review...

As Christmas and the new year are quickly approaching, I realize that 2010 is about to be in the rearview mirror. Therefore, I decided to take a moment to reflect on this last year with my family. May you and yours have a wonderful Holiday Season and may you have a blessed 2011.

rescue...

I don't know about you, but I was captivated with watching the rescue of the 33 Chilean Miners.

A few days ago, my friend Chris Knight, posted these words on his Facebook profile:

"Watching the rescue efforts on CNN and I am struck by the amount of money, time and energy that has been invested in this mission to save 33 lives (rightfully so). Reminded of my need to be on a lifesaving mission of my own!"

Those words had an impact on inspiring my message today at Epic and it inspired me to create this video of which we showed at our Gathering this morning:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N6LYQOnQP70

www.epic-church.org

lead...

One of my heroes is Bill Hybels. In my estimation, this man bleeds the heart of God when it comes to people who are far from God being reconciled to Him. With that, Bill recognizes the correlation between leaders who continue to grow towards their leadership potential and maximizing the potential for reaching people for Jesus Christ. I get inspired every time I hear Bill speak on the subjects of leadership and outreach. God has used Bill on a number of occasions to stir my heart towards becoming a better leader in my home, in my church and in my community. I'm reminded that the stakes are incredibly high because the stakes involve people...and people matter deeply to God.

Below is a brief clip in which Bill shares his heart for leaders and the stakes for reconciling people to God:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uz2NqZjoHYs

walking...

For those of you who know me, you know that I'm a huge college football fan and more specifically a University of Michigan fan.

Whether you like the Wolverines or for that matter college football, this story is incredibly heart warming and a good perspective check:

http://www.mgoblue.com/auto_pdf/p_hotos/s_chools/mich/sports/m-footbl/auto_pdf/mealer-090210

video...

I put together a video to help capture some of our favorite moments of leading up to Jace's birth and shortly thereafter. Feel free to check it out:

http://animoto.com/play/bIyeaAnDRfCKQHYfdMxa1g?utm_content=main_link

pics...

Our good friend, Nicki Owens met us at a park in Ft. Wayne last week to snap some new pics of our new son as well as the fam. I think she does brilliant work! Feel free to check some of the pictures she took of us at: http://60piggies.blogspot.com/2010/08/dear-ones.html

undressed...

God has used Lee Heyward (one of my mentors and friends) to speak into my life on several occasions. Recently Lee posted some thoughts on his blog and I found that God really used his words to stir in my heart. I hope you will find it to be as much of a worthwhile read as I did. You can check it out at: http://leeheywardbrooklink.blogspot.com/2010/07/letting-lion-undress-you.html

modeling...

The other day I walked into my bedroom to find my 4 year old daughter sitting by herself on our bed trying to do what she often sees her mother doing there. I thought she was so cute that I quietly turned around and grabbed my camera in order to capture the moment. Afterwards these pictures caused me to pause and reflect on how impressionable our children are at these foundational stages of their lives. I couldn't help but to ask myself, "What am I modeling and pouring into her?"

son...

Monday, July 19th at 7:33am I discovered another facet of love. My son was born. I didn't know how I could ever love another child as much as I love my daughter, but sure enough, I do. I've also found that the love of a father and a son is different and special from the love of a father and daughter. Both relationship are incredible and unique and I wouldn't trade either of them for anything. Despite the exhaustion that I'm experiencing from some sleepless nights, I'm feeling so blessed. I'm grateful that everything went so smoothly for the delivery and Ann is recovering incredibly well. I feel like I'm the proudest husband and father in the world right now. I thank God for this new life that He has entrusted to us.

countdown...

We are 12 days away from meeting our son. Ann is scheduled for a C-Section on Monday, July 19th. We're really excited but we're feeling a little behind on all the final tasks that we need to accomplish in order to be "ready." We still need to paint the nursery, set up the crib, bring in the dresser, etc. Nothing like waiting until the last minute.

A significant contributor to our procrastination is the nursery also served as my old office. This kind of threw me for a loop as my life continues to get rearranged. Recently the pastor from South Gate church (located 7 minutes from my house) heard about my immediate need for an office. He quickly checked with the leadership of his church about the vacant office that they have and he contacted me to let me know that I could use the available space for free. This is a huge answer to prayer and a major relief!

