our Easter celebration

Our worship of the risen Savior began long before the public viewing of our work.

It began with ideas that we weren't sure would even work or how we were going to do them.  It began with prayer over those ideas asking the Lord to make it clear to us what He chose.  It began with casting the vision and convincing others to join the work.  It began with a commitment to whatever it required to be ready in time.  And it began with a hope that God would use it to change lives for all of eternity...and He did!!

We gave out over 50 Believers Packets as Pastor Dave carefully explained what it means to make a decision for Christ - to Empty ourself of all the shame, guilt and past regrets to simply follow Him!

It was obvious in our world that's so FULL of stuff and choices that people still feel so EMPTY.

Isn't it ironic that we have to be willing to give up our junk, to EMPTY ourselves in order to truly feel FULL?  Only the death and resurrection of a Savior fills us.

This is what my Easter season looked like!

I loved this picture, it's perhaps the one that sums up everything!  From children to
adults writing on the empty tomb - writing what they wanted Jesus to empty their lives of!

Behind the scenes at Crossroads with Justin our actor!  He worked hard to memorize
the drama for our video!

My precious son Eric our amazing videographer
working on behind the scenes pieces of the video drama.

Eric video taping Justin in his office.

Willow Creek was so generous to explain to me how
to make the 'oil concoction'.  

This is one of my favorite pictures...my son and grandson shooting the 'hand shots'
from the video/drama.  Where God washed the dirt of our lives away...

Although holidays are the busiest for us in ministry, we always try to still make
it fun for our family!

We miss our precious ones in North Carolina, but the Lord is already using them
in amazing ways as a family in their community and church!

I LOVED the simplicity of Good Friday.  It was the first Good Friday service I've ever gotten
to create and it was one of my favorite services in 23 years!  I think our lives are starving for
simplicity in Jesus...a focus away from the emptiness of life.

We even had fun at rehearsal!

The boys in the band!!

I loved the simplicity of the set design and I LOVED they way it

connected Good Friday to Easter!!  (HUGE shout out to Eric Longstreth's work)

Our amazingly gifted Senior Pastor Dave Vance - our friend!!

Monica and Ernesto using what God gifted them to do!

Meanwhile leading up to Easter, our fearless Worship Pastor Ernesto,
was also playing the role of Jesus in a musical!  What??

Our lobby at Crossroads

People used the backgrounds exactly as we had prayed they would!
Both as a place to write the things the Lord was emptying them of
as well as a place to take pictures with friends and families.  These simple backgrounds
become part of their families' forever stories.

I stood off in the distance and watched a precious friend battling
cancer write Empty of Cancer on the tomb and wept when she
walked away - lifting her in prayer!!

In all the years I've been involved in creating things at Crossroads, I think these two guys by far have logged the most hours
helping me!  My amazing, perfect husband Ron and our dear friend Greg Crawfis!!  They roll their eyes but don't complain!  ha ha ha!!  A huge shout out to Dan Zachman for helping construct the tombs!

We decided at the suggestion of a friend to leave the walls from the EMPTY tomb up this weekend for people to see what was written on those walls during the other services of Easter weekend.  

As our new series EMPTY begins it will continue to be relevant as we examine our lives and submit them to the Lord!

To God be the glory - for His sacrifice for us.
And thank you to the leadership at Crossroads which gives us space to create, figure it out and ultimately be a team God uses to help spread the Gospel of Jesus Christ!!

easter pieces

It's always about this time before Easter or Christmas that I feel the most vulnerable, the most unsure.

Many times I've had ideas, themes and possible elements for special services tucked away in folders, or deep in my mind for sometimes several years.  When you've thought about something for a long time, you begin to question and doubt whether it's really the right direction to go.  You wonder if you even still believe in it enough to pitch the idea and rally people around it.

And then as I pray and begin to work, often times I'm amazed to find the idea found long ago - now makes sense or has gained support or understanding.

It's an amazing process that can only be explained by the fact that God uses our planning, our creativity in His timing to present His never changing message.

Does He need us to move His message forward, no.   But, I am eternally thankful that He decided to use us in a small way, a way that lets us put to use whatever talents He's given us to serve Him.

Our team will all begin to gather around this Easter concept next week, please pray that it will be obvious to all of us if this can and should be developed into our Easter at Crossroads.

