19 Years is a long time....

It is always so interesting to me how I seem to frame my life around signature events...

Nieces & Nephews & Siblings Birthdays; First dates & Wedding Anniversary!; New Jobs & Special Trips/Vacations...

As I grow older, I hope that the amazing blessings that I have received, and continue to receive, will become those 'lynch pin' moments-but unfortunately, there are some negative ones as well.

Today is the 19th anniversary of when Tricia Reitler was taken from the Indiana Wesleyan campus. It is still a happening that haunts me. I interact with college students every day and I rejoice at their hope & promise, while lamenting over lost opportunities for people that we've lost so tragically along the way like Tricia.

There have been happenings in recent years to offer hope of a final resolution to the mystery of her disappearance but they disappear just as quickly and leave a numbing ache behind.

As much as I long for resolution for Tricia and her family, I am thankful for the lessons that I am reminded of every year at this time:

*Value life and all of its opportunities and blessings.

*Appreciate the joys and gifts that family brings into your life.

*Never miss an opportunity to sit down with a child and teach them about life and love.

Thank you Tricia for the impact that you left on this world and the ways that you continue to teach as we move forward.

REFLECTION

It has been a while since I have posted anything on here period, but especially anything about Tricia Reitler. A couple of years ago I posted a blog really hitting home to the heart of the matter about my feelings on that subject. I have resisted writing anything else because I felt strongly that I had said it so well that I didn't want to do anything to trample on that memory.

This year, on March 29th, I was really busy with a work-imposed activity and wasn't able to take a day away like I usually do to reflect on my time with Tricia, my time at IWU, and just my life in general. I guess it has taken me a month, and the occurrence of Tricia's sister's birthday to jog me out of my own personal issues to remember the lessons from Tricia that we all need to be reminded of daily:

Appreciate life-If you talk to members of Tricia's family, you will hear about a wonderful young woman that loved to laugh and appreciate life.

Appreciate all that you have because every second is precious and you never know when it all might change (This isn't just something to learn from Tricia-it's so impactful that Jesus talked about it as well.)

Make sure to learn from the past so that you are not doomed to repeat it.

College is such an exciting, dynamic time. It offers the possibility of new possibilities. Students go off to college thinking that they can change the world and that they have it all figured out merely because they got acceptance in a letter. The burden on all of us and what I take away from this year is that we need to help students realize that they do not have to be in such a hurry to grow up and take responsibility. We need to come along beside them and share in the wonder of it all. We need to help them see that they can slow down enough to actually look around and enjoy the ride that they're on! So much of college is preparing for the future that oftentimes, students forget that they are not even 20 years old and that they might never have an experience like the one they are going through now.

On this, the 15th year since Tricia's disappearance, I take away the fact that I want to continue to have the zest for life of a 19 year old--tempered by the experience of a 35 year old--so that I can help a whole new generation of Tricia's learn about possibility and responsibility.

For anyone interested in getting a 2008 update to help focus your prayer time for Tricia and her family, see the article and link below to the Marion Chronicle piece that was published in March. I hope that it encourages you as much as it did me, that we are not the only ones that still think about Tricia from time to time!

