Change - inevitable..good?

Last Thursday we talked about change. Change. Does that word make you cringe?? Shudder?? Spark excitement?? Intrigue you?? Change can create all kinds of emotions good or bad- sometimes so fast you feel like in a tornado of swirling thoughts and feelings. What we often forget is what a blessing the ability to change is. We chatted about what causes change, how change happens, what makes change possible, what does change bring and so much more. What I took from it- that change is possible even when we don't think there is anyway- with God there is always a way.




Read this song Chris August wrote-



Maybe it's a mind thing,

Maybe I'm a lost cause,

Either way I'm tired,

Gotta gather up a life lost.



I tell myself I'm okay,

To keep myself from crying,

How am I to make a change,

If I'm never trying?



[x2:]

If my world will never be the same,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.

Make a start in forever in the pain,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.



Swimmin in an ocean,

Trying just to find out,

Hatin what I'm knownin,

And knowin what I'm all about.

If I could change this,

If only this could change me,

Then I will be new man,

Back to when I believed.



[x2:]

If my world will never be the same,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.

Make a start in forever in the pain,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.



I walked away

But I'm crawling back,

Said I'm coming full circle.

It took some time,

So many years,

But I'm coming full circle.

I wanna be free,

But talk is cheap,

Said I'm coming full circle.

The blame is me

And now I see

That I ran,

I pushed away

But you stuck right by my side,

I'm changing.



[x3:]

If my world will never be the same,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.

Make a start in forever in the pain,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.



Turn this life around



If my world will never be the same,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.

Make a start in forever in the pain,

Maybe one of these days I'll change.







Now if you are a Chris August fan like me- you are thinking- wait I have never heard this- is this a new song??? Nope. This song was release in 2007. Before he was awarded the GMA Dove Awards for New Artist of the Year & Male Vocalist of the Year for 2011. Hmmm.... wait song was released in 2007- won NEW artist award in 2011. His hugely popular song "Starry Night" was released in 2010.... Timeline not adding up. Well here is why. Chris was in the music business for several years before he rededicated his music and life back to God. So what I noticed is Chris sang this song in 2007 about turning his life around and wanting to someday change. "I pushed away but you stuck right by my side." "If I could change this, if only this could change me, then I will be new man, back to when I believed." Okay quick timeline. So here is a guy who was a Christian- walked away, wanted to change- but clearly not easy, YET- rededicated his life to God and with God it was possible...HE CHANGED! He went from a average mainstream artist to NEW artist of the year and male vocalist of the year. See with God ALL things are possible.



Maybe that still seems impossible to you- trust me- IM WITH YOU! I don't hate change, I just doubt it. Maybe you are saying the same thing I would- "Ok but Chris August is famous- life is different- he's not just an average person like me." Well in a sense that is true- although he is about the most average musician you could find- actually at the last concert I saw him in at he was outside walking the line of ticket buyers- just chatting it up- even went in and got his guitar and played a few songs to entertain us. Stood right by me just like a normal guy. Anyway back to my point. Here is the amazing thing. God created each of us with the ability to change. Not just Chris. But you and me too. It's funny because as I sit here writing this I have been struggling all week with a change I feel God is directing me to. I have wrestled it around in my mind so much I feel like screaming about it- I honestly just want to yell at God- "Are you nuts???? There is no way that is possible!!!" My own words just smacked me in the face- dummy read what you are writing.



So maybe you are up against a big change in your life like I am, maybe yours is a change in relationship, behavior, addiction, job, housing, or anything- IT CAN HAPPEN! Here is my plan...and I can think of nothing better than to do it with a friend....



Romans 12



Place Your Life Before God



1-2 So here's what I want you to do, God helping you: Take your everyday, ordinary life—your sleeping, eating, going-to-work, and walking-around life—and place it before God as an offering. Embracing what God does for you is the best thing you can do for him. Don't become so well-adjusted to your culture that you fit into it without even thinking. Instead, fix your attention on God. You'll be changed from the inside out. Readily recognize what he wants from you, and quickly respond to it. Unlike the culture around you, always dragging you down to its level of immaturity, God brings the best out of you, develops well-formed maturity in you.



