Cari Gaddie Resigns as Children’s Ministry Director…

If you missed yesterday’s announcement at our Sunday morning worship services, we have posted the video here. If you have any questions or comments regarding Cari’s resignation, please feel free to comment on this post, send us an email from our contact page, call, or stop by.

On not “being fed”…

I ran across this article in a book by Jon Acuff, “Stuff Christians Like.” Acuff is a Christian satirist that takes a humorous look at things through a Christian lens. The following is a quote:

“If you want to become a professional church grumbler, not just some amateur, occasionally throws rocks at the worship service, minister, or other attributes of the church, there’s one key phrase you need to know:

“I’m not being fed.”

This simple complaint - the teaching is lacking, the sermons are thin, the worship music is not uplifting enough, or a million other things that people find inadequate – is the official complaint of church grumblers the world over. If we could figure out a way to monetize it, we could permanently end world poverty. Forget cold fusion; if we could generate energy every time someone says this phrase, we’d be able to break our dependence on foreign oil in about four minutes.

It’s such a perfect thing to say because it deflects any attention away from me, while at the same time creating false humility and making me seem more spiritually mature and advanced. ‘It’s not you, it’s me I just want to learn. I’m admitting that I am incomplete. I’m hungry for deep, real spiritual teaching. I’m humbly confessing that I’m not getting enough out of church. Please help me get the rich faith-building experiences that I so desperately need.’

Just be careful who you say this to. Pastors are starting to get wily. When people tell my friend, ‘I’m not being fed.’ he replies, ‘I’m perfectly happy to spoon feed my one-year-old. But if I’m still spoon-feeding him when he’s five, we’ve got a problem. Here’s a fork. Feed yourself.’”

Just some food for thought.

Burning Questions…

 This Sunday night (Nov. 10th) at The Grounds, we are hosting a “question night” of sorts. You can ask Joe, Billy, or myself any question you would like. I can be personal, about ministry, the Bible, or whatever you would like to ask. You can either leave your question in the comments section, email them to us at: office@campbellsvillechristianchurch.com, or otherwise submit them no later than Thursday the 7th. (We would like some time to prepare.) So, go ahead…ask. If you’d like anonymity, you can always comment as anonymous. Then, join us Sunday night at 6:30 PM in The Grounds.

Lessons from Grayson

I know that Rodney promised not to make this blog a place to tell cute stories about his kids, but I never made that promise!  So today, I’m going to tell a cute story about one of Rodney’s children!  Yesterday during first service I had the opportunity to hang out in Little Lambs, that’s the 18 month – 3 year crowd.  I happened to be chewing some bubble gum and blowing bubbles.  This isn’t anything surprising, I chew gum all the time, but yesterday the kids thought it was the most fun thing they’d ever seen!  Grayson, in particular, couldn’t get enough!  He ran over to me and stood right in front of me, jumping up and down, he squealed, “Blow another bubble!  Blow another bubble!”  He did it so emphatically that I started to laugh hysterically!  Then he laughed at me laughing, and all the while continued to beg for another bubble.  This went on for about 15 minutes.  It was one of those great moments when you laugh so hard your stomach hurts, and you smile so much your cheeks hurt.  It was such a sweet moment with such a wonderful kiddo!

The point of this story wasn’t just to tell you how much fun I had with Grayson yesterday, although I did!  Throughout the day I couldn’t stop smiling about the experience. It was just so much fun and it was a tremendous blessing.  It created joy in my heart.  I was reminded of how when I was a child I marveled at the things my parents could do  that I was incapable of.  My mom could cook, my dad could drive a tractor, they could remember all the roads to get to all the places we needed to go, my older sister could color inside the lines, my grandad could fix farm equipment, my mammaw could make flowers grow!  Just like Grayson couldn’t believe that I could make bubbles come out of my mouth, I was always amazed at the adults in my life. 

Do we have moments like this with God?  Moments where we stand in front of him and jump up and down, just squealing, “Do it again!  Do it again!” Maybe it would sound like this…

 ”I can’t believe you created that tiny baby!” 