Posted: Apr 1, 2008, 06:32 AM


http://www.chronicle-tribune.com/articles/...1f825909537.txt

Mom: Please help us find Tricia! IWU student’s disappearance hard on family

BY MISHELE WRIGHT

“It’s just not fair,” Donna Reitler said about the unsolved disappearance of her daughter, Tricia.Tricia Reitler, a 19-year-old Indiana Wesleyan University student, disappeared 15 years ago today. March 29, 1993, the college freshman, originally from Ohio, walked a half mile to Marsh Supermarket, 4512 S. Adams St., and bought a root beer at the pharmacy next door.She never made it back to her dorm room at Bowman Hall, though. Her clothes were found in a field between Center Elementary School and Seybold Pool. Suspects and leads have come and gone, police have said. Still, there are no answers, no charges and no Tricia.After 15 years, Donna Reitler said not knowing what happened to her daughter still is painful.“It’s hard because there’s someone out there who knows where she is,” she said. “There’s not anything we can do, but it still feels like we let her down.”Although Tricia would be 34 years old now, her mother still thinks of her as she was then.“It’s crazy to me, because she’ll always be 19,” she said.Reitler said it’s difficult seeing Tricia’s friends, who are grown with families of their own. She thinks about her own daughter and what may have been. She also realizes that Tricia has been gone for almost as long as she was with them, she said.“She was such a wonderful person,” she said. “She just had so much to offer. She was caring and loving.”The hardest part for Reitler, however, is not having her oldest daughter with her and the rest of the family, she said. Her other three children have grown, and she now has grandchildren — who have never met their Aunt Tricia.Every year on the anniversary of the disappearance and on Tricia’s birthday, each member of the Reitler family takes off work and spends the day together, in remembrance of Tricia.“You have to,” Reitler said. “It significantly changed our lives (when she disappeared).”“We all know life goes on,” she said. “We talk about her and what would have been. You never forget. I just wish we could find her.”Reitler, who is in contact with the Marion Police Department about once a year, still has hope that her daughter will be found, but she said she knows chances are slim after all the years that have gone by. Her fear is that people will stop looking, she said.Deputy Chief Cliff Sessoms said the case will remain open until it’s solved, but it’s going to take a witness coming forth with new details to solve the mystery.“It means a lot to a lot of us,” he said. “I was a detective at the time, and I remember getting a page for a missing person.”He said the officers worked hard on the case and followed every lead they got, and they haven’t forgotten about Tricia.“There was a tremendous amount of follow-up on this case,” he said. “I’m confident that, as a department, we followed up on every lead. It became personal for many (of the officers).”Last year, the police department entered Tricia’s dental records to the National Dental Image Repository, a program set up for missing persons. If another agency were to find remains, they could check the dental records with Tricia’s to see if they match. Sessoms said the department also is working on a DNA profile of Tricia, using her parents and siblings’ DNA, which will be entered into a large national DNA database.Sessoms said he’d like to put closure to the case, especially for the family, but there just isn’t enough evidence. He compared solving the case to putting together a puzzle, where all the pieces must fit together. In Tricia’s case, pieces of the puzzle are missing.“I’d like to believe there’s someone out there who knows something,” he said. “For whatever reason, they haven’t come forward. Some people think their information isn’t significant. The worst thing somebody can do is have that one key and not come forward. That could be the one piece that breaks the case open.”Over the 15 years, police department has maintained a bulletin board with information about Tricia. The board contains a map and a timeline of what happened that evening and pushpins with string, connecting what witnesses heard or saw that evening. Sessoms said the board remains up as a reminder to the officers that Tricia still is out there.“We haven’t forgotten about this case, Tricia or her family,” he said. “We’re going to continue to press on, and we’re confident the case will be solved. The person who holds the key is still out there, and that’s who we need to hear from.”Sessoms said it’s important for people to remember the case and to know who Tricia is and who she was back then.“When I drive down 45th Street, there’s not a time I don’t think about this case and wonder what happened and where she’s at,” he said.Reitler said she knows Tricia’s case touched many hearts.“From day one, we knew that (the police in Marion) cared for Tricia, too,” she said. “There was no doubt they wanted to find her.”She said she understands that police don’t have anything else to follow up on, especially as time goes on, but she doesn’t want people to forget about her daughter and to quit looking.“I’ll always be grateful for the police department and the city of Marion,” she said. “The people were wonderful to us.”Alma Caldwell, Swayzee’s town clerk/treasurer, has kept Tricia’s picture hanging up at city hall since the young girl disappeared. When the flyer gets worn and faded, she makes a new copy to hang up.“I probably won’t take it down till I’m not the clerk anymore,” she said. “I just don’t have the heart to take it down, because if it were my daughter or my son …”At the time of Tricia’s disappearance, Caldwell had a son and daughter who were headed to college soon.“How devastating is that?” she said. “You send your kids off to college, and you expect them to come back. It brings it close to home.”Every time Caldwell hears that a body has been found, she thinks that maybe it’s Tricia, she said.“There’s no closure for that family,” she said. “I was hoping she would be found eventually, but it’s been 15 years. I just really feel bad about it.”

What do we think about Starbucks?

I must admit, I am reeeeally behind on this story, but since it is still within the pulse of our times, I feel obligated to 'blog' about it. I just had a friend, who is a former Marine, share with me that he doesn't go to Starbucks because they don't support the war on terror or the troops. This story has been bouncing around for a couple of years, I guess, in that a Marine wrote to the Starbucks corporation asking them to send some coffee to some troops serving in the Middle East. Allegedly, Starbucks sent an email reply that told the Marine that 'Starbucks didn't support the War on Terror, or anyone having anything to do with it'. I have done a little research and Starbucks defends themselves by saying #1 that they did not reply in this language but that they do not give to religious groups or political organizations, choosing to focus their resources in their local communities, and therefore would have denied the request from this Marine based on this corporate policy.

True to a big corporation, Starbucks goes on to take credit for the good that its employees do on their own, by saying that many of Starbuck's employees donate their free pound of coffee to shipments that do indeed go to soldiers overseas. There is also a retraction from the original Marine Sergeant that posted this story saying that he didn't do proper research in the beginning to find out if Starbucks had actually sent this email.

What do you think? Does anyone have any first hand info as to whether or not Starbucks is anti-military or just guilty of bad business etiquette?

A NEW YEAR!

I have been sitting here reflecting on the first month of my time back in Texas, which included working 22 straight days, and marveling at how something as simple as an attitude change can impact your world.

