Our Little Family...

Last year my wife and I were lucky enough to make our family a little bit bigger.  As we were packing up to move to Michigan from Cincinnati we found an add on craigslist fro a wonderful mini-dachshund puppy.  After traveling just north of Downtown we found our beautiful puppy, Indie.

Our beautiful puppy was just under 3 lbs and we fell in love.  We were so happy to have him in our lives.  Although the first week of raising him in an apartment in downtown Cincinnati was pretty rough, we got through it on 10 hours sleep and a lot of patience.  We then traveled to Michigan and we could not be happier.  

Sleepy Boy

He loves playing w/ clean sheets 

Working @ TF Studio, LLC

Indie's 1st Christmas, 2012

1st Road Trip to Michigan

After 1.5 years of life we could not be happier to have a wonderful puppy.  He is such an amazing, mini part of our family and we could not be happier.  I am so happy to continue to watch our family grow (maybe more puppies or kids in the future) and I hope that he continues to enjoy our life here in Indy.  He sure does love his Colts, Cardinals, Pacers, & Gators.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

InstaUpdate...

Now that Instagram is popular this is not as exciting to do, but I still enjoy it.  What makes this so great is that I can look back on all the amazing moments that I have had, most of which with my beautiful wife and puppy :)  I love sharing pictures from one of my favorite apps and let me know if you enjoy any of them.

Baptism of 3 of my favorite students 

Group Prayer in Santiago, Republica Dominicana 

Chemex, Favorite at home brewing method

Saying goodbye to a group of amazing people 

Throwback Cardinals Logo 

My Beautiful Wife

Each of these pictures have been important to me.  I miss our amazing friends from Michigan, am so excited for this postseason and my Cardinals.  But most of all I am blessed with an amazing wife who not to mention is beautiful.  Be checking up over the next couple of days as there are going to many changes to normallyindie.com.  



till another day,



normallyINDIE

Thank You...

I want to officially thank all those who call Twin Oaks Christian Church & the Uprising.  Below is my letter of Resignation as the Student Ministries Pastor here.  Thank you so much for all that you have done and all that God is continuing to do.

Dear Twin Oaks Family, 

Jenny and I are so honored to be able to call this place home and specifically have the opportunity to work with you as members on a regular basis.  I, Alec, have been so blessed to be lead by a great man in Randy Wheeler and could not be more excited about where the future of Twin Oaks, specifically the Uprising, is headed under his Christ-centered leadership.  

With all of that being said, Jenny and I must regretfully inform you that as of July 24th I have resigned as the Student Ministries Pastor here at Twin Oaks CC.  Jenny and I will be pursuing a job opportunity for her in the graphic design field in Indianapolis, IN effective immediately.  We have spent the last two weeks praying over this decision and although it hurts us so much to leave a church family that has been so loving and wonderful, we are 100% positive that this is what/where God is calling our family to next.  Jenny and I are still very much looking forward to spending a week with your students in the Dominican Republic as well as finishing the summer Uprising Events, but our final Sunday will be August 25th, 2013. 

It has been such a blessing to come under the leadership of an dynamic Pastor and staff.  We could not be more heart-broken to leave a church family that is truly doing the work that God has called them to.  I fully trust that God has already ordained the next Student Ministries Pastor for the position and I am so excited to see the powerful impact Pastor Randy and this entire church family is going to have on this community despite our departure.  

You all have been so loving toward us and we could not be more honored to have spent the time getting to know Randy, the Elders, and our entire team.  You all are such amazing men and women of God.  

God Bless, 

Alec M. Tod 

Golf Season is Here...

Spring is upon us, the grass is starting to grow, and golf courses are starting to open.  Although it is still in the 30s here in Michigan, slowly but surely golf season is coming.  I have had the honor this year of helping to coach the Trenton HS boys golf team here in Michigan and I could not be more excited.  Nothing gets me driven to work on my game more than, working with others, especially students, to better their game.  It just brings a great start to an already great season that is golf season.  

Some things I would love to see happen this golf season are as follows: 

1.  Shoot Par 

2.  Hit all 18 Fairways in 1 Round 

3.  Play in 3 Amateur Tournaments 

4.  Teach 3 New Golf Clients 

5.  Play 20 Rounds of Golf 

6.  Help our team win the Church Scramble 

7.  Beat my Dad in an official 18 hole round 

8.  Teach my wife, Jenny, how to play the game 

9.  Enjoy myself every time I play 

These are just a few personal goals I would love to see happen as I begin my journey back to playing golf on a regular basis.  I have had a long career with some time off in between and I am hoping to get back to playing regularly.  This giving me the opportunity not only to work with the Trenton students, but also to have meaningful conversations.  There is just something about being on the golf course that truly reminds me of the majesty of our living God.  He created this wonderful world and for 4 hours I have the opportunity to walk, breath, smell, hear, see, everything that he has created.  It is truly a blessing.  

That is what I am looking forward to most as we begin golf season here in Michigan and I am so excited to share that with those i love. 

till another day, 

normallyINDIE. 

the Slaves are Freed...

Last night was our first night of the Uprising since our atmosphere redesign thanks to a great friend from Metro South Church, Jon Whaley.  If you do not already know, the Uprising is a movement of students in the Down River area of Detroit that are passionately spreading the gospel to the "10,000" students in our area.  It is an exciting time in our ministry with the new year rolling around and we all feel that the Lord is leading this ministry to do something amazing in 2013.

We started out this redesign by working through Mark 5:1 - 13 specifically focusing on the Demons that took control of the man called "Legion".  It was an opportunity for all of us to come together, worship the Lord, and rejoice in the fact that just like Legion we have demons, and just like Legion those demons have been cast out.

