Thursday, December 10, 2009

Hunting!!

So it's been awhile since I went hunting, but I was thinking about it today for some reason. I'm sitting here in front of my TV, thinking I should be asleep, but I have a lot on my mind. I had a parent call me at 11 which I normally have my phone off by this point, but I think there was a reason I had it on. It started off not so great, but ended with the parent encouraging me and saying all sorts of goodies to me...I love it when people can catch a glimpse of my heart and know I have the best of intentions with their kids. Sometimes I don't think people get that, they think my job is a cakewalk and I should cater to their every need. It's not so glamorous all the time, but the most rewarding thing I could imagine for my life.

That's not the point in my writing, but it is what got me thinking. I have a lot of noise in my life. Libby tells me this all the time (she's a smart one), but she's dead on. I always have to have the tv on whether or not I'm paying attention to it, or I'm on my ipod playing or doing something that occupies me. But a month or 2 ago, I went hunting with a friend of mine from church. I'm not what you might imagine as a "hunter", but going out there really did something for me. I sat in a tree all day and actually read a book! When I finished the book, I just sat. As I was sitting there, there was no noise. I didn't have my cell phone ringing, I didn't have the sound of the heater kicking on, there was no traffic....nothing. It was in this time that i felt like I could just connect with God on a deeper level. I've always been able to connect better with God when I am out in nature, but this was just cool because I was up in a tree! I had a great time and felt the intimacy I believe we all long for with our Heavenly Father. But something just got to me tonight. I love the story of Elijah going up to the mountain to meet with God. He had all of these big "moments" happen where he believed God would be in the midst of them, and He wasn't. Then came a gentle whisper - and this is where God was.

We wonder why our relationship with God has its ups and downs. Look around you, look at the noise in your life. It's everywhere! I'm the worst at this by far! I think this will be a new challenge to myself - turn off the noise and be quiet before God. I think there's a reason He says, "BE STILL, and know that I am God" I think in reality God is saying "Would you stop for ONE SECOND and put everything down, turn off whatever you have on and just be quiet...then you'll see me" hmmm...powerful. Guess I should turn the TV off now and eat my own words. You only have 1 life, what are you doing to make the most of it?

Wednesday, September 9, 2009

Few weeks left...

And then we split the middle school and high school! I'm really looking forward to this. I got to go into the middle school yesterday and meet some new kids and make my face a familiar one to them. Hopefully I keep this up and we can watch the middle schoolers actually get involved in youth for once!! We've always been a large high school group, but I'm hoping the middle schoolers don't come because they're intimidated....we shall see! But with the switch, I think life will become busier! I'll have 2 nights of youth to go to! But I'm excited because I'll get to just hang with the high schoolers and really build the relationship instead of making sure the night goes off well. That's the ministry update...

Life - I just took Sadie to the vet! She's healthy and everything looks great. The vet sound I got an awesome dog and whoever had her (Pals for Paws in Kokomo) did a great job taking care of her and giving all her necessary stuff. So I'm happy, she's a great little dog and I'm looking forward to the companionship when she's older and more trained.

Libby and I went to her parent's house for Labor day. It was a good time and relaxing, which we both needed. We got to see her sister and brother in law which is always so good for Libby. She's so happy when she gets to be with her sister and mom together. They had their dog there which was GREAT for Sadie, she just wore her out and dominated her. I think that helped because Sadie has been so good since we've been home. She doesn't bite nearly as much and I think she gets that we're in charge :-) We also got to see her grandparents. They're always fun. It makes me wish I could've spent more time with my grandparents. I never knew my grandmothers (except my grandpa did remarry and I knew her a little bit), so it's great to have a grandmother in my life. I know she's not "my" grandma, but I think she is and I've grown to love her family as my own. I'm blessed, truly blessed and have such an incredible life. Not many people really enjoy their in laws, but I'm thankful to say that I do! Love you guys!

Tuesday, August 25, 2009

Reason why I haven't blogged...

First - Summer. It was busy...if I wasn't with Libby, I was with church people. But I believe it was the most impactful summer for many of the youth in the Bridge. Phil came on board and was announced as the high school youth pastor. That means my time will get to be mainly with middle schoolers!! Believe it or not, that's my passion. I went through a lot in middle school and believe that is the age where they begin to understand what a relationship with Christ is all about. So I believe a lot of life change will take place in these kids now that I can really focus on them. The problem in the past is that they would never come out because high schoolers are intimidating! So we never fully got to reach them the way they should have been. But I have a lot of work ahead of me to get into the middle schools and get kids excited about the change!! I'm excited though, I know anytime there is a split, there is growth so please be praying as this begins that God moves in the lives of these students and that we're able to reach many kids.

