Staff Retreat
Sorry it’s been so long since I last blogged. It’s been a crazy week!
So Wednesday CRCC’s staffers went on a staff retreat. It was such a refreshing time of rehashing and clarifying and focusing, and just resting. It’s been a tough few weeks as a staff members recently resigned, so this was a golden opportunity for the rest of us to reevaluate and rejuvenate. I must admit that I, personally, felt much relieved and at peace once we concluded our time together…and it’s been awhile since I’ve felt that way. I think I can speak for all of us on staff that we are on the right track and ready to go full force into this season of ministry. Here are the highlights:
- We met at noon at California Dreaming for lunch. This is seriously one of my all-time favorite places. We’re talking amazing honey crescents, scrumptous baby back ribs, yummy chicken..I could go on and on. It was so nice to sit around that table and laugh and talk and relax over a great meal!
- Then because all of us were SO FULL, which as you know leads to drowsiness, we went to Starbucks for a pick-me-up.
- We then went to Riverworks Mortgage to use their conference room. This office is amazing! Cool colors, cool vibe! Thanks, Robbie, for allowing us to invade your space for the day!
- To kick off our “meeting” we had a Wooly Willy tournament: we did one of what we thought Steve will look like when he returns from his sabbatical, and one of ourselves. It was fascinating, and a great way to get things started. In case you forgot what this thing is:
You remember these, right?
- We spent some time in prayer, confession, and praise of the Lord…which was such a sweet time.
- Then it was on to the tough stuff, we discussed our goals under the Simple Church ideas we had been working through over the course of the last year and how we had come and what we needed to continue to improve. We found clarity to things that had been ambiguous as of late.
- And what I found most important…we UNIFIED. It’s hard to do ministry when you’re not operating in a unified manner. That doesn’t mean that we all necessarily agree, but it does mean that we respect each other and are working toward a common goal.
- As we left I felt like this major weight had been lifted off all our shoulders.
Keep praying for us as we continue to move forward and seek the face of God for our own lives and for the ministries of CRCC. I LOVE this church and know that the Lord has great plans in the works if only we would follow in obedience and boldness. I know and am convinced that the Lord is at work in our lives and I can’t wait to see how that manifests itself each day and throughout our lives. I wanted to put faces to our staff, so here ya go:
Teaching Pastor, Steve Keyes
Pastor of Connections, Rich Butler
Serve Pastor, Brian Woodard
Youth Pastor, Dustin Hughes
Teresa Cron, Children’s Ministry Leader
Creative Arts/Worship Pastor, David Walker
Office Administrator, me!
Facilities Director/Sound Tech, my husband, Hal Weber
13 Things…
As some of you know it has been a long 2 weeks…Hal and I are in the process of some BIG decisions. So, to keep things light today, here are 13 things I would rather be doing than making BIG decisions (6 serious ones, and 7 seriously sarcastic ones):
- Sleeping/Napping: I don’t often sleep well because my brain is ALWAYS in “think mode”. It would be nice to get a full 8 hours of sleep.
- Cooking: Cooking is cathartic for me. You make something from a bunch of nothings…and that’s pretty cool for this novice cooker.
- Doing laundry: I despise laundry, literally despise it. I hate the sorting, the washing, then moving it all to the dryer, then folding…only to have to do it again a week later.
- Reading a book: I love it when I find the time to sit down with a book and just read it cover to cover.
- Going out to eat or to the mall or to a movie…basically leaving the apartment and doing something active is always a plus. Although lack of funds sorta makes that interesting to manage.
- Last of the serious ones….spending time with my awesome husband. We love to talk and laugh and pick at one another. And sometimes just snuggling on the couch in the quiet is really nice.
- Clipping my toenails: There is something really disturbing about holding onto your feet and trying to meticulously cut your toenails without catching skin. Even more disturbing is when you have a hang nail or something (which I have never had, but Hal does). All I have to say….GROSS.
- Painting my toenails: My hands shake so this process is such a pain to me. I would love to have pretty painted feet, it just doesn’t happen. And really, what’s the point when the paint starts to chip two days later anyway (but it is better than making decisions).
- Going shopping: I hate shopping. I typically go shopping with a goal in mind. I know what I want, I know where to get it, I know how much I want to spend. I go get that one thing and I’m headed out the door less than 15 minutes later.
