More Goodbye Pics

The good ole Parkview gang at the Landuyt's new house.
Leighton and Dallon with little Milly Esther
Jen, Chance and Garrett at our Joe's Crab Shack date!
My T.A.L.K. tribe. They are the cream of the crop in children's ministry in central Iowa!
Gonna start a T.A.L.K. in Tennessee!

Cake....duh!

Joel and Angela Assmus, love you guys! Man I'm short!

One of my BEST friends, Judy. Gonna miss our Panera dates!

Our long time besties Jim and Lana

The Brown Family

The Kempers minus Aiden :(

PAPI and MIJA

My buddies Sandy and Adele - aka best snuggler in the world!

Cousins!

Ana Claire...so special!

One of our fav, fav, fav families, The Albers! Yes, they have seven children!

Our beautiful niece, Amanda

Saying Goodbye

Me and Jen Yates

Me and Michelle with our "wonky" faces!

The Young family

Two beauties...Mic and Michelle

The Singleton clan

Liam Young given PL some love!

The Adairs plus one!

My PV bud Jim and his wife Debbie

Children's Ministry peeps from DM First

Some of the pastors and staff at DM First

One of my BFF's and "boss" Pastor BBopp

Keaton and Randy at DM First lunch

The last couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of activity and get-togethers. It seems as though I have hugged a friend and said goodbye almost daily. By Friday morning when we leave, I don't think I'll have any tears or snot left...I'll be dehydrated! I know TMI!

These are just a few of the pictures and I'll try to label them and give honor to all our wonderful friends. I must thank some peeps specifically. Like Jen Yates who hosted our going away open house. It was so great to just talk with as many as possible and not worry about restocking food and drink. We appreciate every person (about 80)who took time to come. If you didn't make it, please know we understand and we'll just have to re-connect when we come back to Iowa to see Keaton. Jen and I became fast friends the second we met and she has a heart the size of Texas. She taught me the art of Goodwill shopping! LOVE that girl.

I'd like to thank the Adamson's for having us over for dinner, prayer and many hugs. What an honor to stand in the kitchen in a circle of prayer, praising God for all He is doing in each of our families. Count yourself blessed if you know Pastor Heath, Ali, Leighton and Dallon.

I thank my Parkview buddy, Jim, for rescuing Keaton's laptop from the abyss of viruses! Thanks for years of being the best co-worker a gal could ask for!

Thanks to the May family for dinner and a nice long Adele cuddle! What a precious family who found their way to Jesus after coming to a Super Saturday park outreach. You guys are branded on my heart forever.

Thanks to the Young family for driving clear from Omaha to see us off. Above and beyond, guys! I was a blubbering idiot when the arrived. It's been almost a year since we have seen each other and it was our first face to face with baby Liam. Oh-my-lan-ta is that a sweeeet little (well, not so little) boy! He was a great snuggler but you know...babies like me....I'm cushy! Seriously though, LOVE you guys so much and can't wait for you to visit Tennessee. Hint, hint! My Reese-a-Roni seemed to remember us and it was amazing how tall she has gotten. She always makes me smile and think of our freezing cold Easter Egg Hunt!

Our looooong time friends Jim and Lana came to the party and took us out for Sunday lunch. Lana and I have been besties for almost 20 years. We have been through so much together...births, losing parents and siblings, ministry events, and lots of LIFE. Lana "saved" me when we moved to Ankeny and Randy was traveling for work and we knew NO one. I give her all credit for knowing how to get around central Iowa! She schooled me quick, fast and in a hurry about how to get to each of the DM malls! Now that's what friends are for. So many awesome memories.

It was so great to see the whole Singleton family. We spent soooo many hours together preparing to plant JCFC and I will always be thankful for our time together. Ana and Colin are two kids that will NEVER leave my heart. We had so many fun times together and lots of times when they were at our place, the neighbors assumed they were our grand kids! Colin even allowed me to hug him and didn't squirm away! Ana brought us some art work...gotta hang it up in my new office. Love you guys!

Thanks to the Kimmers who are feeding us Thursday night after loading the truck. this family is so fun...we laugh so hard whenever we get together. I'll never forget the morning of our freezing cold Easter Egg Hunt and Marcus "pooping" eggs all over the field. We were so incredibly cold and wind whipped but Marcus made it fun. Thanks for always being the first to volunteer to help me with ministry events and working so hard for the Lord!

Thanks to our beautiful, wonderful, crazy daughter Micaela for coming home for the weekend to say goodbye and help with the party! She had a super busy week and tons left to do but she knew her momma needed to see her and so she came anyway. She was the official photographer which helped a ton! I'm so thankful she will be about the same distance from us and not farther away. Thanks Mic....you are the best daughter and you always make things more fun!

Thanks to my homies at Des Moines First Assembly for the going away lunch at Fuddrucker's. They have been so great to work with and so supportive and understanding about me leaving. Pastor Brian Bopp (BBopp) is the BEST guy to work with and for! Besides that...he loves my Lori-isms and actually has a file on his computer of all my weird sayings! What a nerd...but I love him to pieces. :)

I could list a million other thoughts and thanks but I don't want to make this so long no one reads it! I hope my heart continues to beat okay cuz I know a chunk of it will be left in Iowa.

Random Thoughts and Maybe a Rant

My mind seems to be traveling several different paths these days and it gets a little interesting when the paths criss cross but you all have been there!

At this time next Friday, we will be driving to Union City. I feel like I've been waiting several weeks to go "home." Can't wait to see the house we are living in. Kinda funny that we rented a house sight unseen but it will be great.

God is opening some incredible doors for our son. He has accomplished more in his ministry calling at his young age than some will accomplish in a twenty year span. We sat up late last night brain storming some ideas and it was so cool how God was inspiring us at midnight and His presence was so evident. I know I am biased, but my son is an amazing man of God.

