chatter, august 2010

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Today we began reading our two-year-old potty-training propaganda. Thisinvolved shameless plugs from the likes of Elmo about how Elmo can use thepotty! and how you can do it too and might even get to FLUSH all by yourself and pick out your own big boy underwear should you be successful!

CAN YOU EVEN BEAR THE EXCITEMENT OF IT ALL?

Its not that weve started training him in earnest . Yet. After all, he is stillrecovering from a major move and from being evicted from his crib into a bedthe size of Texas, where getting into it and remaining inside has become a spectacle of toddler Olympics. Not to mention the impending birth of his sister,which will hopefully be mere days away when this publication goes to print. Allvery traumatizing to a person who has only recently been referring to himself inthe rst person.

No, we have not yet morphed into drill sergeants about going sans diaper, butwe have been diligently weakening Drews defenses against the idea should heprove hesitant, or, more likely, downright militant (in the good Irish-Lebanesetradition from which he is descended). Were wearing him down like a cityunder siege, and then we will attack.

But not until November.

All this looming on the horizon reminds me that much looms on our collective

horizon as August arrives: school starting, fall descending soon (in theory if not in Fahrenheit), the holidays making cameo appearances in our conversa-tions, the dream of not mowing our lawns materializing a small speck in thedistance, but growing larger and of course, the sweet end of swimsuit seasonand blessed advent of fall fashion. Fashion that will not be wearable in this heatuntil Christmas. But still.

And its at this terrifying-yet-exciting moment of anticipation and angst thatI leave you, fair reader, at least temporarily. See, Im having a baby. Like, soon.Like, tomorrow. And try as I might, there is no really e ective way to edit Chat-ter from the con nes of Harris Methodist; much less from the hormonal fogthat envelopes your head and plugs your nostrils and ear canals for the rstweeks and months of newborndom. I might spontaneously combust, go crazyand join the circus (because who knows but that the upheaval will create a newBearded Lady), or more likely, sit around and cry for six weeks until she nallysleeps for ve hours straight. And then Day Two of second time parenthood willhave begun.

(Trust me, you dont want me around.)

But never fear, for I leave you with the skilled red pen of Kristy Alpert, our newinterim editor. Kristy is a former IBCer, former D Magazine editor, and all-

round Chatter fan and cool gal. (I hear she even has a HOLSTER for her red pen,which is pretty fancy and hi-falutin if you ask me.) She and her hubby are livingin Portland, OR right now where she freelances writing and editing. Lucky for

us, Chatter knows no geographical bounds and will be in the best of hands untilmy return. So send Kristy a fruit basket or something as a welcome after yousend me a bottle of progesterone to dull the crazy, of course.

And if you want to keep up with me in the meantime, check out my blog everyThursday at the Fort Worth Star-Telegram : www.mom2momdfw.com. Click onWet Behind the Ears or the picture of the goofy-looking brunette. (Thus endsmy shameless plug and I wont ever say another word about ituntil my nextmaternity leave.)

So.

Next time we meet, a lot will have changed. Thats true every month Chatter

prints, of course, but this time oh my! And really, Ill miss you. Ill miss Chat-ter . Producing Chatter is not unlike giving birth every month with less blood-loss but its especially fun because this child is born with a sense of humor,a sort-of sturdy spine, and most importantly, something to say. I also want tothank the designers who make Chatter so great every month and who will betowing a lot of slack while Im gone: Dennis Cheatham, designer extraordinaire;and especially Josh Wiese, who is largely responsible for Chatters attractive-ness, readability and avor month in and month out. You make me look good,but you could make a monkey semi-attractive, unless that monkey was medressed up like a monkey. Anyway. Thanks for everything.

And hey, its not like you are getting rid of me forever, as much as that idea maytempt and delight. In the immortal words of Elmo, Ill be back.

WaitAh, forget it. Im on vacation.

Peace until next time,

Chattera letter rom

Visit Chatter online at chattermag.com.Contact Chatter at [email protected].

Chatter is a publication of Irving Bible Church | 2435 Kinwest Pkwy, Irving, TX 75063

(972) 560-4600 | irvingbible.org

Editor ExtraordinaireJulie Rhodes

Art Direction, Design & GoodnessJosh Wiese & Dennis CheathamPhotographyDavid Farris (Cut for a Cause, Make Your Mark )Danae Blessing (Teaming up for Special Needs)

The Big CheeseBill Buchanan

Guess who arrived justbefore press time?It is our great joy to introduce you to thenewest member of the Chatter family, thebeautiful and, no doubt, talented MadelineMae Rhodes. Born to Editor Extraordi-naire Julie and her husband Gordon, July25. Weighing in at a lovely 6 lbs. 6 oz. and19 inches long. Well done Ms. Editor! Enjoyyour vacation.


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Cut for a CauseOn June 27, folks gathered at Salon D in Dallas for a little beauti -cation and/or barber cation to raise money for New Friends NewLife, an IBC partner that helps women leave the sex industry. All inall, 117 people participated and raised over $6,000 for NFNL.

Student Summer Mission TripsOn July 10 a group of IBC students set out for New York Cityand the next day two more groups saddled up, one headed forMemphis, Tennessee and the other for New Orleans, Louisiana.Students did everything from feeding the homeless to guttinghouses. They joined up with van-loads of IBC students in Gulf Shores, Alabama, July 1519 for Summer Camp. Lives werechanged and no adult volunteers were permanently damaged.

New Orleans

Gulf Shores

Memphis

New York City


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Cars Shouldnt be WrinklySliding upside down in your car on a major freeway in rush hour tra c is aninteresting sensation. Those seven seconds become elastic as the brain cata-pults into an overload of mental input. There is the dizzying array of lights fromhundreds of headlights surrounding you while the sparks from your roof lightup the road like reworks. The band-saw sound of hard concrete sheering themetal and plastic o your vehicle grates the nerves. And the unforgettable smellof burning metal and plastic sticks to your nostrils like crazy glue. At that samemoment, your emotions become numb in self-defense; each victim enters theirown personal shock.

Unfortunately, this is not the rst time Ive experienced this.

Bye Bye BumperMy rst wreck was in 1992, a double head-on collision in a snowstorm. Yes.Double. I was hit head-on then spun around and was hit again by another ve-hicle. Our family spent the next six weeks getting to know the Des Moines hos-pital sta . Almost exactly a year later, our family was t-boned by a guy who rana red light going 70 mph. Cheryl, my wife, took the brunt of that hit and barelysurvived. The next ten years were quiet until a relatively slow drive through St.Louis in a major downpour where we hydroplaned and ipped over a few times.We found ourselves upside down in a tree that thankfully stopped us from land-ing in a ooded creek.

Last night was easy-going compared to the past accidents.

I was driving to the Stars hockey game alone in my Nissan Xterra SUV. It wasabout 7:15 p.m. Tra c on the three-lane road slowed to about 45 mph. I was

getting close to my exit when a guy going well over 70 hit me from behind. Thesensation was very similar to a roller coaster heading down its rst big hill.Having the back of my vehicle picked up and ung forward left me with fewoptions; I did not hit the brakes but just tried to maintain control. Thats whenmy Dukes of Hazzard trick came in handy: using the VW bug in front of me asa ramp, I drove up his drivers side with my right wheels. (The driver later saidit was weird seeing the undercarriage of my car right next to him. He thinks Imight need an alignment and that I might be leaking a bit of oil.)

This was enough to send me careening down the highway, sliding on the driversside of my vehicle.

(Driving sideways sounds cooler than it actually is.)

A second later, I was upside down heading south on I-35. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see the sparks of the metal on the concrete. It was pretty, in a life-threatening sort of way.

Very Clear View NowEvery person reacts di erently to this sort of moment. I can only tell you how Ireacted. Upside down for those three seconds, I said out loud, Its going to be ok.

