Stop The Madness...Start The Worship

Some days I serve the shelter...other days the shelter serves me. You see part of my job is organizing Christmas for the clients. It is fun to see how generous our donors are and how excited the children become as the big day nears. It can also be draining when I see tons of presents that need to be bought, wrapped and returned. My mind then goes to the elves that need to be organized for Christmas morning, the shelter meals that need to be planned and much, much more.

In December, as I ran around frantically searching for missing presents and stressing that we had overlooked a family, I suddenly heard three words that stopped me in my tracks:

"Stop Momma...look!"

One of the 25 children that currently lived at the shelter was asking his mom to stop and see what he had done. His voice was loud enough for me to hear through a closed door. That told me that she was not "in the moment" and needed a louder reminder. This caused me to stop and realize that this is what God was saying to me.

"Stop Joy...look!"

Look and see what I have done! - God
Look and see that I have been born! - God
Look and see what this season is about! - God

Just like that mom, God had to remind me that I needed to stop. I needed to stop the madness of preparations and start the Worship!

How about you? Did the preparations get the best of you? If so...would you do something today? Sit down with your children and ask them what their favorite Christmas memory. I did and I was surprised with the answers.

It wasn't a gift.

It wasn't the homemade cookies.

It wasn't the picture perfect, Norman Rockwell Christmas card.

It wasn't the meal.

It was the moments.


Take a moment and STOP...and look! You may be surprised in what you have been missing.

You May Need To Sign A Waiver!

Okay…I know that you are tired of hearing about the social awareness conversion that happened to me when I began working at ACCESS Homeless Shelter. I won’t continue to bore you with how it changed my life and my views on poverty. (you can scroll down and read about it here…hee hee).

 I will share with you how grateful I am to see the same thing happen to other women and I believe the charge is being led by none other than Jen Hatmaker. I had the honor of receiving an advanced copy of the "Revised and Expanded" version of  Interrupted. I warn you…no…I dare you to read this book and try not to be changed. The book should come with a waiver that must be signed before the reader is allowed to purchase. The waiver would read…”This reader agrees not to totally walk away from her earthly possessions and embark on her life changing ways without at least giving her friends and family a two week notice." They have the option to go with her or disown her.

In this incredible book, Hatmaker allows you to accompany her on a journey that changed her view of the "least of these" and may wreck your's.

I love how Jen doesn't sugar coat the needs of this world but makes you feel "uncomfortable"...and that is good!  Her personal stories are real and moving and provide an excellent backdrop to support the book's main topics.

One of my favorite parts of the book was seeing Jen and her family live in community with others.  Their community didn't look like them. They were intentional about  immersing themselves in the world and not selecting a peer group that resembled them.  What a great reminder to us all.  We were put here to live with each other and to respect differences and embrace those that don't "look, live or worship" like us. 

The book moved me on so many levels and gave me many thoughts to stay awake over at night.  I encourage  you to step out on faith, kick fear to the curb and read this book.



Signing the waiver is optional!

Joy

 

Dream Big!!!

I am not exaggerating when I say that this could possibly be one of the most passion driven posts that I will write on this blog. Let me explain. As a child I was constantly amazed how creative my dad was. He was always writing stories, poems, short stories, etc. I loved hearing him speak at churches and enjoyed the humorous stories he used to teach Biblical truths. I also will never forget the numerous times he shared a big regret…he always wanted to write a book. As I reached adulthood, I realized that I had inherited my dad’s creativity and his passion for writing. It almost seemed that when he passed away, a little bit of himself remained on earth with me. I also realized that there was one thing that I did not want to inherit….his regret. Four years ago God began to place on my heart a burden for a book. I fought this desire out of fear. Each time I would begin to write I would shortly stop. Doubting thoughts would enter my head and I began to believe that this dream would never happen. I asked myself if the world really needed another book anyway. The strange thing about a dream is that if it is real and if it is from God…it can’t and won’t die. During this time of struggle, I began reading a blog written by a man named Ben Arment. He was not just a dreamer…but he was a big dreamer. He shared stories of big dreams that turned into big opportunities. I also noticed that he was vulnerable enough to share the obstacles and hurdles that a dreamer has to overcome. Ben not only wanted the reader to learn from his mistakes and successes but he was passionate about cultivating future dreamers. He had developed a one year coaching program for those that had a dream and were unsure of the next step. As if someone had guided my hand through the process, I applied to this program and was accepted. Not only was it affirmation of my dream, but it was affirmation of me…the dreamer. Through Ben’s guidance, prayer, emails, tweets, my book was published. I can honestly say…it would never have been completed if it weren’t for Dream Year and the principles of the program. The take away from the one year coaching far extends beyond the 153 page book I wrote. I have used Ben’s teaching in my personal and professional life. I now know the importance of making big asks. If I don’t ask…I assume I already know the answer. Amazing ministry opportunities have been possible…because I asked. Each time I step out of my comfort zone and “ask big” I am rarely told “no”. I have been blown away by how easy it is to see doors open when you kick fear to the side and embrace faith. I could go on and on about Dream Year but that is no longer needed. Why? Because now an opportunity is available for you to experience Dream Year and to learn how you can embrace your dream and live with passion. Ben has written a book and is coming to Cleveland on August 27th. The details are here. https://www.picatic.com/pitchnightcleveland I am asking you to do something…take a chance. Take a chance and join other dreamers at this event. What do you have to lose? The big question is….”what do you have to gain.”

