1-21-10
I talked for a long time to my mom on the way to the airport today. I am taking a very unusual mini-sabbatical. It is time to learn about some medical stuff, pray and focus, read and write, listen and grow – 2 days of silence and solitude of a different sort. It will be good – God has much to do in my life and I anticipate meeting with Him and gaining ground through His strength in these days.
My mom and I do not talk much, but this time on the way to Indy was a great time to catch up a little. We found ourselves talking about something I noticed yesterday evening as I got ready all that I needed for the trip and then settled into bed was that I felt an urge to write a note to the kids and my wife. No, it was more than an urge, it was a compulsion. I would not have felt right leaving without writing these little words of encouragement, instruction, love, peace, whatever. It was bigger in my mind than I had previously thought. I have always done this – when Melissa and I go away I always right a note to each child and sometimes even to my in-laws! So, I mentioned this to Melissa, how this felt so overwhelming and she asked, appropriately, “Why?”
Well, did that ever get me thinking. I started to look into the heart of the notes, the emotion behind it, the associated times I had felt these emotions in the past in my life. Here’s what I think: I feel this compulsion to write the note because there is a fear deep inside me that something will happen to me and I want to give them something wonderful as my last input to their lives. I know that sounds massively messed up and I don’t know what to say about it so let me continue, before I am mentally shipped off to the padded room in your mind.
I remember at age 7, walking with mom into the basement (why are hospital cafeterias always in the dark, windowless basement?) of Carle Clinic hospital, Champaign, Illinois. My dad was upstairs in some room. I knew he was sick, but really not much more and was mainly, as most 7 year olds, concerned with my life and what important things were going on in the life of a first grader. My mom sat me down at a table, before we even got our food and tried to gently break the news to me, “They say that your daddy is probably going to die, Jay.” The words hung in the air as if they were made of lead, and they landed in my gut and head the same way. The shock rung through me, wave after wave of grief and despair and loss and crushing pain wracked my little unprepared mind. I screamed, over and over, “My daddy can’t die! My daddy can’t die! My daddy can’t die!” It was all I could think or say or summon to express the loss I was feeling.
I spent the next months wondering if he really would die, or if he might live. It looked like he might be ok and he made it home, only to be rushed to the hospital, after almost dying in our living room. My life seemed to have had its stable point cut out and there was nothing I could do to paste it back into place again.
Well, he survived, and we had another almost 14 years together. But I don’t think I have ever recovered from the shock and heartbreak of that day in the hospital cafeteria. Even as I write about it now, my eyes fill up with tears – it has been 31 years…
Getting back to the present, I have this compulsion to write letters and this sense that I don’t want to abandon my family without something wonderful, remember? Well, I suppose you can connect the dots. I truly believe that the crush I felt in that cafeteria brings me to a place where I so badly don’t want that to ever happen to my kids that I without realizing it write them letters before I leave them. I suppose it is a survival mechanism I have formed from the pain inside. But, the thing is, in spite of the pain that started the letters, they are a really wonderful thing. The letters are nearly always still there when I get back, often times next to their beds – sometimes I find them months or years later, clung to, prized, cherished reminders of daddy’s love.
So, lots of sentimentality…plenty of confessional and potential for my healing in sharing my experiences, but what does all this mean to anyone but me and my family? Is that what you are thinking? Here’s the “So what?”
First, many of you look at me as this kind man who cares deeply, speaks with authority, prays long, and on and on and on. You need to understand that my life is scarred with loss and pain and hurt – just like yours and the person next to you. I do believe in a better way of life and love to tell about the way that God can change people’s lives and help them live more meaningful, joyful, wonderful lives. But, this is not because I have lived some kingly, charmed life of ease. The circumstances of my life have crushed me, over and over and over again.
Second, know that the loss and pain and heartache that I went through with my dad created so much havoc in my life that I felt a sense of instability in my world for most of my life, it was awful and there is much more that I haven’t said in this letter. But, look at what all that pain and loss has become in God’s hands. I began many years ago realizing that I had no way of getting better over the pain and hurt inside me. My heart was broken and I had no idea how to love. I was angry and hurtful, manipulative and destructive, addicted and filled with rage. Yet, as I began to see that the path to “more” of what I wanted was a dead end, my heart began to cry for its maker. I began to invite God into my hurts and ask for His help. I began to search for His truth and notice the wonder of His world. And then an amazing thing happened, the pain and the heartache began to be changed into something beautiful. He began to change shrieking sobs ringing in the ears of a 7 year old into love letters written from the heart of a daddy so consumed with love that it must overflow into the lives of his children, his wife, his patients, his community, his world. I can’t tell you how it all works specifically, like in some psychological dialogue or something, but I can tell you that I have seen it over and over and over again in the lives of those who would give up their hurts and pain to the More who can change them to love letters.
