Why did my mom not keep me?

It's hard to believe it's been 6 years since we were in China. Allie, is the oldest of the Tongling 12 and she turned 8 on September 20. Tomorrow, Sept 29, is the day that she was found. I think about her birth mom a lot this time of year.

We have had some interesting conversations about our family. One day Allie asked questions about her older siblings (age 31 and 27). She asked, "what is a step sister?" I explained that she and her older sister, Sarah, have the same dad but a different mom. Allie was quiet than asked, "Do I have a step-mom in China?" I replied, "No, you have a biological mom in China." We talked about how Jeff, our 11 year son, grew in my tummy; but Allie do not grow in my tummy.

Then she asked the kicker. . . "Why did my mom not keep me?" WOW

I paused and said, "I don't know...I believe that she loved you very much, but maybe she couldn't take care of you." Then I told her story about another mom who loved her baby boy very much, but the government was trying to hurt the little boy. The mom, and the boy's bigger sister did what they could to protect the little guy, but the mom eventually let another family raise and care for her son, so that he was safe. That little boy was named Moses.

My husband does a lot of teasing inn our family. One day, Allie teasingly called me, "My not real mom." I laughed at her and responded back, "yes, my real daughter!"

She's beginning to grasp the concept of adoption. Just interesting conversations that often leave me "pondering things in my heart!"

Prayer Walk - Teaching our kids

Often when we come to church and our kids go one way and moms and dads go another. Seldom are we together to learn what it means to “shadow God and heal the world.” We believe kids learn best through example and know that parents are actually the most important influence in a kid’s spiritual life, so here is a great opportunity for you and your kids to be together.

Sunday, May 15 - 1-4 pm. You can come any time between these hours to walk. My family and I will be at Queens school at 1p to walk, if anyone wants to join us. Drop me a line if you plan to join me and my family at 1p. (lori.tate@westwinds.org )

What do you do on a prayer walk? Families are asked to come and prayer as you walk around the designated blocks. I would suggest as you walk, that you simply notice the neighborhood. You can say aloud for your kids to hear (not shouting!), “God, I pray that there is laughter and love in this home.” “Thank you God for a safe place to live,” “We pray for people who are sick or hurting, help them know that you love them God,” “God, please keep the kids safe in this neighborhood.” etc.

WHERE: Our “city block” is Morrell (south); West St. (east); Franklin (north); and Higby (west). You can walk around the perimeter “city block” as well as along the internal streets. You can park along the road or perhaps at Queens school/church. This walk will be approximately 15-25 minutes, depending upon how fast you walk! When you are done walking, you leave.

WHY:This prayer walk is a great way for a family to participate in helping “heal the world and shadow God.” Jesus cares about Jackson and our prayers make a difference.

WILL this be weird? No, only if you dress up weird and run down the street acting weird. There will be no large signs/banners or drums beating! If you act weird, I may not acknowledge that I know you! Just kidding!

Final QUESTIONS? contact me at lori.tate@westwinds.org. OR watch FB -
“westwinds kids journey” for more details.

wwKids Nursery: Separating infants & toddlers

As our wwKids ministry grows we feel the need to divide the nursery into infants and toddlers. The front area of the nursery will be for infants, birth to walking. Once the kids are steady on their feet, they will move into the toddler area where they will have their own space to play and explore.
We will immediately begin to divide the kids into infants and toddlers. All kids will be dropped off at the front nursery area, but toddlers will be PICKED UP via the door by the main restrooms and vending machines. Beginning Sunday, April 3, we transition so that toddlers will be dropped off and picked up at the same side door location.
Whether you are a first time parent and a veteran with several kids, we want you and your child to feel welcomed and comfortable while you are at Westwinds. If you have any other questions about the nursery or Westwinds, please don’t hesitate to ask. You may contact me via e-mail: parkergirl777@hotmail.com.
Have a blessed day! Amber Parker

iCreate

The next Taylor Swift or Justin Bieber is here in Jackson waiting to be discovered. Paragon students and wwKids have participated in a poetry and art contest.

Ten students will have their poem made into an original song performed by local artists. Overall there will be 24 winners in the art and poetry area; 12 kids will receive scholarships to attend local art classes through Essa Arts.

Mark your calendars and come. Wednesday, March 9, 6:30-8p at Westwinds Church, located at 1000 Robinson Rd., Jackson, MI.

wwKids Christmas

This year wwKids has done some amazing things, and to finish the year out with a bang we celebrated Christmas in a new, but old school way. For the month of December, we asked families to come in and create a new family tradition by assembling Advent Wreaths out of trash, which created a new family treasure.