Our Father’s Arms

Everyone loves a wedding…especially when the bride is your daughter. We have so many wonderful memories from that special day. Spending time with family and friends. Decorating with mason jars, tissue flowers and lights. Watching my three younger children “toast” their sister and new husband. (they actually used a toaster and made toast). The list could go on and on, but one of my favorite memories is that of the flower girl. Let me explain. At the rehearsal dinner, a cute and precious preschooler stole our hearts with her Hollywood sunglasses and fashionable outfit. She practiced her flower girl role with perfection and continued her cuteness at the dinner that followed. Several hours before the wedding, we received notice that the flower girl was not cooperating and refusing to wear her “itchy” dress. Our disappointment was soon replaced with the realization that she was a young child and all that we could do was “wait and see.” An hour later, we received an update that that the dress was on but mom was still unsure of her child’s cooperation. As I walked down the aisle to take my place, I did not know if the procession would include a flower girl or not. As I watched the attendants proceed down the aisle, I saw no sign of our darling flower girl. After a short pause, I saw the most adorable and precious sight…our flower girl. With a smile that melt the hearts of every guest, she fluttered down the aisle and paved the way for the bride. My first thought…what did it take to change her mind? Was it the promise of a toy, candy or some other token bribe? I suddenly turned and saw what was making it easy for her to walk down the aisle in front of hundreds of strangers…HER DADDY! Standing at the end of the aisle, knelt to her level and his arms opened wide was her father. Experiencing something that was once scary and uncomfortable for this child, now seemed safe and doable because of her dad. Her eyes were focused on the one that loved her deeply…and that is all that she saw. At the end of the aisle, this proud father, scooped up his precious daughter and held her tightly. He praised her for a job well done and never let her down. Some days, when life seems hard and impossible, I think about this little flower girl. She kept her eyes on the one that could get her through. We have that same father. His name is Jesus.

Give yourself away!

Well…it’s that time of year. The time of year when we seem to be a little more grateful, a little more thankful and a little more giving. But what happens when the calendar turns to the New Year and we return to old habits and routines? What is it about glittering lights and sleigh bells that makes us give? I spoke recently at a retreat about giving ourselves away. A gift to someone doesn’t have to be in a gift bag or box. The greatest gift we can give to another is US! Our time, our service, our words, our hugs etc.! I asked God what that would look like in my life and he reminded of a time when I gave something very easy, small and inexpensive away…a scarf. A simple scarf that I hardly ever wore. Let me explain. When I visit my mom in West Virginia, my mom always makes me feel special. One of the things that she does is she pays to have my dirty mom van cleaned. What a treat! We go to a small carwash that is owned my a sweet Greek woman. She makes “Bessie” (that is what I call my van with 190,000 miles) look brand new. One time, during the cleaning, she complimented ME on a scarf that she found hiding behind taco bell cups and candy wrappers. God prompted me to “give it away.” I did and you would have thought that I had given her a treasure. She raved and thanked me over and over again for a simple scarf. God reminded me of the blessings that I have in my life and also the abundance of material items that I don’t need. What if I intentionally tried to give myself away every day…and it included a scarf. So…starting tomorrow…I am wearing a scarf. My prayer is that God will put someone in my path that needs the scarf more than I do. Would you like to join me in this challenge? Would you like to start giving yourself away?

