News

I know my quick blog caused some curiosity. Here's the scoop. I mentioned before that I have started sending resumes nationwide. It's one of those things that I did not really think there would be a lot of interest but am getting some good responses. One in particular is very exciting and scary at the same time. I had a phone interview with a church in Port Charlotte, FL before I went on vacation that went pretty well. He said the associate pastor would call back in a few days. True to his word, they both called for a second interview while we were in Michigan. It was interesting to interview for a children's pastor job as I was driving the back roads of western Michigan sight seeing and talking on the phone! Several phone calls later and after they contacted my references, they have invited us to come and meet the staff and try out. Eeeek! We are flying down on August 8 (after all the staff is back from vacations) and will return to Des Moines late Monday night the 11th. They are planning a staff picnic and some meetings, tours, and I'll preach on Sunday. I flux between excited and nearly throwing up! The timing is good since it will be after camps and Randy will have just finished his classes! The tickets are bought and the itinerary set!

I don't really want to leave Iowa but I do want to be wherever God can use me best. My family is being so incredibly supportive and happy for me. My husband is willing to go and I can't begin to relay how much that means to me. Please pray for us. It is a HUGE decision and has so many layers of change. This may not be the one but so far, it's feeling pretty good.

A Quick Hello

Just a quick post to say we're back and had a wonderful time even though several of my team members forgot I was supposed to be on vacation and kept calling me with work questions!! I have lots of pics and details to share and some pretty big news, too. More tomorrow as I am dead tired!

Blog Break

T minus about 15 hours until VACATION!! I'll be taking a blog break and I'm sure I'll have tons of pics when I get back. I'm looking forward to reconnecting with my siblings, especially my brother Matt who isn't as close to the Lord as he used to be. I really want to minister to him and just catch up on life. We are expecting a pretty important call next week so pray I have some cell phone reception out in the woods of Michigan. If not, oh well, it'll happen. Now...back to peanut butter and chocolate chip cookies, apple, pumpkin and pecan pies and Scotch-a-roos. No, I'm not eating them, just baking them!

Not to Be Outdone By Her Brother

Here she is...my beautiful, slightly crazy daughter! She makes me laugh and keeps life interesting. Micaela always has a slant on life that makes you think, laugh or enter into a great debate. She is passionate about Jesus, missions, music, family, travel, art, comedic movies, and her friends. She loves dark chocolate, green tea frappachinos from Starbucks and could eat out every day of her life. Nobbies, it so happens, is a family addiction! :) I'm soooooo glad to have her home for the summer. Sorry about the sleeping conditions, Mic!

The Ways of the Lord

The ways of the Lord never stop amazing me. Yesterday, I was driving to drop off the van for an oil change and God spoke to me about an old friend who I had heard was recently very sick. I thought, boy, I better obey the Lord right now and call and see if she's okay. I caught her at home feeling much better after a bought of food poisoning. I thought that the Lord prompted me to call her so I could minister to her, but I was wrong.

Our conversation came around to the possible life changes Randy and I are facing and it was she who ministered to me. She reminded me of some scripture verses that I needed to hear and some Godly principles that applied to the way I have been feeling. She spoke in such an encouraging and loving way that really lifted my soul. She had experienced some of the same types of challenges I have and her wisdom blessed me to keep focused on what God is doing...not what man is or is not doing. She also reminded me that if people are motivated by anything other than God's will, that it will be revealed in due time.

Yesterday was also a day of confirmation that change was coming for sure, not just maybe. But I will not fear, nor worry. I will not dwell on woulda, coulda, shoulda. I will look forward to what God has in store, knowing He is in control, not surprised by situations, and has a way better plan than me! I'm so thankful listened to God yesterday even though I thought it was for another reason.

Happy Anniversary

It's a few days early but I wanted to post an anniversary message to my incredible husband, Randy. Our 28th wedding anniversary is this Saturday, June 21....the day we are leaving for vacation. I remember our "wedding" like it was yesterday. I'll spare you the whole story but we eloped one Saturday morning in the tiny little town of Elk Point, SD where there is no waiting period after you purchase a license. Randy's sister and husband went with us as witnesses. We got married about 9:30 AM, drove the 45 minutes back to Sioux City, went to my baby brother's baseball game, visited Randy's mom at work, had dinner with Randy's brother and wife and then went to the tiny mobile home we had rented for our "honeymoon." Some of you may be thinking, "How lame?" but I wouldn't change that day for anything.

Randy is a rare man. He is the most supportive and encouraging husband EVER. We have been through so many trials together and had some rough spots in our relationship but I can always trust that Randy will hang tough and be the man of God he is meant to be. I learned a long time ago that I can trust him.

