2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 6

There is an interesting group of feelings you get when you approach the end of an adventure like the one we’ve had at the Hollins church. It is a group of emotions that stretches from one side of your heart to the other.

You cannot help to be a little excited about returning to the normalcy of home. The day-to-day activities that are often considered humdrum and routine when contrasted with the dawn-to-dusk, every minute accounted for, agenda that encompasses a major event like our University Church of Christ family mission trip. It will feel a little strange, but returning to work will be exciting in its own right. I’m sure I will rethink this statement in a couple of weeks.

The next emotion is sadness. I have grown to love my church family. We have spent many hours together and you can’t help but grow closer to those you must depend on. We are a big machine and every part is needed. Every part is valuable. It will be sad to leave these close quarters of spiritual battle and return to the “see you Sunday night” familiarity of our everyday Christian lives. God forbid that we forget this closeness.

Just behind sadness, there is pride. When you step back and look at what we’ve accomplished in such a short time — the total transformation of the Hollins Church of Christ into a top notch Vacation Bible School, there is a sense of pride. Not the haughty pride that accompanies vain boasting, but the humbling pride when looking into the eyes young children who might be stepping inside a church building for the first time. It is for them that we labor and are proud to make their first visit memorable.

Finally, there is peace. The peace that comes by knowing you have done the right thing. You have prayed for the strength to be a servant to others. You have asked God to help you be a good influence to those around you. You have requested the wisdom needed to reach those that need His word the most. And He has answered. This peace is talked about in Philippians 4:5-7. “Let your moderation be known unto all men. The Lord is at hand. Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

Every remembrance of this trip will be like a sweet savour. Everyone we come in contact with should know how this mission trip has affected us. And with each face I see, from those who worked beside me, will hold a story I will treasure for the rest of my life.

God continue to bless the University Church of Christ.

2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 5

When an event you have dedicated so much of your time to is half way through, you begin to feel that sense of peace. The stress of making sure every detail is considered starts to fade as the sheer enjoyment of watching it happen unfolds before you. This is VBS.

We have completed the second day of VBS for the Hollins Church of Christ and the fifth day of our family mission trip. Today, we laughed.

We made time, thanks to the wonderful planning of our fearless leaders, to have a little fun and laugh.

The kids got a great thrill when a big yellow fire truck appeared in the church parking lot to cool them off with a good spraying. The only person who had more fun than the kids was Dean Itson, the biggest kid of them all. It was great!

The guys, as guys often do, had much fun as we cleared a tree from Jack Zorn’s house. There is nothing more enjoyable than the genuine fun had by a big group of
Christian guys and power tools. But please, don’t let Todd Oliver near any of them. Just kidding Todd.

The ladies prepared cards for the nursing homes and, as I understand, many of the worlds problems are solved when a gathering of ladies get together to focus on a project. Why they don’t let the rest of us in how that is done I will never. Regardless, they had a outstanding time together.

As I reflect on the day, my mind instantly thought of Proverbs 17:22, “A merry heart doeth good like a medicine: but a broken spirit drieth the bones.” Everywhere I looked I saw merry hearts. These are tremendous times to be a part of a family of God who takes this verse to heart.

I just can’t wait for tomorrow!

2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 4

What a wonderful day! We began with worship; filling the Hollins Church of Christ to beyond capacity. In a congregation that usually averages 25 for Sunday morning worship, we had to bring in extra chairs to seat the 111 worshippers. It was awesome!

Then, after an outstanding lunch and a short (too short but much needed) nap, we got right to work. Looking at the flurry of activity and the love a dedication of each member doing their part, I couldn’t help but think of I Corinthians 12:12, which says, “The body is a unit, though it is made up of many parts; and though all its parts are many, they form one body. So it is with Christ.”

We were the embodiment (no pun intended) of that verse. Each one of us had a part to play, and every part came together to form a seamless unit. From puppets to crafts, to snack, I was in awe at the precision and professionalism of our group. As in any first night of VBS, things didn’t go exactly as planned, but no attendee ever knew it. The reoccurring slogan uttered by Rob Lyle, mission coordinator, echoed in the halls from time to time. “Just be flexible.”

The seeds planted from our door-knocking had taken root as I saw several children that we had met along our journeys. God is at work in this place and using us for His purpose. In one class, only two of the 10 children in the class were members of the Hollins church. What a feeling to know that such a small effort as knocking on a door could possibly lead the saving of a soul.

