“Are we there yet?”

In our years as youth ministers one of the most memorable annoyances
{for us as well as the students I'm sure} were trips. LONG trips.

are we THERE yet What God's teaching me about obedience

It wasn't really the trip itself that was annoying it was being cramped in a vehicle for the long ride. The inevitable questions were always, "Are we there yet?" and "What are we doing next?" Those were the skin crawling questions for the adults. Why can't they just get in the van, sit back, and enjoy the ride?

These are the same questions that I have trouble hearing from my kids. I just think, does it matter? I get so frustrated; don't you trust me? I have their best interest in mind because I love them. Ugg

The answer for the students in our ministry, I've learned recently, was just as irritating, "Nun-ya". Well maybe not that exact phrase, or at least not all the time. Some form of "We'll tell ya what you need to know when you need to know it", "Be patient", and "Be Flexible".

Yep, same phrases I use with my children. I bet my kids hear the phrase, "Be Patient." 800 times a day. The other one is "Listen 1st time!" We demand obedience. Delayed obedience is still disobedience. We use these so often that my kids use the phrases. Our definition for the vocabulary-love'n-4-year-old is, obey means listen 1st time and patience means wait. Wait without questions.Wait with out grumbles or whining. Wait without dancing around like a crazy. Wait quietly. Wait peacefully.

Sounds all good and well, right!?!

Yeah, until I'm in the backseat asking, "Are the THERE yet!?!?!?!?!"

I ask all those same things of God on this crazy fun journey. We're truck'n along and he tells me the ultimate destination but I can't handle the bathroom breaks, gas-ups, and stops for meals. I'm just ready to be there. I wanna know when, why, and what time each stop is gonna be along the way. I squirm and whine in a giant tantrum all in the name of praying. but what to do next or right now, or how I should do ____."

I don't know why it's taken me so long to figure this one out but in Genesis 22, God tells Abraham to do something. Now, let ignore the fact that it was nuts-o. God tells him something kind of generic: Go sacrifice you son. on a mountain (I'll tell ya which one later). What the crap? No, that's not what Ab says. No, he gets up early the very next day to go do it. He doesn't sit around going, Well, I think God ask me to do this but I'm not sure if it was really God or the chili I ate for lunch. I think I'll pray about it a little longer. If it's what He wants me to do, it will all fall into place. He'll tell me where, how, why, etc.

That's what we do! That's what I do.

Abraham packs up is junk, servant dudes, and his only son. The one that's supposed to fulfill the promise God gave him years ago of being the father of many nations. Then they hike it 3 days. Some where along the way God tells Ab which mountain but that's about as specific as it gets. God didn't explain to him why He would ask this of him.

We I would be kicking and screaming if I'd even gotten myself on the road to obedience.

Abraham lives out his faith in front of his son {as he'd obviously done for 30+ years} as they trudged up the mountain to follow through with what God had asked. He wasn't crying out to God the entire way up, YO! You said I would be a father of many. You gonna bring this joker back after I kill him? Are you gonna give me something else to take his place? How in the world do you expect me to do this???

Abraham "listened 1st time". Abraham waited without questions. He waited with out grumbles or whining. Abraham waited without dancing around like a crazy. He waited quietly. Abraham waited in the peace that God was God. He would come through even if it wasn't how he wanted. Yeah, we can look at it now and peacefully think he of course should obey. God's gonna take care of him. But although Abraham didn't know exactly how God was going to work things out but he still obeyed immediately and without grumbling.

I'm learning to listen 1st time and to wait patiently amidst obeying what God is asking of me Now. If I wait to obey until God gives me the entire story, all the details, or the point of what He's asking of me...I'll never obey. Step by step, just like we ask of our children, I'll obey without questioning God's motive. Learning trust His perfect character and joyfully await the perfect end result.

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Dear Tween Me

Dear Tween Me printable

"Dear Tween Me" printable version

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My Comfy Peace that, “God’s GOT This!”

God's been opening doors all over the place since we committed to this God-size dream He gave us.

valley testlogo blackI mean, we shouldn't be surprised right? If he ask us to do something He's not gonna sit back and laugh at us while we fumble around making fools of ourselves while trying to accomplish it. Heck no. God's already got a crazy detailed manuscript He's directing and we are just blessed to be asked to have an extra part in a tiny scene of this movie we call eternity.

Way back in November 2011, when my husband shared with me that he was sure God was calling him to be a pastor {and if you know me and my hubs, this would be a shock to all of you as well}. Not only was he supposed to be a 'grown-up pastor' now but he was being asked to PLANT a Church.

