Winter Storm Part Two

February 16, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

I couldn’t complain really. About the storm I mean. Tens of thousands of people were without heat, electricity and water for weeks. We were lucky because even though we lost power, we had a fireplace and we had hot water. Clean hot water, which is more than a lot of people.

Friends with chainsaws helped other friends remove debris. Friend’s with power let other friends stay with them. We spent the first three days at home, huddled up in front of our fireplace, and cooking on our gas grill, thinking this will pass in a day or two. We were wrong. By the third day we stayed with my Dad, he had power.

These aren’t my photos – but if you want to see more about how widespread the impact was and how hard American Electric Power worked during this time period – see their link.

It’s Probably Just My Thyroid – A Night with Anita

February 14, 2009March 21, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

Grace Fellowship in Tulsa Oklahoma hosted a night with Christian Comedienne Anita Renfroe and what a night it was. From the looks of it, the place sold out and the room was filled with women (and about six token males)who came to laugh and be encouraged. – Not to be crass, but if you are over 40 – come poise protected. If you are over 40, you know what I mean and that’s all I’m gonna say about that.

I’ve seen Anita on Good Morning America, and most of the world knows her from her Youtube video Momsense. She also travels with Women of Faith. This woman is a crack up. She’s written books like The Purse-Driven Life, and If you Can’t lose it, Decorate it . Both of which I own. I read those books and I feel normal. She is every woman I’ve ever met. Anita and her husband also wrote a devotional book for marrieds called, “Songs in the Key of Solomon:In the Word and in the Mood. another great book.

Anita speaks to the heart of all women, mostly the over 40 set, who are coming into their own and learning not only who they are in Christ, but who they are in real life.

I like Anita – a lot. And spending time with my girlfriends, at Anita’s Concert, laughing ourselves stupid, was probably the best way I can think of to spend a Thursday night.

25 Random things about me.

February 13, 2009March 21, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

Rules: Once you’ve been tagged, you are supposed to write a note with 25 random things, facts, habits, or goals about you. At the end, choose 25 people to be tagged. You have to tag the person who tagged you. If I tagged you, it’s because I want to know more about you.

1. I was born near Syracuse NY and raised in: Buffalo NY, Bridgeport NY, Endicott NY, Cleveland OH, Cincinnati OH, Columbus OH, Atlanta GA, Fort Walton Beach FL, Detroit MI, Southfield MI, Redford MI. – I’e also lived in Sweden, IL and OK.

2. I’m an artist – I love scrapbooking, photography, and designing jewlery.

3 – I have a knack for speaking first and thinking – eventually – making my husband laugh from under a lot of tables and my pastor to hang his head and blush. – I call it being a UFO – Unintentionally Funny Orator. Basically that little filter from the brain to the mouth – doesn’t work.

4. I met my husband at work in Chicago 20 years ago and wouldn’t go out with him until he told me that he played guitar in a rock band – true story.

5. I love a lot of people but don’t get to spend nearly as much time with them as I would like.

6. I used to be an actress, my “claim to fame” was a Work Place Issues video filmed while I worked for Williams Companies. Depressing really, but I still have the video. It was my only paid acting gig, ever.

7. I used to think I knew who I was until I realized that I spent the first 40 years of my life defining myself by how I thought others saw me. I lived to please others, and hurt myself a lot in the process.

8. If God lined up all of the teenage boys in the world and told me I could pick whichever two I wanted, I would pick Charlie and Dillon every time.

9. I love God with everything I have and I‘m learning to believe that the feeling is mutual.

10. Raising boys is harder than I thought it would be. I find myself saying things I never dreamed would ever come out of my mouth – phrases like “No you cannot drive your go cart off the roof to make it look like it’s flying for your video.” and “No you cannot send that frog into space. Please untie the helium balloons and use a GI Joe instead.” There are other phrases, but you get the gist.

11. I have a half sister I never really knew.

12. I left corporate America to be a stay home mom, and learned that staying home is harder than working for a corporation – but the benefits are fabulous and I’d do it again in a heart beat.

