what I learned today

I am working on a project today - just taking a look at my whole department at Crossroads.

In thinking about the goals for our department I must look first at myself!

I think perhaps the wisest man that ever lived was the guy that first said "when one finger is pointing at someone else, the rest are pointing back at you..." or something like that.

How wise is that? When I look for weaknesses I must examine myself very carefully first. And, I usually find more than my share of the problem for sure!

One of my department's greatest weaknesses is getting caught up in the urgent. There is always a last minute change, a technical crash of some piece of equipment or mistake of some kind up there for all the world to see! Our mistakes are less secret then most. That could be a blessing I suppose - forcing us to deal with things more quickly that other behind the scene departments. But there are days when all I wish is that we could have just one perfect weekend!

Today I identified a few things that can be changed and I am willing to keep examining in an effort to be our best for the Lord. Apart from work - do all of you take inventory of your lives very often? If you are having trouble seeing your weaknesses - just ask a friend or a spouse or a boss - believe me, they can tell you!

my day off

I got to spend the day running around with a friend today! We had a lot of laughs, spoke a LOT of words (she would claim most came from me!) and even ate quite a bit.

I don't spend as much time with friends as I would like so when I get to, I love every minute of it!

God never intended for us to do life alone -

Days like today give me just a glimpse of what sweet fellowship lies ahead for the Children of God! I had a great day off!

I would love to hear from you out there...what is your favorite thing to do with a friend? Mine - shopping!!

what can I give

My self doubt often comes when I'm relying too much on my own ability or doing too much. The funny thing is that every time I feel this way I am asked by someone younger than myself if they can meet with me. It is not false humility that causes me to wonder what I have to give. I don't have 'all the answers' or a spectacular education to draw upon, so I will continue to be there and try to speak truth and love to those longing to know how God affects their life.

weekend report

Oh my goodness - worship was so sweet this weekend. Our tech teams and praise team were so excellent - they came prepared and demonstrated authentic - personal worship! And Wendell's message was excellent!

I am so thankful for such dedicated teams! So thankful!

Our setlist:

Instrumental: Reason To Believe - Harry Connick Jr
announcements: Deering Dyer
Praise: and I MEAN praise! Mighty King of Love - NewLlife
Praise:You Are Good - Lakewood Church
Praise: Glorified - New Life
Worship:Wonderful, Beautiful, Glorious - Here In Your Presence
Message: Who Are The Servants of Christ: I Corinthians 4:1-2
Exit Instrumental: Reason To Believe

So good to be in the house of the Lord!

So humbled to be part of His work!

To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their worship services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

parenting pain

I recently had the privilege of being part of a group praying for the wayward grandchild of a friend. Once you are a parent you share this common ability to almost feel the pain of another dealing with a wayward child.

I would suspect the pain caused by disobedience or struggling children must be among the most excruciating experienced in this life. I know even as I watched my kids from time to time struggle with decisions - it pierced my heart deeper than any worry or pain outside of parenthood that I have ever experienced. The desire to protect and prevent 'hard things' can often get in the way of letting them learn from their mistakes.

As we listened to the details our friend was going through - I felt pain as if the child was my own.

Later that day still thinking about him and praying for his family, again feeling the heaviness of worry and concern, God brought something to mind...

Is this how He feels about His children when we sin - when we don't consider His instructions meticulously laid out in the Bible explaining how our decisions should be made? An explanation created by the sacrifice of His son?

I wonder if the nail pierced scars throb with each sin that we decide to commit? How often have I caused Him to experience the pain of a wayward child ...

Feel the weight of worry and pain your children sometimes cause you and understand that it is fully comparable to what God feels each time we decide to gossip, criticize or disobey. Committing daily sin is a choice no matter how hidden from others that God sees each day. I hope to keep this comparison fresh in my heart as I look forward to a new week. His continuing forgiveness completely overwhelms me...just like that of a parent loving a child despite their sin.

resting tonight

Resting is such a blessing...

Tonight we rested. We don't sit still often enough.

Obviously God designed us to need rest. But the surprising thing that rest produces in me every single time I rest is...thankfulness.

When I hurry around I forget to notice what God has done for me. I don't thank him for anything and rush around oblivious to all that He provides.

Rest and thanks. One produces the other in my life.

my days off

To sum up what I have been enjoying lately - please see the craziness of the following pictures.

Youth guy locked keys in car - staff to the rescue!

Strange binoculars indeed!

Ahhh - the Ashland County Fair - ole stompin' grounds! Bellville Street Fair - new stompin' grounds!

Back to work today - it's been a really fun few days!

face of pain

We were hosting a simulcast of the Beth Moore event yesterday at Crossroads. I have learned a great deal from Beth Moore's writings, but I have to be honest...I am not a big 'woman's event' person.