WHAT?!?! Aren't there enough churches? Everyone is leaving the ones that exist. How are we supposed to do any better than what's already out there? We know NOTHING about running a church.

These were the questions that I later learned were flying through my husband's head when he began sorting this God-sized dream out. He joked about some of these things but it never seemed to be a dampener on what God was gonna let us do. I'm slightly childish in this way. When God ask me to do something, I'm sure its Him, I just do it. Some may call that extreme faith but I think its just how He made me...kinda like being short ;o)

If I give myself lots of time to think about something, that's when the questions come. Not the, "don't you know I can't do this God"s but the "well, what can I do to move this along" questions. This life of limbo is either one of two things; God teaching us {lots of} something(s) OR satan trying to mess with my head and get me to jack things up by trying to do it on my own during the waiting. Daily I remind my self of the spiritual battle going on and wiggle down into my comfy peace that, "God's got this!" Some days that works and other day I'm a panicky mess, don't ask my hubs, he'll give ya the horror stories. hehe

Any how, about all these doors God is opening since saying Yes to this adventure:

  • a woman, we had never met before, who is committed {and I mean Committed!} to give us 1/3 of her already meager income
  • a partner church who is interested in helping plant autonomous churches
  • 100 folding chairs
  • friends who have a heart for church plants
  • friends who have a heart for the community we are going to minister
  • random jobs {never saw ourselves working} to offset our income
  • a radio interview {that came out of the blue} where I was able to share part of our story, as well as educate listeners on church planting and the de-churched
  • can lights, a projector and a screen Fo Free!
  • a couple churches who have committed to praying for us and/or financially supporting us
  • and tons of other things I've forgotten to mention

SEE UPDATE AT THE BOTTOM!

Things we are faithing God has in the works:

  • a space for The Valley to meet in weekly {praying for "The General", an old Dollar General in a store front}
  • people who will commit to being part of the leadership: ie. Financial Advisor, Worship Team, Administrator
    {UPDATE: we've had vocalist, drummer, and other musicans come talk with us recently!}
  • A passionate move of God like no other ever seen in Vilonia, AR where those who know Jesus catch fire and Salvation spreads across that community so ramped that no one can deny GOD is at work!

I haven't talked a whole lot about the logistics of what we're doing on here...mainly 'cause I don't know if you'll care Or what you really wanna know, already know, or could care less to know. Blow up the comment section or message me. I'd love to share more. If there is a lot of interest I'll even do an entire Q & A post for ya.

Speaking of which; Matt and I will be doing a question and answer session a One Church {Conway} on the evening of January 27th. If your interested in more info about this then ask away!

I've also provided a link to the interview I mentioned above if you'd like to hear it. It's an hour long program but you can skip ~15 minutes in to where my interview starts and of course fast-forward through the commercial breaks. My part of the interview is really only about 20 minutes.

Chasing After the De-Churched a radio interview with Vivienne McNeny

Download HERE to Listen

UPDATE:

I wrote this last week and when it went live this morning my husband was in the process of picking up an old screen someone had donated only to find out that they were searching for more equipment items to bless us with. Thank you so much Mark Cox & Indian Springs BC for being Jesus through extravagant generosity! And the Fagan family for letting us borrow your ginormous covered trailer to hall it all in. AND to Pappa Dean for helping us pick it up {and for storing it until we get a space of our own!

God is so randomly Good. Just when we think we understand Him... waBam!

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And, if any of your readers out there in cyberspace happen to be in the Conway/Vilonia area:

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The Roth Babes’ Meeting

I LOVE my lil family!!!

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For those interested in getting some questions answered about this "Valley" thing, come see us!

For size comparison, check out the old school video I posted yesterday when we just had 'the girls' and were testing out our mad rapping skills ;o)

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Swagger Wagon {the Rothacher original}

So, the hubs and I LOVE being silly. We also love finding creative ways to tell people things. THIS is what we made about 2 and 1/2 years ago.

I just found this video as we were uploading our most resent video we made WITH all 3 of our kids.

THIS is what I found:

14,678 view and comments like:

THE BEST "Swagger Wagon" spinoff! - Well done! Along with the hard work and attention to detail - was original humor ( "Butt Paste! hilarious! ~ parents know what this is all about ) , and the fact you didn't rip off the original like most others on YouTube.

"Mommy Haircut! --- Big Poppa Gut"! I'm rolling on the floor!

GREAT JOB! 🙂

Hope you enjoy my gift to you: higher self-esteem ;o)

Check in tomorrow for The Roth Babes' Meeting, a "promo video for The Valley's Q&A meeting".
CUTE even if you could care less about The Valley.

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