13. I am a bibliophile and have a room in my house dedicated to books and reading. I want to be an author and study other authors to learn how to write better.

14. I’m a really good cook – but don’t take the time as often as I’d like.

15. I actually love public speaking – I’m not sure if it’s because I was raised an only child by a single mom and think it’s all about me – or what. I tend to crave attention – mostly though – it’s just really fun for me today because it used to scare me.

16. There was a time when speaking in general terrified me, even if it was just to say hi to someone. I used to be so shy and so scared that I would literally shake in new situations. I preferred to be invisible, but secretly wished someone would notice me. Learning how to overcome that took years of prayer and practice.

17. I love facilitating Beth Moore Bible Studies (personal hero)- and I love going to our Mom’s Group at Church (Bad Girls of the Bible) and just hanging with my friends.

18. I love praise and worship music and I love the old hymns. I believe that both bring pleasure to God. He looks to the heart of man, and I’m thankful for that because my singing ain’t all that great.

19. I wasn’t raised in the church – and when I finally joined one, it took me years to get over the fear of being kicked out. – That’s what happens when you look through broken glasses. – I didn’t really know what Grace was until I experienced a personal failure and then got drowned by Grace in ways I still cannot put into words. – I actually turned in my ministry resignation to God that year – funny thing is, he acted like he never saw it and just kept pouring out more and more gifts and opportunities to serve. I’ll never figure him out.

20. When I was growing up I wanted to be, a circus clown, an actress, or married to a rock star. – uhm.. Goals were not my strong suit. – so I married an up an coming rock star – who is now a praise and worship leader on top of his full time corporate career – and is strongly studying to be a worship pastor and I’m thinking God has an amazing sense of humor.

21. I love Oklahoma, but wish we did not live so far away from my family. We’ve been here for 16 years and we didn’t’ get to see our nieces and nephews grow up, and my boys don’t know their cousins. And I think that’s sad.

22. I have the heart of an artist – and weird (eclectic) taste in clothing.

23. I sometimes miss my corporate job – I audited line costs and kept track of regulatory pricing, negotiated local contracts with Bell Companies, designed long distance circuit layouts, and installed switches. I felt smart when I worked there – I have had to remind myself sometimes that smart is smart no matter what you do and a career does not define my value. But I still miss it.

24. When I was 15, I wanted to be an exchange student. I didn’t’ think I could, but I applied any way. The essay question was tell me about your life. I wanted to throw it away but an adult friend told me to tell the truth and turn it in. I lived in a single parent home, my mom only made about $10k per year and she was a recovering alcoholic. I’d moved almost 15 times in my life, my grades were B’s, our house was only about 1,000 sf – I knew the competition – kids from two parent homes with stay home mom’s and straight A’s. – I didn’t think I stood a chance. He knew all the lofty “right” answers – his favorite author was Shakespeare and mine was Erma Bombeck. I really thought there was no way.

After the essay – I was first runner up – then came the interview – this is what they told me – “Because of what recovery has done for your family, and the life issues that you have overcome, which have made you stronger – we believe you are the right candidate” – And just like that I got to be a Rotary International Exchange Student and live in Sweden for a year and they paid for the whole thing – I even got to go to the Nobel Awards and meet the King (which would be when I told him he was shorter than I thought he’d be. ) That’s when I really learned that my past can be my greatest asset.

25. For this decade in my life, I’m exploring the world God has called me into – studying everything I can get my hands on – learning public speaking, writing sketches and learning stand up. I’m learning how to find the courage to say “I want to learn from you.” I’m learning about who I am – and more and more about who He is – and I feel like I’m falling in love all over again.

What is Your Mission Statement?

February 12, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

I’m busy today, looking for lost car keys, picking up my kitchen and finishing forms that I procrastinated on. It’s Anti-Procrastination Day – a day late. Leave it to me to be behind on a scheduled day.

