Impala
…What man of you, having a hundred sheep, if he has lost one of them, does not leave the ninety-nine in the open country, and go after the one that is lost, until he finds it? And when he has found it, he lays it on his shoulders, rejoicing…there will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents…”
I have recently been part of a modern day parable. Or actually, I have witnessed one. You know the parable in Luke 15 about the lost sheep? The one I quoted above? Well, here’s my latest version:
Jackson has 2 great loves in his life currently. First, trains. We love trains. More specifically, we love Thomas the Train. We have wooden tracks and wooden train cars and freight cars. They all have names, and Jackson knows them all. Nick and I felt as though we hit the jackpot when shortly before Christmas I discovered, through craigslist, a woman who was a Thomas collector, and sold pieces at a fraction of the price! We “build tracks” every day, for a large portion of the day.
But that is one love. The second, which is loved at an equal value as the trains, is cars. Hotwheels, really. The good thing about cars is they cost $1.07 around the corner at both Sears and Big Lots. Every so often, Daddy loves being the hero who takes Jackson on a walk to one of these stores and pulls into the toy aisle, saying excitedly, “Jackson, daddy wants to get you a new car!” The picking process usually takes a while, but is always thrilling, for both daddy and son.
Cars get driven on the train track, as well as the carpet, the table, the console, the couch, the kitchen floor, everywhere. Cars get lined up in neat long lines, and then smashed. Cars get counted…”One, Two, Free, Fore, Fife, Six, Eleven, Six, Eleven, Six, Eleven…” Cars say “vroom vroom”. Sometimes they fly. We discuss their colors. We know a handful by name : Honda, Nissan, Hummer, Camaro, Cadillac, Chevy, and the Impala.
Ahhhh, the Impala. This is where I have been leading you. A 2010, green and gray striped, Chevy Impala. This car is loved above all others. If there are cars strewn all over the floor, but one in the tight grip of Jacksons little hand, it is the Impala. We’re not sure why this little car has won his heart, but oh, it has. And so begins my story:
Tragically, shortly before Christmas, the precious Impala was lost. Nick and I of course would not have even noticed if Jackson hadn’t repeated, “Impala? Impala? Impala? Impala?” from sun up till sun down. So we searched, and searched, and searched. Under the couch, the chair, the fridge, the stove. We pulled cushions off couches, open all kinds of drawers, looked deep in the caverns of our truck. It was nowhere. Poor little guy, we thought. But we were aware that Christmas was coming, and many new and exciting toys would soon be unwrapped, some of which were new cars. The Impala would luckily soon be forgotten.
So Christmas came, and a flooding of presents from mom and dad and doting grandparents came too. And new cars. Monster trucks, Lightning Mcqueen, a car carrying suitcase, an 8 foot long 6 track race track, to name a few. He loved them all. But once we returned home and the holidays had passed, the familiar question filled our home again. “Impala? Impala? Impala? Impala?” So we looked again. Everywhere. We tried to distract him. But it didn’t work. Now, tears were being shed for the dear long lost Impala.
Nick and I laughed together at how silly it seemed when one late night, we found ourselves in front of the computer, ordering a new $2.00 green and gray striped, 2010 Chevy Impala (We had already checked the stores). It would arrive in a few days. However very the next day, while Jackson was helping me pack for a trip to Arizona, I heard his little voice say excitedly, “Impala!!” I froze in mid-pack. “What?” I asked cautiously. “Impala!” He repeated! I immediately ran over to him and there, sitting inside our closet, was the Impala. Jackson was beside himself with glee. And I was beside myself with glee as well. Jackson’s great love had been found! I didn’t think that little Impala had found a place in my heart, however right then, I could not be happier to behold anything else!