I had a roller coaster summer in terms of searching for what God's will was for my life this year: Would I pursue a job and be hired to work at a school back in Iowa? Would I begin a Doctorate out in Virginia? Would I return to Texas? Obviously those questions have been answered, for now, but I came away with a new, fundamental understanding of myself and a new motivation:

I don't want to be negative.

I have found that I allow myself to wallow in my ineffectiveness at times; hoping that something will come along to lift me up out of my indecisive nature. What I have come to realize is that I now want to be part of the solution and that I don't have the time or the energy to BE negative or WORRY about those that are choosing to be stuck in their own runt of apathy. IF I talk about anything or anyone that is negative, it has to be in the context of relating the problem because we are now talking SOLUTION!

This simple attitude shift has made a world of difference so far in my time management, my effectiveness in dealing with judicial situations, and in my role as a leader and mentor to my RA staff. I am prepared for meetings. I have a clear vision for what I want to see from myself and others..........it even has me working out almost every day of the week because I want a better vision of myself and my physical health. This is infectious! This whole attitude came out of the fact that I love my family and any time that I would get depressed, I would get angry and default into the whole, "Why ME?" model because I wondered why I couldn't find a ministry closer to those that I love.

The motivation that I have now has everything to do with living for someone else. My little nephew, JJ (in the picture above), is almost 10 months old now and he is everything to me. I want to live a life that he can someday be proud to say that I am his uncle. I wonder if this is what people feel as they get married and start families. It is a very sobering thing to know that your actions will now affect and be crtiqued by others. I truly want to live a life that means something to not only myself.

I encourage all of you to look at your life and ask yourself two things:

1) "Is it really worth my time to be pouring energy into those people that are negative and probably aren't going to change?" Wouldn't it just be better to acknowledge those people for who and what they are and take care of the things in your own life that need work?

2) "What kind of life and witness am I projecting when I merely perpetuate the problem and do not become part of the solution?" I find that focusing on the goal helps me to create strategies that build the foundation upon which any vision can stand.

People shouldn't give up on people but there comes a point in every person's life where they have to live in the consequences of their own choices and we cannot force someone to change. We have to be consistent in who we are-What is the point in griping about others when we have so much to do ourselves?

LAST DAY!

I am sitting here taking a break from moving furniture-the inevitable result of having people in your buildings all year and then renting them out for conferences all summer-thinking about the year that was here at McMurry and Abilene, Texas since this is my last official day under contract until August 1st.

As any of my friends know, I tend to do this ALL the time=reflect on things and try to find application or perspective for the days to come. This last year has been a very full one, full of ups and downs. As is always the case with time at college, the year seemed to just fly by. All in all, I had new friendships, new relationships that helped me feel more at ease with issues of the heart, I finished my Masters degree (finally!) and went through my usual questioning if McMurry is the place for me for another year. I definitely tested the waters a little, as a job opened up back in Iowa that would have brought me closer to my family (which is the ultimate goal in the next 5-10 years) but I am thankful that it didn't work out (I haven't heard anything from them at all) because I didn't really feel like it was a fit for me and I would have been bitter and unhappy there.

The thing that I have learned over the years and during my various travels is that I now have a greater foundation of trust in God. No matter what I struggle with, or how much I still worry, I can always come back to the fact that God has always provided for me. When I think about how much I would miss people or things here in Abilene, or wherever, I am reminded that just 2 years ago I didn't know any of these people and that God has brought them into my life as a blessing and wherever I end up, He will provide those relationships again!

I now enter into the fun part of my year as I get the next 2 months off to do a little traveling and hanging out with family and friends. It is always such a rejuvenating time for me that I look forward to it every year. I am sure that I will have stories and pictures to add to my blog and hopefully I will get to see some of you during my journeys!!!

14 Years

http://www.charleyproject.org/cases/r/reitler_tricia.html

Please look back at what I wrote last year at this time-I don't think that I could say it any better than that.

I will never forget!

http://williamshall.blogspot.com/2006/03/i-will-never-forget.html

MARCH MADNESS!!!

Ok, I know that you can't really see this but, you can here: http://www.ncaasports.com/basketball/womens/brackets/viewable/2007/DIII

The only thing that you REALLY need to know is that my school, McMurry has qualified for the Division 3 National Tournament for the second straight year, which is only the THIRD time in school history!!!

McMurry actually gets to travel up to Newburg, Oregon (Having schools travel in D3 is almost totally unheard of, so is a big priviledge for us!). The host school is George Fox University and the draw is favorable for us because we don't have to see our nemesis this year, Howard Payne, until a potential matchup in the Sweet Sixteen. I have every confidence that our ladies will have a great trip and come back and crush Howard Payne and get our revenge as we end their season.......BUT first things first--The team we play, Puget Sound had a good year and tied for their regular season crown with George Fox but lost to George Fox in the Conference Tourney Final. Our conference has been much tougher this year, as we have had 4 teams ranked in the top 25 for most of the year, and 3 teams in our DIVISION were ranked in the top 15 almost all year!