Second - Sadie. We got a puppy!! I'm surprised Libby hasn't posted about it...I guess she works a lot or something :-) Kidding, she's such a good teacher, I don't know how she does it. If the kids only knew how much time and energy she put into them, I think they would have a new appreciation for her. It makes me appreciate all the poor teachers that had to deal with me growing up! Anyway, Sadie is our little black lab mix puppy. She's the sweetest thing ever!! I knew I was a dog person, but she's got me. She also makes me exhausted. I get up every night at 2 and around 5 sometimes to let her out to take care of business. So I haven't had a solid night of sleep in awhile. Then I have to come home every couple of hours to let her out or play with her. The nice thing about school being back in session is that I don't have to be away too much. There isn't much office work when you're a youth pastor so my days are more open (except for meeting and planning stuff). Then I just go into the schools for lunch and spend time with them once school is out and go to their games and stuff. But I always have to be thinking about the dog and the next time she needs out! I can't imagine having kids...I don't even want to think about it right now. I know it will be different because Libby can stay home, but then I'll have a tired wife and a crying/poopy kid. I guess the madness will never end. But I'm glad we got a puppy first, great practice and realization for me that being a father can wait...a long time :-)

That's my update...I'm sure I've left a lot out because I personally haven't been on here in such a long time. But those are the biggest happenings lately. If something philosophical pops in my head, I'll write it out. I haven't had one of those moments in awhile....pray that I do, I love gaining new perspectives and wisdom that God can teach me in the little things in life.

Sunday, August 9, 2009

10 Highlights of my Summer Vacation!

My kiddos come to me on Friday!!! I have two teacher work days on Wednesday and Thursday, so I officially have two full days of summer left. Gabe is taking those days off so we can spend some quality time together before I get back to working full time. I have to tell you, I have loved my summer vacation. I feel refreshed and rested for another year with my fifth graders. It might be hard getting back to the "busyness", but I know I will adjust.

Here are the highlights of my summer, in no particular order:

1. Waking up whenever I wanted to.....the type A personality in me still set alarms though.

2. Reading novels (I read about five this summer! That's good for me!) outside in my blue lawn chair

3. Going to Chicago to the Willow Creek Creative Arts Conference in June with some of my best friends

4. Planning Gabe's birthday party and then the party itself

5. The multiple trips up to Milford to hang out with my family.....sometimes Gabe would go but there were many times when I just went by myself

6. Going to King's Island with the kids in our church

7. Babysitting little Josiah on Thursdays and the times I spent afterwards with his mom, Marcia

8. The afternoon when Kylee, Marcia, and I played with Josiah in his kiddie pool in our swimsuits while eating Dilly Bars

9. Working on home decorating projects around the house.....

10. I loved spending time with Gabe and not having school distract my mind. We went to Cinncinatti to celebrate our one year anniversary.....that was the best trip! Short and sweet! I just think my husband is really cool and fun to be with. He's made my summer a good one.

And now, I am on to another adventure: a new school year. Yes, I am excited and anxious, but this year I have more peace about what will come my way and I hope to become a better teacher. I am praying for wisdom from the Lord every day in knowing how to best help my 21 students......you can be praying, too!

It's off to making Snickerdoodles now......Gabe's been craving them! :)

Sunday, July 19, 2009

So, I took a long break....

Goodness gracious! I am not even sure where to start here. It's been way too long since I have written on our blog. Honestly, Gabe and I kinda forgot about it! I thought that maybe if I changed it up a bit, I would get new inspiration to keep up on it. But here I am at 10:36 p.m. on Sunday night thinking about what to write that would be interesting enough to read. I feel like I need to catch up you readers (are there any?) on what has been going on for two months, but that would take a long time.


What about summing it up in a nutshell? I am not even sure what that means...oh well.


I love having a summer vacation. I am headed back into the classroom tomorrow morning to work for as many hours as I can on my classroom. We start on August 14! It's going to be here before I know it. Eeek! I better get cracking!


My summer has consisted of bunches of relaxing, sunny days. I have spent some much needed time with Gabe and my friends here in Anderson. Great memories made so far!


I have been able to spend alot of time with my parents in Milford! It's only a few hours up to Milford so I have been able to see them every other week really. I love being with them. Actually, my mom is headed down here to spend the night on Thursday! We will have so much fun!


I have done projects around the house this summer! I am in the process of redecorating our spare bedroom! I painted it a pretty yellow color and am looking for a new bedspread. I am sure Mom will help me look....she has a great eye for things like that!


Every week I am helping my friend Marcia by watching her son Josiah one day a week. I have a total blast with that kid. He is sixteen months old and is learning to talk. I'd like to think that I have helped him learn a few things this summer.....we'll see if it sticks.


An update on Gabe....well, he just got back from the high school camp! He said it was an amazing experience for all the kids and for him. God showed up in big ways and real ways to the high schoolers and we are praying that these kids never forget what they have learned. He is working hard for The Bridge and loving his job. He gets to hang out with kids during the summer which is his favorite part of his job! I am proud of him.


