How God Got My Attention...

I woke up Monday morning at 8:15 and was flipping thru my 3 favorite radio stations trying to find any of the co-hosts on one of their "breaks" (when they are on the air) b/c I like to listen to their topics and discussions. The first one that I came upon began recapping what they had just mentioned about 2-3 minutes ago. And lo and behold, I found them talking about me! I was like, "What?! That wasn't supposed to be on the air! That was a personal convo..." I was so caught off guard and shocked! And quite honestly, it was really the last thing I wanted to hear after having the weekend I just had. I felt anonymously exposed... but you know what? I learned a lot, and God got my attention loud and clear. To give you some context and the full story, here is the convo b/t me and the radio host that went on behind the scenes via email... (I will keep the station anonymous as they kept me anonymous.)

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(Most of these first 2 emails are what was discussed on the air.)


I'm glad everything is working out for you for the trip. After reading your application I was surprised to read you're not involved in a church. You seem to be the type of person who would really miss not being involved in a church. Can't you find a cool church that meets on a weeknight?

morning co-host
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Well the whole church thing kind of has a long story... but I can TRY to keep it short but don't count on it... :)

I have really tried to find a good church that has a group my age... [I tried 2 different mega-churches] b/c they have groups my age that meet during the week. It's tough to "break" into a church when it's huge and you don't know anyone, especially not going on Sunday. I used to go w/ my friends to Wed. night church at [the one church] and liked it, but then they stopped going on Wed. and just went on Sunday. Believe me, it's not easy or fun going by yourself, not knowing anyone and sitting by yourself. Been there, done that. Didn't enjoy it.

And most smaller churches don't offer much for people my age at all! That is the MOST frustrating thing. I feel like the church is neglecting the 20-something age group. When I heard that [your station planned something] for people ages 18 and up, I thought that was awesome. Those things are NEEDED for my age group b/c there's nothing out there for us!

I've also tried attending college-and-career groups at both [of those mega-churches]. [The one] was okay, but hard to make friends as I didn't know anyone at all (and they didn't always show up every week). It wasn't the best "church" group either. I went to [the other church's] group for about six months. It was hard for me to relate to anyone over there b/c [no one was really career-minded, which is where I am at right now]. I did make friends w/ a group at [that church] for those 6 months. Then things didn't go well b/c the girl I was closest to was expressing more and more of her immaturity, so I stepped away from that. Things were starting to go bad in that group anyway. Their leader was going to leave, and people would bad talk some of the things going on, etc... It was time to leave... I had had enough.

So, basically, [the Christian radio stations] have become my alternative church family. I get my spiritual nourishment and challenges by listening to my friends on the air, and at times I listen to the programs that are on t/o the day for spiritual nourishment. I get my fellowship when I'm at the station. A really good friend of mine over at the station has been a great mentor to me and continues to challenge me spiritually.

If you knew about Caiden (my friend's 3 y/o son who's fighting cancer of the eyes), you would know that I'm getting spiritually challenged thru that. God (and my friend, Caiden's mom, has kept me spiritually challenged this whole 1 1/2 years and it continues... I have grown more spiritually in the last 1 1/2 years than I ever have. God is amazing me all the time, even when I don't deserve it. I have witnessed several miracles in this last year and a half. It's been quite a ride (both up and down)...

So that's the long and short end of it all. Sorry, it's so long, but you kind of asked a loaded question... :)

Amanda

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Without using your name, we shared part of your e-mail on the radio this
morning and got a great response. I'll give you a CD of what people had
to say about weekday church meetings for 20-somethings. There might be a
few groups in your area you might want to check out.

morning co-host
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I heard that! Not like feeling "convicted" at 8:15 in the morning LOL. I had just woke up and besides the music, it was the first thing I heard this AM. :) I will gladly listen to the CD. Thank you. But, it's not like I haven't tried! I tried for probably 6-9 months [to find a good week-day home church].


Amanda

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One of the first people to call this morning was a guy very active in the singles group at [one of the churches you attended]. He said it's a very easy group to "break into", that they always try to make visitors feel welcome, etc. Then we told him you went to that group for six months and couldn't seem to break in. He was pretty discouraged when he heard that.

I think there are many people out there who feel the same way you do so it was good for us to talk about. The problem is most 20-something's don't want anything to do with the "traditional" church. Because of that the church on the whole doesn't target them. There were a few profound things shared this morning. One was, does a 20 something need to worship with other 20 something's. Don't our bonds in Christ transcend age barriers? The other was that the church on the whole needs to do a better job at welcoming guests and including them. That was a good reminder for me because I'm terrible at that. I talk to the same people every week at my church.

morning co-host
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So that's what I faced at 8:15 Monday AM. Wasn't quite prepared for that, especially after the weekend I had just had (very stressful and intense). Some of those calls were pretty "convicting". You should have heard some of them. Now I know how on-air staff feel when they get ostracized. All I can say is, it's not like I haven't tried getting involved in church! I tried for like 9 months!


