A Great Conversation...

As many of you know I am currently working as a Sales Associate at Urban Outfitters at the Fashion Mall @ Keystone at the Crossing.  I have had the opportunity over the past couple of months to have some great conversations with some great people that I otherwise would not have met.  Although I am currently not serving vocationally at a church, I have had a lot of opportunities to serve his church through his ministry.  The opportunities I have had to speak with some great people has reminded me about the importance of making yourself available for the holy spirit.  He reminded me that even if you are not excepting it, it is important to understand that when you make yourself available, a conversation will happen.

For so much time over the past two years I have been involved with leading other people to be available for the holy spirit and have conversations with people they care about life, ministry, & who God is to them.  I spent so much time doing the leading that I forgot to have those conversations myself.  It has not been until now that God has shown me the importance of doing this as a leader.  If I am going to lead people, I am realizing now that I need to have the conversations myself.

Working at Urban Outfitters over the past couple of months has shown me how powerful our God is.  As I look toward to the future whatever ministry I have the opportunity to serve in whether it be vocationally or on a volunteer basis, I will never forget the importance of the little conversations.



till another day,




normallyINDIE

InstaUpdate...

Every so often I like updated you on one of my favorite photo taking apps on the blessed iPhone 5.  There has especially been a lot going on over the last couple of months and here are just a couple of my favorite.  PS these have all been taken with my new iPhone 5 which I just got in the beginning of July.

CIY Move 2013 - Worshiping w/ 3000 HS Students 

CIY Move - Color Experience w/ the Uprising 

CIY Move - 3 of 5 Students we were able to Baptize 

Average Golf Score for the Year, Lots of time & hard-work to get under 80. 

All my favorite sports teams Vintage Style. 

There are just a couple of my favorites from the last couple of months.  If you would like to see more make sure you follow me on Instagram @normallyindie; I always embrace new followers.  Have a great (almost August) afternoon.



till another day,




normallyINDIE.

the Modern Christian...

I recently had the honor of preaching a 2 week series at Twin Oaks CC centered on the idea of modern day christianity.  God has recently put a lot of feelings on my heart regarding the "christian" world's interaction with the real world and how most of the time that is limiting the gospel.  Here is the graphic that went along with the series as well as the videos from both weeks.  Enjoy:

Designed by Turquoise Feathers Studio, LLC. 

5/19/13 - The Modern Christian - How the World Sees Us

5/26/13 - The Modern Christian - How we Must Respond

till another day, 

normallyINDIE 

Wet Feet...

If you haven't already, I strongly urge you to purchase the book Circle Maker by Mark Batterson.  It is a great story about a faith journey for National Community Church.  Most of all it teaches us as pastor to reinvent the way that we pray and the way that we interact with our Lord.  But what I have found most recently is the way that I pray is being forever changed.  The way I think about my relationship with God is coming alive through the way that I communicate with him.

I just recently started the Draw the Circle 40 Day Prayer Challenge that is laid out in the book and the companion.  Reading today I found a text that was so empowering.  That is the story of the Israelities crossing the Jordan River.

It is explained that the Israelities were making along journey to the promise land and they were on the cusp of finally making it there and the only thing that stood in their way was the mighty Jordan River during flood season.  This was the most intimidating thing that they faced since the parting of the Red Sea.  Yet another daunting task that they had to face in order to achieve what God called them to.  But what is interesting about this story is that God called the Israelities to take the first step.  He promised them that when they go their feet wet, the River would be stopped and they would walk across on dry ground.  Therefore they had a decision to make, would they wait for God to make something happen before or would they be willing to get their feet wet and make the first move.

This is the issue that rescinates so much with my life because so much of the time what God is calling me to is so close, but I spend my life waiting for God to make the first move, when in fact God is waiting on me to get my feet wet.  I don't know how close I have been to the dreams God has ordained me for and I am waiting for him to move.  But this text suggests something so different.  That is the idea that sometimes, God is waiting for us to step out in faith and say "I know it doesn't look like it now, but if I get my feet wet and step into the raging Jordan, then you will complete your side of the bargain and allow us to walk on dry ground."  How many times are we waiting for God's will to be revealed in our lives when in fact God is waiting for us to step out in faith, so that he could then reveal his will in us?

What things are holding you back from truly stepping into the river and saying God I am ready and willing for you to part it.  So much of the time we spend our time so close to our dreams when in fact they are there for the taking if we are willing to make the first move.