 ”I can’t believe you put that rainbow in the sky!” 

 ”I’m amazed at the way you got rid of that cancer!”

I hope that we all have moments like this with our Father.  Moments of true joy where we spend time just rejoicing in the tremendous things that He does that we can’t do!  I know that when I walked away from Grayson Sunday I felt blessed, I also know that if I spend time in front of God praising Him for His unbelievable ways, that I’ll feel blessed then too!  I pray today that you find a moment to jump up and down in front of your Father and squeal with delight!

Piece by Peace

The children at CCC never cease to amaze me.  Last night our lesson was on Peace (we’re working through the Fruits of the Spirit).  The conversation was incredible!  My kiddos’ definitions of peace:
-”Peace is what doesn’t go on in my house.”
-”Peace is when Mom and Dad yell at each other, but you know that it’s going to be ok and that God still loves you.”
-”Peace is that feeling like when you’re scared of a storm and you crawl up between  Mom and Dad in bed, and it’s still storming but you know they’re gonna protect you.”

-”Peace is when bad people aren’t allowed to do bad things.”
-”Peace is not war.”
-”Peace is when you stop fighting.  When soldiers don’t have to go to war.  When you don’t hurt each other.”
-”Peace is when your house is quiet and still and you are just hangin out with your family.”
- My DEFINITION:  Peace is knowing that your children are learning, growing, maturing, and have a deep understanding of God’s love.  Last night brought me great peace!

“I have told you these things so that in me you may have peace.  In this world you will have trouble.  But take heart!  I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Safe and Sound

Sometimes, there are those people who just manage to hit a nerve.  I am a huge Facebooker. I have been on Facebook for years, and will admit that at times, I don’t even know all of the people who I’m “friends” with.  I love to post updates and recently have been updating with a lot of quotes.   Quotes make you seem smarter than you really are and keep my Facebook from being all about me all the time.  I happened to be watching a Podcast from Mosaic and Erwin McManus was speaking on a chapter in Ecclesiastes.  At one point he said that sometimes we’re not confused because we’re far away from God, we’re confused because we are simply not God, He is, and we don’t understand all of His ways.  When I posted this on my Facebook I had a girl comment on my post immediately.  The interesting thing was, in three years of us being “friends”  not once has she posted on my wall, a photo, nothing.  But today, she wanted to pick a fight with me about my status.  Her response was defensive.  She immediately said that she disagreed with my statement and that Satan was the father of confusion, and God was never confusing.  I find this intriguing. 

 First of all, why would you choose to comment if you disagree?  Can’t you just keep scrolling down and pass it on up?  I refrain from commenting all the time when I see people post things about how much they love Lady Gaga, or how they can’t wait to go for a run.  I don’t agree.  I can’t stand Lady Gaga, and people who enjoy runs are beyond my understanding I don’t need to tell them that, I just keep on moving. 

Second, why so defensive?  Isn’t it interesting that she responded so quickly, literally about 25 seconds, that she couldn’t take the time to really process the quote, or to even see if there was something about it she did agree with.  Why are we so quick to disagree with something that challenges us or makes us uncomfortable? 

Third, God is confusing.  Have you ever read the Old Testament?  God did some really weird things that I don’t understand.  Turning a woman into a pillar of salt?  Having armies wipe out women and children?  Using a boy to defeat a giant?  Wiping out the whole earth with a flood but saving the animals in a big ole boat?  Giving 2nd, 3rd, and 150th chances to a people who kept turning from him?  Having a man swallowed by a giant fish?  I mean come on!  This is some very confusing stuff.  God continues to do things that I don’t understand.  I don’t understand why abusive women are allowed to have children while wonderful, Godly women can’t conceive.  I don’t understand childhood cancer.  I don’t understand grace.  I am ok with that.  I am ok with being confused because it means that God is in control, and that I’m small and my small mind is only able to understand small things.  It means that God is a big God with unbelievable ways. 

