Adjustments

Hey everyone, it's me, the perma-slacker. Obviously it's been a while but I wanted give a little update. Last you heard from me we were gearing up for a major change. Since then, we've moved to Richlands, which is just outside of Jacksonville. Tanner has just started a job as a lineman for the electric company and I was fortunate enough to keep my job with the company that I love. God has really, really blessed us. For a while it was hard to believe that we were going to find jobs and a house, or that the move would even be possible. I was frustrated and just tired of thinking about it. But when God shows off, he really shows off. Within 2 hours of each other I found out we were approved for a house we applied for and I was going to keep my job. 4 weeks later we're settling in and Tanner is starting his new job.

I feel selfish for even saying this, but the move hasn't been easy. I am a very routine person with some very hard habits and if I've learned anything from this transition it's that I don't deal well with change. I like to think that I can adapt to anything, but now I realize that may only apply in certain areas of my life. We've been in Richlands for a little over a month, but up until about 2 weeks ago I was having a really hard time adjusting to the changes. Working from home has been a larger adjustment than I thought it would be. I didn't realize how many distractions there were in an office, but I also didn't realize how quiet it would be at home. Overall, I feel like I'm way more productive and now that I've gotten into a routine, I love it. Since I'm home and Tanner is working elsewhere, I'm able to plan a lot better for meals and actually cook, which if you know me at all, you know that's something I don't do.

A lot of people from home have been asking how the church is going and I'm so proud to say it's going great. I love this group so much and I'm so excited for what is to come in the future. Our official launch is in March, but right now we're doing a small group on Sunday nights, as well as hosting other events throughout the community. Our preacher likes to say that we won't be a "come and see" church, but a "come and do" church and I am here-for-it! For the month of November our staff organized a coat drive with 3 drop off locations in Jacksonville, as well as hosting a clean up day at a local non-profit called CHEW. We're also hosting a set of Q & A nights at the coolest coffee shop called The Milk Road. These nights allow anyone to come in, have refreshments on us and ask  anything they'd like to know about Restore and what we stand for. Our small group has grown large enough that we now have to split into 2 small groups. God is truly, truly working in Jacksonville and I wouldn't want to be anywhere else right now.

Last night our bible study was focused on the word inclusion. In a time of such division in our country, on social media, and the news, it was so refreshing to be reminded that no matter your race, your gender, your orientation or what political party you belong to, you are loved and welcomed by God. I firmly believe it is the church's responsibility to bridge the gaps of discrimination and be as loving and Christ-like as possible.

 

 

 

"So in Christ Jesus you are all children of God through faith, for all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ. There is neither Jew nor Gentile, neither slave nor free, nor is there male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise."
                                                                                           Galatians 3:26-29

We've Got News!

 

 We are so excited to share with everyone that after a lot of talking and a lot of praying, we're headed to Jacksonville, NC.  

 

Why Jacksonville?
We're teaming up with some awesome people to plant a church. Restore Church will open it's doors March 2017, and while that seems like a long time from now, our team has a lot to do. Jacksonville is about an hour and 30 minutes from where we currently live.

What is Restore Church?
Restore Church is a church plant that is currently being supported by the Eastern North Carolina Christian Men's Fellowship. When Tanner and I first heard about the need for a church in Jacksonville, we both agreed it was something we'd love to be apart of. Little did we know that about 2 months later we'd be officially joining the team. You can check out Restore's website or ENCCMF's website to learn more.

When Do You Leave?
Even though our first Sunday isn't until March of 2017, our plans are to move in the fall, most likely around mid-September. If anyone knows of any good neighborhoods with rental properties, feel free to get in touch with us.

Are You Crazy?
We just might be! We realize it seems like a crazy idea to some, but we're sure that this is where God is leading us. While it would be much easier to stay where we are and continue to have a "good life", we believe that God doesn't call us to just have a good life. He calls us to have great lives, which can mean to take risks, step outside of our comfort zones and do things we normally wouldn't do, all to tell others about Him. We may be crazy to go, but with how much grace and love God has given us and continues to give us, we would definitely be crazy not to. This world needs love more than ever and we want to spread it all over!