Well, as you probably caught above, my dad died when I was a senior in college – almost 21 years old. It was a hard time – 17 years ago this week. So, the talk with me mom, about my love letters was particularly poignant. It was good to talk to her – I think in some way she understands the morphing God has done in my life better than anyone – she was the only one there for the sobs in the cafeteria besides me and she certainly watched in dismay the path of destruction I followed for so many years afterward. But, she also sees with glee, the change of heart that God has brought to my life. I only hope that He will continue to pour out his love from my wounds for many years to come and…
that many more of you will get a chance to experience this wonderful way of living.
This, by the way is what we do at More than more. The people who come together and hang out every other Thursday are seeing this kind of change in their lives – even as they continue to experience the crush of life.
We hope to have a chance to share this with you. Please join us.
We will be getting together next Thursday, 2/4, at McAllister Community Center, 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM
As always, there will be excellent, free childcare
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
More than more for the 21st of January
Hi everyone! We will be having an exciting community outreach night tomorrow night! We do this from time to time - several times per year, in addition to our major community outreaches. This helps us to keep focused on caring for those around us and not just on what is going on in our lives. Plus it gives us a chance to share the exciting news we have that life is not just about the constant push to get more, become more, be more, own more, have more - but can be full of joy and meaning and purpose and life!
These are really cool nights - we always have tons fun!
We will be helping an older, retired couple who are struggling with disabilities in cleaning out their garage so they can get their car into it!
We will meet at McAllister at 6:45 PM and will leave there by 6:55 PM (you will be meeting Kristi Pope) - we will finish most likely around 8:30 or so, but any time you spend with us, you will love and we will love having you!
Hope to see you there!
These are really cool nights - we always have tons fun!
We will be helping an older, retired couple who are struggling with disabilities in cleaning out their garage so they can get their car into it!
We will meet at McAllister at 6:45 PM and will leave there by 6:55 PM (you will be meeting Kristi Pope) - we will finish most likely around 8:30 or so, but any time you spend with us, you will love and we will love having you!
Hope to see you there!
Thursday, January 7, 2010
Tomorrow
Just a reminder, we will be back at McAllister Center - 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette - 6:45-8:00PM tomorrow night - watch the weather - if it is too crazy, we may have to cancel, we will post here and send out email to those we have email for when we decide...only if we decide to cancel.
hope to see you all there
hope to see you all there
Monday, December 21, 2009
Sharing Heartbreak
Jessica Goyette has been a part of More than more for more than a year now. We love her dearly. We have shared many laughs together over the months, soaking up life and her infectious giggle.
Saturday she lost her father - suddenly. It is one of those things in life that we know occurs but we all hate the idea that it could happen at any time, to any one of us. There is no cute or easy "fix" to this kind of pain. Over my years of experiencing loss and watching people experience loss, I have found 2 things that seem to make all the difference:
1) The love and presence of family and friends who truly care about you - not what you can provide to them, not your productivity or how you "fit in"
and
2) The belief that there is a God and that He loves us and cares what happens to us. Even though it is so difficult to "feel" connected to God or even people sometimes in the middle of times like this - knowing He is there and caring - it really helps.
So, my request from all of you is that you be willing to let your hearts ache with Jess and her family during this unbelievably difficult time, even as you have let yourself laugh with her on Thursday nights for the past year. Talk to God about her and her mom, Cynthia, and her brother.
Thanks
We will gather together again January 7, 2010 at McAllister Recreation Center, 6:45-8:00 PM.
here is the link if you need it
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=McAllister+Recreation+Center+Lafayette+Indiana&sll=39.795996,-86.524284&sspn=2.034277,4.927368&ie=UTF8&hq=McAllister+Recreation+Center&hnear=Lafayette,+IN&ll=40.45792,-86.87439&spn=0.062956,0.15398&z=13&iwloc=A
We love you all
Saturday she lost her father - suddenly. It is one of those things in life that we know occurs but we all hate the idea that it could happen at any time, to any one of us. There is no cute or easy "fix" to this kind of pain. Over my years of experiencing loss and watching people experience loss, I have found 2 things that seem to make all the difference:
1) The love and presence of family and friends who truly care about you - not what you can provide to them, not your productivity or how you "fit in"
and
2) The belief that there is a God and that He loves us and cares what happens to us. Even though it is so difficult to "feel" connected to God or even people sometimes in the middle of times like this - knowing He is there and caring - it really helps.