I just wanted to say publically that I am soooooo proud of our Lady Indian Basketball team this year and I can't wait to watch as they show the country what they are all about!

Fun in Texas 2

I just wanted to make sure to write a quick note to all of my friends and family up north who are struggling with the nasty weather. I heard on the internet radio from Cedar Rapids that they are under a winter storm advisory, could get up to 8 inches of snow, and the wind chill is down around zero AGAIN. I just want everyone reading this blog to know............IT WAS AT LEAST 65 DEGREES DOWN HERE IN ABILENE TODAY!!!

This is for all of you that made sure to call me last fall when we had gotten snow and none of you had--PAYBACKS!!!

PS-I have finally updated my myspace account so please come and add me as your friend if you have a myspace account!!!

Pardon me while I go put on a light jacket because the temp has dipped down to 57 degrees and I just got a chill! =)

HOORAY for college life!

I have been having a renaissance recently in regards to my love for the college life. I have been remembering all of the wonderful experiences that I had in order to bring me to this point in my life. I have started to remember what it was for me to be a college student and all that wonderful possibility that laid out before me. Having the excitement, wonder, and feeling like anything was possible is what makes college life so amazing! It's the hope of something more. I am reminded that THIS is my role as a college professional=it is to play a role in shaping the dreams of students. So often I get bogged down in the negative decisions that some of my students are making that I forget that they too are just trying to figure out who they are and what can be done with this new found freedom that they have. The real problem is that a lot of these same students don't have enough of a foundation to have a real skill set to make good decisions; They have been thrown in the deep end of the pool and told to swim with barely a beginning knowledge of the 'doggie paddle'.
I was encouraged by a colleague recently that said, "How can we be asking our students to go out and live and function in the real world, if we ourselves have not done so?"-This statement was her pitch for working at non-Christian institutions. It made a lot of sense to me. As I am constantly reflecting on my life and what God has in store for me next, I am able to think back to the amazing experiences that I had in Williams, and I think that I can now add White's AND McMurry to that "Hall of Fame" for different reasons.

As a side note, another reason that college is such a buzz is because of some of the rivlaries that occur on the sports field. McMurry's arch rival is Hardin-Simmons because they are both here in Abilene. After a men's basketball game 3 years ago, someone was STABBED!!! A close second to HSU in terms of intense animosity is Howard Payne. The YellowJackets are located in Brownwood, Texas which is about an hour up the road (imagine a Taylor/IWU rivalry) but this year for our Basketball girls, the feud is especially powerful. Last Saturday, Howard Payne came into our gym and was ranked #6 in the nation. We rallied from 19 points down to beat them by a point-To ratchet the intensity up even further, they didn't drop any spots after their first loss, and we play them in their building again on Saturday. We are taking a hoard of people down and it should make for a very interesting afternoon of college hoops!

FUN IN TEXAS!

I have to say that amidst all of the wondering in my life about what my purpose is, what is next for me, and where that next thing is, I have really enjoyed living down in Texas. I have enjoyed being able to explore a state that I had very little experience with before moving down here in August of 2005. My only other direct experience with the state of Texas was when I took a missions trip to Austin during high school to help a couple of missionaires who worked with the international student population at UT that our church sponsored. I guess because of that experience I have always had a soft spot in my heart for Texas.
So far in the last year and a half, I have had the opportunity to vacation/spend time in Abilene, Buffalo Gap, Houston, Austin, Dallas, Denton (University of North Texas), Mercedes, Padre Island, San Antonio, and back to Dallas for a RA conference at UT-Dallas. All of these experiences can be divided up into either time spent with family OR time spent related to my role as Hall Director here at McMurry.
The best times have definitely been with family, although the most rewarding times have been getting to know my RA's at the various conferences (UNT & UTD) as I get to see them outside of their "university persona" and spend time with who they really are and watch them grow and question their own realities.
Fun times with family have definitely been capped off by what has become an annual Fall tradition=Jeremy coming down to visit me around Halloween. For those of you that don't know, Jeremy is my oldest and dearest friend on the face of the planet. He and I figured out that we have now been friends for over 20 years! Those kids of friendships don't come along that often in this world. When he came down to visit last year, we did all of the touristy things that Abilene had to offer and so this year we were looking to find something uniquely Texas to take advantage of my living in this state.
Well, we found true Texas flavor in picking San Antonio as our destination. Jeremy flew down late in the afternoon on a Wednesday afternoon and so we got up and headed out for San Antonio early in the morning on Thursday and headed straight to the Alamo. For many Texans, I think that they get overwhelmed with Texas history and so the Alamo has lost some of its aura but it was inspiring for me to see it in person. We hear about the sacrifice and the heroism that happened there but to see the building in person and actually be up to your ears in history was awesome! The only unfortunate thing about the Alamo is that a lot of the original mission land has been gobbled up by government buildings and tourist traps.
On Friday, we got to experience SeaWorld San Antonio! We paid a little extra and got to enter the park early and go on a tour of the parks behind the scenes with some of the trainers!!! I got to feed dolphins and sea lions; got to pet stingrays and sharks and get front row drenched by Shamu!!! I also got to see penguins, beluga whales, and flamingos up close!!! We started our day in the park at 8:30am and didn't leave the park until after 5pm!!! It was an exhausting day but it was totally worth it and an experience that I will never forget. On the ride home, we stopped and got to interact with some Indian pictographs, but that is a story for another day....
You can see all of my pictures online on my Facebook account=Shoot me an email at feltzy@hotmail.com and I will send you the link.
12/1-It has taken me a while to finish this post but it will be worth it to add some pictures of SNOW in Abilene, Texas. I actually think the wind chill right now is down in the teens! I thought that I had left all of this weather in Iowa=Special thanks to my brother Joe who made sure to call me yesterday to rub it in that THEY did NOT have snow! Well, pay back is ayou-know-what, so I will make sure to be calling him the next time they have a blizzard and we are back up in the 60's!!! Enjoy!!!

