Thank you Abba, for allowing us to play on and enjoy Your creation. Life is so much fun when you can pepper in trips to the beach. There is just something about body surfing in 58 degree salt water at high tide that just makes you feel absolutely alive. I think heaven will be like that… shear invigorating pleasure! 

Yesterday we went to the beach with our college and twenty-something’s cell from Allen (much needed after spending 9 1/2 hours at graduations this past week). We had a wonderful time grilling, playing soccer, laying out, discussing randomness, body surfing, people watching, etc…

Two weeks ago we went out as a family. It was too chilly to swim, but perfect for playing on the beach. Here are a few moments of fun I captured…

This past weekend when we attended Impact in Ocean City we had the opportunity to spend some time with Tommy Woodard of the Skit Guys. Tommy is Ryan’s youth pastor, and mentor. He is the pastor who performed our premarital counseling as well as our wedding ceremony. Needless to say, he is an important part of Ryan’s life and mine as well.

The best thing about Tommy is not his high profile status among the Christian conference circuit. For me it is the fact that he knows my husband. Every time we get to spend time with Tommy, Ryan walks away knowing that Tommy loves him and is proud of him. Ryan walks away knowing that Tommy is in his corner. He walks away knowing that Tommy knows the wounds of his past, and sees great potential for his future because of them and despite them. Tommy extends to him encouragement, wisdom, support, and accountability. Tommy knows Ryan’s heart and chooses to invest in him.

Very few of us have relationships like this in our life outside of our family members. It is a blessing to find people who are willing to get into the trenches of your heart and know you. It is important for us to create relationships like this… to be mentors and friends who really seek to know each other. Relationships like this are not found. They are created through consistency and love.

To be known intimately is a longing of our heart, and a need in our lives. I believe within each of us our greatest craving is to be known by God. To know Him and to be known by Him is the key to a consistent journey towards Christ. The most important heart for us to know is the heart of Abba. His heart extends healing, reveals beauty, and provides guidance.

Search me, O God, and know my heart…

Psalm 139:23a

Back in early November, Ryan came home from one of the weekly Allen Staff meetings and we went through the usual debriefing of his day and some of the things that happened in their meeting. Ryan casually mentioned that there had been discussion concerning a need for a Creative Arts Director/Pastor or Visual Arts Director/Pastor (they weren’t quite sure what to call it). As he was telling me about it I had one of those moments where you know that God is about to do something cool. I knew this was it. The dream job I had been waiting for. The undefinable job that would fit the eclectic talent, experience, and calling that God placed within in me. The job that would utilize, grow, and even stretch the education and experience that I had received at Southeastern Oklahoma State University as well as the much scoffed at degree I chose (BA in Musical Theater). That day I began to pray that God would allow me to have the job, and that He would remove the obstacles that might hinder me from serving at Allen in this new capacity (Obstacle 1. I am the wife of the youth pastor, Obstacle 2. We would have to put Ryland in some sort of child care situation.). About a week later Ryan and I sat down talked about it and of course he whole heartedly supported me in pursuing the position (he’s pretty much the best husband ever). From there I contacted our senior pastor, Bill Warren, and requested that when and if the position was officially created that I be allowed to submit my resume’ for consideration. He told me to “go ahead and send it.” And the process began… there was a lot of waiting, multiple interviews/meetings and then it all culminated in the nerve racking voting process that all ministers go through. I officially became the Creative Arts Pastor @ Allen Memorial Baptist Church on January 1st, 2008. Since then Ryland has been blessed with some amazing people who care for him on Tuesdays during staff meetings (Sarah Rushing one of the college ministers at S.U.) and on Sundays before the church childcare starts (Danny and Patty Morris).

My job description, as with most ministry positions, is very broad. Here are a few things I am responsible for: drama team, announcement team, lighting designs, lighting team, video team, media projection team, directing all services, planning services with our senior pastor and worship pastor, creating design concepts for sermons and sermon series (logos, stage props, & promotional materials), our website, locating or creating videos (to use as illustrations, worship enhancement, promotion etc..), and creating power point for sermons that are congruent with the design concept.

My positions is a 25 hour a week part time positions (although I am averaging 39 hours per week). I do most of my work from home (Thank you Jesus for laptops and WiFi). My three big workdays are Tuesday, which is staff meeting, Thursday, which is the day we rehearse our services, and of course Sunday when it all goes down.

I am so thankful for God’s provision. He has proven Himself faithful once again. There is nothing like being able to do what you were created to. It makes all the usual job issues worth dealing with and working out. I still have a lot to learn about being a Creative Arts Pastor, but I am continually astounded at the ways God provides the knowledge, skills, resources, and people I need to do my job. I am also amazed by the way He is using my past experiences in this job. There are so many random things I did as an actress, singer, student, employee, ministry volunteer, etc… that I thought had no purpose, but now they are paying huge dividends. My Abba is Awesome!!! Every detail of His plan is perfect, and I am humbled that I get to be a part of it.