God is saying it is time for us to move, are you willing to take the first step and truly get your feet WET.



till another day,




normallyINDIE.

InstaUpdate...

Every once in awhile I like to do something I like to call an InstaUpdate on this blog.  That is just updating you on one of my favorite iOS apps that makes me feel like a real photographer (when in fact my pictures are awful).  I take pictures of about everything and enjoy seeing what my friends have to say both close friends and those famous people we all love to follow.  Here are a couple pictures from the past couple months that I especially liked.  Enjoy:

1st Tourney as the Assistant Golf Coach for Trenton HS

Inspired by Opening Day 2013 & the Struggle I have with living in Detroit, but loving the Cards

One of my new favorite hobbies.  Chemex & Toddy Iced Coffee

My Brother & I's Senior Bricks @ Normal West HS

The Environment @ the Uprising SM

Working on Golf Game, Shooting in the 70s

Keep up to date on all things normallyINDIE on twitter @normallyINDIE & instagram @normallyindie.  Be looking out for more blog updates to come.


till another day,





normallyINDIE

Cousin Eddie's Big Day...

I have had the honor of getting to know this man, my cousin, Edward J. Schmidt for the past 10 years of my life.  He is an amazing man of God and has always been one of the main influences in my life.  I am so honored and blessed to have him as a part of our family and could not be happier for his Ordination tomorrow.

Many of you reading this may have met Eddie before, but if you haven't let me explain a little bit about who this man is.

I first met Eddie in Shop class in 7th grade at Chiddix Junior High School.  At the time Eddie and I both were a bit nerdy, but he had a way with words and especially telling jokes.  He was definitely the class clown of the Chiddix Team Titans and was so funny to be around.  I continued to get to know Eddie as we both started to get involved with Remix, mentored under Joel Craig, at Eastview Christian Church, Normal, IL.  We went on our first missions trip together to Cincinnati, OH in 2003 (Know Sweat) followed by a trip to Mexico, 2 Trips to DR/Haiti, & 5 Trips to CIY Move.  We spent so many hours together getting to know each other, but it really wasn't until we decided that we were both going to Cincinnati Christian University that we became family.

At the time I did not know Eddie well, but we thought what the heck, we might as well room together.  There is no other people from our hometown going to CCU so at least we had that going for us.  We could not have been more right.  We spent the rest of our senior year/summer getting to know each other and by the time we came to CCU we were joined at the hip.

While at CCU we created traditions like Friday Naps, Movie Nights, & Roomie Playlists (Power of Love).  Not to mention became known as those "two annoying guys that always are with each other".  We were a lot to handle, but we had a group of friends that fit like a glove and we could not be happier to still have those relationships today.

Eddie then went our separate ways, as Eddie ventured off to Australia, England, & Florida, I went to work with Bloc Ministries, & met my beautiful wife Jenny in Indianapolis.

Our journeys have led us so many places (Detroit, MI), but one thing is for sure Eddie and I are family and we will stay that way.  Eddie is one of the most kind-hearted, genuine, loving, and comfortable people to be around.  He lights a room the second he walks in and he is a diligent scholar when it comes to understanding God's word.  I look up to him in so many ways and I am so honored to call him my brother in Christ.

Eddie, I am so happy for you and congratulations on your ordination.  Welcome to the ministry my friend and it is going to be such an exciting journey.  One thing is for sure, there will be highs and lows, but you know that Jenny and I will always be here for you.  We love you so very much and couldn't be more proud of our cousin Eddie.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

The Uprising (Update)...

As you may know,  I am currently the Student Ministries Pastor at Twin Oaks Christian Church meaning I am the director of the Uprising Student Ministries.  It is an amazing ministry dedicated to creating a movement of middle school & high school students that are fearlessly making known the gospel in Detroit.  I have been blessed with the opportunity to work in a place like this and most of all be a part of some great student's lives.  I continue to thank God everyday for the opportunities my wife and I have been given.  That being said, I would like to give you a little update on how everything is going and what we have to look forward to in the future.

The Uprising is currently running between 20 - 30 Middle School & High School Students at our Sunday evening service.  We have had 2 - 3 new students consistently for the last month and God is truly blessing us with life change amongst the students that we currently have.  We have been very patient with this growth and our staff is hoping to continue to cultivate and make the best of the situation we are apart of.  We are currently running a Sunday night service that is similar to a church setting with a bit of a twist of fun, food, and shot's at the pot (currently at $40 in Amazon.com gift cards).  Every other sunday night we run our small group programming called Growth Groups.  This is a pilot program that has our student leadership team leading each small group that is segregated based on grade.  It has been an amazing outlet for those that are otherwise outspoken and a good opportunity to dissect what is being said during the sermons and how it applies to their lives.

