Category Archives: Cross Point

choosing hurt over healing

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Here are my thoughts. Take it or leave it. Love it or hate it.

Unedited…

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Hurt…in one word…hurts.

We all experience hurt. It is unescapable. It is a part of life. It comes in multiple levels.

One seems easier. Stay where you are. It’s all you know. It’s your normal.

One requires no work. It takes work to heal. To move on. To forgive. To focus on the future and not the past. To choose to trust again.

Outsiders often encourage the hurt by justifying. Babying. “It’s ok. You’re the victim here.” They’re enablers. And, often times, they have no idea that they are enabling. It is no fault of theirs.

We get comfortable with attention, regardless if it’s negative or positive. Attention is attention. It intrigues people.

Others reach out to the hurt because they know it’s right. The good in them compels them to want to help.

The victim receives that extension, and it is beneficial for a season. Often times, that season extends beyond its practical length. And, in turn, becomes a crutch and a comfort.

In all reality, you can become addicted to hurt. Some may feel that the only way they can get attention is by ”playing the victim”.

It’s not healthy. It’s manipulative. It can stunt emotional and spiritual growth. Ultimately, I believe that none of us truly desire that.

I realize this a very strong post. But, hear me out. Wait… read me out. I would never write this, had I not lived it myself. This would be an opinion if I were an outsider looking in. But, this was once me.

 

{This post was inspired by recent messages from Cross Point Church}

 

Foreigner At Home

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I love being in Nashville. I love calling it home. I love this community and our Church. I love walking the streets of downtown. I love eating lunch with the kids on the water across from LP Field. I love discovering new hang-outs with my husband.

But there is a part of me that feels so lost.

I realize it more and more when we’re with groups of people. Interacting with others. Meeting new friends.

We’ve no history here. Nothing established. No routines.

And while we know a lot of local people from twitter and blogging, we don’t really know them. That is going to take time.

It’s such a conflict to feel like you fit in but have no idea where that specific fit is yet. Does that even make sense?

So many new discoveries. There is little that is similar to the life we left.

The places we go. Where we grocery shop. How we shop. Getting used to seeing different brand names. That’s still throwing me off. It’s kind of like I’m a foreigner in my own home. And, honestly, that part makes me laugh. I enjoy the newness. I like change. And, at the moment, there’s a whole lot of it =)

Don’t get me wrong…there isn’t one part of me that is sad, complaining or being pessimistic. Not at all. I’d expect that this would be part of the transition. I just didn’t think about it in the beginning of this journey.

And so each day my feet hit the floor with purpose…Discovering the new – and discovering me.

Any big changes in your life recently? Or changes to come? How have you faced it or how do you plan to?

 

What I Learned Our First Sunday At Cross Point

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Sunday, Father’s Day, was Brent’s first official day as Campus Pastor at Cross Points North Campus in Goodlettsville, TN.

This was not the first time we’ve been to Cross Point. (I will go more in to how we got to Nashville in the first place some other time) When we rolled into town on Monday, the 13th, we were greeted by a few handfuls of people from the North Campus Community. They met us with pizza, gifts, essentials and more. And within an hour, they had our entire moving truck unloaded with boxes appropriately placed in our home. It was spectacular!

And while the gifts and thoughtfulness were very much appreciated we were even more grateful, and taken aback, by the selfless servanthood each person displayed. From elementary school age on up. They were truly glad to be there, pitching in…for people they didn’t even know.

Sunday, our first official day at CP – there was more of the same. I witnessed countless people serving, volunteering and jumping in to help on the fly.

And the reception we were given, welcoming our family to the North Campus, was nothing short of beautiful. Each and every person who made their way, went out of their way, to meet or greet us, was genuine and without pretense. We felt that. We knew they were all sincere.

Community displayed.

Community that has been modeled by leaders that selflessly serve as well.

And walking away from this day I learned a couple Essentials of Community.

Be authentic.

Love people.

Be intentional wherever you are.

These are the three attributes…authenticity, love and intentionality, I saw weaved in, and throughout, every person, in each new friend, that touched our lives this week.

And it will be an honor to serve alongside them. To learn from them all.

Cross Point, thank you for having us. We love you!

 

 

 

Oregon to Tennessee Update

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Thank you! Y’all gave us some great moving tips. I so appreciate all of them. And I especially connected with those of you who suggested purging. Mmmm…that’s a love language!

And with that…Friday and Saturday we are having a garage sale.

Now, this is where Brent shines. He loves him some garage sales. Alece and I decided we would make sure Starbucks runs were taken care of…by us. Multiple times a day. Cuz we don’t like garage sales.

Thursday night we had a big family dinner that ended with prayer for our family and our new journey. I ugly-cried and snotted everywhere.

It was amazing.

it reminds me of how blessed I am to have family that loves us so. They’ve been nothing but supportive. Genuine excitement abounds each time we’re together and we talk about Cross Point and Nashville!

This weekend Table Rock announces our leaving.

[Deep breath]

This will be tough, I’m sure. Brent is one of the founding pastors of TRF. We’ve always been there. Always served there. Now, we’re leaving. We will miss our community. Our friends. Our family. But we know we are going in the direction God is leading us. And we’re excited for that!

Truly.

My next update will likely involve stories of packing debacles. Can’t wait.

Until then…What’s new in your world??

 

Big Announcement

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We are all so very excited for this transition. It has been a long time coming. Although, honestly, until this year we had no idea we would be going to Nashville.

While we are excited to go minister and serve in TN we are also torn over leaving family and loved ones here in Southern Oregon as well as the church we helped build for the past 13 years, Table Rock Fellowship. All of this makes it very hard to leave. But we know God is moving us on. And very far East.

Speaking of…we leave June 10th. By car. By moving truck.

Yes, we are all driving. Together. Across the country. In the summer. Together. Across the country.

Brent’s official first day at the North Campus is June 19th…Father’s Day.

HAPPY FATHER’S DAY, BRENT…We got you a church!!!

And, yes, Alece is coming with us. A family of five. Yay us!

Well Nashville…Ready or not, here we come!

Oh, and Cross Point…You are brave.

Very, very brave.