This event was truly wonderful. It was easy to see that these families were having a magnificent time working together to create something that was uniquely them. Plus in this process they were able to see the birth of Jesus in a new light, which was that Advent is a time of preparation for the kings birth. Not just a physical preparation, but an emotional preparation also. His birth was so extraordinary, that to fully grasp the magnitude, we need to prepare ourselves. This is what the advent wreath helps us do. There is a candle lit every Sunday during advent, to build up until the day of Christ's birth.

So overall, the magic of the season, can be seen through many different things, but we were able to bring some of that feeling to these families as they were able to work together to create a new family treasure. Which was a wonderful thing that we were able to do as a finish for this truly remarkable year.

hearts in the right place

now that we are gearing up for the holiday season in wwKids and in the personal lives of many, it makes me wonder how much of that gearing up is actually for the hustle and bustle, and how much is actually the preparation for the birth of Jesus. When it is thought about, many acknowledge the fact that Jesus' birth is celebrated at Christmas, but its easy to forget that ina ll of the crazy activity of December. To fully understand that, we need to prepare ourselves mentally to fully understand what really happened that night.

It was not just any baby being born, it was the king of creation and all of us in the form of a man. It was not necessarily the most sanitary place or the best of circumstances, but it was a gift to us all, and that is something that needs to be remembered and thought about so that we can fully be ready to realize what Christmas is all about.

Halloween

this past weekend, wwKids were privileged to get to take part in the Halloween activities of Westwind's. This was a spectacular event that was able to create many memories for these children that will be remembered. Along with the visual excitement the kids also learned about fear. this made me wonder, what are we afraid of? Not just in our own lives but also when it comes to how we influence these kids. It is very easy to think we are not good enough to play a part in making a difference in these kids lives as a rolemodel, but what it comes down to is that no matter how much interaction there may be, children see you and learn from what you do in every circumstance.

So why be afraid of the inevitable. These kids learn from us so we need to realize that who we are is perfectly designed by God and that God uses us in the state we are in to help these kids, even all the way down to a simple smile. So next time you see a kids maybe just a little conversation will change a child's day for the better and help them see God through you.

P.S. thank you to all the amazing volunteers who helped with Halloween on Sunday. It was truly spectacular and that was because of everyone involved. So thanks.

making a difference

One of the great things about being around kids is that you don’t even realize it when you make a difference. Kids learn a lot in the beginning stages of their life. The main way that they are able to do this is by observing others who are older then them, and how those people function. Because of this, programs for kids such as wwKids are vital in their lives. The teachers and the shepherds are making a difference in these kids lives even when we don’t realize it. It can even be the same way with parents. So the next time you feel discouraged that the kids are not listening, remember what you do and say can make a huge difference even on the children who seem distant.

hidden treasures

This week wwKids was a great place to be in general. Every studio had something great going on that helped the kids learn more about God and Biblical stories. Being able to see this each week has made me wonder, do we realize how unique this wonderful program this is. There are many different churches within the area of Jackson but not nearly as many church that have a similar program to ours. We try to reach these kids at the level they already are and help them grow in their strengths, which is a great idea. So next time you think about wwKids, let’s remember that this program is truly remarkable and one of Jacksons great secrets, so let’s try to make it known.

A day of rest

Something that the Bible prescribed for us long ago, is something that can be easily forgotten or pushed aside. This week in wwKids we got to talk about the Ten Commandments, and one of those is to respect the Sabbath day. This is an idea that has been carried through the Bible, but has been so easily forgotten. When was the last time you or I had a day of rest? Its something to thnk about when we consider what we are teaching kids in our lives. Rest can help renew the soul and help us become more focused on God instead of the earthly stresses that surround us. So next time you being your week, think about how you can incorporate some time of rest. IT can help you and your kids. After all, ts something that God even did and suggests for us.

This week has been such a great one in wwKids. It was the last week for our lesson on Joseph and the hard times he went through. Reflecting back on the lesson, it was great to remember the kids interaction with such a fundamental story and lesson for Christianity. Joseph went through a very hard time but was willing to rely n and believe in God through it all. This is such a good lesson to keep bringing up to the kids and build off of, because there will always be hard times, and it is how we deal with them that makes a difference. Adults (including myself) need to remember this sometimes also. It is easy to get upset and blame God for the things we see as bad in our lives, but it is those moments that God can use to help us grow the most and it is those moments we remember as defining moments of faith. So the lesson of Joseph can be very helpful and it was a great thing to get to see the kids hear this and embrace the lesson.

