Abigail

Today, I took Abigail shopping with me. She is usually very well behaved when we go places. She is still little enough to where she doesn't want everything she can see. She also keeps herself occupied most of the time with people watching. She is friendly, and she smiles at everyone and does her parade wave. I never realized how babies attract people. Most of the time, people comment on how fat her cheeks are, or how alert she is. I guess I never knew much about babies before I had my own. Now everywhere we go, Abigail points at other babies, so I automatically get all google-eyed over them. Mike and I have been talking about whether or not we are ready to have another baby. Even as a newborn, Abigail had a wonderful temperament and she has always slept through the night. With the exception of the first two weeks of her life, we have never really experienced the dreaded sleep deprivation that comes along with having a newborn. Sometimes I wonder if I'll miss those important moments in her life if I am tied up with another new baby. Everyone told us when she was born that before we knew it, she would grow up. Even though she is only nine months old, that time has gone by so fast. I look at her and wonder what she'll want to be when she grows up. I wonder if she will like art and music the way that Mike and I do, or if she'll play sports instead. Or maybe she'll invent something or change the world. My hopes and dreams for her go far beyond what words or imagination can dream up. And from what I know of little Miss Abigail, I know she'll never cease to amaze us.

Love

Of Course, love is a difficult word to define. But let me try listing what I think the future of Christian love should involve:

• loving without putting our acts of kindness on a pedestal. What ever happened to giving in secret? Glamorous charity is not charity at all.
• loving without strings, unconditionally, no bait and switches.
• being unconcerned about being unnamed, rewarded, or repaid
• prioritizing others, even in the midst of our own discomfort
• advocating for the undefended
• being a voice for the voiceless
• being better listeners to those who need to be heard
• being a church without walls-simple church, organic church, mega church-it's all good. We are one church.
• seeing the church as the home of the fringe, the misfits, and the marginalized, where these same people lead with real authority.
• willing to lay down our lives for others, like first-century Christians did when pandemics struck their cities. They stayed when others left.
• responding immediately to global crisis
• long term commitment to radical and sacrificial compassion for the poor.
• being a gentle conversationalist with the world
• showing love for Christ more than love for Christianity as a culture
• creating a place where all are truly empowered, led, and seen for who they are. A place where everyone finally reflects the majority of a multi-cultural world. Jesus didn't really have long, blonde hair and blue eyes! (or did He?)

Dave Gibbons - pastor, New Song Church

Global

"My hope is that, in the future, evangelical leaders will ensure that their social agenda includes such vital but controversial topics as halting climate change, eradicating poverty, abolishing armories of mass destruction, responding adequately to the AIDS pandemic, and asserting the human rights of women and children in all cultures and countries."

John Stott -rector emeritus, All Souls Church, London

Food For Thought

Mike and I are excited about planting a garden this spring. We have been talking about growing our own food for a long time, and now that it is starting to get a little warmer outside, we can do it. I am not really educated about growing food, but I know I like food so I am hoping that it will prove to be more fun than difficult. What I am most excited about is showing Abigail how to help us. Currently, we make all of her food at home instead of buying baby food in a jar or box. It is less expensive and better for her since most of the food that we eat is organic or natural. We try not to eat a lot of foods that are loaded with preservatives or artificial ingredients. I know that she is eating healthy. I am hoping that she will continue this as an adult if we teach her that it is better, but for now I am just happy that she is not a picky eater. She had rolled oats for breakfast, and she had brown rice, beets, and apples for lunch. For dinner, she had half of an avocado and some milk. She seems to love eating this way and as long as she doesn't think she has an option, I will continue to feed it to her. I want her to learn how to pick her favorite foods from our garden. I want to teach her where food comes from and how to take care of nature and God's creation. I want to teach her how to cook too, and I am excited for the day she wants to make a big mess making cookies in our house. I don't see a lot of children outdoors anymore and I don't want Abigail to be like that. When I was a kid, I played outside and I got dirty. I went swimming in the lake and dug up worms for fishing, played TAG and caught fireflies. Now, most kids sit in front of the TV playing video games. They like McDonald's and Burger King. If it's processed and convenient, or if it comes in a package that they can just rip open and eat, then it saves time. That's something that we all need...more time. In conclusion, I plan to spend "more time" teaching my beloved child (children) about the wonderful things that God created, like playing in the grass and counting the stars. I will read to them about how time began...

in a garden.