I’m a little off this week, what with my hardrive crashing on my lap top and trying to get that fixed and here we are on Thursday and I’m having to remind myself that “I’m not behind, just jump in where ever I am.”

I am too behind, I’m just trying not to get anxiety over it.

While answering the last few questions on my form that has to be mailed no later than tomorrow – I’m stuck on the “What is your mission statement” question. I really don’t have one, and I know they are popular and all, but I’ve never really thought about that one long enough to actually write one out.

If I could have one – I know it would be similar to these paragraphs by Henri Nouwen, from The Wounded Healer. (pp 38-39)

“The key word here is articulation. The man who can articulate the movements of his inner life, who can give names to his varied experiences, need no longer be a victim of himself, but is able slowly and consistently to remove the obstacles that prevent the spirit from entering. He is able to create space for Him whose heart is greater than his, whose eyes see more than his, and whose hands can heal more than his.

This articulation, I believe, is the basis for a spiritual leadership of the future, because only he who is able to articulate his own experience can offer himself to others as a source of clarification. The Christian leader is, therefore, first of all, a man who is willing to put his own articulated faith at the disposal of those who ask his help. In this sense he is a servant of servants, because he is the first to enter the promised but dangerous land, the first to tell those who are afraid what he has seen, heard and touched.

….the minister tries to help people to recognize the work of God in themselves. The Christian leader, minister or priest, is not one who reveals God to his people-who gives something he has to those who have nothing-but one who helps those who are searching to discover reality as the source of their existence. In this sense we can say that the Christian leader leads man to confession, in the classic sense of the word: to the basic affirmation that man is man and God is God, and that without Go, man cannot be called man…it is a deep human encounter in which a man is willing to put his own faith and doubt, his own hope and despair, his oven light and darkness at the disposal of others who want to find a way through their confusion, and touch the solid core of life. In this context preaching means more than handing over a tradition; it is rather the careful and sensitive articulation of what is happening in the community so that those who listen can say: “You say what I suspected, you express what I vaguely felt, you bring to the fore what I fearfully kept in the back of my mind. yes, yes-you say who we are, you recognize our condition…”

Emphasis mine.

I am not in the place of the Holy Spirit, I cannot reveal God to you or anyone else. I can only travel as a fellow sojourner, it isn’t even my place to hand over tradition as if in following that, we find God. All I can be is one who helps those who are searching, find their source. I like this thought right here, the minister tries to help people to recognize the work of God in themselves. The Christian leader, minister or priest, is not one who reveals God to his people-who gives something he has to those who have nothing-but one who helps those who are searching to discover reality as the source of their existence.

Somewhere in there is the answer to the question on the page, and maybe a clarifying thought for myself.

To quote John the Baptist, “I am not the Christ.” – But I can help you see him, by finding Him in me.

Easter 2007, Ablaze Church

February 10, 2009March 21, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

I can remember the awe over having 500 people show up for our first ever community egg hunt at Ablaze. Seeing the faces, the families and the children just filled our hearts with joy.
Tina Funkhauser and I led the kids in songs while everyone was coming in.
We did have to change a few things like bring the inflatable into the gym of the school, and we actually ran out of parking. People began parking along 209th East Avenue and walked to the school. But you know, it was okay. Things did get a little cozy after a while, nobody seemed to mind. Everyone was in a good mood. Everyone who came in was treated to hot chocolate, music by Zion’s Fire, and a great Easter message by Pastor Dreier. We also gave away t-shirts made just for that day that said Ablaze Live Church so that people would remember where to come back.

Say “goodnight” Emma!

The Mission Start that Almost Wasn’t

February 9, 2009March 31, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

I have a confession to make. Never in my wildest dreams did I ever think I would be a missionary, or be part of a church plant. I mean I just couldn’t see it. I wasn’t exactly raised in the church – mission work was for nuns, or something like that. I never would have pictured this and yet, here we are. This Easter will mark our third Easter Service as an active Mission Plant in Northern Broken Arrow, Oklahoma. Ablaze Church began with a group of seven individuals busy at work, planning, praying, hoping, and answering God’s call. Then our numbers grew to eight then ten and then twelve.

