The world lost a great and Godly man in the middle of the night. Heaven gained a whole lot of laughter and some really great stories.

Pastor David Terhune was our boss in Indiana for four years, but he was more than just a boss. He was a mentor, a friend, a pastor, a hero, a father figure. I learned and laughed more in those four years than at any other time in my life.

Being on staff  with Pastor Dave was an adventure, to say the least. Creativity and energy were encouraged, and even demanded. Pastor Dave led the charge well. Creating our own outrageously fun VBS programs on a nearly zero budget, holding block parties for a low-income apartment complex, even doing a Survivor parody on Sunday morning, the possibilities and opportunities were endless. Pastor Dave wanted to ensure that we laughed every day, so he had us all take staff breaks together. But to be honest, it wasn’t just break time, it was Pastor Dave’s story time! He was a phenomenal story-teller and we usually laughed ourselves to tears before heading back to our offices.

Ken and I were fortunate enough when we lived in Marion to be “adopted” by Pastor Dave as well. Ken and I were not just employees, but like family when he opened his home to us for Thanksgiving and Christmas. We thought it might feel a bit strange to sit at another family’s table, but it wasn’t. The same laughter rang through the house and we felt right at home.

One of my favorite Pastor Dave crazy plans was for our Christmas Eve service. At our 11:00 p.m. service, he wanted to have a reverse offering. Offering plates were filled with cash, and passed around the congregation. If you had money that the Lord was telling you to give, you put more money in the plate. If you needed money, you could take what you needed.

CRAZY.

As an extremely reasonable and cautious staff, we would counter. “What if someone takes the whole plate of money? What if we become known as the church that just hands out cash on Christmas Eve? We might get all kinds of people here who aren’t here for the service, but just for the money.”

“Then we’ll be known as the church that welcomes people who are just here for the money. But in the mean time, they’ll get a touch of God’s love.” It was God’s money, not ours.

And sure enough, we always had overflowing offering plates by the end of the night, which was set aside for the benevolence fund. We also had people who left in tears because they could get their kids Christmas gifts. One man had stopped to ask for help with gas money so he could get home for Christmas and he was shocked to be handed an offering plate and told to take what he needed! A nurse desperately needed a new pair of shoes for work. She grabbed a handful of cash quickly from the plate as it passed by. Later, when she counted it out, she realized it was the exact amount of the shoes she needed. The stories went on and on.

He had the gift of evangelism like I’ve never seen in anyone else. Pastor Dave led people to Christ at a gas station while dressed as a shepherd on the way home from the Christmas production. He refurbished bicycles for the homeless. He led our church out of a million dollars of debt in less than 4 years.  He dressed up like a homeless man and sat outside our church panhandling. He collected shoes for children Iraq. He dumpster dived behind Dollar General to get VBS supplies. He welcomed gang members from Ken’s basketball ministry to our church picnics. He planted a church in the midst of a terminal illness. He preached each week until he could no longer stand.  Then in the last few weeks of his life, he preached from a chair. He loved the Lord and his neighbor with his whole heart.

And I loved Pastor Dave with my whole heart too.

Pastor Dave is running up and down the streets in heaven with a new body today. And a crowd is gathering around him, waiting to tell him thank you for leading them to Christ, and ready to laugh at some really great stories.

Thousands of dollars spent on a “birth mother” who wasn’t pregnant?  Buying a homeless newspaper from a someone who may use the money to buy cigarettes? A stolen coat?

Luke 6: 27-36 NIV

  ” ²⁷ “But to you who are listening I say: Love your enemies, do good to those who hate you, ²⁸ bless those who curse you, pray for those who mistreat you. ²⁹ If someone slaps you on one cheek, turn to them the other also. If someone takes your coat, do not withhold your shirt from them. ³⁰ Give to everyone who asks you, and if anyone takes what belongs to you, do not demand it back. ³¹Do to others as you would have them do to you.

   ³² “If you love those who love you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners love those who love them. ³³ And if you do good to those who are good to you, what credit is that to you? Even sinners do that. ³⁴ And if you lend to those from whom you expect repayment, what credit is that to you? Even sinners lend to sinners, expecting to be repaid in full. ³⁵ But love your enemies, do good to them, and lend to them without expecting to get anything back. Then your reward will be great, and you will be children of the Most High, because he is kind to the ungrateful and wicked. ³⁶ Be merciful, just as your Father is merciful.”