In the midst of the busyness I had a friend of mine remind me to not miss out on a significant moment. He pointed out that my daughter is old enough to begin helping get the house ready for the baby. This will allow us to make memories together as well as help prepare her heart and mind for the new family member. I'm grateful for my friend's advice. I will admit that moving my office would have went quicker without her help, but she was extremely excited to be a part of getting the room ready. This weekend Grandpa Larry is coming to paint the nursery and we promised her that she could help him paint. It has been so fun to see her display so much excitement and anticipation over her baby brother. I'm looking forward to seeing her hold him for the first time as I was old enough to recall holding my younger sister for the first time. Most nights before she goes to bed my daughter kisses Ann's tummy and prays for the baby. This is usually followed with her asking us how much longer until "my baby" gets here? To which Ann and I respond, "Soon...very soon."

prayer...

My friend Shawn Holtgren and I meet on a weekly basis for accountability, encouragement, advice, & prayer. God uses him in a tremendous way in my life. We've been meeting since January of 1996 with the exception of the 4 years I lived in Wisconsin. Recently my heart has been stirred towards making prayer a more intentional focus in my relationship with God. The other day, Shawn shared this quote with me and I've found it to be incredibly helpful in my times of prayer. I thought I'd share it with you...

Fenelon's Formula for Prayer:

"You will seek me and find me when you seek me with all your heart." Jer. 29:13

Is your prayer life consistent? Is it rich and rewarding? Do you see measurable growth in it? If not, Francois Fenelon, a 17th-century Frenchman, tell us how to pray and get results. It's a tried and true formula worth following:

"Tell God all that is in your heart, as one unloads one's heart, its pleasures and its pains, to a dear friend. Tell Him your troubles that He may comfort you; tell Him your longings that He may purify them; tell Him your dislikes that He may help you conquer them; tell Him your temptations that He may shield you from them; show Him the wounds of your soul that He may heal them; lay bare your indifference to good, your depraved taste for evil, your instability. Tell Him how self-love makes you unjust to others, how vanity tempts you to be insincere, how pride troubles, there will be no lack of what to say. You will never exhaust the subject, for it is continually being renewed. People who have no secrets from each other never want for subjects of conversation. They do not weigh their words for there is nothing to be held back. Neither do they seek for something to say. They talk out of the abundance of their heart. Without consideration, they simply say just what they think. When they ask, they ask in faith, confident that they will be heard. Blessed are those who attain such familiar, unreserved communication with God."

www.epicmishawaka.org

legacy...

As a youth pastor I used to attend the National Youth Workers Conventions almost every year. As a result I encountered the founder of the NYWC, Mike Yaconelli. I was so inspired by Mike because he was a man who could passionately verbalize what so many of us felt about the church. Now as a church planter I maintain that I'm just going to be a youth pastor to adults. My heart still resonates with Mike's words for the church as I believe he speaks so much truth of how the church should really look and what we should really be all about. May that passion and perspective never die.

A few years ago, Mike was tragically killed in a car accident. I was devastated, but the words that God laid on his heart live on and continue throughout youth workers and new churches all over the world. God used Mike in the hearts of so many of us, and his legacy continues.

http://www.epicmishawaka.org/

open...

This last week, during my personal prayer time, I began praying, "God, would You move in our midst and pour yourself out in our Gatherings in such a way that we can't miss You?"

Last Sunday we showed up to the school an hour and a half before our Gathering started only to discover that we didn't have power. The storms that came through on Friday left many homes and buildings without power. The school had a generator back up but it was only enough power to flush a few toilets and turn on a couple lights. I was so proud of the resilient attitude of our church. We looked things over and quickly reassessed what our Gathering would entail for the day. Instead of focusing on what we didn't have we got pretty excited about what did have.

1. We had a beautiful day.

2. We had an overhang outdoors that would hold everyone and protect us from the direct sunlight.

3. We still had use of the restrooms.

4. We had a wonderful playground on the other side of the school for the kids to play on after their lesson.

5. We have portable chairs, and tables that we could just move outside.

6. We have an incredibly gifted and flexible worship team that was able to put together an acoustic set on the fly. They had to come up with songs that were a little more familiar from their original set list. Then Our drummer realized that he had some paint buckets in his car (which sounded really cool). The custodian allowed us to use an acoustic piano that was on rollers in the music room. We had an acoustic guitar and singers with great hearts and voices.