- Sitting in on one of Hal’s classes for his Masters. Keep in mind, his degree is in education with specialization in MATH.
- Going to the doctor. Needles, cold hands, people in close proximity who are obviously sicker than I am…yuck!
- Babysitting for triplets that are not yet potty trained.
- Living in the World of “If Only” where no decisions ever have to be made.
Thus closes my list of things I would much rather be doing besides having to make BIG IMPORTANT decisions.
Please partner in prayer with us. We cannot disclose what these decisions are at the moment, but be praying that the Lord would give us the wisdom to discern accurately what we are to do, and the courage to follow through. Thanks!
Life’s Tough…Make Investments
One of the most annoying and beloved phrases that I remember from my childhood was, “Life’s tough, then you die.” You can imagine as a kid how positively irritating it was to hear that. And yet, as an adult it’s not as irritating. Perhaps it feels more like a reminder.
This phrase has come to mind a lot in recent days. There is a lot of potential change in the Weber household and with all that has come a lot of thought about the investments I’ve made and their importance, as well as a lot of emotions welling up from those thoughts. According to the dictionary an investment is a commitment of time, property or support. I’ve made what I think to be some pretty amazing investments over the last few years. One in particular has been volunteering in the lives of the junior girls (11th grade) from CRCC’s youth ministry. This is one amazing group of girls and I serve alongside an amazing woman. I have made many investments in these girls over the last 3 years. I have made the investment of time, tears, joys, prayer, study, discipline, etc. And over time I have seen the fruits of that investment.
I sat in on what will probably be my last high school leader meeting last night. What an awesome team of people! Each one of the adults sitting around that table has made investments in the lives of the next generation. As our meeting was wrapping up I was hit by this overwhelming sadness. In fact, I lost it…which was really embarrassing by-the-way. I loathed the thought of not investing in these girls for their senior year. I hated the idea that I may not be around for their 2 am phone calls. I felt like I am abandoning them. It bothered me that I would be leaving leadership with “Mez” who has come to be a dear friend and encourager.
And then the Lord reminded me something, He only requires my obedience. Three years ago he called me to begin serving in CRCC’s Youth. I followed through by loving these girls, serving these girls, and obediently doing whatever the Lord asked of me to do in that role (most of the time…I am human). And now He is calling me out of this role and desires that be obedient to relinquish this control and release it to Himself. It’s time for someone else to make an investment in these girl’s lives. Just because I am stepping down from this leadership doesn’t mean the investment ends. It means that it shifts. My investments in them become prayers to the Lord, continued connection via phone calls, emails, and yes, even this blog. The Lord is calling me to begin making other investments in other people. In His sovereignty he can see the bigger picture and just wants me to get on board with his ultimate plan.
The Lord is teaching me that it is vitally important to make investments wherever He has me. Because life is short and tough how we spend our time is crucial because there is an end-point here on earth. Don’t miss out on what God has for you, make investments wherever you are. The return of those investments are immeasurable.
Influence Without Relationship????
WARNING: This post could be controversial. This is merely my opinion as a follower of Christ and represents my opinion only. This is more or less something for all of us to consider.
I went to lunch today at Chick-Fil-A with a friend and was seriously disturbed by something I saw going on across the street. I watched a man and, who I assume was his wife, walking back and forth on Woodruff Road carrying dolls and signs that read, “Stop Abortion Now.” I rolled down my window to hear what they were saying and they were reading off facts and things about abortion and staring down the people in the cars in front of them that were stopped at the light. I didn’t have my camera, but it was similar to this guy:
As far as the sentiment is concerned, I completely agree. I am pro-life. I believe that life begins at conception, that all life is precious regardless of the circumstances of the conception or life stage. I believe in adoption versus abortion. While driving by this scene reminded me of something I have come to believe….A PERSON CANNOT INFLUENCE CHANGE WITHOUT RELATIONSHIP.