There will be a surprise guest at tomorrow's open house that you won't want to miss!!! Hope y'all are planning to stop by. Bring tissues for me.

The Lord has brought about a couple more miracles and I am in awe of how He meets the smallest and largest of needs. Every detail is important to Him. I stand in humble awe of His grace and love for a flawed sinner such as me.

I LOVE my T.A.L.K. (teaching and loving kids) tribe. It was so great to connect with them one last time yesterday! Picture and more to follow.

I'm SICK of political ads! I know we all are...let's just vote already! The media is at an all time frustrating, ignorant level! Don't get me started. Money, taxes, economy, education, foreign policy, Iraq, all that aside...I do NOT vote for baby killers. nuf said!

How about we pass a law that requires the nation to take a Dave Ramsey financial class and maybe our ideas of money management would get lined up correctly. Let's include financial institutions of America. Duh, people. Stop spending money that you don't have.

I can't wait for the new season of Survivor! I know, I know...get a life. Randy ~ You can just eat a big bowl of shut the heck up!

I miss my cat!

Why does my apartment smell like cardboard?

I love the book of James. My former pastor, Pastor Ray Weets, said this about James..."James was written to help us in our everyday living ~ trusting God no matter what!"

I ate an entire Big Mac the other day and then I was so full I about died. Bad Lori! It tasted awesome!

Today, I am finally using a gift certificate I got for a one hour massage. Looking forward to that!

I love my hunky man...thanks for working so hard on packing, baby.

Have a wonderful weekend and see you at the party.

Season of Growth

Can I just try to put into words some of the things I'm learning and re-learning about me and my relationship with Jesus? It's times like this that I wish I had a way with words like Mark Batterson or Perry Noble. I've been telling everyone that will listen for more than 10 seconds about this season in our lives because I want to show people how REAL God is and how His promises are true and definitely for today.

My biggest lesson in all this process of accepting my new ministry opportunity is something I hope I can pass on to my little circle of influence. The JOY outweighs the FEAR! By tons! Most of us have this fear of the unknown...well, except maybe friends like Pastor Josh or Mark Main who are adventure driven folks. :) I have always struggled with change and God has rocked my world with change since September of 2004 when we left Berean. I hope it doesn't ever take me that long to fully understand something from God again! I embrace it now...go with the flow and trust Jesus in a new and deeper way. If it's a God change, it's a good change.

I told Randy that I feel so incredibly happy and at peace about our move. I still cry sometimes when I think about a certain person or child that I will miss so much but please don't take this wrong...I still want to go to Tennessee when that happens. When we live in obedience, God brings an indescribable joy that fills your heart. If you feel the Lord is asking you to do something that makes you get sick to your stomach nervous or you know will rock your world...hang on, take baby steps and know His ways are always better than our ways. It's like when we are working out and building or rebuilding muscle. We lift weights and it breaks down the fat, makes us sore and stiff but if we keep working at it the results are amazing. We'll be physically stronger and mentally sharper and just feel oh so much better. Our body runs more efficiently, we sleep better, look better and honor God with keeping healthy. Same goes for lifting those spiritual weights. Buck up and deal with the sore so you can get to the prize! JOY!

Givin' God the Glory

Most of you who read this know about all the miraculous things God has been doing in our lives but I felt compelled to make a list and share it with the blog world. It's not about Him loving us more than someone else, or that we are somehow "super Christians" that are being rewarded, it's about living out Deuteronomy Chapter 28:1-14...the blessings for obedience. It's an ongoing lesson for me and maybe you have perfected obedience but not I said the fly! I like to think I always obey the voice of God, but who am I fooling. I'm a human with flaws but He is somehow molding me to be a smidgen more like Him each day.

Anywho....Jesus has been working overtime at the Eilers' house! I'm gonna back the truck up a bit for those who need to catch up so if you are current with news...sorry. We leave the wonderful state of Iowa in 13 days to embark on a mission from God. Union City, Tennessee is the destination and reaching the city with the love of Christ is our focus.

Miracles:

The week before we went to interview at UC First Assembly of God, my mom-dar kicked in big time with the huge concern, "If I move to Tennessee, where is Keaton gonna live?" God answered that prayer with Keaton receiving an offer to live with some very good friends for FREE. He will live in a beautiful home with people I love and trust who believe in Keaton and want to support his ministry. I could go to UC and focus on whether it was where God wanted us to pastor and not worry about my boy.

God confirmed over and over again while we were in Union City that it was where we were supposed to be! I could list at least twenty comments that Pastor Tommy alone said that struck me straight in the heart. I cannot wait to serve as this man's children's pastor and help to make his ministry dreams come true. I think we are gonna made a great team as we have such like minds, thoughts and ideas in ministry. I kept looking for the "red flag" and it never came....not one hesitation! I asked very detailed questions of the leadership in the church and every answer another "yes" in my heart.


Pastor Tommy's wife, Deana, (we are gonna be trouble together! :) ) found us a very nice little house to rent. It price was awesome, and she got first dibs on it as the Lord lined it up for her to be the first person to call about the new listing in the paper. It needed a refrigerator, washer and dryer and in less than 24 hours, God provided all three appliances for FREE! The landlord agreed to rent to us without meeting us face to face, we just talked over the phone and God gave us favor.

We needed $1000 for the deposit and the Sept. rent. It may as well been $10,000 cuz we didn't have it. On Monday, we received a wonderful gift of $200 and we were excited to see God moving. I needed to mail the check but we decided to wait a little longer to see what else would happen. By Thursday morning, I told Randy we have to mail the check today! I wrote it out and put it in the mail and said to the Lord, "I'm mailing this by faith and believe that by the time this check gets to Union City, you will have provided the money." That was about 10 AM....at 7 PM we got a check for the rest of the money! God is so good and we are so thankful for two families that heard the voice of God and gave from their hearts. All of you who were praying had a part in that miracle also. Some were meant to intercede while others were meant to take action. Every part is crucial! Thank you so much.