I cherish your prayers, thank you!

my day off

I heard someone say today, "vacation is not a luxury, rather something we need, time away to detach, withdraw, replenish..." I obviously didn't blog yesterday and considered taking a week off, but I find I miss writing too much. It's not that I have profound things to say, I just need to get thoughts out, written down, and organized instead of being globs of letters, words and sentences floating in my brain.

Today like many days I found myself surrounded by young adults, college students. They discussed the future, their plans, art, music and the desires of their hearts. They are ready at a moments notice to give opinions, share even risky ideas, they have more confidence than I possibly ever have had. Some are already leaders in their areas of study poised to create brand new never before thought of things. I watch and listen and can hardly contain my excitement as they plan and dream.

I am forced to look closely at my own life asking if I have followed through on the ideas of my youth. Do youthful thoughts only belong to those starting out, or can we dream too? Does God give dreams to middle aged people - dreams He wants fulfilled? Or are they simply moments of imagining and glimpses of what might have been?

I hope we never get too old for God ideas...could he be waiting for us to dream big enough so it can be recognized as God's? Our dreams must go with us into our everyday jobs and responsibilities - we need them with us where they can become something that inspires everyone to go off to dream their own God given dreams. The young do not own the only dreams and ideas-I have my own - do you?

work of God's people

We have worked at finishing the details of our Christmas services this week. The process never ceases to amaze me.

Many individual ideas that begin alone.

So many songs to consider each being discovered by someone listening.

The singular scripture passage on which it all stands.

Bits and pieces of this and that laid in our unsuspecting paths.

Then all the individual seemingly disconnected pieces become one.

I get to be the gatherer of creative elements. I get to watch as God places each talented person in the exact place they need to be to receive these gifts from Him. These gifts that can be used to point the way to Him when we all come together in December.

This process is a mixing of talents, of creativity, of God inspired work. The work of God's people. Our December is finished but yet to begin...

hallway conversations

I love hallway conversations!

They typically short, sweet, precise and over!

Today's hallway conversation with Pastor Tim proved to be the beginnings of Easter service planning.

Totally impromptu - I let him listen to a song that I was excited about, I described how I was thinking of presenting it creatively. He asked me to rewind it, and realized the beginning lyrics perfectly supported what he had been feeling God has laid on his heart as a possible theme for next Easter.

Before the 10 minute conversation ended - more ideas came out that we both got pretty excited about.

All I can tell you is - artist, water, box...kind of like rock, paper scissors! We shall see - I love spontaneous creativity.

Oh yeah, Christmas - maybe tomorrow's conversations will create Christmas - I can only hope!

change things up

I am constantly trying to come up with new creative ideas. Not always easy.

When it comes to writing, I write a lot of things out longhand and I especially like to write with a pencil, not a mechanical pencil a real pencil. I have no idea why, I just always have. So I split my writing between computer and long hand for no specific purpose - just enjoy it.

Today I was reading an article by Mark Shead about how to write more creatively and the suggestion was to spend some of your time writing longhand instead of on the computer. They said because it stimulates different parts of the brain, partially because of the motor skills involved, it can help you write more creatively. The researchers said we actually think significantly different when we write by hand.

The same thing applies in work or other areas of creativity - if you find yourself stuck - take a break, change locations or discuss what you are working on with someone completely out of your area of expertise. Simple solutions to help move us forward in our work or hobbies!

my head gets full

My head gets full of ideas and it is hard to concentrate! I have so many ideas right now for new groups, new projects, new writings and new relationships to foster that I don't know where to begin.

Most would give me the advice of prioritizing, but all are equally important. Honest! Scheduled events help push me toward decisions. Such as our new art small group that will begin meeting this Thursday. In preparation for this group, I have set aside Tuesday to finish research, project descriptions, follow up contacts with group members etc.

Beyond that it is a toss up! So toss I will, trying not to let a single unproductive moment pass. Don't worry I include the productive moments of rest and study also! Oh yeah, and back to the gym. I want to be in shape for warmer weather so the toning will also begin shortly. I don't know why I put off working out, I accomplish things while working out too - reading or reviewing new music. Overlapping tasks, that is what I like the most.

With God's help the new year holds endless possibilities. So I wait anxiously for the new week to begin, the new list of to-do's to start and the blessings that I know God will bestow upon our ministry this year!