Oasis in the Valley!

Libby Landing on the Little Red

We have decided to call this place Oasis in the Valley, what do you think? Our reasoning is pretty simple; the name of our Non-profit is Oasis Ministries in Arkansas and we are living in the Valley. (It makes me think that rocket science can't be all that hard! Or is it brain surgery?) It's a lot shorter than Oasis Ministries in Arkansas on the Little Red River in the Valley! I'm lost just writing that much down!

Preacher man is out with Dad getting a load of firewood. We are going to have a few days of crazy cold weather for Arkansas, like lows in the 7's! So I informed the birds they needed to eat up and that I would not forget to put out the black seeds that they love so much! The weather service said we might receive some snow. I loved reading this, "Temperatures are expected to drop quickly and be significantly colder than this area has experienced in several years." Oh yeah, yet again the Workman's bring dramatic weather wherever we go!

When we moved from Rogers to Sherwood, the church didn't have anywhere to store their lovely furniture, so we had to sell ours. Hence, we now have make shift furniture. The pillows you see to the right is the couch. We have lawn chairs we are also using and when we have friends over, the chairs give the place a "I still live in a frat house" feel!

Needless to say, we are making progress on the unpacking and settling in. I just have to stop doing it ever now and then or I'm going to give away everything that doesn't fit in a place!

There have been interviews and chalk tests, yet we still feel God calling us to ministry. Do we know what it looks like yet? No, not really, but we know who does! All we can really do is pray and walk through the doors that He opens. We know something special will be happening here at Oasis in the Valley and we look forward to that with great expectation!

Through all of this the one constant has been God with us! Emmanuel! It was the only way to get us out of the UMC so that we could be in real, true ministry. Truly, God called us out! We are at a place where our faith is growing and becoming deep. We are learning that good things do come to those who wait on God.

So if you need a place to go and BE, you are welcome here at Oasis in the Valley, aka Alex and Kim's place. We'll keep the fire going for you and feed you some homemade soup. 

Peace Out! 

Transition

Being in transitions is a bit like being lost. You know you have to just keep going, or turn around. If we just keep going, we either come across something that let's us know where we are or something that says, "YO, your going the wrong way, turn around!" My transitions seems to be about going forward right now, what it isn't about for me is going back.

Going back is a lot like going home, and you know what they say about that…"You can never go home!" I think you can go back home, you just can't stay there anymore, cuz it ain't your home no more!

We are aliens right now in this place. People who don't belong, outsiders, not local. I can't even tell you how many times we have been aliens in different places. It's something that we have become pretty good at, however, it is always hard. Or maybe the word is difficult. 

One of the things that seems to sooth my soul is setting up the bird feeders. I know it may sound crazy, but it brings me great joy when we are "found" by the winged ones!

This happened yesterday! They found us and have been signing and scratching and eating in great number! We have been found! It's a sign to me that God sees us and will continue to take care of our needs. 

One of the cool things we get to do out here in the valley, is burn stuff! I burned my first pile of leaves yesterday and it gave me a sense of letting go of what is dead and lifeless. I stood there and saw those leaves as being part of our life with the Arkansas Methodist Conference. It's dead to us now, as we are dead to it and in fact have always felt that way deep down inside. You have got to get those dead leaves out of the way so that the new growth can come in the spring! If you don't, nothing will grow there. (This house has stood empty for two years and it shows in the yard!) 

So we are in transition. We feel somewhat lost, as aliens always do. But God sent the birds to welcome us to this new place. God helped me see that old, dead lifeless stuff has got to get out of the way so He can spring forth with newness!

So we say with renewed hope, Come Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of your faithful!

Grace

 ~ My Grace is sufficient for you ~

2 Cor. 12:9

And nothing but the great trials and dangers we have experienced would ever have led some of us to know Him as we do, to trust Him as we have, and to draw from Him the great measure of His grace so indispensable during our times of great need. 

Difficulties and obstacles are God's challenges to our faith. When we are confronted with hindrances that block our path of service, we are to recognize them as vessels for faith and then to fill them with the fullness and complete sufficiency of Jesus.

~ Nov 15th devotional from Streams in the Desert, by L.B. Cowman

Does that sound awesome? I'm trying to answer that question myself. I mean, it explains a lot to me right now, it really does. Somewhere down deep though, I just want to spit!

