Gloria a Dios

 Hey Hey diddle diddle,

I just spent a week in Tulum with an amazing group of Sr High kids, my wife, and some other good friends. It was nothing short of amazing! This was not a mission trip as much as a partnership... I guess really that qualifies as mission and as Christian, I suppose there is a great deal of life that is missional in purpose... Kingdom missional... The mission of love, compassion, peace, justice... Jesus' mission.

Together with our hermanos y hermanas en Jesuscristo, we ate, laughed, played, loved, worshiped, listened, prayed, sang as one. Two cultures brought together by the Maker of all good things to learn from one another and to build bridges of cross-cultural ministry and reconciliation. Spending a week with friends of such depth and hearts the size of Volkswagen buses...

Gloria a Dios!

Not being there

I'm telling you, I surely missed being there (to steal an album title from Jeff Tweedy and Co.) at the Cornerstone festival with the kids from our Sr High youth group. However, my beautiful wife Miranda and I seized the opportunity of an early weekend together to road trip up to Lake Michigan for a couple of days. It was so incredibly delightful and I find no shame in admitting that during our stay in northern Indiana, we did absolutely nothing!

We ate a couple of meals, slept in a Days Inn, watched a couple episodes of Biography on A&E... but mostly all we did was lay around and read on the sand covered beaches cradled between the rolling dunes and the blue-upon-blue water. Miranda and I both wondered why we had never taken the opportunity to get away to Lake Michigan until now. We were both surprised at how beautiful the beaches and the water were. Neither of us remembered them being so from our childhood.

It was, in a word: Super.

By the way, until our little road trip, it has been years since I last listened to Wilco's Being There... I don't know why... I'd gotten so wrapped up in their last two albums, I'd forgotten how brilliant it is. BE THERE!

About the Great Escape

Dear hearts,

I know it's been longer than a fortnight since last we had a chance encounter. But things have been poppin' round these parts! I will proceed to indulge you with a few highlights from recent weeks.

Those who know me know that I have a hearty passion for crafting songs and worship experiences with others. I had the blessed opportunity to partner with several of the Sr High students in our youth ministry two weeks in a row to lead others in praise and worship before God. First, at Center Grove Church and the next week at Olive Branch Community Church in Broad Ripple. Olive Branch was a small intimate congregation, but the worship experience was passionate and challenging. Thanks Andrew, Ryan, Tyler, and Emily for your hearts and willingness to serve. Thanks also to all those who went along with us to Olive Branch; Annie, Gary, Chris, Miranda, Stephen, Kierstin, Rose, Brad, Erin, and her friend whose name escapes me at the moment.

Last week I traveled to Lake Geneva, Wisconsin with nine Jr High students, my wife, and Emily Furrow to The Great Escape. When I reflect on the week, the first word to fall from my lips is still AMAZING. The week is always one of my favorite weeks of the entire year and God always blows my mind and encourages me and challenges me personally every year. This year was particularly exciting because two of our Sr High students, Kip Kyburz and Kaitlyn Salpietro, are serving on Work Crew for two weeks at The Great Escape. It was incredible to be there with them and to witness the ministry they're having with all of the kids who come in to the week of camp. There can surely be no greater joy I know than to see the fruitof spiritual maturity in young people.

By the end of the week, all of the kids had been met by God's grace and left challenged to surrender to loving arms of their Heavenly Father. My buddy Sam asked Jesus into his heart and we all celebrated. It was, again, AMAZING! It's always hard to come home after a week of close-knit community and learning about Jesus together such as that experienced at The Great Escape. However, I am genuinely excited and can't wait to see how these students will continue to be shaped over the next year. One of the most incredible things has been seeing God's heart for ministry grow in these Sr High and college students. And how awesome is it to be reminded by a Jr High student of how captivating and exciting God's Word is!?

Humbling, but truly awesome!

Now, I gotsta get me some sleepy-eye! Good night Suzie Lee wherever you may be.

Listen! Do you smell something?

Smell is one of our chemical senses, the other being taste. They are so called because they sense chemicals, and smells are, of course, chemicals. Our sense of smell is also responsible for about 80% of what we taste. Without our sense of smell, our sense of taste is limited to only five distinct sensations. Conclusively, our sense of smell is arguably one of our most important. Whether for finding food, avoiding predators or choosing a mate, the sense of smell is critical for the existence of almost all creatures. We humans, able to distinguish over 10,000 different odor molecules, utilize our sense of smell for a multitude of activities from enjoying the aroma of freshly brewed coffee to deciding when Junior needs to his diaper changed. In the last 15 years scientists have made great advances to our understanding of how our nose detects odor molecules and our brain processes the resulting information that gives rise to the sensation of smell.

I’m sure you’re wondering by now why a guy who slacked and struggled to earn a C- in his sophomore biology class is giving you a lesson on the workings of the olfactory system… Well, that’s a mighty fine question indeed!