7. We had a children's ministry that was able to adapt and still make things run with excellence. I heard one of our kids say, this was the best Sunday ever, I wish we could do this every week.

8. We had a Gathering that was full of people that saw this as an opportunity rather than an obstacle and they were grateful for the opportunity to still gather for worship.

9. We had prayer. Prior to our Gathering many of us prayed and thanked God for this opportunity. We asked that He would be our focus and that He would still bring the people.

Afterwards I had so many people comment on what an incredible experience it was. Some even asked if we could do that more often! The presence of God was evident and it was so simple and different. I was reminded at how often I seem to put God in a box and expect Him to work according to MY plans, MY comfort zones and MY traditions. As if to say God can't work outside the lines that I've drawn in the sand. In reality God doesn't need for me to figure everything out for Him, all He needs from me is an open heart!

http://www.epicmishawaka.org/

husbands...

Last weekend I had the privilege of being in West Virginia with my family to preside over the wedding of a really special couple. It was honestly one of the best weddings and receptions that I have been a part of. Way to go Martin & Ashley!

This weekend at Epic, we’re going to do something special for Father’s Day. We’re putting together a Father’s Day Panel. We will have 6 fathers from different stages in life, come up for an interview with my wife. This could get a little rowdy so you wont want to miss it!

As I reflect on last weekend and consider this weekend, I'm reminded of an article that I recently read. The article shares 10 things husbands say that they want from their wives. I’m often reminded that I’m a much better father when I’m a better husband. I’ve also discovered that I’m not able to be the best father or husband without help from others…especially my wife. Nobody has a perfect family or marriage, but I think it is so imperative that we keep intentionally working on it together. So with that in mind, I share this with you:

Top 10 Things Husbands Want From Their Wives
What Men Want From Marriage
By Sheri & Bob Stritof

In no particular order, here are ten things that many husbands want from their wives.
Note that these are "wants" -- not emotional needs. As individuals, we are each responsible for filling our own emotional needs.
We believe that the four basic emotional needs are the need to be loved and to love; the need to belong; the need for a good self-image; and the need for autonomy.


1. Believe in His Capabilities
Many men believe it is important for them to protect and provide for those they love. Let him know that you believe in his talents and skills and are supportive of him.

2. Understanding
One of the ways you can both tell and show your husband that you want to understand him is by making a commitment to daily dialogue with him. Daily dialogue only takes 20 minutes out of your day. Isn't your husband worth 20 minutes each day?

3. Affirmation of His Accomplishments
Most guys like to be patted on the back. Compliment your husband often. Just don't over do it with sicky sweet oozes of how great he is. That type of affirmation will backfire.

4. Acceptance
Many husbands are hurt and angered when their wives try to change them. Realize that the only person that you can change is yourself.

5. Less Chatter
If your husband is tired, or involved with a project, and you really want to talk to him about something, get to the point. If he wants the details of the topic, he will ask for them.

6. Affection
Hold your husband's hand in public, leave a message of love on his voice mail, massage his shoulders, give him an unexpected kiss. Men like to be romanced too!

7. Respect
Show respect for your husband by not making negative comments about his thoughts and opinions, by being considerate of his plans, and by avoiding the "eye roll" when listening to him.

8. Free Time
Most everyone has a desire for some quiet time alone, and time to re-energize, regroup, and reconnect. When your husband first gets home from work, allow him some free time to unwind. Don't over-schedule his days off with projects around the house.

9. Trust
Trust is vital in the success of a marriage. If you are having doubts about your husband and find it difficult to trust him, seek counseling and not spying.

10. To Be a Companion
Hopefully, you can say that your husband is not only your lover, but also your friend. Staying friends and companions through the years requires that you find ways to make time together and to do things together.

Also, for you guys reading this, here is the followup link for things that wives want from their husbands:

http://marriage.about.com/od/marriagetoolbox/tp/wiveswant.htm

tornadoes...

A few months ago, my wife Ann, my daughter and I were invited to go with our neighbors and their daughter, for a weekend away at the Maumee Bay Lodge and State Park near Toledo, Ohio right on Lake Erie. The place was absolutely beautiful and I would highly recommend it for a family.


