Tonight we cooked burgers on the grill. After all the kids had eaten Kimberly and I were cleaning up and I realized after looking at both of my boys plates that they had literally eaten as much as I had. Joshua and Caleb are my twin boys, and they were born premature. So they have always been a little smaller than most kids their age. As I am writing this, I am very full from dinner and can not imagine where someone their size manages to put the food.

I am also doing the math. If at five they are matching what I eat, will they at ten be eating double what I am eating? Oh, brother, I don’t think our pantry is big enough.

The Boswell family went to Lancaster, PA for the weekend for an annual ministerial get away. We stayed at the Willow Valley resort center and dined on some wonderful food (www.willowvalley.com). We prepped the kids for weeks on how to “act” at a real restaurant. Their closest experiences have been at fine dining establishments like McDonald’s and Famous Dave’s B-B-Q. Willow Valley has linen table clothes, full place settings, water goblets, etc.. and you can get as many Alaskan King Crab legs, cut beef, home made pastries, etc… as you can eat. One of my favorites of the food, were the omelets made to order as you wait (I got one with everything). The kids did great.

The conference center also has multiple indoor pools. My children loved a giant frog that you slide down its’ tongue. We swam for hours!

Just between you and me, one of my favorite things in life is to give my children gifts. I love the way their faces light up. I love how their minds begin to imagine. I love playing with them with the gifts. So I gave Joshua and Caleb a Transformer toy a piece, and I gave Hannah-Grace a ballerina Barbie.

To be honest, I just simply needed some time away. I thank God that He loves me and provides wonderful things like this weekend simply because he loves to bring joy to His children. One of things that I have learned about having kids, is that they have taught me about God’s relationship as a Father to His Children. I love my children, but how much greater is His love for me. I enjoy giving my children gifts, and He enjoys giving gifts to His children. He knew I needed to get away, to spend some intense time with my family, and so He provided this wonderful weekend.

Matthew 7:9-12 “Which of you, if his son asks for bread, will give him a stone? ¹⁰Or if he asks for a fish, will give him a snake? ¹¹If you, then, though you are evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much more will your Father in heaven give good gifts to those who ask him! ¹²So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets.”

So, I thank you Father for your special gift.

Several years ago Kimberly and I attended a children’s conference in San Diego, CA and I walked away from the experience thinking that it was one of the most beautiful places that I had been. The temperature was perfect, we were next to the ocean, and the sun sets were spellbinding. So it breaks my heart to hear about the wildfires that currently ravage the California landscape. As I was running today at the YMCA I caught the tag line that there is a person they have on suspicion of arson. If it turns out to be true, imagine the massive impact.

One man intentionally starting one small fire, caused over a billion (yes billion) dollars worth of damages to property, over four people dead, and thousands of peoples are being relocated, having to live in rustic, primitive housing. Not to mention that the president stopped running a country to make a personal visit. One man with a twisted desire to start fires has drastically changed thousands of people’s lives forever.

We also have something just as potent as fire. We also have a means to radically change thousands of people’s lives. Jesus describes it like this in Matthew 5:14-16 “You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. ¹⁵Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. ¹⁶In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.”

One man with an evil desire can change so many, but so can one Christ follower who allows his heart to blaze for God.

Below is an e-mail that I received from a leader in our church. I pass it on to you in it's entirety to read because I think it shows why we show God's love through service.

Hi Drew,

I got a call today from Bruce Gurley, the case worker from the ARC who referred the Little family to us. He was very appreciative of us doing the ramp for Eddie, and stated that Eddie was ecstatic with the ramp.

Mark and Stephan went out tonight and finished with the concrete work at the end of the ramp, so we should be done now. I wasn't sure if you saw the thank you letter from the Littles - below is what they said:

Dear Kim and your entire Daybreak Crew,

Thank you so much for giving up your time to spend the day at our house building me a new ramp. Although Dad tried very hard to accommodate me, he usually did things by cutting too many corners. I never felt safe using the ramp I had.

The ramp built for me today, by the very special "Daybreak Crew" is absolutely beautiful and I will feel very safe using it. I never dreamed I would ever have a ramp looking this nice. I am very grateful for all your hard work and I will be proud to tell everyone who built my new ramp.

I know this isn't much, but please accept these candles as my way of saying thank you for all your hard work and a job well done. I hope you enjoy them.

