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You mean everyone was NAKED!!?

…this question is just another reason why I love my “girls”….the staff wives at C3 Church.

Travis, our Student Pastor (and frequent “other-hat-wearer”) wrote this post about a conversation that his bride, Sandi, had recently:

So Sandi was talking to her mom last night and the topic of church came up. What I found so interesting is that Sandi’s mom lives and always has lived is a small northern town that is steeped in tradition and the Greek Orthodox Church. So, pretty much all the churches including the protestant ones are very old, stuffy and dying.

Last night though, Sandi’s mom had mentioned that she went to a church that was actually growing and in her words; “busting at the seems.” What was so interesting is that this church is the same style and flow of C3. Now remember Sandi’s mom has always lived in little traditional towns and has grown up in churches that do church for church people. So, when she hit this new fangled church thing she about freaked out. The first thing out of her mouth was “no one came dressed for church.” To which Sandi commented back; “you mean everyone was naked?” Of course that’s not what her mom meant, but it was fun to poke at her a little. Sandi’s mom just couldn’t believe that people would actually come to church in shorts and Ts. Oh the horror! J

Anyway to make a long story short, after getting over the “naked” thing, Sandi was really able to explain in detail why that church in PA and C3 do what we do. Now Sandi’s mom is not about to head out and join a contemporary, progressive church. But, what was so cool is that by the end of their conversation Sandi’s mom “got it” and understood the importance of our style of church. Even though it’s not her style she loved the idea of churches that actually go after those, who are disenfranchised with church and God. I thought that was really cool. I also just kept thinking; if a sixty something year old, who has been indoctrinated with tradition ever since she was a girl, can “get it” then why can’t certain others (God tells us that we’re to love those far from Him) get it? I mean really, how hard is it to understand that we’re all different and not every church is for everyone. So instead of being scared of and slamming churches like C3 and the one in PA, why not just understand that we’re reaching our culture and that’s a good thing. Just interesting.

…and so goes my continuing love, respect and utter enjoyment toward the awesome women that God allows me to serve with.

The Real Staff Wives of Orange County

The Real Staff Wives of Orange County

Peace.

…I’ll just leave it at that. :-)

(…only one more week of May - then, it’s behind me…not sure why this matters, but for some reason it just does.)

Kayleigh’s graduation was beautiful (pics coming soon)! It was a special time for our family, and nothing could distract me from enjoying it…and I’ll just leave it at that. Thank you so much to all of our friends and family who came to support us and celebrate. You are appreciated more than you know.

I really feel like her graduation symbolizes the move from one phase of our lives - as a family - to another. Now we are truly able to close a painful chapter and move on…literally and figuratively. There are just some things we won’t ever again have to revisit…Yea!

(If you have no idea what I’m talking about, then consider yourself fortunate… :-) )

Anyway, good riddance…and I’ll just leave it at that.

It’s funny how just one thought…etc. can tempt you to be right back where you don’t want to go. But I know that I’m getting better because I no longer stay at that address for long. Mostly, I’m just reminded of how extremely grateful I am to be surrounded by people who are real - people who say what they mean, and do what they say…and who have our backs no matter what. I am so blessed now by the people God has allowed to stay in my life. Every single loss was for the best.

Yea! :-)
Nate and Ethan are at a birthday party today - yea! They are just having fun in a safe and loving environment with no parents around who use their kids as pawns to make a statement…but I digress. They are having a blast today…and I’ll just leave it at that.

Yea! :-)
I was given a gift card to Starbucks, so I was able to have a jacked-up latte…guilt free! (See former post)

Yea! :-)
So, there are so many good things to think about on this Saturday…in the Park.

Yea! :-)
Peace out!

Split Second

I’ve been thinking all day about how quickly life can change. In the blink of an eye - a phone call, a conversation, an email - in a split second everything can change…

Life is such a beautiful and miraculous gift…but, so fragile too.

Your baby can become ill (please pray for my nephew Kael), and your world can revolve around his health and care. Your spouse can leave. A loved-one can die suddenly…

In a given day, a myriad of possibilities can unfold…some beautiful - some devastating…

It can seem so random…so out of control. I don’t want to pretend that I have all the answers to the obvious questions that these situations bring up - “Why do bad things happen to good people?” - but, I do believe that God has a plan…

It’s just that sometimes in the midst of the surreal unfoldings of these life-altering moments, it can seem like there is no plan…no sense…no mercy.

I do know that we were not created to live like this. We were made for the Garden…for living in harmony and beauty to bring joy and praise to our Creator. We were not made for this harsh and barren fallen-world.

So, this side of Heaven, we live in our fragile state - being “precariously perched” above the next moment of exhilaration…or disaster.

But, no matter how random or out of control life can seem, we are never outside of the reach of our Father…our Creator who made us to live in harmony and beauty…

  • Please pray for the Vaught family - specifically, for Lauren. If you know Diane, then she has probably prayed for you. She has comforted you if you’ve experienced a loss. God has used her to speak His grace and mercy into countless lives in the midst of grief. She needs us to do that for her now. Please pray for her daughter, Lauren. Pray for Divine Intervention…pray for strength and healing. Just pray. God knows. God hears.

We need each other.

Thank you, in advance, for your prayers.

Peace…peace.

The Remains of the Day

What a beautiful day.

C3 Day at Moss Park was wonderful! I’m too tired to properly express what it meant to see all of the C3ers come out to have fun and witness new Christ-followers professing their faith through baptism….

It was beautiful to stand on the beach and witness such a profound declaration….

It was beautiful to see families having time together….

It was beautiful to watch a community of faith connect with each other and deepen their friendships…

It was beautiful to watch children running and playing and learning that church is about love…and can also be about having fun…

It was beautiful to see the gorgeous tapestry of diversity that is C3….it was like a Florida sunset - breathtaking!

Moss Park is special to me. I remember going there as a child. When I hear the cranes, I’m right back…I’m 10 years old all over again. It brings back many happy memories…

Now it’s even more special to me. It forever will remind me of C3…of new Christ-followers being baptised on a day that was supposed to be filled with thunderstorms…of little children laughing and playing…of a church family just being

…and being happy just to be!

It was a day to remember.

Thank you so much to all of you who shared it with me…

Peace.