Friday Favorites...Church Planter Edition

I said I was going to get back into blogging and I meant it, dang it!  So here goes... (warning:  this may be a very very boring post for most of you...I'm just pretending I have blog friends that actually care about this stuff)

During my blogging hiatus, we were crazy busy doing all sorts of things that don't typically pop to the top of your mental list when you decide to church plant.  For example, finding a great vendor for printing offering envelopes or a customized rubber stamp are tasks that don't exactly jump out at you when you think "Let's go save the world!!!".  Nonetheless, these tasks inevitably climb their way up check lists and we eventually found ourselves scrambling for resources.  In the midst of our chaos we found a few things worth mentioning as favorites...

Michael Lukasweski's  Here to lead is loaded with all kinds of great stuff.  Since I oversee followup and guest impressions (sound fancier than it really is), I really appreciated this post...oh and this one too.  Oh, and his nuts and bolts follow up packet is TOTALLY worth getting.

The super packaging mentioned on Here to Lead inspired us to check out other interesting options for our guest packs.  We eventually landed on these...

We ordered both the boxes and the custom labels from uline, which proved to be a great company to work with.  We also created mini versions for our kids department filled with all sorts of goodies from here.

For nearly all of our print materials (invite cards, door hangers, fundraising packets, mailers, etc) we used gotprint.com.  Their prices are hard to beat and they were fairly easy to work with.

Last, but definitely not least, we used group imaging for all of our beautiful signage.  I really like the fact that all of the signs have their own easy stands and carrying cases, an important detail when your church is mobile!  They also work with a lot of churches and have a great work sheet to help you decide what you really need.

Welp, I think that's it.  Happy weekend!

(greatest team EVER)

Welp, I'm back!

It's been a long long long time since I've blogged.  I've thought about it.  Attempted it even.  BUT I didn't.  Too much was swirling around in my head and my calendar looked like an NBA playbook, not pretty. 

So much has changed since October!  We didn't move.  Our house had to go back on the market and since normal people don't try to move during the holidays...welp, here we are!  I'm getting pretty sick of having a half empty, nearly always "show ready" home.  Everything, however, always works out for the best. 

In the fall, my husband and I felt a need to push things forward for our church plant.  We were originally planning on launching in April.  It was quickly made obvious that our careful calculations and plans were not quite in line with God's plans.  In order to keep momentum and use the team God blessed us with wisely, we decided to launch on February 13.  Since we still had our house and it's lovely double living areas, we were able to host all kinds of meetings, worship practices and events without paying for a rented space.  Like I said, everything works out for the best. :)

Push ahead a few frantic months and we now have 3 open houses (team recruiting), 2 previews (practice services) and 1 wonderful, God-blessed launch Sunday under our belts!  Everyone tells you that church planting is HARD work and you try to prepare yourself for it, but until reality hits, you have no idea what you're in for!  We have put in weeks and weeks of 12-16 hour days along side some of the most fabulous team members ever.  This past Sunday made all of that hard work worth it.  We had approximately 175 people in attendance and over 20 people decide to commit their lives to Christ!  To say we've been excited this week is a huge understatement!  God's grace is truly abundant!

Along with "work" stuff (that always makes me laugh, church planting is our LIFE, not just our work) we have had some fun events at home too.  Our daughter turned two and is chattering up a storm!  How is it possible she's two already!?  During this busy season she has been both a breath of fresh air and our comic relief.  She unknowingly sacrifices so much, but she never ceases to amaze us with her flexibility and joy.  She is without a doubt our sweet treasure.

As far as this blog goes, don't be surprised if you see some more entries and along with some changes.  I'm not exactly sure what's going to happen, but it's going to be exciting! (Ha! I think that's the story of my life!)  Talk to you soon, invisible friends! :)

Making a choice

Today I woke up and made a deliberate choice to be content and thankful.  It was definitely a choice, not a feeling.  The day has progressed, however, and the choice is beginning to shift my feelings from anxiety to resolute peace.  Our God is good and He knows the future.  There is no good reason to fret and fear.

Remember the little house?  Well, the deal for that house is now on life support and has a high possibility of dying over the weekend.  Thankfully, it's not our fault.  The buyer's of our current home have had a last minute glitch (aka stupid battle with their finance co.).  This puts the deal for current home on hold, which puts the deal on the little house in jeopardy.  It's out of our control. 

I have fallen in love with that little house.  I was looking forward to living near neighbors that had been there for 37 years.  I had visions of walking with Elli to the park or library on crisp fall mornings.  The decor was all ready to go in my head.  *sigh* Now that may all be lost.

This is the point where I choose to trust.  If I have learned nothing in the past 10 years I have learned that God is sovereign and has a special reason for everything.  He knows the details of the future.  We do not.  He has perfect timing.  We do not.  We wants the very best for us.  We rarely know what the very best is.

