preparing for Easter

I was reflecting with my hubby today about the fact that this will be the 21st year I've been involved in helping design Easter for Crossroads. The years pass like the blink of an eye!

Every year I wonder what we can possibly do to provide another experience that will draw people to Christ, bring a new understanding of His sacrifice for us, and we pray and we plan and we hope...

I always go through a difficult nervous time of casting the vision for all the pieces and parts that I've gathered all year long, ideas I think we need to include (vision casting is NOT one of my gifted areas), and when the original idea is all approved I LOVE the part of hands on work.  Kind of the middle part of the process - writing scripts - tweaking ideas we find to make them our own, physically showing the teams pictures of what I want created.

Then I hit another nerve racking part of the process, turning all the things over to the experts on our staff -  like shooting video and being willing to hold loosely to my ideas as other gifted people also touch the project and bring their own view of what should be created.  Everyone involved gets to insert 'better things' then what the original idea included!  And one of the most frustrating parts of waiting always has to do with set design both on stage and in the lobby because I'm so visual I desperately need to 'see' it fast, and that just can't happen.  And if my eyes aren't focused on Him, I worry.

And that's the part of Easter we're in now, waiting for everyone else to complete their parts.  This is the part that all I can contribute for the next few days is prayer over the project, lots of prayer, and just staying out of the way!

Each time we get to take the creation of a special event or service and lead others to join us in order to complete the dream - it's actually a pretty good example of the life Christ creates for us.

He creates us with a specific 'role to play' that no one else can fulfill.  He then surrounds us with all the people and resources we NEED (not want), to fulfill His plan.  It's the letting go of OUR plans, it's the discipline of accepting it won't look exactly as we think it should and finally just sitting back when all you can do is pray part that's the most difficult.

So, as we finish preparing Easter services at Crossroads, will you pray with us? 

The entire process takes place to win others to Him!!  We can create the fanciest, most amazing service of all time and still not accomplish a thing, unless you invite your friends to join you!!   Please grab a handful of the Easter postcards we created and just lay them on a friends desk at work, invite a  relative that you know needs to meet the Savior and together let's be crazy determined to do our part, the part only we can play, to make all the work and planning and praying usable by the God of the universe!!!

back to work

I'm back at work today and loving it!  

Psalm 62:1

and that to you, O Lord, belongs steadfast love.

For you will render to a man

according to his work.

Today we worked on details for Easter and discussed summer activities for the congregation - it's going to be a great summer at Crossroads!

Work is something we obviously have to do, even on days when we don't feel like it.  But what a privilege to be physically and mentally able to work, strong enough to work, intelligent enough to work - I could go on and on.  I'm praising Him today for my position here at Crossroads, praying for renewed creativity and strength to work beside my brothers and sisters in the Lord to lead through this next period of time here in the ministry.  Whatever my role may be!

Praying for all of you today - that your work day may be blessed and fulfilling no matter what job God has called you to!

thinking about heaven

Tonight as I was driving home from spending time running some errands, I was thinking about heaven.   I sometimes wish I could have just a glimpse.

I imagine it is completely beyond anything my mind could even handle.

In fact all I have to do is look at some of God's amazing creation to get excited about what will surround us up there!

I suspect these earthly creations are nothing compared to what we'll some day see!

Our God is amazing, never ending, never beginning, creative, Father and someday we will step into that glorious home He's created just for us....forever!

creative God

One of my favorite things about Crossroads is the variety and changes that never stop happening here!

The contrast between the past couple of weekends with the steel set design and services packed completely full of countless elements compared to this weekend where it's a soft set design and simple straight forward worship!  Such a blessing.

It is reflective of God's creativity and how He wants us to live.

God made a intricate, specific, unbelievably detailed creation for us to enjoy and yet also created such a simple path to His throne.  Detail and simplicity.  Both equally celebrated in His magnificent creation and relationship with us.

He could have made everything the same color, the same taste just exactly the same but gave us so many choices and variety!