Saturday ended up becoming a very full and tiring day as we spent 5 hours at the Toledo Zoo (an amazing zoo by the way...I think I liked it even better than the San Diego Zoo). After dinner, we enjoyed taking the girls swimming and on our way out we stopped by to treat ourselves to ice cream. My daughter loves Super Man Ice Cream and ate as much as her little tummy could handle. The girls were pretty exhausted so it was time to take them back to the cabin that we had rented together and put them to bed. Caitlin was so tired that she fell asleep as I was praying with her. After the girls were in bed the adults decided to go sit on the porch and play a card game to relax and unwind.

Around 10:30 we heard the emergency siren go off, so we quickly turned on the news only to discover that we were under a Tornado Warning. In fact there were reports of houses being destroyed and some fatalities. We didn't have a basement in the cabin, so the instructions said that we were simply to climb under the cabin. That wasn't happening with a 7 month pregnant wife, so we quickly headed for the Lodge (which was like a large hotel). When I get to the front desk, we asked where are we are supposed to go for a Tornado Warning. To my surprise, the clerk very non-chalantly said, "Well if there is a Tornado Warning we'll let you know." To which I said, "Didn't you hear the sirens aren't you watching the news?" She soon discovered that there was indeed a storm warning but then said, if the Tornado touches down within 50 miles then we will evacuate the people to the center hallway in the lodge. We'll keep you posted. I then went and sat in the lobby for a few minutes and watched the television news. It appeared that a big Tornado had touched down nearby and the storm was indeed coming towards us, but then I thought, I'm not from here, what do I know. Then flashes from the movie Titanic went through my head and the thought came to my mind..."Never entrust your life to those whose priority of business is dependent on your comfort." I scooped up my daughter (who is so exhausted she's sleeping through this whole ordeal) and I told my wife, "Come on let's go to the center hallway" and we went there with our neighbors not far behind us. Not long after another lady decides to come and sit in the hallway as well. Several minutes pass and the lights start to flicker and the fire doors automatically shut briskly in the hallway. Now with a great sense of urgency I see see the staff from the lodge running from door to door, knocking and yelling, "Tornado Warning" and within a matter minutes they begin trying to pack a few hundred people into this hallway. We even watched as a bride still in her wedding gown accompanied by her new husband struggled to step around people down the center of the hallway as she received a thunderous applause and hooting and hollering from many of the amused evacuees in the hallway. Meanwhile I'm praying and holding my daughter (who's still sleeping through all of this) and the lights go out for what seems like an eternity. It was pitch black and so I huddled over my daughter drawing her closer for protection and continued to pray under my breath. Within a few moments the lights came on and the Tornado Warning ended. It was all over...or so we thought.

The local news began to report that we could expect a bigger storm front around 3am. Despite her fatigue my wife, was unable to sleep so she sat by the Television. On the other hand I took a Benadryl to deal with my allergies and quickly joined my daughter in her hibernation-like state. Around 2:30 am the storm was about to come over us, and the Meteroligist said, it appears that it's just going to be Severe Thunderstorms but would have winds up to 90 miles per hour. Just as Ann was about to turn off the television the Meterologist says, "Wait we just spotted rotation, and the storm is gaining speed moving along at 60 miles per hour. If you're in Lucas County, take cover immediately. You don't have much time. If a tornado is developing, it could be right on top of you now." Somehow I woke up from my deep slumber and heard this on the television and just as Ann came to wake me up, I scooped up Caitlin for round two. Ann quickly ran to tell our friends that we need to go as I headed out the door. I was immediately met with a significant gust of wind and my face began to sting from the pelting rain. We jumped into the car once again to head for the lodge. Struggling to see out the windshield as my wipers struggled to keep up with the pace of the rain hitting the window I raced to the lodge. I quickly pulled the car in front of the lodge, carelessly parking it in the unloading zone and walked briskly past the front desk clerk who observes us heading towards the center hallway. We heard from the television in hotel lobby that a tornado was sited not far from us, but then dissappeared, or at least they lost track of it. Moments later our friends arrive and we again huddled in the hallway - only this time we are all alone. I'm praying as this seems all the more real and disturbing. We could hear the wind roaring outside and the rain stomping on the top of the roof. Praying and feeling helpless, wanting to protect my family but unable to do anything else, I suddenly had a sense that we were in the Hands of Our Heavenly Father and He is in control.