And right then and there I thought of the parable of the lost sheep. This was Jackson’s lost sheep, that would not and could not be replaced by any other. He could not be distracted, he could not forget, he could not stop looking. How much Jesus loves us, right? We are all his Impala’s : )
However, we do now have a back-up Impala.
a small portion of our car collection
Our dear Impala, middle green car, about to race
Happy New Year everyone! I hope you all have had a wonderful Thanksgiving, Christmas, and New Year! We’ve had a busy and fun holiday season with lots of great friends and family. Christmas was especially fun for Nick and I this year as our oh-so-smart-little-almost-2-year-old Jackson is catching on to so much more of the Christmas traditions-both the silly and the important stuff! Driving around town he would say ” Christmas Trees!!” every time we passed by a local Christmas tree lot. And “Cool lights!” to the houses decked out in Christmas lights. Opening presents he would often gasp and say “what is it Jackson?” as he tore off the wrapping paper. What I loved most of all was playing with our little nativity set with Jackson. He can now identify Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus in a manger, shepherd boy, angel, wise men, and even the gifts the wise men brought-“gode, franinse, merrrrr!” I know he doesn’t fully understand it yet, but it brings me so much joy to hear him say Jesus’ name! Oh how we are praying for the salvation of our little precious boy!
I know I sound like a broken record, but we have been in awe of God’s blessing of provision over our family this month as well. He has met our needs, and of course on the EXACT day that I identified that little anxious feeling creeping up in me, worrying about how we would scrape through, He first brought me peace. Trust in me Emily, I’ve got it this time, just like last time. And then on that same day he brought us just exactly what I had been worrying about. In one sense I was not surprised at seeing God’s provision, while at the same time so grateful and thankful and blessed at His love, shown through His people.
So now the holidays are over, and as I sit here, fighting the massive cough and cold that I hoped I would avoid even though every other person I know has had it, I am exhausted from a busy, fun-filled month, but also very excited about beginning this next year! We are really looking forward to what this year holds for RYFO. Much planning and organizing has already taken place in anticipation of the coming year of ministry. We’re excited to work hard and see where God takes it. And of course welcoming our sweet son Cooper into our family in 9 more weeks is now #1 on my radar! We appreciate all your prayers for both a safe delivery for Cooper, and God’s continued direction with RYFO. Happy 2012 everyone!
Little Jackson experiencing Fall leaves for the first time, courtesy of our good friend thejb.tv
The Beginning: #2
Just a recap, I was in Chicago, beginning my junior year at Moody, and Nick was in southern Illinois, just transferred in for his first year at Greenville College. We were 4 hours apart. We’d known each other for about 10 weeks, and spent an incredible amount of time on the phone. I knew that I was definitely interested in him, but was not taking it too seriously, just because, how can you take something seriously when you’ve spent limited time in the same place? Talking on the phone and talking in person are strangely two different things, in my opinion, so I was cautiously keeping my radar up. But the great Pumpkin Festival was coming up in Morton, Illionios, home to the fabulous Les and Elaine Sutter (also known as Grandma and Grandpa), so we decided to go! A group of us met at my grandparents for the weekend, which was the halfway point between both of our schools. I remember when Nick and I saw each other it was absolutely one of those exciting movie moments that’s a little bit embarrassing to actually talk about…huge smiles that will NOT go away, hearts beating a million miles a minute, everything moving in slow motion. I love those moments : )
It was such a fun weekend, and we both left even more eager to find out what was going on between us.
Weeks went by(of course accompanied by a ton more phone calls) and soon Nick and a group of his buddies were up in Chicago for another visit. I remember walking ALL OVER Chicago that weekend. On Saturday night Nick and I were out together and he said something like, “I really like you Emily, and I would like to take the next step in a relationship with you, so I’m wondering, what is next?”
Let me explain this. I had never had a boyfriend before. I’d had interests, but nothing official. So I had given plenty of thought to what I thought should be the proper progression in a relationship. As I mentioned in my last post, Nick was very good at allowing me the stage to express my thoughts on just about everything. So he knew I might have some opinions on the “official” status and development of “us”.
So I said, ” I really like you too, and I’d like to take the next step also”
Nick: “Great! What would that be for you?”
Emily: “Well, I think we should say that we are dating, but not boyfriend and girlfriend”
Nick: “Ok! So is ‘dating’ just keeping in a bit more casual for now?”
Emily: “No, I’m completely serious about this, and if you aren’t then you better say so”
Nick: “No I’m serious! (smile) So, is it ‘dating’ only because it’s not exclusive yet?”