Looking forward, we are currently in the middle of our fundraising for our Dominican Republic Missions team that will be headed to Hato Del Yaque in August.  Are number to raise is currently at $11,000 and we are so excited to see how God provides for us in the coming months to make this trip happen.  I am so excited for that opportunity for our 4 students.  We are also going to be headed to CIY Move in July.  This will be my 8th Trip to Move & first in 3 years, I could not be more excited to see old friends, see God move amongst our students, and lead our group to make some amazing decisions for God.

God is doing so many amazing things amongst our students and I cannot begin to describe to you all that is taking place.  I am so honored to be serving God in this way and I am so excited to continue to work in his ministry.  It is truly an honor to be apart of his ministry and I am truly blessed.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Bearing Fruit...

As many of you know, I had the opportunity speak at Twin Oaks CC's main stage.  It was an amazing opportunity to speak to our members that I do not always get.  I had the chance to not only speak to our students and their parents, but also a ton of new visitors that were excited to try our church for the first time.  We are currently in our 40 Days in the Word series this past week being Meaning of the Text.

It was an amazing opportunity to speak to our church and most of all to go through the text of John 15. Never before did I fully think about what it meant to bear fruit and the fact that Jesus has called all of his disciples to do so.  I understood that we need to "bear fruit" we are told that hundreds of times, but never did I really look into the text to understand how to do that.  What I found was amazing.  Like the majority of our faith, it comes down to the idea of remaining in Christ, taking up residency in his arms.  That being the case we will bear fruit, we will see God's glory, and his joy will be made complete in us.  It is as simple as that and the simplicity behind this idea just makes my life that much better.

I serve a creator that has made himself available to us all through is word and I am so excited to continue on this journey of discovery.  If you would like to listen to the message from Twin Oaks CC Click Here



till another day,



normallyINDIE

the Presence Tour...

I had the honor of spending last weekend returning to my wife and I's first home, Cincinnati, OH, to attend the Believe Conference for Junior High students.  God blessed us with 9 students that joined us for an amazing weekend of growth and fellowship. 

This was not my first rodeo as this was my 8th time at Believe and 3rd in Cincinnati, so like before, the conference was top notch.  High level illustrations, great worship, awesome graphics, not to mention amazing, practical speaking.  But it wasn't all of this that made the biggest impact on my wife and I this past weekend.  What made the biggest impact is what makes ministry life so great and that is the relationships that are formed.  

If you had been following my tweets over the weekend, @normallyINDIE, it seemed as though we were running into someone left and right.  And I know what you are thinking, "what else is new? Any pastor runs into tons of people he knows at christian conventions?"  But this time was different.  I feel God placed these people in our path this past weekend to remind us the value of relationships as well as the value the people have in our lives.  The weekend was like an impromptu family reunion.  My wife and I got to see one of our best friends Sarah Brown, who was integral in us getting together, my brother & his awesome girlfriend Lindsay, Ash, J-Trav, Reverend Katie Brown, Papa Brown, Court, Post, not to mention the GUMC crew and the giant crew from Eastview (just so happens to be my home church).  All of these people have had such a huge impact on our lives and it was so fitting to see them in the place that Jenny and I called home at the beginning of our marriage.  It was a weekend of memories that will not go forgotten and all I can do is thank Believe for making it happen.  

I learned so much this past weekend and have seen a huge change of heart in our student's lives through the testimonies that were laid out by God this past weekend, but in the midst of that, what God continued to speak to me was that ministry is all about relationships.  Not only ministry, but life is all about people and Jesus came to this world to save people.  So often we can get focused on numbers, budgets, church sizes, logistics, when God may be screaming at us to say "time to seek after my people who are lost".  

He has placed so many people in our path both to have an impact on and for them to have an impact on us.  If we are willing to take to time to stop and listen.  God is bringing his people to us and I am so thankful to be a small part of that.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE. 

#C3Conf...