 

With pneumonia. Maybe a peritonsillar abscess too, but since I can’t really open my mouth (trismus), it’s hard to tell. Doesn’t really change treatment at this point anyway.

Steroids. Antibiotics. Sleep.

Repeat.

If you’d like to order from our Online Pampered Chef Party, now’s your last chance! Today is the last day!

Believe it or not, there are a lot of things from Pampered Chef that I don’t own! Besides the things that I’ve already mentioned, here are things that I don’t have that I think look really neat.

The microwave chip maker! I must admit, my love of potato chips is not good. I should never buy them, because I eat them! The chip maker allows one to make healthier chip options like sweet potato chips or apple chips. Yum! I’d love to try this!

And because thin slices are mandatory for making chips: the Simple Slicer.

I take breakfast for the college students on Sunday mornings, and a big bowl would be great. Unfortunately, with a small kitchen, bowl storage is tight. Which is why I like the Collapsible Serving Bowl!

 

The small ridged baker can be used in the microwave or the oven, and can raise foods out of fats and water.

Who can’t use more Twix-it Clips? I use these on everything. Which is why I need more.

And since we eat a lot of cilantro, which has a tendency to spoil quickly, I’d love to give the Herb Keeper a try.

 

Tomorrow is the LAST day for our Online Pampered Chef Party. Don’t forget to place your order before it’s too late!

You may not be aware of this, but Ken actually spends almost as much time in the kitchen as I do. When our schedules sync and we’re at home for dinner at the same time, we often cook together. He’s familiar with every Pampered Chef product in our kitchen, and a few days ago I asked him what his favorite Pampered Chef Product was. The Food Chopper? The Pizza Stone? The Crinkle Cutter?

His answer surprised me: The Nylon Pan Scrapers!

Made specifically to be used with the Pampered Chef stoneware, these hard plastic scrapers have flat sides and curved edges to scrape flat surfaces and corners alike. We use them not only with Pampered Chef stoneware, but on all of our dishes that have stuck on food or to even scrape food off of plates before putting them in the dishwasher. It is great to use on non-stick cookware as well.

We got our Nylon Pan Scrapers 15 years ago, and they’re still like new. Well, the one that we haven’t lost is, anyway. 🙂

Simple, but effective! And for only $2.75 for a product that will last you decades, I don’t think you’ll find a better deal for kitchen supplies!

Thanks for participating on our Online Pampered Chef Party! Remember, there are only two days left!

“Is it okay to give someone kitchen gadgets for Christmas?” my husband cautiously asked when I told him we were having an online Pampered Chef party for adoption.

Here’s my take on “practical” gifts.

It depends.

I think the secret to great Christmas gift-giving is knowing that you’re buying something that the gift recipient would love but wouldn’t ordinarily buy for themselves. Maybe the item is more expensive than something they’d buy for themselves, or better quality than something that they have that is adequate, or solves a problem or meets a need that the person has (even if they don’t know they have it).  Let’s face it, none of us need a pearl necklace, a cashmere sweater, or an remote car starter, but the thoughtfulness of those gifts is appreciated because they’re not something we’d typically purchase for ourselves.

I think of much of Pampered Chef products in the same way. Do I really need a new pitcher for drinks? Probably not. But would I really love a Family-Sized Quick-Stir pitcher? Yes! We stopped drinking carbonated beverages about a year ago, which means we make a LOT of Crystal Light and Country Time Lemonade, and the Family-Sized Quick-Stir pitcher would make that easier. I have the smaller size, which I love, but find that I have to refill it almost every meal, so I’d like the upgrade!

 Regular measuring spoons for Christmas? Probably not. Adjustable measuring spoons for Christmas? I’d love them!

That’s my take on practical gifts for Christmas. Consider the recipient. Is the item more expensive or of nicer quality than the recipient would buy, or does it solve a problem or meet a need for them? Those make perfect gifts! 

 

What’s your take on “practical” gifts? Do you like them? What Pampered Chef products would you like for Christmas?