But God…

Your grace God, not my understanding of the situation. 

Your grace God, to help me let go.

Do you remember jumping off the diving board for the first time? Daddy was treading water under the board, ready to save me. But I had to be the one to take the step.

In one of Indiana Jones movies, he's come to the un-passable abyss. He stuck his foot out into nothingness and as he did, the stone to step on appeared.

We keep going, it's just what we do. Your grace God! Your grace!

The Captivating Presence

My spirit has been in turmoil for the past 24 hours. Honestly, it's been longer than that, but I'll say 24 hours for now. This morning for my devotional, I read this by Albert Edward Day and I wanted to share it.

I came to a new understanding why Jesus passed up the religious establishment of his day, the economically secure, the socially prestigious, and sought out the poor, the outcast, the sinner, the broken, the sick, the lonely. He felt as we so often do not feel, their sorrow. He was acquainted, as we too seldom are, with their grief. On Calvary he died of a broken heart.But that heart was broken long before Black Friday, by the desolation of the common people. "In all their afflictions he was afflicted."

Most of the time we are not. We seem to have quite a different conception of life. We avoid as much as possible the unpleasant. We shun the suffering of others. We shrink from any burdens except those which life itself inescapably thrusts upon us. We seek arduously the wealth and power that will enable us to secure ourselves against the possibility of being involved with another's affliction. Lazarus sometimes makes his way to our door step. We toss him a coin and go on our way. We give our charities but we do not give ourselves. We build our charitable institutions but we do not build ourselves into other's lives.

I saw this a lot when I was running the soup kitchen, so that was part of what I told people, give me your money, so I can help them! 

This presence of mind that the economically secure and socially prestigious had in Jesus' time, is alive and well in our time, in our churches, and in our country.

If this slaps you in the face, pokes you in the eye, or makes you want to call me up and give me a piece of your mind...all I can say is take it up with Jesus. 

Day 1

Well, today is the day that Preacher man becomes Senior Pastor at Sylvan Hills UMC. I guess it happened last night at midnight. I can tell you I did not hear anything "going off" as I didn't sleep worth a pooh. Preacher man, likewise did not sleep much, but who can blame us, we have never been this way before. We had everything in the world to worry about and at this minute I can't seem to think of any of them. One of the cool things for me was a gentleman came up to me after the service and said Your the first Pastor's spouse we have had in...well a long time! I love the fact that I'm not following a beloved Pastor's Wife! Thank you Lord!


Preacher man and I served communion together this morning. Now, this wasn't our first time serving together, but it was the first time we severed this church. We had our little name tags on so everyone would know what to call us. Preacher man had asked that everyone wear their name tags, however we found out this isn't a name tag wearing church! BUT, they all had stick-on name tags and we were able to call each one by name as they came up for communion. 


That's when it started for me, I was overcome with pure joy. It has been a long 6 years getting to this point. Not all of it was easy, but not all of it was hard either. But 6 years is a long time to be working towards something. To keep pushing on. Muscling by. Praying your heart out. To look into the eyes of every single person that came through that line and to love them without even knowing them. I started tearing up. It was an awesome moment, that's for sure.


I'm not saying that everything is going to be rainbows and sunshine from here on out. In fact, I bet you a dime to a dollar that the battle lines are being drawn right now. I do know that the Gospel offends. I'm ok with that! The way I see it, if your doing something right, it will be tuff. When it's easy, that's when you should be worrying. I mean God open's the doors but He doesn't force us to walk through them. We still have to show up and do our part, and that ends up being work. I think a lot of churches have forgotten that. They are looking for easy, they have gotten soft. I think that's one of the reason's the UM church is in the mess it's in right now. We haven't done the hard work that is required of Kingdom work. Have you ever been on a easy mission trip? If it's easy, they call that a vacation! OMP, that's a hard working mission group of people right there. Our youth just got back and they are wiped out. Jesus work isn't for the wimpy at heart. Just listen to the news, we are under attack! So you might as well get ready people. It's time to get real, or stay home. Me, I'm rolling up my sleeves, putting on a ball cap and leaning in big time! Anybody with me?        

iMac!

The iMac is set up! The iMac is set up! Let the world rejoice! Well, I'm rejoicing. Preacher man set it up for me yesterday, but I was so busy putting up corn, finding outlets, stove fans and pilot lights not working, that there wasn't enough time in the day to post anything. The morning is young, Preacher man is sleeping in, cuz Lord know's he needs it, so I thought I'd show you some cool pictures!

