God showed up... a look at my year... 2010-11

i have more Christmas shopping to do. my creative juices aren't flowing yet. they will. oh yes they will. i have time, in between doggy walks and uconn games, to get er done.

as i begin to reflect on the season.. god's love for sinners through Jesus.. i have looked back a bit at the year. its been a year like no other... a ton of the highest highs and lowest lows.. miracles.. deep joy and hurt...new adventures.. a lot of steps of faith... sin.. repent...believe the gospel..step out in faith..

the waltz of the christian life eh? (thank you dancing with the stars for the visual)

yet the lord's faithfulness and care have blown me away yet again. so here we go looking back at the lord's handy work. god showed up kids..

Jan: Great time with the family and shiner in CT. Road trip baby- Memphis & Harrisonburg.. and a night on a highway in Lexington.. so much snow!! Uconn games, more snow, & family time!! a new hire at the church and great hope and excitement for the year!! Amelia off to Peru! road trip training begins!! bring on the verge! poor colt :(. hang outs! hang outs! hang outs!

Feb: verge.. Haiti.. holy spirit.. rocking my world... spark group encouragement & kerby lane... road trips full and gaining steam.. intern connection team fun.. hang outs ! hang outs! hang outs! loving me some renovate ut! trivia Tuesday nights at the saucer! Special Olympics volunteering too.

March: spring break road trips!! fort myers, memphis, omaha, sherman, gonzales, piedras, beruit, D.R. oh my!!! over 120 folks trained and sent! florida or bust! then to CT for family birthday fun! then i took the long way back to TX and stopped and saw the huskies in VA! followed by an amazing and refreshing time at uw head coaches training in colorado! a lot of traveling.. but the lord is speaking as I'm on the go!

April: final four in san antonio with the family!!! huskies huskies huskies!!!!! intern recruitment and road trip follow up. SENT training begins, acts reading with the staff, the lord moving and speaking.. hang outs! hang outs! ... and a then god says enough.. my time with hill country ut ends.

May: a blur of shock, confusion, hurt, and Jesus having the wheel the entire time- emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual exhaustion. Jesus speaking so clearly its incredible.. my condo sells in a day- I've never felt the lords love more then that day in he tooleys backyard... hotel tooley saves the day (and fill my stomach) . trips to vegas w' my sis and wisconsin to see melee kick ass... the packing begins. no idea what's next.. but feeling such amazing peace and freedom.. his voice was so clear... i feel so free...

June: uw training in oklahoma.. a soothing balm to a weary soul. then finishing packing & a few goodbyes as shiner & I leave austin for awhile for a road trip to the beach, and then to memphis and virginia to be with old friends who speak truth.

July: shiner and I make it to connecticut! rest, naps on the deck and family time help me recover my strength for 3 weeks of UW sports camp in VA, CT and MA . so great to be with a UW team partnering with churches to use sports to share the love of Christ. CA CAW! birthday questions at 5 guys too! then return to CT, and reach out to a few campus ministries and church plants about the fall.. but not feeling settled in that direction at all... read 'the shack' and 'a tale of three kings'..

Aug: mental battle still tough..a week in cape cod enjoying 'eat, pray, love'. head and heart decide to stay in CT for awhile.. not sure what to do now.. but feeling rested and excited.. make contact with the master's school.. and over drinks at chili's a new business venture is pondered.

Sept: jv volleyball and varsity basketball coaching jobs! lods of love ct pet services is launched! loving your pets well while you're away!!! young explorers class begins! trip to austin to say goodbyes, watch the yankees get spanked and grab a few boxes... god is moving and healing.. and we got season tickets to uconn basketball games! also saw jennifer knapp live and chatted with her.. kansas cd plays really loud with the top down! i am home.. after 14 years away, I've moved back home!!

