Bad Ice Cream
As Executive Director of Firstfruits, I have had to wear many hats, some that don’t exactly fit really well. For the last five months, I have been wearing the expediter, general contractor, frequent Menards and Home Depot customer hat as we built the new Firstfruits space in Elm Grove. By the grace of God, the power of the Holy Spirit and the blood, sweat, and tears of Brian Studebaker, Mary Stachowiak and a crew of dedicated volunteer remodelers that space is a reality! (I hope you will come see it soon!) With great joy and anticipation of what God has planned for this new home, (in addition to great relief) I am hanging up that hat and focusing on what I feel most comfortable doing; sharing stories of our amazing God. One way I know God is “messing “ with me is when I become restless causing me to indulge in uncharacteristic behaviors like eating a lot of ice cream, flavors I don’t even like. Key Lime at Kopp’s last week. God speaks to us each individually. It’s important that we learn His unique language. I have come to know through prayer that when God is calling me to something, the first warning light is this restlessness. I used to be annoyed by it. I would try to ignore it or deaden it (thus the ice cream) or busy myself so as not to feel it. But I know now, I need to listen to it. The restlessness is a message. In this case, the message is start writing and talking again. Share the words, the wisdom and the love that I give you. So stay tuned….more to come. I can’t keep it inside anymore. It’s Jalapeño Butterscotch next week. Save me. Joan...
Going Where Your Feet Don’t Touch The Bottom
Snorkeling in Hawaii. Sounds wonderful doesn’t it? I was on the vacation of a lifetime. Everyone else was going snorkeling, so I said: “What the heck.” Without life jackets, the group headed into the water from the beach. I was ok until my flippers didn’t touch bottom. Then, I got a little shaky. Thoughts of self-preservation overtook any thoughts of a Kodak moment in the Pacific. So I stayed back and snorkeled in the shallow water. Come on, it was still beautiful. I saw lots of brown driftwood, and an occasional yellow fish. Alright, it didn’t quite compare with the stories I heard from the group - giant sea turtles, coral the color of the rainbow, fish too beautiful to describe in words. I guess I missed out on something amazing because out of fear, I wouldn’t go where my feet didn’t touch the bottom. Hmm...
Somewhere Over the Rainbow
Did you ever stop and think about the similarities between the Wizard of Oz story and Christian discipleship? Look, - an unfulfilled farm girl is looking for happiness in the glitz and glamour of the carnival. She’s on a path to disaster when her world is turned upside down (literally). She lands safely, but in a strange new world. In this new life she finds a community of people willing to help her on her walk. She finds the way is made perfectly clear to her. She finds an advocate in the good witch. Someone who helps her fight evil. Because evil does pursue her but can’t overpower her. Hmm...
Staying Too Close to Where You Got In
It was bedtime for little Danny. Danny’s mom hoisted him into bed, said a prayer, kissed him on his sweaty six-year-old forehead and tiptoed out of the room. Danny’s mom then hightailed it down the hallway into her own room and jumped in bed where a glass of red wine and the latest Jodi Picoult book lay waiting. (Moms, you know it doesn’t get any better than that!) Just as Danny’s mom started to relax, she heard a thud and then the sound that brings terror to the hearts of resting moms everywhere...