I continue to pray for this great effort and for the University Church of Christ.

2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 3

Today was the final day of the door knocking portion of the University Church of Christ family mission trip. The weather was unusually cool for July in Alabama and we were very thankful.

Our troop-numbers increased as our door-hanging, flyer brigade spread across the countryside to catch the last few houses that had not been approached for the invitation to the Gospel Meeting and VBS to start the next day.

Throughout the day, a theme of a “family reunion” was used. At first, it was a commentary of an actual family reunion that was taking place in our hotel. By the sounds that were echoing in the hallways at 3:00 a.m., it was a family of zombies who only came out at night.

Regardless, the theme developed during the day and, by the time we reached a cookout hosted by the Hollins church, I felt that the idea of our gathering as a spiritual family reunion was most apropos.

There is a song we sing that conveys this exact sentiment. It’s called, “God’s Family.”

We’re part of the family that’s been born again;

Part of the family whose love knows no end;

for Jesus has saved us, and made us His own,

Now we’re part of the family that’s on its way home.

And sometimes we laugh together, sometimes we cry;

Sometimes we share together, heartaches and sighs;

Sometimes we dream together of how it will be

When we all get to Heaven, God’s family.

Karen, my wife, and I are so thankful for our new church family and feel blessed to be part of a congregation that, not only reads Mark 16:15, but lives it.

2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 2

After the end of the second day of the University Church of Christ family mission trip, I was thinking of how tired everyone (myself included) was getting. We walked up steep hills house after house inviting those who answered their door to the Gospel Meeting and VBS.

I began to think how Galatians 6:9, which says, “ Let us not become weary in doing good, for at the proper time we will reap a harvest if we do not give up.” This verse speaks to those who lose heart in the service of our Lord. My understanding of this passage always led me to believe that it only meant those that continuously work for the Lord can become “burned-out” in their efforts to do what is right.

In looking at it further, and based on my experiences today, I believe it could also be looked at by those who toil in the field and become physically tired. By losing the strength to go on, one can become selfish and start justifying the excuses needed to quit.

Just like in athletics, we must push ourselves to become victorious in the end. So to my fellow laborers; do not grow weary in your well doing. If we can reach one soul in our efforts, it will all be worth it in the end.

2009 Church Mission Trip – Day 1

We just completed our first day with the University Church of Christ family mission trip. This is a great way to involve families that would like to do mission work, but cannot travel too far from home. Our congregation, located in Montgomery, Alabama traveled to a small town two hours north of Montgomery called Hollins, Alabama. Hollins is located just outside of Sylacauga, Alabama. Here families will be involved in door-knocking and invited the surrounding area to attend a four-day Gospel Meeting and Vacation Bible School. The University church will use materials from our recently held VBS to put on an abbreviated version for the kids of the area.

Our first day consisted of travel to our hotel in Sylacauga, then to the Hollins Church of Christ to unload the U-Haul, then straight to work. We door-knocked for over two-hours, dividing into teams.

I led the group of my son, Cole, who is 9, and his new friend, Braxton, who is around the same age. I was particularly impressed with how Cole and Braxton got into it by asking if they could speak to the people we met and invited them to our event.

We rehearsed it as we approached each house and they became experts at it.

If only we, as Christians, could just go up to an unknown door and be as innocent as Cole and Braxton, who thought their efforts were nothing more than a game. If they only knew.

I am reminded of the story in the Bible from Luke 18 when the children approached Jesus and were stopped by the Apostles. Jesus rebuked them saying that we all must be like children if we want to enter the kingdom of Heaven.

This Bible truth came alive for me today. God bless the innocent spirit of little children.

Day 1 Video

TOTUS Merchandise

I have created a few items using my TOTUS design. Let me know what other items you would like to see offered. Visit the link on this page (TOTUS Merchandise) or visit www.zazzle.com/mikepod .

The Official Seal of the Teleprompter of the United States

I was inspired by Rush Limbaugh’s personification of President Obama’s teleprompter. Thanks for rantwire for the Latin translation.

Seal of the Teleprompter of the United States

TOTUS Seal with Latin wording

The Toughest Kid I Know

Michael Moody, Catcher, First Base, Left Field

This past weekend my son, Michael, showed me how tough he is.