Baptism

This week it was absolutely wonderful to get to see some of our very own wwKids make the choice to become baptized! It was amazing to get to see Chase, Andi, Olivia, and Caleb make their decision to follow Christ and publicly announce it to their church family. They have made the most important decision of their life, so we want to congratulate them as their loving family and help them along in their journey.

This past week wwKids had our kick-off into the new school year. With this school year there were some changes that took place in wwKids but in the end we still have the main goal that we started with, which is to teach these wonderful kids more about God and be able to reach them in new creative ways so that they would understand better. This was really emphasized this past week with the story of Joseph that was taught. The kids got to learn about how changes happen in peoples lives (even sometimes bad changes) but God can work through them all. This was really a great lesson to kick off the fall with because it is a time of change for many of these kids with a new school year and it may seem hard but God is still there. That’s the way wwKids is set up also. Change happens but God is still present and working in these kid’s lives.

Change

For many kids around Jackson, this is a week of change, the beginning of a new school year being the main cause. But on top of this, wwKids also has some great changes going on for the school years’ kick-off like a new room for three year olds and new rotations for the experience studios.

After being involved in this, it is easy to come to the conclusion that not all change is bad. Sometimes change can be just the thing that people need even if they do not realize it. This is true in most cases because of the fact that many people fear that very change that can benefit them in the long run. God realizes this, but sometimes we can forget that. So next time a big moment of change comes around in your life or your kids, maybe it will be worth embracing so that something new can begin that is better than the previous.

Gifts

This week was a very unique Sunday for wwKids. They had the privilege of getting to hear the story of Beatrice and her goat, which was about a young lady in Africa who had her life changed by the gift of a goat. It is often amazing to hear about the results of people using their God given gifts to change the world. Even small little acts can help such as sending a goat over to Africa. It can change a person’s life for the better.

So I encourage you to look into what God has given you as far as gifts. If it is a personal gift of art or storytelling, use it! Even if you simply love to give money to good causes, go for it! You never will know what you can change if you do not try. This is what this summer’s theme was based around and is also a great lesson for anyone of any age.

Come and see the new sculpture inspired by walking in someone elses shoes! a great lesson taught in wwkids, with the flip flops being designed by them.

New Beginnings

Right now wwKids is experiencing a few changes. Another way to phrase that is a new beginning to a new school year. One of the beginnings that has started this week is the dividing of the Art studio into two classrooms. This week there is a wall being built so that we can create a brand new class for the children who are 3 and 4 that will cater to their developmental needs.

Because of all of these new beginnings, it made me wonder how often God sets up the beginnings in our lives. Each new day is a new experience and adventure that God has set up for us, so why do so many people take them lightly. Living the day out to its fullest to honor God is what should be happening, and many people including myself can forget that sometimes.

So in honor of this new beginning of a school year, lets remember this and try to instill this idea in the children we are in contact with, because living fully in Gods purpose for each day is something that will honor God and help these kids grow.

Superheroes

This month in wwKids, the main focus has been Justice, and how that relates to who we can be and how we act as part of Gods helping hands that heal the world. In the music studio, the kids were able to learn about superheroes and through this discover that they are like superheroes, in the fact that they are the advocates for the justice God desires.

Through the fact that the kids are learning about this, one of the points that is emphasized is that we are given power from God. It is not necessarily supernatural, but because of his constant presence we have the support we need from him to push for the truth and justice in the world. This is a great realization for anyone of any age because remembering that we have the power of God running through us is great because he is our help and support when we need it and that’s a great thing to know.

Nature

One of the main focuses this summer for wwKids has been how to see God through the nature he has created for us to enjoy. This theme has been especially prominent in the garden this summer. Seeing these kids interact in a unique and wonderful way, can be such a blessing because that’s what God wants. He wants to see his children interacting in different ways to what he has given us.

The future of the world is through these kids, so seeing them learn at such a young age to respect the earth and help it grow is truly a great thing. Through God’s guidance, these kids are growing not only in learning to help others and heal the world, but also internally, growing into amazing people. Seeing these pieces come together for them is such a great thing to witness in whatever way it happens.

Serve and Surf #3

This week wwkids had the opportunity to have the third serve and surf of the summer. This week we had the opportunity of going to the Ganton Center to spend time with the elderly residents of our community. The kids had a great time and it was amazing to get to see different generations of people interacting in a positive way.

During this event, it was amazing to see how much enjoyment the residents got out of simply seeing the children. At first the kids were hesitant, but by the end everyone was smiling and having a good time. Not because there was a lot of deep meaningful conversation, but because they got to see the children. Some of the kids simply said hello and then played the Wii, which the elderly enjoyed watching them do. It was a great experience and it is amazing what can happen when a little bit of time is given up so that many may benefit from simple actions.