That's not really a quick update on our lives, but it will work. I am just proud of myself for actually writing on here tonight. It's time to go to bed if I am getting up to work at school! More posts soon.....I promise it won't be two months from now. Way too long, my friends!

We love you!

Wednesday, May 13, 2009

Where we were a year ago....

I was thinking about where we were a year ago and wanted to share. Ahh....on the beach, soaking up the sun, and having the best "first" vacation ever.


The new Mrs. Reed!!


My oh-so-good looking hubby!

So many more years of memories to come. I love you, Gabe!






Monday, May 11, 2009

ONE YEAR!!!

So it's been a year yesterday that we have been married. It's hard to believe that a year has passed us. I don't even remember what it was like to say goodbye after spending a sunday together. (this is Gabe by the way). It's weird to think that we dated for 4 years without being in the same city and seeing each other maybe once a week on the day that I'm usually the most exhausted because of church stuff. Last night Libby and I watched our wedding and it brought back all those feelings of anxiousness to get to be with the girl I've waited my whole life for! It was so great to have all of our friends and family come out to watch that glorious event. We're more than blessed for the lives that we have and the people in them.

I'll never forget 5 years ago around this time - I was sitting on the steps of my parent's house crying to my mom. I had made mistakes in my life, I dated people that were not even close to what I would imagine for my life and I had lost touch with God. I felt so lost, so empty and hurting. I just wanted to get away, to start over and focus my life on what God wants in my life. I know that seems "churchy" - which it shouldn't it should be how we all live our lives. But that summer, I left to go work at camp to get my mind off of girls and really get my heart right and my priorities straight. I'll never forget the words my mom said to me "You'll find someone who doesn't go to Anderson, who will value you as a man and who will push you to do what God wants in your life. She'll put God first in her life and push you to do the same. She'll respect that you are striving for that in your own life". That all happened in May 2004 as I was sitting on those steps.

I go off to camp and we're sitting in the basement of lookout lodge meeting the staff. I was sitting there with people I already knew and I knew that this would be a good staff - there were no girls there that showed interest in me and none that I had interest in (part of it was because I was pushing everyone away!) But then Evan said we're still waiting on 2 people to get there, 1 of those people was Libby. I will NEVER forget when she walked in the door....that smile got me and I'll never forget my prayer at that moment. "Why are you doing this to me God?!" I knew that Libby was the other lifeguard I was going to be working with all summer and I was scared, because she captivated me right off the bat. So that first day, her and I were talking and bouncing a ball back and forth. She must have thought I was an idiot because I told her about my past relationship and how I didn't want to find anyone this summer, so her and I were strictly business...nothing more. I could tell she was thinking "This guy is full of himself!" But I wanted her to know from the beginning that we would be spending a lot of time together and it meant nothing to me! ha, I'm a jerk.

Well, if you've ever met Libby, there's no denying how incredible she is and you are just drawn to her. So after about a month of spending all day, ever day together, I couldn't take it. I called my mom crying (again, I'm a sap) telling her about this girl. I remember telling her that I felt like this is "the one", but I knew I put my heart out there too easily and I didn't want to do that again, besides, it had only been a month that I had known this girl! How could I really know that?! But Libby seemed to have some kind of feelings for me, who knows. But we went out one night with Danni and Terry to Oakwood and Libby and I started talking...trying to figure out what was going on. I told her my fears and how I just wanted to be friends, but I couldn't help these feelings for her. She told me that she wants to keep God first in her life, but anything she can do to help me to do the same, she would. She said she respects me and what I want to do with my life and the last thing she wants to do is get in the way of that. If you remember what my mom said that day on the stairs, she said exactly what my mom said. Also, Libby went to Indiana Wesleyan - not Anderson. So I went back to camp that night, still confused and praying more than I ever have about a relationship. I remember journaling that next morning and God being clear with me. It was like He was saying, "You have kept me first, you have turned things around, your focus is no longer about finding "the one", but being with me. You're ready". And so it began, Libby and I took it one day at a time, not rushing into anything at all.

Then one night, I went out to see her at school. We went to a place in the woods, I turned up the music in my car and we danced...it was beautiful. As we were driving home, out of nowhere Libby tells me she doesn't want to kiss me until we're engaged. ENGAGED?!? We're just dating!! I thought "that's several years from now...is that even going to work?". But again, God kept tugging my heart...what is this relationship about to you? So I began to get to know her, to fall in love with her and who she is. She had so much respect for our relationship that she didn't want anything physical to ruin it - which we see happen so many times. So I fell in love for the first time with a woman for WHO she is. I remember that being so hard because when you love someone, you kinda want to kiss them :-)

Now that we're married, I look back and see God's hand in EVERYTHING in our life. I see how He brought us together (which would be another long post on here) but basically, I ended up at that camp because I was pursuing a different girl the year before. Crazy. I see God's protection for us, especially in the physical side. It's hard to find someone who is saving themselves physically for the person they are going to marry, and that is something Libby and I pride ourselves on. I am so thankful for the woman God has put in my life to spend the rest of my life with. She's my everything and I couldn't imagine a life without her. There are night when I just watch her sleep and just thank God for her. She's so precious to me and I am so excited for the rest of our lives together. I'm blessed. She also has an incredible family that I love to spend time with. I never grew up hanging out with my cousins, so I feel like her cousins have become my cousins and her grandparents are like my grandparents to me.