What Do You Need?
Lots of prayer and support! While we are so excited for this adventure, we'd (mostly me) be lying if we said we weren't a little nervous. Because we've had such great support from family and friends this far, we know you guys will stick with us no matter what.

 

 

Lastly, we just want to say thank you. To the people we've told so far, thank you for the support. Thank you for being optimistic, for being proud of us and for promising to be at Restore on our opening Sunday. To our parents, thank you for making us feel like we can do anything we set our minds to. To our Rosemary church family, thank you for summer camp, tough love, lifelong memories and a place to always call home.

Enemies of Inner Peace

It's been a while since I've heard a message that I felt was written directly towards me so I guess I was overdue for a hard-hitter. I want to share my notes from a sermon I heard tonight by Ray West with you all.

The title was "Enemies of Inner Peace" and Ray opened with a verse from Colossians.

And let the peace of God rule in your hearts, to which also you were called in one body; and be thankful.                          Colossians 3:15 NKJ

There are a lot of people, including Christians, who struggle with finding peace. With the stresses of the world upon us, it's hard to feel optimistic about much of anything. It seems like there is so much to worry about (financial struggles, elderly parents, pleasing our boss, marriage issues, raising children, spiritual wellness) that it can be frustrating and seem down right impossible to feel stress-free and peaceful. Not to mention that watching the news every morning can make you feel like the earth is doomed. Ray gave us 5 trouble areas that can keep us from finding that peace that we all hope for.

Materialism
So at this point in the sermon I'm thinking "Ok, this is going to be the one that applies to me", but little did I know, they would all apply to me. Materialism is an enemy of peace because the more we have, the more we want. In Ecclesiastes we're told:

He who loves silver will not be satisfied with silver, Nor he who loves abundance with increase. This is also vanity.                             Ecclesiastes 5:10 NKJ

The Bible talks a lot about materialism and possessions. In fact, it's so important that there are not one, but two commandments about it: Thou shall not steal and Thou shall not covet. Both commandments are for our own good. We should love God and have so much faith in Him, that we are completely content with what we have. Not to mention, no matter what we acquire here won't go with us once we die. We can't take our car, our boat, our house, our wardrobe, our diamonds, or anything we possess.

"..for one's life does not consist in the abundance of the things he possesses."  Luke 12:15 NKJ

I struggle with this because while I don't necessarily have to have a new car or the biggest house, any time we get an invitation in the mail to a wedding or event, my immediate thought is that I have to go out and buy a new outfit. Clothes, shoes, jewelry and makeup are my weakness. I have no problem spending $28 on mascara or justifying a new dress when I could really use that money for something else. If I wasn't so worried about how I look or how other people see or think about me, I could be happy with who I am no matter what I'm wearing, thus resulting in peace inside and out. Our lives aren't going to be measured by what we have, but who we are. Money doesn't equal happiness, no matter what society tells us.

Dualism
This one goes hand in hand with materialism. Ray referenced Matthew for this one.

No one can serve two masters; for either he will hate the one and love the other, or else he will be loyal to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and mammon.         Matthew 6:24 NKJ 

Often times, we find ourselves being pulled in so many different directions. The need to be accepted, liked and loved can make us do things that if we were truly committed to God, we wouldn't normally do. For me, my dualism is that while I love God, I'm also a people pleaser and often take on more than I can handle. This goes back to the need to be accepted and being worried about what people think of me. I have a big problem saying "yes" to things when I know I can't do it all or that I'll be stretched too thin. If I wasn't so worried about upsetting someone or letting someone down, I could do a few things really well, instead of doing so many things and just being average at them or not giving them the time and attention they deserve. If I practiced saying no more, I would have more time to spend with God doing things I know he wants me to, leaving me less stressed and having a little more peace.

Infantilism/Childish
I wasn't quite sure what Ray meant at first about this one until he said this:

Infantilism is frustrated adult people stamping their feet at the showcase of life.

Now I get it. The older I get the more I am surprised at how immature adults really are. At the workplace, in the home, at church. It amazes me that adults, especially ones who are supposedly Christians can argue and hold grudges the way that we do. Often times, the issue that is being argued over is truly not that big of a deal, but the pride gets in our way and we just can't bare to let someone else have the last word.