To be honest, we didn’t start out wanting to be missionaries. The Christian Worship Band, Zion’s Fire does community outreach events, using contemporary Christian music to reach people with the Gospel of Christ.

(Zion’s Fire: Jeff O’Hara, Jason Hulings, Chis Taylor, Tina Funkhauser and Travis Patterson)

In late 2005 they began a Sunday evening Praise service at our home church, hoping to reach out to the local community and our youth. Several of us worked along side with the band, and with pastor – who over saw the whole thing – developing devotionals, messages, and worship. While the liturgy style was open, the doctrine remained absolute and our service reflected the confessional nature of our home church and the Lutheran Church Missouri Synod as a whole.

LCMS began a new program called the Ablaze Movement and challenged congregations and districts to prayfully consider planting 2,000 new churches. What a task!

Pastor approached our feable little worship team in the summer of 2006 and asked us to prayfully consider being a part of this endeavor. We were already doing a live worship opportunity for the community. God had already paved a way for the team to gain experience and knowledge, and while we felt comfortable leading worship – a Mission Start? That was huge.

Everyone promised that they would pray. We came together in prayer and in research. Pastor found a grant program (The ARC Program) that could possibly help fund this, and they found a location in Northern Broken Arrow. Our home congregation The Lutheran Church of Our Savior, voted to plant a new LCMS Mission Start in Northern Broken Arrow, in December of 2006. We now knew, this was God’s direction for all of us, and we were excited.

Five different men throughout the Tulsa area took the church planters test (a requirement for the ARC program) – Only two men scored high enough to be recommended as church planters; Pastor Dreier, and another gentleman across town.

From a single seed – two church plants began. District started a plant called Lord of Life with Jonathan using the ARC program and Our Savior started a plant with our little team. One seed – and look what it did. What an incredible gift of God.

Finding out we did not qualify for ARC support was disappointing, but we did not let it make us quit. The ARC program would be used across town, and that was a great blessing for them.

Our team turned it over to God. If this was His will, we reasoned, He could provide the funding. And provide he did. Dozen’s of people stepped forward with several thousand dollars in donations, for equipment, gear, and rent. God’s provisions overflowed.

We opened with a community egg hunt. The weather outside was bitter cold, and we didn’t know what to expect. But we prepared, the eggs were stuffed and placed, the inflatable was inflated, the messages prepared, the prizes accounted for, volunteers in place and we waited and waited some more.

At 9:45 am – with no one arriving yet – we walked into the parking lot with Pastor, and prayed. By 10:15 – this is what we saw.

The line just grew, and grew.

Over 500 hundred arrived, in spite of the bitter cold and threats of snow, for our first annual Community Egg Hunt.

About 100 of them came back that evening for our Easter Service. Three families who were present that day, stayed with us and helped plant God’s new church.

This Easter will mark the beginning of our third year walking with God in our back yard. What an awesome journey it has been.

While we celebrate God’s truths this year, I’ll be taking a look back at some of the wonder of being part of His plan. Stay tuned for more pictures, and more updates about our little mission start – and the heart of God.

The Brain Cells You Are Trying to Reach Are No Longer In Service

February 5, 2009March 31, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

I am convinced that menopause causes brain damage. It must, I mean why else do I spend hours looking for my glasses only to find them perched on top of my head or why if I run into someone I know at the grocery store I cannot remember their name. Things have gotten so bad that I’m not sure I’d even recognize my own mother unless I was in her home. It’s almost as if my Verizon Network of a brain has been replaced by T-Mobile. Most of the time there just aren’t any bars available. Nashville was one of those days.

Nashville is exciting and my brain got a little over stimulated by the new faces, names, places and sounds. So much so that after the concert I recognized someone I thought I should know and momentarily panicked. Why I thought I should know this person was beyond me. Truth is we’ve never met before, he is simply in a video I own. I sent a message to my brain asking for name recognition and received an all circuits busy please leave a message reply in return. I tried tilting my head and staring hoping to receive better brain wave reception, but it didn’t help. All it did was make me appear stalkerish. Not quite the effect I was going for.