When we arrive in UC, it will already be a couple days away from paying rent on the new place again. When Pastor Tommy found out we had to pay for a full month's rent already to secure the house, he said that the church would pay our October rent! Thank the Lord, and I hadn't even asked for that one. The church has been knocking themselves out looking for ways to help and make the move easier. I even get to attend a ladies retreat in October that our church is organizing.

It's been awesome, too, how we are getting to connect with a lot of friends before we take off. I got to say goodbye to my Des Moines Christian friends at the last chapel I did. My Parkview buddy, Jim, had a little gathering at his house for a few of us that are close. I've been able to squeeze in some coffee and lunch dates and hope to do a couple more. We had dinner with Laureen and Devon (I'm plotting a way to pack Devon in my suitcase). My pal Jen Yates is hosting the open house next Saturday...YOU had better be there. :) We are gonna have dinner with the Kimmers and the Adamsons and I'm gonna squeeze the stuffin' out of all of them. I'm also trying to get to one of the Seven Projects Keaton is speaking at my last week here. Stink...when am I gonna pack? :) I think I may need to take up Jenn and Cale's offer to help pack.

We will be about the same distance from Micaela, just south instead of north, so I praise God my girl will still be with us for breaks and holidays. She might even be in UC in October. Woot, woot!

We have three big things we are still praying for:
To find out where Randy's new job is. We KNOW he has one....God just hasn't showed us where.

To have favor with the apartment place and not have to pay October rent since our lease is not officially up until October 31.

For Keaton's Missionary Associate status to be completed by the Assembly of God Missions Dept. so he can begin to raise a little financial support to do what he feels God has called him to do for the next two or three years. He did start his part time job at the Apple Store and is loving it but hasn't gotten a pay check yet.

Isn't God amazing? Be encouraged that He really does answer prayer. Yes, sometimes He says yes, sometimes no and sometimes wait...but He does answer. I'm so thankful He chose me to minister to kids and has given me this opportunity to serve.

India Disaster

I don't know about you but I heard about a major flooding disaster in India yesterday that I can't believe I didn't hear about on the news. I guess maybe with all of our own hurricanes and political (excuse my crude word) crap, it wasn't too news worthy here. But...4 million people lost their homes and 100,00 people were killed.

It's a long story but I was talking to another children's pastor friend of mine who worked with our Assembly of God missionaries, Jonathon and Erica Barthalow, while they were all here in Iowa. I got the story from Rob and I felt compelled to get a hold of Pastor Jonathon and see what we can do to help. The Barthalows are originally from Memphis, TN and he is going to be there in October. Our new church in Union City supports them monthly so I called Pastor Tommy to see if the church could help, too.

I got a call from Pastor Jonathon last night all the way from India (thanks to Facebook) and he filled me in about the disaster and he wanted to know how in the world we are going to Tennessee. :) Of course, I had to tell him the amazing story. Here are a couple links you can check out and pray about finding a way to be of help.

http://indiadisasterrelief.org
Pastor Jonathon's blog http://web.mac.com/barthalowsinindia

If You Work in Children's Ministry...You'll Understand

Okay, this is strictly for fun...not that I have ever had any problems where I have served as the children's pastor, but these are too funny. The list is by Roger Fields, a well known children's ministry leader with an awesome web site full of resources for the crazy peeps that minister to kids. Http://www.kidzblitz.com

IF CHILDREN'S PASTORS RULED...by roger fields

The church water fountain would dispense Kool Aid.

Hymns would have motions.

The adult service would have a flashing light signaling when children’s church was out so the pastor could dismiss the adults.

Children’s Pastors would be well paid and Senior Pastors would get a cracker and juice allowance.

The Senior Pastor would have to put up with YOUR kid.

Nursery duty would be mandatory for all choir members.

Ushers would pass out animal crackers.

Puppets would staff the church welcome center.

People being baptized would be allowed to splash.

Greeters would wear full body costumes and do balloon sculpting.

Every Sunday you could poke your head into the adult service and bark out, “Keep it quiet!” and they would obey.

Church staff meetings would be held at Chuck E. Cheese.

It would be considered harmless fun to wear cowboy gear and blast holes into the church grand piano while yelling “yee haw.”

Adults would raise their hands during the sermon and ask the Senior Pastor for permission to go to the bathroom.

Church boards could only say one phrase: “Go ahead, we don’t care how much it costs.”

The Senior Pastor would get permission from the Children’s Pastor before adding any new worship services or scheduling any special events.

Puppets would come up with their own skits.

The church tithes would go to the children’s department first. Any money left over would be dispensed in small increments to the general fund.

When people got saved in the adult service the Senior Pastor would fire off a confetti cannon.

The adult service would have to use the sound system with the high-pitched hum.

Children’s workers that didn’t show up would be fined. At the end of the year you could use the money to go to the Bahamas while they ran VBS for you. (sweeeet)

Happy and Sad

I almost forgot to share this. When we were in Sioux City a couple weeks ago, we got to see the baby squirrel my sister-in-law, Shelley, rescued. When she got him, he was so new he didn't have any fur just pink skin. Even in the pics I took, his eyes were still not open. She has to feed him with an eye dropper every couple of hours. She gives him puppy formula. He was sooo cute. I loved holding him. Not too many people can say they have held a baby squirrel.

Tomorrow will be a tough day for me. I found out yesterday that my sweet cat, Rhiannon has a tumor that is most likely cancer. We have decided for multiple reasons to put her down. It was a very tough decision and it just breaks my heart. I have cried a lot since yesterday but I just don't want her to suffer. I know it has been hard for Micaela, too. She loves Rhi and has a big heart for animals. It's crazy how attached you get to pets.

