Financial Peacemakers

We're in our 5th week of study using Dave Ramsey's Financial Peace University curriculum and I am in awe of watching God at work! God is moving within the lives of my fellow students. God is moving in my own life and my marriage. Eric and I are more united on our financial goals than we have ever been in our seven years of marriage! Yeah!

Lots of our marriages are being strengthened and healed. Wow! Unity and teamwork over check books, spending habits, and saving plans are now daily activities of couples and singles in our group.

Last night we had our first ceremonial plasectomy. That means we cut up our credit cards. Plastic (and the debt associated with it) is doing down, baby! We have a plan now. Folks in our class have an emergency fund so they are not living scared. One gal got a job this week after being laid off during week #2 of the class. Another couple can see the end of their mountainous debt, and they are pumped that there is an end to it!

I am literally watching hope come back into people's lives. I cannot tell you how excited that makes me. What a joy and privilege to watch God transform people right in front of me. Go God!

This is what church is about folks, transformation! This is what faith is about, hope. This is what faithful living is about, earning all we can, saving all we can, and giving all we can! That's what John Wesley said anyway. And he's right on.

Update on Lenten Sacrifice

I don't know about you, but I am grateful that we are officially at the half way mark of the Lenten Season. The Big Day is arriving closer and closer. So is my date with chocolate.

What I have learned thus far about myself, by sacrificing chocolate during Lent, is that I use the rich dark gooey goodness as a crutch, a treat, a mini-spa moment, and for any other reason I can justify in the moment. I think I need chocolate (and whatever pleasure etc. that it brings me), therefore I crave it.

Wouldn't it be great if we had such a strong indicator for our need for God. Err... maybe that's the point of this whole Lenten sacrifice thingy.

Moments this past week when I needed/craved chocolate and realized how much I needed Someone else:

• when my baking dish exploded in the oven shattering into a thousand pieces, piercing my roast with tiny bits of glass
• after my husband read in the paper about changes in his travel schedule
• when the white shirts turned pink in washing machine
• after my favorite Basketball team lost 2 in a row
• as the winter blahs set in and no sunshine was in the forecast

Instead of reaching to the freezer where my bag of dark chocolate goodness resides... I reach out to the One who makes all things new, possible, and is less calories.

Mourning for Spring

We need spring! Really, really bad. This winter stuff is getting old.

I, an untrained meterologist, could start predicting the our weather: Ice, snow or snow then ice. Clouds in the sky today. Cold wintery blasts of wind will knock you over on your way to take out the trash or get the mail.

The only change in our weather routine this winter has been 2 tornados. And that's not the kind of thing that a normal person gets excited about (unless you are a wanta be storm chaser).

I need sun shine. My dog and my kid need to run and run some more outside until their little feet or paws get sore because they are driving me crazy inside the house!! Ack!

I need warmth. I need spring.

The other day I emailed friends who live in Florida. Yep. They have sunshine. Warm temperatures and a few clouds. Sigh. We don't.

In preparation for spring it's time to clean our family's shot gun. Then, I think I'll go hunt me a little animal named Phil. No more shadows for him.

Day in the life...

One of my colleagues down the hall is sharing a series with your students about his average work day in ministry. What a great way to debunk the myth that pastors only work on Sundays! And also this is a terrific opportunity to share the call of ministry with young people.

Well...I thought I'd share a little slice from my day in ministry...

• prepared a devotion for staff meeting
• led kindergarten chapel (twice) with our Music Director
• met Kevin Gregory at our Calvary Classics luncheon
• organized 2-3 meetings for in the near future
• emailed a whole bunch of folks about a variety of things
• edited a paper I am writing
• visited and checked in with folks from our congregation

Feeling blue...Blue Devils

Yes, I say to all the Demon Deacon fans, I watched the game on Sunday.

My question for you is, "When was the last time you saw one team's entire starting line up foul out and the opposing team only had one player in foul trouble?"

I need to count players again was that 5 on 5 Sunday night or 8 on 5?

