Places To Go

My blogs have been a little heavy lately so I thought I’d do a string of posts on the places we love in Columbus. I spend a lot of time with the girls just getting to know the city. We moved here 2 years ago and, with so many fun things to do, this keeps us pretty busy.

One of our favorite little day trips is to Plain City. It’s only about 30 minutes from us and, if I time it correctly, it can take up our whole afternoon.

We usually start at Yutzy’s Farm Market. It’s an old-fashioned fruit/vegetable market with an awesome selection of home-made mixes, breads and a really good deli. They also have a great outdoor play area, lots of farm animals and Ice Cream!

We use their deli trays on a regular basis for our events and they are always a crowd pleaser.

Here are a few pics from a trip there last fall:

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The Mondays – Normal Isn’t Working PT 3

Of Jesus’ many guarantees, there is one I never like to be reminded of:

John 16:33 – In this world you WILL have trouble. 

You only have to be alive for about 3.2 seconds before you realize the truth to this blunt statement. I wish He would have said “you might have trouble,” or “you will have trouble if you are a really horrible person.” But no, He does not. This is a one size fits all promise. No matter who you are, how much money you have, how much you pray, how much faith you have, you WILL have trouble.

Thankfully, He does not end the thought with that depressing statement.

John 16:33 – In this world you WILL have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.

I had the extreme privilege of spending several hours last week with a woman who has fully owned and received this promise from our Savior.

Lori found a lump on her breast 3 years ago as she was nursing her second child. After several false diagnoses, a biopsy revealed an extremely rare form of cancer that was in stage 4. The thought of hearing those words given to me by a doctor is, honestly, beyond my ability to comprehend. At the time, Lori had two young children, a flourishing career as a physician and a husband who adored her.

Three years later the cancer has spread throughout her entire body. She has traveled the country visiting the world’s most prominent doctors, lost her hair, gone through every treatment known to man and has basically been given just months to live.

As she shared her medical story with us, I just kept thinking: “How in the world is this woman even here right now? How could she possibly have the physical and emotional strength to recap with a group of complete strangers all that she has been through?”

After her medical story, she got to talking about her sweet children. What it has been like to come to the realization that she may not be here to watch them grow up. She shared how she has written birthday cards for each of their birthdays for years to come, bought them gifts for their wedding days that are to be given to them from her.

Can you imagine?

And would you believe in all of that she did not shed a tear? Not one tear. I’ve never seen such strength and peace.

Only when she began talking about her Jesus did the tears come. It was as if they were reserved for Him. This God who had held her hand so tightly these last three years. This God who she knew more intimately now than ever before. This God whom she trusted completely and unreservedly.

When Chad read Revelation 21: 4 this weekend, I immediately thought of Lori. How she must feel reading these words and how she has embraced this promise as her life’s song.

He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’ or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away. And He who was seated on the throne said, “I am making everything new!” 

Yes, we can count on the trouble. We can count on the fact that life will NOT go according to our plan. We can count on it being MORE than we can bear.

I loved how Chad summed this up on Sunday:

In this life:

-SYSTEMS will be shaken, but in God’s power we will remain STABLE.
-RELATIONSHIPS will be shaken, but in God’s presence we will remain SECURE.
-HOPES will be shaken, but in God’s promises we will remain CONFIDENT.

Here’s a pic of Lori with my sweet Wednesday Morning group. What a gift she gave us all.

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Just Be There

Several weeks ago, Chad and I were traveling in Texas. In between meetings, we stepped out to grab a quick bite to eat. Since we were in Texas and since I could eat mexican food three meals a day, seven days a week, we popped into a local place that had a nice patio and a big menu. About halfway through the meal, a dad and two girls walked in and took a seat a few tables away from us.

Having been away from our girls for a few days, my heart ached a bit as I saw their sweet little legs climb into their seats. And I thought to myself: “How nice. This dad is having a little daddy/daughter time.” And then, I watched as something unexpected happened. Each girl dug, from their backpack, an iPad and headphones and the dad, himself, reached into his laptop case and pulled out a laptop. The girls put their headphones on and got busy watching a movie. The dad, in between ordering, got busy answering emails and working. I thought perhaps when their food came, they’d put them away, but to my surprise they didn’t. They just ate and watched.

Now, let me be the first to say that I did not judge this man. In a moment when I need peace and quiet, the iPad is my very, very, very best friend. But as I watched this dad and his girls, something in my heart sank. I wanted to scream across the patio: “You’re missing it! They’ll be gone soon, and all you’ll be left with is your laptop!”

But I couldn’t. I didn’t.

