Faxing at Crossroads…

 

This is a picture from a Crossroads “office” workshop…..’How to Fax’.  Staff meetings at Crossroads are rarely dull and business as usual.   Brother Summers neglected to wear his Superman Underoos (that’s right, for all you people that think the 30 and up crowd isn’t cool….we had Super-hero underwear in the 80’s….ha!) he did however play the theme from Superman softly.  Okay, gotta run for now…the staff meeting is about to begin and we’re going to play a quick round of ‘Mad Gab’ as a warm-up.

Forgive me, it’s been many weeks since my last blog…

So, the holidays are behind us and we’re well into the New Year.  Things at Crossroads are going well.  Thanks to a couple of “great” benefactors, I have a brand new computer to work with.  It is so very fast and the monitor is amazing, I even have sound now.   Time to put the old relic out of its misery.  Many thanks.  We also have a new coffee-maker in the office thanks to Mr. Starbucks aka Mick.  It is pretty sweet.  Have you seen the new church van?  What an amazing gift we received just before Christmas courtesy of First Christian Church of Owasso, OK (Master Summers home church).  Crossroads is truly blessed to have the support of FCC Owasso.  Otherwise, it’s just business as usual at the office.  I am excited to see what God has in store for Crossroads in 2009.

Make a Joyful Noise unto the Lord….

As Thanksgiving rapidly approaches, I find myself working on a lesson for my elementary age small group.  We are discussing prayer and this week I want to explore how prayer is not only about asking for the things we need and want but is also about praise and thanksgiving for the many blessings we have received from God.  I looked for more scripture to add to my lesson and have decided to use Psalm 100.  It is my favorite Psalm and I think it fits perfectly with this lesson, as well as the season.

1.  Make a joyful noise unto the LORD, all ye lands.

2.  Serve the LORD with gladness: come before his presence with singing.

3.  Know ye that the LORD he is God: it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

4.  Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name.

5.  For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth  endureth to all  generations.

Times are uncertain, our economy is very volatile but God is still on His throne and it is my intention to live what I teach.  God is merciful, I am confident that He loves me and I am grateful for the blessings I have in my life.  I pray this is an attitude I can pass along to the children in my care.

An evening in “Farmeropolis”…

Tonight was family movie night in “Farmeropolis”. We sat around our television eating pizza and watching “Kit Kittredge, An American Girl”. The movie was set in Depression-era 1934 and focused on a neighborhood in Cinncinnati, Ohio where people and families were struggling to find work and put food on the table. The film was very well-made, careful attention was taken to accurately reproduce the 30’s on film with vintage hairstyles, clothing, and vivid imagery. I think most families will find this a wholesome and enjoyable show for the entire family. The American Girl conglomerate promotes family and strong values as well as selling extremely overpriced dolls.

Let’s face it, any girl from 6-14 knows about the American Girl Dolls. They are often marketed with a series of books that tell the stories of the dolls being sold. Historical fiction has caught on in a big way and what an excellent way for young girls to learn what life was like for young girls of different eras. The authors pay close attention to detail and I would guess probably (when possible) interview people that lived in the era–for they go into great (and quite accurate) detail about life in those times. For example, in 1934 Kit’s father loses his job and the family struggles to find money to maintain the home they live in. One thing the mother does is sew her daughter a dress made from feed sack fabric. Flour sacks were also used during the 30’s and 40’s to make little girls dresses. My own mother had several of her own (in the 1950’s).

I’ve always believed that these dolls were extremely overpriced (the basic doll will set you back around $90); however, I now feel that buying these dolls is not as ludicrous as once thought. It supports an enterprise that’s goal is to produce wholesome, thoughtful entertainment for young girls. In a world where Bratz are all the rage, I must admit I’m sold. I’ll be purchasing a few American Girl Dolls for my daughters in the hope that the company will continue in its endeavor.

 

Recommended Reading…

Thanks to a dear friend, I’ve begun reading a series of five books written by Francine Rivers.  The novellas are quick and easy to read and have study guides included…perfect for book club study and discussion.  Each book is written about one of five women from Scripture who played a role in the lineage of Jesus.  Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba, and Mary….their stories are taken from Scripture and then fictionalized to give more insight into what life may have been like for these women.  In the end, these stories vividly tell the story of women of great faith who were faced with issues that are still quite relevant today.  I’m reading the third book, “Unshaken”, and have found (so far) the books to be quite thought-provoking.  I would love to hear from anyone who has read any of these books!