Ed Little

As a matter of fact, the Littles told me a story of how, at one point in the past, Ed had fallen off the top of the concrete ramp and ended up strapped upside down with his power chair on top of him. That must have been a scary moment - those power chairs are incredibly heavy.

Kim

This past Sunday Daybreak met at the Holiday Inn “Holidome” because our normal location was used for a fun raiser by the owners of the Delaplaine. We decided to only have one service, and to have all the children (except nursery and pre-school) join us in the service. As we were setting up, an older woman (who we didn’t know) came and started carrying stuff inside our room. We stopped her and asked if she was looking for another church (I didn’t have the heart to let her carry all our stuff in, and then stop her.) She named the church, and we pointed her in the right direction. That Sunday, there were three different churches all meeting at the same location. There were several other snafus similar to this, but you get the idea.

Among our people there were various responses to this fact. Some were excited that three churches were there; perhaps wanting to see the confusion as various people stumbling into the wrong locations. Some were nervous that somehow, there would be some kind of conflict. Others were just excited about meeting in another location. But why is it that we sometimes see other churches as competition, rather than fellow soldiers who are in the same army, who fight the same enemy, and worship the same God?

There was a church who is beginning a new church in our area, and they were meeting there. They had a fleet of various trailers and huge display signs. Instead of thinking they are competition, perhaps we could learn from them, and them from us. I plan to contact their pastor and sit down over lunch to see how we can work together.

If you are wondering about the other church (there were three, right?) – they never showed. We find ourselves in the middle many churches in our area. Some are thriving and exploding, others are dying – I want Daybreak to be apart of bringing churches together for the purpose of working together to reach people for Christ. The sooner we stop seeing each other as competition the better.

Last Monday my father and I visited Harper’s Ferry, WV. It is about ten minutes from my house and I had never been. What made the day memorable (other than having some much needed “dad-time”) was what you get for six dollars. If you have never been, you pay at toll booth style gate, park your car, check out the welcome center – which was manned by at least two people. You are then given a map and encouraged to get on a bus (which was air conditioned and clean) and driven about two miles to the town. There at Harper’s Ferry is a whole town of displays complete with tour guides taking various school groups around through the town. We were even told we could “audit” the group if we wanted. Plaques and things to read are on every entrance, bench, and pathway.

Let me get to the point. I have a job where I am constantly thinking about cost (I know for example how much the four color folding map we were given would cost). Someone has to pay for the person at the gate to take my money, the campus itself, the bus, gas, upkeep, landscaping, personnel, on and on – and we get all this for six dollars!

Who’s paying for all this? Our elected officials feel that the story of Harper’s Ferry is important enough to spend what has to be hundreds of thousands of dollars to let people know the story.

There is a saying that goes something like, “if we do not know our history, we are condemned to repeat it.” I know it’s not the exact quote – but think about a modified version of the quote, “if we know our history, we can build upon it.” We become a better nation when we and our children know what has happened. John Brown is a hero to some, and a hated person of antiquity for others. But he and his story allow our society to move forward, having learned from him. A society moving forward is worth me paying the six bucks.

Knowing your history helps you to build upon the future, whether it be unmentionable or heroic. Just keep moving forward.

Monday evening was our first parent/teacher conference since our move to Brunswick. The school system sent an info sheet home which included some suggested questions and behavior that would make the meeting go smoothly. I found it humorous that they suggested that you compliment the teacher in some way in order to establish rapport.

I think I know where the origins of this piece of paper came from. Some where in the school’s past there had been a string of bad parent/teacher conferences and the basis of the problem was parents coming to the meeting unprepared, upset, uninformed, hurt feelings, etc… and things did not go well. So an administrator somewhere said, “why don’t we put together a list of suggested questions, comments, and how to “talk” with a teacher about their children.”

I just find it a shame that our society needs someone to tell us how to talk to each other. Whatever happened to courtesy, common respect for each other, or even just love for our neighbor?

Kimberly and I left the meeting encouraged, a list of things to work on with our boys, and a renewed high respect for professional educators.

Yes, we did use the sheet of paper, and we did ask some of their questions – it was helpful.

Caleb and Joshua go to Brunswick Elementary School and have recently been learning about safety issues (police, fire, 911 etc.). Since their grandfather was visiting we thought it would be a great idea if he would come in and give a “safety” presentation. He is the sheriff of Russell County, Alabama and has over 30 years of law enforcement experience. Pop Pop gave an age appropriate talk on safety, and gave out some pencils, rub on tattoos, and plastic sheriff’s stars. Then we all went to lunch in the lunchroom and enjoyed some pizza, pretzels, and some kind of chopped fruit (I couldn’t make out what it was).