I like how we celebrate things like anniversaries. It makes me stop and realize how blessed I really am. I have an incredible life with incredible people to enjoy it with. I love you all and thank you for your love and support in our first year together.

Sunday, May 3, 2009

I got the HINT. :)

I was hinted that we need to update our blog. And yes, it is so true! I have no excuse as to why we don't. I have Gabe sitting with me and we both will update. Right now.

10 updates from our life:
  • I have 20 days of school left. Wow. Has it really been a year already?
  • Gabe is growing out his hair.
  • My family is coming to stay at our house next weekend. I promise I will post pictures.
  • We completely redid our front yard landscaping. I need to post those pics too! Later...
  • Gabe is still awesome. (Direct quote.)
  • The student ministry at the Bridge is in a series called "Pause". It was an awesome service this morning. Probably one of the best Aftershocks ever. Period.
  • I ruined a rug by washing it. It fell apart in the washer and made a mess.
  • Next Sunday we celebrate one year of marriage. We are loving our life!
  • We are loving old Cosby Show reruns from the library.
  • This summer I will be watching a friend's child, Josiah, one day a week. I am excited to get to know that little guy.
  • Gabe is on the start-up committee for an FCA chapter starting at Highland High School.
  • Friends and I made a bunch of jewelry yesterday and sold it after church for a fundraiser. Boy, did we raise some funds. (I am proud because my stuff actually sold!)
  • I am taking a personal day on Friday. I haven't used any of my sick or personal days yet!
  • I love decaf coffee in the morning. Much better for my stomach!
  • That's way more than ten, but once I got started I just couldn't stop.

Ah. I feel better. We updated. Finally. But please, don't expect one for awhile, k? :)

Just kidding.

Friday, April 10, 2009

It is Good Friday. Two years ago on this day, my sweetheart asked me to marry him in an ampitheater in Winona Lake. I love remembering that memory. One of the best days of my life. And...eleven months ago on this day we were married! Time is flying by us, but we are loving every minute of marriage. I don't have school today because of it being Good Friday, and it feels nice to have a relaxing morning at home. I saw this little self-trivia on a friend's blog, and thought I would give it a whirl. Enjoy! :)

Three Things About Me:
THREE NAMES I GO BY
*Libby
*Mrs. Reed
*Lib
THREE JOBS I HAVE HAD IN MY LIFE
* Camp Adventure lifeguard
*Road construction flagger
*teacher...the BEST!
THREE PLACES I HAVE LIVED
* Milford, IN
*Marion, IN
*Anderson, IN
THREE TV SHOWS THAT I WATCH
* The Biggest Loser
*Dancing with the Stars
*The Office
THREE PLACES I HAVE BEEN
* Lima, Peru
*Hawaii
*Mexico
* PEOPLE THAT E-MAIL ME REGULARLY
* My superintendent
*Mom
*teachers at school
* THREE OF MY FAVORITE FOODS
* strawberries
* popcorn
* peppermint ice cream
THREE FRIENDS I THINK WILL RESPOND
* Kylee
* Elise
* I don't even know if people look at our blog! :)
THREE THINGS I AM LOOKING FORWARD TO
* Our one year anniversary
* Summertime!
* Doing repairs and updates to our house this summer

I want to know your 3 things! Copy and paste this into your blog and erase my answers and add yours! Let me know you do it so I can read it!!!

Have a wonderful Easter with your families!

Monday, April 6, 2009

Restin' and Relaxin'

Gabe and I went to Myrtle Beach over my Spring Break with two GREAT friends, Phil and Kylee! We used Phil's parents' time share for an entire week, and it was fabulous. We didn't hit the best week of weather, but we made up for it with great memories.


Pictures tell the best stories, so here you are.


Phil and Kylee....full of laughs!


We fed these nasty fish at a place called Broadway at the Beach.

On one of our first days there, Kylee and I convinced the boys


Playing at a park when the sunshine was nowhere to be seen....

I love this picture of the four of us!

We are silly and took pictures at all of these things around Myrtle Beach.

We played Phase 10 every single night! The competition was fierce, I tell you.

Kylee and I at Barefoot Landing in North Myrtle Beach.

What a wonderful vacation for my husband and I. We needed to get away to rest and relax, and we did just that. Thanks, Phil and Kylee, for the AWESOME memories. You guys are the best.