In his letter to the church of Corinth, Paul writes that he couldn't discuss deep spiritual lessons and truths with them because they were still spiritually immature.

... For where there are envy, strife, and divisions among you, are you not carnal and behaving like mere men?                                    Luke 3:3 NKJ

The best way I can think to apply this to my life is within the church. There have been several times where a church member has made a comment to me or I've heard from someone else that there was a complaint about the sound or visuals during the service and I am so quick to become defensive and write that person off. So much so, that I replay their comment in my head over and over again, and create the best comeback  that I can, and I promise myself that the next time I see that person, I'm gonna let them have it. Y'all, that is so childish. And petty. And so not Christ-like. If we could see past our preferences, opinions and just plain ugliness, we could really get some things accomplished.

Narcissism
Narcissism is defined as excessive or erotic interest in oneself and one's physical appearance. In the age of Instagram and selfie-sticks, it's so easy to be wrapped up with our appearance. Why does it feel so good when we get so many likes on a Facebook post? Society and culture tell us that we are defined by how others see us. We've become so preoccupied with our outside appearance and status, that we'll quickly put our values and morals to the side for another retweet or like on Insta. And once we have those likes and that approval, we level-up and are better than the people we left behind. We are so hungry for that attention and reaffirmation that we're good enough or pretty enough, that we have no problem ranking others as lower or higher than we are. Romans 12:3 warns us about measuring ourselves against others.

For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.                                    Romans 12:3 NKJ

The only thing we should measure ourselves against is God, and we will always fall short. But because of his grace that we have been given ,we can be at peace knowing that we are exactly who God made us to be, no matter how many followers or friends we have.

Perfectionism
Ray called this the worst one of all. Perfectionism is emotionally unhealthy and spiritually damaging. Not only does the need to be perfect or do all things perfectly cause us major stress and anxiety, but it says that we don't need God or His forgiveness. We have to understand that we are not perfect and never will be, which is why Jesus saved us from our sins. We are who God made us, flaws and all, for a reason. All of our flaws and imperfections make up the most unique, perfect recipe for you, and if you change the ingredients, you're no longer the person that God intended for you to be.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.                  1 John 1:8 NKJ

 So as I sit here, listening to Tanner yell "AND 1!" at Game 7, watching our new kitten play in the floor, and watching our first cat watching the new kitten that she's still not so sure about, I'm thinking about how peaceful it is. Because while there are a million things I could be worried about (work tomorrow, the dreaded Monday, what I'm going to wear, the next tragedy that will strike America) I'm going to try really hard to just be at peace, with no makeup on, God as my one and only, hopefully a maturing spirituality, a big slice of humble pie and trying to let go of the anxiety that there is a large possibility I've made a spelling or grammatical error in this rambling of a post.

Thanks for reading.

All that Jesus Stuff

I know that the term Christian gets tossed around pretty loosely these days. Just about anyone can claim to be a Christian, and there's really no secret password or question you can ask them to prove that they are. I know there are millions of different denominations and types and I know that religion in itself is pretty confusing, so I'm not even going to try to go into all that detail. What I want to do is just tell you what all that Jesus stuff means to me.

I am what you would call a Cradle Christian. I've attended church ever since I was born.
Since I can remember, Sundays have always been about church. Church at 10am, Lunch after, then church at night. And sometimes even church on Wednesday nights. Seems like quite a bit, right? I've done the church camp thing, I've done the youth group thing, I've done the baptism thing. Growing up I was basically a model Christian kid. But I'll let you in on a little secret: I didn't actually know what being a Christian meant.

You see, obviously I knew the difference between good and bad. And I knew that God wanted me to be good so I could go to Heaven, and if I was bad I'd go to hell. Well, I pretty much had that down by high school (with a few minor slip-ups, of course). But here's where things get hairy: I quickly discovered that the world is not divided into good or bad. There's a lot of gray area in there. I also discovered that not everyone was raised in a church (gasp). Some people didn't even know the words to The Old Rugged Cross. So as I'm realizing this, I'm questioning the things I've always been told. And at the same time, I get my first boyfriend. Then, I slide that "True Love Waits" vowel to the back of my mind. I conveniently forget the sober pledge I took. I let all of my church knowledge fall to the wayside, and I focus on having fun. After all, high school is the best time of our lives right?

