Grand Prix Winners! 2009

As promised, here are some of the winners of the Grand Prix for cars which were entered through our church.

TEEN DIVISION.

1st Place Design and Peoples Choice Award: Jin.

2nd Place Design: Freddy

3rd Place Speed: Michael

ADULT DIVISION.

3rd Place Speed: Dale

3rd Place Design: Roger

2nd Place Design: Amber

People's Choice in Design: Randy

Grand Prix 2009

Grand Prix 2009. This was the third year we partnered with Colonial Village Baptist to race in the annual Grand Prix. Again it proved to be an amazing time and provided great opportunity for people who are not fimiliar with church to participate and get to know the love of Christ by experiencing it in action. We had 18 cars registered to race through our church and we walked away with 9 metals! Congratulations to Freddy, Jin, Amber, and Randy who won awards for design, and to Michael and Dale who won awards for speed! Pictures of the winnings cars will be published in a continued post.

Enjoy the pictures and watch the video.

Review Video. Check it out!

Master Pine Head

Last May I joined a forum site called "DerbyTalk" (http://www.derbytalk.com/). It is a site that allows members to ask and discuss any question about the Pinewood Derby topic. After joining the site I saw that there were ranks associated with each member; Apprentice, Journeymen, Pine Head, Master Pine Head, and Moderator. Immediately I thought, "Wow, that would be cool to actually know enough to be in the high ranks of knowledge of the Pinewood Derby (PWD) world. As a sat with the rank of Apprentice I wanted to know more. I began to read the posts people had written and gain knowledge. I felt as though I was gaining experience and wisdom through other people's testing, success, and failure. The more I read, the more I became confident; the more I became confident the more I would reply to other peoples questions, and the more I replied to other peoples the questions the high rank I began to receive.

There is something that feels good inside of us when someone has a question that we have the answer to. We may not have an answer all the time, and we may not always have the right answer, but it still feels good when we get it right. More and more I find people asking me about a PWD subject. When they do I have a moral dilemma; since I race against many of these people whom ask questions outside of Derbytalk I have to choose whether to give them the best answer and have them potentially beat me, or tell them a portion of the answer so they have a less likely chance of beating me. So, how do I answer? I tell them what I know. I appreciate that people have been patient and honest in teaching me. If I withhold what I know then the next generation of racers will be at a disadvantage. I would rather leave a legacy of aiding in victory rather than a trail of defeat.

As I have contributed to helping inform racers on DerbyTalk, I recently achieved the highest level of ranking that anyone can achieve without being personally selected for a moderator selection (and since all of the limited number of positions are fulfilled I can't go any higher). I am now officially a "Master Pine Head"; a title which I am honored to wear.

So, what does all of this have to do with a church website's blog? A lot. When someone comes to Christ they are often on fire and want to know more about God. We instruct them that they need to start reading and learning about God and how he can transform their life. The more they begin to learn about God the more they find that they gain experience and knowledge from others around them whom have been a Christian for a longer time. The more experience and knowledge you receive the more confident you become and begin to witness and answer the spiritual questions of the people around you. Soon people start to ask questions because they are confident that you will have the answer and that you know what you are talking about. And, in the end you receive a rank from God in eternity of a "Faithful Servant".

A portion of Matthew 25 tells of a group workers who were giving a talent (portion of money that was given for a natural ability the person had. "Talent" was originally a financial term but what it was used for is what it is now become. It was the payment given to the painter or musician on the corner, the task that someone did extraordinarily well that came natural to them.) The workers were sent out to do what they could naturally do well and use this money wisely. It didn't require anything outrageous, just what was natural. When the workers returned the Master examined the talents and saw that 2 had doubled their money and the other had held on to what he had and wasn't even willing to use what he had to generate what he didn't have. The one who had refused using his natural gift to create and increase was forced to give it up the the faithful; and to the faith the master said, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord" Matthew 25.21.

What are we doing with the natural ability God has given us. You don't have to go out of your way to make something of yourself for Christ; you just need to be willing to use what you have and it will naturally increase.

When it comes to Christ are you willing to give it all so you have lead a legacy of victory, or a trail of defeat?

Race Day.

At my house one of the best days of the year is when we participate in a local Grand Prix Derby. It is the same thing as the Pinewood Derby in Cub Scouts. It is held at a local church and other churches are invited. The race is help in the early spring/late winter and has about 35-40 cars that race. According to some I get a little carried away with this whole event.

To avoid the cold of winter I begin for the next years race just after the previous race and start planning for next years car. Over and over again I mentally shape and prepare to make the first cuts to the plain block of wood. Plans were put on paper and the building process began.

Over the next few weeks the block of wood began to take shape and an image of a car came out. After the wood was cut and sanded it came time to paint, the put the final workings into making it resemble what I had wanted it to be. In the midst of all of this I began to gain a basic divine truth that is sometimes forgotten.

We are just like that block of wood in the hands of God. In the beginning of all time he looked down, picked up a block of wood and mentally planned each move and mark to place in our life. After His vision of us was complete and began to mold, cut, carve, and sand us into what he had planned. At the end he picked up the rattle can and sprayed us down to bare a resemblance to his image and his likeness. Then, as an act of love that only a parent can give, He placed us on the track and gave us free-will.

No matter how much someone prepares to make the car fast or aerodynamic, once it is on the track it is out of the control of the designer. When God gave us life he was taking his prize creation and setting it in motion. Now, he is along side the track seeing us execute freewill in life. He had a vision and a plan for us and we must now focus on Him to see a plan that was made for us from the beginning.