 When I was a child, my parents confused me, but I knew they loved me.  I know that God loves me.  I know that he cares for me and is working everything out for the good of those who love him.  That doesn’t mean that I have to understand each thing he does.  When I begin to think that I understand him, that’s when I’ll worry.  For now, I’ll be satisfied with being confused, because it means that he has me right where I need to be, in his competent, confusing hands. Safe and sound.

“As the Heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.” Isaiah 55:9

Approach with Confidence…

Let’s just go ahead and move past the face that I haven’t been on here since April or something. My bad. I’ll try to do better.

This past Sunday night I was in my office after The Grounds had been cleaned up and was talking with a church member about some random things…nothing terribly important. During our conversation I see Kari Jo and Grayson walking down the hall with Cari Gaddie. Grayson sees me and walks right into my office, past the church member I was speaking with and comes right over to me with no regard for anything or anyone. He came right into my office, confident that I wanted to see him as much as he wanted to see me.

As it turns out, he was right. I always want to see my son. Of course I would like, in time, to see him understand the importance of not interrupting a conversation, but what do you expect from an almost 3-year-old?

In those brief moments, Grayson reminded me of something. There are times when we don’t approach God or will sometimes avoid Him because we are unsure that He would want to see us (whether that is because we are ashamed of what we’ve done or because we think He has more important things to deal with). The writer of Hebrews, in chapter 4:16, reminds us that we can come to God anytime. “Let us then approach the throne of grace with confidence, so that we may receive mercy and find grace to help us in our time of need.” When I read this I picture bursting into the room with no regard for anything or anyone that might have God’s time tied up, confident that He wants to see us as much as we need to see Him.

Be God’s
Rodney

The Grounds…

I know…I’m doing it again. I’m using the Blog to promote church activities. I said that I wouldn’t do that too much and this is only my second time, so please allow me this. I am very excited about The Grounds. It all starts this Sunday night at 6:30 PM.

Joe said last Sunday morning that “It’s obvious many of you don’t like our Sunday night service.” The Grounds is far from our “usual” Sunday night service. We will be meeting in the Family Life Center for starters. It will be a relaxed evening…probably shouldn’t wear a suit…unless you want to, but I won’t be (big surprise right?). We will be offering a variety of coffees and teas for you to drink, but it’s not even about the coffee. The Grounds got its name because of coffee “grounds” but has evolved into something much more, something deeper…a reflection of who we were, who we are, and who we are to become in Christ. Here’s the thing. I would like to ask you to try something for Jesus, but if not for Him…for me. I’m asking you to give it three weeks. Come to The Grounds for three weeks…if you don’t like it, don’t come back. We (the church staff) believe that The Grounds will meet a need for building community in our congregation, offer an opportunity to worship with a little different style of music, and to share Christ and our lives together.

The Grounds is designed for all adults, and all the way down to middle school students. We will offer Children’s programming and nursery for your children. We hope to see you Sunday night. Have a blessed weekend.

Rock Out

It’s been awhile since I last blogged.  I have a feeling that most of that is because I have been so busy lately that I am missing the small lessons that God teaches.  But, recently I was a good student and learned a lot!  This week, I experienced one of those random hiccups in life, those things that happen so quickly and so out of the blue that you don’t really have time to process.  This past Wednesday I was able to go to Nashville and see my friend Shelley.  Most of you know about Shelley and Kaleb and their children.  Most of you have been praying for them and their son Christian for months now (thanks, and don’t stop).  Shelley and Kaleb were given free tickets to a Dahsboard Confessional/Bon Jovi concert in Nashville.  Originally I called to offer to stay with their children while they went.  I ended up actually getting to go to the concert with Shelley.  (Yes Rodney,  I “not so mindlessly consumed”) Shelley is my hero, one of the most amazing mother’s I’ve ever met, she happens to love Bon Jovi, and desperately needed a break from life. 