On the other hand, after hearing the discussion on the air, I have started to realize that maybe God is really trying to get thru to me... That I need to set more time aside for Him and work on my relationship w/ Him more. That's what I took from all this b/c I know I've been lax in my relationship w/ God lately. I know I need to set MORE time aside for Him, but I have just been keeping myself too busy for Him. I think He figured this was the only way He was going to get my attention b/c He knows I always have the radio on filling in the quiet times in my life. Well, guess what?! He was right! HE DID get my attention LOUD & CLEAR! I spent 2+ hours alone with God that Monday. And it was THE most refreshing and spiritually renewing 2+ hours I have had with God in a VERY long time. God is amazing. He taught me a lot on Monday...

So... Upset? a little. Learning from it? a lot.

You know, God knows how to get our attention when He needs to. He knows us and He knows our antics to keep ourselves too busy to spend time w/ Him. So be watching and listening, b/c He may be trying to get your attention... And you may be very surprised by the method He will use to get it! I know I was.

P.S. Please be careful w/ what you share w/ some on-air personnel b/c you never know what might be taken to the airwaves.

May I introduce my friend... Mark Schultz

Hanging out with Mark in the back before he went on stage at the Father Daughter Banquet. He said he loved the frog fleece blanket that I gave him to keep him warm. I told him we had to send him home warm!

(More pics from F/D banquet when you click on the "My Pics" link on your left.)

Hung out w/ Mark all night!

The 2nd night (last night) of the Father Daughter Banquet was a success as well! It went very well. I was very impressed with it. Mark was great of course and the dads and daughters looked gorgeous! Everyone seemed to have a good time.

I had the opportunity to hang out on and off all night with Mark Schultz. It was great to get to know him more personally. He's very down to earth and personable. I think that's why he's my favorite artist and now good friend.

The first thing Mark said to me when he walked in the door that evening was, "You look nice." Of course I had to have my pic taken with him while I was wearing my formal dress. I'll be posting it soon! We really hit it off when I reminded him that I was a Neonatal RN. Then we really got talking. That was very cool. Since his wife is an OB/GYN resident, we have a lot more in common. She delivers the babies that I could potentially take care of if they were premature and/or had other issues that required further medical care. I think he will be asking Kate a few more questions about her job after talking to me ;)

Well, off to get ready for another busy, crazy day at work tomorrow!
(more pics to be posted soon! stay-tuned...)

One on one w/ Mark this AM

Tommy and Brook invited me to the station to hang out with Mark this morning for a little while. So, yeah, I had one on-one-time with him. Very nice. I've met him many times before, but this was a first for one on one. Mark is so easy to talk to! I always enjoy having the opportunity to talk with him. I gave him a warm double layer fleece blanket to keep him warm as he was absolutely freezing in our wonderful Michigan weather!

Father Daughter banquet with Mark Schultz

Me with my dad. Our first date night in years. Rare occasion. Maybe we will have to make this a tradition...



Me with Hannah, Abby and Bethany. Sat with them and their dad, Chris Lemke, tonight! Lee Geysbeek and his daughter, Kelly, were also at our table. Good times. Mark sang Happy Birthday to Abby as it was her birthday tonight :)

Mark singing from his heart.

Mark singing Letters from War with the music video playing in the background.


This was the first Father Daughter Banquet that I have been to since I was 8 y/o. It was a good time. My dad really enjoyed it. This was my dad's first time ever seeing Mark in concert. He loved it. It was fun seeing him react to all Mark's stories. I think I've heard them all multiple times and know all the punch lines, but seeing him react to them for the first time was fun!

Think spring!

Ah, Valentine's Day. Lovers day. Just another day for me. I spent the day in a 3 hour meeting for work and then another 3 hours in a feeding/GI class for work. Talked about how to assess stool, feeding intolerances, etc... Good times on V-day. lol

I did enjoy the song, "Single" by Natasha Bedingfield on WaYfm. Thanks for playing it Mike! Made my day!

I keep thinking it's spring, but when I look outside, there's a TON of snow on the ground and it's bitterly cold. It was SO nice to see the sun and blue skies today! I was in such a better mood than I would have been being at work meetings all day. But it was worth it b/c we were shown this amazing video... NICU Video I learned today why I do what I do. I'm currently taking care of a baby that is the same size as the kiddos shown in the video. Life takes on a whole 'nother meaning when you provide care for a human being that small.

My New Chair Massager; Washer & Dryer!

