tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-88727706607943758452024-03-14T11:01:27.549-07:00LehmantationsDon't worry.... this site is not about sorrow.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.comBlogger21125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-71089172165552421582015-03-05T07:56:00.001-08:002015-03-05T08:00:44.568-08:00The Beautiful Mess<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsYmIThTqG62r6TpuqGsbSL3uP_5NTYjaTcuSXqdLEZYH2YM7UngCdfDqhFW4CncEvL7-D5ZemfHnl7v_9CqHsKfCZPXtPlkapFGaL9E8CTvI5nBCxBSKroaeIQkxy7ncdA6OybfXvkWG/s1600/IMG_2478.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEghsYmIThTqG62r6TpuqGsbSL3uP_5NTYjaTcuSXqdLEZYH2YM7UngCdfDqhFW4CncEvL7-D5ZemfHnl7v_9CqHsKfCZPXtPlkapFGaL9E8CTvI5nBCxBSKroaeIQkxy7ncdA6OybfXvkWG/s1600/IMG_2478.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a>Unemployment affords a lot of amazing luxuries that sometimes go unnoticed or unspoken. Oh sure, there are the random freak out moments when you wonder how you are going to support your growing family, but if you can figure out how to ignore those when they pop up every 5 minutes or so, you can bask in the benefits. For example, an amazing vacation package (as long as you don’t spend money on the vacations)! Time with my beautiful family. And I’m never plagued with the thought, “When am I going to find time to go to the grocery store? Or read that book?” It is so relaxing. And numbing.<br />
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One of the benefits of the last few months, which I didn’t really see coming, was a fresh perspective of the greater scope of what God is doing. I have been a networking fiend since I have arrived in Denver. I follow up any lead, and some of the most energizing conversations have been 4 connections away from my original friend. Within all of this, I have met some amazing people who are doing incredible Kingdom work, whether it is 5 minutes away or over an hour. <br />
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When working at a church, it is too easy to put 100% of your focus on what God is doing within your own community. There are so many needs and demands, and if you can’t even answer the clamoring in front of you, how can you focus on other things throughout the city? Most of the time, this is not the intention. It is just the inevitable outcome of a busy and thriving church.<br />
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Yet so many pastors in Denver have been willing to meet up with some random, unemployed pastor merely due to a mutual connection. And a lot of them have genuinely cared to help me find what God has for me in this next season. I have also come across networks of pastors that work together in the same area, and their heart for the city is invigorating. I’m not saying that didn’t exist in San Diego, but I just know I was not one of them. <br />
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I have been blessed to have the space to just attend churches, and grab coffee with different practitioners, and just observe what God is doing. Where is He working? What are the needs? Where may I fit into what God is unfolding in the city? Wherever I end up, I’m really encouraged that I feel like I’ll have many friends on the journey with me, across denominations and communities. <br />
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I have also seen the beautiful mess of God’s overwhelming diversity. I used to be quite judgmental of all the different denominations and expressions of church, thinking that pride pushed us so far from the unity God desired. But I remember a statement from Dr. Jim Smith in seminary that stated that God is too big and magnificent to ever be captured in one church community. All of our churches together can give a fuller expression of our amazing God than any one church operating in a silo. People connect to different expressions, and even churches that may bore me to tears, or push my weirdo button, or disagree with my personal perfected understanding of God, are a needed part of the larger movement. That doesn’t mean that pride is not limiting unity, but it is not the only force at work.<br />
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I have attempted to find metaphors that can give a remotely blurry picture of the process I’m going through as many friends and family check in with my journey. The one I have been using lately is the feeling like I’m on one of those detective shows where I put all the information I have up on the board/wall as I try to solve a murder. There are pictures, scribblings, and assembled evidence, all connected by a confusing and creepy web of lines. In my case, I’m collecting bits from every conversation I have, as well as times of prayer and reflection, to somehow figure out what God has for me in this next season. Which can sometimes feel like I’m slowly being murdered, instead of uncovering the shocking ending. Themes are emerging to unveil my deeper passions and the burdens I feel called to put my time towards. Yet I’m still figuring out where to put my time this week, this month, and this next season. <br />
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One of my hopes as I move forward is that regardless of where I end up, I hope to maintain this renewed Kingdom perspective. Where I can somehow help the church at large connect in meaningful ways to the community around me, and to celebrate the beautiful diversity of God’s people. I truly believe that the way God’s people interact with each other, with a deep sense of family, will have a greater impact on our city than any program or initiative we come up with. <br />
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And yet I’m quite certain that I will continue to internally judge any church or individual that does not do things exactly as I would, since I’m passionate about how Jesus is perceived, and I’m still in process with my baggage and pride. But God has really worked on my heart to pray and support mega-churches, as well as house churches, as I aim to find something in the middle. To respect the churches that emphasize truth, as well as those that embody grace, as I wrestle with how to express them together. I want to see Jesus thrive, not just a particular ministry. <br />
<br />Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-84478453803796734902015-02-11T20:03:00.000-08:002015-02-11T20:03:13.618-08:00Why I chose Idiocy....