The Dude Can Preach!

I've been listening to some of the pod casts from my new pastor and he can flat out preach! I really enjoy his style, so passionate...not yelling but so excited. Like me, he did not grow up in the church and unlike most full time pastors, he was saved as a 30 year old law enforcement officer. So his coming to know Christ at a little bit older than most people, he has this intense desire to make up for lost time. When you meet him, it's hard to imagine him doing anything else but pastoring. Pastor Tommy has a huge heart for lost and hurting people and is very passionate about discipleship! People coming to know Jesus is most important, obviously, but he is as equally concerned about their growth in their relationship with the Lord. It's a fine line in churches to be successful at both leading people to Christ and then helping them grow. I'm feeling pretty excited and confident at the balance that Union City First Assembly seems to have going. Two weeks and two days......

What Will I Miss About Iowa?

I was thinking....dangerous, I know. What am I going to miss about Iowa and the Des Moines area? Obviously, family and friends but there are a few more things.....

Iowa sweet corn fresh from the field.

Panera on every corner. (I'll have to travel an hour for Panera when we get to UC)

Drooling at the Brighton store at Jordan Creek.

Snow and 50 degrees below zero. HaHaHa, don't believe that for a second!

Starbuck's and Target on every corner.

My boy. Sniff, sniff....

All the churches we've served at and been a part of.

Des Moines Christian School.

Parkview Middle School.

Watching "my kids" grow up first hand. You had better send me pictures!

Fareway.

Anderson Erickson products. You just can't get better chip dip than AE!! Come on!

I'm sure as soon as I post this, I'll think of something else but most of all I'll miss YOU!

The Party is ON!!

Hey y'all....I'm practicing. :) We have the party plans happening. One of my dearest friends, Jen Yates, is hosting a going away open house for us. It's an appetizer and dessert event at our apartment party room. So save Saturday, Sept. 20 to stop by between 2:00 PM and somewhere around 6:00 PM (we'll stay and talk all night if ya want to!) to give us a hug and pray with us. If you'd like to bring some munchies along, you're welcome but don't feel obligated. (Mandy C. makes crazy good desserts! And some Drew Stinson BBQ sauce wouldn't hurt my feelings! Is Amy's chicken and rice an appetizer? Hee Hee!)

Enter PointeWest Apartments through the door at 4601 Pleasant St. in West Des Moines. Buzz the party room to get in. Follow the hall past the office to your left and when you hit the pool, hang a left. The kids are welcome - you better not show up without "my kids"!!!

We'll be sending some invites, too but pass the word cuz we want to see everybody! God is doing some amazing things in our lives and we want to thank you all for your prayers and support. We are torn in some ways about the move. How do you leave soooo many wonderful friends and family members? How do we leave Keaton here in Iowa? How do I leave all "my kids"? We do it with confidence that we are obeying God's best plan for us and that He is meeting all the needs; physical, emotional, and spiritual. There may be tears but there will be rejoicing, too. Hope y'all can make it at least for a few minutes!

Feeling So Much Love!

I had the honor of preaching one last chapel time at my fav school, Des Moines Christian! Oh, how I love those folks...from the parents to the students and to the whole staff! The minute you walk into the building you can feel the love and presence of God. As always, Dr. Stouffer, the superintendent, was at the front door greeting all the parents and students. He said it was sad that today was my last chapel and I told him I guess we would have to set up a satellite link! Can you say Skype? Anywho...

Our sermon topic today was forgiveness with the focus on Romans 12:18. Our "Big Idea" for the day was...are you ready for this? "Don't Pick Your Scabs!" Kinda gross but hang with me. I talked about how we have physical injuries that form scabs; it's our body's way of healing itself. But sometimes they bug us so we pick at them and cause them to burn and bleed and take longer to heal. We wash our wounds with soap and water, put some ointment on it and cover it with a bandage. Of course, we pray for it and mommy kisses it, too. :) Mom always says, "Don't pick your scabs!"

Sometimes when we have a heart injury, forgiveness is hard to give and may take some time. We need to be mindful to not "pick the scab" as in reliving the hurt, complaining about it or someone, letting others dredge it back up or clinging to something that only reminds you of the pain.

We can wash our heart wounds with the soap and water of prayer. Prayer that our own hearts are free from sin and we are prepared to let God help us forgive. We can have the ointment, the soothing comfort of the Holy Spirit. And we can cover it, not with a bandage, but with the blood of Jesus that washes away all sin. "Don't pick the scab!"

Of course, that was the mini version but you get the idea. I think there were many challenged as I talked about my greatest lesson in forgiveness and the reality the kids face everyday to make a choice to not pick the scab of unforgiveness. God had laid on my heart that today's message was for two adults in particular. I didn't tell them that God had specifically told me two females but after service two ladies came to me and said the sermon was for them! I'm so thankful that God prompted me to give that specific challenge and bless their hearts for their honesty. God didn't want them to feel bad and beat themselves up, He just wanted to heal their hurts by giving it to Him.

The DMC kids gave me a great "Big Idea"...The principal, Mr. Lambert, had them squat down and on the cue of "Hey, What's the Bid Idea?" They all jumped up and said, "We love Pastor Lori!" Oh my, my eyes were a little damp! Sniff, sniff. Always make me feel like a rock star. :)

After chapel, my buddy Amy arranged for us to go to Jason's Deli for some breakfast. (Which by the way was yummo!) It was so great to have several of my girlfriends come along with their kids to hear about Tennessee. I have the BEST friends. They were all so excited for us and know God has an awesome plan unfolding. Thanks Amy, Lisi, Sandy, Morgan, Marci, Sophie, Lillie, Sam, Jenn, Cale, Kim, Mandy, Dakota, Gavin, Skylar, Naphtali, and Shari! You all made my day...I feel so loved and blessed.