The Face of Christ

I had an epiphany this morning. I had a series of dreams last night and every single one of them involved what has been going on in our church. For those of you in the dark, let me shed some light. In short, we have made it our mission to not give up on loving the people of Wintersville Community Chapel, despite the few hang nails and speed bumps we have encountered.

Back to what I was saying before...I realized how complex the role of a pastor has become in the church today. Massive changes in cultural and societal environments of the church in the twentieth century seem to call into question everything the church has always believed about herself. It is the mission of the pastor to see that those in the midst of those changes, do not feel like "sheep without a shepherd". He or she must present the gospel of Christ and the cross to a "lost and dying world." Simply put: Ministry is people.

It also hit me that God is not napping during this hour of opportunity and harvest. He is watching and waiting for His bride to get herself ready. Some churches have become unbearable activity traps. How can we be effective in reaching other people if we are constantly involved in ministry (with other Christians) that never leave the church? There are other churches that have become steeped in a sense of purposelessness. They blame their complacency on the changing times, younger leadership, or lack of heart. Personally, I think the church has reached a crossroads. I've heard it said that this next generation, may be the last generation of Christians.

Jesus was a shepherd. He cared for the flock and was moved with compassion for them. He wanted what was in their best interest, and He went out of His way to make Himself uncomfortable and available for other people. He traveled long distances and had no place to lay His head. He sacrificed. Seeing this type of outreach without personal gain, is rare in the church today. People want to help the homeless for the "experience", to make them feel better about themselves, rather than stooping down and looking someone in the eye to understand why they are in the situation they are in. At one time, I was actively involved in a church ministry that would travel by van every Sunday evening to the streets in downtown Columbus and feed the homeless people there. Some of the people had shelter provided by the local faith missions, and some slept under the bridges night after night. Truth be told, the people didn't really need food. In fact, more often than not, by the time we arrived they had already been fed by the faith mission. Most of them had clothes that were in decent shape. We brought them food and clothes anyway, even though our mission was not to feed the homeless "food", but to feed them the Word of God. Our purpose was not to focus on converting them or to get them to join our church, but to give them hope in Jesus. It is not realistic to believe that a homeless person is going to get off drugs, leave the streets, and become an active participant in church once he or she accepts the Lord into their life. It's more realistic to believe that they may need ministered to a number of times, or that they will fall back into the same trap because they can't get out. It's easier to give up than to have hope in something and be let down. Only they are not let down by God, they are let down by us; the ones that go in the name of Jesus.

My husband has said numerous times that if he could do anything else for a living, he would. It's his job to aid in developing the hearts and minds of the people in his congregation to effectively go out into the community and represent Jesus. He must teach them to apply the gospel to their everyday lives. Jesus washed the feet of His disciples. I can imagine how dirty and gross their feet must have been after traveling such long distances through the deserts surrounding them. And yet, He got down in their dirtiness and sin, and washed them anyway. He left us an example to live by in the way we are to treat others.

"How then shall they call on Him in whom they have not believed? And how will they believe in whom they have not heard of? And how will they hear without a preacher? And how will they preach unless they are sent? As it is written: how beautiful are the feet of those who come in the name of the LORD, who preach the gospel of peace. Who bring glad tidings of good things!" Matthew 10:14,15