Why I Do What I Do......

The Road I'm On............

The military personnel of the United States of America
are forever obedient to the duties assigned by their commanding officers.

Even in the face of fear and adversity, they walk out onto the battlefield to defend the honor and freedom of this country,without hesitation and disobedience.

Those who are in The Army of The Lord, have the same duty

to the will of The Almighty God.

Christians should always look towards the physical army,

for a very clear example of what God expects of using the spirit.

I GOT A NAME..........

Like the pine trees linin' the windin' road
I've got a name, I've got a name
Like the singin' bird and the croakin' toad
I've got a name, I've got a name
And I carry it with me like my daddy did
But I'm livin' the dream that he kept hid
Movin' me down the highway
Rollin' me down the highway
Movin' ahead so life wont pass me by

Like the north wind whistlin' down the sky
I've got a song, I've got a song
Like the whippoorwill and the baby's cry
I've got a song, I've got a song
And I carry it with me and I sing it loud
If it gets me nowhere, I'll go there proud
Movin' me down the highway
Rollin' me down the highway
Movin' ahead so life wont pass me by

And I'm gonna go there free
Like the fool I am and I'll always be
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
They can change their minds but they can't change me
I've got a dream, I've got a dream
Oh, I know I could share it if you want me to
If you're going my way, I'll go with you
Movin' me down the highway
Rollin' me down the highway
Movin' ahead so life wont pass me by........."I've Got a Name" by Jim Croce

I have to be honest to say that I have been struggling with motivation and direction lately. Most of the excitement and energy that I gained from seeing friends, family over the summer and hanging out with Student Development types has been soaked up in the bog of check-ins, emergency room visits, and tons of changes here at McMurry. I have also been struggling spiritually-really feeling exhausted and attacked in my spirit.

Jim Croce is a man that died in the summer of 1972-before I was even born-but his music has always spoken to me and I have always felt a connection to this man that never really experienced any commercial success before he died. The song, "I've Got a Name", has always comforted me and is my own personal anthem as I seem to always be called to walk down this road alone. But I am alone only in the sense that there is no one physically sharing all of my adventures-GOD is with me and always has been and will always be there. And like the fool I am and I'll always be (maybe part of the reason that I alone) I have been given a dream of reaching out to others. I am thankful that God has always provided those friendships and experiences that are "goin my way" so that I can roll along with them. The only thing that gets me through feeling unsettled in my spirit=like being a misfit to my family, and a poster child for what not to do in dating=is the fact that God continues to use me in spite of me. I know that God has not given up on me and that gives me the strength, perspective, and insight to have the energy to not give up on the students put in my charge.

I would ask for prayer that I continue to find new ways to seek and glorify God in all that I do as well as asking His direction for my future-wherever that may be. If I am to stay in Abilene, help me to find the strength to accept that charge and be an agent for change!!!

I'm still Alive!!!

I have been reminded over the past few weeks of the joys and hardships involved in devoting your life to pouring value into other people. I have been running on the ragged edge the last three weeks: working 7 days a week and getting only 4-5 hours of sleep per night.

I have been thinking a lot about my beginnings in Residence Life that date back to the "Glory Days" in Williams Hall, to my time with the boys at White's, to now my second year in Texas at McMurry University-the home of the Indians, no matter what the NCAA may say!