When I returned home I received a Facebook Message from Karleen one of the College Graduates who is a part of Epic. She had sent this to me shortly before I left for our trip but I didn't see it until I returned. It said:

"Jeremy and Ann,
You've been on my heart a lot over the past week and I just wanted to write and let you know I've been praying for you both!

Psalm 91:1-4
"Those who live in the shelter of the Most High will find rest in the shadow of the Almighty. This I declare about the LORD: He alone is my refuge, my place of safety; he is my God, and I trust Him. For he will rescue you from every trap and protect you from deadly disease. He will cover you with his feathers. He will shelter you with his wings. His faithful promises are your armor and protection..." Apparently it wasn't our time to go and be with Jesus...yet.

The next day we discovered that the Tornadoes had touched down in several places and wreaked severe damage. The early reports said that it was an EF3 Tornado with around 190 MPH winds and it had wrecked over 50 homes in a nearby town. Additionally there were reported wide spread wind gusts that had reached up to 90mph. A local high school (about 12 miles away) had been utterly destroyed 12 hours prior to their graduation ceremony. Several had been injured, 5 were confirmed dead and there was over 100 million dollars of damage that had been done.

I later read that among the 5 that had been killed in the Tornadoes, a little four year old and his mother (the same age as my daughter) were going into the police station, seeking cover and they were sucked up by the Tornado before they could get into the station.

As we drove by the high school, my heart ached for the families that are left to pick up the pieces. I later learned that the father of the valedictorian of the 2010 class at Lake High School was also killed in the storm. It's more than a news report somewhere in the world. It's real people, in a real community, trying to pick up the pieces from the devastation - physically, emotionally and spiritually.

I'm reminded that even without the literal storms, wind gusts and tornadoes there are real people all around us who are just trying to hang on, trying to seek shelter, in hope of a rescue. I'd invite you to join with me in praying for the families in Ohio who have been devastated by this storm. And I would invite you to pray and be the beacon of hope for those in "our backyards" who are also desperately searching for something more.

Here is a link to the news footage that shows the aftermath:

http://abclocal.go.com/wtvg/video?id=7481796

Also a link to an article about it: http://toledoblade.com/article/20100608/NEWS16/6080421/0/SPORTS09

names...

Last week Ann and I found out that we are having a boy! Now we're having fun trying to decide on a name. Suggestions are certainly welcome!

One of the things that Ann and I did with our daughter is we picked her name based on it's meaning. Her name means, "Purity." Currently we are really looking at the name Jace. Jace means: "Healer, God of my Salvation."

In Biblical times, a name was chosen because of it's meaning. A name was a person's identity. It often spoke of a blessing, hope or circumstance that the parent's had or were going through. It often made up the character of an individual.

I love the story of Jacob. Jacob actually means supplanter or deceiver. Throughout much of Jacob's life that is his identity. He often tried to wrestle, one up and deceive in order to get his way. He wanted what others had and would try struggle, manipulate, trick or deceive in order to get his way. Then he would have to run.

Eventually this catches up to him. In Gen. 32 Jacob is left all alone on the other side of the Jabbok River after sending the rest of his family and servants to the other side. His brother seems to be coming for him from one direction (and his brother vowed to kill him). Jacob can't go back the other way because he just left Uncle Laban's place (and he was treading on thin ice with him). He has nowhere to run and even if he could, he's now so weighed down that he would never be able to outrun his brother and the hundreds of men coming for him. Now he is left alone (or so he thinks)...left alone with his thoughts, left alone with God. And so Jacob begins to wrestle again...this time His opponent is God. He and God wrestle all night long and Jacob eventually tells God that he's not going to let go him until he blesses him. Yet God responds, "What is your name?" And for the first time, after wrestling with God, Jacob is faced with the truth. Who am I? What am I about? What's with all of this baggage that I'm carrying from past? And I believe with a reluctant pause and then a huge exhale Jacob responds, "I am....JACOB!" I'm always trying to wrestle with people to take from them, I'm a deceiver" Jacob got real with God. And it was when Jacob got real with God, that He could move forward with blessing Jacob. And as a part of that blessing, God gives him a new name and in essence, a NEW identity. God tells him from this point forward, you will be known as "Israel." As if to say, "Now Jacob, you will be taking hold of the plan that I have for your life and instead of trying to steal the blessings from others, I will make you blessing to others."