If you have been following my twitter (@normallyINDIE) over the last week, you would have be bombarded with posts regarding the C3 Conference in  Dallas, TX.  It is a church conference designed for church leaders to come together, ask questions about the Real & the Raw and most of all understand God's calling on their to be held at a higher standard.  Sadly, I wasn't able to bring my team with me, but despite all of that God seemed to do so much work in my life personally as well as my ministry life. I would like to share with you some of the big insights that he shared with me during my time in Dallas.  

First being, the God is working through our struggle.  An amazing pastor named Greg Rohlinger (@gregrohlinger) spoke on this idea as he was diagnosed with a terminal illness that is gradually taking his life.  Everyday tasks seemed to become more and more difficult and he could have either cursed God and walked away or continued to follow him because his ministry was not over.  But God was preparing him for what he had to do in the future through the struggle he was facing today.  That is the big take away, that God is allowing you to work through this struggle because you have to work through this in order to be prepared for what is to come.  

Next, Pace Hartfield (@pacehartfield) shared with all of us that "Your Pastor is not your Lord, but your Pastor's leader is your Lord."  This is an amazing idea because so often do we treat our senior pastors with too much respect or very little respect.  What he called us to understand was that if you are not willing to respect your senior pastor for whatever reason, you must respect the calling & authority he was given by God to lead your church.  It is an amazing thing to understand because so many of us either disrespect or undermine our pastors and that is not what God is calling us to do when we step on board as a team staff at church.  

These are just a couple insights from the amazing week that took place in Dallas and I am so excited to go back next year and bring as many people on our teams as possible.  

Below is a recap of the week if you would like more info or to register for C3 2014 then go to click here 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

Going on a Trip...

I have been blessed over the last 7 years of my life to visit the Dominican Republic/Haiti Island three times, two of which included trips with G.O. Ministries and their amazing staff.  These are opportunities to both grow spiritually as well as serve the Dominican People.

I am so excited to announce that we will be taking another trip to the Dominican this August with 5 High School Students from Twin Oaks CC.  It is our first trip with the Uprising and it is going to be an amazing opportunity to again serve these people and grow together as a group.

Some of what I am so excited about it:

Reconnecting with Missionaries
Meeting new Friends in DR
Remembering my 5 years of Spanish
Sharing God with our Students
Telling stories of life change with our Families

We leave for our trip August 6th - 13h and I could not be more excited about it.  I have attached a video below that was created by GO Ministries.  It only excites me more to join them in August.

till another day,




normallyINDIE

Why God?...

I had to opportunity to meet with a friend of mine today at one of my favorite spots in Woodhaven, MI, Starbucks on Allen & West.  It was an awesome time of encouragement and growth with one another, but there was sometime particular that came out of this time together.  What was revealed to me was the importance with trusting God with everything that we have.  

I feel like I have written on this topic before, but I never feel that we an spend enough time focusing on trusting God or having true faith that requires something.  He reminded me today that anyone can believe in God, but faith is something that is not as easily found.  I began to think about having faith and even having faith when it seems that everything else is falling apart.  I am reminded how easy it is to have faith in God and his power when everything is going great and we are at the peak of our existence.  

It reminds me of the story of Job and the fact that his entire story was centered on the fact that everything was taken from him.  The important part of this story is that God did not take everything away from Job, but instead he allowed Satan into the situation to destroy his life, knowing that Job would continue to have faith in God.  This reminds me that Satan never overpowers our God, but that he is on a leash and he can be let off the leash when God wants.  But ultimately, God is the master of all things including Satan.  What we can't do anymore is ask Why God?, instead we must endure realizing that God is in control of all of these situations and faith must be at the center of everything.  Our faith in the living God, must endure even if we do lose everything.  Because what we know is that our life is worthless unless we are seeking the power, hope, love, truth, and justice of our all powerful God.  

This story reminds me of the ultimate power and faithfulness of God and also reminds me to be as faithful as our living God. 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE   

Burning my Plows...

At Twin Oaks, we just finished a series centered on the fact that God is Greater Than... the series being loosely based on the fact that we have to recognize that our God that we serve is much greater than we give him credit.  So much of the time we spend thinking about how we are going to do this or what we are going to do can be washed away if we realize that our God is Greater.  

