Panera. Home away from home

Yesterday was a very productive day for the Vision staff. Scott, Jeff, and I were able to work through several things on our to do list. I was given the privilege of planning our first outreach event in the Lyndhurst area. The concept is to do an over the top Easter egg hunt on March 22nd. This means finding bunny outfits, plastic eggs, candy for the eggs, and a place to hold the event. I’m pretty stoked to make this event happen. This picture was taken near the end of a very long work day at Panera.Here are the blogs for Scott(lead Pastor) and Jeff(Technical Director). Feel free to visit their blogs and show them some love. Word. A-rae

not a “weakend”

This morning was the beginning of Scott and I working together for Vision. I’m so excited to see where we’ll be by the end of the week. We met Jeff (Vision’s technical director whom I used to work with at The Chapel) at Barnes & Noble and headed up to Legacy Village so we could truly start the week off right. Our first destination of the morning was the Mac store. Scott had been up there on Saturday and picked up a lil’ something called a 17” MacBook Pro. Today was my turn… I picked up a 15” MacBook Pro with a 2.4GHz Intel Core 2 Duo processor featuring a 160GB hard drive. I’m a happy man.

 

After our little Mac adventure we rolled to our neighborhood Panera for some food and free access to our friend… the ‘World Wide Web’. We stayed there and worked for the remainder of the afternoon.  We left for home shortly after four.

On a totally separate note… Court and I were able to spend some quality time with friends this past weekend. We were able to hang with Joel and Carrie Thursday afternoon.  Later that day we went over to Big Al, Meg, and Bennett’s place.  We spent Friday evening chilling together (we watched Stranger Than Fiction - what did you think of that movie?)  Saturday we had dinner with Ron and Connie.   This video is the product of a fun night with friends:

 

The weekend concluded with a challenging sermon from Knute in the morning (Reconstructing Your Mind), and then a fun Sunday night in Lyndhurst with Brad & Ann (and Pari).  The evening led to plenty of Guitar Hero III and a new board game – The Train Game. Brad dominated. Enough said.

 

word.  A-Rae 

my to-do list

Rest.  A simple word, yet I feel that I do not understand it.  I am a list-maker.  I like to check the box, cross off the next line, or erase another task.  This may make my chore time effective, but I feel that it detracts from my time with God. 

Lately I have had a strong desire to rest in his arms.  I am reminded that I need to walk in his strength, not mine.  The problem is, I have found that I do not know how to do this foreign act of resting.  I cannot stop this feeling that I need to be productive, doing, going, working – as if my to-do list is always present.  I find myself justifying or explaining myself every time I sit to read, pray, soak in his love… as if I am being lazy and need an excuse.

I have read a wonderful book in my Pastors’ Wives group called Nice Girls Don’t Change the World by Lynne Hybels.  It tells of a period of time in Lynne’s life when she was drained of life and energy.  She sat in a comfy chair by the window watching seasons change, birds chirp, and flowers grow.  Lynne perfected the art of resting – not because she was seeking God’s rest, but because she was too tired to do anything else.

I pray that God will help me to rest in Him.  I want to run in his power, live in his strength, and serve with his hands.  I do not want to be bound by a to-do list until I am drained of life.  I want to be filled with God’s amazing life that needs no boxes checked nor another task erased.

Abba-Daddy, help me to rest in you.  Give me the grace to lay aside my business and to seek your face.  Help me to connect with your heart, that I may live out of your strength and power.  I love you.  Thank you for loving me.

Much love to all,  Court

Coincidence?

Hello all! A lot has happened since my last post and I’m pretty excited about it. Scott (Vision’s lead pastor) and I went up to Legacy Village last week.  We went with one of his old students Nick and visited the Mac store. I know, I know… I was there last week with my friend Joel. But it’s the Mac store – enough said.  We talked with one of the salesmen and found out that he is very passionate about church planting.  He and his family just moved back to the area after being part of a successful church plant on the East Coast.  He was the led pastor of the plant. Coincidence????

We left the Mac store and rolled to one of my favorite places for lunch, Chipotle. Scott and Nick had never been there.  As their friend, I felt obligated to introduce them to the ‘1 pound’ burrito. Shortly after we began eating, the same salesman/pastor walked in and we invited him to join us for lunch. Conversation was great and the food was great as always.