I watched yesterday as gorgeous clouds passed quickly below slow large higher clouds.  Then a hideously ugly turkey vulture flew into view as a beautiful butterfly almost flew in my face!  God is amazing, wonderful, omniscient and never ending.....

to dance

Today I got to spend some time with one of our areas professional dancers. This young man has a heart both for God as well as the arts.

We discussed all things creative with specific focus on the local church and Crossroads' creative needs for Easter - for which I was seeking his help.

I hope this was the beginning of a long, community building relationship as well as a whole new level of excellent art used in the local church. We live in a community that does not embrace 'the arts' as such. But what if we could be part of introducing them to art connected to their heavenly Father? Art that helps describe His magnificence or at least the way we feel about Him? This is an endeavor worth pursuing - and I plan to!

are you passionate?

Is there anything in your life that you are passionate about? I hope so, especially if you are a child of God.

God's love for us should fill us with passion about serving Him, loving Him and living for Him.

Passion: a strong feeling, powerful emotion or boundless enthusiasm

My passion is at it's peak when I get to be creative in anyway for Him. Creating services, leading artists of any kind, writing or brainstorming with others about what might be.

Rory Noland writes, 'The psalmist compares his enthusiasm for God to that of an eager writer ready to express the desire of his heart. "My tongue is the pen of a skillful writer" (Psalm 45:1)

What are you passionate about? Can others see a passion in your life that points them toward God - something that they cannot find in the world?

church = the best

I loved my church growing up, but I still felt at times that we settled for less then excellent. In leadership at times, in the quality of the furnishings, in the approach to ministry. And don't even get me started about the lack of creativity...

At times it was like we just decided to let the world have all the excellence!

I have worked recently to create connections with the local art center and the academy in Mansfield that provides lessons to many of Richland County's top musicians. I want the church to be a place where excellence and creativity abound.

This video recently circulated showing SUCH creativity in the church. Sadly they had to take down the comments because people were leaving such hateful comments. Why would people criticize a ministry for being so 'cutting edge' and current? I say - this is great! click here

Would the Lord bless us with artistic creative ability and then not want it used in church? I don't think so!

learning new things

I am sure it's got something to do with my age, but lately I "have a hankering" (quote from Deering Dyer) to learn new things!

Tomorrow I get to take a leadership class instructing how to use the Logos program - which will be a resource that will help me to create my small group studies and make sure my writing and Biblical discussion is accurate! I cannot wait to begin using this program!

The next new thing I am considering is taking an art class of some kind. I have been interested for quite a while in cement work (not large items) more like cement bowls and pots - much more practical to get into than creating pottery on a wheel and firing it - even though that's probably my favorite artistic area.

But if I could do anything I wanted to, regardless of the time involved, it would be to write and publish a book. I probably would have to quit my job to ever make that happen - and that's not gonna happen...so...we'll just have to see. Meanwhile I'm going to see if there are just some local writing courses at the branch or on-line!

So...what are you learning? If money or time wasn't an issue what would you do?

my day off

With the economic struggles we are currently experiencing, advertising is something that requires careful consideration.

On one hand if you do not advertise you cannot attract the customer and on the other hand you risk spending money that you may not recover.

Just today I received a really extreme piece of advertising. I sent for some coupons and what I got was a packaged game with pieces that contained different facts about pasta on each one. You are supposed to toss the pieces into the bowl and pick out one at a time. Now I hardly think anyone would be bored enough to sit around and play this little game - but I was completely interested in the work that went into this piece. It had to be assembled by hand then put into the neat little box it arrived in. This kind of assembly had to be very expensive.

Very creative, but worth it? I cannot even tell you what pasta company it came from even after studying it - so I am thinking it might not be a great investment! When it's all said and done it's all up to the product to sustain the advertising.

I would say this went just a tiny bit too far to advertise pasta!

the middle of writing

In the middle of writing - I write.

I was working on a writing yesterday when I had another concept - so I left what I was writing to write something else.

I have many ideas. I feel everyday that I don't have time to write about everything that I want to, to try the new things that interest me or experiment with possible new projects.

