October 30, 2009
Race the Dead 5K
Tonight Marty and I ran the silliest, strangest 5K I’ve ever run! We ran the “Race the Dead” 5K in Towanda. It started, with fireworks, ay 5:54 pm as the sun was going down. It was cold, very windy, with a turnaround in a cemetery and the last mile was a gradual hill with the wind blowing right in our faces. There were about 75 people who ran and many of them were dressed in costumes. Spock, Kirk, angels, devils, and even a guy dressed as a ten foot tall windmill!
When you crossed the finish line you received a toe tag from the McClain County Coroner’s Office! Awards were given out for the slowest runners with the last place runner getting a plaque in each category.
We were giving a ticket for a free drink. At the other races, at the finish line, there were fruit, water, and Gatoraide. At the end of this race, there was beer and hamburgers! In fact, at mile maker 1 there was a fire pit with free Bloody Marys!
The course was lined with luminaries and I really struggled with the wind. I was disappointed with my time, I think the flu took a lot out of me, but I’m very proud of Marty for running his first 5K.
He even beat me! He finished 23 and I finished 25th! Way to go Cotter!
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October 28, 2009
Why do you call me Lord?
Tonight, I taught the junior high students about obedience from 2 Kings 5 when Naaman encountered Elisha and was told to dip himself in the Jordan seven times. I gave them four areas of obedience to work on:
* Obedience to Parents (Ephesians 6:1-3)
* Honesty (Proverbs 11:1)
* Their tongue (Ephesians 4:29)
* Forgiveness
Our student ministry team did a great job in chat rooms getting the students to go deeper and challenging them to be faithful in the small things.
Here’s the video we showed at the end of my talk.
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October 27, 2009
Fall Retreat 2009
This past weekend, we took 23 high school students to Rock River Christian Camp in Polo, IL for our 2009 Fall Retreat! Our theme was “Dating, Kissing, Sex, and Stuff” and it ended up being one of the best retreats we’ve ever had.
Special thanks to our adult leaders - Marty and Kristi Cotter, Ken and Kara Hinds, Dave and Jeanne Moore, Milt Hanson, Lori Wiseman, Amy Park, Juli Lautenschlaeger, and Shiann Poshard.
The students handled the topic beautifully and we had some of the best discussion we’ve ever had with students. We also played a lot ate too much and stayed up way too late!
Thanks for praying for us while we were gone. We are planning the same retreat sessions for the junior high students in November. It should be a blast!
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October 23, 2009
Loving Jesus
I recently talked to one of our college students who told me that she was studying very late in the lounge of her dorm. Two students joined her and began asking random “What if?” questions. One of the questions was, “what if you found out you were pregnant?” This student replied, “that would be impossible, I’m saving myself for marriage.” To which this other student said,
“Oh yeah, that’s right, you love Jesus.”
Our student was soooo pleased. He could have said, “Oh yeah, you are religious” or “you go to church.” Instead, he saw that her heart was captivated by Jesus.
Isn’t that what we want the world to see?
Please pray for us as we take 23 high school students on fall retreat tonight. Pray that they wouldn’t become better church kids but that they would become dangerous revolutionary Jesus lovers!
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October 22, 2009
Just the Two of Us
As we continue to think about “Family” at PBC, I thought I’d pass along a video from Will Smith called “Just the Two of Us” that highlights the importance of being a dad. Enjoy!
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October 21, 2009
A Date with U2
I don’t know about you, but I’ve become increasing frustrated with the cost of concerts. When I was a teenager, I mowed yards and saved my money and went to at least one concert a month. I can remember when Styx came through town and the tickets were $14.50. 14.50?! Who was going to pay that? Of course, I did because it was Styx. But I also thought that if tickets kept going up I wouldn’t be able to go anymore.
Fast forward to 2009. I wanted to take Maxine to see Jim Brickman in Bloomington. For two tickets it would have been about $100. I checked Barry Manilow tickets in Las Vegas? $175 a piece! REO Speedwagon? $50. Brad Paisley? Out of our league. Even Steven Curtis Chapman, who Maxine and I went and saw multiple times before we had children, is too expensive to take our family to.
How about U2? Those tickets can go for $100 + each.
Speaking of U2, I have never seen U2 live because there’s no way I can afford. Those tickets are astronomical and sell out in minutes.
But I’m attending a U2 concert Sunday night! That’s right - front row.
How?
U2’s Sunday concert will be streamed live on You Tube. This is a first of it’s kind and…free! I’m looking forward to singing “Where the Streets have No Names” at the top of my lungs.
I’m hoping that other groups realize there are fans out there that just can’t drop $200 to take their family to a concert.
I’m trying to negotiate a similar gig for Elastic Ed and the Four Electric Embyros for the last stop of the “Meatloaf Mania” tour in Bucksnort, Tn. I’ll keep you posted!
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October 20, 2009
Kids say the funniest things!
When I lived in Mississippi, I often went to elementary schools and did drug awareness programs. I had a friend who would allow me to take his 6 foot python and he was my “show and tell.” He had been raised as a pet so he was very calm and the students loved to pet his head. We named him “drugfree.”