Note: if you see me in public and I’m tilting my head while looking at you,I’m not being cute, or coy or flirtatious. I just have no stinkin clue what your name is at that moment and I’m doing my best cingular inpersonation – “Brain, can you hear me now?”

I let the issue drop for the rest of the evening and just enjoyed myself with my friends when suddenly my brain returned my call and put me on speaker phone. (The true story of my life.)

“I know you! You’re (insert name of recognized comic here).” and then it disconnected the call leaving me with nothing more than dial tone. My mouth is once again engaged with no service to the brain which really isn’t the best thing in the world for someone who wants to be a professional speaker and stand up comic, you know what I mean?

That would be when said person asks, “Yes I am and you would be…??”

I drew a blank. I knew this day would come and sure enough it had. I had momentarily forgotten my own name. I’m pretty sure that if it had not been printed on my shirt, we would have been toast for conversation right then and there. It’s really a good thing I didn’t have my name printed on my underwear like I did when I was a kid, or that would have been really awkward.

I did my best to explain who I was, but ya know… it really didn’t help. My circuits were once again busy and the best I could accomplish in return was a stuttering and stammering while I try to recover from yet another speaker phone experience.

“I’m in CCA, but I’m not really a comic, I’m a speaker and teacher, and uhm yeah… that’s who I am. “

What?

I’m in CCA but I’m not a comic?

Right!

“Clean up Aisle One! – Neurotic comic about to vomit.”

– The whole reason I joined CCA was so that I could learn how to be a comic. So that I could learn what to do with the speakerphone moments in my life and make people laugh on purpose rather than accident.

The busy circuit days do tell me something – when faced with a legit – real, out there making money comic, I don’t feel I have earned the right to call myself a comic yet. It doesn’t matter that I’ve been at this for three years, I’m not there yet. I can call myself a speaker – been doing that for 20 years or more, or a teacher or a writer, but not a comic. What’s up with that?

——————————-

Being part of a mission team and being married to a man who is studying for his entrance exam to seminary, I am struggling with my own images of “Godliness.” That’s what’s up with that. Can I be a missionary, a pastors wife, and still write and perform comedy? My speakerphone moments have made people laugh for years, why not keep that in my life?

Can I still be a speaker like I have been for the past two decades? Talking about the hard issues of special needs and family dysfunction. Talking about the hope that is in Christ when all feels lost?

Can I write the book that is really inside me. The one God wants me to write, and not the one I think I “Should” write because it has all the pretty words.

Can I still be me, in ministry or does my husband’s new career path change all of that? I hope I can still be me – but to do that? I have to put my eyes on Christ and keep them off of other people.

I’m learning that sharing Gospel of Christ in uplifting and postive ways IS Godly. I like to have fun in whatever I do. And today, more than ever, we need laughter, we need hope.

My joy in Christ is a gift I bring to the Mission Start – it’s a gift I bring to my own church. He placed it there – hiding it because someone might lable it “ungodly” would be a horrible mistake.

Don’t you think?

Winter Storm, part one

February 4, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

My yard was at one time full of trees, shade, flowers and while not perfect landscaping, and least everything was living. Then we had an ice storm.

The winter storm of 2007 killed every tree and bush I owned except my maple.
I had Bradford Pears, Pin Oaks, Pine Trees, Azeala’s, and roses. I was able to spare the roses for about six months, then they developed fireblight and that ended that.

We spent the first day of the ice storm listening to the gunshot sound of trees breaking throughout our neighborhood. By the time it was over my yard, both front and back were burried deep in branches.

My pin oak seen above split, one section going west, and the other north. We were able to save one fence, but not the other.

