coloring

Simply Living

In the Overholt home, we have been discussing the importance of living a simple life unfettered from the consumer-driven lifestyle.  As a part of that conversation, we have talked about what living simply actually looks like.  It has sparked some interesting thoughts about what we need versus what we want.  The discussion is far from over at this point as there are still areas we are grappling with. Yesterday I discovered the junky car club via Mark Batterson's blog. The concept behind the club is to live with less in order to give more.  We got a good laugh about the elite lemon membership.  Here's qualification #2:  "Your vehicle is 10 years old or older and MAY have trouble starting on cold mornings, have a funky smell inside, and have an annoying hum coming from the radio."  It's so true!  Our window is duck-taped closed to keep the rain out of the car, but the funky smell is still there.  Seriously though, it prompted another round of discussions with the kids about why we don't have a new car.  No car payments allow me to be home with the kids.  It has helped us get through the lean times of church planting, and frees up our money to give to social justice issues.  As we continue to wrestle with this idea, I would love to know ways that others have chosen to live a simpler life.

Ch-Ch-Changes, pt. 2

written by Casey Clark

People have a lot of questions about the merge with Symphonic. It's such a foreign idea to them. It seems there’s a typical approach to choosing a new church: You do a little research, lurk around unnoticed for a few weeks, watch carefully for weirdos, and check that everything feels comfortable & convenient. It can take years to really allow oneself to feel woven into a community. When Epic & Symphonic merged, I had this overwhelming sense that I had been chosen. They want me. This community doesn’t know anything about me: They don’t know if I’m annoying, or lazy, or helpful or clever. But they’re willing to accept me as one of their own with no questions asked. There’s not even a guarantee that I’ll offer the same. It will be awkward getting to know one another, but we won’t walk out on each other because we’re a family. Maybe that was a naïve way of looking at it, but that’s how I felt. I didn’t choose my church. It doesn’t look anything like that movie theater I walked into 2 years ago. Along with just a small group of people, I invested my time & energy into an old warehouse, not really knowing what God was planning to do with it. Then God just moved Symphonic into what I already considered my home.

Ch-Ch-Changes

(In case you are younger than me, the title is a line from a Bowie song.)  This post was written by Casey Clark about the merger.  It was intended to be on my blog while I was on vacation, but I couldn't get internet access anywhere.  In case this sounds stilted, it is just a portion of what she wrote.  Don't blame her.

I realize how the story could sound like one of constant challenge and uncertainty. But it honestly hasn’t felt like that. At some point, I realized that changes would happen with or without my support. And I made the decision that I’d rather be along for the ride than left behind. Learning to trust leadership has taught me to learn to trust God. I guess it's probably supposed to work the other way around. Somehow, even though the changes have constantly gotten bigger, they are becoming easier to accept & embrace.

Word of Mouth

Last night Robb and I went down to the warehouse to see the production of Betrayal.  We decided to go next door to catch a quick bite before watching the play.  As we sat there eating our nachos, we overheard two guys talking at the table next to us.  They had seen flyers for the play, and one of the guys was explaining that the play was being performed at a church.  The other guy was very confused.  (We don't have a sign outside that displays our church's name, and we meet in a non-descript warehouse that is a series of warehouses holding a Mexican restaurant, a recycling business, and us.)  The friend kept explaining that the church was next door.  (This definitely seemed like a foreign concept, and this point had to be explained several times.)  The guy doing the explaining does not attend Symphonic, nor has he ever visited, but he continued to tell his friend all about us with much excitement.  He talked about how two churches came together to be one church.  He shared that a friend of his attends Symphonic and raves about the church to him.  He ended with the comment, "It's not like any church I've heard of."

Stop and Smell the Roses

Yesterday was a fabulous day, but it could have been a disaster.  The deciding factor was attitude.  After dealing with the nasty four-mile back-up at the tunnel, we finally arrived at Busch Gardens to an ominous sky threatening rain.  Before the rain actually started, we decided to head straight to an indoor theater for a show figuring we'd be entertained during the storm (it was just a passing storm, right?) and when it was over we could enjoy the rest of the park.  The downpour lasted longer than we anticipated (much longer), so we stood huddled like herded cattle at the exit with a couple hundred people staring out the doors wondering what we should do next and watching people who were drenched from head to toe exit the park.  We asked the kids if they were ready for an adventure, promptly bought some ponchos, and headed off to relax and have dinner.  The rain eventually let up, but we still had moments of drizzle, light rain, and even another shower later.  The storm had brought cooler temperatures, a nice breeze, and as an added bonus had encouraged many visitors to leave so that we had very short lines for the rides.  We stayed for the big Cirque de Soleil style show at the end of the night.  (I was stunned that they performed during the rain.)  The rain added an interesting mystical quality to the show.  I think the audience was more pumped up than usual because everyone was determined to have a great time despite the elements.  There were people doing the wave as they waited for the show to start.  When the band began with the pre-music the crowd erupted with cheers and applause.  It only made the musicians rock a little harder.  Some of the acrobatic acts were removed from the perfomance because of the weather, and no one complained.  Everyone was thrilled to just have the show.