So, my request from all of you is that you be willing to let your hearts ache with Jess and her family during this unbelievably difficult time, even as you have let yourself laugh with her on Thursday nights for the past year. Talk to God about her and her mom, Cynthia, and her brother.
Thanks
We will gather together again January 7, 2010 at McAllister Recreation Center, 6:45-8:00 PM.
here is the link if you need it
http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&source=s_q&hl=en&geocode=&q=McAllister+Recreation+Center+Lafayette+Indiana&sll=39.795996,-86.524284&sspn=2.034277,4.927368&ie=UTF8&hq=McAllister+Recreation+Center&hnear=Lafayette,+IN&ll=40.45792,-86.87439&spn=0.062956,0.15398&z=13&iwloc=A
We love you all
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
An Update
Hey everyone!
We got together this last Thursday night and had a great time! We spent the time relaxing and enjoying some time not having to be fakey and perform for anyone - being around some people who genuinely care about you can really be an amazing thing...
We started off our time with the question, "What is the worst gift you've ever gotten?" From a game that was 5yrs too young, to gloves, to no gift at all, we shook our heads as we took some time to get to know each other just a little better.
We then spent some time noticing how amazing God is. This time we talked about how amazingly changeable people are, as we talked about how Melissa has changed over the years from a timid, don't even talk to anyone in line at McDonald's when they cut, to a chase down a young guy at Meijer who flipped her off. And furthermore, how I had gone from a gruff and disrespectful young man who was not even allowed to go into the plant manager's secretary's office when I was 19-20yrs old because she hated me so much, to a doctor who hundreds of women trust with their depression management and to take care of their kids. Generally thought of as sensitive and kind, I am amazed at the change in my life.
Isn't it strange and amazing how chanagable we are? In this case, Melissa and I, over the years, have become more and more like each other. She, more like my agressive and strong personality; me, more like her kind and gentle personality. This has not happened, though, on accident. It is because of love. We have loved each other for more than 20 years now. This love is the most powerful changing force in the universe! This is the kind of living that God can give - He has made us so amazingly and loves us so much that we have all the possibility in the world!
One of the things I hear sometimes that just makes me cringe is, "That's just the way I am. I'll never be any different." This does not have to be true. God has made you in an amazing way -able to morph over time. This can blow your mind if you consider it - there is nothing too amazing for your life - when it is filled with love!
So, the next time you notice how different you are than you used to be, or when you see an older couple who have been together so long they are starting to look like each other - stop for just a second and notice - this is a fabulous gift - we could all be just like the animals and simply do whatever we need to do for the next day - survive and only adapt on the basis of fulfilling our needs. But we're not! In those moments, thank the God who made you and celebrate that the circumstances you are currently in with your bad attitude, your issues, your problems, do not always have to be the same - cool!
Next we took some time to notice each other - we have some folks with some major pain in their lives that are in the group and we talked to God about each other for a little bit. This is a really cool time, when we just have a chance to realize that regardless of the situations in our lives, color of our skin, size of our house or bank account, or even whether we have something to say there are people in this room who care for us. That is just something we just don't seem to find other places. Plus, when we talk to God about stuff - things change - for the better. We can't perfectly explain how that happens and we realize that it may sound kinda corny - but it is true - time after time we sit together - we see it happening.
Last we had a chance to view a picture of our family. In it, my youngest daughter, Sophia, is a newborn. We are all standing in front of the Christmas tree, grinning ear to ear, little Emily and Nate, and Melissa, holding Sophia, and me. The only odd thing is that Sophia is letting out this mouth-wide-open, let it all out at once, yell. I mean, she is screaming her head off - and there all the rest of us are - just grinning as if she doesn't even exist.
The interesting thing about this picture is that it is so consistent with so many of our lives. We live our lives, with our "images" put on - our faces made up pretty for the world, day after day. Yet, there, in the picture of our lives, there is a screaming baby. It is yelling to be seen, but we keep it in the background, ignoring its presence so that we can look our best! These discrepanacies between what we portray and what we really are can nuke us from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night.