And God Said...

I was in the bathroom doing my hair early this morning as we were taking off to go to Sioux City to see my family. As I was drying my hair and praying I had the thought, "You just need to set a date to move and not worry about Randy's job. Job or no job, set a date." I went out to Randy and told him I wasn't sure if it was a "God thought" or a "Lori thought" but this is what happened. He said, "Good, God told me that yesterday and I was just waiting for Him to tell you, too." So we got the calendar out and decided Sept. 24 would be our last day at our jobs, Sept. 25 we would load the truck and Friday, Sept. 26, we would get up EARLY and leave for Tennessee! We should get to Union City around 6 or 7 PM and have a crew unload the truck and spend Saturday setting up house and be in church on Sunday! So four weeks from now we are gone.

I called Pastor Tommy to tell him and I said that four weeks was gonna go so fast. He said fast for you not for us. Awww, made me feel good! Of course, there are many details to work out, but I'll not worry nor fret. God will order our steps and provide for our needs. After we set everything up I realized that meant one more pay check for Randy at the end of Sept. and that's it! Okay, Lord....we're trusting you!

We are hoping to have a get together...MAYBE Sept. 20. Hope to know this week for sure.

We had a wonderful time with my family, too. The twins are sooo tall and have started 4th grade. I sure wish I could spend more time with them. My family has been great about the move. I know it's really hard for my mom but she is being a real trooper and has said nothing but positive things and how she knows it's making me happy to follow God's desire. It means a lot to have my family's support in all this!

Thanks

The congrats have been rolling in! Thanks to all who have taken time to send an e-mail, leave a comment, or call to wish us well and give a shout out to the Lord! We sure appreciate how encouraging y'all have been. See....I'll fit in with the Tennessee crowd. :)

Still don't have a move date but we won't keep it a secret. God is so good. He is already adjusting my thinking from "How can we leave the kids and everyone else?" to "Boy, I sure hope we can get down to UC quickly...I've got some great ideas brewing!"

I've been working extra hours trying to get everything set for Pastor BBopp when I leave in case he doesn't have a replacement. I have all my paid positions for the school year hired and a jump on the October nursery schedule! I even got the Sam's Club run done to stock up on all that baby stuff and Gold Fish crackers! I don't know what I'd do without e-mail. Scary thought.

Pastor Tommy's wife Deana called today to say she was out apartment hunting for us! How sweet is that? I can tell you this...the rent in UC is WAAAAAY cheaper than WDM. Yippee.

More About Tennessee

the activities building that has tons of potential for outreach

the sanctuary end

The front of the church with the sactuary on the left and fellowship hall on right

the children's church stage area with storage behind

the huge fellowship hall and kitchen

the hall of classrooms and offices

a nursery room

a nursery room

a nursery room

the foyer

the church welcome desk

I promised some pictures and more info so here ya go. I can't believe I forgot to take a picture of Pastor Tommy and Deana but if you really want to see them, you can go to the church web site and there is a picture gallery.

We flew into Chicago from Kansas City and then into Nashville. Wow, that Chicago airport is nuts! I have always thought Iowa was super friendly but the minute you step foot in Tennessee you understand the phrase "Southern Hospitality!" NO ONE in the KC airport even smiled but the personnel at the Nashville airport were great. With my bionic knees I have to be "patted down" and the Nashville folks made it light hearted and were teasing me about it. Flying was a great experience.

Pastor Tommy and Deana picked us up and the three hour drive to Union City flew by with incredible conversations about the church, our families, the community, his vision, and all kinds of stuff. We have tons in common. We both have a son and a daughter, who are about the same ages and their son is also a pastor. Pastor Tommy and I both have a relational style of ministry. We both think outside the box and have big dreams. So many common threads plus purple is Deana's fav color. Come on...that's a smart woman. :) We had a great dinner together at the best Famous Dave's we had ever been to.

We stayed in a beautiful room and they got us a rental SUV so we could explore the town and have some time to ourselves. Saturday morning we stopped by the church for a mini tour and were greeted by a crowd who were there for a work day. They were painting the fellowship hall and bathrooms and one of the offices. They felt like family right away! Randy had his job interview at Jiffy Steamers and it went very well. It's a CFO position and the company is very successful internationally. It's a family owned business in like it's fourth generation. Everyone said the owner is the best guy to work for. We hope to hear something later this week about a second interview.

Saturday night, we had dinner at Pastor Tommy and Deana's with the board members and their wives. What an incredible group of spirit filled men who love their pastor and serve with huge hearts. We spent more than an hour answering their questions and getting to know what they were looking for in a children's pastor. They asked great questions of both of us and I think it went very well.

Sunday services were awesome. Pastor Tommy preached a message about "Going for the gold" and many people responded to his challenge. Their worship team was very talented but more importantly led us into the presence of God. Randy thought he had a prophetic message for the church but it turned out to be a personal message for Pastor Tommy that he shared at dinner Sunday night.

They had a pot luck dinner for us after service. You can only imagine the food...I bet we gained five pounds this past weekend! We got to meet all the kids and chat with people. Everyone is so thrilled to be taking the step of faith and hiring their first full time children's pastor. Precious families with a love for Union City and the lost. It was neat to watch Pastor Tommy and Deana with the congregation and see the obvious love and respect they all have for each other.

We met for dinner later on to talk business. Pastor had one final meeting with the board to make sure were all in agreement about us and decide an offer. We left the restaurant not feeling pressured at all to make a decision that minute and went back to our room to talk and pray. We both knew we were supposed to come to Union City almost from the second we shook hands with Pastor Tommy. We called the kids and they whole heartily gave their blessing and "go for it" encouragement.