What influence will this couple actually have to make someone reconsider their position on abortion? I am forced to believe that they won’t have much, if any, influence because they are merely strangers shouting what they believe in the streets, not getting involved in the actual issue. It reminds me of those “street evangelists” I sometimes see in downtown Greenville. Does shouting off scripture really influence people to change their lives? There certainly is the possibility (because I sure wouldn’t limit God on his ability to do whatever He wants through whomever He chooses) but I would say that the odds are pretty slim. If anything, it often makes you want to cross the street to avoid them.
How different would the power of influence of this couple have if they volunteered at some place like the Piedmont Women’s Center. They would be able to use their influence for change…and perhaps through that relationship a life could be spared, adoption chosen. PWC recognizes that they need to provide facts, counseling, safety & freedom to talk about choices, as well as offering continued guidance to the women who walk in their doors, as well as information for those who want to see abortion ended. PWC knows that they cannot influence a woman to not follow-thru with an abortion without building rapport and trust with that woman. As that trust is built, so does the influence of that person’s opinions and thoughts, and often a person is inspired to change
How would things be different if we were all willing to literally get in the game? Instead of preaching things from sidewalks, we would be in the thick of the very thing we are wanting to change by getting involved in those organizations that pursue justice and change through relationships. And when I say involved I don’t mean sending in a check or signing up to be on a committee. I mean, joining places like PWC, receive their training and tools, and volunteer as a counselor. Or how about spending those hours of judgmental badgering PRAYING that abortion would cease to be an option for those that would enter the doors of abortion clinics or praying for that lady that came in to PWC to make a decision about adoption vs. abortion. I mean, going down to a soup kitchen serving someone their meal and then sitting down beside them to talk about how they got there.
We have to be willing to move beyond our bubbles and the protective screen we put up against the “undesirables” or those we disagree with and instead try to understand them, talk to them, share with them. Not in a selfish way or in an “I know better than you” way, but with a real desire to connect with that person, not coerce them or manipulate them, but love them. I mean REALLY LOVE THEM despite your disagreements. Often out of that love change is birthed. You see examples of this all throughout the Bible, these thoughts led me to a story found in John 4:7-29.
You can read the full story here. The gist is this: Jesus was traveling with his disciples and found themselves to be in Samaria. Keep in mind that Jews and Samaritans were bitter rivals as you read the passage. Jesus comes to this woman at a well and asks for a drink of water, this question led into an intimate conversation between the two of them. Jesus discussed with her the difference between the water of the well and the Living Water that he offered as the Messiah, Jesus told her that he knew this woman to be an adulteress and cheater. She had had 5 husbands and the man she was living with was not her husband, and yet he loved her and accepted her and longed for her to recognize him as the Son of God that had come to save her from her life of sin. Through this in-depth conversation the woman eventually accepted Jesus as the Messiah and her life was radically changed… because He knew the value of building trust and loving those that are different so that life-change was simply a natural progression. Through the testimony she shared about her encounter with Jesus, others came to accept him as well.
Jesus sure did preach from mountaintops and beside streams, but he DEFINITELY GOT INVOLVED ON A PERSONAL level with all those he encountered.
So those are my thoughts on what I experienced today. I welcome your thoughts as well.
Anniversary Trip Highlights
Hal and I just returned from our 2nd wedding anniversary vacation and it was interesting. I think Hal put it best here. But in case you want my rendition, here ya go:
Hal booked us reservations at the Patricia Grand Hotel. It was ocean front so I have to give him major kudos for that. I absolutely loved waking up in the morning, opening the door to the porch and listening to the waves. It was awesome! However, let’s just say that I would not recommend staying there. The beds are AWFUL! I think I had the worst night’s sleep (over the course of the 3 nights) that I have ever had. Coupled with some seriously scary elevators….I mean we are talking that you had better be praying the whole time otherwise you might have a panic attack. But for its other redeeming points: it had a lazy river which was nice (but small), a Jacuzzi that Hal and I definitely enjoyed, a nice-size pool, and a bunch of comfy beach chairs for chillin on the beach. So, I would say that on a scale of 1-10, it was a 5. But again, major kudos to Hal for picking beach front!!!
It was also bike week, which we did not know until we got there(Hal tells this in a more amusing manner on his blog so click the link at the beginning). And really it wasn’t so bad. There were a BUNCH of them. What stunk was the noise. Motorcycles are seriously loud and when you add 1000s in one small area it is REALLY loud. And they definitely like to be out revving late as we found out at 3 am one morning. It was interesting to say the least.
