Lock-In

Next time, remind me to think through my hair-brained ideas.

In hopes to motivate our youth to work on their handbook sections in Awana, I challenged them to pass a section a week and they could have a lock-in at church.  In case you don't know, a lock-in is where you lock the kids in the church all night long, i.e. an overnighter at church.  Five young people met the challenge and joined us last night at church to be "locked in." 

We started off the night with dinner - Tacos...yum!  Todd led the kids in some Minute to Win It games and a few card games.  He then led the kids in a devotional, a game of hockey, and then off to town to go sledding.  Sledding is not exactly what you might think.  Sledding implies snow and we haven't had snow for weeks.  The city has been trucking in snow for the tourist to sled on during the weekend lighting festivals.  By now, the snow has been packed down and turned into a nice sheet of white ice.  The kids flew ...and I mean flew...down the hill.  They had a blast.  After an hour of gliding down the ice hill, we headed back to church for hot cocoa and a movie.  We watched the End of the Spear and then heading off to "bed."  The girls and I crashed in the church library while the boys crashed in their Sunday school classroom.  By three the girls were asleep and I did my best to sleep on the rock-hard floor.  By eight we were back up, fixing breakfast, playing more games, and finally cleaning up the church. 

The fun wasn't over yet.  Our sister churches from Shoreline (Seattle) and Port Orchard came over to join us for lunch and to go tubing down our ski hill.  Wow!  I can't believe I am still functioning, but not for long.  Shortly I am kicking everyone out of the living room and sending them to bed.  Tomorrow is another day filled with lots to do.  It is sad to say but I am looking forward  to Monday more than I am Christmas day.