Happy Anniversary my hunky man! You have endured a lot these past three years with all the changes in my jobs, knee surgeries, finishing college, selling our house and moving...you deserve some sort of large obnoxious trophy or at least a wad of cash! Here's to 28 more wonderful years! I love you.

Grrrrrrr!!

I saw a bumper sticker today that REALLY ticked me off! It read, "I'm a Christian and Pro-Choice." Are you kiddin' me?

Seven Days 'Til Michigan!

I can't wait...seven days until we are on our first vacation in almost six years! It's gonna cost a boat load in gas money but oh well, at this point I don't care. I just want to get away and see my family. I'll get to see my siblings who I haven't seen since the last time we were there. I'm super excited to see my three nieces and two nephews, too. We'll be camping, jeeping on the dunes and hanging out at the campfire with my dad's best friends for the last 35 years. We'll play a lot of washers, Uno, and Skipbo and of course EAT! Doesn't that sound like a wonderful vacation? It's camping my style...in a motor home. HeeHee!

We'll take a side trip to see my buddies Pastor Bud and Laura in their new church that is only about 45 minutes from where we will be camping! Maybe we'll do Sunday morning service there. We usually have church together at the campground, which can be very cool with the other campers watching. Either way, we won't miss worship while we are gone.

My husband loves Michigan so much, I wouldn't be surprised if he job hunts while we are there! If I said "let's move to Michigan" my usually calm, steady husband would pack at the speed of sound!

Pray our van runs well...she's gettin' a lot of miles on her. :)

Back From Family Camp

Family Camp was fun! It was good to see some old friends and make some new ones, too. The attendance was down a little due to all the weather and flooding in some areas. The campground was pretty sloppy but that's part of the whole experience of being "back in the sticks."

I had about 25 kids at each of the five services and Sunday School and they were a wonderful group of very sweet kids. Some were kids I knew from JBQ and a couple from other camps. We have a new camp manager who had three of his four children attend my services. They are back in the Midwest after living in Kentucky for several years. Great family!!

I'm a little tired today as I'm out of practice. I have not done multiple speaking services for awhile and I sure could tell in my voice. It felt great to be "Pastor Lori" this weekend and I think the messages were well received and the kids did great remembering all five of the Big Ideas. We had some awesome prayer time....nothing like praying at an altar with kids. They are so honest and are open to the things of God in ways that most adults hold back from.

Last night, I preached on Hebrews 12:1 and finishing the race. I showed a video clip about a young man named Ben Comen. He is an extraordinary high school kid who is the living definition of perseverance! Ben ran cross country even though he has severe Cerebral Palsy and has the stiff and painful joints that come with the disease. In our spiritual race, we may meet with obstacles but we press on and remember our Big Idea ~ I will finish the race!

Searching for Direction

It seems as though God may be making some changes in our lives once again. Have you ever had one of those seasons in your life where EVERYTHING seems to involve drama, decisions, tough choices and stirrings of your heart? Randy and I have come to the conclusion that we cannot limit God to using us just in Iowa. For the first time in my life, I am okay with the possibility of God moving us to some new place. I have always said I would be obedient to whatever God had for my life but I always had this little "but" that was said under my breath....but keep us in Iowa. I'm not packing a U-Haul just yet, maybe He wants us here...I'm just sayin'!

The things I DO know for sure are that I miss pastoring with all my being. Yes, I know God can and is using me as a nursery coordinator but it is not my passion. I DO know that God has a wonderful plan for me and Randy as it says in Jer. 29:11. I DO know that God will provide any and all resources that are needed. I DO know my kids are cool with whatever God has for us because they understand obedience and passion. I DO know I have the best husband in the world who says he'll go wherever God wants me to pastor! Thanks babe! I DO know that IF God chooses to move us, I am going to have get used to flying so I can visit all the wonderful friends we have living in Iowa and all across the US. I DO know that right now, I have perfect peace and I haven't felt that for awhile.

Our Beautiful Jordan

Saturday afternoon, Randy and I went to see our very special friend, Jordan, in her first dance recital. She was AMAZING!! We were so proud of her. Not only did she remember all her steps, she remembered to look out into the audience and smile, too. Sometimes I almost forget she has Down Syndrome because to us she is a typical seven year old little girl but she has to work harder than most and always excels! Not only was it her first recital, she had the added distraction of knowing her newest baby brother was going to be born any minute! My friend Angela gets the "Mother of the Year" award as she was determined not to miss Jordan's debut even though she had been in labor with number four all day long and was having contractions every four or five minutes!! She sat close to the exit and as soon as Jordan's group finished, they headed back home for the birth of Jace Eric Sustala! What a day for them! Jordan was the star of the show, by far the cutest ballerina and a new big sister. Wish I had a closer picture of her but take my word for it...she was adorable.