By the way, those seats that are built into the table are made much smaller today than they were when I was in Elementary school. All the students were amazingly well behaved and well mannered.

Thank you Nana and Pop Pop for making today a special day in the life of my children.

Daybreak was at the Frederick County In the Street celebration this past Saturday. In the past we spent a ton of money four color slick brochures, did a craft that got the children to come over to the table, and from there we would push the church. This year we decided to just share the gospel through a necklace with various colored beads that circled a small wooden cross. We decided to scrap trying to get people to come to us, we have decided to just focus on going and serving them.

The highlight of the day was to see our young children precisely and effectively sharing the gospel to other children. Sometimes you begin to wonder “are we making a difference?” and God gives you something like this past Saturday. I was very precious be apart of this wonderful event.

This past Saturday was Daybreak’s quarterly Respite ministry. This is where we provide a program for children with special needs so that their parents can get a break and rest. This was a special respite because we had a new friend join us. His name is Brody and he is a 100+ lbs. Malamute. Brody is a rescued gentle giant, who this past Saturday brought joy to many children.

As a therapy dog, he has been trained to do specific things, but there is a love within him that just can not be taught. Somehow he realizes that his touch brings healing, therapy, joy (whatever you want to call it) – he knows that kid’s faces light up when they see and touch him. He even seems to be especially sensitive to children who are incapable of coming to him or expressing their joy as others might. Cathy and Glen Fudge are Brody’s handlers and their ministry is wonderful.

Have you ever wondered why Sesame Street has lasted so long as a top children’s television show? There is a Sesame Street clothing line, Sesame Street toys, computer games, and many other recognizable Sesame Street icons all throughout American culture.

Another famous and long lasting children’s television show was Mr. Roger’s neighborhood. Whereas Sesame Street is loud, past paced, and introduces new technology as it is developed, Mr. Roger’s neighborhood changed very little over the years proceeding Fred Roger’s death. Mr. Roger’s neighborhood used the same hand puppets that were first used when the show began. The show followed the same flow over the years, with the famous changing of the shoes and sweater, to the trolley going to the magical world of the neighborhood of Make-believe. It was slow and often a monotone monologue with Mr. Rogers. Mr. Roger’s Neighborhood did not have the marketing arm as Sesame Street had yet there it was day after day for children and their families.

I believe that it was not flash, technology, or marketing that made these shows a success. Instead it was the laser focus on their purpose and goal of the two shows. For Sesame Street, their goal is to teach children the letters of the alphabet, and for the children to be able to count to twenty. (That’s it) They sought to appeal to the mind. Mr. Roger’s sought to appeal to the heart. He sought to show and tell children that he loved them, they are of great value, and that he wanted them to become apart of his world. He wanted to give them a world where things were quiet, predictable, and slow paced. And children loved him for it; they wanted “to be his neighbor.”

In comparison to the previous successful children’s organizations would be the decline and seeming failure of the U.S. government’s Head Start program.^[1] From its inception in the 1960s, the founders conceived of Head Start as much more than an educational program. The health, nutrition, motivation, and self-confidence of poor children were deemed to be at least as important to their future well-being as their academic learning. Another feature present from the beginning was Head Start’s rule that parents be involved in running each local program. A rationale for that principle: building parent’s self-esteem would help develop their children’s.

In short, Head Start has not been primarily an academic program.^[2] Instead of staying focused on teaching academic facts, they allowed this one admirable goal to be encroached by other goals and objectives. By allowing themselves to become sidetracked they are not reaching their ultimate and most important objective, the children’s ability to be successful in future educational excellence. Head Start believes that by helping children get a solid educational foundation, when they are young, they will be far more likely to do well in later schooling. However, instead of giving them the essential academic information needed, they have become side tracked with issues like self-esteem and nutrition.

If we are to make it over the long run, we must not allow ourselves to become sidetracked from our ultimate purpose as a church. Matthew 28:19-20 tells us the Great Commission of the church, “Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age. (NIV)" This is God’s instruction for what the church is to be doing. Every action taken by the church should be compared with this passage as the standard.

By helping people I don’t mean false sentimentality, rainbows, prancing unicorns, or an effeminate blurring of gender roles. God has given us the way to help people, and it is by authentically loving our “neighbor” (Luke 10:29). The most powerful show of love is for a person to share with another person how to have all of their sins forgiven, how to live a life with purpose, and to introduce them to their own Creator.