Letter To My Future Grandchild

To My future grandchild I will be the one that drops everything the moment I hear that you are about to make your entrance. I will be the one that will annoy everyone with the huge amounts of pictures of you that I will never stop sharing I will be the one that inhibits your walking ability by not allowing your little feet to touch the ground until you are 7. I will be the one that serves your ice cream for dinner when you come to visit I will be the one that reminds Pa Pa Wally that every nature hike should end at Dairy Queen I will be the one that sits on the front row of every recital, VBS performance and any other event that includes I will be the one that secures your domain name the moment I know your name. I will be the one that gives umpires dirty looks when they have been a bad call for your team. I will be the one that carries on the tradition of always having a cookie drawer and placing $20 in your hand each time I see you I will be the one that reminds you each day how handsome or beautiful you are I will be the one that reminds your mom that she was barely told the word no. I will be the one that will comfort you when your heart is broken and remind you that I really never liked him or her. I will be the one that will encourage you to dream crazy wild dreams and to ignore those that tell you it sounds crazy I will be the one that will prays for you and storms that gates of hell to protect you I will be the one that laughs when you laugh, cries when you cry and dreams when you dream. I will be the one that teaches you important garage sales skills I will be the one that will embarrass you with sappy texts I will be the one that convinces your parents to buy you a puppy I will be the one that constantly reminds you how awesome God is I will be the one that will always have mercy gifts for you at Christmas I will be the one that buys whatever you are selling in order for you to win the biggest prize I will be the one that cries the first time I have to tell you no and will probably say yes shortly after I will be the one that just watches you sleep for hours. Lastly… I will be the one that loves you…the way Jesus loves me.

Choose Joy – Session 2

Are you enjoying the journey of becoming a woman of Joy? I am! I desire so much to be the kind of woman that has “deep roots” so when a storm comes “I may bend but I won’t break!” As our group studied chapters 2 and 3 of “Choose Joy” by Kay Warren, we were reminded that it is in our tough times that our truth faith is exposed. Kay goes as far as saying that this is when our faith shows “its true colors.” OUCH You mean people are actually watching how believers react and expect? The answer is YES! If non-believers don’t see a difference in our reaction, why would they desire to seek Jesus? We can recite scripture until we are “blue in the face” but what matters is what we do when the rubber meets the road. (enough cliché’s for now) Kay makes a profound statement when she says “an untested faith is an unreliable faith.” Ever wonder why it is called a TESTimony? She supports her statement by reminding us how Paul and Silas influenced a jailer and his family and eventually led them to Jesus. It wasn’t by a three point sermon or a creative illustration…it was through their faithful actions in the midst of being jailed. As we search for role models that seem to have conquered the “joy” issue, we often overlook the one that overcame it all…Jesus! Kay teaches that Jesus was a man of joy. In his role, He was a man of sorrow, but in His essence, He was a man of joy. We saw that He was a man of joy based on his attitude, words and attitudes. For example, we forget that Jesus used humorous exaggerations to make Biblical points. Through His example, Kay encouraged us to give ourselves “permission” to be joyful. I am excited to see what lies ahead in the coming weeks.

Red and yellow black and blue

This week I was teaching kindergarten. I was assigned the task of teaching kindergarten children why we celebrate Martin Luther King Day. We talked about how God loves everyone...no matter the color of their skin. Remember the song:

Jesus loves the little children
All the children of the world
Red and yellow, black and white
They are precious in His sight.

Jesus loves the little children of the world.

We talked about the different skin colors of people and one little boy reminded me that God even loves the blue children.


I asked who was blue. He replied "you know when you are playing and you bump your leg and it turns blue...He loves them too."

Yes He does!!!

GOD IS SO GOOD!!!

That is the thought that continues to go through my head. He is so good. He is so faithful!!

I have been wanting to get back into church ministry for sometime now. In the past 2 years...several opportunities presented themselves. I said no to a few and a few said no to me. Through this journey I began to question if there was a different direction He wanted for my life. I kept praying, speaking, following up on opportunites and yes...substitute teaching.

I recently took another chance and applied for a postion. Long story short...perfect timing (His timimg) great church, fun, friendly and creative staff, great leadership and ...a job offer.

Tomorrow...a new and exciting journey begins. I will be the Early Childhood Coordinator for Hudson Community Chapel.




This is a part-time position and works out perfectly with my family and speaking. I am soooooooo excited. Ideas are bouncing through my head and that energizes me.