Too many things to learn, to try, to experience.

So how should we manage our precious God given days - producing what needs to be created? Discipline. The thing that encourages my creative writing the most is discipline. Seriously.

When I am disciplined my mind is programmed to create -to be aware -to notice what is happening around me - to remember a deadline is coming. Without discipline I drift - dream too much and accomplish little. To write in the middle of writing is the highest point of my creativity. Ideas on top of one another. Words coming quickly, endlessly begging to be written.

All of us have triggers that cause us to produce at our highest levels. What do you require to be most productive? Please share so we can all learn!

programming: chaos to completion

You can see from the pictures that this is a "throw it all on the table", fun environment in which we create! No one is uptight here. We are family in this place and this is one more area of the ministry where we just do life together. Perhaps demonstrated best by Dan our Worship Leader who somehow ended up with the baby as we all raced to play our CDs in the boom box first! (I know what you're thinking - real high tech - but it works for us!)

This team is creative, driven, organized, VERY competitive and really, really good at discovering songs we would never otherwise find for our services! They come prepared and fight for the songs they feel best support the thematic teachings of each series. It's a blast, enthusiastic and so creative! I couldn't even begin to put together the elements of all our services without their help.

Once again, like a broken record I say, when you release God's people in their passionate, gifted areas, really great things happen. He planned it this way!

manage well

en⋅tre⋅pre⋅neur : person who organizes and manages any enterprise, esp. a business, usually with considerable initiative and risk.

These are pictures of my son and his band, they are entrepreneurs. (Eric is in the stripped shirt, he won't look at the camera because his mom is embarrassing him) They have managed to continue performing while maintaining good grades in college. They managed last summer to buy a $300 van and keep it running all summer. They managed to cover the cost of all their gas and have enough left to buy new merchandise which they are preparing in the pictures for last weekends gig. They managed to sell over $100 worth of merchandise, I guess they prepared well.

It is with this entrepreneur spirit that we should face each day. Many churches may be feeling the effects of the economy so this is the time we need to become very creative! The huge Harvest Party that our Family Ministries Department just put on for 6,000 in our community, did so without spending money and actually came out ahead! All the candy and all the prizes were donated! Each game was sponsored by a local business and without charging any admission, we made money on the event! This is true genius! Entrepreneurish! (I know it's not a word, but, I like it!)

What else could be accomplished if we all managed and worked like young entrepreneurs? I want to work that way and manage well, with forward thinking, able to make due and be creative. I admire their spirit, how hard they work and how excited they are about life! Mom learning from son, cool!

what I learned today

One of my best friends came to me at church this weekend and as we were talking she said, "now don't take this the wrong way but...(always a moment of panic when a conversation begins this way), I can tell without even knowing, that your kids are home from college this weekend. You just seem pulled in two directions." Man, mind reader!

This got me to thinking about focus. How do you totally block out personal things when you are in the midst of your professional responsibilities? Is it possible? Is it something we should even strive for? After all, our personal lives are what make us what we really are, right? In my case my kids being home from college was nothing but positive, well except for a little lost sleep.

In my profession, I am paid to be both creative and administrative. I call it being hired to provide "Artistic Clarity", oxymoron? Not really.

Even in God's most creative moments He is orderly, very purposeful. Nothing random about His work. So why do we have such focus problems? My head is always full of multiple things at once. They other night I was driving home without music or anything on in the car. My head swam with creative ideas for services, articles as well as jobs at home to squeeze in. This is my state of mind most of the day, so to pick and choose which to finish first is no easy task. Not an excuse for lack of accomplishment. Even the most creative among us should live with purpose, thus the success of the "purpose driven" teachings and books by Saddleback's Rick Warren. People need to understand their unique purpose in life. This need is built into each of us, artistic or not.

Even in our most creative endeavors order is required. Required to finish a project, a writing, a poem or conversation. I learned today I must be both focused and creative. God made that possible within me. And He gave me perceptive friends - they know me well and encourage me constantly!