I have written before about being a glass-is-half-empty kind of girl.  That's what comes naturally, but it is not who I want to be.  I think yesterday was even sweeter to me because we chose as a family to make the most of the situation.  There's the old expression, "Stop and smell the roses."  Sometimes we have to look a little harder just to notice the roses are there, and when we find the roses, the smell is intoxicating because we know we almost missed them.

Vacation Vacillation

I have been longing for a road trip.  No predefined itinerary.  Just jump in the car and go.  That sounds like vacation...freedom from the mandates of my everyday life.  I am not a very spontaneous person, but this let-life-happen-to-me idea sounds like pure joy for vacation.  Due to financial considerations, it seems it's more prudent to plan ahead and find great deals.  As a result, my week has consisted of hours scouring the web for ideas on what cities to visit, sites to see, and of course bargains that fit our budget.  The irony of this situation is not lost on me.  However, we finally have a course set and rooms booked.  Seven days! :)

Guerilla Gardening

There are people that are brimming with ideas that need to be listened to.  Lorraine is one of those people.  She mentioned the concept of guerilla gardening to me a few months ago, and I neatly filed it away mentally.  (Since she has a lot of ideas, I cannot process them all at once.)  Then while I was working on an article about environmental issues, I found myself in an avoidance and procrastination mode, and began researching the guerilla gardening idea.  [Guerilla implies illegal, and I don't want the focus of this to be about permission.  It works the same if you get permission from the city or landowner.]

The more I read, the more I fell in love with the idea. To me, it's about giving back and transformation.  The garden is both good for the environment and can be used to produce food for low-income families or in conjunction with a ministry for the homeless.  I think this works best if we can work side-by-side with families and social activists in the community.  It should really be a missional undertaking tangibly living out our values as Christ-followers and developing relationships with people in our city.

I hate gardening, but I recognize that some people have a passion for it.  This project is starting to take shape as those who want to make an impact through social justice and gardening are taking ownership.  I cannot wait to see how this progresses.

In the Eye of the Beholder (or the artist)

I love this photo taken by Kristin Cato because of its simplicity and the unique way she expressed herself.  What does it prompt in your heart?

Sound Waves

Nobody would mistake me for someone who is courageous.  However, I have no fear of swimming in the ocean.  (I am surprised by how many people I have talked to lately who feel anxious in the ocean or absolutely refuse to enter it altogether.)  I love it.  I am comfortable in the ocean because I have done it all my life.  The Pacific Ocean.  The Atlantic.  Even the Gulf of Mexico.  I remember as a child being pummeled by the waves, thinking I could not hold my breath for one more second, and as soon as my head sliced the surface of the water getting knocked down by the next wave.  I sucked down a lot of salt water.  I felt safe whenever an adult would take my hand and help me navigate past the breakers into calmer waters.  Otherwise, I chose to play along the shoreline.  Someone finally shared the secret to braving the ocean.  I can try running out between sets.  I can jump with a cresting wave.  But when a large wave is bearing down on me, the only thing I can do to keep from being pounded by the surf is to dive head-first smack dab into the wave.  This is contrary to my every instinct. 

However, this paradox has been the essence of my church planting experience...diving into situations that my human instinct finds a bit scary and overwhelming.  In the end faith builds and trust emerges just like water confidence evolves as a result of experience.  It's amazing how much I have grown in the process of being bandied about by waves that I wanted to avoid or moments where I wished for a little hand-holding instead of a face full of water.

Cheesy but it Works

I find chocolate to be divine, and peanut butter is a yummy treat.  When you combine the two, the result is my favorite candy.  A Reese's peanut butter cup.  A completely new creation altogether.

Here's the metaphor.

Symphonic is a great church.  Epic is a great church.  When the two are combined, the result is also a new creation completely different than the original churches.  Some people will like the peanut butter cup..I mean, church, better while others won't have a taste for it at all.

If you don't like Reese's, substitute pineapples, coconuts, and pina coladas in the illustration. :)