What's in a name? Who are you really? What do you think God wants to do in you and through you? What's His identity for you? What plan does He have for you? May you stop running and get real with God. And may you take hold of the plan and identity that He has for you!

To hear more about the story of Jacob check out my message entitled, "Bricks" at www.epicmishawaka.org or

http://www.epicmishawaka.org/archive/default.php?page=&play=yes&post=1&type=mp3

journey's...

Yesterday, I went to the graduation ceremony for Bethel College as several of our students from Epic were graduating. Yesterday reminded me of just how grateful I am for the college students that have journeyed with us at Epic. Several of them have stepped up in huge ways and are being used by God. This last Sunday was our last Sunday with some and several will be heading home or on various trips throughout the summer. We're going to miss them and were already looking forward to their return! One of our students, Casey Hasselkus recently blogged about her journey with Epic. Check it out at the link below:

http://caseyhasselkus.blogspot.com/2010/04/epic-journey.html

bread...

I was really inspired over this last weekend by my brother and father. My family used to work in concrete construction and when I was a boy my parents worked part time as caretakers for grave yards. A little over a month ago, my brother's newborn son, Joshua, died. They decided to bury him in the graveyard next to my grandparent's home in Michigan. This last Friday my brother and father went and poured the concrete foundation for Joshua's tombstone. I think this was a very therapeutic next step for them in their grieving process. After finishing what was no doubt, a very emotional experience, they both got in their vehicles headed towards Mishawaka to deliver 280 loaves of bread to needy families. Despite the fresh pain and grief that they were experiencing that day, they chose to turn their focus outwards - towards helping others. One man that they encountered mentioned to my brother how much this meant to him as my brother shared God's love for him. This man was a father who had just moved into the area with his 5 kids. They don't have food stamps and they've been living off of Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwiches. They had just run out of bread and were wondering what they were going to do. I'm reminded that no matter what season we are in, no matter what storms we are going through, God still longs to use us in significant ways if we will allow Him to help us fix our eyes on others. It's absolutely important to grieve, to work through our stuff and to give it to God. And yet some of the most powerful times are when we allow God to use us despite our pain, suffering and heart ache. It's in those times that we don't have the strength or the power to do it on our own so we have to rely on Him.

Yesterday I had the awesome privilege to help deliver 600 loaves of bread with my 3 year old daughter along with other families and individuals from Epic. It was pretty cool for me to see the excitement of my daughter as she wanted to help carry the bread and help knock on doors. I love it that she gets opportunities to see the "real world" and she's learning at a young age to take her eyes off of herself and begin looking towards making a difference in the lives of others. I wish I would have started doing that at age 3 instead of 33. It was really cool to see her process and ask questions along with making observations of the different people and homes we would encounter. I'm grateful for Kim Selis who coordinates our Outreach Ministry at our church and the hearts of many within Epic that help make these learning moments happen for both my daughter and I.

As we were handing out the bread and sharing God's love, I couldn't help but to be reminded of the communion time that we often celebrate at our worship gatherings at Epic. I began to reflect on Jesus fixing His eyes on others and how the bread at our communion tables represent Christ's body which was broken. In the midst of His brokenness He fixed His eyes on us and what a difference it made!

cherries and blueberries...

I recently found out that a family member of mine was pulled over and given a ticket for following too close. She is planning to try and appeal it before the judge. In hearing her story, it reminded me of the time that I had received a notice in the mail several years back. The notice informed me that I had to take a Defensive Driving class or be faced with the options of getting around like my Amish neighbors or turn my wife into my personal chauffeur. I decided the latter options seemed too cumbersome so I decided to pay and take the class.

I was reminiscing with my wife this week about the incident that led me down the road to defensive driving school. It was actually our first wedding anniversary and I decided to take Ann to Chicago where we went on our first date. I had a fun and romantic day all planned out - I was planning to splurge a little, as money was usually tight but this occasion was rather significant.

The day started out with us arriving in Chicago around 4pm to catch an early dinner at the Rain Forest Cafe. It just so happened that there was a parking spot open right in front of the restaurant. We got right in, the food was great, and forty-five minutes later we were ready to continue on our romantic adventure...only to discover that our car was missing.