We will be meeting again Thursday June 28th at 6:45-8:00PM, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. Love to see you there!





Megan

Coaching & Teams, More than more style!

So I'm not a sports smarty and honestly not really even a fan of well...any sport.  Yet I love the concept of a team led by a coach.  And here is what I noticed.  A good team is not created by the coach- but led by the coach.  A good team is not based on the number of wins, but by the attitude of the team.  A good team includes a wide variety of individuals with various skills.  A good coach not only teaches his team physically but emotionally.  A good team is not dependent upon their coach but supported by their coach.  A great team will not collapse in the absence of their leader.  Here is how I know.  Our More than More leader was unable to attend our last meeting due to an unexpected situation.  WOW was he missed, yet the group pulled together and made it happen.  Turns out we are a pretty good team with a darn great coach.  And in my opinion we shared a beautiful example of what More than More is to several newcomers.  A couple of times I heard some of the regulars encourage the newcomers that they would have to return for the full experience because it just was not the same without our leader.  Yet as different as it was from a normal (not sure I can use that word to describe us) Thursday at McAllister it was still us.  We shared the value of relationships that had been built through this group, shared the amazing wonder of how a bunch of strangers became a family, shared individual experiences, shared laughter- lots of laughter, shared some broken pieces of our lives, shared prayers and stories, shared our time just chatting and enjoying each other company.  Made me ask myself " What is More than More?"  And more importantly how do you fully yet simply describe something so amazing.  As I delayed writing this because I could not put it into words- something amazing happened.  Two people defined it for me.

 

First my pastor:  He told us to imagine a community of people know by these things-love, joy, peace, longsuffering, kindness, goodness, faithfulness.  People who love, know peace, generous- just give freely...it would be like heaven.  What if we were known by how quick we are to extend compassion.  It would be a lifestyle people would naturally gravitate to.  It's odd-it's different than this life.  It's produced by extraordinary God- not us.  He asked... "What would this look like?"

I just grinned- MORE THAN MORE!!!

 

Second- one of our own wrote this:  The reason we reach out and love one another the way we do, is we are trying to "simply embrace what the Spirit is doing in us."  When we do that, we won't treat people as remote and unimportant.  We will text, we will we call, we will cook, we will clean, we will baby-sit, we will dive into each other's lives, pain and all.  We don't want to be a Band-Aid to each other, we want to truly help each other heal, live in each other's pains and joys, just as Jesus did with his own disciples.

 

So what is More than More???  Well there is no exact definition.  To understand you really have to experience it.  Simply- to me- it is love.  Want to see for yourself??????  PLEASE join us Thursday 6-14-12 at 6:45 pm at McAllister Center- 2351 N 20th St.  Fantastic childcare provided for all ages!

Hope you can Join us Thursday Night!

Hey everyone!  We will be hanging out this Thursday night, 6/14, 6:45-8:00PM at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler ave, Lafayette.

It is always a great time to laugh and enjoy some time with some people who accept you for who you are and to begin to see some new ways of looking at life!!

hope to see you there!

Is Truth True?

So last night we talked about truth. To me it is such a simple word. The meaning seems pretty obvious. Yet somehow to most people it is extremely difficult to practice. We believe we are being honest because we are not telling lies. But when you really stop and think about it- Are you being true to who you are?? Are you compromising who you are to be who society wants you to be? Do you let others change who you are to fit in? Do you practice what you preach? Well I thought I did. My kids will tell you mommy hates lies. And I do-I just cannot stand lies. I cringe at fakeness- makes me angry. I’m a tell like is it kind of girl. I don’t see the point in sugar coating things. But what I learned last night is I might not lie to others- but I have been lying to myself for years. I tell myself I value time with my kiddos. But when I am with them I am constantly telling them no mommy does not have time to play, mommy has to do the laundry- mommy has to wash the bottles, mommy has to clean the house…. I have been so consumed with keeping up with things around the house and my kids are suffering the loss. It’s time I stop worrying if my house looks like a toy factory exploded and start playing with the escaped superheroes I find under my feet and dolls with tangled hair that need mommy’s help. I need to put the To Do list away and sit down and play candy land in the mess. Need to remember what my mom always says- people will know this house is lived in, not a display.








