It’s the first day of the rest of your life, and you’re stuck in a traffic jam.

Seems like just yesterday I was teaching your big brother the alphabet, and now I’m learning about a whole new set of letters – FASFA, PIN, MPN, XL-TWIN (UC has extra long mattresses in their dorms, apparently). Continue reading →

“We need to tell all these people!”

Yeah, no kidding Leo.  I think.  It’s not like we haven’t been telling people…we bought T shirts, it’s on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, it’s on the website, we’ve sent emails, announcements…we’re trying!

But then I see the excitement in Leo’s eyes…and I realize…there’s no substitute for joy.

There is nothing in print, video or social media that can even come close to the light someone’s eyes.

It’s like trying to take a picture of the sky.  A good picture represents just fine…but the brilliance of the color, the reflection of the light, the temperature, the sounds, the breezes, and the sand or pavement beneath your feet are all part of the story.

Trying to describe the whole story is like trying to capture the sky.

It’s week 3 of 6 for Summer Impact, 2014.  We’ve hosted a few hundred people from a handful of churches in a few different states.  We’ve eaten together, studied together, prayed & served together, endured weather, exhaustion and grumpiness together, asked questions, developed relationships and created memories together.   AND THERE IS STILL TIME…if you want to sign up for a one day experience, let us know, we’ll hook you up with one of the best days of your summer.

We are selling Tshirts for 10 bucks.  Other than that, this is not your normal day on the beach!

They beached the boat at Gennesaret and tied up at the landing. As soon as they got out of the boat, word got around fast. People ran this way and that, bringing their sick on stretchers to where they heard he was. Wherever he went, village or town or country crossroads, they brought their sick to the marketplace and begged him to let them touch the edge of his coat—that’s all. And whoever touched him became well.   Mark 6:56 (MSG)

Want to catch a glimpse?  Check out Summer Impact worship at 1310 Race St. Cincinnati, OH:
July 7 & 10, 7:00 PM
July 20, 6:00 PM
July 21 & 24, 7:00 PM

http://hydeparkchurch.org/locations/downtown-campus/

You might see Leo and his friends passing out flyers around town this week.  You might run into a Summer Impact Team.  If you do, ask them to tell you what they’ve experienced.  You might catch a glimpse of joy.

 

They say when one door closes, another opens, but I find change to be a messier endeavor.

Have you ever stumbled in a revolving door?

My kids came to realize my utter lack of competency when they first witnessed my attempt at entering/exiting through a revolving door.   There are not a lot of revolving doors in my little town.  We just open ’em and close ’em ’round here.  So when we travel, and there are big buildings and revolving doors to contend with, it’s family fodder to watch me attempt them.

There’s a lot to it, you know?  A lot to consider.  Like…

…who is setting the pace of this contraption?  Is it me on my way in?  Or the guy on the other side, on his way out? (Or vice-versa, if you really want your head to spin!)

…is the space between the dividers big enough for two of us?  Or do I wait until there is room for only me?

…will the darn thing slow down and let me back out?  Or am I going to be stuck in this rotating cycle of social awkward forever?

When one door closes and another opens, it’s so … clean.  But, maybe we all need the walking-through part.  The socially awkward, who’s in charge, how do I manage this contraption, in between time.  Somehow, in the middle of the vortex, a million little things are happening that will bring you to the other side, to someplace new.

 

 

It’s been two weeks, and I still can’t find my keys. I’ve looked though various closets, under beds, in dresser drawers, through laundry. My hubby – who amazes me sometimes! – even went through the kitchen trash. He found coffee grounds, junk mail, banana peels. No keys.

So lately I’ve been pondering locked doors. Because when I come home with no keys, and the door is locked, I can’t get in.  I have to knock and hope somebody hears me and that’s a miserable feeling after a long day, or when you’re standing out in the rain, or when you really need to get to a bathroom after a 45 minute drive and a 16 oz Diet Mountain Dew. I mean…come on…just let me in!

I have literally found myself pounding on the door.

It’s my own home for God’s sake.

Let me in.

I wonder if thats how it feels when you approach a church and, for whatever reason, find yourself facing a locked door?

Just sayin.

“In that day I will summon my servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.  I will clothe him with your robe and fasten your sash around him and hand your authority over to him.  He will be a father to those who live in Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.  I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David; what he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.”  (Isaiah 22:20-22)