*sidenote: High school is not the best time of your life. Trust me, it gets way better if you have faith. Then, you kind of realize high school is stupid and you file that under "embarrassing things to not ever think about again".*

I focus on myself. And my boyfriend. And how to get alcohol even though I'm not 21. Throughout the next 4 years I am living it up. Parties, recklessness, lack of responsibilities; the whole shebang.
But one night, things go too far. And I make a mistake that costs me a friendship and almost relationship. And I'm really lonely. And I slowly realize that none of the stuff I'm doing is fulfilling. So I pray for the first time in years. I pray a lot. I beg God to show me that he's still there and that I'm not too messed up of a person for him to still love me. What I was realizing was that I had to go back. I had to go back to where I was safe and that was at home with my family and at church, with my church family. God finally did show me that he was there. My grandfather was diagnosed with cancer and died 2 weeks later. God really went all out, didn't he? No, I'm not saying that God killed my granddad just to show me he had that much power. It was what happened the night he died. My granddad declined pretty rapidly and we knew the end was near. I'd finally fallen asleep when I got the call. He died at 3:15am that morning. I went to my grandmother's house, still in my pajamas, and sat with my family. And as I sat there, when I should have been crying and distraught because my loved one just died, I felt the strangest kind of peace. I sat on the couch and looked around at the rest of my beautiful family. I realized that God had been with me the whole time and that I was so loved. Then I felt the biggest sense of urgency I have ever felt. I had to do something. I had to go back to church but this time I couldn't just sit there hoping that Grandma made meatloaf for lunch. I had to get involved. I had to show people that sometimes things get messy and we make mistakes, but God is always there. I had to get this message out.

About this same time God was working on someone else. That relationship I almost ruined? It was mine. Tanner and I had been together for about a year, and I have to admit I didn't take things as seriously as I should have. But God knew what he was doing when he sent me the world's most patient man. Tanner didn't change me, he never asked me to be a different person or fight with me when I made wrong choices. Tanner was just good. He was just such a genuine, kind person that the more I was around him, the more I wanted to be like him. And he went to church with me. And he loved me unconditionally, almost as much as God did. He was the best example of love and he didn't even know it. God had given me everything I needed, I just had to hit rock bottom to realize that I needed it.

"God had given me everything I needed, I just had to hit rock bottom to realize that I needed it."

So, once I got involved in church I had a bit of a revelation. Being a Christian is not about good vs bad. Being a Christian is not about how many times you attend church. Being a Christian isn't even about how much money you donate to a church. Being a Christian is about failing and falling short, over and over again, but having the promise to always be forgiven, even when you don't deserve it because Jesus gave His life for you. Being a Christian is about having a church family and service. Being a Christian is devoting your life to serving Jesus, whether it's by helping someone less fortunate than you, volunteering at a church event, or just simply talking to Jesus about someone. You see, the world seems pretty messed up right about now and it's pretty hard to be positive with so much negativity, but I'm actually hopeful for the future, and it's because of all that Jesus stuff.

Changes in September

Time is flying, y'all! I'm not sure I even remember July, or August, for that matter. I am really trying to "stop and smell the roses" but I am just too excited for the best season ever. When it comes to fall, I'm your typical girl. I'm ready for bonfires, crunchy leaves, salted caramel lattes, anything pumpkin flavored or themed, fall décor, Howl-O-Scream at Busch Gardens, football and Homecoming at church. Seriously, my favorite time of year.

With all that said, the leaves aren't the only thing changing 'round here. A few months ago I found out my company is moving our offices to Greenville, NC; a town about 20 miles west of Washington. Unfortunately for us, we moved in the opposite direction, about 10 miles east of Washington. So, starting in mid-October my commute will go from 15 to 45 minutes. There is a plus side, though. Greenville is where we do most of our shopping, so on my lunch break I'm hoping to make it TJ Maxx quite a bit. I'm excited but super nervous, as I'll be working with all new people. Scared!