Out of this message from our senior pastor Randy Wheeler, came a discussion regarding the book "Greater" by Steven Furtick and most specifically the chapter in the book regarding Burning your plows.  The chapter is based on Elisha and how he was called to leave his old profession of leading oxen on plows to doing something greater.  The fact is that Elisha could have stored the plows or given them to someone for safe keeping or kept using them, but what he realized was that if he was truly going to follow the call he was given that was much Greater, then he had to purge his life of everything he used to be.  This meant taking his plows and burning them.  We began to discuss as a staff what this meant to us, what plows in our life was God calling us to burn in order to live a life Greater.  

Thinking about these plows can be a humbling experience because throughout the process you rationalize to yourself that this is not needed or that you can be fine with just storing the plows because who knows you may go back to them at some point and you don't want them to be gone.  But what God continues to say to us is that we have to be willing to sacrifice who we used to be in order to be something greater and if we are called to be again what we once were, the plows that are needed would again be provided.  

Personally I have a lot of plows that need to be burned before I am willing to do the something greater that God is calling me/us to.  I am currently in the process of lighting the matches and burning them myself, but even as I write this I am continuely reminded of the importance of this process.  We all are hoping to do something much greater than we can even imagine, but there has to be an element of sacrifice attached to this.  

If you haven't already pick up the book Greater by Steven Furtick and if you are looking for a church home in the Detroit area, join us at Twin Oaks CC in Woodhaven, MI.  What are the plows that God is telling you to burn?  How long are you willing to wait before becoming something GREATer. 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

On my Chest...

The expression of "wearing your heart on your chest" is something I had never really thought of till this moment.  I would like to think of it in a little different way.  I think that God does call us to truly wear our love of Christ on our chest, but I think that God lays others things on our heart that he would like to be included when people look at us.  Most recently (besides everything else I have written about tonight) God has put on my heart the idea that we are disciples of Christ and that we have a job to do.  But even outside of the fact that we have a job to do, Jesus has faith that we can do this job.  He merely calls us to take up our cross, deny our own selfish ambitions, and follow him.  Truly do what a disciple is which is be more like Christ (our rabbi) and follow him.

God is put it on my heart so much that I did not even realize it until I entitled an entire sermon series, "Going all in" challenging our students to have Bold Faith, Bold Obedience, & Bold Sacrifice.  Little did I know God was going to talk directly to me in the midst of me talking to a group of 50 students on a weekly basis.  I did not realize that he would be challenging me to truly think about the decision I have made with my life and will make with the rest of my life and ask am I denying myself and follow Christ or am I letting my crosses weigh me down?  How are the decision I am making leading me closer to Christ and making me more like my rabbi.

If all we are called to do in this life is to love Christ and make him known, that is what I want all of my future decisions to display.  I want people to look at my heart that is surely on my sleeve and see that it is stamped by Christ.  I have a tattoo on my chest that is a price tag that is stamped with the word PAID.  I did not do this to look cool or get an awesome Christian tattoo, instead I did this to remind myself that no matter what I do or have done my life has been paid by the blood of Christ.  In response to that, what else can I do but follow the man that saved my life as close as possible.  

Following my own selfish ambitions are merely the things that led Jesus to his death on the cross, so I am going to do all I can do to throw those down, turn around, and follow my savior, my christ, my sacrificial lamb.

That is what I wear on my sleeve.  I wear a heart that has a stamp of payment on it and I have decided in order to glorify the man/God that saved my life, I am going to follow him with all everything that I have.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Way to Long...

So, I made a commitment about 2 years ago that I would blog once a week for as long as I can and I have fallen off that bandwagon, but tonight I am vowing to catch back up.   Yes, I know it is cheating, but my hope is to get back to blogging once a week.  With that being said I will be writing three different blog posts to make up for lost time.  Starting with this crazy Michigan weather.

As many of you know (if I do have any readers out there in cyber space) my beautiful wife Jenny and I have most recently moved to the great state of Michigan.  Yes, we are living in Pure Michigan as Tim Allen likes to call it on all of those awesome commercials.  It has been such a great experience so far and we have met some really awesome people through the church I am working at here on the Southside of Detroit or as they call it here Down River (DWR).  We have been blessed with an awesome two bedroom apartment in the heart of Down River with a great church to attend (I get to work at) for the past two months.  We could not be happier with the situation that God has brought us in.