Monday, March 9, 2009

As of lately...

I love that it is 7:15 and it is still light out. Spring is on its way here in Indiana, and I cannot be more thrilled. Gabe told me it was my turn to update our blog; I am sorry for the delay! Life has been busy, busy, busy for me, and I just didn't find the time to write on here. This has the potential to be boring, but I thought I would tell you all what has been happening in our lives lately.
  • I have learned the basics of making jewelry. Well, I have actually only made earrings, but I am still proud of myself. My two great friends Kylee and Marcia are amazing at making jewelry, and I have learned from them. A great hobby for me!
  • My sister and her husband, Joe, are going to Montana this summer once again. They are working at a family camp out there all summer! God is so faithful in their lives.
  • Gabe's brother Joe and his family moved back to South Africa in February. We were able to spend a few months with them home which were completely wonderful. It was hard to see them go, but Gabe and I know that God has amazing things planned for them in Africa.
  • We watch one TV show a week together....religiously. The Biggest Loser. Neither of us had seen this show before, but now we are hooked each Tuesday night at 8:00.
  • Since watching Biggest Loser, we both have been more motivated to be aware of our health. We are eating better and getting more exercise! It's great to be motivated together!
  • Each Thursday night, we head into our church office to participate in Financial Peace. You've probably heard of Dave Ramsey, the financial gu-ru. Along with four other couples, Gabe and I learn a TON about getting our fiances in order and how we can get out of debt and stay away from it. It has been so beneficial for us.
  • Last Wednesday night, we had the youth group over to our house for a game night. Wow. We had 35-40 people in this house. If you have ever been here, your eyes are probably wide. All went well except a child's soda exploding on the walls and doors in the living room without him knowing about it. Hmmm...how does that happen?
  • I LOVE being on the Experience Team at church. We are a team that works behind the scenes to create an atmosphere for each church service. We work on art pieces on the stage, in the hallways, and as people enter. I get to go to a big conference at Willow Creek in June and am totally pumped about getting more involved.
  • We are getting excited to go on a Spring Break trip with our dear friends, Phil and Kylee. It is less than two weeks away! Hooray!
  • I spent this past Saturday in Ft. Wayne at Jefferson Pointe with my mama. She is amazing and we needed a day together. Shopping and talking is what we do best. She is one of my closest friends.
  • I am learning tons as a teacher. God is teaching me to totally rely on His strength each day and ask for wisdom. I try too hard to do it all on my own. I have fallen down flat often in this job, but He is so unfailing to me. I love teaching, but it isn't always easy, and I think that is good for me. I need some challenges. :)
  • I am going to read the "Twilight" books over Spring Break. It's my goal at least.
  • Tomorrow is March 10th. Gabe and I will be married for ten months tomorrow. How did it go this fast?
  • We love our small group at church. We meet every other Sunday night with our close friends and study the Word, discuss its meaning, pray, drink iced tea, and laugh. We are blessed to have found wonderful friends.
  • Gabe and I find a date night at least once a week and look forward to that time together. When we got married, the common advice anyone gave us was "Keep dating each other". We have taken hold of that advice, and it has brought us so close. We watched Slumdog Millionaire the other weekend. See it....you will LOVE it. I am so glad it won all of the awards. Such a story of hardship, faithfulness, and complete redemption. Mmm. Powerful stuff.
  • Besides being together, Gabe and I have taken advantage of "boy" and "girl" nights. Right now, Gabe is playing "Settlers of Catan" (yay Austin Rampey!) with a bunch of his friends. I love that we have those close-knit groups of females and males.

God sure has been good to us. We just took a walk today and talked about what we are thankful for in our life together. There is so much. We're definitely looking for how God will mold us and grow us in this spring season. Enjoy your day!