And then something else happened. I started racing through all of the times over the previous  weeks I had blown my girls off … popped in a movie to keep them quiet … stopped by McDonald’s so I could get some work done at the office while they ate … caved in and let them watch one more Wonder Pets so I could do the dishes.

Why is it so difficult at times to just BE with our kids? What on earth could be more important than listening to Morgan recount her day or Macy tell me about her stuffed monkey? And what on earth could that Dad have been working on that couldn’t wait until after dinner? What is wrong with us?

Fighting my inner urge to go have a heart to heart conversation with a stranger in the middle of a mexican restaurant, I talked Chad into doing something a little more sneaky. On the way out of the restaurant, we paid for the family’s dinner. Now you may be thinking: “Why on earth would you do that?” To be honest, I’m not really sure why we did it other than it felt like the right thing to do.

We asked the waiter to give the man a note. And on the note, we simply wrote. “Be there for your girls. They need you to be there.”

I pray that father feels God’s love and is able to recognize the role he plays in the lives of those sweet girls.

Selfishly, I am grateful I was there that day. It was a little wake up call for me. Here’s a pic of Macy and I at breakfast this morning. She needs me to be there. So, aside from taking this quick pic, my phone and iPad were in my purse and we had a delightful conversation about escalators and elevators.

Best hour of my week.

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The Morning After – Guest Blog

Thanks to my dear friend, Heather, for allowing me to share these beautiful thoughts of hers. I hope that they encourage your heart as they have encouraged mine.

You can read more about Heather, her faith and her beautiful family at heatherlconrad.com.

 

The Morning After…

It was one of those mornings.  The morning when you feel the effects.

The effects of a good night’s cry.

Often times I discount emotion.  Often times it’s unproductive. Not needed. Superfluous.

Other times, it’s simply a God-given release.  When words evade you.  When there are no answers to your questions.  When you grow weary.  When you simply have no other outlet.  God provides tears.

This is where I found myself last evening.  Be it the dreary, all-day rain, be it the change of plans, be it simply timing, I sat down with my best friend last night, and I said two words…

I’m struggling.

I can’t quite remember any other words uttered from my mouth after that point.  It wasn’t so much that I wanted/needed an answer, it was simply the freedom I’m learning that comes from recognizing my weakness, calling it out, and realizing that not only do I build a relationship with my husband, but I build on the relationship with my Lord, the One who delights in hearing my voice.

In all honesty, at times, I struggle with my place in this world.  I struggle with what I actually bring to this world, or, my value to the tribe, if you will.  I “feel” as though anyone could step in my shoes, take my place, and no one would skip a beat.  I “feel” this way, and at times, it trumps my head knowledge.  Satan has seen this struggle in me before.  He’s watch it render me helpless, and leave me paralyzed.  Therefore, he brings this back up time and time again.  Many times, I battle, I call him out on it.  I know that greater is the One in me than the one who is in the world.

But sometimes, I grow tired of battling.  I wonder.  I want to do more for my Lord.  But it’s not time.  Until then?  It’s the next thing.

Last night, I listened to the words of my earthly best friend.  He pointed out all the “little things” that mean so much to him, to our family, to others God has placed in my life.  He encouraged me.  He spoke words of value to me.

I have to admit, I discounted them.  “But those “things” are so simple.  Anyone could do them.  Listening to others?  That’s easy.”

He says, “No Heather, it’s not.  Not everyone listens.”

And therein lies some truth.  Everyone does have something that comes easy to them.  Something almost as natural as breathing.  Could this be the very thing that the Creator has so perfectly and uniquely crafted each one of us with?  In discounting, not believing, or even rejecting this gift, am I calling my Creator incompetent?

Yikes.

No gifts are small. No life insignificant. No child of God is ever replaceable.  No one is a mistake.

As I sang a song of worship this morning, I made a choice.  I will wait on the Lord.  I will do each of the “small” things.  I remove myself from the judgement seat of declaring “value”. I trust that He has not forgotten me.  I will believe that He loves me.  I will choose joy.  I will choose contentment.  I will choose gratitude.

After all He’s done, and for who He is, it’s the least I can do.

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The Mondays – Because Normal Isn’t Working Pt 2

“BUT EVEN IF HE DOESN’T…”

When we read these words together this weekend at Rock City, I was hit like a ton of bricks. This was part 2 of our series: Because Normal Isn’t Working and Chad shared, from Daniel 3, a story of abnormal faith. I had read the story of Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego countless times. You might remember it too … 3 young guys, evil king with big ego, fiery furnace, etc., etc.