But what i find to be most exciting is the fact that we are on a journey.  We read about in scripture about the journeys that the disciples were able to take over their lifetime, traveling to far away lands, sometimes away from home, and spread the gospel along the way.  I like to think that Cincinnati was one of those stops for the past 7 months of our lives and now we are off on our next stop of this epic journey God is taking us on.  We moved here two months ago totally through God, because we definitely did not imagine that we would be packing up in early September for Michigan (a state Jenny and i had only been to briefly) and starting a student ministry.  What i find astonishing is that God continues to show us that we are on a journey.  Although we are further from the place that we love so much, being closer to our families, we have found that a ministry must be done here.  We have had opportunity to meet some great leaders from the church here at Twin Oaks Christian, as well as run into some awesome people along the way.  It is even more exciting to think that we are just at the very beginning of this very long journey, here in Michigan specifically.

We have truly felt called here, Michigan was not on either of our minds, and we both believe that although it is a had to be far from our families that we have been brought here for a reason.  God has placed us in the "DWR" to make a change and we could not be happier to be a part of such an amazing change.

My prayer over the next year is that this blog will continue to chronicle the journey that God is taking us on.  We will encounter good times and bad, ups and downs, but I am so excited to continue on this journey.  Just hoping that the little, seemingly insignificant things that we do in our daily lives would truly reflect the love of Christ with those we in encounter.  For what more is there in this world than to glorify the living God.



till another day,


normallyINDIE

Our First Home...

It has been quite awhile since I have been able to blog, but I am going to promise you that will stop this week.  I will begin back on my weekly tradition this week.

From where I left off, my beautiful wife Jennifer and I had a pretty big decision to make.  Beginning of August we were approached by a Pastor in Michigan about the opportunity for a position in youth ministry.  From the very beginning of conversations with Randy Wheeler we were excited about the opportunity, but most of all saddened by the fact that it meant we would be leaving our home in Cincinnati.

I started my time at Groesbeck Church in January of 2012 fresh out of college and ready to see what God had in store.  I could not have asked for more.  My time spent at Groesbeck was great and an amazing learning experience as I had an opportunity to work with some great students and volunteers at the After School Program as well as mold the minds of our six student leaders.  Nothing excited me more than to see the passion in the eyes of the students of CHAOS//Student Ministries.  It truly was a wonderful experience.

But as you know, we felt that when we were offered the position of Student Ministries Pastor at Twin Oaks Christian Church we truly felt that God was calling us out of our ministry at Groesbeck and to partner with him in a new city, a new church, and a new home.  It was a huge risk, but my wife and I find that the best situations always come out of a little risk.

Therefore, as of August 31st, 2012 we began to call Southgate, MI and Twin Oaks Christian Church our home.

Again, Groesbeck Church, thank you so much for the hospitality, the friendship, the love, and the fun that we had with you all for a short time.  We will be praying for you and the journey that you guys are on.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Just another week...

Yes, it is the middle of August 2012 and there is really not much to talk about in life.  We are in the midst of something amazing here at Groesbeck Church with a rebranding campaign in full swing.  We are just one month away from the relaunch of our Contemporary Service at 11:00am on Sundays and we could not be more excited about the opportunities that are going to come our way as we begin to serve the church.  

But when I really think about it...what seems to keep coming to my mind is why we do what we do?  What is the purpose of living a life as a pastor to a congregation of people who are looking for something.  It is really just that.  All of us inside are seeking something in our lives whether it be fame, fortune, love, happiness, but all of those things still really cannot fill the void that seems to get more vast every second of every day.  That is the amazing gift that we pastors have the opportunity to share on a weekly basis.  

The idea that hope can be find in a relationship with Christ Jesus and Christ Jesus alone.  It makes all those other things seem insignificant.  It brings to light the reason that we pastors stay up late and wake up early, visit the sick, preach on sundays, counsel during the week, because there is a community we are a part of that is looking for something.  We have that something and it is our job to show that to them.  

God has revealed in me that despite all things, he power and hope reigns true in all things.  It is an exciting feeling and most of all a feeling that makes me want to drive to work every morning.  A feeling that excites me when I have the chance to interact with students.  A chance that excites me when I am able to share the gospel with a student and they get it.  There is not a better feeling in life then knowing that you shared the gift of life with someone, the gift of life in Jesus Christ.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE 

Seasons Change...

As the weather starts to change, the leaves start to fall, and you begin to hear the sound of the marching band coming your way, something stirs in your heart.  Their is just something about the end of a season and the transition of a new way that always gets to me.  It always seems to make me feel sentimental for what happened in the past few months and hopeful for what is to come.