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Let me paint a little picture.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My wife and I lived in San Diego, which is arguably the most
beautiful city in the United States, with perfect weather year round and the
ability to quote Anchorman in context!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We both had jobs that we enjoyed, where we loved who we worked with,
were able to use our gifts and our education, and had a great sense of
purpose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Although transient and
changing at times, we had an amazing community around us that took care of us
whenever a crisis or need arose.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>We had 2 beautiful daughters who are, in my humble and biased opinion,
overwhelmingly better than any other kids.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As the cherry on top, we find out we are having another kid
with that unbelievable recipe of genes (a boy this time… Praise you sweet Jesus
in heaven).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What is the natural
response when you find yourself in that situation?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Let’s quit our jobs and move!!”</div>
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Yes, after wrestling with the desire to be closer to family
for years, we decided to choose this moment to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We made the choice when only one part time job was secured
and no health insurance.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We lined
it up perfectly so that we would move just late enough to avoid any
pleasantries of autumn, and yet embrace every moment of winter.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Plus, we got there 2 weeks before day
light savings, so our first experience of our new city has the least amount of
sunlight as possible!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I know,
brilliant!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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A nice advantage is when we talk to anybody who has been
longing and searching for a job that gives them fulfillment and joy, we can
confidently look them in the eye and say, “It’s possible!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We experienced it!”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And then we let ourselves go!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>(I wish, the unemployment checks would
be nice).”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Overall theme:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>with 2.5 kids, we choose Idiocy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At least by the world’s standards.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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This reality was very evident in the first few months in
Denver.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>As I would meet people and
share my story, most would ask, “Did you find a good job here?” as the motivation
for our move?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Nope.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“Oh, you moved without a job?”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“WOW!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Some will
be intrigued and want to know more.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>That is probably 1% of people, if the only possibility is rounding up to
the closest full number.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Most have
a tinge of, “So you’re an idiot?” in their eyes, even if their voices try to
drown it out with an intrigued tone.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>But I’m okay with that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The
reason is because I’m a resident idiot, where this is not my first
offense.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This is the third time
that I have made a decision that is virtually impossible to explain on
paper.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It doesn’t make any sense
without bringing in the God card, which nobody can fully understand except the
person playing it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Why?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The God card can never be a
formula.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is personal.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is unique.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It is confusing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
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++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++</div>
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I’m graduating college with a debt in the mid 30k’s.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>My parents did everything possible to
help me with college, but I had to pay most of my way through (which is a
character-shaping aspect of my life I would not change whatsoever).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I feel called to ministry (which is
directly linked to my infinitely stronger calling away from engineering), but I
know I need to pay off my loans first.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I have a job offer 10 minutes from my parents’ house in the extremely
cheap living of Amish country.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But
what do I do in a season where my primary goal is to pay off loans?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I take a job in the most expensive
place in the United States:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>San
Diego (this is a fact according to some list that is based primarily on opinion
and assumption).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And….. I’m an
idiot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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But deep down, I knew I needed to go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God had been growing me in confidence
throughout college, and I was in a season of consistently choosing the option
that would stretch me the most.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
knew moving back home could allow me to slip back into my former passive
approach to life.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew I had to
go some place that gave me no option besides figuring it out for myself.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The first year was very difficult, but
constant 70 degree weather can always soften a blow.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, I would not be who I am today without that
step.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I’m working as an engineer.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I paid off all my loans in 2.5 years by living in a garage and
judging all personal expenditures as feeding the minions of Satan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yeah, I was extreme for a period.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Luckily I was slowly being transformed
enough that Tatum was willing to talk to me when we met!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I thought paying off my loans meant I
was going to be free to pursue full-time ministry, but I realized that God had
his fingers crossed when I thought He shook my hand.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>In hindsight, I realized how much character development was
remaining at that point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But as I’m
approaching 5 years of engineering, I’m sensing it is time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>There is something inside of me that is affirming that I am ready
and it is time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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Imagine the timing of being newly married and planning to
tell your new father-in-law this genius plan: “I’m going to quit my job as a