I was finally able to attend my hometeam Bible study tonight and they have been going through a study called Discovering God's Will and the discussion this week centered around pinpointing those people that we turn to for advice in different areas of our lives like Career, Finances, Family, and other major decisions. This discussion was great for me because I was able to think about a bunch of people that have impacted my life (in no particular order)-Dr Voss, Fetz, JMak, James Swanson, Brian Day, Pete Dupont, MOM, Joe, Jeremy, all of my broken hearts/unanswered prayers, Kirk Statler, and many others. Some of the most influential people in my life have been my RA staffs-both the ones that I served on and those that I was priviledged enough to lead-Guys like Matt Hare, Matt McKee, Darren Campbell, Rob Dawson, Jason Benjestorf, Peter Damaska, Jon Allen, Stacy Brown, Eric Nentrup, Todd Bushong, Brian Bradford, Troy Yeager, Seth , Josh Hall, Bobby Fannin, Jake Burns, Josh Kramp, and Dave Wingfield.

I feel like I am in a state of flux because there have been so many changes here in my working life at McMurry that I just don't know what God has in store for me beyond this year. Is there a future for me in student development in Abilene beyond 2007? Does God want me to give up on my dreams for working with students in order to open up an opportunity in another area?

These are the kinds of questions that haunt us all at some point or another and I have come to learn that the reason that I am allowed to struggle with these things is so that I can have the understanding I need in order to minister to college students who are struggling mightily with who they are in God's universe. What I DO know is that God has always been with me and I am so humbled that He has brought into my life friends that have stood the test of time. The picture at the beginning of this blog is a picture that I took this summer of a lamp that stands on the Indiana Wesleyan campus at almost the exact spot where the front of Williams stood. I will always look back on the lessons learned in Williams to light my way for the trials to come. Thank you God for providing a haven like Williams Hall for me to be able to grow and learn the lessons that I needed in order to become the man that I needed to be today.

Back from Louisiana........

Ok let's face it=I have been back from Louisiana for a little over a week now but it has been a hectic week of sharing what God did on the trip, fixing up the Jeep, and resting.

I think that it will take me a while to truly grasp all of the lessons that God taught me during this week. It was an amazing time of hard work, humbling reminders, and basking in God's presence. If you want to take a look at some pics from my trip to Louisiana or the rest of my 'Summer 06' adventure, click on my picture above!

We arrived in Baton Rouge on Saturday night so that we could go to worship on Sunday as well as have the day to recover from the 12 hour van ride from Abilene to Baton Rouge. The church we were partnering with-Fellowship Church in Prarieville, LA-was about 20 min away from our hotel and it was amazing to worship these people and see their heart for ministry and to feel God's presence in the room. It was a very moving service.

Monday brought about our first day on the jobsite and the beginning of what would have been problems for anyone other than GOD. Rain and overall wet weather in Louisiana (it was unbelievably humid and in the high 90's all week!) had led to the concrete slab not even being poured before we showed up. We walked on site to see the concrete crew pouring the slab. We were informed that this was not a problem=we would just build all of the walls on the ground and then lift them into place-keep in mind that this is a 15,000 square foot facility!

I walked around for a little bit not really knowing what to do, only knowing that I wanted to find a way to serve. (It is good to note here that the main theme from this trip is that the most important thing in serving God is to just be AVAILABLE!) I ended up latching on with a guy and his two sons-the Chaffins: Lawrence, and Spencer and Matt. We began to pound together the walls and I ended up helping to carry a lot of the heavy supports for the windows, doorways, and corner. I didn't find out until about 3/4 of way through the day that the reason these guys looked like they knew what they were doing is because they did=Lawrence builds houses and Matt and Spencer had been roofing for him all summer. They killed me on the first day. I ended up having some medical issues (too personal to mention here) and ended up taking Tuesday morning off.

When I returned to the worksite on Tuesday afternoon, I was really frustrated because I really believed that my attitude was one of just wanting to serve and I couldn't understand what God was trying to teach me as I watched others work. In my mind I could see things that I knew I could help with but had to accept the reality that physically I couldn't. In this time of humbling, I got my teaching lesson in the form of four guys who were working in the Wood Shop-Jon, Roy, Dewey, and Derek. None of these guys had ever worked in the Wood Shop before-they walked on to the site and found a way to serve. It didn't matter to them where they were serving or if they were even recognized for doing it. People needed boards cut to attach to the structure and they met that need-keep in mind that 3 of these guys are in their 70's! I was able to work along side and learn from these Godly men. I count myself honored to have served with them. I cannot wait to see them again next year wherever ChurchBuilders goes to serve next year.

I challenge each of you that reads this to pray about ways to serve-whether that be in the communities that you live OR by accompanying me to ChurchBuilders next year. Texas ChurchBuilders goes to serve the third week in July and has done so for every year for the last 30+ years. I hope to see you all there next year!!!

Back to Abilene.....