The beautiful mess below was my bradford. That was my favorite tree as it provided shade and beautiful flowers in the Spring. Our rabbit’s hutch rested under this tree. And at 4 am, Jeff and I made what we call today, “The great rabbit rescue.” I followed him with a lit candle (our power was out) to get Oreo out from under the collapsing tree. The ice had stripped the branches of my bradford like a banana. What is really neat about this particular tree though was once we got underneath, we discovered a cave like atmosphere. The branches were bent down and around the hutch, protected it from the wind and snow. Oreo was rescued safe and sound.

I’m not sure what went wrong with this shot, but that is the rest of my back yard covered in maple and bradford branches. The debris was so deep, front and back, that we actually had to hire someone (at three times the going rate) to clear it out for us. Fortunately electrical lines are burried in my neighborhood which made clean up a lot easier.

Having shade in Oklahoma is a must have. The summer sun kills lawns and makes growing things very difficult. My shaded and green yard, is no more.

I spent most of the Spring, planning, planting and digging out my new gardens.

The ice storm turned into a blessing. Because now I’m one year closer to having a yard that is more colorful and creative than I ever imagined.

I’ll post the steps we took for Phase One, and then keep you posted on our plans for 2009.

My yard won’t be Better Homes and Gardens beautiful yet, but it’ll get there. It’ll just take time.

Honorable Mention

February 4, 2009March 21, 2009 Deana2 Comments

The Tulsa Garden Society had their annual amature photo contest last month. Dillon saw the article in the paper and really wanted to enter, so we did.

All of the divisions had stiff competition and there were 700 entries overall. The winning photograph in the general garden division was this magnificent flower. While my entries were good, so was everyone elses. I learned a lot about style, shutter speed, effects, placement and whatnot.

Dillon’s entries did really well in the under 18 catagory and he received an Honorable Mention for his shot of a Dogwood tree in bloom. Way to go kiddo.

Nashville or Bust

February 3, 2009March 31, 2009 DeanaLeave a comment

We did it! We faced the snow, rain, and ice and we made it to Nashville. Driving through Kentucky had me white knuckled and tense, but Rena and I made it in time to see everyone.

I can’t write about the video taping other than to say “Wow, I had no idea all that went into it.” You’ll just have to wait for the release in March to see the final cut for yourselves.

Meeting my Turbo Girlfriend’s face to face was so much fun. Here are some pictures for you. This is our Turbo Gang. We coordinate the volunteers for Chonda’s comedy concerts when she comes to our cities. People kept asking us if we were a fan club or groupies and even though we tried to explain what we were, they would just smile and nod, so we left it with “Yes, we are Chonda Heads, we travel the country and sleep in tents.” This is honestly, the greatest group of gals (And one guy) you would ever want to know. We came in from Ohio, Indiana, Tennessee, Missouri, and Minnesota to help support Chonda.

Chonda’s best friend Alison is our Turbo Coordinator. This is the gal who recruits, encourges and strenghtens all of us. I can see why they are best friends. Alison is a screaming riot. I loved meeting her face to face.

Sir Richard – is a man of many hats, from the web page, to merchandising. I’m sure he has an official title, but we just call him “Thor-god of the turbos.” 😉

This funny man, with the freakishly huge hands is LeLand Klassen. LeLand was one of two opening comics that night. He’s hilarious. And please know I am not making fun of him when I call his hands “freakishly huge,” that is actually his line in his act. He uses his hands a lot as a comedic prop if you will. He is also a true professional. He completely blew his knee out just four weeks before filming and hobbled his way, in a leg cast, through the acts of the DVD and did a great job.

Goosing should not be allowed, but hey when you are standing to a wirey, ornery blonde, things are bound to happen. Zan was discovered when she won a radio contest in Florida to open for Chonda and she’s been traveling with her ever since. Zan is also in the video and I can see why. This girl is a total crack upi.

Of course me and Chonda. It was almost midnight when we took this picture and that poor gal had to get on a tour bus right after this and go to Shrevesport. I do not envy her schedule. Sorry about the bug eyes. I was tired to say the least.