It's weekends like this one that keep me focused on why I am a children's pastor. I could easily get distracted with all the hard things that come with ministry but getting to be a part of the lives of the families you touch is priceless.

Party, Game and Dedication

We had a great weekend starting Friday night with one of "my kids" graduation party. I love to see all that the kids I have had the opportunity to minister accomplish through high school. We went to Monica's open house and got to catch up on all her news. She is going into nursing, which doesn't surprise me as she is a very compassionate person. She was awesome in Junior Bible Quiz...one of those kids that could memorize scripture as easily as some of us walk.

After the open house, we headed to an I-Cubs game courtesy of the Simpson College alum. It was a beautiful night for baseball. With our tickets, we each got $5 to spend at the concession stand! Nothing like a dog from the ball park! Good thing we had $10 towards our purchase...$16.50 for two brats and two diet cokes!! They also had fireworks that night.

Saturday at noon, we headed to Big Creek State Park. We had some more beautiful weather for a very important event. I had the honor of doing a baby dedication for one of my close friends, Jenn. We worked at the school together. She had her second son, Garrett, one year ago. It was great to see all her family again and get to be a part of such a personal celebration. I love to do baby dedications and it's even better when you are close to the family.

Family Ministry

I have had some great conversations with some folks lately about family ministry and family type services. I have always felt like if I am to be an effective children's pastor, I need to minister to the whole family and empower parents to be the spiritual leaders of their homes. I found a new children's ministry blog that had the best quote! Family events are awesome and can be done in a way to truly make a difference in living out their faith but events for just the sake of having them gets old fast.

Henry Zonio said this about family ministry, “We need to help families to allow God to change the entire story of their family rather than just giving them events or block quotes that they insert into their current story.”

That is a powerful statement. I want to minister in a way that helps people to live out their faith every day in practical, intentional, and evangelistic ways. I want to help them change their story!

Gotta Rant

I haven't had a good rant for awhile so here ya go. We just landed on Mars. Every time I hear about this kinda stuff, I get HOT. We spend millions and millions of dollars to travel in space and I personally think it's a huge waist! Oh, I know it's cool that we have the capability to do those things and that people are so incredibly smart to figure it all out but come on! There are tons of starving people, homeless children, people without health care and disasters all around us and we are spending money to scoop up some sand on Mars to see if humans have ever been there. I don't care! I know the Word says we will always have the poor but it just seems inhuman to spend all this money on space travel when we have kids in our city who will go to bed hungry tonight. I'm just sayin'.....

Family Mission Statement

I thought this was a great idea. I saw an article in Sunday's Des Moines Register that caught my eye. It talked about how more families are writing mission statements for their families including goals and areas they want to grow in and have accountability such as physical, mental, spiritual and emotional growth. I thought it was very cool, especially as your kids get to that pre-teen stage of life. If families talk about expectations, goals and their values, I think it is more likely to be a reality. A written mission statement can be displayed in a prominent place where you can have a daily reminder of where you are all heading in life. Kinda goes back to that empowering mantra that we talked about in parenting class..."In our family we......"

Graduation

Ta-Da...The Graduate!
Randy, Micaela, our niece Amanda

My dad graduated!!

Oh my, it's so exciting!

I did what?! Finally finished?!

Our good friends the Lively family minus one.

Pastor BBopp, Kathy and kids

The May family...look at my sweet Adele!

Shera and Olivia LOVE Mister Randy!Our good buddies...The Kimmer Clan

Me and Becky...we're so cute :)

Michelle, Keaton and MicaelaOur pastor, Dave and Elli Beroth and friends Dan and Jeanne Moeckl

Nate, Shanna, me and mini Nate, Aidan

I am so proud of my hunky husband! We attended his commencement service at Simpson College on Saturday morning. He received his BA in accounting after many years of taking classes here and there. Not only did he finish, he did so with incredible grades. Our niece, Amanda, was able to go Indianola with us and cheer Randy on. The speaker was kinda boring and focused on "saving the planet", which is all good, but not what I think of as a graduation speech. It was a beautiful day!

We had an open house for Randy Saturday night and it was great to see so many of our friends come out and honor him. We had about 50 people, tons of food, and lots of memories shared. I tried to get pictures of everyone who came. This is just a few!

Happy Birthday Jenn

Today is my buddy Jenn Adair's birthday. Jenn and I met at church and hit it off right away. She is an amazing woman of God who is growing in her relationship with Jesus in giant steps. She is one of those people who commits with her whole heart and soul and always does her best. She is a great wife to her husband, Shawn and a terrific mommy to Colby and Cale. She LOVES her pooch, Maggie, a long haired Dachshund. The whole fam is huge Cubs fans, which in my book rocks! Jenn has a super fun spirit and everyone instantly loves her. She has been a huge blessing to her niece, Ashlin, and loves her as her own. She was one of my drivers during my surgery recovery and even helped clean my house! That's a good friend! Have a wonderful birthday, Jenn! I love ya bunches!