He plays Junior Varsity (JV) baseball for his school, Prattville Christian Academy (PCA). His mother and I are so proud of him. So far he has been a starter his first year playing JV baseball. A seventh grader does not always get a chance to start. Michael plays catcher, first base and left field.

During a tournament in Troy, Alabama, at Pike Liberal Arts School on Friday night, he was playing first base. A batter popped the ball that seemed to be fading foul to the fence. Michael took off after it. If it didn’t go over the fence, it was going to be a very tight play at the fence. I was Assistant Coach for this team watching from the dugout on the third base line.

I saw the ball fading off and Michael running to get under it and the fence approaching fast. Within a second, the ball was in the glove and Michael’s face was in the fence. The batter was out!

When the team came over the to dugout, Michael appeared to have something on his nose. When I got closer, I saw the damage. The end of his nose was purple and bleeding. For some kids, that would have been the end of the day for them. Michael just wiped his nose off and got ready to bat. A doctor visit later determined that he had not broken his nose, but his new nickname of “Rudolph” was starting to stick.

Saturday morning came and with a 90 percent chance of rain, there was no way we were going to finish the tourney. I began to make plans for the day. It would start with me going back to bed and then some stuff after that.

At 8:20 am, I received a call from one of the coaches. We would play and the bus would leave at 9:30 am. Everything came into focus. I was barely awake myself and Michael was dead asleep. I went into panic mode. I woke Michael and explained that we both would have to dress, eat and make it to the bus in 1 hour. I probably need to mention that my son’s school is in Prattville, Alabama and we live on the far (away) side of Wetumpka, Alabama. Both cities are suburban settlements to Montgomery, the capital city of Alabama. PCA is about 30 minutes from our house.

To my surprise we both dressed (without showers), went by McDonalds, and made it to the school at exactly 9:30. It was raining and Athletic Director  Coach Peak did not hold out a lot of hope that we would play. He said he would call me when they got there and let me know if I should make the trip to Troy, Alabama, an hour and a half drive from PCA or just meet the bus when it returned.

The games would be played as it was overcast and windy in Troy, but not rainy.

I made it to Pike Liberal in plenty of time and got set to watch my son play baseball. This is one the greatest joys in my life.

Michael emerged from the dugout with catcher’s gear on. I was already exited. During the first inning, a popped ball went fading towards the backstop, which was long net thankfully. Michael, again, took off to get under it, caught it, and hit the two-foot wall at the base of the net. I heard a thud upon impact. I think it was his shin guards hitting the concrete blocks that made up the wall. Coach Peak yelled out from the dugout, “Don’t make it look so hard!” We laughed and Michael got right back into position.

Late in the game, Michael was still playing catcher, the ball was hit to right field. A runner on second base was going to try to make it home. Michael crouched down at home awaiting the ball. It was a position he had been in before. The ball came in on a bounce. Michael had the ball and turned to make the tag when the base runner decided to dive head-first into the plate. As he did and Michael was leaning in for the tag, the runners legs drew in and met Michael’s head which was still being protected with his hockey-style face mask. The collision jerked Michael’s head back and into his body so that the mask cut his left cheek and skin over his right collar bone. The ball fell out, the mask came off and Michael rolled over on his back not moving. The batter was called out for the improper slide at home. A fact that Michael did not know until the next day.

Michael lay on the dirt around home plate for several minutes with coaches from both sides attending to him. He later said his neck and shoulders down his back were tingling. Then he did something that impressed me.

He got up and, while the coaches were urging him to go to the dugout for a break, he picked up his face mask and motioned to him that he wanted to keep playing. Some of the mothers around me were wondering why I had not moved from the bleachers. Being a teenager once myself, I knew that the kiss of death for the teen-aged boy is to get injured on the field and have your parent(s) rush onto the field to tend to the baby. I quietly waited until after the game to check on him.

He finished the game, still giving 100 percent and played the second game in left field making a couple of great catches. After getting the OK from a doctor the next morning, Michael commented that he was glad Coach Peak and his team saw him take a lick and keep going. He is the toughest kid I know and, of course, I and his mother love him and continue to be impressed with him.

Rickwood Field

At 100 years old, Rickwood Field is the oldest active baseball park in the U.S.