As a church, Daybreak is firmly rooted on the Bible and its’ teachings. To argue and fight for this (at our church) would be synonymous to “bombing rubble” after you have already won the war. We are also a church that loves people as evidenced by our ministries and stories of how our people are serving their neighbors.

But here’s where I think we are. Are we willing to change how we prefer to worship, experience God, song selections, socialize, and even express our love for God in order for someone else to feel more comfortable? Somewhere along the way, someone changed how they worshipped God (our services aren’t in Latin) in order to reach new people for Christ. One of the most powerful ways we love and help our neighbor is to give up our preferences, in order that he may be able to understand and know his Creator.

Our vision is to be constantly changing, for the purpose of reaching Frederick County for Christ. The change has to begin with you and me (not them). Paul said it like this, “Though I am free and belong to no man, I make myself a slave to everyone, to win as many as possible. ²⁰To the Jews I became like a Jew, to win the Jews. To those under the law I became like one under the law (though I myself am not under the law), so as to win those under the law. ²¹To those not having the law I became like one not having the law (though I am not free from God's law but am under Christ's law), so as to win those not having the law. ²²To the weak I became weak, to win the weak. I have become all things to all men so that by all possible means I might save some. ²³I do all this for the sake of the gospel, that I may share in its blessings.” (1 Corinthians 9:19-23)

Change is hard for most people. Here are some things to think about:

1. Christ calls us to lay our lives down for others (1 John 3:16)

2. Paul as an example shows us how (1 Corinthians 9)

3. Things that are alive change, if they don’t they die. (what would you say about an infant that remained an infant for 5 years? – would not something be wrong?)

4. You already believe in Christ, and by your willingness to change, others can come to believe as well. You can be missional simply by being willing and open to change.

I am the type of guy that not a lot of things scare me. It doesn’t bother me to jump out of planes, rappel tall towers, or going extremely fast. Animals insects, ect.. don’t bother me (except for snakes-yuck). But there is a word, that when it is spoken causes a chill to go up my spine. It is the word “vision” – even writing it now, I’m wigging out. Every leadership book I have read speaks of sharing your vision, always talk about your vision, etc… I realize that as a young pastor/leader there are so many things that I don’t know, and desperately realize how very far I have to go to be a “superpastor.”

But I have what I believe God has shown me where we are going as a church, a future reality. But getting it out of my head and heart is important – how can others follow, if they don’t know where we are going?

Let’s begin with a verse of the Bible – 1 Thessalonians 1:5 (and following) “because our gospel came to you not simply with words, but also with power, with the Holy Spirit and with deep conviction.” This church mentioned here weren’t just talking about the Bible, they were living it out with power and deep conviction! They were not plastic, shallow, phony, Christians; they were serious about their faith. Everywhere Paul went in this area of the world to tell others of Christ, this church’s name came up as being faithful there.

So here we go . . . .

Who Are You?

Daybreak is a church that is helping people. We are helping people here in Frederick (Hope Alive, Frederick Food Bank, Children’s Camps, Special Needs, Prayer, etc…). We are also helping people in our country (mission trips to Alabama, Louisiana, and Pennsylvania, etc….). And we are beginning to help people around the world, specifically in Peru. Daybreak is not about political wrangling, but helping people.

Everyone has a need to be understood, to be loved, to belong, and we all need help. We want to be apart of something that is changing our world for the better.

How Are You Helping People?

We begin with ourselves. We want to be real and authentic with how we truly are and live. We understand that the world wants nothing to do with hypocritical Christians. We know that God is not pleased with this type of religious people (see Matthew 23). So we seek to be deep in our relationship with Jesus.

We then want to make a difference in the life of others by showing them how Christ has made a difference in our lives. We have learned that before people care about our Jesus, they have to know that we truly care for and love them. So we want to be about genuinely loving our neighbors and the world. It may be cutting their grass, watching their kids, or just listening over a cup of coffee.

Why Bother?

Because all people are important. Jesus died for them. He gave His life, and so as His disciples or followers we are to do the same. We lay down our lives for others (John 10:14).

We Accept All Kinds of People

We understand that we are growing ourselves, and we become better people by having diversity within our church. You can feel comfortable, no matter what your background may be. We know people aren’t the same and we look forward to learning from each other.