What I noticed is every single one of us struggles with truth in some way or another. Yet I know truth does exist. It is real! How do I know you might ask? Well we have a magnificent God that shows us the realness of truth. He says what he means and means what he says. I also see it in More than More. I see it in the actions of this amazing group of people. People who not only say they care- BUT ACTUALLY DO! I know it’s hard to believe a group of strangers from all different walks of life can become like a family. I didn’t believe it when I first joined More than More. Thought the idea of More sounded pretty exciting but was extremely doubtful. But then I sat down in a circle of strangers and immediately a super sweet gal sat down beside me and my fiancé and made us feel welcome- important- included- LOVED. Now about a year later this super sweet and super funny gal was mistaken to be my husband’s mom. You see this group is super cool. I mean it. Don’t let anything stop you from coming! You will be welcome as you are for who you are- and that is the TRUTH!







So if you are sick of the American society where lies are everywhere, politicians with beliefs not backed by actions, lies to our children, and dishonesty to get more money more stuff more success, and interested in a different way of living- a way where truth exists and people really matter…..Then come hang out with us on Thursday May 31st, from 6:45-8:00PM, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette. As always AMAZING childcare provided (really my kids beg to go back!)

Whar's the big deal about a birthday?

Last More than more we had a fantastic time on an outreach.  What is an outreach?  I'm glad you asked.  At More than more, we believe that life is about More than just the everyday stuff it seems like it is about.  There is much More.  We enjoy learning about this and looking for new ways to change our perspectives on this life every other Thursday night at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, from 6:45-8:00.  In fact we will be there this Thursday night, May 3rd.  As always. there will be cool activities for all age kids.  
But, our usual Thursdays are only a small part of our lives.  We want this idea, this life, to be the way we live all the time, in our homes, in our workplaces, in our schools - we want to be different, wonderfully, joyfully different!
Part of what makes us different is that we just are not content to sit and enjoy our perspective and joy, we are determined to share it with as many people as possible - we are thrilled to be living life better, but we are sad at the fact that there are so many people in the world right around us who do not realize the wonder of life!!

All that to say, our outreach projects are designed to show other people the kind of perspective we are trying to live with every day and that we learn about every other Thursday night. 

So, back to the title of this post - what's the big deal?

Well, did you realize that on the day of your birth, you were a gift to the world?  The God who made you could have chosen any combination of your parents' genetic material and out of all the possibilities, He chose you!!!  You are a gift, to us, to your world!

So many times in our culture we attribute value to people by their financial statement, by the health, by their popularity, by their location, by their race, etc.  Once a person told me they truly believed that a person's actual value only existed if they made certain amounts of money and was "productive."  But that person was wrong (and they made me kinda sick i have to tell you).  You see, all of us have a birthday - all of us are a treasure to the One who created us, amazingly and intricately made, each part of us a masterpiece!  And so many times we miss it - our value comes in our birth - that is a lot to celebrate!

So, at More than more, we love birthdays - not just because we love an excuse to party (even though we do!) - but because we love to celebrate God's creativity and birthdays become an outreach when they become a way for us to share the joy in our lives with someone else and remind them of their value, to us, and to God, by celebrating their birthday!  

This last Thursday we celebrated the birthday of one of our friends, her name is Carla.  We all went over, had a fantastic lavender frosted spice cake (that's her favorite kind!) and the kids painted bird houses - she loves birds.  We gave her gifts, she blew out candles and a good time was had by all!!  

But the best by far was the peaceful joyful face Carla had as the realization sunk deeply into her heart that she mattered, that she was wonderful, that the real gift on her birthday was her, from God to us!  I hope she never forgets, and i hope you don't either.

