Is there a Rome, Kansas? Part I

I pondered this question not too many months ago. Why would I look on a state map for a city named 'Rome' in the state of Kansas? I had heard there was a Rome, Georgia, but was there a Rome, Kansas? Why would I look for such seemingly useless information? Because I was convinced God was moving me to Rome. I just thought it would be the city of Rome in Italy.
There were eight of us Smiths who vacationed in Italy for a week in June, 2007. We actually spent three weeks in Europe, an incredible trip of a lifetime, but one of these weeks was spent in a villa in a small town (Compagnano di Roma) just north of the great city of Rome. What a scene: rolling hills of green vineyards, tall Roman trees, houses in the distance, and a flock of sheep on an adjoining hill. An amazing picture right out of the tour magazines. We had a beautiful villa to stay in - 5 bedrooms, 3 bathrooms, fully stocked kitchen, our own pool and soccer field. The owners lived in the larger house next door on the weekends (still quite a distance away) and the groundskeepers lived in the owner's house. The groundskeepers visited us every day to clean up the house a bit and mow the grass. Our first day in Italy was spent getting to know the house and relaxing, as well as trying to recover from jet lag and a long drive the previous day. We had found a local grocery store, so we had food, but we just wanted to relax and get caught up from the time difference.
Day 2: Rome. We got on a suburban train that took us to the metro in Rome. We got off the meetro at the magnificent Colosseum and thoroughly enjoyed a tour in English. We also saw Circus Maximus and toured Palantine Hill which overlooks the Roman Forum. We ate a pizza lunch and gelato for dessert, and were ready to go home, missing a Michaelangelo scuplture because the church it was in was closed until 3 p.m. We were exhausted, and still jet lagged, so we put this special Moses sculpture off until another day when we could get caught up.
Day 3: Rome. This time we went to the Vatican. Toured St. Peter's Basillica and the Vatican museum just trying to get to the Sistene Chapel (super LONG hike!). Didn't get to see Castel Sant'Angelo just down the road, again due to the time of day and the beginnings of fatigue.
Day 4: Lake Bracchiano.
Day 5: Orvieto
Day 6: Rome. Our last day in Italy and we had planned on visiting St. Peter's Basillica again due to how amazing it was! We just had to see it again! From there, we would hit every other monument, sculpture, fountain, and building I had already researched and was excited to see, including the two we had missed our two previous days. But trouble came: the train workers were on strike and wouldn't resume until 9 p.m. that night. We had missed our opportunity to take the train. So, Greg (my wonderfully devoted husband) agreed to drive our rented 9-passenger van into Rome to a metro station just so his wife wouldn't be disappointed. When we hit major traffic, I began to see that this was a mistake. My blessed husband did all he could, fighting back incredible frustration on theh roads, and got his wife to a metro station. But guess what? Even the metro train operators were on strike. So, I decided we'd take the bus into Rome. (I felt that gnawing feeling that it wasn't going to happen. The trip was over. But I ignored this obvious gnawing in my gut and would put my family through just about anything to get into that city! I was a complete maniac!) We talked to two priests-in-training who tried to help us figure out which buses to take into the city and then return on, but I knew what needed to be said. I just didn't want to say it. I began to have tears well up in my eyes and I said to Greg and the boys - we need to go home. We won't be going to Rome today - our absolutely last possible day to go. We would leave the next morning and drive to Venice. Today was the only day we had to enjoy Rome, and we couldn't get there. But we were so close! We left the city behind and drove back to the villa in silence. I couldn't speak a word because I was on the verge of a total , hysterical, uncontrollable sob.
So why Rome, Kansas? Don't give up - keep reading.

Under the Canopy - Part III

So just HOW do you get people on board for a big project when there's going to be LOTS of hard work, long hours, and many attempts to get it right?
In my quiet time of reading the Bible back on May 10, here's what the Lord taught me:
1 Chron. 28:20-21
David is giving great encouragement to his son, Solomon, as he hands over the designs and supplies to build a Temple of the Lord - THE Temple of all temples! He says - 'Be strong and courageous - Do the work - Don't be afraid or discouraged by the size of the task - God will not leave you or fail you - God will see to it that all the work related to the Temple is finished correctly - the various divisions of people will serve - others of various skills of every kind will volunteer.' (NLT)
Wow! This is my prayer and source of great encouragement/support as we, at CCC, build up our children's ministry, begin looking at growing the ministry AND begin our "Under the Canopy" project. There is so much to be done! It can be discouraging when I look at the size of the task and the many volunteers needed to make it happen, but God says in this passage not to be afraid or discouraged - God will see to it that all this work will be done. HE will bring the servants and the volunteers we need to accomplish the momumental task of creating "Under the Canopy". Remember - it wasn't my idea, it was God's idea! He wills for this to be done!
August 9 & 10 is the day planned for our "Under the Canopy" reveal.
Sunday's Coming - and I have confidence we'll be ready!