Wednesday, February 18, 2009

The finale of the bus situation

I think our bus problem is over. After I wrote that previous entry, I got a guy's number from the Bridge that Chris Mishler told me to call. I called this guy, Andy Drummond, and he told me that he works with Best Way Disposal (a garbage company in Anderson) and he has 1 other unit that he's in charge of. Check this out - his unit is in Kalamazoo, Michigan - where is the bus stuck at? Kalamazoo, Michigan. Oh God, how I love your sense of humor. Andy called up there to see if they could do anything and their mechanic just happened to be on vacation. So I get that bad news and start to move forward with something else, when I get another call from Andy Drummond that goes something like this...."Gabe, the manager up there heard what I was calling about. He said he was going to send his guys over and fix it" I had a little hallelujah break down and was dancing...not literally, but I was amazed once again. Can this story can get any better?!? It actually does. The past week and a half or so, I've had some great alone time with God. When you really encounter Him and experience Him the way I have been lately, it's hard not to want to! This whole experience turned from a bad situation into what seems to be a life changing one for me atleast.
Now the ending: I get a phone call this morning, it's Andy. The crankshaft was broken (if you know what that means, I'm proud of you, cuz I don't) and the slack adjustor was not in alignment (I DO know what that means! So I'm proud of myself for that one). Anyway, Best Way up there towed it to their place, fixed everything and I get the call this morning that they are on their way down to Anderson with the bus!!! ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! I was going to be planning a day where I drive to Michigan to pick it up!!! Wow.
I'm sure this is so much more powerful to me since I'm the one actually experiencing it. I hope I've written this well enough for you to understand and be able to put yourself in the situation to see how everything was out of my hands. If I had control of the situation, how much more stress would be in my life? How angry would I have gotten over things? Instead, when we let go of things we have no control over and just sit back and watch God at work, we are mesmorized by His awesomeness.
It got me thinking back on my life and experiences with God. Can I see His awesomeness? I know that's probably not the right word, but there's no perfect way to describe Him. I feel like if we have never seen God in His glory and to any potential "awesomeness" then I fear that maybe we have missed him, or we may never have really experienced Him. Our eyes are closed too many times to the beauty of God around us.
I used to think the only way I could really encounter God was when I was out in nature, because it was all He created and I could see His hand in everything. I never would have thought in my whole life that my greatest encounter, my greatest vision of God in my life...would be on a bus.

Monday, February 9, 2009

The Great Bus-capades!!

The ski trip is finally over and I'm home! To say it was an eventful trip, would not be enough to describe what all happened. Everything up to the drive home was pretty normal, good conversations with kids, picking on the kids, everything fun we could do, we did. I had a great time. But then it was time to leave, and since I was the bus driver, I was not looking forward to the drive. I was tired and just wanted to be home. Then a girl tells me she left something - side note - how come no matter how many times you tell kids to check to make sure they have their stuff, they never do it? I have a new appreciation for parents of teenagers after this weekend. I could tell you some ridiculous stories of teenagers just being idiots! Anyway...since this was a girl, I didn't have the heart to say no, so we pulled off since the hotel was on our way home anyway. As we were getting ready to get back onto the interstate, I felt my steering wheel get a little tight. I wasn't sure if the power steering was bad or what, so I stopped to get out and check it. Everything looked ok, so we continued on down the road. As we're going down the interstate I see I-94 but it says toward Chicago, so I didn't think we should get on there. Once I passed it, Joel told me that's where I needed to go, because it split and I would end up heading east. Since the bus was just not feeling right to me, I decided to take it down another exit for some reason where there was a gas station. As I was pulling off the exit ramp, my steering was getting harder to do. Then a buzzer went off saying "no air pressure" - I have air brakes, so that meant "you have no breaks right now". With a bus full of 22 kids, I was praying hard. The light was coming up and I remember praying "God, put your hand in front of this bus and stop this before the intersection." If I could take a picture of where the bus landed, you would believe God heard me. I was 1 foot behind the white line...safe.

At this point, my body is kind of freaking out. I have never driven a bus on a long trip like this before, and the first time I do it, it breaks down. Ok God, what's the lesson? I did everything I knew how to do on that bus and there was no way it was going to work. When I opened the hood and knew it was the air compressor, I remember praying a funny prayer. Is it weird to pray over an air compressor? Not last night it wasn't! But it didn't work. I always hear stories of how God does some crazy awesome things in situations like this. So when the air compressor just wouldn't work, I almost started to laugh thinking "What are you going to do now God?"

A nice lady and her family finally stop to help us and give me the number to a wrecker so I can get it towed. When we finally get that set up with the wrecker, I called the police. There was nothing in sight of the bus that was safe to walk to with the kids, so I needed the cops there to help us stay safe and legal. As I feel like we're getting somewhere with a plan, God begins to work. A man starts walking towards the bus, I get out to greet him jokingly ask, "are you the bus mechanic I was praying God would send me?" Obviously, he wasn't, but he kept asking me questions about who we were, really not much about the bus. He then said something that about got some tears out of this guy. He said, "I go to church right over there. They're having church right now, but there is a youth room that we could put them up in. We also have a bus, I can see if they'll come pick your kids up so they can get out of here safely" Wow.

In the meantime, I had called our bus mechanic from Anderson. He and his wife had already started the 4 hour drive to pick us up on a different bus. The sad part is, we would get home around 3 in the morning. I felt so bad about all of this, but obviously it was all out of my control.

The kids were great in the church. That church's youth was still around, so they were playing games and stuff with them. The church bought everyone pizza and they were just having a great time together. I, on the other hand, was stuck out in the cold with the wrecker waiting on them to send a bigger truck. We made some conversation and I got to know his story a little bit. But I was looking forward to getting home so much more even now.

I got to the church and was greeted by everyone! Everyone was so great to us. After a little while of us being in there, the youth pastor came and asked if we wanted to try and meet the bus that was coming up there which would safe a couple hours. (YES!) So to try to wrap this up, we met our bus and got home around 1 in the morning.

