Some families on the North Shore of Oahu just started somethign really special for the local kids.
A few elementary aged boys were tired of missing out on all of the fun that the church youth groups offer Junior and Senior High School students, so these young boys decided to do something about it.  They planned their own youth group!

The Brileys--A family with three elementary-aged boys--planned and organized a new group which is meeting once a month to share FUN, FOOD, and Christ with their friends.  Since they're mostly all surfing and skating youngsters, they decided to call the group, "Groms for God," or "GG" for short.

The first meeting was held at the Briley's home, and over twenty elementary aged kids showed up.

After some time to run wild and eat pizza and cake, they gathered to watch the Walking On Water DVD!
Everyone LOVED it!

After the film, Natasha Briley organized a short discussion, and then wrapped up with prayer.

The kids were all stoked and can't wait for the next meeting!

We think it's a great idea to encourage even our younger kids to reach out, and share Christ with their friends!

Do you have youth meetings for kids in their elementary years?  We'd love to hear about what you do!

Aloha for now…
Monica, of www.thegrommom.com

 Beyond Sight Movie Update:    

The exciting journey of producing the Beyond Sight movie continues to be full of miraculous open doors!  Recently the producer of Hollywood hits like Blindside, Dolphin Tale, and The Book Of Eli (He is one of the top 15 movie producers of the world) met with Bryan Jennings to encourage him that the Beyond Sight movie has the potential to be a great story that the entire world will see and be inspired by.  Simon Swart who is the VP of Fox Home Entertainment also recently encouraged Bryan and the production team to work hard on Beyond Sight because, "It has the potential to be a best documentary Oscar nomination."  Bryan Jennings (Producer and Co-Director), Bruno Lemos (Co-Director), and Nathan Apffel (Producer and Editor) will be traveling to Derek Rabelo's hometown of Spirit De Santos, Brazil on April 29th - May 8th.  This will be the final filming trip for the Beyond Sight movie.  We are currently working hard on the editing, story, music, and distribution plans.  Our goal is to have a rough draft of the movie finished by June 1st.  We are hoping for the release date to be in October of 2013 but want to make sure we have enough time to promote this special movie nationwide and worldwide before it is released.  Our goal is to see this entire generation inspired by Derek's story much like Bethany Hamilton's story did.  Lets all continue to live by faith and NOT by sight.  www.beyondsightmovie.com 

EPHESIANS 2:8-9 "For by grace you have been saved through faith; and that not of yourselves, it is the git of God; not as a result of works, that no one should boast."

Maybe it comes up everywhere, but living in a beach community, we seem to hear people tossing around the idea of "karma" an awful lot.  My boys have come home a few times recently asking about karma--Does it fit with Christianity, and what is it all about?

Karma is an Eastern religious belief, that basically means what you do--good or bad--will come back to you.  Someone who believes in karma tries to DO GOOD in hopes that good will then come back to them.   (obviously this is a simplified explanation, but enough to make our point here.)

Karma might seem to make sense, and even remind us of Galations 6:7 that says "Whatever a man sows, this he will also reap."  Certainly, putting our efforts into positive things is a worthy use of time, and obviously we can associate many earthly rewards with a job well done.  However, as Christians, our spiritual DESTINY is NOT based on our efforts at all.   And further--if we're honest we know that most of the things we enjoy on this earth have nothing to do with our having "earned" them.

Instead, as believers in Christ we understand that we are all sinful, and stand guilty before a Holy God.  Even our best works would never be enough to satisfy God's perfect standard.  Instead, Jesus paid the price for our sins on the cross, which allows those of us who believe to stand HOLY before God.  By grace.  Through faith. (Ephesians 2:8-9.)

This should be both a huge relief, and also a motivation for doing good works!  God is pleased with every effort we make to do good in life.  But those things will never save our souls.  We have good news to share with the world!  Next time you hear someone mention karma, you might just suggest something much, much better:  GRACE.

Written by Monica, from www.thegrommom.com 

Walking On Water is excited to share the news that we are teaming up with Carver Skateboards!  These 1970's inspired skate boards are uniquely made to turn and carve like a surfboard.  Great for training, or just cruising around, we think you'll love the feel of Carver Boards.

Here's a little video featuring Derek Rabelo and Carver boards:

[vimeo]http://vimeo.com/52670321#[/vimeo]

If you link to the Carver site from the Walking On Water site, and enter PASSCODE walkwater20-- they will donate 20% of the purchase price to WOW!  This is a great way to support our ministry!

Please click on the following link to get to the Carver site.  You'll see that the designs are very cool, and you'll love riding the boards from the first try.

http://carverskateboards.myshopify.com/collections/surfskate/products/copy-of-35-bitmap

Remember to use Passcode:  Walkonwater20

• Premiere the Promised Land movie
• Pass out free Walking On Water DVD’s to Japanese surfers
• Minister to tsunami victims
• Surf with Japanese surfers and make new friends
• Teach surfing

Proverbs 18:21: The tongue has the power of life and death, and those who love it will eat its fruit.

1 Thessalonians 5:11 Therefore encourage one another and build each other up, just as in fact you are doing.


Our words matter.

A little quiet observation at just about any sporting event will remind you of how powerful a parent's words are to their kids. While attending youth surf contests over the past couple of years, I have seen one too many parents welcome their kid out of the water with words of disappointment. Watching a young surfer come out of the water, already bummed about their performance, only to hear a public ridicule is painful. The depth of the wounds can be seen right on a child's face.

I've been guilty: Even at surf contests I've caught myself, disappointed in the efforts that my surfer boys put into a heat. Knowing how much they've trained, and how prepared they are, I have caught myself speaking out of my own frustration: "WHAT were you thinking out there?" I have asked.
(Maybe more than once.)

Ooops.
GUILTY.

In a stressful moment, the words can come all too easily. Whether we are speaking to a competitive child, or our own spouse, the words we choose absolutely impact other people's lives. They have power.
Power to build up.
And power to tear down.
Power to give confidence.
And power to break it. Even when we find someone in the worst of circumstances, we have the opportunity to use our words to re-direct, and bring hope. In a child's life, this can make all of the difference in the world.

What are you building with your words?
Consider using your words as instruments of peace and encouragement this week. As a family we are working on this one right now. In fact, here's our family memory verse:

Ephesians 4:29 Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen.

Be blessed!
Monica, www.thegrommom.com