But my nonverbal thoughts would have sounded something like, There is noway this can be happening again Going through insurance will be a pain in thebutt I am going to be late for the Stars game I have an overwhelming sense of

peace every time I come to the edge of eternity and I nd that quite interestingI really like this car and now I am going to have to nd a new one look at thepretty sparks, ooooooDidnt this happen to the Blues Brothers? I wonder if

Another Face-Of with the Reaper Sliding Upside Down:

Pastor Andys motorcycle-ridingalter ego is named Boss Hogg.


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someone is going to hit me I hope that if I am going to die, it will be instantlyBeing upside down is disorienting How did I get back upright? Cheryl is go-ing to kill me But it wasnt my fault I want to hug my family.

Rear Drivers SideBefore I could think anything else, I hit something new I think it was themetal guard rail and the Xterra bounced back into an upright position,stopped in the middle lane and faced the proper direction. I really have no idea how this happened; physics has never been one of my strong subjects. Stoppedin the middle of the highway, I simply waited to get whacked by another car. Butnone came. They had all stopped to look at my VW ramp, now dead about 300yards behind me. The guy who hit me was parked on the other side of the three-lane highway, probably in the process of emptying his bowels. My car was stillrunning so I pulled it o the road.

The whole drivers side of my car was sheered down to the silver metal. I lostmy bumper and both my front and back windows. The roof of the car lookedlike a grand piano had been dropped on it from a tenth-story window. But I wasweirdly calm. After four life-threatening accidents like this, you stay prettystable. No shakes or nerves. I just jumped into making sure everyone was okayand gathering my valuables from the car and o the highway where many of them had been scattered. The police were there in a minute and thankfully noone was hurt. One o cer looked at the car and asked who was driving. When Itold him it had been me, he shined his light on my face and said, You should beleaving here in an ambulance. You are one lucky man.

I knew luck had nothing to do with it.

Not Designed for Roof DrivingI continued to the Stars game because my ride home was meeting me there.What stuck with me the rest of the evening was the smell the smell of

twisted metal, burning plastic and splattered oil. It never leaves my brain. Itconjures up all the other accidents at the same time. Twenty-four hours later,I am sore but alive.

I learned a long time ago how eeting life is and how quickly our candles canbe snu ed out. After recovering from my rst near-fatal crash in 1992, I deter-mined to live life to the fullest and take nothing for granted. Then, I lost one of my brothers to a car accident in 2005. He was about the same age I was in my

rst accident. He died and I lived. I dont try to understand the reasons. I justacknowledge the truth that because I am not promised tomorrow, I must tryto embrace every day as a gift. I have to hug the people I love, attempt to bring joy and peace to those I see daily, and hope to make some sort of di erence inthe world.

If we allow it, sliding upside down every once in a while may just turn our livesright side up again.

If sliding upside down wasnt enough, Shawn Small just took a helicopter thrill ride into the Royal Gorge, Colorado. The rst 2,500-foot drop straight down had him hooked.

Des Moines was credited as the number-onespot for U.S. insurance companies in a BusinessWire article.


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I started mentoring Larrishelle three years ago with Mercy Street.

The word mentoring , or using the words mentor or mentee , is kind of funny tome. It might be because they are very formal words, and I am not a formal per-son. Or maybe because they make me feel like I should have a head of gray hairand mounds of wisdom to impart. Honestly, I dont have e ither. (And hopefullynever will have gray hair thanks to the beautiful invention of hair color.)

Deciding to jump into the mentoring process was a big step for me. I dont liketo do things half-heartedly, and when I commit, I like to give 100%. The kidsthat live in West Dallas have enough aky people in their lives. They want andneed a consistent presence. They dont need another person who will walkout of their lives when the going gets tough or when its not convenient or justbecause it is hard.

Mentoring is a process.

I have to be honest that I am not a process-lovin person nor do I long for thejourney that so many of you people out there passionately explore (unless itinvolves travel then I am in!). I dont even own proper journey shoes. I own

ip- ops.

I see a need.

I meet it.

I move on.

I look for the end of the road and how problems can be solved quickly and e ec-tively. Sometimes this happens in life but most of the time it doesnt. However,God is in the process. Our lives are a process, a journey. We dont get perfectovernight.

And this is how it has been with my Larrishelle.

After three years, she still may be failing some of her classes.

She might have gotten suspended several times in school this year.

BUT

She is talking more and asking questions about life, about Jesus, about how Ideal with things. And she is sharing more of what is going on in her life. In thelast few months, we have had a lot of good times and good conversations. I getto share how I have dealt with issues in my life, and I get to counsel her on howto deal with things in her life as best I can. I get to be that person I hope she willturn to no matter what. I get to be Jesus to her and show her unconditional love,encourage her to grow and live and be who she is created to be. Sometimes it isa burden, sometimes I dont want to go hang with her, sometimes I dont haveanswers, and sometimes I just want to be sel sh and live my own life. Some-times I just want to curl up in my blanket and have my own issues each day and

not worry about hers.

But I am reminded that Jesus calls us to reach out to those in need. He wantsus to be his hands and feet. Not just to help people so we can check it o on ourgood list and get an extra jewel in heaven. No, this is his heart, his passion, andhis mission: that all may come to know him in a greater way. And when we helpthose like Larrishelle those who think that the only dependable things in theworld are the U.S. Post O ce and Hot Cheetos he uses that to transform useven more into his own image.

Though I am mentoring Larrishelle, she is teaching me so much more than

I am teaching her. (What I did not expect was to grow in my dance moves also.While I never claimed to be Michael Jackson, I feel like I do have some moves.Larrishelle always just shakes her head and laughs at my white girl moves. Shekeeps me humble. But as I tell her loudly over her laughter, it doesnt matter if you can dance, just that you dance anyway .)

Please pray about becoming a mentor. Pray about who your Larrishelle will be.There are so many kids waiting just to hang out with someone cool like you. Itturns out you dont even need the proper shoes, and you might even learn howto dance better.

Jen recently completed a road trip in which she and her friends crossed sevenstate lines and one time zone in 76 hours. She is also IBCs Mercy Street liaisonand can be reached at: [email protected].

Backpacks for Mercy StreetIBC has the opportunity to be a part of Mercy Streets Back toSchool Backpack Giveaway. If you would like to participate onAugust 21, please contact Jen at [email protected].

Who is Your Larrishelle?

Flip- ops are knownas go-aheads inthe South Paci c.

Previous to Chester, Cheetos mascotwas a mouse called the Cheetos Mouse.He debuted in 1971.


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T h e S t a t

e o f

S e x S l a v e r

y i n A m e r i c a

WARNING: The material on thesetwo pages is explicit and disturbing, and maybe inappropriate for some readers.


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Make Your MarkHave you ever heard of the Gra ti Cactus? Its growing along a canyon trail in Santa Monica, California where lovers, unsupervised teenagers and eager tourists have carvedtheir initials, phrases or other expressions of themselves, all wanting some way to beimmortalized. And really, isnt that what we all want? To make our mark in some small orlarge way?

We as a body at IBC have made a signi cant mark on the hearts and souls of many peoplein Sudan through the Water is Basic initiative, an organization committed to drillingclean water wells for villages in the southern regions of the war-torn country.

So many have left their mark to make clean water possible marks both small and large:the men of Sudan drilling the wells, their families who spend long amounts of time with-out them, the time spent by Bishop Taban coordinating the teams and nding communi-ties in need of water, and those of us volunteering and giving resources here at home tohelp provide one of the most basic of human needs water.

And to commemorate these marks, were creating other marks scattered across theoor of the Town Square in the form of bronze survey markers, which represent the vari-

ous locations of completed water drills. So when youre up at IBC next time, take a minuteto see exactly where so many have left a mark by checking out a survey marker or two andreading about a well drilled in Sudan through the work of Water is Basic.

As Bishop Taban has so eloquently said, we are not only quenching the bodies of people inneed, we are watering their souls, too.

To learn more about Water is Basic, visit waterisbasic.org.

Nichole Bentley used to have an alphabetized pantry until her four sons came along.