Think God doesn't know what he's doing?
-a girl forgets her stuff, causing me to pull off the interstate (this is when my steering felt funny)
-I miss our exit
-I skip the following exit (not really sure why - now I know why)
-Our bus happens to stop before the white line
-there just HAPPENS to be a church through the trees next to us that we couldn't see
-there just HAPPENS to be church that night
-the guy who helped us (I left this out of the story), should not have been on that road, but he got a call from his son that night and ended up passing us twice (once on the way home, then on the way back)
-His church just happened to have a bus...and the bus driver was at church that night
-They bought us food
-Our bus mechanic and his wife were going to drive 8 hours total just to pick us up

Everything happened exactly how God wanted it to. You can see how all these events just happened to unfold like they did. But it was no coincidence. When the kids left with that church and I was alone before getting on the truck with the wrecker, I had a very real moment/encounter with God. I had a few tears (I was fighting it!), but I saw Him working right in front of my eyes. It was just moment after moment after moment.

I could've reacted different and gotten upset or whatever I was feeling. But in those moments when you're scared cuz you have no options and you don't even know what to do, you can find peace when God says, "Be still and know that I AM GOD". Powerful...last night was powerful, I hope the kids see that. Definitely a memory maker. Sorry this was so long, it was just an incredible time last night.

Now I have to figure out a message. I'm speaking to 5th graders at Libby's school today!

Thursday, February 5, 2009

Winter - how I hate thee

This is Gabe here. Is anyone else sick of winter? I thought after last week's snow storm we would be done with it. But instead, Anderson was under a level 2 emergency this week because of more snow. Most of my family knows, or people close to me, that in the winter I get a little "depressed". Not like I need counseling depressed, just feeling the winter blues. Well, it hit me this week. I was starting to hate it and get irritated by it all. I know during the winter, I have to keep myself extremely busy to avoid these feelings, but I still had them!! I don't get it! I even started planning ahead...like really far ahead. Working on camps for the summer, figuring out every aftershock we have until the end of the school year. Just trying to find things to stay productive and keep busy so I don't think about the cold and the snow. The one part I love about winter though is that I exercise a lot more. I feel like that is my drug, it keeps my spirits up and I feel better about life when I do that. But yesterday, I couldn't fight the feelings. So I sat at home waiting for my small group kids to get to my house and I kept looking at my Bible sitting here on the desk. I thought to myself "what have you learned today?". I know many times when I get with kids, I ask them what they are learning. Most of the time it's a cliche answer "God loves me". Ok, I learned that when I was 3. So how do you KNOW God loves you? How do you feel it? So instead of asking kids this question, I started asking myself that question. How do you know God better today than you did yesterday? Then I began to read and instead of just reading it to read it, what stands out to you? What part of the verses really speaks to you? Here's what I got...
In Matthew 13:34, "Jesus spoke all these things to the crowd in parables; he did not say anything to them without using a parable"
I love the book of Matthew, I always have. But I never thought about this verse before. It stood out to me yesterday. Why parables? Because it helps us understand. Think about it. When Jesus says He loves you, how do you feel? Does it even sink in? Now when he relates to 100 sheep and 1 goes away, how he looks for that 1 sheep because he cares so much for each sheep. Does that hit you different? Well, it does to me. When I speak to people, I use stories, lots of them. Why? Because then we get it! Then it makes sense!
For instance, I talked sunday to the youth about how valuable we are to God and taking off the mask that we put on to become someone we're not to feel valuable. I could've sat up there for hours just saying "You are valuable" but do they ever get it? Probably not. So I used a story relating to art. A real Van Gogh painting that he painted could cost around $80 million, but I could go to Barnes and Noble and get a poster of one for about $8. What's the difference? The real painting was the one Van Gogh put his time into, he was in front of that canvas creating the art, his thoughts, his brush, his everything goes into that painting. It was a reflection of him. People want the real, genuine painting and it is worth a lot! That's how we are to God. He created each of us and spent His time, His life, His value into us. We are the image of God. So why do we put on masks that cost $8 when behind that mask we are worth $80 million? God puts so much value into us, and when we recognize that value, we'll never want to have our mask on!
That may not be a parable, but it sure makes me feel more valued and loved than just thinking "God loves me". It's broken down for us to understand it. I think that's why Jesus did it, because our minds can't fully comprehend the depths of His love. Challenging, yet encouraging. I hope this encourages someone today - that your life is worth living, that God puts so much value into you.