So, we wait.  I'm praying for a miracle, of course, but either way I know we will end up in the perfect house in the community God has called us to reach.  I choose to believe that.  I choose to be content and thankful.  Our God is good and He knows the future.

Just writing...

So here I am, trying my darnedest to push aside my perfectionist disease tendencies and just write. 
Our lives have been interesting the last three weeks.  We have been in the middle of finalizing the sale of our house and the buying of another.  I was hoping I would be writing to you from the soon-to-be cozy confines of our new home.  Due to delays on our buyer's end I am instead writing from my same old kitchen and forcing myself to not look past the screen into the chaos of cardboard in my living room.
_____________________________________

I'm tired.  At first I thought it was because of the move and the emotional demands of managing moving, mothering and ministry.  Nope.  I'm tired in my soul.  My spirit is thirsty.  ME seems to be getting packed away into lost boxes.  I miss my Bible.  I miss my friends.  I feel missing.

Everything is changing and chaotic.  The reality of a 12 year chapter coming to an end is sneaking in.  Do I even know how to write new chapters anymore?  What is my life's thesis statement, again?  How do I wrangle these wandering thoughts?  Where is the foundational outline that was formed within the complexity of 8 painful years?  How did I allow the daily deluge to muffle the treasured story within?  How could I possibly write as a leader when I feel caught without a compass?

If I were to give myself the advice I'd give others I'd say  "You were made for this.  Fill your heart with truth, saturate your home with worship, read your Bible all you can.  Shut out the lies.  Apply grace."  I wish I listened to that person.  Things don't seem so simple today.

I don't write this for pity or advice.  I write this to be honest with myself.  I write to discover what I am keeping secret.  Don't worry.  I know my paths will be made straight.  I know my mind and heart will clear.  I know I will inhale the new life the Holy Spirit is whispering even now.  I know I will rest in the grip of grace.

I know will feel found again.

SuperMom

The past month or so I have felt like anything BUT a great mama.  We have gone from our typical intense summer schedule right into a non-stop September filled with meetings, moving and random work trips.  Normally, I try to keep Elli's schedule fairly routine and balanced, but lately that just hasn't been much of a reality.

 I'd like to be one of those mamas that never EVER turns the TV on to occupy their toddler.  I'd like to be one of those mamas that doesn't offer a snack as a quick defense against whining.  I'd like to never raise my voice or get impatient when Elli has ignores me for the twentieth time.  I'd like to be Michele Duggar minus 17 kids or so.  I'd like to be like Babywisers with neat little schedules that include four different types of play time and learning.  I'd like to offer Tot School and other educational activities.  I'd like to do crafts and projects and all the other messy fun things Elli is finally old enough to do. 

There is this thing called REALITY, however, that just doesn't allow us much time for all of that right now (or ever).  Instead we fill our days with free play and sneak in book time between packing and appointments.  The most teaching I've done in the last 3 weeks is showing her how to use the dust mop out of desperation to keep her OUT of the pantry (which has been a GREAT source of entertainment).  The only pre-birth ideals I've really been able to hold onto in this transitional season are #1 sleeping routines and #2 super food.

So, this morning I shoved aside the mama guilt and we cuddled in bed watching an hour of cartoons.  I then whipped up a batch of super wholesome stick-to-your-ribs-full-of-good-stuff super porridge.  I was amazed at how just knowing I fed Elli really well made me feel like a good mom.  Today I'm going to hold on to that feeling for as long as I can and ignore the guilt.

Super Porridge
This is easy peasy and great for adults too.  There are hundreds of different variations (if you have little ones I encourage you to check the book out at the library), but I'll just give you today's recipe.

Place in a food processor 1/3c of each (this doesn't have to be exact at all):
Millet
Brown Rice (I did 2 portions of rice)
Lentils
Pearl Barley
Process contents two or more minutes until a fine powder (if you'd like more texture don't process as long, but it will take longer to cook).  Store in airtight container in fridge and use as needed.  Cooking ratio 1/4c grains to 1 c water.

Boil 2 cups of water with a dash of salt.  Add 1/2c of processed mixture while whisking.  Reduce heat to simmer and cover.  Continue to simmer for 10 minutes (or until all grains are tender), whisking every few minutes to avoid sticking or lumps.  The consistency should be fairly thick similar to oatmeal or cream of wheat.

Eat as is or add in pureed or chopped fruit or veggies.  We had left over mashed yams from dinner so I put about a 1/4c of those into Elli's portion (vitamin A is vital as we approach sick season).  Store the remaining cereal in an airtight container and reheat in microwave as needed (add hot water if consistency is too thick).