Overview

VBS Friends come join us!

Since it looks like, so far anyway, that our VBS is going to be in July, I'm going to leave this poll up for another month or so. It looks like so far, however, that we'll be doing the Adventures through the Bible or Noah's Ark unless others come in and change that. The reason I'm having this voting now, is because i need to have time to plan, even if it is almost 3-4 months away, I need to give myself time that I don't feel panicky or pressure. It's just the way my brain works. lol So if you know of anyone that would maybe be interested in joining, please let them know to come vote! Thank you!

I also like Noah's Ark or Under the Sea!

I feel like medieval kingdom is underrated. It would definitely be my number 2!

Yes, you can choose more then one. 2-3 at the most

@Juju Maybe we need to list our second choices too???

This looks like so much fun!

@BabyPoppy Thank you so muches! *hugs you back tight, breathing has become difficult* 🤭 I know! Huh?! I'm the one who listed them and I'm having a hard time choosing too! 😆

But @Juju these are amazing choices! How's a little supposed to pick just one? *whispers * you are totally awesome friend! Love you so much for this and all the work you did for Scouts! You are fantastimazing! *hugs you super tight til we both can't breath*

Choose two options of time, that you are most likely to be able to meet for VBS. It will be everyday, for one week. Monday thru Sunday. Sunday will be awards given. Not completely sure on what for yet.

Here is the poll that i mentioned before so that y'all that wanted to participate could help choose which theme to have this year. In the event of a tie, i will save my vote until last. If there is only two or three of us that participate, i will still have it. Next poll will be for a time. It will be in June or July. And the last week of which ever one is Decided on. I hope to see you there! Juju💖