We can all agree that being thrown into a furnace and walking out unscathed is kind of a big deal. It’s the kind of miracle that strengthens our faith, gets us excited and helps us walk through our own trials.  If God can do it for them, He can certainly get me out of this mess that I am in, or that trial you are facing. But what if He doesn’t? What if He hadn’t? What if those three young men had died in that fiery furnace King Nebuchadnezzar had prepared especially for them? Would it have changed anything?

The answer: No.

In Daniel 3: 16-18 we hear the abnormal faith of three men whose faith was not based on a miracle, a prayer or a hope but in a certainty in WHO God is.

“King Nebuchadnezzar, we do not need to defend ourselves before you in this matter. If we are thrown into the blazing furnace, the God we serve is able to deliver us from it, and he will deliver us from your Majesty’s hand. But even if he doesn’t, we want you to know, Your Majesty, that we will not serve your gods or worship the image of the gold you have set up.”

What they are saying is that no matter how this thing goes down, Our God is still God. I heard Beth Moore say one time, that God will either deliver us to the fire, through the fire or from the fire. I think most of my prayers are focused on God delivering me from the fire. I’d rather not even go there. Chad described it as this:

“Most of us spend the majority of our life seeking a faith that will keep us from the fire, instead of seeking a God that will be with us IN the fire.”

I also loved what he said about real faith.

“Real faith believes that God CAN, expects that God WILL, but trusts HIM even when He doesn’t.”

God, give me a “Even if you don’t” kind of faith. Help me see You in the trials that I face and help me glorify you to others as I go through the fire.

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My Easter Top 10

There are about a hundred moments from this Easter weekend that were amazing. We had record attendance, with 700 people joining us at one of our 3 services and over 60 people making commitments to Get On Their Mark with God! That makes all of the craziness leading up to this weekend worth it.

Here are my Top 10 from Easter 2012:

1. Good Friday Communion and Prayer
On Friday night we joined with some of our Rock City team to thank God for His sacrifice and pray for Sunday. We prayed for every seat, every person that would walk through the doors and every heart that would hear the message of God’s love.

2. Volunteer Rock Stars
One guy walked into our church for the first time this weekend and told a volunteer: “I’ve never seen people more excited to be at church.” That’s an understatement buddy. Our volunteers put their heart, soul, sweat and tears into each weekend. I am so thankful for each and every volunteer who made this weekend so special. Here’s a pic someone snapped of some of our volunteers after the 3rd service after loading up the last trailer. It was hard to get these guys to go home!

3. Easter Bunny Fun
One of the perks of being a Pastor’s Kid is that the Easter Bunny comes to your house a day early! We had so much fun with our girls on Saturday morning. The Easter Bunny brought a few Build-A-Bear gift cards so we spent the afternoon picking out the right outfits for our new friends “Bella” and “Stella.”

4. 3rd Service Jitters
We launched our 3rd Sunday Morning worship experience on Easter Sunday. It kind of felt like launch day all over again. I was sitting in the sound booth thinking: “Oh God, please let people come!” Sure enough, at 12:31 people started streaming in. We met many people who thanked us for offering the 12:30 time. We are excited to see what God is going to do during this new service each week!

5. Sunday Afternoon Wind Down with Family and Friends
After the marathon of a morning, we were able to wind down a bit with our family and friends over some delish City BBQ catering (yes, I have their number on speed dial). We laughed a ton and reflected on all that God had done that morning.

6. Unexpected Sister Time
This may seem silly, but one of the highlights of the weekend for me was an impromptu visit with my sissy Saturday afternoon. We walked around her adorable yard, talked about the flowers and veggies we should plant in a few weeks and even got some sun.

7. Seeing over 60 people stand to their feet and accept Christ
This never gets old. One person who really touched me was brought by a couple who had just gotten on their mark a few months ago. They brought their friend for the first time and when it came time for people to stand to their feet if they wanted to accept Christ, he was one of the first to stand. The couple who had brought him had tears in their eyes and it was a beautiful sight.

8. Because Normal Isn’t Working – Everywhere
Our volunteers all rocked the new Because Normal Isn’t Working Rock City Swag this weekend.

9. Neighbors Inviting Neighbors
I met several families and single people who were invited by neighbors and came for the first time this weekend. I love the heart of our church and I love that Rock City is a place where people can proudly invite their friends.

10. Aftermath
Mondays in our world are always a bit rough. We try not to let them, but the coulda, shoulda, woulda’s always find a way to creep into our day. This Monday, however, they didn’t get far. We got so many encouraging emails from people who had visited Rock City for the first time. Some who had gotten on their mark, others who had been looking for a church for a long time, others who weren’t Christians but felt a connection to Rock City and planned to come back. These helped offset the normal Mondays and help us refocus on why we are here.

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