I was invited to the Choctaw reservation school to do a program where the students would yell “Chito Cita!” (big snake) as I came in the door. I was speaking to the little ones (kindergarten and 1st grade) and asked them if they knew what marijuana was. One of the students raised her hand and when I called on her she said:
“That’s the green stuff in the plastic baggies that we hide under my sister’s car seat when the police man pulls us over.”
You could have heard a pin drop. The teachers in the room looked like they were about explode into laughter.
One thing you can depend on - kids will tell you the truth.
Fast forward to this week and another little 6 year old - the now famous “balloon boy” Falcon. As Wolf Blitzer was interviewing the family about their harrowing ordeal of thinking that Flacon was in the balloon, Falcon was asked what happened. He looked nervously up at his dad and said, “Ummm, I thought we did it for the show.”
With that sentence, the hoax begin to unravel. It was all a publicity stunt to try to get a reality show. The parents were indignant but the gig was up. Never rely on a 6 year old to lie for you. They are so much better at just telling it like it is.
That’s why Jesus loves “child-like faith.” He said, “I tell you the truth, anyone who does not receive the kingdom of God like a little child will never enter it.” (Luke 18:17)
Any other examples of when a child just told it like it was?
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October 16, 2009
A view from the Flu
I’m sitting at our table that is covered in a puzzle that Austin is working on, eating Tomato soup. The boys are both wrapped in blankets watching “Alvin and the Chipmonks.” This week the flu bug hit us hard. First it was Josh on Monday. I ran on Monday morning and I felt good. Then…the big truck hit me! By Tuesday morning, my temp had spiked to 103.8! Josh and I visited the good doc who confirmed that we have influenza A. It is H1N1? Not sure, possibly. But the test cost $300 so I can live without the knowledge. By Tuesday, Austin was down for the count.
I don’t really remember much about this week. It’s been a blur. It seems that the three of us are finally coming up for air today. We are still contagious so we will not be at church and I can’t run in the 5K tomorrow but we will survive. Thank you for praying for us. It’s been a hard week but God is good. Maxine, super-mom, never got sick. She quarantined herself in her room and wore a mask and avoided the flu.
Please pray for everyone who has it.
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October 14, 2009
It takes a Team!
As many of you know, I have succumbed to the flu. So has Josh and Austin. We are all sick. Well, except for super Maxine.
But, that doesn’t mean that Cross Roads was canceled.
Three years ago? Yes, it would have been. But not today.
We have an amazing team and Marty led the charge tonight. They allowed the students to write down their questions and then they had a great panel, that included Ken and Kara from the high school team, answered their questions.
It went off without a hitch. I’m so grateful for a great team, including our student leaders, that made it happen tonight.
By the way, tonight was Hawaiian night and Rachel Watson looked absolutely tropical!
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October 14, 2009
High School Fall Retreat Deadline is TOMORROW!!!!
Tomorrow, Thursday Oct 15, is the deadline for the high school fall retreat! You need to have a signed permission slip and a check, no cash, for $50. This is NOT my deadline; it is Rock River’s. Do not procrastinate. You have until 4:00 pm tomorrow. I’m really looking forward to this retreat. You are not going to want to miss it!
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October 13, 2009
The Cotter Girls are Crazy for NETS
The Cotters and The Hinds had a garage sell this weekend and “The Cotters Girls” weren’t thinking about how much money they could get for their old toys. They were on mission for our NETS campaign for African Mosquito Nets. They told the customers who visited their garage and went door to door to collect more money. “Don’t let anyone look down on you because you are young! Way to go Cotter Girls!
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October 12, 2009
Bonfire 2009!
Last night, we decided not have Capture the Flag because it was so cold but had a roaring bonfire behind the church. We had about 60 junior high and high school students playing football, hanging out by the fire, playing games inside, and eating Smores. It was a great time and we raised a lot of money for our NETS 4 Africa campaign.
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October 11, 2009
I got a ribbon!
Yesterday morning, I ran the first ever “Running Down the Dream” 5K here in Pontiac. It was colder than I’ve ever ran in but it ended up being a nice day. About 60 people ran the race of all ages. I finished 14 overall and actually got a ribbon for first place in my age division!
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October 08, 2009
Capture the Flag is Canceled! Bonfire at the Church instead!
If you’ve watched the weather at all this week, you have noticed that the temps are headed downward. Capture the Flag is scheduled for Sunday night and the temps will be in the 30s and there may even snow flurries! So…
The student ministry team has decided to CANCEL Capture the Flag and have a BONFIRE at the Church! This will be for 6 through 12 grades from 6:00-9:00.
Please spread the word!
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October 07, 2009
Joe Dirt Teaches Cross Roads
Tonight was 80s night at Cross Roads and Marty dressed as “Joe Dirt.” He is such a great teacher and he finished up our Bullseye Living series with a lesson about “running the race.” He used humor, props (he had on layers of clothes that he took off as he taught until he was down to a t-shirt, running shorts, and tennis shoes), lots of Scripture, group discussion, and videos. Here’s one of the videos he showed. It’s the clip of Derek Redmond in the 1992 Olympics when he pulled a hamstring and his father helped him finish the race. You can check out the rest of the pictures on my Facebook page or on the Pontiac Bible Student Ministry Facebook page.
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