I believe that God uses art, music, theatre, media, lighting, and websites to draw people unto Himself and ultimately Glorify His name. That is why I am passionate about adding those elements to our church. I love being the Creative Arts Pastor @ Allen Memorial Baptist Church.

My Tech Guys Doin’ Their Thing

The band and a sampling of my stage props (The Truth About Sex Series)

Bill Preaching and a sample of one of my sermon logos.

This Easter has been a lot of fun for this Weaver crew. As we have decided would be our tradition, we do our Easter festivities on the Saturday before Easter. Yesterday when Chico woke up he got his Easter Basket and present (a little tykes adjust & jam basketball goal with breakaway rim), and we did his indoor egg hunt. He decided to come dressed as Batman thanks to Nana. So we had a little caped super hero running around too fast to get clear pictures. After our pancake breakfast we headed out to Allen for the 4,000 + egg hunt. There were loads of people there. Sonja, our interim Children’s said, we had 140 kids there (that of course does not include the parents, grandparents, and workers). My boys were a bit overwhelmed by the sardine like feeling, but it was fun. We spent the rest of the day hangin’ out watchin’ the madness and shootin’ hoops in our living room. Ryland ended the day by eating a See’s Chocolate Bunny (thanks again to Nana ; ). It was the first time he had been given chockee (rylandism #154). It was a wonderful day!

Of course this morning (3/23) we did church. We had a little over 600 in attendance… what a crew. It was very exciting to see our church bustin’ at the seems. Lots of first time visitors, and of course some who hadn’t been for a while.

Today we are going to start the tradition of taking our “kids” to a movie on Easter Sunday. We are going to the 6:30 showing of “Horton Hears a Who!” This will be our first time to take Ryland to a movie (we’re not counting the few he slept threw back in the day). We will see how it goes, but it seems my boy has that inevitable “tunnel tv vision/hearing” already. Is this a boy thing? Ryan and I both remember our “little brothers” doing the same thing. Anyway… I am pretty sure he’ll do fine since he is napping it up as I write. I think he will enjoy the Dr Seuss classic.
Happy Easter to All!

Press On!!!

Ryan, Amanda, and Ryland

Chico’s New Favorite Book!

Goal?

The Bat Cave

Happily Waiting to Hunt @ Allen

What are all these people doing?

Emulating the Madness

The Chockee Bunny

Sweet Delirium

Pre-Church Play

Always Holding that B-Ball 

I’ve Still Got It!

CLICK HERE to view a worship video I (Manda) created for use during our pastor’s current sermon series “How to get whatever you need.” The video features the song You Never Let Go by Matt Redman and focuses on Psalm 23:4. If you would like a copy for your own use  in ministry please contact me manda@terminalconfession.com.

Thanks!

It has been one year since we first laid eyes upon the Eastern Shore. Our interview visit with Allen was the first weekend in December 2006. I fell in love with this place the moment we arrived. Now that we have lived through each of the seasons on the Eastern Shore I am even more in love with the beautiful landscape, the people, our church, the shopping, the opportunities, and the close proximety of the ocean. This is a great stinkin’ place to live.

The Maryland Winter punctuates my love for the ES. We have gotten to experience natures Christmas decoration twice this week. Check out Rylz first “independent” experience in the snow. Fun Times!!!

===++++===++++===++++===++++====

 

I went back and replayed the Pride of Oklahoma Band performance from the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade in hopes of capturing Ryland’s dance. Of course a picture doesn’t do it justice. Imagine seeing Ryland’s right shoulder raise as he tilts his head to the right and then alternates to the left. This pattern repeats as he runs in a circle and says guh-lee, guh-lee, guh-lee in his infant tenor voice.

Throughout the summer we have visited Assateague often… On one of our many trips we discovered a hole that was right at the tide line. We promptly plopped Ryland inside of it and he was frantically excited. He loved watching the waves come towards him, and really enjoyed digging in the sand. So… we now dig him a hole to play in every time. It is perfect because our little runner needs something to contain him, and allow him independence at the same time. Of course by the end of the day the whole is much deeper because he eats the sand constantly. But… the fun he has in the hole makes the gritty dirty diapers worth it (hahahahaha).

We took our last trip to the beach for the 07 season two weeks ago. The weather was perfect, the tourists were gone, the surfers were out in the water, and we finally got to see horses on the beach. We spent about six hours there and enjoyed every minute. We were even joined by the Drehmer family at the end of the day. It was great hanging out, playing in the water, and eating together. Thank you Drehmers for sharing your Saturday with us.

Eating the Sand

Defending the Hole… Come one step closer and I’ll show you my upper cut.

A View From the Hole

A New Way to Dig

Oh Happy Day!

Blowing Kisses

My Boys Are Fun!

Daddy Uses the Hole to Cook Up Dinner…


Recovering From Body Surfing.

Suited Up For the Surf

The Famous Assateague Island Horses