This was taken last Sunday after we found out we needed another truck. The UHaul is on the left and across the street is the Budget. Note to self: No more Budget! What happened last Sunday was we picked up the truck, and loaded it by noonish, drove to Sherwood, unloaded and headed back to Rogers about 7ish and got home in bed about midnight, by ourselves...just the two of us, oh and we took Gracie cuz she was acting like a freak and we thought she might eat the house if we left her there.


We spent all day Monday cleaning the house in Rogers. Moving things into the Budget that hadn't gotten in there yet and mainly prepared to head out on Tuesday morning before it got to hot. By the way, when we moved on Sunday, it was 102! 


Tuesday at about 3 in the morning, I woke up and couldn't get back to sleep, so around 5, I woke Preacher man and asked him what he was doing. I wanted to be on the road by 8 and he thought I had been smoking crack! There's no way that's going to happen! Why do you set goals that can't be attained? We pulled out of the driveway at 8:11! BAM!

This is what it looked like right before we loaded the dogs into the Ford. We are thinking about buying a big ole' trailer for our moves. On the side of the trailer I think it should say WORKMAN'S ON THE MOVE...again. The Budget's AC broke and it got up to 104 that day.

   This is the sign in front of the church! Isn't that the coolest! We got our our welcome sign!

This is what was waiting for us inside the parsonage! Yeah!! Grub!!! We also had some help unloading and by about 6 on Tuesday evening, we were home. By no means are we unpacked and ready to go! But we are here!

We are excited to see what God is going to do in this place. I think one of the reason's that the UM church moves it's Pastor's around is to bring in new life and change. Most churches don't want change, they like it just the way it is. But I think God wants something else. He wants more. He wants us to want more! The word Change scares us! We flat out don't like it! I'm starting to see that it's not so much about change as it is about growth. It's about stepping out into what God is calling you to be. It does include change, but it's more about growing into Christlikeness. I look forward to this new time. I'm ready to grow! 

The Call!

We got The Call. You know, the thing affectionally called "The Call". Who is we anyway? Let me back up. 


This time of year for Methodist Pastor's is a time of fingernail biting excitement and dread. It's when "The Cabinet" get's together with the Bishop and appointments are made and then dealt out. It's when your cell phone starts to sound like a video game as friends keep friends abreast of the happenings that they are aware of. It's when some (me) Preacher's wife's pack random boxes of things around the house, just to keep from jumping out the window, which would hurt the bush more than it would hurt me. It's one of the things we signed up for.


Preacher man being in Mexico last week where I couldn't even talk to him, didn't help me with nail biting excitement and dread. So low and behold, when his phone rang on Sunday, I was wore out! 


The hard part of this is what we put ourselves through in the waiting. OK, let's see... the conference is the whole state of Arkansas. This is a little easier than the conference we came from, Rocky Mountain conference, that includes Colorado, Utah, Wyoming, and Montana. SO I have the whole state to think about, wait, I have to find out who's not going anywhere so their churches can be taken off the docket. Then I think about where we don't want to go, and I pray. Pack something. Think about where my ideal place would be, and make a pile of things that need to be packed but won't fit in the stupid box brought in from the garage. Call Preacher man, but he's in Mexico and can't take call's so I sit down and cry out my frustration. Wait, I'll order a book so I can read and take my mind off of thinking about this.


Lord! Save me from myself!!!


Preacher man did make it home and the very next day, he got The Call. He has been appointed Senior Pastor at Sylvan Hills UMC in Sherwood Arkansas, which is in North Little Rock. Click here! 


Are we excited? Yes! Do I know why? Sometimes! Do I know anything else at this point? Heck no!! Except, I need to get some piles in a box that will hold it!       

Get-Her-Done

Why do we think there is a shortcut for everything? Is it because we found one once when we were young and trying to get home as fast as we could cuz Daddy had already whistled twice and if we heard it a third time, nothing good was going to come of life? We found that path that lead directly through the neighbors back lot, up the hill around the barking dog and into the light of the street that was 2 houses down from our house! BINGO! A shortcut to shave off time, save our butts and allow us to play just a little longer. The problem with finding that shortcut, is we look for them in all areas of our life from there on out.