For some of us, it is time to "come clean." We need to be in a place where we can be ourselves - begin to see the pain and screaming in our lives and put it in the perpective of our actual world - to admit that the screaming baby is there and deal with it. This is one of the reasons that More than more exists. We want to give people a place to be real...
For others of us, we are pretty much who we are - we do not deny the screaming in our lives - but we seem to be trying to get closer to God - to notice how amazing He is and live becoming something more amazing than we had ever imagined. But, in this, we are doing and saying the living some things that we know just are not the best things. We continue to do them in spite of the fact that they just don't seem to be the best things to be doing anymore, and they become the screaming baby in our pictures. We can change from these too, if we will begin to invite God into the middle of these and allow His ability to change us to work on the screaming baby that may be holding us back from all the future holds for us!
So, no matter where you fall in the "screaming baby" scenario, we would love to hang out with you, laugh with you, even care about you. We would love to help you move past the religiosity so often found in this world and help you begin to see that God has wonderful things for your life. This, you see, is not some cute, little religion club - we are an open, loving, understanding, accepting, group of people who just want to join you in life's struggles and walk through the days with you - no matter who you are.
We will be getting together this Thursday night, 12/17/09 at McAllister Recreation Center - 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM. Of course, there will be free, excellent childcare.
Hope to see you there!
We got together this last Thursday night and had a great time! We spent the time relaxing and enjoying some time not having to be fakey and perform for anyone - being around some people who genuinely care about you can really be an amazing thing...
We started off our time with the question, "What is the worst gift you've ever gotten?" From a game that was 5yrs too young, to gloves, to no gift at all, we shook our heads as we took some time to get to know each other just a little better.
We then spent some time noticing how amazing God is. This time we talked about how amazingly changeable people are, as we talked about how Melissa has changed over the years from a timid, don't even talk to anyone in line at McDonald's when they cut, to a chase down a young guy at Meijer who flipped her off. And furthermore, how I had gone from a gruff and disrespectful young man who was not even allowed to go into the plant manager's secretary's office when I was 19-20yrs old because she hated me so much, to a doctor who hundreds of women trust with their depression management and to take care of their kids. Generally thought of as sensitive and kind, I am amazed at the change in my life.
Isn't it strange and amazing how chanagable we are? In this case, Melissa and I, over the years, have become more and more like each other. She, more like my agressive and strong personality; me, more like her kind and gentle personality. This has not happened, though, on accident. It is because of love. We have loved each other for more than 20 years now. This love is the most powerful changing force in the universe! This is the kind of living that God can give - He has made us so amazingly and loves us so much that we have all the possibility in the world!
One of the things I hear sometimes that just makes me cringe is, "That's just the way I am. I'll never be any different." This does not have to be true. God has made you in an amazing way -able to morph over time. This can blow your mind if you consider it - there is nothing too amazing for your life - when it is filled with love!
So, the next time you notice how different you are than you used to be, or when you see an older couple who have been together so long they are starting to look like each other - stop for just a second and notice - this is a fabulous gift - we could all be just like the animals and simply do whatever we need to do for the next day - survive and only adapt on the basis of fulfilling our needs. But we're not! In those moments, thank the God who made you and celebrate that the circumstances you are currently in with your bad attitude, your issues, your problems, do not always have to be the same - cool!
Next we took some time to notice each other - we have some folks with some major pain in their lives that are in the group and we talked to God about each other for a little bit. This is a really cool time, when we just have a chance to realize that regardless of the situations in our lives, color of our skin, size of our house or bank account, or even whether we have something to say there are people in this room who care for us. That is just something we just don't seem to find other places. Plus, when we talk to God about stuff - things change - for the better. We can't perfectly explain how that happens and we realize that it may sound kinda corny - but it is true - time after time we sit together - we see it happening.
Last we had a chance to view a picture of our family. In it, my youngest daughter, Sophia, is a newborn. We are all standing in front of the Christmas tree, grinning ear to ear, little Emily and Nate, and Melissa, holding Sophia, and me. The only odd thing is that Sophia is letting out this mouth-wide-open, let it all out at once, yell. I mean, she is screaming her head off - and there all the rest of us are - just grinning as if she doesn't even exist.