IBC Childrens Ministrys fall quarter focus will beraising money for Water is Basic. Families will alsohave a chance to serve together at a Water is BasicKIDVENTURE event (details coming soon!).

The Internet is just a world passingaround notes in a classroom. Jon Stewart

Over 2 million people conduct spiritual searches through the Interneteach day. Who are these people? They are people in crisis: facing loneli-ness, addictions, suicide, abuse, divorce, hopelessness. With nowhere to turn,people are turning to the Internet in astonishing numbers trying to ll theemptiness inside. Global Media Outreach (GMO) was founded to meet thatneed. Providing websites that share the gospel through video, text, and mobilephones, GMO uses global communication technology to do evangelism anddiscipleship worldwide, in multiple languages.

As a ministry of Campus Crusade, GMO has set up over 100 websites de-signed to address the top 113 spiritual questions people pose on Google. Each

day, hundreds of thousands of visitors to these sites have the opportunity to hear the gospel, some for the rst timein their native language. And the results are astounding: at the end of 2009, approximately 10 million people fromall over the world had indicated they had made decisions for Christ.

The website, greatcommission2020.com, gathers statistics from the many di erent GMO websites and publishesthe results in real time.

Take Wednesday, July 30 as an example.

GMO has also set up discipleship websites to help nurture the faith of so many new believers. In addition, GMO iscultivating a large network of volunteers online to follow up with people submitting questions through the variouswebsites. GMO is looking for more such people to interact with these new believers and spiritual seekers.

If you are interested in becoming an volunteer online with GMO, join us for an informal event on Sunday,August 22, where youll hear from GMO sta about the impact the Internet is having on worldwide missionsand how to get involved in the new frontier of Internet evangelism and discipleship.

Meanwhile, visit greatcommission2020.com to watch live as people come to know Jesus all over the world.

Volunteer Information Event: Sunday, August 22, 12:30 p.m. in the Training Center. Lunch provided.

The Miracleof InternetEvangelism:Global Media Outreach andgreatcommission2020.com

222,584 Visitors to GMO websitesso far today

21,993Indicated decisions for Christso far today

3,552Requests for a follow-up froma volunteer so far today

Real-time locations of peoplevisiting the sites right now:Gaborone, Botswana; Nagari, India;Caracas, Venezuela; Damascus, SyrianArab Republic; Philadelphia, Pennsyl-vania, United States.

By the end of the day, thesenumbers will have doubled.

Freeze Frame Wednesday July 302:27 p.m., CST

GREATCOMMISSION2020.COM


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Electronic mail predates theinception of the Internet, and wasin fact a crucial tool in creating it.

In an e-mail to Joe, Kathleen said, The odd thing about this form of communication is that youre more likely to talk about nothing thansomething. But I just want to say that all this nothing has meant more tome than so many somethings. Youve Got Mail , 1998.

Sacred Space

Folks who wish to be physically t understand, or eventually come tounderstand, what it takes. Its not automatic. If you want to be healthy, you have towork at it consistently.

Its like that with a lot of things: relationships, marriage, parenting, your e-mailinbox, etc

You get the picture.

The college kids here at the camp where I work sometimes ask me how many e-mailsI typically receive or send in a day. I tell them its well over 50 (not counting tweets,Facebook messages or IMs). Im sure it was a great deal more than that when I livedin the Dallas area. That always blows their minds. Kids these days, they just dontunderstand e-mail.

Because so much of what I do ows through e-mail, its more than just communica-tion. My inbox also functions as my to-do list. My job requires me to be out on my feet a great deal. But, when I do get the chance to sit at my computer for an extended time tocatch up, the rst thing Im going to do is start working through that inbox. And, gener-ally speaking, once I get through it, or I should say if I get through it, I have the sensethat I have at least caught up with the immediate things I need to address.

Herein lies the problem. I just checked, and as I write, there are exactly 132 e-mails sit-ting in my inbox. Thats actually low. Last week I had a few hours to work in the o ce,and worked through more than a months worth of build-up. At the start of that proj-ect, there were over 500 e-mails in my inbox. And heres the kicker: all of those werethings I really did need to address. If not, they wouldnt still be in there. And, wheneverI have that many to work through, I inevitably come across a few that are past theirexpiration date. That is to say, that people were looking to me to answer a question ordeal with an issue that is no longer relevant. I was just too busy to get back to respond-ing. E-mail apologies are called for. Some of you have gotten one or more of those typesof e-mails from me. Sorry about that.

Heres the deal. I breathe e-mail like air. Even living on a remote mountainside in Colo-rado, on the outskirts of a town with a population of less than 500 people, with a jobthat has me running around all day, I take in and send out over 50 e-mails a day. Andthats still not enough. I still need to carve out time that is set apart to keep up with itall. And I still havent quite gured out how to do that.

There was one period of time, however, when I did. A number of years ago, when wewere living in Lewisville, Texas, our kids attended a school up in Denton twice a weekto supplement our homeschooling program. Once a week, it was my job to take thekids to school and bring them home. They were there for about three hours. It was justtoo short of a period of time to make it worth it for me to drive back to Lewisville orIrving while they were in class, but enough time that I needed to gure out how to getsomething productive done while I was there. So, I found a little co ee shop that hadwireless Internet and determined that each week, for those three hours, I would workthrough my e-mails.

And it worked. This is the only period of time I can honestly say that I kept up. I had a healthy inbox for a whole semester!

Of course, I could have carved out the same three hours sitting in my o ce at church,or at home, but I didnt. There were too many other options. Something about thespace-in-time created by the constraints of that situation made it happen. It hadbecome sacred space.

If you think that seems like a strange word to use in this context, a look at one of thegeneral de nitions of the word sacred on dictionary.com may help: secured againstviolation, infringement, etc.

A look at the full de nition of the word yields the idea of dedication, reverence, andsomething that is set apart or protected for a speci c, worthwhile purpose. Thats whatthe three hours in that co ee shop were for me. E-mail sacred space. And it worked.

Same thing for those who have disciplined themselves to work out at the gym, or gofor a run at certain times each week. Its dedicated, sacred space. And, if Ive learnedanything from my e-mail situation, it is that it doesnt just happen. You have to createthe space yourself. And you have to protect it. Otherwise its not really sacred.

Now lets apply this to our spiritual health. Like my 50-plus e-mails a day, many of usthink about God and regularly pray in the daily ow of our lives. Especially before a jobinterview, or a big test. But, this is not enough to really keep us spiritually healthy, anymore than the occasional walk to the mall from a remote parking spot on a busy shop-ping day is going to keep you physically t if you are spending most of your time sitting

in an o ce. Its just not enough.This is where the rich, historical practice of spiritual discipline comes in. We all needto set aside sacred space to engage with God through the Scriptures, prayer and medi-tation. And I dont think that physical space is necessarily the fundamental issue forus in our contemporary lives. I think the space we are most in need of for our spiritualhealth is time. But the two are really inseparable.

Here are just a few ideas:

1. Take walks. The physical constraints of your route on the trail, in your neigh-borhood, around your o ce building, or even at the mall (not to shop, just to walk) will create the protected time. Get a dog youll need to walk to help force youto do this if it will help. Use the time for prayer and meditation. Get prayers orScripture readings on your iPod to listen to while you walk.

2. Got a long commute? Figure out how to protect it and make it a dedicated time foryour spiritual health. Take the radio out of your car if you need to. Gasp! Or plugin your iPod and listen along with recorded Scripture readings or prayers. Butremember, silence is a spiritual discipline too.

3. Find a local park, church, or other location out of your normal routine and setaside some time there on a regular basis. Turn o your phone. Take your Bible orprayer book.

The list of resources you might use in addition to your Bible is extensive. Chatter hasrecommended many over the years, but a simple Internet search will quickly yieldnumerous options as well. I wont make any speci c recommendations here. Ill leavethat to you.

But, remember. It doesnt matter how many shelves of cool devotional prayer booksyou have if you have not created the space in your life to actually use them.