I was recently diagnosed with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome. My whole system is shutting down from decades of trauma, sickness and pushing through the pain. I also battle severe allergies, asthma, acid reflux that has cause Barrett's Esophagus, arthritis in my knees, and thumb joints, and hormonal imbalances preventing me from losing weight, even with strict diet and exercise modifications to my life the past several years. I spent 3 weeks at Mayo Clinic, and the underlying problem is central sensitization, which means my brain signals my nervous system to signal too much to regular things. In other words, my system has been constantly triggered for a long time and doesn't know how to calm down or relax. They offer classes to teach people how to navigate these diagnoses but have been fight through this for the past 25 years with dietitians, physical therapy, intensive mental health therapy, and teams of medical professionals, so the next step for me is the Pain Rehabilitation Clinic. My intake appointment is on April 2, at Mayo and during that appointment they will decide what they can do to help me. It could be some outpatient referrals back home or range from 2 days - 3-weeks intensive services at Mayo. The program is a miracle. It does change people's pain, making it better through a combination of skills training. I really hope and pray that I get into the 3-week program, but I also worry about what that will do to my teenage daughter. It was really difficult for her to stay with another family while I was away for 3 weeks. I have set a ton of support in place for her, and I am being proactive, prioritizing her needs, as well as my own during this transitional time, but anytime I am away, is incredibly difficult for her. She has a weekly therapist, meds, school supports, community supports, a mentor, and 2 families that love her as much as I do, but it is still a struggle. Her dad was abusive and we left him 10 years ago to live in a shelter. She remembers and struggles. She sees him sometimes, per custody agreement, but his health is not well (he has a rare, hereditary cancer that he doctors at NIH in Maryland a couple times a year). Me leaving brings up trauma for her, but me returning better is a positive thing. I keep in touch with the school and her therapist, plus we text and talk regularly when I am not home. She is strong and resilient, but in need of prayer. As if that isn't enough, the evaluation for weight-loss revealed that I need further evaluation for mental health because I have symptoms of PTSD, but nothing in my history that shows I was ever treated for PTSD. Instead, they have been treating me for any number of other mental illnesses. I am a good girl and take my meds, do my therapy, but remain stuck for so long, because I was being treated for the wrong problem. I have an evaluation with the mood management clinic at Mayo in mid - late April to get a better diagnosis and off some of the dangerous medication I have been taking for years. I also found out that my broken foot is definitely worse that I realized and the providers sent me for some physical therapy to work on my tendons and muscles. I also have an order for water therapy here, so I don't have to drive 30 minutes for water aerobics 3 times a week. The biggest thing that is battling my heart is my relationship with God. When I was younger, I used to spend hours a day talking to God, just as I did housework, drove my car, even with the kids. We had praise music of all types on all the time. (Did you know they make Christian Rap, HipHop and so much more!) It was who I am, but with all the pain in my life the past 10 years, my heart has been heavy. I tried to fix it with serving. I took care of my kids, cleaned and cooked, took in the neighbor kids, and my kids' friends, I help those in need even when I couldn't feed myself. I fought for the kids in my classroom, defended those being persecuted, served as a nursery coordinator, Sunday School Teacher, Wednesday Night Church Leader and Secretary, helped with potlucks, and game nights, planned VBS, and Family Fun Nights, was on the Children's Ministry Team, drove 3 carloads of kids to and from every church event.... Still not enough, I stepped up as a leader at work, lead 2 classrooms, 10 staff, ran the program, managed student teachers, found resources for homeless and displaced students and families, piloted new curriculum, advocated for abused children, navigated a management transition, worked on a master's degree... nothing has been enough... Nothing.... because what I was searching for was God.... I missed Him... I was hurting so much from the pain of my marriage, the fear and sadness, and loneliness and abuse I suffered from my marriage, that I walked away from even God, my Jesus was still there, My Abba was waiting with a lap for me to curl up and cry in again, just like before, but I was too afraid to stop serving. I was too scared that if I did stop everything would crash, that I would crash and I would have nothing left. So now I have crashed. I fell hard... Mayo recommended no work, short-term disability. I am on short-term disability, and I am floundering like a fish outta water... I look around my house, and I don't even know where to begin... somewhere in the past couple of years the pain and exhaustion became so great that I was unable to even clean my house... There is so much! I am picking an area to start and working for 30 minutes, but it is emotionally painful. It is physically painful. It is spiritually painful. Most of all I see just how far I have fallen. I used to have a beautiful home and fun meals, holidays and decorations. I used to sing and dance and pray and read the Bible with my kids. Now I sit, in the recliner, in my diaper with my stuffies and pretend to watch TV... I am an overwhelmed zombie... The one thing I need more of is Jesus. 2 Corinthians 5:17 "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!" Galations 5:1 "It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery." 2 Timothy 1:7 "For the Spirit God gave us does not make us timid, but gives us power, love and self-discipline." Please keep me in your prayers over the next few months. I have appointments in March, April, May and a week in June. I will need to decide in early May what to do about work. Thank you my friends, Poppy

@BabyPoppyNo theme yet. I'm going to put up a poll soon and see which everyone would prefer. So, stay tuned! ☺️

I love this idea! Please share more! I am willing to help, too! I usually teach VBS, preschool age at my church, so I'm familiar with materials! I love the songs and activities! Do you have a theme for this year??? I don't have a big, but I do have some friends I can ask here to help me check my work! Again, I love this idea! Thanks for posting this! Poppy💕

Just wanted to let everyone know that's interested that I'll be starting on my planning for the Vacation Bible School Week. I'm looking at the last week of June. I'll let everyone know what the dates are for sure at a later date, as it gets closer. It will also be in the evening, more then likely. I'll being posting polls to see what better works for everyone as it gets closer also. I don't mind taking the roll as "teacher", but would gladly accept any ideas or help. (My Daddy will help me with mine afterwards). With VBS,I encourage your bigs to participate if able. If not, that's more than okay also! Also, I have ideas for themes, crafts, etc... but I'll also be posting that as a poll, sooner then later on which theme you would prefer so I can plan accordingly. I hope we'll see allot of you there. There will even be a sign up, awards (virtual), etc... Thank you for your interests Juju

You have to answer yourself whether you feel it is enough or not. I am doing graduation in Bible. If you would like, we can be friends to discuss further.