The interesting thing about this picture is that it is so consistent with so many of our lives. We live our lives, with our "images" put on - our faces made up pretty for the world, day after day. Yet, there, in the picture of our lives, there is a screaming baby. It is yelling to be seen, but we keep it in the background, ignoring its presence so that we can look our best! These discrepanacies between what we portray and what we really are can nuke us from the time we get up in the morning to the time we go to bed at night.
For some of us, it is time to "come clean." We need to be in a place where we can be ourselves - begin to see the pain and screaming in our lives and put it in the perpective of our actual world - to admit that the screaming baby is there and deal with it. This is one of the reasons that More than more exists. We want to give people a place to be real...
For others of us, we are pretty much who we are - we do not deny the screaming in our lives - but we seem to be trying to get closer to God - to notice how amazing He is and live becoming something more amazing than we had ever imagined. But, in this, we are doing and saying the living some things that we know just are not the best things. We continue to do them in spite of the fact that they just don't seem to be the best things to be doing anymore, and they become the screaming baby in our pictures. We can change from these too, if we will begin to invite God into the middle of these and allow His ability to change us to work on the screaming baby that may be holding us back from all the future holds for us!
So, no matter where you fall in the "screaming baby" scenario, we would love to hang out with you, laugh with you, even care about you. We would love to help you move past the religiosity so often found in this world and help you begin to see that God has wonderful things for your life. This, you see, is not some cute, little religion club - we are an open, loving, understanding, accepting, group of people who just want to join you in life's struggles and walk through the days with you - no matter who you are.
We will be getting together this Thursday night, 12/17/09 at McAllister Recreation Center - 20th and Schuyler Ave, Lafayette, 6:45-8:00PM. Of course, there will be free, excellent childcare.
Hope to see you there!
Wednesday, November 4, 2009
Thursday
Hello everyone!
We have missed seeing you all!
Just wanted to remind you that we are hanging out 6:45-8:00 PM on Thursday night at McAllister Center - 20th and Schuyler - Lafayette.
It will be a great time and we hope to see you there.
If you get a sense that there just might be more to life than you are experiencing, you need to be there...
have a great one!
We have missed seeing you all!
Just wanted to remind you that we are hanging out 6:45-8:00 PM on Thursday night at McAllister Center - 20th and Schuyler - Lafayette.
It will be a great time and we hope to see you there.
If you get a sense that there just might be more to life than you are experiencing, you need to be there...
have a great one!
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
So, I seriously hope that none of you will be mad at me for saying so, but I am a deer hunter. Mostly I sit in the tree stand and enjoy being outside in the quiet peace of the woods. If a deer happens to come along, well we won't talk about that part right now, but I love this time of year for the hunting.
The other day, it had been raining all day, but was just barely spitting when I got home, so I donned my camo and headed over the hill to the stand. I came over the ridge looking down onto Wildcat Creek and slipped/skidded my way down the hill to where the 4 or 5 deer paths converge and where my stand sits this time of year. To my shock and then anger, my stand was gone! I looked all around and did not find it anywhere. I then proceeded to be stupid and walked several hundred yards into the woods, down the paths, thinking maybe i would find my stand (or the chump who took it!). I found neither and no deer - not that they couldn't hear me coming a mile off, in my angered state of mind.
Now, understand, I do hunt with permission on someone else's land, but there has not been any recall of his permission to my knowledge. I fumed - seriously I think my head might have been steaming off the rain that was falling on it. Yet, not to be turned away, I was determined to hunt that night and so I perched myself on a downed log and sat for a while. Needless to say no animals approached - probably because they could smell my anger - and so eventually I got up and began walking home. I trudged up the hill to the clearing behind my house, hoping to see some grazing deer there, looked left, toward my house as I entered it, and there was my stand, laying on the ground. I was stunned. I was not sure whether someone had left it there for me, knowing that i was the hunter and not wanting it left on the tree, or if they left it there to come back for it another time, but nevertheless, it was mine and it was found.
Needless to say, I was relieved to have my stand and after dragging my soggy self back inside and settling down a little (I was still mad that someone would take it) I had some time to think about the whole thing.
I was mad about the stand because it was not where I thought it should be. I looked in a million places and i just could not seem to find it. I got angrier and angrier the longer i looked because I knew where the stand was supposed to be and it wasn't there! Truth is, it was actually up on the hill. Somewhere completely unexpected and unforeseen. It was not running from me - it was just sitting there, in the rain, waiting to be picked up.