I was glad as a leader to dedicate time to create an atmosphere that provides what other women longed to hear. PLEASE do not misunderstand me, I did not say that I didn't NEED to hear what was being taught, however this is not the environment in which I learn best.

Later in the afternoon I found out why I was really involved. It is because of the conversations with women who sought me out yesterday that God had me there.

The last woman that walked up to me said, "I wanted to tell you I will never forget that you and Ron came to the hospital and looked directly into my face of pain...I wanted to thank you..."

I do not easily look into someone's pain. But I have learned if you see their pain you really see them - they let you in, in a way that you will never see them otherwise. It is a vulnerable time, a time of need and a time of honesty.

I am still surprised each time God gives me this kind of opportunity to really see...

weekend report

Oh my goodness - such worship! It was so, so amazing to worship at Crossroads this weekend!

Our setlist:

Welcome to Crossroads - pre-recorded message and brief announcements ran while first song began
You Won't Relent - Jesus Culture
We used a second recording saying the verses that You Won't Relent is based on - very effective and song continued!
Jesus Lover of My Soul - Hillsong (short) - We connected this song seemlessly - awesome
Stay Amazed - Gateway
Holy Is The Lord - Tomlin
My Savior Lives - NewLife
Scripture Reading - I Corinthians
Message: I Corinthians 4
Exit Song: You Won't Relent

To watch our services go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in there service go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

fair time

Deering and Jesse lovin' a frightening friend and then there is Jamie our Junior High guy - One of the true tests of a Junior High leader, loving something even with a bad haircut.

all day choices

Choices are never ending.

You wake up with a day full of choices to make. What do I wear? What do I eat? What do I say? Am I still mad? Should I forgive? Will I extend grace...while driving, while explaining the same thing to someone for the 100th time, while addressing the same issue? Will I choose not to watch a show that probably isn't pleasing to my God? Will I obey and live as if this life doesn't belong to me?

One wrong choice can ruin your day, your month, your year, your life!

Sometimes there are second chances, sometimes not.

I started making choices today the second my foot hit the floor. I have not left my house yet but have already made some time wasting choices.

This post is not written to be a downer - just a reminder to myself to use each minute to live for Him.

So...what if today contained your final choices?

what I learned today

Actually, I should title this what I'm about to learn today...

I am getting ready to begin a new book given to me by my new friends from this weekend - Kari and Stephanie titled " Proverbs. It is such a cool book - it's formatted like a journal and you write out the passage of Proverbs that you are reading each day!

It is always exciting to me (mostly because God has to show me 2 or 3 times before I listen), when several different sources suggest the same thing to me!

(Don't tell him I said what I'm about to say) Wendell - one of my favorite people at Crossroads, taught us recently on the benefit to our spiritual maturity it is when we read a chapter in Proverbs each day. Of course I have not yet begun this practice because I spend a lot of my life waiting for the 'right' time to begin things...

But, today is the day that I begin in Proverbs with the help of my new book - I am very excited to begin learning. Writing it out is the perfect compliment to just reading for me - writing is my favorite thing and it helps me to remember what I read!

I write this hoping to encourage each of you to study today - if you don't study on a regular basis begin small and simply read God's Word - and if you want to learn like I learn - write it out!

perfect ending

We celebrated the success of our weekend college fair around a fire last night.

Worship music and conversation ringing out loudly through the darkness of our surroundings. Perfect!

We were so fortunate to host the beautiful young people that represented so well the Christian colleges that came to Crossroads this weekend.

A perfect ending indeed!

weekend report

Such a lively - exciting - enthusiastic weekend at Crossroads.

Worship was fabulous!

The teaching by Dr. Brown of Cedarville University was inspiring.

The technical work of our volunteers was outstanding.

And...the First Annual Christian College Fair at Crossroads was a HUGE success!

Our setlist:

Instrumental: Real Gone - Cheryl Crow
Announcements on Video: Jamie Koenig - Jr. High guy
Everybody Praise the Lord - Brewster
No One Like You - Sublime Band
Come Thou Fount - Sublime Band
Your Love is Amazing - Sgambellone - Crossroads' own Worship Leader!
Chosen Generation - (short) Tomlin
Message: by Dr. Brown from Cedarville University
Closing: Playlist into Jamie Announcement Bloopers

To watch this service go to www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries included in their setlists go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

Have a blessed week!

funny animals

I have great friends that have an alpaca farm - they are generous beyond belief and often house the Crossroads guests that come to town!

Here are the official greeters to their farm! (The one with the eyes kind of freaked me out just a little!)

Each of us have gifts and talents and theirs is definitely hosting and caring for their guests!

33 years ago

An amazing thing happened 33 years ago today - Ron Biddle married me!

I know what you're thinking...if that's the case then why am I on my computer? Because he is at an Elder's meeting for a little while.