Amazing Technology for the Kingdom of Christ

I am LOVING Facebook. I'm having so much fun networking with other pastors from all over the world. I just had a live chat with a health care pastor from south India! How cool is that? I have pastor "friends" from Pakistan, England, Australia, several places in Africa and all over the US. I try not to spend too much time fiddling around with it and I get a little annoyed with all the application things but to connect with other believers from so many different places is like traveling to somewhere you may never be and feeling that the family of God is massive and spreading. It's good to realize there are so many different types of ministries in places that are incredibly "dark" and not be so focused on my small contribution in the Kingdom. The common thread of Christ weaves us together in a way that erases boundary lines and cultural differences and knits us together in this tapestry for the salvation of the world. Very cool.

T.A.L.K. Networking Group

I'm not sure if I have ever blogged about the children's pastor networking group I belong to but I should be! It is a great group of Central Iowa people from all different denominations that have one common thread; we all love and minister to kids. T.A.L.K. stands for teaching and loving kids. Pastor Brian Bopp (BBopp) is the founding inspiration and he asked Sherri Stufflebeem, cp at First Federated, and me to be co-leaders for the group. We meet the third Thursday of every month September through May. BBopp was a part of a group in Lexington, Kentucky where he pastored before coming to Iowa two years ago.

Each month, we discuss a different topic such as technology, holiday services and programs, VBS and summer activities, object lessons and games....you get the idea. The churches involved take turns hosting and then giving a tour of their children's facility. Of course, we include praise reports and prayer needs and find ways to encourage each other in what we do. Children's pastors are a part of a relatively small tribe so we stick together, share resources and sometimes equipment and borrow each other's ideas.

Last Thursday we met at First Federated and shared ideas for games and object lessons. We always bring our lunch and fellowship first and then have our meeting. It was such a fun time laughing about some of the crazy, messy games we have gotten ourselves into over the years. I always leave refreshed, encouraged and inspired with new ideas. We have about 60 people on our e-mail list and average about 10-12 at the meetings, depending on who can break away that day. We invite anyone who works with kids to join us!! You do not need to be a full time pastor to come to T.A.L.K.!

I love how we care for each other and no one sees denominations or doctrine. It's a bummer to take summers off but who has time for extra meetings during all the summer activities? Keep us in mind next September when we restart and join in the fun! If you want to receive e-mail minutes from the meetings and reminders of our meeting times and dates, just leave a request in the a comment and we'll get you on the list! Enjoy the pics of our game ideas!

I'm Gonna Spread the Joy...Not the Jam

That was our Big Idea today in chapel at Des Moines Christian School. I've said it before...I LOVE doing chapel at DMC! It was sad to think that it was the last time for this school year but Mr. Lambert said I could come back next year!

This year, DMC has focused all their chapel time on building healthy relationships and "Joyfulness" is the topic for May with the scripture verse being from Romans 15:13; "May the Lord of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in Him, so you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit." The Big Idea comes in as there are a lot of things that can jam up a relationship; jealousy, anger, selfishness, misunderstanding, etc. So we want to spread the joy, not the jam!

I spoke of the joy we can have in truly knowing our family and friends so in our relationships we can use that knowledge to bless and help them. I used the example of how I know more about my friend Amy than just her height, address and what color her eyes are. I love her more than that! In knowing her well, it brings me joy to minister to her needs. I said if I knew she was stressed out and having a bad day, a call to take the girls for awhile, plus a nice Starbucks beverage and some new fancy paper for the craft room would be just what the doctor ordered. I should have added a little Barry Manilow playing in the background!

Jesus was more than our Savior...He was a real friend to those around him. He knew Peter so well that when Peter acted before thinking, Jesus knew just what to say to him to make him listen. Jesus knew Thomas was a guy who didn't believe just everything, he needed proof. So when Jesus rose from the dead, He had to show Thomas the scars on His hands to get Thomas to believe. And John...this one speaks volumes. Jesus knew John so well that He totally trusted John to take care of His mom after He died. He told John, "Behold, your mother." You just don't trust a casual friend to take care of your mom!

We can be friends and friendly but how much easier would it be when ministering to the lost if we took time to learn something more about someone than just their name and where they live? There is true, boundless joy in having relationships that run deep with caring and trust. HEY ~ What's the Big Idea? I'm gonna spread the joy, not the jam!