I want a flat belly, no gray hair and to win a half marathon, and the sad news; there is no shortcut to a flat belly or winning a marathon and good luck with keeping the gray away!


So why do we keep looking for those shortcuts? I believe it's because we're lazy and we don't want to put in the work it requires to do anything. How many of you go out to eat more often than you cook at home? Why is that? How many of you think all you have to do to have a relationship with Jesus is show up at church once a week? Really?


The number of people coming to church is on a steady decline, and church hopping is at an all time high. Our churches have settled for shortcuts, compromise, and have dumbed down  the Gospel and have all but stopped making disciples! Why? Is it because it takes too much work and energy? Is it because people aren't worth the effort any more? What in the Sam Hill is going on?! I really want to know!


Back 13 years ago, I caught on fire for the Lord and it happened through two things; The Walk to Emmaus and a mission trip to Romania. These are 2 function of the church that I feel are must haves in order to make disciples for Christ. The Walk to Emmaus has been around for close to 60 years and I have seen more people get a calling on their life, change the direction they were headed and start pouring their lives out for the Lord because of it, than any other one thing. I also know that Preacher man would not have heard the call on his life had our church in Durango not tithed to the mission committee, so that we could go to Romania for a mer $300 each! These things take hard work and after you go on your walk, it takes even more hard work. But you can't fake it till you make it when it comes to Kingdom work!


Measurable isn't always the only thing that matters! Hard work is what getsherdone!          

Reposting from Dr Tennent!

I was so impressed with Dr Tennet's blog that I thought the best thing for me to do was to just repost it. In the posting you will find a link where you can add your signature to the 
+6000 Laity to send a letter to the Council of Bishops. I am truly impressed that we are starting to make a stand!! 

According to the United Methodist Reporter more than 900 United Methodist clergy have pledged to perform same-sex unions in open defiance of the Scriptures, of our ministerial tradition of holy conferencing, and of the Discipline of the United Methodist Church.  In response, a group of Asburians (either Asbury Seminary graduates or member of the Board of Trustees of Asbury) who pastor some of the largest churches in America (Tom Harrison, Charles Kyker, Ed Robb, III, Ken Werlein, and Steve Wood) have prepared a petition asking the Bishops of the United Methodist church to issue a statement that the Discipline will be respected. I support this petition because these petitioners understand that this is far more than a debate about human sexuality and marriage. View the petition here. http://www.faithfulumc.com/index.html

What is at stake is more than just a re-affirmation that Biblical marriage is between a man and a woman (though that is, in itself, a vital objective). The issue of marriage and human sexuality is but the “flashpoint” presenting issue.  There are two deeper underlying issues which we need to always keep in mind.  First, this is a struggle about Biblical authority and the great stream of apostolic orthodoxy. I have written  many blogs on this point, so I will not elaborate that point today.  Suffice it to say, we cannot even begin to reclaim our nearly lost heritage as Methodists if even our clergy advocate positions which are at variance with historic faith.  Second, this is a struggle about ecclesiology, especially the role of the episcopacy in our church. For clergy to do something in open defiance of the Book of Discipline is a serious breach of our unity, regardless of the issue involved.  There are many churches whose clergy are not under episcopal authority and are not bound to one another by a covenant. The Methodist church is not supposed to be among them.

Bishops must rise up and do what Bishops have been elected to do. Bishops are called by God, and ordained by the church, to defend the Gospel, shepherd the church and exercise church discipline. This shouldn’t require a petition.  It should be the normal expression of episcopal authority. A decade ago, Bill Hinson called for a special task force to create a process which would lead to an “amicable separation” between those called United Methodists.  This would not be a defiant church split, but a solemn process whereby the church allows those who are committed to historic orthodoxy, the Wesleyan heritage and secure episcopal authority to live under such a covenant. Tens of thousands of faithful Methodists (including myself) are not yet ready to pull the “amicable separation” lever, but this is the inevitable trajectory if our Bishops will not exercise their God-given, episcopal resolve to enforce our Discipline. Our eyes are on the Council of Bishops praying that God gives them strength for this hour. I hope that the Bishops issue the espiscopal letter which has been requested.  It will be a great affirmation that our covenant is still in force and that the “people called Methodists” can focus our energies and resources on spreading scriptural holiness throughout the world.