So I was thinking. I can be sad that we are not out on the town, or I can be thankful for where he is.

I choose the latter.

My husband could be a million different places right now, out with the boys, at a bar, even being unfaithful - but, he is at an Elders meeting. How can I possibly feel unhappy about that?

Today I am more thankful for Ron than I have ever been. I am thankful that it is no transition from having kids to an empty nest because we are close and have always maintained our own 'couple life'. I am thankful that I can trust my husband. I am thankful that we can work together and not have problems because of being together all the time. I am thankful that I don't have to make excuses for his behavior or try to cover up what he is really like. I am thankful that he is so full of mercy for others. And I am thankful that despite 33 years of ridiculous mistakes and annoying moments, he still loves me.

33 years ago I married the man that I love. Today I love him more.

my day off

I was reading a leadership book today that discusses internships and how we can invest in those younger than ourselves. The book talks about being willing to teach but then to step back and let people attack the assignment in their own style. Many good things that I am anxious to learn and apply. It talks at length obviously about those older building into those who are younger. Speaking things into their lives like, " I am committed to your success."

Then it dawned on me - I never had this.

I am blessed beyond words by a family that adores the Lord and me! They modeled what a Godly marriage should look like, how to raise kids well, how to cook, clean and care for a household.

But, beyond my family - no one older than me ever invested in me one on one.

Instead...I have learned more from those younger than myself. I just never thought about it before.

Despite my own lack of being mentored, I am firmly committed to those younger than myself. I want them to love the local church and understand clearly that this 'organization' is the place that God himself chose for us to do life within. Leadership looks different in each season of our lives. I encourage each of you reading this to look for opportunity to mentor the next generation.

I have asked you this before - who are you mentoring?

weekend report

Another great weekend at Crossroads! We continued our study in I Corinthians and sang praises to our Lord!

Our setlist:

Only Wanna Be With You - Hootie and the Blowfish
Announcements
Redeemer - Kutless
No One Like You - Sublime Band
Our God - Tomlin
Holy Is The Lord - Draper
Trust God - Rick Muchow
Message: Building a Great Life (I Corinthians 3:10-23)
Trust God - Rick Muchow

You can watch our services at www.crossroadswired.com

To see what other ministries used in their services go to www.theworshipcommunity.com

college fair

There have been many of Pastor Tim's ideas that I have found inspiring over the past 14 years, but the idea of Crossroads offering a Christian College Fair has to be right up there at the top of the list!

I am really looking forward to next weekend at Crossroads when 12 colleges and universities will invade our ministry! They will be anxiously awaiting the opportunity to explain the many, many reasons that our congregation should consider Christian college for their students.

We also get to host Dr. David Brown, the president of Cedarville University as our guest teacher next weekend.

Please plan not only to be there yourself, but please invite other students and families that would benefit from this exciting weekend!

Looking ahead takes nothing away from this weekend that will begin in just a few hours from now! Pastor Tim continues his teaching in I Corinthians. I can barely wait to worship and learn side by side with all of your Crossroadians! See you soon!

tired yet inspired

I worked too much this week...I'm still working actually...I cannot stop working...I need to.

I am so tired that I feel all used up.

Cure - a little time to think a little time to catch up on all the writing I owe everyone a little time to dream a lot of time to pray and all of this must occur outside on my deck. My #1 favorite selfish place. My space!

After being inside 4 walls more than usual this week I cannot believe how destroyed I feel. Not in the sense that I was in anyway mistreated or anything - it was just one of those weeks where there was definitely no personal time. When I have no dream time I watch my creativity go away, my tolerance go away and my joy go away.

Now as I sit resting - thinking - praying I literally feel Him seeping slowly back in. Inspiration filling the momentarily empty spots. And the Lord assuring me that this is the place He has called me to remain.

I cannot survive very long without my personal time with Him. Without it, it quickly becomes nothing more than work and 'it's all about me "...again.

actors galore

We have a lot of new actors - now we just need dramas!

This was a very exciting night to see all the new interest in our drama team.

I am surprised each time we recruit that there could still be so many people just waiting to get involved. Serving is a huge maturity step and I am so thankful to watch all these new faces become lives I know well and get to be involved with. Best job ever!

love others as yourself

Today at our staff devotional we discussed John 13: 34 -35 " A new commandment I give to you, that you love one another: just as I have loved you, you also are to love one another. By this all people will know that you are my disciples, if you have love for one another.”

When you first read this it seems so simple. Then as I read verse 35 again - I really panicked realizing that how much I love others is my testimony.

The world fights, is full of jealous competition and lives within the mindset of entitlement. That is why God knew our greatest challenge would be to love them regardless of how they act or what they deserve. Just as He has loved us regardless of what we deserve.

Jesus loved us more than himself - He died for us...He chose to die for us...amazing!