God changed many of us last night.  He showed many that we are truly freed from what seemed to bind us, not because of our own doing, but because the demons that so easily destroy our lives tremble at the sound of our Messiah.

Our Messiah has saved us and there is nothing we can do, but rejoice, bow and do everything we can to tell the world just that.  It is an honor to serve in this ministry and I am so excited for the students in the Down River area to be drastically changed by the power of the Messiah.

WE ARE FREED!!!!


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

the Uprising...

As many of you know as of September I accepted a position at Twin Oaks Christian Church in Woodhaven, Michigan to become their Student Ministries Pastor.  I have been working for this church for just over a month and last night we were able to launch our brand new Student Ministry service called the Uprising.

This is going to be a church led by students for students purely to spread the gospel to all of the students that are in our Down River Area.  The Uprising is dedicated to building up a group of students that will faithfully, humbly, & wholeheartedly serve the Lord.

I had the honor last night of putting on our Fall Kickoff with all the help I could get from my Adult Sponsor team.  We had a wonderful night of worship, fun, fall inspired food, and relevant speaking.  It was so exciting to see over 50 Middle School & High School Students there who were excited to hear what all of the Uprising was all about.

Now outside of all of the logistics and everything else, I am so excited to be serving God here at Twin Oaks.  To lead a service like this is what I have been dreaming about doing since I felt the call to go into Student Ministry back in High School.  I have been dreaming of the day when God will give me a chance to preach the gospel to a group of students that are anxious to hear it.  It is such an amazing feeling and I am so honored to be serving him in this way.

I cannot imagine what God has in store for us at the Uprising, but I am so excited and I know he is going to do some amazing things.

If you would like to keep up on all things the Uprising then check out:

Facebook: The Uprising

Twitter: @Uprising_SM

Website: www.twinoakschristian.com

I am so excited for the school year and to see what is going to happen.


till another day,


normallyINDIE

That time of year...

It has just begun.  The first time of the year when the layering begins.  My favorite time of year is the fall.  The weather changes, the leaves fall, football is in full swing, and the temperature dips below 50.  The perfect time of your to throw on a sweatshirt, drink some great coffee (or hot apple cider), and enjoy the amazing season God has created for us.

My wife and I recently moved to Michigan in the Down River District of Detroit (or as I have named it the DWR).  We are just beginning to get used to the place, but nothing excites me more than the fall weather which is just beginning.  Just a couple of weeks ago I began to follow my favorite football teams (Florida Gators & Indianapolis Colts) and are so excited for the rest of the season to continue.  But besides football season being in high gear, there is much to love about the fall.

This is the first time of the year that we are not dripping with sweat while wearing our favorite pair of jeans.  It is just now getting acceptable to wear those awesome beanies that we all have been waiting months to wear (maybe that is just me), but most of all we get to hang out with friends outside around a bonfire or grill enjoying some of our favorite food and company.  What could be better than spending a fall evening grilling out, listening to music, and reminiscing with old friends.

Since we are new to the place, I have some goals for the fall season that I hope I can achieve before the dreadful cold of winter hits.  They are as follows (in no particular order):

Play 10 more rounds of golf (shoot below 80 again)
Play a couple games of pick up football
Watch my St. Louis Cardinals win the 2012 Fall Classic
Enjoy multiple bonfires with new friends
Train our awesome new puppy to go to the bathroom outside (not as easy as it looks)
Purchase and read Tony Larussa's new book
Road trip to Northern Michigan
Enjoy my 23rd Birthday (October 9th if you were wondering)
Begin brainstorming ideas for my first book
Watch a couple new shows on Netflix (the best thing for a TV/Movie buff)
Visit Canada for the first time
Discover some new music (that no one has ever heard of)
Go to an Apple Orchard and get some great caramel apples
Throw a Halloween Party in our new home
Begin the adventure of finding Detroit's best burger joint
Find a couple great local coffee shops (any suggestions)
Go on many a walks with my beautiful bride

These are just a couple of my many goals for the coming months as we settle into the great weather and watch as God, once again, performs one of his many miracles.  Such an exciting time of the year and I am so blessed to be spending it in one of the most beautiful states in America.  Wish me luck.



till another day,



normallyINDIE

All Things New...

As you may know, there are a lot of changes that have taken place recently in my wife and I's life.  We have moved to a new home (Southgate, MI), accepted a new job (Student Ministries Pastor @ Twin Oaks Christian Church), as well as a couple other things.

We have recently purchased a great new vehicle for Jennifer to drive and have gotten rid of the Olds.  It was a sad day when we saw the Olds drive away, but we were happy to have the new Pontiac Torrent in our grasp.  It is a 2WD SUV, with a Sunroof, all the great technology items inside, tons of room, not to mention pretty great gas mileage (for an SUV).

2007 Pontiac Torrent

We have also adopted a wonderful 10 week old mini dachshund puppy by the name of Indie.  He is a really great, cute, fun puppy, but man are they a lot of work.  Our lives have changed, which is tougher than we thought, but we are happy.

Indie at 6 weeks old

As well as the new additions to our family and our garage, I also designed my office with some great help from Jennifer Tod.  I am still working on the wall decor, but it is a work in progress. 

One of the Great Pictures found at Urban Outfitters

The view home the front door of the new Office @ Twin Oaks 

Lastly, Jenny and I just become official Michiganders by receiving our Michigan License Plates as well as our Michigan Licenses (temporaries for the next 10 business days).  

Temp Michigan License

We are really excited for the future and our lives here in Michigan.  We are still exploring and hoping for a wonderful time here.  God is so good and we are so happy to be here.  If you would like to come visit, get in touch.  We would love to see you.  

till another day, 

normallyINDIE

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