There are a lot of blessings and lessons learned from that evening, but there was one in particular that stuck out to me the most.  I’ve had the opportunity to go to MANY concerts in my short life.  I was raised on the sounds of the Eagles, Tom Petty, Creed, Rod Steward, Diamond Rio, Backstreet Boys, even the Phantom of the Opera soundtrack, and literally hundreds of others!  So it’s not surprising that over the course of 22 years I’ve been to dozens of concerts and seen tons of artists.  I love live music, Christian and otherwise, and relish the chance to enjoy singing loudly to the rafters of a packed arena with thousands of other fans!  But something struck me Wednesday night.

An uninvited lesson…

I’ve written on this blog mostly about lessons that I’ve learned from unexpected places; fortune cookies, painting the basement, my children, and even my dog. All of these things have reminded me something about God. I think that I have this unspoken commitment not to use this platform as an opportunity to ramble about my personal life without a purpose, but I fear I may violate that for this one day. I don’t know…I guess I’m still trying to figure the lesson out and maybe, just maybe, by the time I get through this I will understand more. 

I wrote a post a while back called “What’s That Smell” about our dog, Pebbles, and her desire to find the most disgusting things to roll around in. It would infuriate me to no end. It made me think about sin and how I do the same things in my relationship to God that Pebbles does to me. I would always clean her up and make her smell better, just as God washes me clean through the blood of Jesus. I even offered to give her away…with no takers. I wouldn’t have let you have her anyway. 

Today, I would like to have her back. This past Friday, she was running across the road to spend the night with her favorite person, Ms. Rita (our neighbor and so much more than a friend). She ran out in front of a car and was killed. Pebbles had a tendency to run around the neighbor hood without paying attention to traffic. I think that she had visions of immortality. 

  I have been so blessed to have not experienced a loss of a close family member in my life so, as silly as this sounds, this is my first encounter with death first-hand.

The last picture taken of Pebbles taken by Jenna Corbin at Small Groups on April 11th.

Kari Jo and I got Pebbles when she was just 6 weeks old. She was the daughter of Fred (so we named her Pebbles – think Flintstones). She was born around Memorial Day of 2002. Kari Jo and I hadn’t been married even a year. She’s been part of our lives for almost 8 years. 

Pebbles frustrated the snot out of us. She barked at the most inconvenient times. She always had to go out right as I sat down on the couch, she was easily excitable, but not easy to calm, she would get under your feet when you were fixing supper, periodically (it was our fault) she would pee on the rugs by the door, and of course the rolling around in stuff that I have already mentioned. I have thought many times at how much easier life would be if we didn’t have to deal with her. With having two children, we honestly didn’t pay much attention to her. I am sure she felt like the proverbial ugly stepchild. 

But it wasn’t until Friday that I realized how much a part of the family she really was. She loved us, even when we yelled at her. She always came back and climbed up in our laps. She was always happy to see us. She loved our children. From the time we brought Grayson home from the hospital she watched him and anyone who would come near him. She was very protective of our family (though she couldn’t have done much to protect us at a mere 10 lbs.). 

It wasn’t until she was gone I realized how much I loved that little dog. This weekend I was fixing dinner and dropped some food on the floor and looked down for her to come eat it up off the floor, but she never came. She never came to the back door and barked that terribly annoying way that she did to let us know that she wanted to come back in. We didn’t have to kick her off the bed so that we could pull the covers back. She didn’t clean up Grayson’s supper mess. She didn’t stretch out with me in the recliner.She didn’t crawl under the covers and lay between our feet all night long. 

This is not a lesson I wanted to learn…not like this, not now. This one was uninvited. This is one I wish I could unlearn, if even for a day; just to have a moment, as silly as I am sure it sounds, to say goodbye to Pebbles. 

Maybe I need to evaluate some relationships in my life and reconcile with someone before it’s too late. Maybe there are relationships that you need to reconcile. Maybe it’s something else. Maybe there are other lessons to be learned in this; but for now, it hurts. Pretty bad. 

I know she can’t hear me, but I feel like I just need to say it… 

You were a good girl Pebbles, you were a good girl. 

Thank you for allowing me to ramble this morning. It’s been a tough weekend. I prefer things to be light and humorous. And, I know you mean well, but no…we don’t want any more pets for a long time. Thank you. Have a blessed week.