When they picked us up Monday morning for the drive back to Nashville and we told them the good news! There were lots of whoops! Pastor Tommy said, "I knew the minute I opened your e-mail that you were the one and when I saw your picture I felt like I had known you forever." How cool is that?

We are praying Randy has a job in a miraculously quick fashion and we can hit the road within three or four weeks. We are hoping to have a going away get together so we can see everyone and book what weekend you are coming to Tennessee to visit! God is so good.

Announcing...

It seems a little inconsiderate to do this on my blog, but we have soooo many friends waiting to hear how our trip to Tennessee went that this is the quickest way I know to pass along this much info. Our trip was amazing from beginning to end!

The traveling was good. My first plane ride was not too scary, I actually enjoyed it. The landing still freaks me a little but I thought I did really well. We got home tonight about 10 PM so this will be short with pics and more details tomorrow.

I was offered the children's pastor position at First Assembly of God in Union City, Tennessee and have accepted! Every part of meeting Pastor Tommy and Deana Hall was incredible and with each passing moment of being with them and there in Tennessee, God was confirming to both of us that we were to go.

The church is made up of the friendliest people who told us over and over again how they had been praying for us and how excited they were to possibly have us be a part of the church. There are about 200 members and a wide variety of ages. We have a full time youth pastor, also. They have a beautiful church building that's eight years old sitting on 30 acres of land for plenty of room for expansion plus a huge activities building across the parking lot that will be an incredible tool to reach the community.

Randy had a job interview for what could be the best job he's ever had. He felt it went very good and is hoping to hear from the company at the end of the week. Please pray he finds a job quickly as that is the biggest factor in when we move. Pastor Tommy would like us there ASAP as to not lose too much school year momentum so we hope to be leaving Iowa within a few weeks.

Like I said...I'll write more tomorrow. Thanks to all who have been faithfully praying for us and we are sad about leaving so many wonderful friends but we must be obedient to what the Lord wants us to do. Tennessee is beautiful, ya'll come visit.

Tomorrow's the Day

It's 6:28 AM according to my computer. This time tomorrow we will be traveling to Kansas City to fly to Nashville. I am so excited to see what God has in store. Randy has a job interview lined up for Saturday morning with a company right in Union City! How amazing is that? My friend Angela asked me if I was nervous and I can say that I really am at peace...just trusting God to show us yes or no and trusting He will work out all the details. Of course, you want to make a good impression but I just need to be myself...flaws and all! :) Randy said something that has stuck with me all week. He said, "Wouldn't it be cool if we were the miracle answer to Pastor's prayer?" That's a cool thought!

Gotta Brag

I just gotta brag for a minute about my hunky husband! He just got his final grades and he has graduated Cum Laude! Way to go Big Randy....I'm soooo proud of him. He could have just did what he had to do to pass but as always he finished with excellence. I'm sure God will honor that as he may need to find a new job if we move away from Iowa.

God's Hand of Protection

I am praising God for His hand of protection. Randy had a car accident yesterday. Everyone is okay but it sure isn't a phone call you want to get! He was driving home from work on University Ave. and a very young driver pulled out in front of him and Randy just couldn't stop quick enough. He was able to drive his car but it's pretty banged up...may even be officially totalled. The young man's car had to be towed and he got a pretty hefty ticket. The police officer said it was very clear what had happened so it was never a question of who's fault it was plus there were witnesses. Guess that's one good thing about it happening on such a busy street at rush hour.

Randy has a sore shoulder from the seat belt but appears to be fine. Good thing he's a big sturdy guy! Thanks Lord for protecting my hunky husband. Micaela made it safely to Evangel so there's another praise! Miss her already. :( Who's gonna play Skipbo and Cribbage with me?

Sunday Night Church

Randy, Micaela, Keaton and I all went to church together for the first time in a long time! Micaela leaves for Evangel tomorrow so we decided to go to Berean Assembly where our good friend, Pastor Heath Adamson, was preaching tonight. We LOVE Pastor Heath....he had a huge impact on our kids when they were in his youth group at Berean. He is now a home missionary for Iowa and our Youth Alive ministry. Pastor Heath is a great preacher with a mighty anointing on his life.

Service was amazing! Several people received healing. A lady with a visual tumor was totally healed and another had a tumor reduce in size. There were four or five with severe back pain or problems that were healed. The presence of God was incredible. It's been way too long since I have got to attend a church service let alone one like that. It felt great to soak in from the Lord and be refreshed.

We were blessed to see soooooo many old friends. I must say visiting Berean is good for my self esteem! I always feel like a rock star when the kids see us arrive. We were about knocked down in the parking lot; we hadn't even made it to the door before I heard, "Pastor Lori!!" Of course, all "my kids" were gi-normous compared to the last time I saw them. I was so proud to see the worship team tonight was made up entirely of some of the kids that were in children's church when we left Berean 4 years ago. It's so rewarding to see them ministering and allowing God to use them in such a profound way. I also had those feel old moments when some of the kids announced they were starting their senior year in high school or when I saw some who were now getting married and starting families. It's all good!

Tonight, I also was challenged by God to be spending some extra time in prayer and study this week as we prepare to go to Tennessee. We want to hear God's voice very clear. We are just asking yes or no. Everything else will come together. You just can't beat a good ole Sunday night Pentecostal service!

Off to Tennessee

Next week, Randy and I will be traveling to Tennessee to meet with a pastor about a job! We are excited to see what God has in store. Pray that God will make it abundantly clear to both the pastor and Randy and me what the Lord wants. We are ready to serve but sure want to be in the right place and for a church to have the right children's pastor because their kids deserve God's best plan.

There is a lot that needs to come together such as a job for Randy and finances and such so it will be awesome to watch how and where God works it all out. Thanks for the prayers.