After we ate, Scott and I split up and walked around Legacy Village.  We spent our time praying for the people of Lyndhurst and Vision Christian Church.  I prayed that we would be able to meet the needs of those we would come into contact with, that God would provide a building for the church, and that He would open doors for our involvement in the community.

This week I also got to do some other things I love.  I put together Vision’s “wish list” for technical gear. This list was my first attempt at constructing a workable budget for our audio and visual needs. I have included some pictures below for your viewing pleasure!

 A slightly random question: Did anyone else hear about the ‘Jesus Potato’ in tonight’s news?

 

word.   A-Rae 

This past Sunday

I spoke at High Point Christian Church this past Sunday morning for both services and it went really well. I was asked to join in on their series called Fight Club and I spoke on fighting for relationships with your kids. The first part of the message was specifically geared for those that were parents, while the second half was focused more on the community as a whole accepting, loving, and investing in students.

 

We looked at Genesis 22 and the example that Abraham set before Isaac. Deuteronomy 6:5-9 has specific instructions on how to raise a child. To impress the word of God upon them, to talk about it, to allow God to be part of our everyday lives, and that there should be symbols in our lives that show Him.  We also jumped into 1 John 3:11, 15-16 which calls us to be love to each other. I love the way the Message describes this passage.

 

“If you see some brother or sister in need and have the means to do something about it but turn a cold shoulder and do nothing, what happens to God’s love? It disappears. And you made it disappear.”

 

In the context of the message, I urged the community of believers to love. To make students feel welcomed. To invest in students, because sadly enough in today’s culture a lot of parents are too busy to raise their children.

 

Anyway, that was my Sunday.

 

Aaron

first attempt

This is my first attempt at giving a ‘real-time’ look into the daily excitement, struggles, and chaos that is wrapped in being the Creative Arts Pastor at a church plant in Lyndhurst, Ohio. This Wednesday marked the beginning of my new ministry with Vision Christian Church.

 

My wife is absolutely amazing. She set up a little home office area for me in her office until things get rolling. She unpacked some of my favorites from my old office as well a new black and white calendar (that she made), a new Jelly Belly machine (thanks to Hannah and her Strong family), and a stack of pennies (for the jelly beans). 

 

I’ve been given the opportunity to speak at High Point Christian Church the weeks of January 13th and 23rd. The series that I’ll be joining in is called ‘fight club’ with an underlying theme of ‘relationships worth fighting for. I will be speaking on fighting for your relationship with your kids/youth the first Sunday and fighting for your relationship with God the following week. 

 

My wife and I have talked about taking more of a community approach in preparing for speaking. I have sent out a few emails, made some phone calls, trying to involve people from all different backgrounds. I’ve gotten some feedback already and it’s been very helpful in shaping my talk. The great thing about this approach is that it opens my eyes to things that I would have otherwise never entertained. A believer is going to have a drastically different view of God than a non-believer would. I’ll let you know how it goes. 

 

I went to Legacy Village with one of best friends today. I like to call him Joel. We made a special trip there so Joel could embrace the Mac world for the first time. He purchased a Macbook. I got to have a little fun as well. While Joel was working with the salesman I picked up an iPhone and continued to call his cell phone. Joel was trying to figure out who kept calling him and at one point he blamed his cell phone. The last call I made Joel figured out that it was me… a fun time was had by all.

 peace, Aaron

 

obsessed with love

 

“Measure your life by loss instead of gain.

Not by the wine drunk, but by the wine poured forth.

For love’s strength standeth in love’s sacrifice,

And whosoever suffereth most hath most to give.”

- Hudson Taylor -

 

I think that I fool myself into believing that I do not fall into the “world’s” standards of measuring – that I really believe that God’s measuring is what I value.

 

But then I feel cheated when I experience loss. My reactions make me realize that I have placed worth in what I have, what I do, or whom I am. I feel that these things are mine – therefore when they are taken away, I am angry, sad, and feel betrayed.

I want to measure my life through God’s eyes.

No keeping score, no indication of completion or final success.

A continual pouring, an open hand, a heart that is not attached to what has been given to me (or what I feel entitled to)…

I have an image of sand pouring from a clear glass. It is transparent because nothing is being hidden or protected – everything is offered. It is pouring, but it is not being measured, weighed, or compared.

 

What is poured out is gain, for we then have the most to give.

The math does not make sense – there is no logic.

 

God is a madman, obsessed with love.

I am His beloved.

Yes, I am His beloved! 

 

 much love, Courtney