College Shootings

I thoroughly enjoyed my college years even though I spent most of my time in practice rooms or rehearsal halls. I learned a lot about myself and what I could do on my own. I traveled on mission trips and explored a call to ministry. I went to frat parties and football games. Stayed up late working on papers and ate a lot of bad greasy pizza- that was college.

None of it included being a potential shooting victim of a person with a mental illness or a grudge. Northern Illinois' campus is not far from the 'burg and we have lots of church members who are attending college around the U.S. I am stunned by yesterday's shooting. The fourth on a US college campus in one week. That is four too many.

My prayers go out to the victim's families and those who are wounded and now healing. I am praying also for the shooter's family because they now have a double tragedy to face: their child's violent assault on others as well as his successful suicide.

What a tradegy! To all our college students from Calvary- I am praying prayers of protection for you as well! May God's grace guide us during this dark, sad time.

Blog Envy

Have you read the stuff my colleagues write in their blogs? It is hiliarious. Seriously, I just got done reading some of their stuff and I laughed out loud- cackled some might say... loud enough to be heard through the administrative wing of offices. Funny guys!

Makes me have blog envy. My husband says that I am not very funny on paper or print or blog. I don't think its me. I think its my material.

These guys have coaches and teachers who say and do the darnest things... I was a musical nerd. So there are no coaches in my childhood to tell about. Only music teachers and band directors. They weren't funny, just intense and angry.

And did I say I was a musical nerd?! I enjoyed my teachers unless they were too stupid to gain my respect. And then I aced their classes and got out of there as fast as I could.

I gotta get new material.

Sacrifice for Lent

Valentine's Day will be a bummer this year! In a moment of pious devotion, I made the mistake er... gift of sacrificing chocolate for Lent. Oh- the pain.

And I would choose to do this the year that Lent is the earliest it has been since 1962 and therefore sure to interupt my Valentine's Day chocolate binge. Rats!

Sweetheart, that means bring me flowers not chocolate this year!

End times near?!

This week, and it's only Thursday, we have already witnessed several signs of the end. These may have been inadverently left out of John's Book of Revelations, but nonetheless they note that the world is closer to it's conclusion than it's beginning. Here's my short list:

• Devastating Tornados (a typical Revelation sign, but in January and February?!)
• Bobby Knight retiring
• Dickie Vitale returning to announce on ESPN
• Duke Blue Devils putting a stop to a 3 game winning streak of North Carolina
• and my missing Christmas present turned up at my husband's office

Is this the end or what?!?!

Ashes, Ashes, We All Fall Down

Our daughter enjoys playing Ring Around the Rosy. The falling down part is her favorite part. Tomorrow we enter the season of Lent with the Imposition of Ashes on our heads. Ashes we were made from and to ashes we all will return.

When you think about it this is a messy and dirty ritual. The dirtier and better some would say. This only gives more opportunity for the cleansing power of Jesus to make us new again!

See you tomorrow as we begin our journey with ashes, falling down in humility before God who loves us inspite of ourselves.

Renewal Revisited

Over the weekend it occurred to me that we, here at Calvary, have just pasted an anniversary. A year ago last weekend was the end of our Renewal through the Lilly Endowmened Clergy Renewal Grant. Wow! How fast did this past year go?!

And what an amazing year it has been... the more I have moved beyond the 'official' end of the Renewal Leave the more I have been aware of my personal and professional renewal. As I told friends last February the transition back to Calvary was a little rocky and hectic, but since then it has been an energy-filling and sustaining ride!

Calvary has had some amazing moments in this year since renewal: over 100 new members joined, over 36 went on an International Mission trip, growing numbers of folks in small groups, growing music ministries, and the Learning Academy is packed with both morning and afternoon kindergarten! WOW! We are renewed, refreshed and revitalized!

I find myself with more energy, renewed enthusiasm, and a strengthened sense of faith in this year following Renewal Leave! (Which is good because I need to get our final paperwork back to the Lilly Endowment folks soon!)

I hope that our Calvary congregation has felt renewed in their personal and professional lives as well! What a blessing Renewal continues to be...