God is So Faithful

I left the office yesterday after two long meetings feeling overwhelmed at all I need to accomplish in the next couple of weeks and feeling a little discouraged at the lack of phone calls about a pastor position. I barely had pulled out of the parking lot and my phone rang. It was my friend, Lana, letting me know she had just gotten a reference call from a pastor looking at my resume. Good news. I hadn't been off the phone for more than one minute when my friend Angela called with the same news. Wow, looking good. As we were catching up on news about family, I got home to my house phone ringing. It was my friend Debbie saying that she had just gotten off the phone with the same pastor!

During these conversations, God blessed me abundantly. They shared some of the nice things they had said and encouraged me. They reminded me of ways God had used me in the past and things they remembered about sermons I preached. I just began to weep and thank God that they had called just when I needed it so much. I have the BEST friends! As Debbie and I were gabbing away, the pastor they had spoke to called me. We had a wonderful conversation and he seemed like great guy with a huge heart to win the lost. We talked for quite a while and prayed together. It was kinda cool because I had felt led to e-mail this pastor with some specific things about me and my style of ministry and Debbie and Angela had told him the same things almost word for word.

To top it all off, I got the sweetest card in the mail from another friend, Sandy, that was so thoughtful and uplifting. It even was a musical one that played the song, "How Great is Our God", which is one of my favs! God is so faithful. He knew I needed all that yesterday. Just when I feel like He has totally forgotten about me, He restores my soul and reminds me of His love again. I feel so blessed and thankful.

Iowa State Fair

Senator John McCain
The Butter Shawn Johnson

The famous Iowa Butter Cow

Besties!
Toot Toot!!

A four day old calf...so cute!
A couple of prizes!


And one of the most exciting State Fair attractions....The Sham-WOW! Totally bought one! Actually got two for the price of one! Lucky!

Micaela, Jerrilyn and I went to the Iowa State Fair for a few hours today. What a gorgeous day we had!! The Fair wasn't too busy when we arrived so we got around easily. We had to show off all the important ISF attractions to Jerrilyn since she has never been. It was fun, too, because we ran into lots of people we know. Some old church friends, one of my best teacher friends and some kids that used to be in my children's church years ago. Great to see familiar faces.

As we were in line to see the butter cow and the butter Shawn Johnson, there was suddenly several police officers and security people asking if we could hold back the line for a moment. I thought it was strange but before I realized it, the reason came walking two feet in front of me! It was John McCain! He was at the fair today and also had to see the butter cow! My picture is kinda blurry but was taken quickly before he got too far away. Kinda cool to be so close to our next president. I'm speaking in faith!

There were NO calories counted today! I had a corn dog AND some cheese curds and I don't want to hear about how bad they were for me. You can just eat a big bowl of shut the heck up. :) I enjoyed hangin' with the girls and visiting the fair on such a beautiful day. I hadn't been to the fair in a long time so it was a nice treat. Wish the boys could have joined us.

Count Down

Two more days of class and Randy is DONE!! He has been a real trooper all summer finishing up his stuff but I know he is totally over school! Someone asked him if he is going to continue on for his MBA and I think he had a hard time not laughing his head off or punching the guy in the throat! Just kidding. Way to go, my hunky man.

Micaela's Bestie

Micaela's best friend, Jerrilyn, is coming to spend a long weekend with us! She's a great gal that fits in so well with our crazy family. Micaela and Jerrilyn met at Evangel University 2 years ago and became besties right away. She's originally from Ohio, but upon graduating last spring with her BA in nursing, she now is living and working in Springfield. So guess where Micaela wants to find gainful employment next summer? :)

Jerrilyn chose a good weekend to come with the cooler weather and the Iowa State Fair. Too bad she wasn't here this morning at 5:30 for the free admittance and corn dogs! Love corn dogs but not at 5:30 AM! Anywho...it will be a blast to have our "adopted daughter" here for a few days.

No New News

I've had lots of questions about my job search and I don't really have any new news. I had a great conversation (phone interview) with a pastor in the St. Louis area last week but haven't heard back from him or from anyone else, YET. I keep reminding myself that God is never early or late...He's always on time. Also, I think there are probably a lot of pastors still finishing vacation time so it may take longer to hear from someone.

I really appreciate all who have been praying for us. I spoke with my friend Debbie who said they pray together as a family every night for Randy and me. They know how much I miss pastoring and have always been some of my greatest encouragers. I love you guys!!

I'm super excited to see what God has in store. We are ready to be obedient to whatever He asks.... if He wants us to stay in Iowa or move across the country, we just want to serve a church that believes in children's ministry. I'm excited to pour every bit of my heart into reaching a lost community of kids and to help empower their parents to be the spiritual leaders of their homes. I'm looking forward to doing "lunch with Pastor Lori" at some schools and hitting those fall sports games. I'm ready to check out some dance recitals, school programs and do some Christian school chapel services. And most of all, I'm chomping at the bit to be preaching most Sundays to a congregation of kids that want and need to grow in their relationships with Jesus.

I met with my Junior Bible Quiz successor for the Iowa Metro South JBQ group. I'm so thankful that LeAnne Krell is taking over my responsibilities as she will do an awesome job. I felt like I needed to go ahead and ask for a replacement in case God moves us away. I have loved being a part of JBQ for about 14 years and in leadership for the past six or seven years. It is a ministry that I believe in as I have witnessed how it changes a child's heart to be a lifelong learner of God's Word. I have seen JBQ bring families together to grow in their knowledge of the Bible and become study partners. I will miss quiz but maybe my new church will offer JBQ.

We will keep everyone posted and will prayerfully have some news soon!

How Do You Judge People?