It is always a challenge to form a new habit that is out of your normal pattern, but youcan do it. Eventually, if you stick with it, youll not know how to do without it. And youwill nd that God will become more real to you in the day-to-day and overall directionof your life than you ever thought possible.

Youll nd yourself ghting to protected it! It will become sacred space.

Russ Ware lives on the side of a beautiful mountain range in Colorado but currently nds his best sacred space while deep-cleaning his kitchen on a regular basis. Go gure.

Lectionary Readings Daily lectionary readings are available online at http://lectionary.library.vanderbilt.edu.


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Dr. Livingstone appeared in a Sesame Streetsketch in which Ernie and Bert look for him in the jungle. Ernies sole aim is to ask the good doctorBugs Bunnys trademark query, Whats up, doc?

Dr. Wheeler, I Presume?Meet Meredith

Wheeler B.S., B.A.,Th.M., Ph.D. newInternational Directorof ALARM.

Lets stop right there.Ive never met the manwho recently took overthe reigns of the Afri-can Leadership AndReconciliation Min-istries, ALARM, but Iassume right o the bathe is so intelligent thatit quite possibly hurtsto carry his own brainaround.

As I read through hisimpressive biography, Irealize we are basicallytalking a modern dayNapoleon Bonaparte(OK, minus the wars,

exile, and untimelydeath). This is a man who has traveled and explored the world: Kenya, Rwanda,South Africa, Germany, Poland, Columbia, Indonesia, the Middle East, Mexicoand New Zealand, to name a few. His accolades include Vice President of Laidlaw College in Auckland, New Zealand and serving twenty years as a senior

pastor. Meredith specializes in decision-making, crisis/critical communica-tion, con ict resolution, and a whole slew of other skills that have landed himspeaking engagements with groups all over the world.

Hes brilliant and committed to the long haul and multi-talented. Great .

It gets worse. When talking about his lifes passion he says, Calling people to bereconciled to God and others has been the central theme of my life. Meredithgenuinely loves people and brings his heart for reconciliation, hope, and resto-ration through the gospel to his new role as director of ALARM.

He is Napoleon-esqe in his adventures and travels, part NATO and part Nego-tiator in his skill sets, and he has the heart of Mother Teresa. Over-achiever .

Im suddenly nervous to conduct this interview. Do I bow? Or kiss his hand?Will he evaluate my decision-making process or critique my article? I have noidea what to expect as I begin the dialogue.

I e-mail him and he responds within the hour. Im behind on the deadline and hegraciously answers my questions by that evening. Im reading his answers and

nd myself laughing one minute, feeling inspired the next, and crying by theend. I discover that Meredith Wheeler is an anomaly. He is both brilliant andbutt ugly .

Chatter Walk me through a day in the life of Meredith Wheeler.

Meredith Wheeler Is it unchristian or uncouth to say I am butt ugly in themorning? I do not leap out of bed; I stagger, groan and run into doors and walls.Always multiple cups of English breakfast tea. I listen to Mike and Mike on

ESPN radio on the drive to work. The end of my day: spiritual disciplines, yoga-stretching, popcorn, reading and something on television all at the same time.

Chat You recently moved to the U.S. from New Zealand. Be honest, did youretain the accent and do you sometimes use it to sound like a cool foreigner?

What is ALARM?African Leadership and Reconciliation Ministries isan African ministry that empowers African pastorsand other leaders to bring hope and transformationto their communities.

Or, as de ned by Meredith, An amazing organiza-tion that seeks to help African nations devastated bywar, tribalism and political corruption to re ect Godscreation design for thriving, peaceful, loving, beauti-ful communities of grace and hope.

ALARM engages in a wide variety of ministries,ranging from pastoral training and conferences onreconciliation to micro-business and education.

I have a Dream!Merediths dream for ALARM, in one sentence:I dream for ALARM to be a transformative agentin the building of African nations, and that in thewestern church it be a champion of the gospelexpression: peace building, forgiveness and recon-ciliation in our own relationships our marriages,our families, our friendships, our communities, ourpolitics and nation.


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As of 1999, 5,500 acres in the UnitedStates were dedicated to the cultivationof jalapeos.

Meredith Wheeler is an avid reader who devoursupwards of three and four books a week! Checkout his ultimate reading list...

Short read Henri Nouwen, In the Name of Jesus

Tough read Miroslav Volf, Exclusion and Embrace:A Theological Exploration of Identity, Otherness and Reconciliation

Profound read A. W. Tozer, Knowledge of the Holy

Old read Alexandre Dumas, The Man in the Iron Mask

A book for everyone Marva Dawn, Unfettered Hope

MW New Zealand English is something . . . like snogging (kissing), puck-eroo (something that is broken), super loo (large public toilet), and togs(swimming suit). We loved it but I have to be honest, I could just never get intocalling my friends mate.

Chat American foods you missed?

MW Popcorn is my favorite food. I actually went to a grocery store prior toaccepting the job to see if I could get popcorn kind of like a eece before theLord. We couldnt get fresh jalapeos. I confess that I smuggled jalapeo seedsinto the country to grow my own.

Chat You mention dealing with the issues of pain and injustice at a young age.Tell me about that.

MW My parents drove us as children from Iowa to Kansas for grandparentvisits. I was struck by signs I saw in the early 60s that said, whites only, orcolored entrance. My grandparents mirrored some of the racist attitudesof the day and their answers did not satisfy my inquisitive mind. I wantedto know that if God truly loved every person equally, why we couldnt treatpeople equally?

Chat What would you say to someone who says they cannot forgive a certainwrong that has been done to them?

MW All of us are deeply wounded people, some of us more deeply than others.The bones of our souls have been fractured by our sins and the sins of others.There is so much unhelpful teaching on forgiveness. Forgiveness for God is anevent, but for us it is a process. We move to a posture of forgiveness, desiringto re ect a God who forgives freely, but there is much to understand in orderto forgive what was the wound, what are the e ects of the wound and theripple e ect extends to the edges of our souls: who else was impacted, how does justice t into this? Forgiveness does not mean ignoring an o ense and it does

not mean that a relationship will return to what it was before the o ense. Infact, it cannot, for wounds and forgiveness change us.

Chat Why care about Africa?

MW Why care? We cant take credit for where we were born. We could have just as easily been birthed on the doorstep of a brothel in Calcutta or in a refugee camp in the Congo. To care about others is what it means to be humanin Gods design. Jesus said that even a cup of cool water given in his name canmake a di erence. We can look at the enormous needs, the scale of problems,the senseless violence and despair, and then assume theres nothing we can do.English philosopher Edmund Burke said, The only thing necessary for evilto triumph is that good men (and women) do nothing. The gospel of Jesus isabout the transformation of our world, one soul at a time .

Chat Why do you think God loves us so much? Has he let you in on the secret?

MW Why does God love us so much gets reduced to the question, Why doesGod love me so much? That ultimately is the question for each of us. The an-swer: he cannot love us. Love is not something God does; it is who he is.

After 47 years of faith, I still cant get over that God loves me as I am. I stillstruggle to believe that and to rest in this amazing truth. My life has beendevoted to the gospel that there is no sin outside the realm of his forgivenessand no sinner beyond the reach of his love. Karl Barth, arguably one of historysgreatest theologians, was asked what the greatest theological truth was. Hisanswer: Jesus loves me, this I know, for the Bible tells me so.

Meredith Wheeler and his wife Naomi moved to Dallas in March. They are veryhappy to be living in the land of milk and honey.... popcorn and jalapeos, that is. And the writer of this article, Jenny Simmons , wants to go to Africa now...

If I am interestedin Africa I should...A. Read the world news about Africa.

B. Pray for African leaders and the peopleof Africa.

C. Rent a zebra, watch Amazing Race,

listen to Bono?D. Sponsor an African pastor through

ALARM. $40 a month trains one pastorfor an entire year!

E. Visit Africa.

F. All of the above.

For more information about ALARM,visit alarm-inc.org.