Oct: settling in and finding a rhythm. my home church away from home becomes home :): valley community baptist church and its saturday night service. volleyball is much more then bump, set, spike. shiner loves my parents and their comfy couch. are time with griff, gianna and ellafanfreakingtastic! feeling blessed to serve so many clients and their pups!!! and it's not that cold :)

Nov: ellie, shiner and I have fun while family is in aruba.. uconn men and women begin their awesomeness.. a very thankful holiday with the family.. and a lot of pets to love on! and the Connecticut Whale are back!!! hometown paper interview too! busy busy busy but jesus has taken the wheel. so blessed! and it's not that cold (with a few layers)

Dec: wow it's december. where did the semester go? (yes i still see life in semesters) in awe at what the lord has done to bring me to this point. his voice was so clear in the spring and his love and leading has been incredible. family. the masters school. valley. lods of love ct. and 89-0. nicole and amelia are visiting! and keith tooley is a pastor once again.. all is right with the world. happy birthday jesus! (and supposedly its cold.. but a Christmas miracle has me adjusted fine to the elements!)

yes god showed up. he spoke. i listened, obeyed, stepped out in faith.. and my goodness, his love, care and provision have been truly amazing.. i am still a stumbling, bumbling, big fat sinning ragamuffin.. but a very loved one as well.

a thrill of hope! the weary world rejoices! for yonder brings.. a new and glorious morn!!

i can't thank sarah, the tooleys, trish, jimmy & christine( go road trip!!) lisa, susan at cfrc, md, todd, justin, sam and the uw staff, susan & britton, sharon & jane, jordan, bradford & aubry, nicole, the masters school, my family & the college students enough.. they prayed for, cared for, and loved me very, very, well. may you know the love of christ more this year..


i hang out with my family. i care for and love on cats and dogs. i coach high school sports. i pick up poop. i watch uconn sports. i do px90. i teach kindergartners about jesus.

and all is right with the world... God continues to show up!

88-0

yes my huskies are about to (god willing) make history. the uconn women's basketball team will play florida state tomorrow night, and if they win, will hold the record for most consecutive wins by a men's or women's collegiate basketball team..

giddee up. i will be there yelling my head off and hopefully drinking in celebration afterwards.

but it got me thinking.. what would it be like to be 88-0 . to find a way to win every night you faced an opponent. no matter the talent against you.. no matter the opposing coaches game plan.. no matter the injuries or illnesses.. no matter the team you have assembled.. or changes to that team.. no matter the leadership.. or changes in that leadership.. no matter the venue.. the time.. the crowd you play before...

you find a way to win.. over seasons.. over years...

to give your all every game.. in front of 1000's of witnesses.. and to not stop until victory is attained..

and this is about basketball... a game.. a hobby for some.. a job for some..

and these are women.. the weaker, sensitive ones..

not one coach.. not one team.. has solved the uconn women's basketball mystery...

well yes heather.. since leaving austin you've gone coocoo for uconn cocoa puffs..

nah.. I've always been this nutty. (see tattoo on right calf)

but as I've cheered on my huskies from my couch and in the stands, its begun to hit me what it must be like to be 88-0..

the pressure and expectations..

but also.. why don't we all give it our all each and every day.. when witnesses are watching.. or not..

do we have an inner drive and passion that makes us stop at nothing until the goal is accomplished..

i have felt that.. most of my time in austin was like that.. when I'm coaching now i feel glimpses of it.. but i look around and don't see many with that look.. that drive.. that passion..

to go 88-0.. or strive for anything close to it..

church.. what the hell are you doing most of the time?

right right.. its women's basketball heather.. well then, where the hell is Tennessee? Stanford? unc? duke? lsu? and all the other women's basketball powerhouses?? not every all american goes to uconn. what is it about this land of storrs that has produced this streak?


freakin tree..

88-0. in basketball.. in life..

giddee up huskies...

Titles of books I haven't written yet...