I immediately flagged down an officer and told her that my beautiful black Nissan Sentra has been stolen. Only to have her say to me, it was probably towed away. I said, but there's no signs. To which she replied, "It's the law that at this time of day there's no parking on the streets. And there is a sign, but you can't see it from here, it's at the end of the block." She then told me to flag down a cab and tell the driver that my car had been taken to the pound and that they would know exactly where to take me...it happens all the time. I then thought, it was peculiar to see tow truck parked in the parking spot directly in front of me. I evidently made his job easy!

Sure enough the cab driver took me to the pound and $200 later plus a parking ticket I was able to get my car out. Unfortunately, Ann and I are now in a part of Chicago that we are completely unfamiliar with and we don't have a map. To make matters worse, it's now dark and it begins to rain. It became incredibly difficult to see and as we were driving we noticed that a squad car was parked in the middle of the road with every single light off. I said to Ann, "Did you see that police car, that is unbelievably dangerous I can't believe the officer would park his car in the middle of the road like that." As I'm looking over my shoulder to tell share my righteous indignation with her, I suddenly glance forward to notice that the stop light in immediately in front of me is red. The most unfortunate part of this is that we were going down hill and the rain made the roads slippery so I slid halfway into the intersection. I thought, "Wow that was lucky that we didn't get hit." Since my car was now literally stopped in the middle of the intersection I decided to proceed...but with caution.

Suddenly in my rear view mirror I see the "Cherries and Blueberries" on what looked like a little golf cart. While I considered outrunning it, I figured the golf cart was probably faster than the Sentra (lol). I pull over, and the officer comes up and tells me, "I see that you're from out of town and you ran through that stop light, so give me your license and registration and I'll go write you your ticket." I was completely stunned.

When the officer came back, I had finally composed myself, and asked him if I could appeal to his good nature. I shared with him my sad story of an anniversary gone bad and how it ultimately caused me to slide through this intersection. To which the officer just grinned and said, "Yeah I set at this intersection all night long because people never see that stoplight. I'm not going to be able to give you a break because I've already written the ticket, but I hope you have a better night." I then asked the good officer for directions.

After getting directions and doing a quick calculation of the now $335 that I've now spent on towing and tickets I said to my wife, "Well I think we've spent enough money for one night...do you think we could just go home now." To which she agreed.

As I think on all of this, I can't help but to be grateful for the Grace that we have in Jesus. As we stand before the Eternal Judge one day, despite our sin, mistakes and brokenness, it can be declared of us, "not guilty...for the price has already been paid."

Lenses of a 3 year old...

I love trying to see life through the eyes of my three year old daughter. Over the last two months we've had to deal with the reality of death up close and personal (as we recently lost an old friend of the family, my nephew, and my Grandfather). My daughter has prayed, asked questions and has seen the signs of our grief. This has recently prompted questions that I wouldn't expect from a three year old. About a week ago, we were all just sitting in front of the fire talking and my daughter began to grill us with these difficult questions like, "will I see Grandpa Schrock again?" "Will he come back to life again, like Jesus?" "What happens when he dies?" "Will you and mommy die someday?" "Will I die someday?" "Will we get to live with Jesus someday?" "Where does Jesus live?" To be honest I was so flabergasted by these questions I felt that I fumbled through answers to which she patiently listened and asked more questions.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach her class at Epic, and I was asking the review questions for the lesson from the week prior. I have to admit I was quite impressed with the answers and response from the children (kudos to the teacher from the week before me). It was evident that she and the other children have been taking in the Bible Stories. This morning she surprised me again as she apparently took what she has been learning and applied it to the questions she has been asking about life. This morning over breakfast she looked at me very matter of fact and assuredly said to me, "Daddy, it's okay if we die, because then we get to be with Jesus." I was amazed by the conviction and yet the care free spirit she seemed to have.

Of course as she was getting ready to go to her preschool she decided to take her Snow White puzzle with her to which she became concerned about some of the other students playing with it. As the only child, we're still trying to work on the sharing part of life. And yet, the other night, when I was telling her about this needy family we were helping, she simply said, "Daddy, they can sleep in my bedroom and they can have my bed."

Last week the tulips that we planted together last fall began to break through the ground. With great excitement and wonder she ran outside to get a closer look at them. As she came into the house today she asked, "Daddy why are the flowers that you bought mommy dying?" (bouquet from the store) "Do flowers always die?" "Will they ever come back to life?"