Here is an article written by Pastor Dary Northup, senior pastor, from Timberline Church in Fort Collins, CO. He says it so well! I am so tired of people saying they want to win sinners to Jesus but are putting labels on people and judging what they should look like and how they should act before they even know Jesus. What is even more frustrating to me is when a wonderful Christ follower is criticized, shunned or thought less of by their so-called fellow believers because they don't fit the "Christian" mold that they think everyone should. We recently had an incident involving someone who will remain nameless (even if you think you know who this involved - shut up!) and my daughter Micaela. She has been ridiculed by people, who KNOW her heart and the fruit of her life, for having a pierced nose. Now I know it is not everyone's thing, but it's hard to believe she would have her Christianity questioned for a small hoop in her nose! Micaela is an adult and she is fully aware that not every culture is accepting of this fad but it doesn't affect her walk with Jesus. She respects situations when it should be taken out and understands that in a work environment, it may need to be removed. I could go on but Pastor Dary makes some better points than I could and has a broader view. Let's all remember the cheesy but true saying...."What would Jesus do?"

Pastor Dary says....
What does it mean to try to build a “Prodigal Friendly Church”? The familiar Luke 15 passage is a snapshot of a young man who ran away from his roots and experienced a wild self-centered world for a season. When he came home, his father welcomed him with opened arms and his elder brother would not even acknowledge him as a brother. When talking to his father, the elder brother refers to the prodigal as “this son of yours.”

Jesus is telling this story to the religious people of His day. They are a picture of the elder brother. The spirit of the elder brother is alive and well in the church today. If the prodigal had bumped into the elder brother before he met the father, I am quite certain the prodigal would have never made it inside the house that day.

As a pastor, I live with this tension of hoping that we as a church can embrace rather than reject those prodigals who walk the path toward home. Many prodigals still have the stench of the pigs on them. They are marked and scarred from sin. They may look and behave differently than the “church” crowd. Their piercings and tattoos are important to them. They may need to put out their cigarette right before walking into our building. If they meet the elder brother at the door, it will be unlikely that they will experience the warm reception of the father.
So, a few thoughts about equipping people to welcome the prodigal.

1.Teach believers to appreciate diversity...from clothing preferences to hairstyles. I am stunned at how many believers have a cookie-cutter mindset of what a Christian is to look like.

2.Teach believers to respect the spiritual journey of every person in the room. Remember, some plant, some water, some reap the harvest. Work diligently to create an environment where prodigals and the unchurched find it safe to ask questions...to disagree, to share their opinion, to express their thoughts. We are all at different places in our journey with God.

3.Trust the Holy Spirit to lead people into the lifestyle changes they need to make. We are not called to be the Holy Spirit in someone’s life. Let God renew and clean the heart, body, and spirit of a prodigal. When we try to clean people up it usually brings confusion. Rather, let’s walk with them as God cleans them up.

4.Train people to understand the difference between these three things...absolutes, cultural expectations, and preferences. As followers of Christ, we often try to make our preferences into biblical absolutes when they are not. It is like Paul’s challenge concerning eating meat offered to an idol. That was a cultural issue that was treated with respect, but it was not a biblical absolute. I fear many church leaders place a higher expectation on people based on their own preferences rather than biblical absolutes. When churches have cultural expectations that are not based on biblical absolutes, it places an undue burden on prodigals and the unchurched.

5.Pray to God that there will be an authentic move of God in people in every church service you have. There are no gimmicks from the world that can compete with God’s Spirit moving on the heart of a person. The world has some things that we don’t have, but we have something the world can never have, and that is the Spirit of God drawing people. God’s presence has no substitute. I try to pray and think about what those moments might look like in each service. Let God give you insight and wisdom to encourage people to have a moment when they wake up from the pigpen and run to Father God.

Finally, don’t be afraid to kill the fattened calf and have a party. Every church has a fattened calf; it simply varies from church to church as to what it is. Celebrating the return of the prodigal is something the elder brother could not do. Let’s not be like that. Celebrate those who once were lost, but now are found.
So...party on, church.

Creation Camp Day Two

Seahorse fossil
cleaning off a fossil

Taking notes at the Butterfly Garden

Sweet...we found tadpoles!

Saylorville Gorge

Pat Roy teaching about the Biblical floods and Iowa floods at the Gorge

Pastor BBopp and wife Kathy did an awesome job of planning our Creation Camp and day two was off the hook! We had our expert speaker, Pat Roy, again, we made fossils, went to the Saylorville gorge and Butterfly Garden, had a picnic lunch, listened to Jonathon Park Adventures and had a blast. I'm including a list of resources we used. If you are a home schooler, these would be invaluable things to have. If your kids go to public school, this will help you explain why the Theory of Evolution is WRONG and get the Biblical view of creation at the forefront of their thinking.

The gorge was so interesting since the recent flood destruction. Pat Roy is from San Diego and he said it was interesting that at the same time the wild fires were in their news every day, the San Diego news also featured the floods in Iowa. He loved Iowa....kept saying how beautiful it was, how clean everything is and how there was a good mix of culture and nature. I agreed and thought I needed to be more appreciative of where I live! I saw it with fresh eyes. I think there may be a sermon in there but I won't chase that bunny right now. :)

Pat Roy's main career is to write and produce a drama series called Jonathon Park. He also does some speaking with his ministry called Creation Works, teaching how science is in harmony with God's Word. Enjoy the pics and here are the references:

http://jonathanpark.com (all kinds of cool stuff including home school lessons, listen to the radio show, coloring pages, puzzles, etc.)

Books: Genisis for Kids, Tommy Nelson publisher, Doug Lambier and Robert Stevenson authors, Studies in Flood Geology by Woodmarappe

Videos: God's Rockin World by the Moody Institute of Science and Incredible Creatures that Defy Evolution with Jobe Martin by Real Productions (this one was incredible)