A New View

Last Sunday afternoon I went to my hometown to Central Christian Church, the church that I grew up in and still call home. They were having an open house to show the community the newly rennovated sanctuary. This was not a small job. They turned the whole sanctuary around 180 degrees with the altar on the opposite side from where it had been for the last 99 years. I have been excited to see the progress a few times along the way over the last many, many months. But I must admit that I was afraid that I would walk into this church that has been one of the single most important influences in my life, and I would no longer feel 'at home' or that it was my home any more. But when I walked in and sat down, I looked around and said "Yup...it's still home". New and improved...much different... but no more strange to me than being in a home where the livingroom or kitchen or something had been completely gutted remodeled. The space is beautiful, they kept the exterior and used many elements (including the large dark wood cross for which I give praise and thanksgiving) from the old sanctuary. The space is also completely flexible, functional and will allow so many new and different things to happen in ministry there...including the inclusion of a new video/projection/computer/sound system. They stepped out into a scarey path with great faith and conviction and God blessed their efforts and I know will continue to do so. On a side note... as I thought about feeling at home... of course the biggest part about always feeling as though I am "coming home" when I walk into Central... is not the building or the carpet or the new pews... it's the people... the true church and body of Christ, not wood and plaster. I got my hug quota for about 3 days in the just over 60 minutes I was there. Congratulations, Central for the beautiful new worship space, the updated Sunday School rooms, but wonderful fellowship area... but most of all... for continuing the love of God to one another and the world... and thanks so much for still welcoming me home as part of the family!

Cold, Cold, Cold, Cold Days

Man is it COLD! And it's going to get worse. But then...it's January in Iowa. This weekend it's supposed to be dangerously cold with the windchills of -20 to -30. Whew! But we had a beautiful snowfall ... real Currier and Ives picture kind of stuff that came down yesterday and last night. Today when the sun was shining it was a beautiful winter site from the window. I can't say that I am a winter person... I hate cold weather with a passion. But I'm also thankful that I live where it snows and the world gets covered in pure white...with little animal paw prints sometimes breaking the smoothness...and sparkles like a covering of sugar. Maybe it's the silver lining of winter. Even in the depths of winter there is beauty. I've been putting bird seed out for the feathered friends who used to live in the tree by the front door that is now basically gone and I love it when they come and fluff up their feathers. I've tried to be really quiet to get a picture of them, but they are too smart and fly away. If I can get a pic, I'll post it. In the meantime, I hope all my friends and family and warm and 'fluffed up' in their homes, wrapped in afghans and comforters and maybe sitting by a warm fire with a cup of hot chocolate... and if not in Iowa, then remembering fondly winter days gone by...cocoa, sledding, skating, snowmen, snow angels, drying mittens by the heat register, bundling so much you could hardly move... and how good it felt to go to bed and snuggle down in the blankets...and pray that school would be cancelled. :-)

Blessed by Good Friends

Ever have one of those days...or weeks...or months... when it seems like the world is crashing around you and you feel helpless to do anything about it? I know all of us have had them...maybe even lots of them to the point of almost breaking... or maybe even beyond breaking. Without going into details... while this wasn't a...what did that one children's book author say?...horrible, awful, terrible no good day... it wasn't really great either. Any time I can spend a bit of time with my son is a good day and I could do that for a short time today. But sometimes when you get those glimpses of light, when it's over the darkness seems even darker. OK... don't stop reading yet, I'm really not trying to depress you, too. By the end of the afternoon I seemed to be in a psychic fog, one of those moments when you just want to go to bed, pull up the covers and shut out the world. But I couldn't... I had to be at the nursing home to sing with the choir with our monthly music ministry outreach. Just when I thought I'd call someone and tell them to go ahead and sing without me I remembered I had the hymnals for the choir in the back of my van. Darn. So I took a deep breath, said a prayer and headed out.
The wonderful thing about God is, God always knows how to give you what you need...and I needed to be at the nursing home singing with the choir... no... singing with my friends. Singing always cheers me up and touches me in a way nothing else can. Seeing these frail, wise, faithful folks with soft voices singing along with us and the smiles on their faces as they recognize the old hymns...the tears in their eyes for whatever memories they may invoke... it's a grace-filled moment of time. And, even if I do say so myself, we make pretty good music together. Not only that... one choir member said (quoting Scarlet O'Hara), "Just go to bed tonight... tomorrow is another day." And we sang words like "what a friend we have in Jesus...is there trouble anywhere? Take it to the Lord in prayer..." when trials should buffet... even so, it is well with my soul."
But if that wasn't enough to pull me out of my funk... then came bell choir practice back at the church. I am so blessed to have these women in my life. They never fail to make me smile, laugh, and forget everything else from the day as we share the stories of our kids, talk about our day... oh yea... and get bell music played. Really we do. And again... even tho I'm biased... even when we struggle.... we make pretty darn good music together. Music that God smiles at...music that lifts the soul... friends that bless and lift and friends who, just like Jesus, save my soul from the shadows. And they don't even know how much they all mean to me and how much they have truly blessed my life. They are the wings that lift me, the angels that remind me of the song of my soul. And if it's true that when a bell rings an angel gets their wings (thanks, Clarence) then these angels have wings upon wings with some in the closet to spare!