As we enter this Easter Season, may we have the wonder and faith like that of a child and may we rest secure in knowing that in Jesus, we have new and everlasting life!

Apples and Stages...

We had a challenging but awesome second week! During our first week we had a guy from Michigan that came to our public launch. He was so compelled with our heart for meeting needs and reaching out to our community that he wanted to help partner with us. As it turns out, he is a distributor for an organization that gives away large amounts of free food to other non-for-profit organizations. He ended up getting 1,000 lbs. of apples and 80 loaves of bread and asked us if we could use them to help touch some lives in our community. Our team rallied to the challenge and we distributed every last apple and loaf of bread to multiple families in need. As a result we were able to have so many incredible conversations with people as we started the conversation by simply letting people know that God loves them. So many were blessed and several asked what church we were with (we only told them if they asked as our heart is that people will know that God loves them and that they would get involved in any church that serious about being devoted followers of Jesus).

On Wednesday I received another phone call that challenged our team significantly. We learned that due to a mechanical issue we would no longer be able to use the stage in the gym where we were holding our worship gatherings. This posed several significant issues. First we didn't have any stage (and I'm really short). Secondly, Even if we get a stage we don't have a big enough trailer to haul it in.

As we prayed and talked with others, we ended up having a church allow us to use their portable stage that they were just storing and not using...and they told us we could use it long term. Then, one of our team members posted our need on his facebook status and a guy responded that his father had a 24 foot trailer that he wasn't using and he thought we could use it long term. On that Sunday, we ended up completely flipping the direction and using the new stage and most people said that they liked the feel even better.

We ended up having 105 people (which I found out is pretty decent for the second week) and most importantly, we had 12 first time visitors from the community that came (not very usual...but awesome)!

God continues to go before us and He continues to remind us that nothing catches Him by surprise...it's His church that He's building after all!

Public Launch Sunday...

We had an amazing first Sunday! We conservatively had 198 people in attendance (although we think there were more than that...and we’re double checking our figures). Our team did a really great job inviting and there were several faces that I didn’t know or recognize from within the community. We had two families that came as a result of our promotion (one of which was a single Father who hadn’t been to church in over 7 years).

On a personal note, Ann and I had 15 of our friends from the community and neighborhood show up (plus all of their kids)! Many of them said that they really enjoyed it and are planning to come back. At the end of my message as we went into our second worship set, there were several who were visibly moved by God! In fact one of my friends that was a prayerful and financial supporter came down from Wisconsin posted on our Epic Facebook wall, “One of the most powerful (services) I've ever attended...EPIC is amazing!!!! God is really at work here.”

Friends, it’s apparent that lives are being impacted and changed, and we’re asking God to continue to use us for so much more! Please keep praying for us!

Exciting yet challenging week!

It's been a long time in waiting but this Sunday is the day! We will be having our first public worship gathering. The team has been working their tails off and I'm so thankful for each and every one of them. The last two weeks we held our preview services at the Meadows Edge Elementary School (where we will now meet) and they went incredibly well. Last week Jennie Kintner spoke and I heard nothing but positive feedback. Again the strength is the incredible team that God has brought to Epic. I'm really excited as I've had several of my friends and family members mention that they are coming this Sunday. We even have some of our supporters from Wisconsin and Colorado coming in to be a part of this momentous occasion. We're so grateful for all of you who have prayed and supported us in so many different ways!

On a more personal note, I could use your prayers as Ann and I had a loss in our family this last Sunday night. One minute before we were supposed to start our service, Ann and I received a text that we needed to "get to the hospital now." We had to leave and the team went on without us. As it turns out, our nephew Joshua was born on Sunday night but was only with us for an hour after his birth. We were made aware of this diagnosis prior to his birth so it didn't come as a total shock. However our family is deeply saddened by this and would appreciate your prayers. Please especially remember my brother, Jonathan and his wife, Kristin as they mourn the loss of their first child. Ann and I are so grateful for all of your prayers and encouragement!

New Blog!

Hey Everyone,

I have created a new blog for me to post some tidbits throughout the week. I will try and have a new post every week, so be sure to check back soon for what all is happening with me and at Epic!

Thanks,
Jeremy