For us here in the midwest United States, it is about time for fall and when I think of fall I think of sweatshirts, college football, a great bowl of chili, beautiful weather, perfection.  But as I think of the future perfection to come, I cannot help but look back at the summer that was 2012 and all it had to bring.

As many of you know, this past spring I married the love of my life Jenny Tod in Indianapolis, IN on March 10th, 2012.  It was the most magical experience of my life.  Such an unexplainable feeling to see something you have dreamed of for so many years finally come true.  Not to mention the fact that for the rest of my life I get to spend time with my best friend, sharing in the good, the bad, and the ugly.  This being said, this was Jenny and I's first summer together and most of all our first summer in Cincinnati.  Man was it hot.  Record heat killed us in our downtown apartment because of the lack of Central A/C (something you don't appreciate until it is gone).   All in all, we had a wonderful summer together downtown just steps away from Street Pops, all the events in OTR, and not to mention Graeter's Ice Cream on Fountain Square.

This was also my first summer at Groesbeck Church as their Pastor of Student Ministries.  It was an exciting event filled summer with trips jam packed into the month of July that I almost felt as though I was not home at all (not a good feeling).  I went on my first trip to Ichthus, Minot, ND, and Awaken the City.  All of these trips giving me the opportunity to get closer with our church family and really  begin to feel at home.  This summer also gave me the drive to get work done as we have begun in our process of redesigning the church as a whole from the ground up.  It is a really exciting, yet scary process as we begin to rethink what God has in store for Groesbeck Church.

This summer being exciting and fun-filled only gives me the sense of hope for the fall.  What is in store just around the corner?  I will never know for sure what is going to happen next, but what I do know is that the Lord is leading us in the direction we are supposed to go and I am so excited to follow him humbly and serve him with all of my heart.  God sure is doing some amazing things in our lives and I am so excited for him to show himself in miraculous ways once again.


till another day,




normallyINDIE

The Circle Maker by Mark Batterson - Book Review...

Time for another book review.  I most recently finished reading yet another book (I keep buying new books though) and i am excited to share with you my thoughts.

If you have not yet heard of Mark Batterson, he is truly a gifted pastor and author.  The author of the Circle Maker is fairly new to the pastoral author scene (if that is a real thing), but yet he has some exciting words to share.  As the book chronicles Mark is a pastor/church planter in the Metro DC area and a few years ago he felt all to do something unlike he had every thought of.  That was to literally pray circles around his future.  He learned this idea from a novel called the Book of Legends which chronicles legends of jewish history who were monumental.  One in particular was named Honi and he came up with the idea of truly praying to God like the Israelites did on their march to Jericho.  He would not spot praying until the Lord showed himself to all of his people.  This not only showed to be effective, but God showed in ways the Honi did not even think were possible.  As you read through Mark's words, you begin to see his same journey of circling his life and ministry in prayers.  A simple prayer walk around a 4 mile radius of his house paved the way for the future of his ministry in the DC area.  Literal places that Mark did not know existed were given to him to use as a tool for ministry in the future, only to realize that he walked by them on that original prayer walk.

The book along with the DVD curriculum truly shows the power that prayer can have and the fact that the Lord is waiting for us to ask of him miraculous things just so he can show is true colors.  For if we are unwilling to ask the Lord for immeasurably more, then how is he supposed to truly prove himself to his believing.  Mark explains in an amazing way to his readers that prayer is not merely something to calm our nerves or get things off of our chest, but it is the way that we partner with the Lord in life and ministry.  We ask the Lord for amazing miracles and in his time he provides.

This book is truly and inspiration to those who are seeking out a deeper prayer life.  It has transformed the way I pray about my family, my church, and my personal relationship with Christ.  It is a must read for those seeking out how to truly get the most out of their relationship with Christ.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

InstaUpdate...

Time once again to share with you some of my favorite snapshots from my favorite iPhone application Instagram.  As it updates the application only continues to get better and better with more and more filters and effects to choose.  So here we go:

Got to see it on Opening Day

Hyde Park Comm. UMC
A beautiful Sanctuary to Worship God

Starbuck's Refreshers
A must try if you are looking for a new drink.

Most anticipated album of this year

Mr. Austin Livingood

Just some of the reading I have done this year

So there ya have it, just a look at a couple of my favorite moments using the Instagram App.  If you have not already follow me at username normallyindie .  If you do not have an Instagram, grab yourself and iPhone or other smartphone of choice and download the free app.  It is great and worth your time.



till another day,



normallyINDIE