1- For the Love
2- The Art of Sarcasm
3- How to Be a Passionate Sports Fan
4- What Really Happened (and other conspiracy theories put to rest)
5- How to Survive in the South
6- How to Survive in New England
7- Sweet Nectar of the Gods- The History of Diet Coke
8- Singleness- It doesn't have to be Akward (or suck)
9- Holy Spirit on 3 (co-written by MD)
10-How Christians have screwed up Christianity
11- Why God should hit the re start button
12- Why People Hate Christians
13- Why Jesus Hates most Christians
14- Thank God my Father Raised me a NY Yankee Fan
15- Weddings- How the World has set the cost and stolen the image of the Gospel
16- Authentic Community: The story of a Longhorn band member, Ultimate Frisbee Player, Church Staffer, Nurse, 2 dogs, 2 cats & a llama

# 84

Top ten's lists are everywhere.. of course they are best on Sportscenter.. Letterman is just too weird for me.. but the city of austin seems to major in top ten lists. the city seems to be on every list!

• top 10 up and coming cities
• top ten place to live if your single
• top ten greenest city
• top ten film making city
• top ten place to live in ten years
• top ten place to meet your mate (ok might have made that up)..

but everyone seems to know how cool austin is.. and over the past 5 years when i told people i lived they, their response was always, "what a cool city" or 'i've heard great things" or "that's right by san antonio and the riverwalk right?" :) . yes my coolness factor increased while living there.

But i've decided to leave austin, the #1 live music city capitol of the world.. and move home.. to the #84 best places to live :).

ok bristol.. or connecticut, actually, doesn't have any cool slogans... or the ones we do.. need a little work:

• bristol- home of the oldest wooden roller coaster
• connecticut- the nutmeg state!
• hartford- we're in the middle (of boston and new york!)
• hartford- the insurance capitol of the world
• bristol- home of espn!! (ok that does make us really cool.. and i have seen sportscenter live!)
• hartford- we used to have the hartford whalers
• connecticut- home of the University of Connecticut Huskies!!!
• hartford- part time home of some UCONN games :)

so yeah.. its no austin.. and i think you can fit like 10 Connecticut's or more into the state of texas.. but i've decided to come back anyway..

why? well leaving my job at hill country ut didn't mean i was leaving austin... and in the months following my resignation I did a lot of resting and traveling, but it was always in the back on my mind to return to austin eventually, jump in with another church and continue to hit the ground running in my burnt orange tee yelling hook em (as i secretly checked the UCONN , NY football Giants and Yankee's score :).

but then, after a month of sports camps in new england, much prayer, godly counsel, reading a small book that was recommended to me (ask me and i'll tell you), and family time ... i've decided to leave the city of austin... and move home..

god gave me 3 reasons.. although there are a few more... but the big 3 are:

1- to preserve unity

2- to spend more time with my family

3- to bring the gospel to new england and the ridiculous amount of college students and other folks up this way who think people that are way into jesus are nut jobs.. along with other things i'll tell you later..

do i love the college students at the University of Texas and do i miss them? YES! I also miss dear friends that knew my heart well.. I miss mama fu's and trivia nights.. I miss renevate ut meetings and partnering with other ministries to get all of our students on mission. i miss the village and walking shiner in hyde park...

but #84 was calling. God has been calling me 'home' for a long time. so here am! not sure for how long.. awhile i think.. will i return to austin ? yes! my stuff is still there ! but also dear people i love.. so keep your ears open for a 'heyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy' really soon..

will i return for good some day? you never know.. jesus is silly that way.. but for now i have a uconn football game and ny yankee game to watch...

:)

What I'm jamming to..

JOHN'S FIELD
Melissa Ferrick
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=J1aOSqA479g

Time seems slow when I'm sittin' around at home,
Waitin' for this winter to lift,
So I feel my way around my half-lit house
At dawn, 'cause I haven't gone to bed yet,
And then, oh, no! Here comes a song again,
And what's this? I think I might be cryin'.