Haters….what’s up with that?

Haters….Urban dictionary defines a hater as such…

-A person that simply cannot be happy for another person’s success. So rather than be happy they make a point of exposing a flaw in that person.

 

-Hating, the result of being a hater, is not exactly jealousy. The hater doesnt really want to be the person he or she hates, rather the hater wants to knock someone else down a notch

 

I’ve been fielding calls to our church lately that I’ve begun categorizing as “haters”. We’ve heard from many “haters” since we’ve started our most recent post card campaign. Cards went in bulk to households in the Joliet area explaining that we are beginning two worship services and introducing our latest message series. It’s unbelieveable how many people get raging mad when they receive these mailings. First, they want to be removed from the mailing list. When they begin to understand that there is no list to remove them from, then they feel compelled to inform me they are already affiliated with some other church. “Great,” I tell them, “you’re certainly under no obligation to attend here simply because you were invited. If you’re not interested, simply recycle the card and have a great day.” Well, you’d think the conversation would end here but it almost never does. They tell me that they care about the environment (I’m proud of you….one word RECYCLE) and how they just can’t fathom this waste of earthly resources OR they again reassure me they attend a church. I try to direct them to recycle the mailing, discard it, disregard it, but they still don’t stop. One lady was really wound up about it and complained that she just can’t stand that we have contemporary music. Maybe it’s just me but, WHO HAS TIME FOR THIS?? I can’t seem to find the time to accomplish everything I need to do much less, call every organization that sends me random mail and demand they remove me from their list. Iiii yiiii yiiii.

God is present at Crossroads and these “haters” are just further testament to that. Something good is happening to create such a stir in the neighboring community. So many are finding time in their busy lives to try to knock us down at “the office” but we smile and continue because that’s how we roll .

 

 

WorkinG at Crossroads…

Remember the Oompah Loompahs from Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory? No, not the ones from that horrible remake with Johnny Depp…the really cool and awesome original with Gene Wilder as that eccentric and kind candyman. Remember how diligently they worked… always singinG a catchy tune? Well, its not like that at all in the Crossroads Office. Though I would enjoy seeing Mick and Matt dancinG and singinG the “oompah loompah” some Sunday morninG. Christine has been lookinG for a white jumper…but she’s been unsuccessful so far. While Mick doesn’t “oompah loompah” he can, actually, dance a mean “thriller”. He’s surprisingly believable as he can bug out his eyes and dance like the undead toward his office, with Starbucks in hand. There are times he’s even been so bold as to hook up the strobe lights. “Brother Summers” frowns on that, though…so we wait until he’s lunchinG at his local health club…then we jam out to Phil Collins.

Seriously though, with the upcoming change in worship opportunities, the office is hoppinG. Everyone is busy preparinG for the transition… from searchinG and placinG volunteers to settinG up the stage for the youth worship. Why, even “Brother Summers” is pretty busy but that is due in large part from the extra scoop of Starbucks I’ve been addinG to his morning java. That little extra boost of caffeine seems to give him the edge he needs. I always get his sermon material before Friday now. Christine is finalizinG volunteer plans and givinG her helpers info on how to carry out the new service. (I’ll be one of those helpers startinG Sunday. I’ll be leadinG one of the elementary groups.) Mrs. Murray is, also, lookinG ahead to the Harvest Fair in October. It promises to be a lot of FUN for the community. Mick is developinG a youth band, managinG the regular adult band, traininG leaders for the new community groups, while maintaininG his regular duties. Many new community groups will be unveiled soon to help facilitate community among Christians. TakinG God’s Word out of church and into the local area with the hope of buildinG relationships as well as leadinG others to Christ. So while we don’t don white jump suits or orange complexions and we’ve yet to develop any catchy work songs… we are workinG diligently in “the office” at Crossroads.

oompah, loompah, doompety doo, i’ve got another puzzle for you….G.