But really, Hal and I had the opportunity to take a break from our current reality and spend some quality time talking and dreaming and that was worth more to me than lumpy beds and loud noises and scary elevators. I love my husband so much! This weekend was more confirmation that I made an amazing choice for my mate. I love you, Hal.
Mother’s Day and Blogging Vacation
Yes, two years ago Hal and I got married on Mother’s Day. We figured it was the best gift we could ever give to our mamas (and families). Ok, so we really didn’t think about that when we picked the date…it was just a year from the day we got engaged.
But seriously, it does make it interesting for Hal and I to make sure that our mothers are honored on Mother’s Day because we’re usually on an anniversary vacation of some kind….like this weekend.
Hal and I will be celebrating our wedding anniversary from Saturday-Tuesday in Myrtle Beach. So, I won’t be blogging until we return, AND we won’t be around for Mother’s Day.
So without further ado…
Mom, I love you. I am so glad that we have established a firm foundation of friendship over the last few years. I am blessed to be your daughter and hope that you are proud of how I’ve turned out. On the day when we recognize our mothers, please know that I will be thinking of you fondly. Happy Mama’s Day!
Christmas 07
Thanksgiving 07
Anniversary Stories #3
The WEDDING day: Our wedding day was the most amazing, fun, and calm day of my life. Most people don’t say that they were calm on their wedding day, do they? And I seriously thought that I would be a wreck, however, I wasn’t. I woke up on May 13, 2006 after sleeping extremely well…completely relaxed and calm. I didn’t worry about anything (which is very not normal for me….I am a worrier). Anyway while Hal hung out with the groomsmen (his best man was his dad, my two brothers, his brother Rob, & his best friend Christof) and and his family most of the day. I, on the other hand, was getting pampered with a mani & pedi, getting my hair and makeup done, and chillin with my bridesmaids (maid of honor was Kellyn, my best friends from Charleston Diana and Erica, and my college suitemates Natalie and Jessica). We took all our pictures before the wedding which really was a great way to go. Hal and I got to relax after the wedding instead of having to pose for pictures, which we both hate. We got married at First Baptist Spartanburg at 6:00 pm, and our reception followed at the Carolina Country Club. Without giving you an entire run down of our day, I’m providing some of our pictures (these were taken by friends).
It really was an amazing day! I’m so blessed to have married such an amazing man. I am honored to call Hal my husband, and I look forward to many more years of memories and growing together. Happy 2nd Wedding Anniversary, baby! Yes, I know it’s early.
Anniversary Stories Part 2
The ENGAGEMENT: Hal and I had been dating two and a half years at this point. We had obviously talked about marriage, but it wasn’t something we were in any hurry to jump into. We were having a blast, so there wasn’t any pressure to rush an engagement or anything. Hal and I had been planning a short weekend trip for me to visit him and his family in Summerville (close to Charleston). I was mucho excited about hitting up my favorite spots: Ye Ol Fashioned Ice Cream (amaretto cherry, blt, yummm), Gilligans (can we say low country boil), and of course my favorite place in all the world….Folly Beach. The company didn’t hurt either.
During this time I was working as an outside retail sales rep for the Herald Journal newspaper in Spartanburg. Needless to say that at this point I was in the decision-making process about resigning my position. Although it taught me a lot, it was not a job I wanted to keep for long. I was all set to leave on Friday, May 13 (of 2005), all I had to do was make it through my work day and I’d be all set for the drive to Summerville. Well, I assume you can tell that things didn’t go as smoothly as I had thought. About mid-way through my day a teenage girl T-boned me. It was a mess. My car was drivable after the accident, hers was totaled. Gotta love those tough Jeeps. Needless to say that it completely ruined my day and I was not excited about the 3.5 hour drive to see Hal in my beat up car. I found out later that Friday was originally going to be the night he proposed. Fortunately Hal is quite attune to me and knew that he ought to wait awhile longer….even though the ring was burning a hole in his pocket.