Random Thought: 101

Originally, I sat here thinking roughly for five to ten minutes about something to write about...
First, I thought I would describe the way the LORD is moving in the hearts of people in our church, as it has been pretty revolutionary and is seemingly already having an impact on our lives. Too personal right now, I thought; I don't think anyone would care.
Second, I thought I could pass off a potpourri of words as a constructed means of allowing others to visualize my thought process; you know, something along the lines of, "Potato salad, tartar sauce, Simon Cowell, or how I love Ellen Degeneres", you know, just a slew of random things. Perhaps a bit too awkward; and as before, no one would care.
So then, I pondered the result of meshing the two: a civilized means of discussing random things that came to my mind and the hearts of people. It holds weight AND is interesting to read!
The above equation produced the solution, which is the following...
I am having trouble relating to society and the thought processes of the people within it. I dislike it so much, I wish to associate it with a word more powerful than dislike.
The society we live in today is annoying me in the sense that almost everything is a double standard. Do I sound like I am ranting? (Irony?)
I think the way I would choose to put it is that I loathe the ways of the world we all live in today; the ideology, the way we act and conduct ourselves, and yet, my Jesus says that I am supposed to be a light in it.
I am twenty-eight years old. I think it may be biased for me to say the above at such a young age. Some may dare to say I am closed-minded, seeing as I am basing my opinion on such a short span of life. I think the opposite. I think this world would be a better place if people saw things the way I see them, if they thought the way I thought, or felt how I felt. Will this ever happen? Probably not. Cultures thrive upon all of their members being different. But that doesn't mean we shouldn't wise up to certain things. Okay, now you probably think I am on the verge, if not entirely, sounding arrogant. I am trying to be sarcastic, that's the point.
Therefore, tonight I shall begin a series of short writings based on what is going on in my head. Tonight, will be Chapter 1 in said series, and will discuss love in modern society.
Ahem, here goes...
Being young, I have become accustomed to witnessing much regarding the dating scene, and becoming observant of the other gender, and also how we deal with them, how they think, etc. I notice these things more in others now that I am happily married. I think most would agree with saying that modern society has corrupted the term "love".
I do not advocate saying the word love when you don't mean it, yet some frequent its use. It doesn't make sense to me. On a daily basis, I see teenage sweethearts professing their love and making irresponsible choices and "throwing their lives away". For example, getting a divorce because they got married too young, children having children, etc. Such immaturity is pitiful, and it is a shame that it happens. However, the problem with modern society is that it isn't just the teenagers acting irresponsible anymore, it is adults too. Modern society endorses and promotes promiscuity and irresponsibility to the point where words like love, sex, and marriage have lost their meaning, and have been devalued to just another word in the dictionary. I think what corrupts the world so much is that individuals allow this ideology to continue, mostly by participation.
I also believe that most of this irresponsibility is derived from the modern media. The way we are influenced is done in such a way that it allows such behavior to become socially accepted, and almost inherently become the norm. People have lost touch with the way they used to be able to think for themselves, and instead are told how to think, and the sad thing is that it works. We are constantly being indoctrinated.
Essentially, what I am saying is we need to change our thought processes, for the betterment of others and for society in general. If we continue on the way we have been, we will be perpetuating this madness into a state of idiocracy, and it would be a shame.
I apologize for not being linear, and not even really finishing. I will finish when I have more time.
For now, I am tired of looking at the keyboard and I am still not sure if anyone cares that I think this way.

Give Thanks

I have been missing home a lot lately. My head realizes that this is our new home, and as soon as it convinces my heart, I'll stop mentioning it. Anyways, I talked to Sandi on the phone today and it made me wish I could hug her and sit on her porch (even though it's cold) and sip some coffee. When I got off the phone with her, I began to think about all of the girls in small group back home and how we all ever got connected in the first place. How each one of us are so different, and yet so very much the same. I could never put together a group of women myself that has the same connection, so by this I know that it was orchestrated by God alone. I have never had trouble making friends before, but sometimes when your whole life changes, even when it's expected, it makes you choose who it is that you let into your life a little more carefully. Life is a journey that takes us down many roads. Some are good and some not so good. But as we live life, we learn, grow, and meet people that make the journey worth the travel. Mike and I have met a lot of nice people since we've moved here, and I am sure that we will meet many more. I hope that some of those people become true, lifelong friends. I think friends help us live longer and happier. Those kind of people, people that I would like to call friends, are like angels in a way. With them, we find comfort in their arms or in their words. There are times when we find comfort in their presence, knowing that they will stand beside us come what may. Sometimes, those same friends come and go, and from each one, we learn more about ourselves. We see our own weaknesses and our own strengths from the eyes of another. Friends that are lifelong, the ones that stick around and inprint our hearts, are the ones we keep even closer. I am talking about those friendships where time or distance knows no bounds, and the love that is shared can stand up against the worst of circumstances.
So, I am writing this post with love and thanks. To my friends who have touched my life, watched me fall, and raised me up like angels sent from God. Thank you for helping to lift me up above my fight. For whispering prayers softly for both me and my family. Thank you for loving me even when I didn't have the right words to say. Thank you for loving me as one of your own, for being gentle, and for making me miss home. Everytime I think of you, I find myself wondering how I deserve the honor of having such wonderful people to call my friends. In my life, I have tried hard not to question God's blessings. I just seek His face the best way that I know how. There are special angels that we encounter throughout our lives. I believe that with all my heart. I praise God everyday because you have been mine. I love you.