I hope you are experiencing His faithfulness...His love...and His perfect timing.

MINISTRY INTERVIEW

My interview yesterday went well. I was a little nervous the entire day.
I was fixing my hair and grabbed the "scrubbing bubbles bathroom cleaner" instead. I then panicked and worried that there was bleach in the bottle. What if my hair suddenly begins to turn odd colors and I have to cancel my interview. What would I say as a reason. Fortunately my hair remained one color!!!

WET AND WACKY

Today was our annual trip to Beaulah Beach for Wet and Wacky. 850 children attended this event which consists of a yuck slide, swimming, climbing wall, etc. The highlight of the day was the closing ceremony. I have never heard the Gospel presented so clearly in my life. The speaker was able to share the Gospel, to children, in a way that they could completely understand. It wasn't one of these...Jesus died, rose again...now say a prayer. When he gave the altar call, at least 50 children came forward. So many children came, that I had to interrupt the speaker and have him announce we needed more counselors. The neat thing is when I spoke to each child, they could completely explain to me the decision they were making and why. It was an incredible experience.

It was also good for me to see what true ministry is. It's not always about being on a staff...it's just loving people...where ever you are. It's about making yourself available for God to use.

IT'S TIME TO GET BACK TO WORK!

I don't mean a job. I'm not ready to go back to a structured work environment. I'm ready to get back to business...the Father's business.

I realized that since May, my spiritual walk has been lousy. I have stopped having regular quiet times, I started to feel bitter about how I was treated at my job and I was starting to really miss my grandmother. I was reading something...I can't even remembe what...but somehow it reminded me that there is alot of work to be done.

I need to put everything behind me, forgive, and move on. I know that it will be awhile before I am over the lost of my grandmother...but I need to remind myself of where she is and how happy she is.

We are leaving in one hour to go to the beach. I packed my Bible, my journal and I can' wait to hear what the Lord says to me when I escape the everyday distractions and spend time alone with him.

I want to sit on the sand and marvel over his creation. I want to "be still" and be reminded that He is God. I have some ideas that I want to implement into my speaking and I want God to affirm this or redirect if needed this week.

I am ready to roll up my sleaves and put the worldly things behind me and move on.

I overheard someone say the other day that the Lord gives each one of us gifts and when we are not using them...something is going undone.

I will try to blog while I am away.

Where did I leave off...?

I felt like the time was finally right for me to update my blog. I have so much to share I am not sure where to begin.

I guess the best place to begin is "I QUIT MY JOB!!!!"

After 3 months of praying about my job...I had finally come to the conclusion that I would not quit. In spite of it's bad points, it was a great job for me and my finally. I set my own schedule, I could even work from home and the pay wasn't bad. Much to my surprise, the day after I made this decision...I resigned.

Not what I expected to do on March 21st.


It began with a meeting talking about one thing and led to other discussions and then to eventually me resigning.

Was it a good meeting? No...many tears were shed and even some emotions ran high.

The rest of the day I found myself hosting my own pity party with me being the only guest.

It was a day of reflection, remorse and a lot of prayer.

I went to work the next day with one expectation and left with a twist.

I expected to go and do my job, clean out my desk but instead found myself in another meeting.

I truly experienced God's Word when he tells us that good can come from all things.

The meeting turned an angry heart (mine) into one that could forgive. I won't share details except to say that I truly believe that God was working in that meeting in a big way. I have always been one who needed to be able to always share my honest feelings and I had a chance to do that.

It didn't change my mind about quitting, but it helped to heal relationships that are very important to me.

I never thought that my feelings would take a 180 degree turn so quickly...but I am grateful.

I still need some time to heal...but I am so grateful that I am no longer angry and there isn't a grudge for me to carry.

I can be pretty stubborn, so you don't know what a big deal this is to me. I can carry a grudge.

My head is spinning right now with the possibilities that I can now do.

I can go to the pool more, I can spend more time with me family, I can go away for a weekend, I can write, I can speak, I can visit other services at other churches, I can totally switch ministries. I can stay for one service. I can go to a service. I can sit with my family at church.

I CAN'T WAIT!!

The Lord has already given me some ideas....but I won't share them until I know this is from Him.

I have so much more that I want to share...of things that I have experienced in the last couple of weeks.

More to come...

Joy

Taking A break

I am taking a little break from blogging. I am taking some time to write and to really seek what the Lord wants me to do this year. I have neglected my blog...honestly...because I felt like I really had nothing to share...or the desire to share.