The apostle Paul tells the Church that through us, God brings knowledge of Christ. “Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation—an aroma redolent with life” (2Cor.2:14,15). Have you ever really thought about smelling of Jesus? As the Church, our very lives emit an aroma that can be smelled from miles around which reveals far more about us than the exterior facades we build up. James tells us that a robust community living in step with God can only happen when we do the submissive work of treating each other in the Church with dignity and honor. “Peacemakers who sow in peace raise a harvest of righteousness” (Ja.3:18).

The fragrance we give off correlates directly with how we love one another in the Church. Remember that old gospel hymn “…and they’ll know we are Christians by our love…” When the world catches wind of us, do they smell peace, love, mercy, and compassion or the foul aroma of bitter envy, selfish ambition, and pride? It’s a question we need to take seriously. When we find ourselves in disagreement with one another, do we respond with complaining and gossip? If we are to be the aroma of Christ to those who don’t know Him then we must find ourselves, in humility, on our knees for and coming alongside one another. Only then will we be, to a hopeless world, the sweet smell of salvation.

An open letter to Ward

Dear Mr. Beaumont,

This was a grand weekend indeed! My how I enjoyed spending my Friday partaking in deep-fried sea creatures and fowl. My very good friends Kyle and Josh assisted me in aquiring some paving gravel for our new patio! Work is hard, but often quite rewarding.

Saturday was sure a busy day. With the help of my Mother, Father, and my wife's parents, we laid down many patio stones and built a quadruple-decker garden in the backyard. Things are finally starting to take shape! The times spent with the folks was very lovely indeed. However, my hind-quarters and feet were aching the very next day due to all of the hard work stomping down patio stones and such. Me and my lady friend got ourselves all tidied up to celebrate with a meal at the Texas Roadhouse. Did you know that the Texas Roadhouse originated in Indiana? Can you believe it? I hardly can.

Sunday was a day to remember as well. In the evening times, our Sr High youth group worshiped together and heard a message about identity and being healed by Christ. Following the time of worship, we enjoyed some bad sci-fi B-movies purchased for a quarter each by Randy. That Randy! Always full of surprises! We also got to enjoy the new patio as several of us did some impromptu sing-songing with the help of some neighbors. We capped off an enjoyable evening together with some late dining at the Fazoli's. Do you have Fazoli's where you live?

Well, I must be going. I came to say, 'I cannot stay,' I must be going. That's an inside joke just for you and I. I hope all is well with you and the family. I'll be seeing you!

With warmest regards,

joel

A proverb

"Trust GOD from the bottom of your heart; don't try to figure out everything on your own. Listen for GOD's voice in everything you do, everywhere you go; he's the one who will keep you on track."

Moments in butt-kicking

Good ______________ (Fill in the blank) !

This last week and a half has been mad full of some high octane butt-kicking moments that have really inspired and fired me up. Quite frankly, some things have been said and handled in a way that I personally feel have been done so in a less-than-godly manner. For whatever reason though (perhaps the encouragement and affirming moments which have edified the work I'm involved in) I have been filled with a confidence not in myself, but in the God who I seek to serve with my life. It has forced me to deal head on with the people and the politics which call into question my job--something I have found quite hard to bring myself to do in the past. Why? Because its uncomfortable and its messy... The truth is most people don't want to deal with the uncomfortable and the messy stuff that cannot be seperated from life in this broken, salvation-starved world.

One such moment this week was a conversation I had with someone who I consider a close friend. Someone who I have had the joy of seeing grow into spiritual maturity marked by honest transparency about struggles with their faith and with their life... at least with me. As the two of us had a hard discussion concerning decisions and obedience towards Christ and the Grace of God which covers every unrighteous corner of our lives, our hearts, and our minds, I came to the realization that most of the time the answers to our tough questions and hard decisions are not easy. I don't think they're easily answered and often they are not easy to discern.

Unfortunately, many people (and probably more unfortunately, many Christians) too often want to reduce the complexity of life and the mystery of the Gospel to a pain-numbing bumper sticker answer packaged in pretty paper and shiny bows. The bottom line is that life is hard! Life is hard and we are broken creatures in need of the very rescuing which Jesus offers us through his work on the Cross and through the continuing work of His Holy Spirit in us.

Honestly, sometimes, even as a follower of Jesus Christ, I don't have an answer. My wife and I have been struggling with decisions in our family life for the past two years. We still don't know what God's will for us is or what the "godly decision" is in our longing to start a family. All we have is Christ. All we can do is cling to Him, grow in our knowledge of Him and His love for us, pray, pray, pray, and pray some more. Sometimes we are convicted by the Holy Spirit and we know what to do... sometimes we don't feel anything.

The question we must continually ask ourselves is this: Jesus, what do YOU want me to do? Where do YOU want me to go? The answer is sometimes unclear... other times its as clear a day. But its certainly not always pretty and its definitely not always easy. Yet Jesus holds us through the pain and suffers with us.