Last Sunday our interim minister spent his last worship service with us. He and his wife have been such a blessing to our church as we continue the search for a new minister. It's been pretty challenging, but I really feel like we're growing spiritually, and Bob and Denise had a huge part in that. I can't say how awesome they were with their words of encouragement and steady perseverance. It was really hard to see them go, but we wish them well in the future and hope we can find a full time minister quickly.

Being that I'll have a longer commute, Tanner and I are in talks about our current vehicle situation. My car is...fine, I think I just might need something a little more dependable. It's definitely not a clunker, but it has definitely seen better days. And since we don't have kids yet I think it would be better to go ahead and bite the bullet so to speak so that hopefully, by the time we do have little ones, at least one of our vehicles will be paid off. That being said, I'm looking for a mid-size SUV. I was sold on something like a Chevrolet Equinox, but then realized they didn't have third row seating. So now I'm considering a Kia Sorento. Do you guys have any suggestions? I'm not exactly looking for something as big as a Tahoe, but something larger than a Ford Escape. I'd love to hear your thoughts!

What changes are going on your world? Do you have any goals or plans for the upcoming months?

Feeling the Burn (literally) with Colton Dixon

Hi guys, do I have a story for you today! Last Saturday my best friend, Lyndsay and I, spent our day volunteering at a Colton Dixon concert. Lyndsay is a cosmetologist and one of her clients owns an event planning business. This particular business does a lot of work for the Christian radio station in our town, which is called The Bridge FM. Lyndsay’s client asked us last week if we’d help with Colton’s concert and we said we’d love to. We were instructed to be at the theatre at 11:30am Saturday morning and plan on being there until after the concert was over that night. We were so excited we even went shopping Friday night to find new outfits to wear. We had no idea what we were in for…..

Upon our arrival, we were told to steam tablecloths for the merchandise table and start setting up the items on the Colton’s rider. A rider is a list of requests an artist makes for his performance. We headed to the green room to start setting it all up. Lyndsay filled the steamer and I started putting their snacks in buckets on their table. Within several minutes more volunteers were showing up and more jobs were being handed out. Things got a little crazy and just when I could feel the sweat starting to trickle down my forehead (RIP my foundation) I made the most embarrassing mistake ever. I walked over to the steamer to see if it was hot and it was, finally, so I grabbed the handle off of the hook and pulled it over to a tablecloth. I thought the cord was longer than it actually was, so when I pulled steamer over to me, the entire thing fell over. I dropped the handle to catch it, but as I did that the boiling water started pouring out of the handle and onto my left foot (and my new Jack Rogers L). Ya’ll, I have never experienced so much pain. Not to mention as I’m jumping around like a maniac trying desperately not to cry or say an ugly word, the director of the event walks in just in time to see the boiling water bubbling over my foot onto the ground and the tablecloth being soaked. I could have curled up in a ball and died. I decided right then and there that I was not cut out for this type of work.

Lyndsay and I picked up the steamer and tablecloth and she started to steam desperately. By this time Colton and his crew were arriving and we were under a lot of pressure to get things finished for their green room and get lunch set up. My foot was still on fire and I’m pretty sure I know what it feels like to have someone trying to cut your leg off with a chainsaw. Seriously, if childbirth is worse than boiling water on your skin, Count. Me. Out.

After that, we hung the tablecloths over a couch in the lobby and started to set up lunch. Colton and his band came in and ate, then headed into the auditorium for sound check. Lyndsay and I ate and I ranted to her about how embarrassed I was. The director came in and asked to take a look at my foot (she used to be an EMT) and said she thought they were 2^nd degree burns. She told us we could go home for a little while but to be back by 3pm. The break was much needed, as we were sweaty, shiny, ill and hungry. We went back to Lyndsay’s and took a quick 15 minute rest, touched up our hair and makeup, then went to my mom’s house to get some cream for my burns. Luckily, she had something to put on my foot and once she did the pain went away almost immediately. We decided to head back to the theatre and tough out the rest of the afternoon and night.

