Monday Morning Reflections...

CRAZY STUFF...we started our new series yesterday...coming out of Habakakuk 3:2...We long to see God move in real ways TODAY! We need to tell the stories of how he has moved in the past...AND I want to LIVE new stories of seeing God move today! CAN'T WAIT!

I was in tears through parts of the music yesterday...God was PULLING my heart closer to him. I feel much different today...less anxious about the future and more determined to find what it is that God wants from me and our campus. Jerimae and the guys really took me to the presence of God yesterday...it was real good...Then Jim's message just opened my mind again to many stories of how God has moved in the past..."Alright God...here we are...show us what you want next!"

High School Football

I'm looking forward to heading out to watch some football tonight...I'm going to hang out with the Riley H.S. band and see if Riley can get themselves into the win column! I sure remember the days of marching band...Band Camp (Talk about CRAZY Stuff!)...sweat...friendships...then rain...cold...football games...I LOVED IT! I can still remember the sights...sounds...smells!...of marching band...GOOD TIMES...GOOD memories...very cool friends! Looking forward to some flashbacks tonight when I hang out with the band...(One difference though...my high school used to win games by 20-30 points a game!!) GO WILDCATS!

Crazy Stuff...

I was asked today "why did you get into ministry?" GREAT question! It was fun to reflect on my life...from being a kid listening to missionary stories and thinking "I want to do that..." to God changing the direction of my life through a high school knee injury...they turning down the "job of my dreams" leading worship at a church that I LOVED...because I sensed that was what God wanted...and that lead me to teach...then to South Bend...and now...doing something that I LOVE to do. God is faithful...

NOW...I'm anticipating what God is going to do next...as you know from previous blogs, we are looking to change locations and Jerimae and I are looking for part-time work...And things aren't VISIBLY happening there...We just heard yesterday that Bethel College turned down our offer...I have now been to over 25 locations...a few may still work out...BUT...I look forward to telling the story some day of how God came through! CRAZY STUFF!

In the mean-time...I'm seeking the heart of God and what he wants...I'll be the first to confess to you that this is not easy for me...I LOVE MY JOB! BUT I know that God has something in store for me...people that I will meet in the next year, that I never would have had we not gone through this...I can't wait to tell the stories of CRAZY STUFF that God IS going to do this year!

HEY...is it Sunday yet, so we can get this new series kicked off! CRAZY STUFF! Can't wait!

Oh My Luke!

Luke and I went on a bike ride today...We were heading down Michigan St and I notice he is swerving ALL OVER THE PLACE! He is usually very good with his bike (especially because he has training wheels!!!!) Later, I notice as we are riding on a not-so-busy-street that his training wheels are hardly hitting the ground...so I figured when we got home that TODAY WOULD BE THE DAY!

We get home...grab the bike without training wheels and we are off and running down the street...we live on a slight incline, so we headed to Southgate Church (thanks for "letting" use your parking lot Pastor Edgar!)...I held him for about 10 feet and he was off on his own...riding like a champ! IT WAS GREAT...SO that means that both Luke and Jaden learned to ride their bikes when they were 3!! NICE! Luke just turned 3 in June! WHAT A STUD...I'm so proud of him!! Way to go Lukie!

Finishing well...

Played golf today for the first time in 2 years and the 3rd time ever in my life...(Unless you count putt-putt golf too!) It was good to be out with the guys, but by the time I got to the last hole my frustration got to me...I had hit a few bad shots on the 200+ yarder and so I just went up to the ball and NAILED IT...not aiming...not trying to hit it well...even gave a BIG GRUNT when I hit it...needless to say I just knocked the ball around and ended with an 11 on the hole! 11!! On the final hole! I ended up in next to last out of 8...and guess what? Had I focused in more I could have been up a couple of places. (Not that it mattered, but stay with me!!)