Many times this is how life is. We are just absolutely convinced that the thing we want is right over here, at the bottom of the hill. Then, when we get there we find that it is not there at all and so we go searching - we search and we search and we search for anything that we think may be able to satisfy us, but we are just not able to find it. Then, in our desperation, we look somewhere where we would never have thought to find something wonderful and there it is - waiting as if we would never get there. This is how it is often with God. We think we know where He is - but sometimes we need to think differently when the missing things in our life are not where we though they would be.
Now, i don't want you to misunderstand, God is not just sitting there like my stand. He is sculpting the moments to guide you to the top of the hill where He is. He wants you to find Him - but most of the time we are so preoccupied with our searching where we think life should be that we forget to look for Him.
Maybe you are reading this because you are heading up the hill - maybe this is a chance for you to change your focus - to modify your search.
If so, we hope you will join us Thursday night, 6:45-8:00 PM at McAllister Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, we will all be heading to the top of the hill, together.
By the way - here are the dates for the rest of the year - there are some changes to the usual every other Thursdays because of holidays and vacations
These are the following dates we will meet at McAllister:(PLEASE note them on your calendar)
Thursday October 15
Thursday November 5th
Thursday November 19th
Thursday December 10th
Thursday December 17th
Thursday January 7th
thanks and we'll look forward to seeing you!
The other day, it had been raining all day, but was just barely spitting when I got home, so I donned my camo and headed over the hill to the stand. I came over the ridge looking down onto Wildcat Creek and slipped/skidded my way down the hill to where the 4 or 5 deer paths converge and where my stand sits this time of year. To my shock and then anger, my stand was gone! I looked all around and did not find it anywhere. I then proceeded to be stupid and walked several hundred yards into the woods, down the paths, thinking maybe i would find my stand (or the chump who took it!). I found neither and no deer - not that they couldn't hear me coming a mile off, in my angered state of mind.
Now, understand, I do hunt with permission on someone else's land, but there has not been any recall of his permission to my knowledge. I fumed - seriously I think my head might have been steaming off the rain that was falling on it. Yet, not to be turned away, I was determined to hunt that night and so I perched myself on a downed log and sat for a while. Needless to say no animals approached - probably because they could smell my anger - and so eventually I got up and began walking home. I trudged up the hill to the clearing behind my house, hoping to see some grazing deer there, looked left, toward my house as I entered it, and there was my stand, laying on the ground. I was stunned. I was not sure whether someone had left it there for me, knowing that i was the hunter and not wanting it left on the tree, or if they left it there to come back for it another time, but nevertheless, it was mine and it was found.
Needless to say, I was relieved to have my stand and after dragging my soggy self back inside and settling down a little (I was still mad that someone would take it) I had some time to think about the whole thing.
I was mad about the stand because it was not where I thought it should be. I looked in a million places and i just could not seem to find it. I got angrier and angrier the longer i looked because I knew where the stand was supposed to be and it wasn't there! Truth is, it was actually up on the hill. Somewhere completely unexpected and unforeseen. It was not running from me - it was just sitting there, in the rain, waiting to be picked up.
Many times this is how life is. We are just absolutely convinced that the thing we want is right over here, at the bottom of the hill. Then, when we get there we find that it is not there at all and so we go searching - we search and we search and we search for anything that we think may be able to satisfy us, but we are just not able to find it. Then, in our desperation, we look somewhere where we would never have thought to find something wonderful and there it is - waiting as if we would never get there. This is how it is often with God. We think we know where He is - but sometimes we need to think differently when the missing things in our life are not where we though they would be.
Now, i don't want you to misunderstand, God is not just sitting there like my stand. He is sculpting the moments to guide you to the top of the hill where He is. He wants you to find Him - but most of the time we are so preoccupied with our searching where we think life should be that we forget to look for Him.
Maybe you are reading this because you are heading up the hill - maybe this is a chance for you to change your focus - to modify your search.
If so, we hope you will join us Thursday night, 6:45-8:00 PM at McAllister Center, just off 20th and Schuyler Ave, we will all be heading to the top of the hill, together.
By the way - here are the dates for the rest of the year - there are some changes to the usual every other Thursdays because of holidays and vacations
These are the following dates we will meet at McAllister:(PLEASE note them on your calendar)
Thursday October 15
Thursday November 5th
Thursday November 19th
Thursday December 10th
Thursday December 17th
Thursday January 7th
thanks and we'll look forward to seeing you!
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