gone anywhere near the trap?

What is it that attracts a mouse to this mouse trap?  Is it the wood that was used in its construction?  Of course not.  It's the cheese or bait that is used to get the mouse to come into the trap.  If the mouse knew that by eating the cheese he would die do you think the mouse would have still tried to eat the cheese?

Imagine this scenario.  Momma Mouse is getting ready to leave the nest.  Before she leaves she warns the little mice not to go too far from the nest.  She warns them about cats and then says, "but above all else.  Do not eat the cheese on the flat box.  Your uncle Nevil when he tried to eat the cheese.

With those last words Momma mouse left the nest and headed out to scavenge for food.  Meanwhile the kids all head out to play.  But one little mouse who was very curious couldn't stop thinking about the cheese.  Surely it wouldn't hurt just to go and take a look at the cheese.

So the little mouse trotted down the hall to where momma had told him he should never go.  There it was.  He had never seen so much cheese in one place before.  Think about how good that would taste.  The cheese didn't look that dangerous.  What was momma talking about?  It looked perfectly safe to the little mouse.

As he continued to stare at the cheese his mouth began to water.  Hmm.  If only I got a little closer and just smelled the aroma, surely that won't hurt me.  So the little mouse came closer to the cheese.  His little taste buds quivered with excitement as he began to smell the delicious aroma of cheddar.  My favorite, he thought to himself.

Now that he was close he could see the cheese looked perfectly safe.  Surely his mother was very wrong about this cheese.  It looked perfectly fine.  It smelled delicious.  Not like the stale stuff his momma sometimes brought back home from her foraging trips.

I've got to take just a small nibble, the mouse said to himself.  Momma will never know.

That was the last thought the little mouse ever had.

You see this cheese is a representation of sin.

When do you think the mouse first started to lose the battle with temptation?  It was when he chose to disobey his mother and go and look at the cheese.  There were many opportunities to flee from this temptation bu t as he continued to entertain the thoughts of eating that delicious chunk of cheddar and got closer to the sin it became harder and harder to resist.

Entry 4

Cliff & The Late Patsy Van Tries

I wanted to give a shout out to one of the church members.  His name is Cliff Van Tries.  This picture was taken several years ago when his wife Patsy was still alive.  I sat down and got to hear some of the stories from the church's history.  I learned that the reason Cliff and Patsy started attending the church in the first place was because of their daughter.  Their daughter had come to the church at the invitation of one of her friends.  She had been so impressed that the Pastor drove his Harley motorcycle to church on Sunday that she told her parents.  Eventually her parents decided to check it out and Cliff and Patsy had been attending the church ever since.

Cliff is quite the handy man and will offer his services to aid the church whenever they need help.  Those who remember Patsy said she was a wonderful woman that really cared for people and shared God's love with others.  After participating in this class I wonder what other stories do the people in our congregations have to share?  How did they come to the church?  What is their story?    

Using the internet to facilitate growth at church

In the article The Technophobe's Survivial Guide  it gives several tips and suggestions for churches that fall into different categories based on the amount of weekly attenders.  For the last two years I have served at a small church of about fifty individuals.  This was a small country church located in Gibbon, Minnesota.  When my wife and I started working at the church we had very limited exposure to the online community.  We understood the importance of being transparent with the people around us so we started a Facebook page for the church.  This then grew into a website where we could have an even bigger impact.  The goal was to be able to let people within our community who might be a little curious about our church the ability to see what the church was like in the safety of their homes.

In this article by Lauren Hunter I learned that there are, "more than 80 percent of American adults online" (Hunter, 2009, pg. 1).  We saw an incredible positive response to our Facebook page, especially from the youth kids.  I served as the Youth Pastor and was able to keep in contact with many of the kids in a way that even a phone didn't allow.  Some of the kids had access to computers but didn't have a phone.   I think the reason was that their parents were at work and took the only phone in the house which was a cell phone.  But because the kids had access to computers I was able to find out if they would be coming to youth or other events that we were planning.  This made pickup and ride arrangement much more streamlined.

Some of our Youth Kids

Another benefit from a Facebook account was that I was able to keep track of the kids individual lives much better than I would have been able to otherwise.  I knew what they were involved in because kids these days live on Facebook.  They post pictures and updates that allowed me as the Youth Pastor to see into their lives.  Sometimes at youth group I would notice certain kids seemed to have rough lives.  I picked up on this from my interactions with the kids at youth.  Because I was their friends on line I was able to get a peek into the homes in a way I would not have been able to from just conversation.  This helped me to better understand what exactly these kids were dealing with back at home.  In turn it allowed me to speak to them and work with them in ways that I might not have been able to before.

Potluck at the church

If you are a member of a church that does not utilize Facebook, I would highly recommend that you begin so immediately.  We have seen that Facebook and our website with the church has allowed for the community to be able to get a sneak peak at what we do every week.  So instead of being a closed group that meets every week we became more transparent and approachable.

Meet My Family!

Hi everyone,  My name is Bryan Flores and my wife (Claire) and I have been married for eight years on February 2, 2016. "He who finds a wife finds a good thing and receives favor from the Lord" (Proverbs 18:22).  This picture was taken in 2015 during the fall.  We took the kids to an apple orchard to for a hay ride and apple picking.  We have four children.  Our oldest is six years old.  I'd love to introduce each of them to you.

Peyton is my oldest.  We have been thrilled at how responsible she is getting.  She helps out around the house and is quick to obey.  She's a ball of energy that looks for approval from her parents.  I have learned that she loves to hear words of affirmation.  When I take the time to tell her what she mean to me I see her blossom inside.  Peyton is six years old and will turn seven in May.

This is Britany.  She is shy around people she doesn't know.  However she is the bravest of the kids when it comes to doing something scary.  For instance when we go ride a roller coaster at the Mall of America she can do it over and over again while my oldest is a little more cautious.  Brtany could get lost off by herself playing with frogs and animals.  She is my little adventurer.  When she gets around people she doesn't know she clings to me.  She is pretty shy but when she warms up and is able to be herself, she is my little adventurer.

This is Hunter Zion and he is my only son.  I chose his name because it is a very meaningful name to me.  I want him to seek the Kingdom of God.  He has a special place in my heart.  They all do.  When we had Hunter he was born premature.  During His stay in the NICU his health took a turn for the worst.  They had to put a tube into his lungs to give him oxygen.  His worst day he had to undergo surgery and the doctor told us we may lose him.  I'll never forget that feeling when we were told he might not make it.  My wife and I held each other and prayed and wept. Tears come to my eyes just thinking about it.  He ended up living and is a very healthy little boy.  He turns four next month and he is my right hand man.

Mia is my youngest.  She is definitely the baby of the family and even though she is not yet 2 she has me wrapped around her little finger.  I love this little girl!  The other three are pretty close in age and run around together.  Mia often hangs out with us because she isn't old enough to run with the big kids yet.

I know that I'm a blessed man to have such a wonderful family.  We are officially done and will not be adding to our family naturally.  Raising a young family has it's trying moments but the overall experience is a wonderful one.  Our number one prayer is that we can bring them up in the fear and admonition of the Lord.  We want them to know Jesus from an early age!