last week i did a google search for AWANA in our area.

 
The founders of Awana derived the Awana name from the first letters of "Approved workmen are not ashamed" as taken from 2 Timothy 2:15 of the Bible.

The kids were in Awana at our old church and they loved it.  Basically the kids have a verse they have to learn each week and young brains are great at this often times referred to as sponges!  If we can teach them while they are young, the idea is that it will stick with them for a lifetime.

I found an Awana group so we took the kids.  Just before we were ready to leave our house to go to Awana, Josh and the kids went outside to play while I tidied the house and freshened up.  By the time I was ready, I came outside to find that the kids had made a friend (yay!) and that they invited their new friend to come to Awana with us.  We seriously knew this new neighbor boy for maybe 5 minutes and he asked his mom if he could go to Awana with us and she said sure. This cracks me up.  I won't even let my kids on the front porch without me and this mom allowed her son to go with perfect strangers to Awana-something they had never heard of!  Hilarious-so anyway the car ride there I am introducing myself to the neighbor boy, asking him how old he is and getting to know him.  The night ended up being a success.  For our family it was great-the kids made some friends and every one was pleasant.  As for the neighbor boy, he didn't know God before that night.  He told his Awana teacher he did not have a Bible and the church gave him one.  On our way home, he told me that he learned everything God says is the truth!  Awesome!  All credit goes to the Holy Spirit who was working within my hands as I did a google search for Awana that afternoon.  Who knew by us taking our kids to Awana that we could introduce a child to Christ.  So cool.

So that was last week-just about everyday since we met the neighbor boy he has been over to ask the kids if they can play.  He is 6 and he is about as round as he is tall.  He told us he is working on losing weight, bless his little heart.  I could just squeeze him.  He is a total crack up.

We had AWANA again tonight and had a great time.  Of course I go to Joshua's classroom with him and it is so much fun! I have to watch that boy like a hawk-not only is he my baby but he is special.  They start off in their classroom learning a verse and then have snack.  With his food allergies I am not comfortable leaving him in a room where they are serving cheddar cheese goldfish snacks:(  Next we went to Gym.  The game we played was "Mr. Gym teacher" dumps a big tote of balls and all these 3-4 year olds run as fast as they can to pick them up and put them back in the tote.  Well wheelchairs don't allow you to pick balls up off the floor so there Joshie and I are in a sea of toddlers working together as a team to pick up balls.  I hold him and swoop him down so he can pick up a ball with his precious little hands in hopes that some other able bodied toddler doesn't steal the ball we are after.  This momma might just get into to a brawl with a 3 year old by the end of the Awana year.  LOL.  I am totally kidding-children of that age are innocent and are usually only able to think of themselves and their needs-but parents, it's never too soon to start teaching your kids patience and respect;)  If nothing else, Joshua does know how to pray.  When the teacher tells the little children to talk to God he knows just what to do.  And that makes my heart melt.

I did meet a nice lady this evening that seemed to take interest in Joshua and our family.  After she learned we home-schooled our kids she told me about the home school group in the community.  Woohoo!  They meet this Friday to play and I am going!  Looking forward to it.