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This is not a bar code. This is nota giant ink smudge from a printingpress gone amuck. This is, technically,a stereogram an optical illusionthat produces a 3-D image from from

at, two-dimensional images. (Youremember these, dont you? Circa 1994 in malls everywhere, usuallyinvolving neon dolphins?)

So, do you see what we see? Well...see.

Hint: relax your eyes and let the imageform slowly. Or, hold Chatter up toyour nose and pull back slowly, lettingyour eyes relax. Still no luck? The keyis on page 23.


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Square Onemeets or 6 Thursdays startingSeptember 30, 10 a.m.Noon

Square One is or moms and their frst baby up to 6 months

o age. Babies a end with their moms.

To register, contact Sara Taylor at [email protected] is no registration ee.

After my son was born, I was struggling to feel thankful.I knew before having Cal that the change looming overme was one for which I was unable to adequately prepare.

Having a child is like language training by immersion.You dont really learn a language if you dont travel to thecountry and immerse yourself in it.

You cant learn how to be a parent unless you do it.

So I did all this planning and preparing for my natural childbirth, breastfeed-ing and sleep scheduling. I planned for 9 whole months! The natural childbirthdidnt pan out. Oh, I labored naturally for a long, long, long time. But Cal wasnthaving it. He felt that life was quite comfy at a -1 station and no amount of coax-ing from me, my midwife, or forceps was going to change his mind. So I went

from a drug-free birth to a C-section. Nine months of planning went down thedrain in less than a day.

And I dont even want to talk about the sleep scheduling. Lets just say that, inmy zeal to feel prepared, I read books that made the most sense to me as a non-parent. They were books about feeding and sleeping on a schedule. However,my child made it abundantly clear that he did not care about what those bookshad to say. Breastfeeding was also a challenge and my son was hungry and cry-ing all the time.

I started in a bad place: recovering emotionally (and physically) from a birth

experience gone awry. I moved forward, only to nd all of my plans not working.And I was really tired. So I was struggling to feel thankful. I cried a lot. I criedevery day, multiple times a day, actually. Cal cried a lot too. It was a lot for meto handle, especially with all of the hormones raging around. I even struggledwith the fact that I was struggling so much. I mean, shouldnt this be one of thehappiest times of my life? Shouldnt I be thankful that I could even get pregnantin the rst place? Dont get me wrong, we were beyond happy for a healthy babyand for all the richness it brings, but I couldnt help the fact that I was mostlymiserable. I felt alone. And did I mention I was tired?

After a frantic e-mail to a friend in which I wrote out all of my issues and asked

her to please con rm or deny if I was going crazy, she suggested that I join a new moms group. Once a week for the next six weeks, I drove across town toa church where I sat in a room for two hours. I was surrounded by other brandspankin new moms. We brought our babies with us and fed our babies andchanged diapers right there in the room. If the babies started to lose it, therewere some sweet women present who would hold our babies and try and quietthem down for us. There were moms who had home births, drug-free births,epidurals and C-sections. There were moms who breastfed and moms whoformula-fed. There were moms who really did feel like this was one of the

happiest times of their lives and there were moms who couldnt get through a meeting without breaking down in tears. There was practical advice on every-thing from how to take care of our babies to how to take care of our marriages.

There was also spiritual advice and prayer: we would share prayer requests andstruggles with each other.

Last and most certainly not least, there was gratitude. Each week we had toshare something we needed prayer for (the easy part), and we had to sharesomething we were thankful for. Some of the girls were thankful for so much!Some of us were in tears and in need of much prayer every time. But we had tosay something we were thankful for. We had to. And that exercise in gratitudechanged my life.

Each week, as I sleepily struggled through with Cal, I started noticing things.

Oh, that is what I will be thankful for next week! What a sweet time that waswith him sleeping on my chest. But the great thing is that once I started lookingfor my thankful moments, I started seeing more than I ever realized I had.

I was thankful for so much.

For starters, Cal had such a sweet spirit, and while I wanted him to sleep with-out having to be on top of me, I knew those moments were eeting and that Iwould wish to have them back again one day (I already do). And he had the soft-est, sweetest-smelling head! And every now and then, most likely out of sheerexhaustion, he would take an unexpected, incredibly lengthy nap! And those

sleep scheduling books? I was thankful to be out from under their black andwhite, my-way-or-the-highway sentiments.

And looking back, I have realized that being grateful has always changed me. Itsthose moments when you can nally come to grips with what you have andhonestly admit that it is enough that are so liberating. Those are the mo-ments when you start truly living.

Are you an expectant rst-time mom? Would you consider joining ourgroup for rst-time moms? If your rst child will be 6 months or younger onSeptember 30, we would love to have you join us.

Square One, IBCs community for rst time moms, will meet for 6 weeks start-ing September 30 from 10 a.m.-noon.

Sara Taylor cant stand to have dry hands. In fact, she will sometimes avoid washing her hands after using the restroom if she doesnt have access to lotion(but will do her best to track down some hand sanitizer).

On New Motherhood & Being Miserable


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Chatter | 16

A sister can be seen as someone who is bothourselves and very much not ourselves a specialkind of double. Toni Morrison

s i s t e r h o o d

|

f r o m a l o n e t o k n o w n

sisterhood from alone to known

Womens Fall Bible StudySisterhood: From Alone to Known

Ive known it for a long time: most of us women feel alone and unknown.

It hit me several years ago, this aloneness thing. As the Teaching Pastor toWomen, I was always around plenty of women and I knew what the Scripturessaid about community, yet I had none. When I would share with others howalone I felt how unknown they simply said, Get over it. Leadership islonely. I knew this was true because I was experiencing it; but as true as it was,I knew it wasnt Truth. I knew what God said about his church, about how weare brothers and sisters who are meant to live in community with one another.Intellectually, I understood the kind of relationship God designed us for andI knew his Son had made provision for it, but I just wasnt experiencing thisTruth in my everyday life.

This tension has sent me on a journey to discover why we struggle with

aloneness. I wanted to understand why we desire, even need, to be known,and how to nd answers about gaining these family relationships Goddescribes in his Word.

This journey, however, has made me uncomfortable. My cultural values havebeen challenged, my independence confronted, and my behavior patternscalled into question; but all of this wrestling has put me on a path to becomingknown. Ive got a long way to go, and part of me is scared that I may be stum-bling onto something much bigger than I dare take on. But as Ive started totaste what God had in mind, Ive become resolute: I want what God wants formy life because I know that what he has for me (and for you) is wonder, beauty

and the very best when it comes to our relationships with each other. And Imnot settling for anything less.

My prayer is that you wont either. As you go through Sisterhood: From Alone to Known , may you discover Gods heart for his family. May you become resoluteas you embrace and engage your sisters in Christ. May you become so commit-ted to Gods family that you come out of hiding. May you be able to say what mymother would say after being with family and friends: Im full.

Jackie Roese is IBCs Teaching Pastor to Women. She also grew up canning

fruits and veggies with her mom and sisters and her favorite items were thecanned peaches and spicy cauli ower.

Sisterhood: From Alone to Known A 10-week Bible study for women

Begins Tuesday, September 149:30-11:30 a.m. or 6:30-8:30 p.m.The Commons at IBC

Ever play hide and seek with your sisters growing up? How about withthe women who are in your life right now? Often we walk through life sur-rounded by people, and yet feel utterly and completely alone.

This fall, as we look at the characteristics of biblical relationships, wellbegin to see Gods heart for his family. We will learn how to come out of hiding and become truly known by our sisters in Christ.

To register for the Bible study or for KidZone, our excellent program forchildren, visit a-movement-of-women.org.


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T his M onTh


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T his M onTh

Bible CommunitiesCommunities on Sunday

Synergy 9 a.m.

Middle School RoomNew series: Can You Hear MeNow? God still speaks to hispeople today in various ways. Howcan we make sure we are availableand ready to hear?