And I know this is not about fear or fault;
It's just my need to be clear.
So would you make way, everybody?
It finally looks like I'm movin' out of here.
In my dreams, I'm flyin' over still-life scenes.
I've been eatin' strawberries in John's field,
And I wake up wearin' brand-new shoes,
And then, oh, no! Here it comes, the song again,
And what's this? I think I might be cryin'.
I might be cryin'.

If life is just a series of fallin' down and gettin' back up,
Don't forget, everybody, to wear your seat belts,
'Cause I've been speedin' around this unknown known
And sometimes I forget, too:
Life is just a metronome.
With or without me, it would all go on.
With or without you, this would all go on,
And without you, I'm gonna go on.
I'm gonna go on.
And then, oh, yes! here it comes: a song again.
And what's this? I think I'm finally, finally cryin'.
Thank all the gods for cryin'.

Mr.Gray
Jennifer Knapp

It’s as bad as it has been
For over 20 years but then
I haven’t been here all my life
And all the wells are going dry
All the bankers saying “bye-bye, Mr. Gray,
We’re glad we met
But no money yet.”

If I show my hands
Would you watch them bleed?
Long enough to prove they are indeed in need of mercy
In need of mercy

Dawn always breaks the noonday high
Shade rarely offers alibi
Or decent rest for such a man. If I think, I can
Try harder some might say that I’m smarter
But only God knows
Only God knows who I am

Chorus

I try to laugh about it
I try not to cry about it
Mamma always hates it when I cry
What will it take to convince
This is just the road to excellence
Faith before the skeptic’s eye

I need your mercy me I need your mercy, mercy me.

Both are touring in New England too.. Lucky me!

What I've been doing...

• Visiting dear friends in Virginia
• Trip to Yankee Stadium
  
• Family picnics/ birthdays
  
• Enjoying 85 degree weather
  
• Walks against fatness with Shiner
  
• Grilling out
• Drinking a lot of Diet Coke
  
• Enjoying 5 Guys Burgers & Fries
• Watching The NY Yankees with my Dad
• UW Sports Camps in New England & Virginia
  
• Chatting with Church Planters braving it in New England
• Researching health insurance & new cell phone services
  
• Thinking of starting my own business
• Drinking McDonald's Diet Coke
• Driving with Griffin in the jeep with the top down singing and doing the hand motions while the "Go The Distance" CD is blasting..
  
• Reading "The Tale of 3 Kings" and "A Million Miles in a Thousand Years"
• Talking to Jesus
  

I'm heading to Cape Cod tomorrow.. Then hopefully Virginia again, then to Mohegan Sun and Yankee Stadium... :), while reading "Eat, Pray, Love", "The Prodigal God", and "People Can Change".

There is no where else I could imagine being, then here. Then is nothing else I could imagine myself doing, then this.

Jesus has taken the wheel. He is good. I feel/ am so free.

:)

I'm home...

I am home. My family is here, my dog is here, and my team of interns are here. Sports camp at my church in Avon, CT begins tomorrow and I am excited. I hope my nephew has a blast and I hope my little cousins come and watch. Were expecting over 100 kids at camp!!

Please be praying for energy, a strong loud voice, for people to feel loved, and for God to move. We will also be doing a camp for inner city kids in Hartford every afternoon!! Giddee up!

Also pray on Weds. at 1:30pm!! That's when my closing is!! Come on Jesus!!

One week in Conn. Then off to Massachusetts. Please be praying!

I also finished the book, A tale of 3 kings. It was really, really good. Thank you John Herrington, for the recommendation.

I feel good. Satan is still trying to mess with my head. Please pray that I can fight him with the truth of scripture, and stay in the now, focusing on what god is now calling me to do each and every day..

Birthday week baby!! Jesus take the wheel!

I am home.

... if we ever leave a legacy, let it be that we loved each other well... I.G.

...some say that I am much to demanding to want a better place than here... J.K.