Welcome to Our World

Brace yourself for ecclesiastical carnage.
Programs have been dumped, traditional music trashed, preaching styles and topics revolutionized, symbols of reverence (appropriate clothing, crosses, communion tables, and pulpits come to mind) thrust aside.
The anger begins with a young pastor and his family, who have been appointed with a challenge from the small church's leadership to stir things up and inspire new vision. They were given a mandate to bring the people in, make the church grow, and most important, evangelize the youth of the surrounding neighborhoods to encourage them back into the church. Most of the church members (average age: 50+) had no idea what they were getting themselves into when all the growth talk began. Most thought that the new face in the pulpit would be a clone of the recently retired pastor, even though there was a significant age difference. They did not expect a reshuffling of the churches priorities, so the lost and broken people rather than the found and supposedly fixed people, became the primary target audience. Fighting tradition, unwritten rules, and change-resistant people.
In summary, virtually everything in the life of the church under this new leadership has become focused on reaching people that are not yet in the church. The older people in the congregation are left feeling as if the church they love has been hijacked by an intruder (one that they hired as an agent for change) and that no one understands that everything they are familiar and comfortable with has been done away with.
A disappointing fact: churches tend to hire a pastor and tell him that they are in the mood for change. They want more up-to-date equipment, they want more outreach-oriented programs, and they want to be more open to young people. Then, if any of that begins to happen, it's not unusual for some of those same people who hired the pastor to grow resistive as they feel things slipping out of their control and migrating into the hands of others, usually much younger, who may be more energetic and hungry for innovative ways of doing church.

On a more positive note: these common issues can be overcome with prayer and persistence, honesty, and love. It's not easy, but it can be done.

This has been our life for the past eight months. We're not giving up.

Right, Left, or down the middle...

I think that the conservative religious movement in today's society, has been deeply corrupted by political forces. This corruption of religion for the sake of political power is not something that I want to be a part of, which goes back to something I mentioned in a previous post about not involving myself in politics. I don't choose to be a part of it, however, it is hard to be involved in someone else's life without hearing their worldview (which, most of the time, involves who is running for president). The views of both right and left are narrowed in my opinion. I want my faith and life to count for something, and I hope and try everyday to connect with others in changing our world; to express the love of Jesus in the world, and in my relationship with those other people. The "privatized" faith that says that it's just between "me and Jesus", is really not good enough to build the faith of the next generation as far as I am concerned. People want to see faith in action, but not on the basis of political gain. There is a new hunger for revival, and a new hunger to participate in the efforts to change the world. People have been destroying the earth for a long time, using it's natural resources, polluting, etc. and I find it funny how in the last year, the trend to "go green" has become so popular. It is our responsibility as stewards, to take care of the earth and the people in it, and to try to replenish what we take. But the issues on restoring the environment have come to the forefront of politics as well.

In the past, the things that have changed society and politics have been based on social need and spiritual foundations. With his Bible in one hand, and the constitution in the other, Martin Luther King Jr. changed the the wind in our nation, inspiring a whole generation to engage in the struggle for civil rights. The politicians came around last, as they often do. One reason why young people are so disgusted with the role of religion in politics is because we teach our own political traditions instead of the ways of Christ. We have become judge and jury towards the sinful lives of others and forget that we are sinners saved by grace. Scripture says that we wrestle not against the flesh and blood of our fellow man who sins. A loving, compassionate God gave His Son as a substitute to redeem our sins instead of legislating hell and giving us what we deserved. If we would put aside our own way of doing things and begin to stand for kingdom agendas in the political arena, then I believe God's purposes would be revealed more clearly to those outside of the church. As far as my own involvement in said arena, this is the first year that I have struggled with my decision to vote and who to vote for.

note: The "we" in this post, is referring to Christian leaders in current political arenas.

Untitled

Sometimes we forget what we've got.

Who we are, and who we are not.

There's so much more to love

Than black and white...