Fast forward to tonight...it was our final meeting for our Men's Leadership for the church...we have been going through Axiom...a book on leadership from Bill Hybels...GUESS WHAT THE FINAL CHAPTER IS????? FINISHING WELL! After the guys had left I got to thinking about my golf game...although I'm a terrible golfer, and hadn't been hitting well...I sure would feel better had I finished out well! Really...showing my frustration in my hit (can't call it a swing and I don't know golf terms anyway!) didn't make me feel better...

How often do we do this everyday...frustration gets the best of us and instead of finishing the task well, we just give up in frustration...MAN...I plan to watch my days well...I don't want to waste a day...a month...a year...my life...I want the Savior to say "Well Done, Tim...you finished your life...the big things and small...the best way possible." "God help me do that!"

Monday Morning Reflections...

We all needed that service yesterday...it was a chance to take a deep breath and exhale...to truly connect with God...through music...prayer...reading scripture...looking at pictures...through media...it was so good. The service was very different...there wasn't preaching...just all of us together experiencing our God...enjoying him...it was good.

We must find ways to do this during our day...times to stop ourselves...get quiet and connect with God. I'm talking about a minute...to stop...clear out our minds and focus on God. I imagine if we do that, we will want more time...we will like the connection with God so much that it will leave us wanting more...I sure want more of God...I long for more...

"I pray that out of his glorious riches he may strengthen you with power through his Spirit in your inner being, so that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith. And I pray that you, being rooted and established in love, may have POWER, together with all the saints, to grasp how wide and long and high and deep is the love of Christ, and to know this love that surpasses knowledge-that you may be filled to the measure of all the fullness of God." (Ephesians 3: 16-29)

OUCH! The first one...

Well...we have our first broken bone in our family...The kids and the neighbors were playing hide-and-go-seek tag...Jaden was running through the back yard...scaled the fence...got tagged as he was about to the top and that sent him over the top to the ground...of course I thought "It's not broken." So we took him inside and put some ice on it...Well...I was wrong! (And Jaden told the doctor: "My dad was wrong...he said it wasn't broken." Double oops! So...big man survives the top of the swing set but loses to the fence...Poor dude!

Refuel

Tomorrow is the last Sunday for our Refuel series...Connection...making a connection with God...I am excited about what this can do in the lives of everyone who comes...the service will be different! We will be ENGAGING God...very personal...longing for more of God...CAN'T WAIT.

Somethin' is going on in me...

I can't explain this to you...I can't put my finger on it...I cannot put into words clearly enough what is happening in my heart and mind right now. I have had 2 weeks of some of the biggest personal-internal stuggles since we launched...wrestling through all of the changes that are on the horizon...BUT just like our God...he provides a pinhole...something for us to hold on too...today it's CRAZY STUFF...it all started Tuesday during our staff meeting...(it was a GREAT one by the way)...my head was THROBBING from a MAJOR headache...I hadn't eaten well for breakfast...BUT God was doing stuff through the staff...we started talking about our new series...CRAZY STUFF...and it started to stir something in me...NOW TODAY...I started thinking about Prayer Encounter tonight...started thinking about our Refuel series...and a new anticipation is stirring in my heart...something new in me...a new hope...something FRESH...I LONG to see God do some CRAZY STUFF here...

"God...move here in South Bend/Mishawaka and Goshen like you did 'back in the day.' We want to see CRAZY STUFF happen...I BEG YOU FOR IT GOD...BEG YOU...BEG YOU to move...to move BOLDLY...COME ON GOD...SEND YOUR SPIRIT...YOUR ANGELS...YOUR POWER DOWN HERE AND LET'S GET SOME WORK DONE FOR THE KINGDOM! WHY NOT HERE...WHY NOT NOW?! In JESUS Name..."

Hey Grandma...you may want to skip this one!

The boys LOVE to take risks...in the last 24 hours both Jaden and Luke have gotten a little WILD AT HEART...I LOVE IT! The most impressive part for me was...Kelsey let Jaden do this first...GOOD JOB MOM...way to let your boy step out there!! Enjoy the pics...(just remember...I warned you grandma!!)