Tomorrow I make my way back down to Abilene. I was talking with my brother Joe on the way back from seeing Pirates of the Caribbean and I was thinking about how much is uncertain during this next year and how much potential for change is on the wind. It's also amazing to me how my time off so far has seemed both short and long all at the same time. When I think of going back to Abilene, it seems like its been forever since I have been there but it also feels like my time here in the Midwest has flown by. It has been an amazing summer-one that I will treasure always for the experiences as well as for some of the things that I learned about myself.

To recap: during my time at home, I got to watch my brother Joe finally marry the girl of his dreams; I have spent time with friends at White's; friends who used to work at White's; been to an amazing Student Development conference where I not only got fired up for ministry but also put to rest some old demons from my past; I got to party with Jeremy, the Indians, and Toad the Wet Sprocket in Indy; I was able to spend time with brothers Ben and Andy and take a day trip with my dad that many wish for in traveling to the Field of Dreams and then on to the Mississippi River Museum. I came home from time up north with my dad to find out that I will soon get to begin the new adventure of being an uncle sometime around Thanksgiving=Thanksgiving indeed!!!

During my time away from Texas, both my staff and my reality for this next year have changed but I know that somehow this is going to be a year to remember in terms of opportunities for growth and new experiences. I look ahead to it all with anticipation but cannot help but feel the butterflies of uncertainty as I say goodbye to my family in Iowa.

Goodbye Iowa...........................Hello Abilene!!!

Are the Pacers the new Knicks?!?

Today the Indiana Pacers completed the Ron Artest saga by getting nothing in return for his services. Peja Stoakovic agreed verbally to a tender offer from the New Orleans/Oklahoma City Hornets.

WHAT IS HAPPENING WITH THE TEAMS IN INDIANA?!?

Indiana and Indianapolis have a rich history of putting together respectable, contending teams who fight for post season berths every year and give their fans hope that they will put all of the pieces together and bring a title to a proud, but title-starved state. This off-season, Indy has lost Edgerrin James AND Peja AND Ron Artest. It's funny and a little sad that the only way that the Pacers can hope to salvage any of this mess is to go after a player that they sent packing a couple of years ago: Al Harrington. Right now Indy has some attitude issues-they do not seem to understand the reality of today's sports market: the DOLLAR still reigns supreme.

IN CLOSING:

We need to take a moment of silence for the city of Detroit who were just shocked in their arrogance as Ben Wallace signed with the Chicago Bulls!!!

And now that that moment of stupidity is over-You HAVE TO take your hats off to the Bulls and the Hornets! Chicago is getting Ben Wallace-Shipping out malcontent Tyson Chandler and getting PJ Brown and JR Smith-and they are probably not done yet.
The Hornets just signed Peja, are getting Chandler AND signed Bobby Jackson (ONE OF MY FAVORITE PLAYERS!!!) away from Memphis to a 3 year deal=all in the span of 3 days!!!! The Hornets have Byron Scott as coach and the best up and coming guard in the league in Chris Paul! WATCH OUT!!

Take heart Indiana......................At least...................You have the Pacemates!!!

DAY TRIP!!!

Today was a fun day for me. I have been spending most of the last week hanging out with my dad and family here in Cedar Falls, Iowa. One of the things that we made sure to plan this year was some kind of day trip. We had talked about different things like Canoeing, Movies, and other things but we really wanted to try to do something that was uniquely Iowa as well as a special experience for the both of us. We found it.




Today, my dad and I made the two hour treck to the Field of Dreams movie site in Dyersville, Iowa. I had watched the movie in preparation for our quest and it did not disappoint. Now I know that some of you may think="What's the big deal? It's just a baseball field, right?!?" To think this way is an indictment on the state of America today. To take from the movie, "Baseball has stood the test of time. Baseball is what has spanned the generations." Plus, I LOVE the movie. There was something spiritual about sitting on top of the bleachers along the first base line with my dad; Walking out to left field where Shoeless Joe Jackson had patrolled during the film; it was great for me and my dad to pose at home plate, bat in hand, as if we were ready to take a shot and wink at the picture just before our triumphant moment in the sun. It was an experience that I will take with me and treasure for the rest of my life. I hope that I will be able to go again someday and will definitely take the time to take my kids if I am blessed.

We also went on up the road to Dubuque, Iowa to the National Mississippi River Museum and Aquarium. We spent almost 4 hours exploring the grounds and what an amazing time we had here as well! It was fun to go through and learn about the great river, its history and its animal life. We also got to learn about some of the riverboat history and got to walk through and interact with a dredging boat that helps to maintain the speed and efficiency of the Mississippi. I, of course, picked up souvenirs from all of these places and look forward to sharing pictures.








Next on the list: Superman Returns, Friday at the IMAX theater in Cedar Rapids, Iowa and then on to Fourth of July happenings with my mom's side of the family.

SUMMER TRIP-DAY 17!!!