Thursday, January 29, 2009

I debated writing this blog because I was scared I might offend people, but then I realized, it's the offended that need to read this.
This week I had to go to a bus school to learn bus safety and all that fun stuff. I'm doing it for the church, don't worry, I'm not quitting to be a bus driver! But as I sat in a class of 70 people, I looked around at everyone eating their donuts and drinking their big gulp coffee and it hit me how fat america is. You see it on the TV, you hear about it all the time, but does anyone do anything about it? Libby and I have gotten into watching the Biggest Loser and it has been inspiring for us. There's not nearly as much junk food in our house, we both are going and working out together. I don't just do weights anymore, I'm trying to get my body fat actually down. While this is good for the 2 of us, i can't help but think about the countless others who just don't care. I see people around me that are overweight and they blame it on genetics. If you think about it, it is genetic. Mom and Dad are lazy and overeat, so I guess that's what I do too. So genetics are things passed down to your kids. What kind of example do your kids have in front of you? This hit me this week. I have a horrible sweet tooth. If I could eat only desserts and be ok, I would!! I love dessert and snacky junk food. But I also love the thought of being healthy enough to run around with my kids, to keep up with them. Not just that, but for my future grandkids. I know that is a LOOOONG way off, but when will I decide to get into shape for that? For some, it's too late. Being healthy starts now, no matter where you are in your life, you have to make the decision to get on the right path. I know 30 minutes a day is tough to think about, but I think it's tougher to think about your kids or grandkids growing up not knowing you.
There's a lot I'm thinking about and I'm sure not everything is very clear in here. My biggest point is just to challenge people to think about their bodies. You only have 1 body, whether or not you like it, it's yours to take care of. How are you treating it? If you can't afford a gym membership, get an at home thing - I recommend the P90x video series. I promise that if you stick with that, it will work and you will lose weight. I talked to my trainer about it and it's been the trend lately to do, and for good reason! It's an awesome workout program and will hopefully help motivate you and get you on the right path for healthy living. I'm sure not many people even read our blog, but I'd love to be a part of helping America not be so fat! So quit reading this, get off your butt and go move around :-)

Saturday, January 24, 2009

It's not about me....

I'm sure I need to preface this for those of you that read into things too much :-) Everything I write in here is in no way intended to lift me up at all, merely to show God's plan is bigger than my own. Also, I love my wife so so much, more than I thought I could love another human, so don't misread anything :-)

The reason I say that about Libby is because she is gone this weekend, and I was looking forward to a weekend of Gabe time. (that's what I thought you might read into) I never not want Libby here, but sometimes I really need alone time. It's the way I'm wired and it's healthy for me to be alone! But I learned something tonight, as it's 10:3o and I should be working on my message instead of writing on my blog. I learned that what we plan for our lives, may not always be in line with what God has planned for our lives. Here's why, since Libby is gone all weekend, I had things scheduled for ME, for what I wanted to do. I knew saturday would be great because I could talk my message out at home instead of hoping no one would be at the office so I could do it. Which there is always someone there, oh well, it's not Gabe's office :-) But my plans got "wrecked".

Friday night, I wanted to have fun and do my own thing. So I rode with a cop friend of mine to watch him bust the bad guys. That's always fun for me. I'd enjoy being a cop I think! But then my saturday completely changed from what I expected. I hung out with some middle school boys which I didn't think would last as long as it did, but it was good and I enjoyed it! But when I got home and started to talk out my message, my accountability partner called me up and asked if we could get together earlier than we planned. We were going to watch Team Impact, which are these Christian bodybuilder guys that break stuff and preach, pretty cool. But I went out with him to his in-laws house, then to the show, then he wanted to hang out and talk after. I love hanging out with this guy and talking with him, but I couldn't get my mind off of the stuff I still had to get done tonight. But as the night went on, we kept talking about ministry things and what I do and he started to challenge me. He was talking about getting rest, and actually resting spiritually. I feel like I go go go all the time that I never take the time alone for myself to really rest in God. I get so caught up in what I need to do that I don't realize I'm hurting myself more than I am trying to make things right.

Not sure if that made sense. But this whole day did not go how I had it planned out to go. As I sit here and when I came home to unwind a little before I got to work, I got to thinking about things. The ministry is not my ministry, it's God's ministry and He is using me. As I sit and worry all day as I'm with these kids and with this guy that needs to talk with me, I am actually doing God's work. I get so caught up in ME and what I want or need to do, that I don't even stop to think that God has me taken care of. Sure, I need to work on my message, but don't you think it's more important for me to be in the lives of all the people I was with today? Don't you think God sees that and used me for that reason? Instead of thinking about your message, don't you realize that it's God's message to these people, it's not your words, but His?

All that to say - God will take care of His plan. I can't control His plan, but I can help carry it out. Sometimes we think it's all about me and what I think should be done, but God comes in and "wrecks" our plan to fit what He sees needs to be done. Too many of us have the "me" mentality, but it's really about pursuing God's plan for our lives and changing to a different mentality. So as I'm sitting here writing this, I'm encouraged because I know that I had a fulfilled and purposeful day doing God's plan and not my own. So now I'm going to go talk out my message and spend some time resting before I go to bed. I love saturday nights, 5 hours of sleep if I'm lucky :-)