So Saturday comes and we spend a great day together, then we head off to hit my highlight spots (Gilligans, Ye Ol Fashioned, and then for a late-night stroll on Folly). Hal certainly planned this night well because it was so normal that I had no idea he was going to propose. So we get to Folly and it’s really dark. The only light left was from the moon, which made the beach so beautiful…but dark. We walked down to my favorite spot on Folly Beach…the groens in front of the Morris Island lighthouse. We sat and talked for what seemed like hours. Unbeknown to me Hal was slowly going crazy and fidgety with this ring in his pocket…his mind turning a mile a minute as he waited for the perfect timing. And then…
Hal pulls out this ring box (it was too dark for me to tell that at the time), he tells me he loves me and wants to spend the rest of his life with me and would I marry him. Okay, now here is the part that I am so mortified about. Because it was so dark I couldn’t see the box or the ring so I thought he was just messing with me. So I punched his arm and started walking away (in a sulky playful way of course) and told him that this was not something to joke about. He sort of stands there dumbfounded for a minute. He follows me and turns me around and says, “no, I’m serious” and pulls out this beautiful ring that I can now see because the diamonds are sparkling against the moonlight. My jaw drops open and I feel like such a jerk for thinking he was joking with me.
And of course I scream “YES” at the top of my lungs, practically throw myself in his arms and laughed my head off that Hal was able to get this little secret by me the whole night. I put the ring on and in my now dazed state I just kept saying “this is so nice”…over and over. I am sure it annoyed Hal a bit. So at this point Hal and I are now power-walking back to the car. Forget the beauty of the beach, I am ready to tell the family. We get to the car and pull out the phone to start calling…our parents are thrilled.
Then we try to pull out and realized that our car is stuck in the sand. Needless to say it was an instant joy-kill. So I get into the driver’s seat with my foot lightly on the gas while Hal is pushing the car in hopes that it will get onto the concrete so we can go back to his house. A few sweaty minutes later our mission is accomplished and we head home. It wouldn’t be us if there weren’t some kinks in the carefully laid plans of the Weber family. It was such a great night and Hal was such a sweetheart. It’ll be a night I can’t wait to tell our kids about.
Anniversary Week Stories
So, next Tuesday (May 13) marks Hal’s and my second wedding anniversary. Sounds lame when you think about those people who have been married 20+ years…but hey, you have to start somewhere. So I thought that this week I would leave you with some stories about how Hal and I met, our engagement, our wedding, etc.
We’ll start at the beginning….how we met and our first date.
I had just transferred from Anderson College to North Greenville College for my junior and senior year. I wasn’t really interested in dating anyone, I just wanted to get to know people and make some great friends. During the fall semester I started attending Clemson’s FCA…cause no offense, but NGC’s was pretty boring. My friend, Natalie was attending Clemson at the time and we happened to run into one another one night at FCA. She had another friend with her…this long haired, flip-flop wearing, earringed dude named Hal. She introduced us that night but we obviously didn’t make much of an impression on one another because I don’t remember this meeting. Hal tells me this is how we met.
Later during our Christmas break Hal was on AIM searching for people to talk to from NGC. Hal found me and we started talking. Again, Hal made an impression, but I wouldn’t say that it was an entirely positive one. In fact, he kinda freaked me out. But I stuck it out, we talked a lot more…and at some point he started to appear more normal. We made the decision to “re-meet” when we got back to school. On January 14, 2003 Hal and I went on our first “date”. He picked me up in the van affectionately dubbed “Old Blue”. Yes, we were traveling in style. We went to go see a movie and got ice cream from Marble Slab in downtown Greenville. Yes, we got ice cream in the middle of winter. We just sat and talked for the longest time. He was one of the most fascinating people I had met in a long time. I loved that he spoke extremely well…as in, he annunciated well. Every word was pronounced properly. I assumed that was because he grew up in the Charleston area. I loved to listen to him talk. I learned that he had been traveling with a band running sound for them, worked at Awanita Valley camp during the summers, had interests that spanned wide gaps…and was all around really interesting. And he let me talk about whatever came into my head. This was amazing in and of itself because I have the tendency to talk A LOT, so the fact that he never interrupted or complained was seriously refreshing. We stayed out late and parted that night as friends.
I remember getting home and thinking that he would make an awesome friend, but probably not a good boyfriend. My how things change….more to come this week. I’ll even try to put up some pictures of us from back then.