Emily: “Oh no, it is absolutely exclusive”
Nick (sweetly, patiently) “Ok, hm, good, so I’m not sure I know what the step is exactly”
I went on to explain my thoughts, which were something like this:
Because the titles “Boyfriend and Girlfriend” were never put on me, or anyone I was interested in, to say that of someone, or be called that by someone, seemed like more than a silly jr. high thing to me. It seemed like a public announcement that this person was not only special to you, but knew you so much better than other people that they needed their own title. And while I knew Nick was special to me, and at that point he did know a lot about me, I just felt like we needed more time.
I am slow to open up. I place a lot of value on quality time. If any of you know Nick and I as a couple, you probably felt like you knew Nick after one conversation, but knew me after 50 conversations. This is not because I am mean, or cold, or even super shy. It’s just me. I come out a little bit at a time, so it takes some time for me to feel known. It turns out Nick and I work together well that way : )
I think that was a healthy and beneficial quality trait in the world of dating. There was never a rush, which I think is an excellent thing.
Nick gladly accepted being “daters”. In fact, the next morning he and I got together at Starbucks and I told him I felt a little silly for making such a big deal about little terms and he cut me off completely and said that he would never want me to feel uncomfortable or not ready for something, and what the terms meant to me was all that mattered. I will always remember that moment that morning and appreciate that response. Because he was right, this was the beginning of making decisions between God, Nick, and Emily, and nobody else. His acceptance of who I was in this little decision was a big deal and said a lot to me.
So we decided to be daters, with the agreement that I would be sure to let Nick know when I felt comfortable to move on to “boyfriend and girlfriend”. So, in my practical sensibility I told him I would be ready for that when he was at a “ten” and currently he was at ……
zero.
The evening of this picture was when we became “daters” : )
He did it again!
I should stop being so surprised when God takes care of us in unexpected ways. He does it over and over again, but it seems I am amazed every time. Actually, it’s good I am amazed, because He deserves the glory for it every time! I just wanted to share this small event from yesterday, because God is good and He provides for us without fail. Our food/gas budget this month is running a little low, so upon returning from our trip we decided to play a game called ” try to eat every last thing in the kitchen before going to the grocery store/let’s see how long we can make it.” And we had come up with a small list of odd but edible meal options! However, we did not take into account that a large chunk of the money we did have left for this month would be needed for an pre-natal ultrasound visit which we had today. So in His goodness, God blessed us yesterday unexpectedly with bags full of groceries, and gas in our truck. He has taken care of us. And He always does. I am amazed again and to Him be the glory. Thank you to the givers of this gift, and thank you to our great Lord who meets our needs just in time, every time.
OCTOBER ADVENTURE
Well we’ve had a busy October so far! We had the opportunity to visit a few of RYFO’s host homes in order to capture some interviews for a series of upcoming RYFO videos! Nick, Jackson, and I (including a now 20 week old lil’ Cooper cooking inside) flew out to Chicago and spent 10 days driving 1400 miles throughout Illinois, Indiana, and Michigan! We were lucky enough to have JB Waggoner, our fantastic videographer, along with us to capture the footage!
We were able to stop in Naperville, Illinois and visit the Hill family, then down to Fort Wayne Indiana where we spent the evening with the Lubs, and finally over to Rensselaer Indiana we stopped in at the Heemstra’s. It was such a pleasure for me to meet these families for the first time, and find out a little bit about their involvement as host homes. First of all, every one of their homes was beautiful! So welcoming and comfortable and relaxing! It was so encouraging and exciting to see how God is using each of these families to reach out and care for so many different touring artists! They are cooking meals, praying for, and building relationships through this ministry and it is so exciting to see! I was blessed to hear their hearts and see God’s work in RYFO’s ministry.
We were also lucky enough to visit family along the way! Nick and I are both originally from the midwest, so we did our best to see as many of our relatives as possible! Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins….from both sides! We tried to do a head count of family members seen and lost count somewhere around 60! I loved seeing everyone! If only it could happen more often! And to top off such a wonderful trip, it was sunny and warm the whole time! Autumn is a beautiful season to be in the midwest. The smell of crisp leaves falling, bright red, orange and gold everywhere! So picturesque!
So thank you to our host homes that let us stop by! It was an absolute pleasure! And to those of you I haven’t met yet, I look forward to the day we will be able to stop in and meet you! And thank you to our family for getting everyone together and cooking meals and spending time with us! We love you all! And thank you JB for your time and talent on this trip! And thank you my little buddy Jackson for being an EXCELLENT traveler! And of course thank you Jesus for the opportunity to do it all!