Who digs Who

I highly enjoyed Center Grove High School's PRODUCTION (in caps for obvious reasons if you've seen it) of "42nd Street". Mostly I enjoyed cheering on brother Brad Brickley as he lept like a ninja around and atop a 2 foot thick, 5 foot high quarter during the performance of "We're in the Money". It was such a great production for a high school musical that it was almost seemed wrong in some way! Great work kids!

I dig The Who... you oughta too.

"I dig every second / I can laugh in the snow and rain / I get a buzz from being cold and wet / The pleasure seems to balance out the pain...

...but I like every minute of the day"

-Mr. Pete Townshend (blue red and grey)

1 John 4:7-8

"My beloved friends, let us continue to love each other since love comes from God. Everyone who loves is born of God and experiences a relationship with God. The person who refuses to love doesn't know the first thing about God, because God is love--so you can't know him if you don't love."

Good company

Jesus said tenderly, "The Father has given me all these things to do and say. This is a unique Father-Son operation, coming out of Father and Son intimacies and knowledge. No one knows the Son the way the Father does, nor the Father the way the Son does. But I'm not keeping it to myself; I'm ready to go over it line by line with anyone willing to listen.

Are you tired? Worn out? Burned out on religion? Come to me. Get away with me and you'll recover your life. I'll show you how to take a real rest. Walk with me and work with me--watch how I do it. Learn the unforced rhythms of grace. I won't lay anything heavy or ill-fitting on you. Keep company with me and you'll learn to live freely and lightly."

{The Message | Matthew 11.27-30}

My space is your space

In other news... I have recently set up a MySpace account as a means to the end of reaching more ears with the sonic audibles. Check 'em out here:: www.myspace.com/joelrockeymusic

Sluuuuurps

Another weekend has come and gone and today I enjoy my Monday by sitting in the Mustard Room, listening to the cars pass by as the scarce birds call back and forth and I sip coffee from my favorite mug... a mug I rescued from the streets of Ball State's campus years ago.

This weekend began with another long long long drive to the mighty Fort... Wayne, that is. My wife and I enjoyed a fine meal of Mexicana with the Horrell family as we celebrated the day of her brother's birth.

Sunday morning I had the opportunity to lead worship at CGPC with several of our Sr High kids. It was truly an amazing experience. Tyler Johnson on drums & percussion, Ryan Helvie on bass, Andrew Furrow and John Shufflebarger on guitar, Brad Brickley on piano and vocals, and Katie Tatlock on vocals. All of the doubts and nerves fell to the wayside as God's Spirit brought us together with the congregation in a beautiful and transformational worship experience! It was an honor and a privilege to be a part of.

Sunday afternoon was amazing on a completely different plain. For the first time ever, I experienced the world of paintball as I joined our Sr High guys small groups for a couple hours of extreme shoot-em-up action at Dark Armies in Indianapolis. For some strange reason, I've always been very hesistant to participate in paintball in the past... maybe the whole being-shot-at-in-the-dark thing just wasn't very appealing to me. But I must say, I had an incredible time. Even after being shot in the bare neck twice, I'd go back again in a heartbeat! However, be prepared to explain that giant hicky to anyone who asks. Mad props to Andrew Furrow for being the last man standing at the end... even after recieving a shot the upper leg that was a little too close for comfort...

Derry down lads!

Midsummer's dust or monkey vomit

Well kids, another weekend is all upons and I'm sendin' a shout out to be heard all across the land of the free and the home of the brave! Holla back if ya dig.

In the wee early hours of the morn, my boys from the Mustard Room and I partook [I'm pretty sure that's not a word] in some fine breakfast fare at one Mickey Dees. As the last to arrive for this exquisite dining experience, I thought it would be a gas to bring along with me the crusty remains of a partially eaten burnt pizza from the previous evening. You see, Mr. T Johnson [I've used only his first initial to protect his identity... In fact, let's just call him Mr. T] is a self-proclaimed Perfect-Pizza-Baking-Timer. He can put a frozen pizza

in the oven and take it out when it has been perfectly and evenly baked inside and out. However, when caught up in the joy of listening to Simon & Garfunkel records and talking of silliness with a few good friends while I try to download a CD burning program with my dial-up AOL connection, one Mr. T loses track of the time... C'est la vie!

Twas not to be, as Mr. T, Mr. Ryan, Mr. Andrew, Miss Morgan, Mrs. Miranda and I were destined to partake in Mickey Dees down the street. We had not even traveled a fort night before we were encountered by Mr. Chris and his bride Mrs. Amy. At our request, they joined us for some fine vittles at the local kill n' grill. A joyous experience was had by all!

Midsummer's Dust or Monkey Vomit... Which will be the name of the newest shade of brown in the Crayola™ family?

love and an elevator,
Joel