If this kind of crazy fun sounds like it might be worth a try, please join us Thursday - we do have tons of fun!
Hope to see you there!

What's Coming Up!

Hi everyone!  We have been having a fantastic time at More than more.  Last Thursday night Dottie talked about some of the amazing experiences in her life - it was a great time to hear how amazing life and even death can be, in a different perspective than many of us have heard before.

Next Thursday night we are going to having a birthday party.  One of my friends, an older woman named Carla was not going to have any celebration for her birthday and so on the 19th, instead of our usual More than more time, we are going to go to her house and have a huge party!!!  The kids need to wear clothes that can get paint on them or bring something to cover up their clothes!!  We will be meeting at McAllister (just off 20th and Schuyler Ave) at the usual time (6:45PM) and then driving to Carla's place, leavnig ABOUT 6:55PM!! 

You see, we believe that it is an amazing thing that God gave the world the gift of Carla on her birthday and we want to be able to celebrate God's creativity expressed in her!!!

We hope you will be able to make it - it will be awesome!

Just a Tuesday

               It's Tuesday morning.  6AM.  As i look out at the landscape of my day, i see a crazy schedule.  If i just give it a glance, i see lots of people who will have all kinds of problems and schedule that is fast paced to say the least...i see 3 kids and a wife who have all kinds of things to do and accomplish and schedules to follow and keep...i see a multiple different groups that we lead and have things coming up and if i am not careful, the task list begins to spiral in my mind - getting bigger and bigger (or as Doctor Seuss would say, biggerer and biggerer), threatening to drown out all semblance of anything else and make me a slave to its domination.  I see all these things have their place in my life and there is a purpose in each of them.  I have chosen to place them in the day - but together they form this tornado that threatens to take me far away from what together in my life they were supposed to be, to wreak havoc on the very purpose of life!  You see, i feel this need to do it all well.  i want to succeed and thrive and work hard and not fail - and this drives me to do too many things sometimes...

               So, here i sit, talking to God in the beginning of my day, asking Him to bring His perspective to the moments of this day.  Asking Him to help me to not be dominated by my need to always do everything right and good and betterer.  Asking Him to help me to remember that it is not the schedule or the success that is the key to this being a wonderful day, but the people who are in the middle of it all.  In fact, if this is to be a wonderful day, i need to be ready to shirk the drive of the schedule and instead notice the broken hearts and lives around me.  I need to be willing to realize that all my pursuit of doing everything just right over the years, while successful in terms of what our culture would say, has never brought me joy.  The only thing that has brought me joy has been flying in the face of all the things in this crazy culture of ours that push me to always get more stuff, buy more stuff, achieve higher goals, make everyone happy, rise in the corporate ladder, have more positions, have more tasks and do them the best, and instead choosing to grasp these things as lightly as possible, choosing  to notice all the in between people and things that reorient my life to what life is really about.  As someone said, "It is the journey of life that makes it beautiful, not the destination" - which i would change slightly to "It is the joys of the journey of life that take us to a different, more wonderful destination."  The more i notice the amazingness of the world around me and the wonder of the people (and their brokenness) around me, the more life opens up and becomes wonderful and joyful and full of purpose and meaning and even awe.  The more i recognize the beauty of the God who made it all and who loves us so much and invite Him into the moments of my day, asking Him to be in the moments and help me to not to lose His perspective.  The more i realize that i will never be able to make myself happy and neither will my wife or kids or family or friends, only God can take all the things that already exist in my world and help me see them in a new way that will bring deep joy to my life.  The more i do all these things, the landscape of my day looks amazing, full of promise.  No longer do i feel a slave to my compulsions.  I am free.  There is More than more - and that is a beautiful thing!

               If you are sick and tired of the usual mores of our world, feel trapped by your schedule and just have lost your joy.  You might consider joining us Thursday night, the 5th of April, at McAllister Recreation Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette.  We spend our time talking about and working at living this way and sharing life together.  It is a great time and as always there is a group for kids and teens/tweens.  We hope you will be able to join us!!!