 

We got there around 3 and watched the end of Colton’s sound check. After that the director gave us a rundown of the ticket booth that we were in charge of and gave us a few more duties. We had a meeting at 4pm with all of the volunteers then ate a really quick, but delicious dinner. After dinner we headed back to the ticket booth and lines were already forming outside. People who bought VIP tickets were allowed to come in at 5:30pm for the meet and greet. After getting the VIPs sorted and in line to meet Colton, we opened the doors and let the rest of the concert goers in. There was a mad rush of tickets, cash, and children for about an hour then things quieted down. The opening band started at 7pm and we let the last people in at 7:05pm. Lyndsay and I headed upstairs to watch the concert from the volunteer section in the balcony. The opening band was the praise and worship team from Covenant Church, based out of Washington, NC and they did a great job. There was about a 10 minute intermission while Colton’s people set up then he started right at 7:50pm. He opened with a few rock-ish songs and he had a great energy. In about the middle of his set he did one of his singles on the radio right now “More of You”, and then he said a few words about faith and what it means to be the church verses going to church. He did a few songs on the piano, one of which was “Through It All”. I could feel the energy change in the crowd and I think everyone really enjoyed that time of worship. It was really wholesome and pure and I think God touched a lot of people during that. Lyndsay and I headed back down to the ticket booth to get ready to start selling tickets for the next event before all of the people came out of the show. We sold several tickets for October’s event, which is the “Time of My Life” tour featuring Chris August, The Afters, Unspoken, and Among the Thirsty. Colton came out to the merch table and signed a bunch of autographs and took a lot of pictures with the fans. He was kind and made lots of jokes, so he was an instant hit with the tween girls. Overall I think everyone really enjoyed the show and he seemed like he genuinely had a good time. After he went back to the green room, Lyndsay and I grabbed our things and headed home. I haven’t been that tired in a long time, but it was a great experience and although my foot still burns if I touch it, I’d definitely do it again.

 

 

 

 

Jesus was a Freak

Before you're offended by my sac-religious title, hear me out.

Sometimes I like to wonder what Jesus would have been like if he were here today. What would he wear? How would he talk? Would he cut his hair or wear it in a ponytail? Would he be a Republican or a Democrat? What kind of music would he like? Who would he hang out with?

Many of us would like to think that Jesus was a cool kid. That he would be the popular guy, the one invited to all of the parties, the one who would walk down the halls in high school giving everyone high fives and fist-bumping teachers. But, for a few reasons, I don't think this is the case.

I think Jesus would have been labeled a freak. A loser. A nerd. Or whatever kids call each other these days. Think about it, Jesus didn't hang out with kings and queens, he hung out with prostitutes and lepers. He was friends with adulterers and tax collectors. Jesus hung out with the kids (people) who were different. The ones who had bad home lives, the alcoholics, the trouble makers. And he was literally persecuted for that.

I think there are three reasons for this. The first is obvious. He was trying to show them God's love. He was showing them that despite whatever sin they were defined by, God loved them and there was more to life than what they had been shown. And even when they weren't accepted by their own people, God accepted them and had a reward so great that no amount of acceptance on Earth could compare.

The second reason is also quite obvious. If Jesus was "cool" and accepted, then there would have never been a crucifixion, because everyone liked him. There wouldn't have been riots and he wouldn't have had people spit on him. If someone wanted to persecute him everyone else would just say "Jesus? He's cool. Let him chill for a bit." and that would have been the end of that. But instead, Jesus was an outcast. Thus, leading to one of the most brutal deaths our dear Savior could have endured.

The third reason I think that Jesus was a freak is to be an example to us, right now, in modern times. Even all those years ago, he was showing us that it's ok to not be apart of the crowd. It's ok to stand out. It's ok to invite the co-worker that no one likes to watch MNF.  It's perfectly fine to talk to the girl sitting by herself at lunch, in fact, God wants you to do that! He wants you to reach out to those who have never known his grace and love. Today's world is all about status and gain. We're in such a rush to be the same as everyone else and to fit in.

Let's go against the grain. Let's be Jesus to the freaks. Embrace them. Show them there's more. Tell them that there are much better things ahead. And most of all, love them. Love them just like Jesus would have done.