Thrive 10:45 a.m. West DNew 3-week discussion: Faith,Hope, and Love, followed by astudy on the Book of Acts. Alsoavailable: weekly Bible studies forthe ladies and men.

Renew 10:45 a.m. West A(former L.I.F.E. class)We will finish up the Bible Read-ing and Reflection series andmove into Starting Point, afresh perspective on faith. Augustcommunity event: family SwimParty and Potluck.

The Point 6:45 p.m.High School RoomSmall group study: Unveiled at Last by Bob Sjogren, and Inside

Out by Lawrence J. Crabb. Othersmall group studies include: adeeper look at the IBC sermonseries, and Being Purpose-Driven and What the Bible SaysAbout It.

ChildrenInfants Through 5 th Grade

Energetic? Creative? Patient?

KidZone wants you!KidZone isnt childcare; its anevent designed to minister tokids. We are currently lookingfor people to join our team of PAID teachers to minister to ourpreschoolers midweek. Pleasecontact KidZone Directors Mi-chelle Tibbatts ([email protected]) or Tammy Hutchinson([email protected]).

MyZone*MyZone is a safe environment forkids with team building activities,life-application conversations, andhigh impact fun!

Wednesdays, 6:308:30 p.m.in the ZoneGrades K 5th

Zone 6:30*Zone 6:30 will resume in Septem-ber after summer break.

*For more info contact MelissaFranke at [email protected].

Community CareHope for the Hurting

Griefshare Starting Tuesdays,

Sept. 7, 6:458:30 p.m.,Conference RoomGriefshare is a caring group of people who will walk alongsideyou through one of lifes mostdifficult experiences you donthave to walk this journey alone.KidZone is available at kidzone.irvingbible.org. Reservations mustbe made at least 48 hours prior tothe meetings. Please contact Sha-ron at [email protected].

ReEngage Sundays,6:458 p.m., West C/DJoin IBCs new marriage minis-try experience as we find waysto reconnect with our spouses.ReEngage is for all marriages those struggling, doing OK, ordoing great and seeking ways togrow. KidZone available by onlinepre-registration at least 48 hrs. inadvance at kidzone.irvingbible.org.Contact Jodi Francis with ques-tions: [email protected].

Recovery at IBC Thursdays,6:30 p.m., the CommonsPerfectionism, pride, overeating,shopping, anger, control...andyou thought Recovery at IBC was

just about drug, alcohol or sexualaddiction!

Community Life

Stitches of Faith Tuesdays,6:30-8:30 p.m., The HavenWant to learn something newthis summer? We will be happyto teach you. We are knitting orcrocheting 12 x 12 inch squaresto make afghans for our soldiers.KidZone is now available byregistration at least 48 hours inadvance at kidzone.irvingbible.org. Contact Wendy Vera [email protected] or(214) 533-2781.

EspaolBilingual Ministry

Traduccin del Servicio losDomingosTraduccin simultnea en el Servi-cio de las 5 p.m. Escuchnlo en lared: irvingbible.org. Se necesitantraductores.

Sunday Service TranslationSimultaneous translation availableduring the 5 p.m. service. SpanishTranslations online at irvingbible.org. Translators needed.

ESL, Diversion de VeranoPractica tu Ingles con nosotros:Agosto 11 - Noche Hawaiyana,6:30 a 8:30. Para mas informacionel contacto es Lauren Menge, [email protected] (ella habla Espaol).

ESL Summer FunPractice your English with us:August 11 Hawaiian Luau,6:308:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, contact Lauren Menge [email protected].

AyunoAyuno por la salud de nuestroPastor Andy McQuitty y los enfer-mos de nuestra comunidad.

Fasting

Please join us as we fast one daya week for Pastor Andy McQuittyand all those who are sick in ourcommunity.

Grupo de oracin(para nuestra iglesia)Lunes de 5-6 p.m.en el Boiler Room

Prayer Group (for the church)Mondays, 5-6 p.m.,the Boiler Room

Chick-Lit en Espaol (solomujeres) Agosto 17Acompaanos a hablar de litera-tura en Espaol:La Voz dormida by Dulce Chaco.Leanlo y venganse listas para unatertulia literaria.

Para mas informacion: [email protected]. KidZone(cuidado de nios) esta disponiblecon reservacion a kidzone.irvingbi-ble.org con por lo menos 48 horasde anticipacion.

Chick-Lit in Spanish August 17Join us as we talk about litera-ture in Spanish (the book: La Voz dormida by Dulce Chaco). Readit and come prepared for a funliterary chat.

For more information, [email protected] is available by reservationat kidzone.irvingbible.org at least48 hours in advance.

IBCMenMinistry to Men

2010 First Watch BBQ Kick-off August 24First Watch starts September 10See ad, pg. 21.

First Watch Xtra Wednesdays, 6:30 a.m.,Training CenterSummer study: Twisted Truth byAndy Stanley

Visit men.irvingbible.org for info.

Local PartnershipsReaching the Community

Special Delivery

If you would like to help distributebackpacks to Mercy Street onAugust 21, please contact Jen [email protected].

ResourcesStuff People Need

Car Care Ministry Back toSchool Car Evaluation Event August 14, 25 p.m., IBCParking LotInterested in volunteering ordonating vehicles or supplies?Contact [email protected].

Citizenship Class New FallSemester Begins Wednesday,Sept. 1, 6:30 p.m.Join us for 12 sessions throughDecember 15. If you would liketo volunteer as a class leader,please contact Michael Larson [email protected].

ESL, Diversion de VeranoPractica tu Ingles con nosotros:Agosto 11 - Noche Hawaiyana,6:30 a 8:30. Para mas informacionel contacto es Lauren Menge,[email protected] (ella hablaEspaol).

ESL Summer FunPractice your English with us:August 11 Hawaiian Luau,6:30-8:30 p.m. For more informa-tion, contact Lauren Menge [email protected]. KidZoneavailable by online pre-registrationat least 48 hrs. in advance atkidzone.irvingbible.org.

Seasoned SaintsFor the Young at Heart (ages 55+)

Dinner and a PlayThursday, August 126 p.m.: Dinner at Olive Garden onHwy 183 just west of Irving Mall onBeltline8 p.m.: ICT Mainstage Theaterpresents Sugar

Potluck Lunch and FellowshipSunday, August 15Immediately following the secondmorning service in the CommonsAnnex adjoining the Haven. Bringa dish to share.

The Seasoned Saints Updateis only available by e-mail. Toreceive it and other special an-nouncements each month, send

your e-mail address to Betty at [email protected]. Please


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Chatter | 19

put Seasoned Saints in thesubject line.

.

Single-Parent FamilyCommunity and Resources

Single ParentBack to School EventSee ad pg. 17.

Family Lake DaySaturday, August 28Join us for boating, swimming,fishing and a cookout. Register atsingleparents.irvingbible.org andclick the link for Family Lake Day.

Family Lunch after ChurchAugust 8 & 22, 12 p.m.August 8: Baja FreshAugust 22: Dickeys BBQ on Den-ton Tap in Coppell

On Track Bible CommunitySundays, 10:45 a.m.Noon, West C

If you have questions about any single-parent events, contact Mar-sha at (972) 560-4633, ext. 586 or at [email protected].

Student MinistriesMiddle & High School

Sundays 6:458 p.m.6-8th grade meets inThe Commmons

9-12th grade meets inthe High School Room

WednesdaysJoin us each Wednesday to expe-rience The W.

Bring $3 for a delicious mealand stay for fun, games, andrelationships.

Please remember to pray for WeMinistry To Women

MOPS starts September 16,78:30 p.m., The CommonsSee ad on this page.

Sisterhood: From Alone toKnown Womens Fall BibleStudy, starts September 14See article pg. 16.

Wow Wednesday at The Tubes Wednesdays through August18, 911 a.m., FREESee ad pg. 20.

Chick Lit Tuesday, August17, 78:30 p.m.See ad pg 20. KidZone availableby reservation only. Register on-line at kidzone.irvingbible.org at

least 48 hours prior to the event.