There is a time and place for everything... abd apparently I needed to read your message tonight. God does know my heart. Thank you for your kind words of encouragement.

I'm so sorry I missed your message! I believe it was God's timing. Had I read this when you wrote it, I would not have heard it, but tonight, I do. I've been alone this week for some medical testing and I am fighting with God. My life has been non-stop noise, stress, trauma and pain for so long, that I had forgotten who I am, who I belong to. I am a daughter of The Most High God and if He lets me sit in His lap and call him "Abba" (Daddy) then one day, perhaps He will give me a husband who can love me for who I am and lead me into being the best version of myself. ❤️ Thank you for reaching out! Poppy💕

@shadowriderThank you! I'm hoping it will be fun for everyone! @lillizzie24I never was given the opportunity to go, but did help a few times with it in later years. I'm really excited too!

You can definitely do that and we have a few members that can probably help with ideas and structures. I'm not sure how much help I can be or offer but if there is something I can do I will. Right now I'm lucky if I get to log in once a day and it usually isn't for that long.

this would be awesome!!! I loved VBS growing up!

@shadowrider I wanted to see it it is possible to hold a week long vocation Bible School for little's, Middles and even their CG, Daddy's or Mommy's. It would however be geared towards little's and Middle's. I'm asking now so that i may come up with a theme, activities and so on. I'm going to ask my Daddy to help and would like to ask for your help also, if possible. I know you are busy. If you approve, then i will come up with Dates, theme ideas and other info that needs to be given. This will also be a non-denominational activity. So anyone can participate. My walk with Christ is ever changing and growing. I hope to help bring His unconditional love and His Hope and His forgiveness that he offers to anyone that seeks it. Thank you for your time. I know you have little extra to share.

UPDATE: So, it's been a minute since I last updated here. So I thought i better. First, again, thank you all for your prayers! I really appreciate them. Update: I go to the Dr on the 10th of March. It's an annual physical, but we'll be addressing some of my medical concerns. The place on my foot is still there, but not like it was. I'm hoping that means it's something i don't need to be worried about any longer. Although continual prayer is requested if I might ask. Other medical issues have reared their ugly head. So, I lay them once again at Jesus's feet and pray for his healing power. He is my strength and my foundation. Always. Thank you again, for your continual Support and prayers. They mean alot to me!

I just joined DDlg Forum a week or so ago and so have just now read your post. Although you posted this some time ago, I thought replying may still be "timely," or at least I hope so. First, Jesus himself stated explicitly that if someone looks at another person with lust in their heart they are already guilty of adultery whether or not they've engaged in any physical contact with them. He went on to say that if someone is angry with their brother they are already guilty of murder in their heart. It seems pretty clear to me that He is looking at what's in a persons heart a lot more than whether or not they follow every rule to the T. Second, in your first marriage you would certainly have been guilty of child endangerment if you knew what you did and failed to take the steps you did to protect the children. Applying the point in my first note to this one I think He most likely doesn't have any problem with your decision to divorce him nor with your subsequent decision to marry someone else, even in light of His very explicit statement that divorce is unacceptable. Third, the instances you described in your current marriage certainly sound like the embodiment of His point that He is looking at what's in your heart in determining if He is pleased or not by it. We're all going to have our time to account to Him for everything we do, and clearly that includes everything we've thought as well as our physical and public actions, and none of us is going to come away from that without some negative results. Fortunately, given that He knows exactly what He created us to be, and every aspect of all of our actions and thoughts, what we were capable of at the time with what we understood at the time, He'll certainly be able to make His views of what we did, said and thought fair and reasonable. Finally, I couldn't agree with you more that there is someone out there for you and that His timing is indeed perfect.

Absolutely! Really glad you are able to hold on to your faith during this troubling and scary time. Take rest and take care. I am sure there will be more prayers coming your way from those around you.