Under the Canopy - Part II

After watching this brainless reality show on TV, I realized I needed to take what the Lord had given me and create, with His help, this environment in our Early Childhood wing at church. I approached my children's pastor with the idea of transforming our entrance and hallway into a "Under the Canopy" rainforest, and she loved it.
I told our preschool/daycare director about it as well, and she loved the idea. In fact, she asked if we had an artist to render some drawings of "Under the Canopy". We didn't, so she contacted her mother who had connections with an elementary school. The next day - I had an e-mail waiting for me from an art teacher at a local elementary school (she also was a magnificent artist!)
This artist met with my children's pastor and me and then, two weeks later, delivered beautiful drawings of what "Under the Canopy" might look like. They were exactly how I had envisioned our early childhood area at church. Just beautiful!
Our children's pastor approached the pastor who loved the idea. The pastor took the idea to the church council, who also loved the idea. And here we are. Everybody's on board. We have a project manger. We have members and small groups already joining in to make it possible (see other Under the Canopy Part III).
Oh - and did I tell you our early childhood classroom names that have been in place for many years? We ARE the Caterpillars, Butterflies, Ladybugs, Bumblebees, and Grasshoppers - little critters who all live (guess where?) - UNDER THE CANOPY!
God is so good! Sunday's coming, and boy will it be great!

Under the Canopy - Part I

Have you ever felt like you should be doing something else but can't seem to walk away from what you are doing?
Picture this: I'm sitting in my beautiful den watching a mindless reality show on television. I keep telling myself that there are SO many other more important things I could be doing, but I can't seem to turn off the TV and walk away. I can't even seem to get my butt off the little red couch! It had been a challenging Sunday morning and I think I was wasting my time away just so I didn't have to think about anything else. I was probably having my own little pity-party, to be honest. Anyway, I was watching this reality show about real Hollywood desperate housewives. One divorced mother of two was taking a vacation with her two teen kids to Mexico, and had invited another soon-to-be-divorced mother of two to join them at some resort in Mexico. One of their excursions while on this vacation was to the rain forest where they would hook themselves up to a zip-drive, above the rainforest tree line, and zoom down the cable to a landing station. From the zip line, they could see all above the tree line, and the beautiful rain forest below. It was called something like, Above/Over the Canopy ride. To me it didn't seem that exciting because all you could see was the tops of the full trees below (like this: http://www.fotosearch.com/tgi162/trb67003/), and the sky, but nothing underneath the green trees (thus the name: above/over the canopy ride). What's underneath the leaves and branches, I wonder? That's where all the action and life is!
It was then that the Lord gave me a visual for what it might look like "under the canopy". Green plants, warm temperatures, plant and animal life, fresh water, and protection from what may go on above the tree canopy - lightening, wind, and storms that rage Then the thought came - that's where we need to be! Under the Canopy of God's love and protection!
Isaiah 4:5 & 6 speaks of the Lord God being a canopy for His people Israel, covering the glorious land. "It will be a shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain." (NLT)
What if we created for our children at church a place where they felt safe and protected from the storms of life! What if we created an environment for them that kept them safe, while teaching them how to deal with the storms of life! So - an idea was birthed - all from watching a show on TV that served no purpose other than to take an average, middle-aged housewife from her den in Wichita, Kansas to the real lives of Hollywood Desperate Housewives!
Praise God! There is no wasting in God's economy. He took that moment of self-pity and seclusion in my front room and took me to a place that is real - under His canopy. HE IS my shelter from daytime heat and a hiding place from storms and rain. PTL!

Trust

I read a very faith-filled quote last night that has given me such confidence in my new role as Early Childhood Coordinator at my local church.
You see, each week I prepare the crafts, copy the activities, produce the schedule, equip my teachers/leaders, plan the events, contact the volunteers, and yes, I even worry about what the events of the next Sunday morning will hold. So many known factors, but yet so many unknown, each week help prepare me, and my classrooms, for the next Sunday morning because, as we all know, Sunday's coming! The children will arrive - and will we be ready? I have said recently that Sunday mornings are my best and my worst times of the week. Why? Because sometimes I leave the office Thursday afternoons knowing that I am down in my volunteer numbers and possibly won't have enough to cover the number of children who I know will enter the church doors Sunday morning ready to play, hear a true story from God's word, eat a snack, go upstairs for Wee Worship, sing songs, and possibly play a game or color a picture. Sunday's coming - and what more can I do? That's why this quote is so special to me. It says, that no matter what may happen Sunday morning, God knows about it and will equip me to deal with it. He may even teach me something new.
I share this quote with this in mind: Sunday IS Coming!

“I will walk whole heartedly out on any limb He requires, because even if He lets it break, He can teach me to fly.” Lygon Elizabeth Stevens