New Moms Group:Square One startsSeptember 30, 10 a.m.NoonSee article, page 15.

2435 KinwestWednesday Nights at IBC

Job Transition Workshop Wednesdays, 6:308 p.m.Get the inside scoop on resumes,

networking, interviewing, jobsearch and company research.One week will be for open discus-sion on other topics related to the

job search and unemploymentissues. Contact Lisa at [email protected].

Visit 2435kinwest.org for a list of other activities and ways to get involved.

MiscellaneousA Little Bit of Everything

Baby Dedications September19 (Registration dates: August22-Sept. 7)It is always special when parentsdedicate their children to Godduring an IBC worship service,committing to raise them in agodly home while the IBC com-munity promises to support them.

To register, visit registration.irvingbible.org. There are a limitednumber of dedications duringeach service, so if you have a pref-erence of service times, pleaseregister early. Photos of childrenbeing dedicated should be sentto Donna OReilly at [email protected] and received bySeptember 12. Hard copies arealso acceptable.

New Parent Orientation

Parents wishing to dedicate theirbabies may attend an orientationon September 12 at 9 a.m. in theSr. High room located in the Westend of the building. The orienta-tion is not mandatory, but stronglyencouraged. We will explore withyou what it means to dedicateyour child and answer questionsabout parenting issues and ourchildrens ministry at IBC.

NICHE (North Irving ChristianHome Educators) AnnualIce Cream Social and Sign-Ups, Tuesday, August 17, 6:30p.m.,The ZoneBring the whole family! Registerfor the 20102011 calendar year,

MOPS meets the 3rd Tursday of every monthSeptember 16 from 7-8:30 p.m. Te Commons at Irving Bible Church

Parenting preschoolers is a new challenge every day. Sur- viving this stage is a lot easier when you can rely on God,riends and mentors. But where can you fnd both biblical wisdom and community? MOPS is the answer. Join us orspiritual encouragement and the chance to connect withother moms and mentor moms who have been there anddone that.

For more in o, visit www.a-movement-o -women.com ore-mail us at [email protected].

Mothering preschoolchildren is tough.Need some support?Thats why were here.

sign up for pre-paid events andreceive your calendar for the com-ing year. Remember to registeryour kids for KidZone at kidzone.irvingbible.org at least 48 hoursin advance. Questions? Contactthe NICHE Board of Directors:[email protected].

Budget CoachingAre you ready to get financially fit?Want someone to help coach youso you can take control of yourfinances Gods Way? For more infoabout getting a personal budgetcoach, contact [email protected], or Rob and SaraParnell at [email protected] or (972) 304-1783.

IBC Crop NightFriday, August 20, 510 p.m.,Training CenterJoin us for scrapbooking fun! Justbring your pictures, albums, andtools and lets crop. If you are newto scrapbooking, let us know andwe will be happy to help get youstarted. Dont hesitate to join usif you are a card maker, papercrafter, or digital scrapper.For more information, contactNikki Heinemann at

[email protected].

IBC Saturday CropAugust 21, 9 a.m.8 p.m.,Training Center, FREEIts an All Day Saturday CropEvent! The room will be setup with large round tables soeveryone should have plenty of space to scrap, crop, trim, stamp,organize, or work on whateverproject seems appealing.For more information, pleasecontact Nikki Heinemann [email protected].

Hearing AssistanceHearing Assistance is availableduring all three worship services. You can stop by the JourneyLounge for instructions.

New ArrivalsCongratulations to the follow-ing families on the births of theirchildren:

Brad and Tamra Thomas and theirson Trey Joseph, born March 29,7 lbs 5 oz, 20 inches

Will and Heather Buffington andtheir son Michael William, bornJune 10, 9 lbs 14 oz, 22 inches

Gordon and Julie Rhodes and

their daughter Madeline Mae,born July 25, 6 lbs 6 oz, 19 inches


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Do you have credit?Or does credit have you?Take control of your finances.Financial Peace University is a 13-week program that teaches and em-powers you to make the right money decisions to achieve your fnancialgoals and experience a total money makeover.

When: Wednesday evenings, 6:308:30 p.m.September 15 - December 15

Where: West C/DCost: $99 li etime ee per amily. A $3 meal is available at 6 p.m.

KidZone is available by reservation at least 48 hrs. in advanceat kidzone.irvingbible.org.

For details and to register, visit www.irvingbible.org/explore. Space is limited.

Alpha is an opportunity to explore the meaningof life and the core of Christianity in a relaxed,friendly setting. Alpha is for all kinds of people the skeptics, the seekers, the spiritually curious who are searching out deep spiritual questions,clear direction for their spiritual journey, an op-portunity to explore the meaning of life and a safehaven for all honest questions.

Open House: Sept. 22, 67:30 in The Commons

pledge allegiance.

IBCMen First WatchKickoff BBQAugust 24, 6:30 p.m.in the Commons

Featuring guest speaker Bob Sturmfrom Sportsradio 1310 The Ticket .

First Watch beginsSeptember 10 and 146:22 a.m. Fridays in the Commons or6:30 p.m. Tuesdays in West C & D

men.irvingbible.org

SUNDAY SCHEDULE

HOW DO I GIVE


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Chatter | 22

First Worship Service: 9 a.m.Childrens Classes (all ages)Nexus (40+ singles), The AlcoveThe Tree (newly and nearly weds), West DSynergy (30s and 40s couples),

Middle School Room

Second Worship Service: 10:45 a.m.Childrens Classes (all ages)Crossroads (mid 20s to mid 30s couples),The AlcoveOn Track (single parents), West CJourney (all welcome), Middle School RoomGirlfriends (solo on Sundays),

Commons AnnexRenew (formerly known as L.I.F.E.)(30s,40s, 50s, all welcome), Training CenterThrive (30s and 40s singles), West D

Third Worship Service: 5 p.m.Childrens Classes (all ages)

Community Dinner: 6 p.m.

Community Events: 6:15 p.m.The Point (20s singles), the High School RoomCentral Park (20s singles & couples), The AlcoveLegacy Builders (all welcome), Zone Jr. 7Middle School, 6:45 p.m., The CommonsHigh School, 6:45 p.m., Student Ministries Area

Sunday Community Meals

Join us in the Town Square for our community mealon Sundays at 6 p.m. Meals are $3 per person or $10max./family.

8/1 Pizza and Awesome Salad Bar8/8 Chicken Fajitas Fiesta8/15 All-American hamburgers and brauts

8/22 Grilled chicken and veggies8/29 Baked potatoes and special fixingsIf youd like to serve on a Sunday night meal team, contact Pat OReilly at (214) 289-6176 or [email protected].

Wednesday Midweek Meals

Each Wednesday night from 56:20 p.m., IBC pre-pares meals for anyone wanting a good, hot meal.PB&J sandwiches are also available. Cost is $3/mealor $10 max./family. Just come by The Commons, andgrab a plate!

8/4 Lasagna, salad, bread sticks, dessert8/11 Chicken breast sandwiches, baked beans,

tater tots, dessert8/18 Chopped BBQ beef sandwiches,

pickle spears, coleslaw, chips, dessert8/25 Baked potatoes with fixings, salad, dessertIf youd like to serve on a Wednesday night meal team, please e-mail [email protected].

JOURNEYGod invites us to a journey. A journey that leads to him and connects us to others. Individu-ally, our journeys are unique, but we share common needs. The need to deepen our souls.The need for relationship. The need for mission and purpose. At IBC, we are all abouthelping each other on our journeys. We invite you to explore irvingbible.org for all kinds of ways you can navigate your journey.

Also, check out the Needs Board in the Town Square tond out how you can help meet the needs of others at IBC.

DEEpEN thE SOUl

Faith isnt just a one-time discovery but also a lifetime of moving toward God.Our souls are made to grow, not just in knowledge but in connection with God.No matter where you are in your spiritual journey you can go deeper.

FiND RElatiONShip

Since creation, God has said it is not good for man to be alone. We are designedto work together, play together, live together. It is essential that we are in rela-tionship with others on the journey.

