Someday...

We were in staff meeting today at Twin Oaks CC and for the past couple of months we have been working through the book, "Hole in the Gospel" which tells the story of the directer of World Vision, how God called him into that position, and what God is calling his church to do to serve the poor.  It is a great book that really brings to light what seems to always stay in the shadows.  But this is not yet another book review.  This is instead a story about what I hope to be Someday.

Our pastor at Twin Oaks has challenged us recently with the idea of Generosity and as someone who has been around the church for much time, I understand that each church does a series on money, giving, and what to do with it.  Sometimes I have found myself to be desensitized to this because I have heard these messages so many times.  But for some reason God grabbed my wife and I and said it is time to listen up.

He has not only brought to light the fact that we, as humans, have the cure to AIDS, water deprivation, malnutrition, poverty.  This cure can be found in our bank accounts.  But I did not feel that God said it is time for you to write a check, I mean he is probably calling us to do that, but much more he is calling us to change our attitudes.  Change our attitude when it comes to money and possessions all together.

I have had a couple people in my life that I just feel exude God and what I feel like Jesus would be like.    It all began with having a nature of a servant.  Not just going on a mission trip here and there, but truly putting all others in this world ahead of their own needs.  This means finances are included.  Instead of thinking about how I am going to buy a new iPhone or how I am going to go on a vacation with my beautiful wife (both are much deserved), I would love to get to the point when I say how are we gonna pay for rent because we have spent all of our money helping our friends, family, or people that we may not even know.  I do not think God is calling us to be irresponsible, I merely think God is asking us to change our attitude when it comes to money and taking care of ourselves.

He is asking us to truly say that all these things on this earth are rentals from him and we should never worry that we will be taken care of because we have always been taken care of, not because of anything we have done, but all because of Jesus.

I am not at that point in my relationship with Christ, but I hope that my wife and I can take the steps that we need to start to be more like him in this way.  I hope that i can think of others first when I am paying the bills and how my money (not my excess) can go to help someone else.



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

Photographer?...

I am not a photographer.  If you have been following me on Instagram you can very well see the lack of skill that I have when it comes to manuevering a camera.  But that is not what my wonderful wife saw in me.  She sees photography as an opportunity for her to teach me how to be a great photographer because she is first a great photographer.  Jenny just recently started to get her freelance business really going full steam and she can be found at www.turquoisefeathers.com .  As you have heard me say time and time again she is the most talented, hard working designer/photographer I have ever met.

After a lot of patience and a couple short lessons, she gave me the opportunity to jump behind the camera and shoot a few pictures of her beautiful face as she posed for some self portraits.  This post is the product of that session.  Enjoy.  

Excited to keep shooting and I hope to have more and more pictures up soon,



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Birthday wishes...

This week is a special week in my life.  If you guessed it is my birthday... you were wrong, this weekend is the birthday of my beautiful wife Jennifer.   It is a special week for us because at the end of it is her first birthday since being married.  I have many things planned for this week to show her home special she truly is and how wonderful I have cherished these last couple of years together.

What is so amazing is this is my third birthday with her and each one I have fallen more and more in love with her.  It is times like these that makes me look forward to her 82nd birthday and spending a wonderful week together leading up to her big day.

Lastly, I would love to thank God and also Duane Schroeder and Debbie Schroeder for giving birth to my beautiful bride and raising her to be the wonderful woman she is today.  Thank You.


till another day,



normallyINDIE

Alec & Jenny ...

As many of you know, on March 10, 2012 I married the most most wonderful woman in the world at the Harrison Center for the Arts in Indianapolis, IN. The wedding was perfectly designed from the save the dates almost two years ago to the centerpieces on that beautiful day. (check out turquoisefeathers.blogspot.com for updates) I was so honored to be a part of such a special day and most of all to take a role as husband for the rest of our lives. Our wedding day doesn't just mean we are now married, but it also means that we have begun a journey, a journey that sends us into a relationship that will pass through decades and generations and most of all will begin a new family.

Jenny and I's respective families are the Schroeders and Tods, the Schroeders calling Indiana home and the Tods calling Illinois home. The marriage of us two has now instituted a new family and that is the Tod's that are calling Ohio home.

We have finally come to the point that after 2.5 years of long distance that my beautiful bride and I will be beginning our new family here in Cincinnati as the Tod Family.

follow the Tod's at www.alecandjenny.com for updates on our new lives together.


till another day,



normallyINDIE