Part Two…

For some time we simply taught our children about God in our home. My husband and I agreed that until (if ever) we could find a solid place to worship this would be the best route. I would say that we lost faith in religion around the time we left that church. I felt bad about our daughter’s confusion, guilty that it was somehow my fault (mommy guilt….there’s always something mom’s feel guilty about) and torn as to whether we did the right thing in leaving. Mike was bitter and wanted nothing to do with ANY church. I tried to tell him that we’d find a decent place but truthfully I wasn’t so sure we would. Fast forward to last summer…A mom from my twins pre-school contacted me to photograph her children. Since we both have a daughter the same age, we had a play date at the mall some time later. Casually, over lunch Lori (*guest-starring in my blog*) mentioned going to church. I aggressively peppered her with questions about what kind of church she went to, where it met, what it was like, etc. I’m sure she must’ve thought I was crazy with all the interest I showed but she invited my kids to VBS anyway and I somehow convinced Mike to try the place out before we agreed to send the kids. It was no easy feat to get Mike to church those first few Sundays, I nearly had to drag him but in time we found our home at Crossroads and more importantly we found our way back to God. Now he (Mike) harps on the rest of us to hurry up on Sunday mornings.  I’ve often wondered and even agonized about our experience at the last church we attended. What good can come from a “bad religion” experience? I thought it was just one of those things that didn’t make any sense, until recently. Having gone through that helps us to appreciate the place we’ve found so much more. And we DO appreciate Crossroads. In this world, it is such a blessing to have the opportunity to worship God with so many wonderful people. And the mommy-guilt, well any mom can tell you there will always be something to feel guilty about… but I no longer feel guilty for choosing to leave “that church”. Last winter, I asked my 9 year old daughter if she ever got weepy during the children’s worship services at Crossroads. She exclaimed, “How did you KNOW??” I smiled at her and told her it happens to me in church too. I told her it never, not even once happened at our last church. She smiled at me and said she now understood why we couldn’t stay there. I thank God for her understanding and for His wisdom and guidance.

Seeds of God…(Part One)

I grew up in the Bible Belt where, more often than not, everyone you knew subscribed to some version of Christianity. The concept of God is not new to me but like many I wasn’t always as faithful as I should have been. After moving to Illinois, finding a church where everything seemed right wasn’t easy. Mike and I tried a few but after the twins came… going anywhere proved too difficult for us. Finally, I couldn’t stand not going to church any longer so we began attending a local church for the convenience it would offer, hoping that we’d also form some relationships that would help sustain us….two overwhelmed parents of three very small children with no family to lean on. I really feel we gave it our best shot there but ultimately we could not stay. Attending this church, we encountered people who greeted us politely but went no further in getting to know us. I heard the minister espouse political party talking points on Sunday morning and I was in awe that no one there seemed to mind. Hanging on still, I turned to the music for inspiration but found that profoundly lacking. The final straw was on Christmas Eve–when hearts and minds are turned to God in celebration of the birth of a Savior–our pastor did not embrace this message but opted for one of politics. We had come there seeking God and family in Christ, and while I will not say He wasn’t there, I can say we didn’t find Him there. This experience had a somewhat lasting effect on our family. Our daughter was confused when we left as she was only 5 and couldn’t understand. I promised her someday I’d be able to explain it to her…

Office Games…

 

 

Back from vacation, I have resumed my duties in the Crossroads office and was quite dismayed to discover that my Shrek had been violently tortured and disfigured in my absence.  Apparently, Mick’s recent small group “discussion” was replaced with an interrogation session for my beloved Shrek where he had screws drilled into his eye, neck and ribs…not to mention his leg was amputated and quite miraculously now protrudes from his chest.  He was burned and tormented in such a heinous manner, he now walks with the aid of a cain.  A special “thank you” to those members of Mick and Christine’s small group who obviously are more fit for Catholicism of the Dark Ages than for modern-day Christianity….I look forward to thanking your personally.   

You see, Mick has a virtual toy store in his office.  From Rubik’s cubes to Ninja Turtles, a kid (ie. Mick) could get lost in there.  Not too long ago, some sort of rivalry was formed between his turtles and my Shrek (who travels with his noble steed).  The pranking was kicked up quite a bit in my absence, and now I’m left to ponder just how to seek my revenge.  Mick loves vinyl records…that would definitely be an option…and he loves coffee.  hehe….I prepare Mick’s coffee….the mind reels at the possibilites. 

(Note:  All rivalries and competitive sporting occurring at “the office” is done in fun, no actual Animals or live Ogres were hurt during the games and such office sporting is not recommended for the faint of heart.)