THE BEGINNING
Well, I’m finally back. Not a good sign to take a break after your first post! But don’t be alarmed, summer has come to a close which means I am settling in at home, to write blogs. So I’m going to take it back to the beginning! Just a reminder, I want you all to get to know me, and Nick, and RYFO, as God has led our lives.
So it starts back in the summer of 2003, when Nick and I met. I was 20, Nick was 21. We met at a Christian Summer camp in Big Bear, where I was on staff for the summer and Nick was a counselor with his church. We met on a Sunday, and 5 days later on Friday said, “Nice to meet you, have a safe trip home!” However in those 5 days we’d discovered that ironically both of us Californians had spent our childhoods in Michigan, only 20 minutes apart, and now both of us were attending colleges in Illinois. That didn’t necessarily mean much, but it was interesting, especially when I thought the guy was cute!
We both ended up in Illinois shortly after that. I was returning to Moody Bible Institute for my junior year, and Nick was transferring to Greenville College after some time at Junior College. We had talked a little more over the summer, and at that point it was pretty clear there was some kind of interest between us, but nothing defined, nothing official. Just talking. A LOT of talking. 4 hour long phone calls. Life stories, favorite colors, family descriptions, faith, at one point we each gave the most distinct memory we had from each year of our lives, as far back as we could remember. If you are or have ever been in a relationship, you’ve had these exact same conversations I’m sure!
What stood out to me about my early conversations with Nick was that I never ran out of something to say. I never felt uncomfortable. Now, I am naturally a bit of a shy person, as well as a practical person, so I wouldn’t label myself as a big talker. In fact, if you got Nick’s side of the story I’m sure he felt frazzled and awkward more than once by my silence on the end of the phone. But he had a way with me of not only fueling conversation on(haha…way to stick with it Nick!) but of questioning me in such a way that pushed through any “pleasantries” or shyness of mine and brought out…me! To give you an example, at one point Nick ruled out the words “good” and “nice” from my vocabulary because he thought I used them so frequently and they were such a waste of any real description of how I felt about something.I felt real and known by this person and at the same time, very enthralled with the real him. So that was exciting, and new, and intoxicating. Just talking. I still didn’t know what would come of all of this talking. Honestly, Nick still seemed like this random person that came from nowhere. I mean, we meant at CAMP, that just sounds fleeting, right?! But we were talking our way from fleeting to real.
It was Fall. I’ll leave us at that!
Welcome!
If you are reading this blog, there is a good chance you are involved in RYFO in one way or another. Thank you! And let me just say, you have no idea what a blessing you are to the ministry of RYFO, to my husband, to me and my family. I have to admit, I’ve been one to shrug my shoulders and say “we can’t help them” when others have asked for support in different avenue’s of ministry. “We’ve got ten dollars!” I think, and conclude that’s not helpful. How my attitude has shifted! RYFO is functioning, not to mention our family, because so many people (including I’m sure many of you guys) have been generous to give to RYFO what they can, and look what God has done. Not only is Nick able to devote his time and attention to developing this vision, but it is amazing how personally blessed I feel by each and every one of you. God has shown me His hand of care and provision, and he has used you to be His hand. I know, that sounds so cheesy, and cliché, but having experienced it myself, that is absolutely the deep down truth of what I feel.
Anyways, that was not the point of what I was going to say. And I am not about to guilt trip anyone into please please please, give us more! I just had to take the moment to express my thanks to God, and to you.
What I wanted to say was, as confident as I am that all you readers know Mr. Nick Greenwood, there’s a good chance you have either never met me, or don’t really know me that well! It is difficult to end up sitting in every meeting, traveling to every festival, etc. But I am walking this path right along with Nick, and RYFO, in fact, from the very beginning! So that is what I want to share with you all, a little more about myself, and in the process, about our family, and how RYFO has come to be. I tend to get a little lost in the beauty of stories, I love seeing God weave things together in His way and time. When you finally look back you go “oh! Now I see what You were doing!” I know so many of you have seen that in your lives, and I’d like to share our life with you, from my perspective.
Thanks for joining me!
Emily