I am finding that one of the hardest things to do is get in front of a computer each day to write about some of the amazing things that I am doing. For example, in the last week since I have written, I have gone through another 3 days of an amazing Student Development Conference at IWU that has hopefully inspired me to greatness=God give me the strength to follow through on even HALF of the ideas that I have floating around in my head and it could be a great year. As I was leaving the conference, I ran into my old desk manager in Williams=Nate Lamb!!! He is such an amazing man of God that has really devoted his life to his family. I am humbled that I was allowed to have any kind of role in his development. It was great to reminisce about some good times in Bill Hall!!! If you think of it, please send up a quick prayer for him as they just added a member to their family=Lauren (she's such a cutey!) as well as for Nate as he is beginning Grad School!
Last Monday night, I got to go to an Indianapolis Indians baseball game-which was a ton of fun=my first Triple A game! Tuesday night had a barbeque with some great friends in Indy-Wed I got to have lunch with my great friend Brian Day in Kokomo and tour a couple's AMAZING home that has been a continuing project over the last 10 years, and then THURSDAY=I got to see Toad the Wet Sprocket in concert at a great club in Broad Ripple called the Vogue!!!


This was a great moment for me to have some time to hang out with Jeremy and listen to some great music. Toad hasn't really toured together in about 2 years and it was at least 4 years before that-choosing to each focus on solo careers and other things. Toad has always been a band that I have identified with and actually play their Greatest Hits CD, P.S., to relax to and even as background music to clean my apartment. There has always been something inspirational and soothing about their music. It was a great time and I am so thankful that Jeremy and I got to share it.

As many of you know, I am inclined to reflect on things, and this post is no different. As I was spending some QT in Indiana, I realized that I have no idea when I will be back in Indiana again. I spent so much time hating the state and resisting the "Hoosier" label that it kind of grew on me. I mean, I spent over 9 years of my life there. I still have a large group of friends there who some could be called family (I hope that you know who you are!). Also, Indiana provided a good starting point to visit friends in Michigan and Ohio and it was a pretty sobering thought to not have any idea when I might be seeing some of those people again. Next year marks the ten year anniversary of my college graduation, which is traditionally celebrated at Homecoming. The problem is that I don't get a lot of vacation and I am pretty busy with my own college schedule responsibilities and so I doubt that I will make a trip to IWU next Fall. We shall see. At this point, no one is really talking about it. So, here's to Indiana=God has used this state to shape me and teach me things that make me the man that I am today and I am thankful for all of it! To everyone still behind, know that I take with me the memories and lessons in my heart and thank each and everyone of you for the part that you played in my life!

To quote one of my favorite Toad songs: "I will not take these things for granted!"

ACSD National-DAY ONE

Monday marked the first official day of my journey inside the Association for Christians in Student Development's 2006 National Conference at my alma mater, Indiana Wesleyan University. As you might expect, I have been flooded with all sorts of different emotions regarding my return to this campus, as I have both worked here & been shown the door here with a pink slip in hand, as well as having been a student here for 4 and a half years. I also have added to the mix that I spent 2 and a half years working just 20 min's up the road-So I have spent a considerable time of my late 20's and early 30's involving this little patch of corn in rural Indiana and it has actually been fun to relive some of those memories and share bear hugs with some of the great friends that I still have here. I am sure that there will be future blogs regarding some of my memories and reflections on my time here in Indiana but for today, I want to reflect on the first day of the conference and some of the things that I took away from the opening night keynote speach by Dr. John Maxwell.
I ended up taking two legal-sized pages of notes so I will not overwhelm anyone with all of those thoughts but I will try to break it down. Now, it needs to be said that I generally do not care for some of Maxwell's stuff. He has some great ideas but I just feel that he really could have stopped at one book instead of how ever many he has put out because they all feel like regurgitated ideas from the first book. That is just my opinion-This is my blog and I am entitled to it!

Anyway, he did have some good things to say that inspired me to reflect on my ministry at McMurry and it was fun to be sitting with the folks from Abilene Christian University during the speech. Here are some snipits of what I came away with:

"Leaders make the position-A leadership position doesn't make a person a leader."

Leadership equals Servanthood=How can I lead through service in my current
position?


[ ] How can I better serve my RA's? Have I changed enough to be ready/credible to make a difference & be an Agent for Change at McMurry?

[ ] Can my vision/Passion allow me to stay in Abilene long term?

[ ] Can I stay in Abilene and still be involved in the ministry of Student Development?

[ ] What new opportunities can I explore this Fall? This Spring?!?

"We teach what we know, but reproduce what we ARE....."

[ ] Do what have managers or leaders at McMurry?

Managers=Manage the Status Quo
Leaders=Prepare Way For Change
Pursue Excellence

Climbing Ladders OR Building Bridges

Self/Competition --- Relationships
Steal from Others --- Add Value

POSITION=If you're not enough without it-You'll never be enough with it.

These are just some of the things from DAY ONE which was only a HALF day-just think about how much more I am going to be learning now that we are into the seminar portion!!!