Just bought a chair massage by Homedics. It is a wonderful thing! It says on the box that it will make you feel like a new person. It's true! I tried it before I bought it and it works wonderfully! It's a deep kneader to the back which is what I need after working 12+ hours on my feet... Very nice. I feel like a new person :)

My new washer and dryer are just came today! I went with a Fisher Paykel for the brand and was told that is the best brand to go with as they hardly receive ANY repair calls for them. Definitely top-of-the-line right now and so worth the money. I'm excited. My last dryer decided that it didn't need heat to dry anymore... That's kind of an issue b/c laundry doesn't dry too quickly without heat! The "old" washer and dryer came with the house and lasted me just about a year, which was just enough time for me to save up enough money to replace them. I decided to replace the washer too b/c I wanted them to match and also wanted a bigger washer with more options... More options as in more than two options of small or super loads. Plus, I wanted to be able to add the fabric softener at the start of the load rather than having to run to the basement to add the softener when the rinse cycle kicked in. Got good exercise with that! LOL Plus this washer spins 1000 RPMs and dries laundry so well that it needs less dryer time! It sounds like a jet taking off in the rinse cycle :) Very cool. Hard to believe I'm so excited about laundry! LOL It was definitely time to replace them both.

Met Mr. Gerrit himself!

I had the pleasure of buying my brand new washer and dryer from Mr. Gerrit himself from Gerrit's Appliances. That was an honor. He was the third person who asked us if we needed any help and by the time he asked, I had made my decision. That was pretty cool. I then found out that I work with daughter on the NICU. Small world.

Bitterly Cold!

See the glitter? ~ Click on the pic to make it bigger ~ It is so cold that the dust crystalized. The sun is shining on it as it floats in the air. It looks like glitter falling from the sky!



It is SO cold outside. When I took this pic here Monday night, (click on it to make it bigger), I had to open my window to get rid of the glare on the window from the moon. In doing so, my hands were ice cold in less than 30 seconds (and I was inside)! That is how cold it is been getting here at night. Lows in the single digits to below zero. The sun has been coming out the last few days, so that is very nice. Boosts the spirits since it's usually cloudy and dreary. Seems like our winter is off by a month. January is what December is usually like and February is acting a lot like January! I hope that our weather will catch up to the norm! I don't want snow on my birthday in June!

Blizzard 2007

My drive into work Saturday morning at 6:20am was the scariest drive I have ever done. Went about 25-35mph the whole way in on the highway that morning. I felt like I was Laura Ingalls Wilder on Little House on the Prairie - out in the middle of nowhere on my sleigh in a blizzard. I couldn't see much more than 1-5 feet in front of me at any given time till I hit downtown GR. And no, I don't own a cellphone. Thank you to WaYfm and WCSG to help keep me calm as I drove to and from work both Saturday and Sunday. But most importantly, thank you God for safety on the roads. His angels surrounded my car the entire time for protection. Tonight, the highway was very sleek. At first I couldn't tell why I was sliding all over the road, even though I was going straight and slow. I started looking for wind, but I then realized it was black ice that was causing me to feel like my wheels were slipping beneath me. Please BE CAREFUL and drive SLOW! And don't let anyone in front of you b/c they just kick up the dusty snow and your visibility drops to ZERO!

2.25 miles

Went running 2.25 miles outside in the snow (with boots on :D) last night for not only the exercise, but to relieve some stress. The fresh air was great! Needed it. I've had so much going on lately that I needed a stress relief outlet.

Please keep praying for Caiden and his family. Caiden had a horrible night last night as he was in severe pain from the local chemo injections and laser treatments. Darci and Caiden both got very little sleep last night. His pain was so severe that he was throwing up. His right eye is swollen shut - which is the eye he sees the best out of. Please pray for this little trooper - that the pain will get under control and that he and Darci will get some much needed sleep today.

Thank you for your prayers and support.

The Battle Rages On...

Sometimes life just sucks you know...? Why does it have to be so hard...? I guess that's what draws us closer to Christ to rely on Him solely for our strength.

As you can tell, the news wasn't good this AM from Caiden's eye exam. On the upside, the tumors in the left eye had shrunk significantly. The right eye, which had been completely clear, had 2 new tumors in them. They are very small and can be controlled with laser, local chemo injections and cryotherapy. That is the plan - to continue with local treatments till the cancer is completely gone. Caiden cannot receive anym more systemic chemo b/c he's reached his max on that. They determined that as long as these local treatments are working, we can continue to fight. Hope is NOT gone! Prayer and the healing hand of God is our best weapon period.

It was the coolest thing... Darci always goes back with Caiden to get him prepped for the exam. She said she was praying and saying Scripture over Caiden as she was settling him in, and she looked up and saw the doctor praying off to the side. God is amazing. This doctor is a man of God. He is being challenged spiritually in this case just at we are. I have a lot of respect for this man. He has such an amazing heart. Darci told him after receiving the report from Caiden's eye exam that hope is not gone. He said to her, "I'm glad you are being strong for all of us b/c when I went to look in Caiden's eyes and saw what I saw, my heart just sunk." She replied, "I can't give up hope, and I won't." the doctor replied, "No, I haven't given up hope either."

If God is for us, who can be against us? The battle rages on and God goes before us in VICTORY!

(You hear me saying that and I believe it, but still, my heart is struggling with the ultimate question of "Why?!")