The New Guy...

My wife and I most recently decided to take a leap of faith and accept a position in a state we have never visited, moving further away from family, and did I mention doing all of this in 2 weeks.  Yes, my wife and had recently decided to accept a position at Twin Oaks Christian Church in Woodhaven, Michigan as their Student Ministries Pastor.

We did not know much about the church or about Michigan in general before visiting just a few weeks ago.  But as we had our first Sunday this past week as well as my 2nd week in the office, I could not be more pleased with the decision that God allowed us to make.  The church is filled with hundreds of great people that are truly seeking after God and his mission and vision for their lives as well as students that are fully engaged in their relationships with christ.  

Upon our meeting this past Sunday Night, I challenged the students with the idea that there are 10,000 students in the Down River District, many of which who do not have a church home.  Our students here at Twin Oaks Christian Church have begun to shift their focus away from themselves, but to the 10,000.  As the year continues, we will continue to focus on this number believing that our mission is not complete until all 10,000 people have heard the message of the love of Christ as well as have found a place to grow and fellowship with other believers.  

As far as Student Ministries goes, their will be a couple changes that take place very soon and I am very excited to unveil those changes on October 7th at our Fall Kickoff.  I am so ready to see what God has in store for me with these students here as well as what role my wife and I can play in the family of Twin Oaks Christian Church 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE 

Goodbye OTR, Hello DWR...

Goodbye Cincinnati and our wonderful downtown apartment, what an amazing and adventurous 8 months it was living on 8th and Main St. in downtown Cincinnati, but we have traded in our city digs for a much nicer, quiet, hipster, 2 bedroom 2 bath apartment in Southgate, MI.

We have just recently moved into the beautiful state of Michigan, specifically south of Detroit in the Down River District.  It is a beautiful area filled with nature, wildlife, urban culture, and not to mention restaurants.  Although we very much loved the history and culture of Over the Rhine we are really excited to call the Down River District our new home.  

From what we have heard is that Detroit is one of the worst areas to live in America, but all we have found is fun loving, beautiful, great people that have a hospitality unlike any other city I have been a part of.  Not to mention, I hope that I pick of the accent that is so great up here in the north.  We have spent much of our time in Trenton, Wynadotte, Southgate, Taylor, & Woodhaven and we love the historical old homes as well as the convenience of having a Target, Walmart, Starbucks, CVS, & Redbox right near by.  

We most recently received our Michigan License plates as well as our official (temporary) Michigan Driver's Licenses (after a two hour adventure at the SOS office).  What we have been told now is all we have to get is a Red Wings jersey and a Michigan Maize and Blue hat and we will become true Michiganders.  

We are so excited to have moved a new home, with new adventures, people, and places.  Stay tuned for more updates about our favorite places to go in the DWR as well as Downtown Detroit.  

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

First Side of the Record...

It is now August and although it is not exactly half way through 2012 (July was a pretty busy month for me) I felt it was necessary to celebrate those records that just could not stopping ringing through our ears and spinning on our record players.  There were a lot of wonderful albums that were released this year and it is so exciting to be introduced to new bands all the time.  Here it goes:

Best New Finds

1. The Vespers - The Fourth Wall 

2.  Mike Main & the Branches - Home 

3.  Belle Histoire - Dreamers 

4.  Of Monsters & Men - My Head is an Animal 

5.  Birdy - Self-Titled 

Veterans with Style

1.  John Mayer - Born & Raised 

2.  David Crowder Band - Give Us Rest 

3.  The Fray - Scars & Stories 

4.  House of Heroes - Cold Hard Want 

5.  Jack White - Blunderbuss 

    

Must Have on Vinyl 

1.  Mumford and Sons - Sigh No More 

2.  The Civil Wars - Barton Hollow 

3.  Manchester Orchestra - Simple Math 

4.  Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers - Greatest Hits 

5.  Death Cab for Cutie - Plans 

Unknown Faves 

1.  Angus & Julia Stone - 

2.  Birdy - Self-Titled 

3.  Belle Histoire - Dreamers 

4.  The Vespers - the Fourth Wall 

5.  Best Coast - the Only Place 

Belt it Out 

1.  Elevation Worship - For Your Honor 

2.  John Mayer - Born & Raised 

3.  The Rock of Ages - Motion Picture Soundtrack 

4.  Chris Brown - Fortune 

5.  Fun. - Some Nights 

Pumped for the Future 

1.  Mumford & Sons - Babel (Sept. 24th 2012) 

2.  OneRepublic - Rumored 

3.  Seabird - (Title TBA) 

4.  Tenth Avenue North - The Struggle (Aug. 21st 2012) 

5.  Band of Horses - Mirage Rock (Sept. 28th 2012) 

These are just a couple of my top records of these past 7 months and I am so excited for new records to continue to surface and rumors to grow about more of my favorite artists.  Let me know if you have heard any great bands recently and remember support the artist, not the record labels, go to shows, by their physical cds, grab some merch.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE 

Posing as a Photographer...

