coloring

Amazing Team

Robb and I are getting ready to pack and hop on a plane for LA.  Yes, we are very last minute.  The thing that excites me the most is that we are having a cookout on Sunday immediately following our worship gathering, and our volunteer team is planning everything while we are gone.  We are hoping some small groups will naturally emerge from this hanging out time.  I woke up this morning and had some e-mails with questions regarding last minute details.  I know they will do a stupendous job.  Our church is so much stronger and healthier thanks to a committed group of leaders.  Thanks, guys!

I'm Stressed Already

Robb and I are flying to LA tomorrow for the Origins Conference.  I hate flying!  I am inwardly grimacing just at the thought.  It all started eight years ago when Robb and I were on a flight from Boston.  Well, "on a flight" would infer that our plane actually took off from the airport.  The reality is that we sat for hours on the tarmac.  It was like one of those flights that end up on a Dateline report.  We ate our peanuts and soda.  No dinner.  No one was allowed to use the bathroom.  I got in trouble for standing in front of my seat trying to bounce my fussy one-year old in my arms.  No standing allowed.  We had to change a messy diaper across our laps.  No dinner should be mentioned twice as my kids were starving.  I was on the verge of a panic attack after hours of this.  Everyone in coach was pretty riled up; everyone wanted off the plane.  I talked Robb into getting up and asking the stewardess if we could all go back to the terminal.  The passengers nearby us were pretty excited by this prospect. 

Robb did not receive a friendly greeting from the stewardess - to put it mildly.  He tried to explain our plight, but was met with a threat of being arrested.  At this point, he heard a voice with a British accent (a first-class passenger) demand that we go back to the terminal.  The captain leaned out of the cockpit and inquired as to the problem.  The stewardess replied that Mr. David Bowie wanted to exit the plane immediately.  I never thought I would be so thankful for David Bowie.  Thanks to him, the plane was turned around and we were able to disembark.  Behold the power of celebrity.

Role Reversal

We had an all-girl tech team today.  Pretty awesome!  Julie had her first solo gig on the sound board, and I had to pinch hit for our media person due to an illness.  I don't think Julie breathed until the band left the stage.  When I told her that she did a great job, she smiled and said, "God was all over this place."  I'll have to ask her if this is the most she has ever prayed in her life. :)  It is always great for us to switch jobs to learn a new appreciation for someone else's role.  The tech team has a high amount of pressure each week; unfortunately, most people don't even notice the techies unless there is a mistake. 

Keeping Me Awake at Night

The Edge is universally considered to be one of the most innovative and influential guitar players of all time, yet he was unschooled on guitar.  This led to the Edge formulating his own style.  He wasn't constricted by the rules of guitar.  He wasn't confined by the box; he didn't know where the box was.

I think there is an inherent danger for those of us in ministry to begin our creative process by trying to think out of the box.  What if we were to eliminate the box altogether?  Our leadership team is currently discussing community.  Our natural desire is to discuss small groups and how to do them better.  Instead, we are starting the conversation at the beginning.  What does natural community look like within a church and what is our role in bringing about community?  What is the end result that we would all love to see?

Too Many Warriors

I am halfway through Mark Batterson's book In a Pit with a Lion on a Snowy Day.  One of the most encouraging parts to me was in the second chapter.

You have too many warriors with you.  If I let all of you fight the Midianites, the Israelites will boast to me that they saved themselves by their own strength.  Judges 7:2

• "If Gideon had attacked with thirty-two thousand men and won, I'm pretty sure the Israelites would have thanked God for lending them a hand and God would have gotten partial credit...God wants and deserves full credit."
• "Too often our prayers revolve around asking God to reduce the odds in our lives.  We want everything in our favor.  But maybe God wants to stack the odds against us so we can experience a miracle of divine proportions.  Maybe faith is trusting God no matter how impossible the odds are.  Maybe our impossible situations are opportunities to experience a new dimension of God's glory."

Such a great reminder for me in my life personally and in the life of our church.

Not Your Typical Baptism

We had the privilege to be a part of the PiN Ministry's first baptism service last night.  It was an amazing experience to worship with a group of homeless and formerly homeless people.  Watching them celebrate in a completely uninhibited way devoid of pretensions was incredibly moving.  Everyone encouraged and rejoiced wholeheartedly with those that got baptized; the communal spirit was strong.  It truly felt like a party.  For a group of people that has so little, it is humbling to see their appreciation.  So many thanked Epic's band for leading worship (such a small thing).  Note:  The last photo is of all those that got baptized.  Christy is in the back in the pink tanktop.  You can find a little of her story here.

Dandelions and Value

Most of us have had the conversation about what are the must-have items if we were to be stranded on a deserted island.  I immediately gravitate towards the personal comfort category:  deodorant, toilet paper, etc.  My instinct is not for the practical like a tarp or a knife. 

I discovered on my field trip yesterday that the colonists brought dandelions to America.  (Dandelions are not native to our country. )  Their list was all about survival.  Apparently every part of the dandelion can be utilized.  The flowers can be used for dying cloth; the leaves are more nutritional than spinach or broccoli; the roots have medicinal properties; a coffee-like drink without caffeine can also be made from the roots.  The list goes on and on.

I was intrigued because so many people spend a lot of time and money trying to rid their yards of this flower that I think is beautiful.  I think it boils down to value.  The value of the dandelion is overlooked in our society.  It makes me wonder what other things of beauty and significance we don't value.  What things come to your mind?

God Speaks in the Oddest Places in the Oddest Ways

I was mindlessly perusing the grocery aisles and listening to my iPod when I heard:

All because of you
All because of you
All because of you
I am...I am

Out of curiousity is anybody incorporating this chorus into their worship?

Not Tech Savvy!

I chaperoned a third-grade field trip today.  What an eye-opening experience!  Every child was allowed to bring one electronic device on the bus.  Laney's class was split down the middle between Nintendo DS and iPod as to what they brought.  One of the girls in my group was asking who Zach was in Chat Room B.  I was very confused at this point because to my knowledge DS is a hand-held gaming system.  Due to my ignorance, I had to ask an 8-year old girl to explain to me what they are doing.  Apparently, there are four chat rooms available on DS that can be used if the kids are in close proximity.  No need to pass notes as kids in the same class can just use their DS.  What a different world my kids are growing up in.  Man, I feel old and out of touch.

Wanting the Whole Picture

I finally watched Marie Antoinette the other night, such a tragic yet intriguing story.  (If you don't like history, the French, or this movie, keep reading as there is a greater point.)  I was surprised by parts of the film, so I ended up doing some reading to find out how true to life the movie was.  I had learned about the French Revolution in school, but I feel like I was only given a portion of the story - from the revolutionaries' perspective.  This story (like most stories) is best understood within a richer context.  Learning Marie Antoinette's background and being introduced to a more complete picture of her character and personality adds a new layer of meaning to history.

Looking at a story and considering all the characters in order to better understand the story is something I love to do in regards to film and literature.  However, it doesn't seem to come so easily when I read Scripture.  My favorite communicators can bring the Bible to life in a fascinating way and help me to really feel the story.  I have to admit I think my husband is brilliant at this (which is good since he's my pastor).  I have realized that I need to be more intentional when I am studying the Bible and ask the bigger questions.  Who are the players in the story?  Why did they each react the way they did?  What could they have been thinking and/or feeling at this moment?  I think this will be challenging for me.