I will return...hopefully with a clear understanding and vision of God wants for my life...but I will continue to read the many blogs that I read daily.

Many of you inspire me in many many ways.

Joy

I live in a Bubble!!

I realized last weekend, that I live in a Holy bubble. I work at a church, all of my close friends go to my church, my children go to Christian Schools. I take classes in religion. I am sure if there was an all Christian Grocery store I would shop there. (ha ha)

I spoke last week on the woman at the well and how Christ broke tradition and met her at this well. He a man, a jewish leader spoke to a Samaritan woman with a scandalous past.

I named her the "original desparate housewife".

Christ went to them.

I asked God to bring unchurched people in my path, but then I later realized that sometimes I have to choose that path.

I joined a weight loss group the other night and the first lady who sat down beside me started a conversation.

This lead to "where do you work". I replied "a church". I later thought that was possibly an opening to a future spiritual conversation.

Wouldn't it be great if I furthered God's kingdom and lost weight at the same time. I love multi-tasking.

The next day I intentionally went and sat at Austin's soccer practice instead of dropping him off and coming back later.

I had the chance to get to know two women on his team.

Not a spiritual conversation...but the beginnings of a relationship.

So...I am officially coming out of my bubble...Boom...that was the sound of me bursting my holy bubble.

I will keep you posted on what God does next. I can hardly wait.

It was the worst of times...it was the best of times

I don't remember where that quote is from, but if you do...let me know. For right now it perfectly describes my week.

The week started off great with a day off and the debut of Martha Stewart's new show. I now know how to properly fold a t-shirt and make scambled eggs. The week was down hill from there.

It was the first time that I actually considered quitting my job and looking for a new one. I was already practicing the phrase "Would you like to supersize your meal."

This week was one of the most trying weeks I have ever had in ministry. I lost several teachers which made our total number of openings 13 in the children's ministry. I had a confrontation with a teacher and I had to make some very hard phone calls to parents this week.

Here is where the best of times comes in.

1) Many people, especially my husband and fellow staff rallied behind me and encouraged me immensely. They prayed for me and with me and truly helped me carry this burden.

2) The elders at my church, stopped their business meeting and laid hands on me and prayed for me last Wednesday.

3) It's now Friday and the storms are calm and I feel God's presence. After each hard phone call, I felt Peace.

4) I feel like I have grown as a leader.

I have fallen in love with my job again...most importantly, I have felt the love of God again.

The Lord also uses a couple of little girls to minister to me.

Everyday when I drive my children to school, we pass two little girls waiting for the bus. Every morning they try to see how many cars will wave at them as they pass. I always make sure I wave at them really big each and every morning. They begin to jump up and down and become really excited. Today, as I was driving to school, it was pouring the rain. I knew that the girls probably would not be outside waving at me today. To my surprise ...they were...with their umbrellas. The Lord reminded me that in the midst of a storm...there is also joy.

Greetings from Chicago!!

We were fortunate to have the opportunity to spend labor day weekend in Chicago with Wally's family. Wally's dad suffers from Parkinson's Disease. I believe that he looks the best that I have ever seem him look. His spirits are good and many of the complications of Parkinson's Disease have subsided. He is currently in a therapy center and hopes to come home next week.

We took the children to visit him when we first arrived and he enjoyed listening to Alex's stand up comedy act. Why is the youngest child always the comedian? Maybe when you are the youngest of four...you have to find creative ways to get attention.

One of the highlights of the weekend was the opportunity to visit Willowcreek and observe their children's program. WOW!!! First of all, it took me awhile to find where I was suppose to be. The place is bigger then Ashley's college campus. Once I found the class, I sat in the back and wrote notes in the dark. I can sum up the experience in one word "EXCELLENCE". Everything was done with excellence! It made me realize that no matter what size we are as a church...we can all strive for excellence in the way we minister.
I was impressed with their treatment of visitors. They have a special room with wonderful coffee and delicious cookies. Any church...any size could do this.

Our sunday ended with a chance to visit IKEA. (Also bigger then Ashley's college) I loved this store!!

Our wonderful weekend is about to come to an end. We will be leaving soon to drop Ashley off at college and then we return to Twinsburg. Hopefully we will be able to share an early dinner with Allison Schuck before heading home.

I hope this weekend has meant as much to my family as it has to me. Family is precious and I hope we have many more opportunities to build lasting memories.