A couple of months ago I posted a few of my pictures that I have been taking using the iPhone app Instagram.  Many of you follow me on there already, but if not you can check me out with the username: normallyindie or check out this post for a couple of my favorites.

Happy Browsing.

Jennifer was leading worship at the MovementSM Leadership Trip

Just some good old fashion people watching at IUPUI

1 of 46 murals in Downtown Indy right now.  One of my favorites.

Yadi after winning the World Series.  Just signified the great relief that was the World Series win.

Homemade Clock out of a book from Jennifer.  The Best Christmas Present I got.

Shepard Fairey Piece on our Apartment Building.  Downtown Cincy.

My first cup of coffee back at Corner Bloc Coffee Shop in Price Hill

These were just a couple of my favorite pictures over the last couple of months.  Like I said keep checking up for updates on this blog as well as follow me on Instagram @normallyindie as I attempt to take cool, hip pictures.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Senioritis...

It will be 4 short weeks and I, Alec Myles Tod, will be graduating from Cincinnati Christian University with a Bachelor of Sciences in Biblical Studies and Youth Ministry.  It was 3 years in the making, but I am finally at the point when I can begin to call myself a college grad.  It is one thing to be a college student and have that satisfaction under my belt of learning, but it is yet another to say that I am the first of the immediate Tod family to graduate from college.  My mother and father both did not graduate from college for different reasons, therefore growing up and graduating from the school of handwork and discipline.  They have worked very hard to get to the position they are in now, specifically my dad, and this is just the next step for me in that hard working journey.

But with this upcoming deadline comes a disease that is contagious and is known as "Senioritis".  Yes, I was treated for this disease in the fall of 2007 when I became a High School senior.  Throughout High school I was given amazing opportunities to excel and senior year was no exception.  But it seemed that I was so concerned about what was going to happen in college the next fall, that I forgot what was right in front of me.  Because of my impatience and anticipation, I lost opportunity to speak with people about Jesus Christ.  I was so ready to continue on this journey that God calls life, that I did not realize the rest area would be humanity.  These lost opportunities have motivated me to become the person I am today, a fully dedicated life to the service of students.

In the same situation, it is only 4 shorts week away and I too will be feeling the true affects of senioritis.  I am battling these feelings as week speak with some going for me outside of work at Emmanuel Church of Greenwood.  Graduating Dec. 2011, Start a new job Jan. 1 2012, Getting Married (March 10, 2012), walking at commencement May 12, 2012.  As these major events have me looking at least 8 months in advance.

But what I have come to realize is that we have been placed in every situation we see ourselves in for a reason.  That the most important thing to realize is to passionately spread the gospel of Jesus Christ to the ends of the earth.  For me, in this very moment, I have been placed at both Emmanuel Church of Greenwood and One Mission Society for a specific reason.  Although that passion may fizzle, I have begun to realize that worshipping God through the obedience and trusting your life with Christ is what must happen.

As a senior I look forward to every day that I am given and especially the opportunities that are placed before me, whether it be marriage, a job, or merely speaking the truth of the gospel to a person that I meet.  I am truly honored to be a small part in the redemption of this earth.


Till another day,


normallyINDIE

New Beginnings

Well this is the first post of many for normallyINDIE that will come on a weekly basis.  This blog will be centered on everything from book reviews, word studies, thoughts, bible exegesis, astounding revelations, and so on.  I just look forward to sharing the thoughts that God has set on my heart through reading daily, journalling, preaching, and serving God.

As I said there will be new updates on a weekly basis to be posted on Monday morning.  If there are any books you would suggest me reading and reviewing please leave a comment and suggest.  

Looking forward to writing and especially reading in preparation for this blog.  Thank you so much for listening and I look forward to continuing to write. 

Alec 

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