A guest post by Ken.

I am thankful for a God who pursues us.

When people ask about my theology, I tell them that I am a “recovering legalist”. And when I say that, I am not kidding.

Growing up in the church, God can be treated like Santa Claus: “He’s making a list and checking it twice. He’s knows if you’ve been naughty or nice.” I have always known that Jesus died for my sins, but I have often fallen back into the thinking that LIVING the Christian life is up to me.

I have to try harder.

I have to do more.

I have to be more spiritual.

I… I… I… somehow, I have made my salvation all about my efforts and my achievements.

While it’s definitely true that my actions matter to God, I have been guilty of thinking that I need to EARN God’s love and His forgiveness.

Nothing could be further from the truth.

I remember being at a Michael W. Smith concert in the Sky Dome Stadium in Toronto, Ontario. He was performing that evening as a part of a Billy Graham Crusade. Smitty was introducing a song, “I’ll Lead You Home” and he talked about being tired. Tired of trying to do more. Be better. Impress more people – including God.

I could relate.

Michael W. Smith went on to talk about one night in particular in which God led him to the piano. Obediently, Michael sat down and started to play a song. And even though Michael was singing the words, it was like God was talking to Him. Speaking words of comfort, hope and acceptance.

Here a few of my favorite lines from that song:

So let it go and turn it over to
The one who chose to give his life for you
Leave it to me
I’ll lead you home

Hear me calling
Hear me calling
You’re lost and alone
Leave it to me
I’ll lead you home

That song and that story changed my life. It changed how I saw God. The lyrics helped me to understand that I could stop trying to measure up to a holy God and instead accept His love and forgiveness.

I could stop running after God and realize that He was pursuing me. I didn’t need to convenience God of anything, I just need to surrender control.

 So today I am thankful that I am free to love God and be loved by Him. I am not a slave to my past or a victim of my short-comings. I can stop worrying about lists and rules and instead be thankful for a God who knows me, accepts me, loves me and leads me home.

Today, I’m thankful to live in a great city. I never would have guessed how much I would love Nashville when we first contemplated moving here, but I’m glad we didn’t let our reservations keep us from experiencing such a great place to live.

One of my favorite things about Nashville is all of the free and fun things to do. There is never a lack of something interesting going on. Today was a Tennessee History Festival at Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park. There was an interesting reinactment of a Civil War era encampment, both civilian and military. Each participant is very knowledgeable about the Civil War era, and eager to answer questions.

Right next door is also the Farmer’s Market, where we picked up some produce and had a delicious lunch. The Farmer’s Market is a steady source of fresh and local produce, baked goods, and international ingredients. The food court is pretty great too!

Tonight, we watched the Nashville Predators play their 1000th game, from the comfort of our own home. While we don’t make it out to games like we used to, we love the fact that Nashville has an NHL hockey team. Ken never lived anywhere close to an NHL team in Canada and it seems almost bizarre to think that we had to move to the southern United States to have the opportunity to regularly go to games and practices.

But of course our favorite part about Nashville is the people! We LOVE our neighbors and our church, and they have become like a second family to us here. There have been many dark days that have been brightened by the kindness of our fellow Nashvillians.

So today, I’m thankful that God has placed us in a most unlikely spot: Nashville.

A guest post by Ken

I am thankful for dogs; more to the point for being a dog owner.

It’s not that dogs do much other than eat, poop, sleep, bark and dig holes.

The main reason that I am thankful for our dogs, Buddy and Holly, is that it causes us to live a life that is conducive to having dogs. Everyday we take a walk with our dogs. Robin and I use this time to talk about our day and get rid of stress. They cause us to slow down and take stock of our day. And by being good pet owners, we are actually being good to ourselves.

Our dogs don’t care about so many of the things that cause us anxiety. They bring great perspective. Quite honestly most of the stuff that we fret over really isn’t worth the trouble.Give a dog a place to sleep, a plate of food and a few scratches behind the ears and they are content. They don’t worry where their next belly rub will come from or if there’s enough raw hides for tomorrow.

Their love is unconditional. We get licks and tail wags regardless of how our day has gone. And if you can’t find a pillow, there’s always a soft, furry, warm canine who will volunteer for the job.