JOiN thE MiSSiON

To be full, a life must be engaged in the story of God restoring his creation andconnecting people to himself. We have a responsibility to each other globallyand locally in making a di erence.

Journey LoungeWhether youre searching or answers, are a new believer, or have been a ollower oChrist or many years, were all on this journey togethera journey to deepen our soul,to be in relationship and to serve with mission and purpose.

Sometimes its hard to navigate that path because we share common needs, but eachpersons journey is unique. So, weve created the Journey Lounge and sta ed it with olkswe call Journey Guides. They are there to help you with your unique journey.

The Journey Lounge is open be ore, during and a ter all three worship services on Sunday.Its located in the Town Square across rom the ountain just look or the cool so as,com y chairs and smiling aces.

Were all meant to grow, to be in relationship and to join the mission.The Journey Lounge is a place to start.

My Time, Talents & Skills Vox Humana ChoirWe will be back in action starting mid-September and arealways looking for singers to join our community. No auditionrequired. We rehearse every Wednesday from 6:30-7:50 p.m.in The Alcove. For more information please contact director,Crystal Elwell, at [email protected].

Citizenship Class LeadersIf you have a heart to minister to those seeking U.S. citizenship,we are looking for two to three volunteers to help lead our class.Contact Michael Larson at [email protected].

Data Entry VolunteersIrving Interfaith Clinic is looking for volunteers to help in theirclinic. No medical experience is necessary, just a willing heartto input information into their database. Please contact Lillyat [email protected].

Special DeliveryIf you would like to help distribute backpacks to Mercy Street onAugust 21, please contact Jen at [email protected].

Social media volunteer for Water Is BasicInterested in helping WIB leverage social media to help bringclean water to Africa? Contact Nichole at [email protected].

Needed: men for mentoringWould you like to stand in the gap by mentoring a boyfrom an IBC single parent family? All it takes is a little timeand a big heart. Contact or Marsha at (972) 560-4633 x586.

My ResourcesFill up a back-to-school backpackPick up a list of supplies in the TownSquare kiosk and give elemen-tary kids in need a great start for the2010 school year. Visit irvingbible.org for more information or contact [email protected].

Cartridge Recycling ReminderIf you bring your cartridges to IBC to berecycled, please remember we cannotaccept the following: printers, fax ma-chines, cell phone accessories (chargers,batteries, cases etc.), laser jet toners, orany generic cartridges. To nd out if yourlaser jet cartridge, inkjet cartridge or cellphone is recyclable, check the qualifyinglists at www.fundingfactory.com.

Cars for missionary familiesDo you have an extra car to loan amissionary family on furlough? Contactthe International Initiatives Department([email protected]).

Online Giving OptionIf you would nd it more convenientto donate to the ministries of IrvingBible Church online, please visitgive.irvingbible.org.

HOW DO I GIVE


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Chatter | 23

nybrook abruptly ended when both sides decided no one wanted to wake upanybody before they went went. Perhaps my ambivalence towards primary andsecondary education stemmed from my belief that I couldve compressed theentire 13-year slog into about three. While I may have missed a certain amountof socialization following such a plan, anyone who knew me in my twenties orthirties (which is now) could tell you whatever socialization I did receive didntreally take. My life is one long awkward stage.

But now that Im on the far, far, far side of my school days (87 thinks theyrecool! 88 will never rule! When 89 is dead and gone, 1990 will party on!), Igenerally cant wait for school to resume. Theres just something about know-ing book-learnin is afoot that puts a jingle in my jangle. Or, more precisely, myiJangle 4.0.

Ill no longer have to fear the roving bands of 12-year-old trash can turner-over-ers that stalk my alley. The malls wont be swollen with gaggles of inappropri-ately bedazzled, hot-panted younguns. I wont have to worry about speed trapsbecause the coppers will be gunning (only with radar, unfortunately) texters inschool zones.

But I also look forward to a new school year because, as a person of fatherlyage, it is now my turn to harass the youthy youths of today. What, with theirpants on the ground and hippity hop and spray-on tans and Twilight sagasand ibberty-gee, theyre ripe for the taunting. Also, they need to stay o mylawn. Seriously, kids, its chock full of re ants. And pressure-sensitive sprinklerheads. That shoot lasers. Tiny lasers mounted atop even more re ants. Honest.

My eldest children, highly advanced though they are, will not be allowed intothe kindergarten until 2013 (and into the Biebergarten never), at which timethey will learn the true reason why Ive been feeding them paste since birth.A reason I will not disclose here lest they read the secret before the appointedtime and set in the motion the rise of the Third Cyrus. They will also learn whydad hasnt been allowed to talk to the neighbor kids since 2009.

It might have something to do with honey-seared locusts.

Jason Fox can hear a pop quiz coming from 49 yards.

It always started just after the Fourthof July. The incessant thrum-thrum-thrumming of what are correctly termedcicadas, but what my family, in honor of John the Baptist, called locusts. (Althoughwe never ate them with honey. Or without.)Hear that? my dad would query my olderbrother and me. Thats the sound of schoolabout to start.

If you think thats a cruel statement for a father to make during the peak of summer fun, you think correctly. But as it was the cruelest thing my dad eversaid to me, Ive let it slide all these years. Besides, he was right. It would only bea week or two later when the back-to-school ads for Toughskins, Trapper Keep-ers and other pseudo-implements of pseudo-education would break the joy of A-Team and Manimal reruns. Then the shopping would commence, newiron-on shirts would be purchased (the lone good thing about the encroachinginternment) and before we knew it, we were back at the bus stop waiting for olnumber 43 to rumble down Masterbrooke Drive.

You would think (yeah, you would think, wouldnt you?) that I wouldve likedthe return of school days, if for no other reason than that it heralded the arrivalof Birthday Season. As in my birthday. Which is September 18 in case youd liketo get me a Triumph Bonneville (dont tell my wife). Sure, I was always excitedabout my birthday. What kid isnt, aside from that weird boy up the street whokept feeding Pop Rocks and Diet Rite cola to woodchucks? But I did not equateanother school year with birthday bounty.

No, I reasoned that school should either wait until after my birthday to begin(yet before my brothers birthday a week later), or I should be able to legallychange my birth date to August. Of course, I also once believed the world wasblack and white before the 1950s, so my logic may have been a touch o .Regardless, I was able to separate the two events in my mind: School bad,birthday good.

I dont really even know why I disliked school so much. I was a good student.I rarely found myself on the wrong side of a shiv. And I only once ended up ina gang-related dance-o set to Wham tunes instead of Sondheim the don-

The Sounds of

Schoolishness

Begin blatantly obvious Idle Chatter disclaimer. WARNING: IDLE CHATTER IS A TONGUE-IN-CHEEK LOOK AT MILDLY IMPORTANT TOPICS FACING CHRISTIANITY TODAY AND POSSIBLY IN THE YEAR 2354. THIS COLUMN MAY OR MAY NOT CONTAINTRUTHS THAT ARE PROFOUND OR PROFOUNDLY IMAGINED BY THE AUTHOR. IN OTHER WORDS, ITS FOR AMUSEMENT.

We now return you to your regularly scheduled Idle Chatter.

Wham!s famous hit Wake Me Up Before You Go Go came from a typo in anote band member Ridgeley wrote to his parents: Dont forget to wake me upup before you go go, George. Since he accidentally wrote the word up twice,Ridgeley decided to compound the error and write go twice.

In 2007, a new version of TrapperKeeper featured a magnetic closurein place of the Velcro closure and acustomizable front cover.

Key tooptical illusion

on page 14.


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Chatter you CAN take it with you. Send usyour Chatter photos on location, and you maysee yourself in an upcoming issue. E-mail us

at [email protected].

Ian Watts, engrossed in Chatter, reads as dog sledders run the Iditarod inthe middle of the snow-covered wilderness outside Anchorage, Alaska.

chatter, august 2010

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