licensed structural engineer so that I can work as an intern at a church.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But don’t worry!!!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They aren’t paying me.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I have to raise my own support to do this.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Yup, I’m an idiot.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I was leaving a secure job, at an
amazing firm, that was directly applying all the money and time I invested in
my college degree, in order to pursue a dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Amazingly I maintained my good standing in the family, and
they saw the fruit of my decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>God was slowly molding me for a new calling, and it brought life and
adventure to our marriage.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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And now to my current season of idiocy.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I am fully confident that what God is
doing inside of me, and what He is preparing me for, could never happen without
me moving in extreme uncertainty.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>I want to be in control and always know the plan.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I want to play it safe.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>But God wants me to have a greater
impact than that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>He wants me to
experience Him in a fuller way than would happen with me in the driver’s
seat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>So I harnessed my inner
Carrie and sang, “Jesus take the wheel!!”.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Actually, I most likely sang “Let it go” since Frozen songs
are in my head daily.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></div>
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I’m currently in a season of dreaming that I have never
experienced.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m allowing myself
to consider things that I would always rule out in the past.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m thinking outside the box.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m acting with more confidence.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m feeling more alive than I have in a
long time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I’m freaking out daily
and then calming myself down.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I
would not trade this.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Do I still
feel like an idiot sometimes when I’m not sure how I’m going to create an
income each month?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Definitely.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Am I learning trust and reliance, which
is faith, in a deeper sense than ever before.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Absolutely. </div>
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I chose to be an idiot because I didn’t want to live with
regret and always wonder.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose
idiocy because I believe God wants me to use my voice more. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I chose idiocy because it was time.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Tatum knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;">
</span>And honestly, it doesn’t matter if anybody else knew it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>God is doing something, and I can’t
wait to find out what it is.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>And
hopefully I find out soon…..</div>
Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-39280504189505829712012-08-24T14:28:00.002-07:002012-08-24T14:28:56.811-07:00SunMin's Song!!<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qIJhhAckM9p87Sv70rakaDR2_nlJQCrN1UOH_GXpRx1iEECuqXvIgpwAi1p5psLY3jHKntdSk4n_0TlyVhkgQOdmOQHeBCUdrEiKr3R6CDkBVcz0mIbYm4bkzWOo7pmmlV1-svP3su7t/s1600/557411_10102604361740011_871325686_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1qIJhhAckM9p87Sv70rakaDR2_nlJQCrN1UOH_GXpRx1iEECuqXvIgpwAi1p5psLY3jHKntdSk4n_0TlyVhkgQOdmOQHeBCUdrEiKr3R6CDkBVcz0mIbYm4bkzWOo7pmmlV1-svP3su7t/s320/557411_10102604361740011_871325686_n.jpg" width="320" /></a>It’s time for my long overdue update on my trip to Haiti! I have talked to some people in person, which has been fun, but many of you may still be curious. Just to give some context (and list my excuses) for my delay, I landed in San Diego on Sunday morning, July 29th. I then left for Denver three days later for a wedding. Came back to SD for 5 days, and then flew to the East Coast to see some college buddies and family. And in between, I have been trying to catch up on all my work! I am definitely still processing through my Haiti experience in the midst of this busyness, but wanted to at least start sharing my thoughts. Since I’m heading out of town for one more weekend trip, I’m going to start with a few notes, and a video for you to enjoy.<br /><br /><b>One-word Summary</b><br />I was asked if I had to summarize the trip with one word, what would I pick. I said, “Successful.” That was the overall feeling I had when I returned. Although efficiency is not something you can fully expect when you are serving in a foreign country with a language barrier, we had a great sense of accomplishment as we left. I had the privilege of co-leading an amazing group of men. Everyone filled in when needed, took on roles even when stretching, and laughed well together. We felt united throughout the trip, which was a huge answer to prayer. <br /><br /><b>Backup Word</b><br />The other word that almost won was “exhausted.” Since we went to Haiti during the hottest part of the year and stayed in a house with no air-conditioning, we sweated even in our sleep. There was also an extremely proactive rooster warning us of impending daylight from 11:30pm till the sunlight broke. Overall, none of us slept much throughout the week. Praise God He sustained us, and I was not afraid to drink some hot coffee each morning while sweating!<br /><br /><b>Video</b><br />We had around 400 kids come each day to the combined VBS and Soccer Camp. We got into a pretty good rhythm, and God seemed to do some amazing things through the language barrier. One of the highlights of the week was a song that a team member, SunMin, wrote for VBS. The kids loved singing it with all the hand motions, and so “SunMin’s Song” became a daily hit. The VBS guys decided the soccer guys needed to learn it, so here is a video of all of us singing the song on the roof of the house we stayed at!<br /><br /><a href="http://vimeo.com/47968867">http://vimeo.com/47968867</a><br /><br />More highlights, learnings, and invitations to come in the next few weeks! Thank you so much for journeying with me through your finances, prayers, and general interest. I cannot be more grateful for the community and support that God has surrounded me with!Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-63977049006682036932012-07-18T21:58:00.000-07:002012-07-18T21:58:44.337-07:00Haiti. It's Here.I can’t believe I will be leaving on a jet plane to Haiti in two days! It has been quite the ride in preparing, and I’m really excited to get there and see what God has in store. First off, thank you so much to everyone who has supported me, whether it be financially, through encouraging words, or through prayer! Not only did I reach my financial goal, but went way above it. Your generosity was overwhelming, and I am so grateful for who God has put around me in life as I take on these adventures. Please know that the extra money will be going towards supplies that COTN needs in establishing themselves within the country. <br />
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I have not really updated you since my original post about Haiti, and I apologize. The projects we would be tackling did not really take shape until about 3 weeks ago, so it has been a scramble at the end to organize everything we need. Although drastically different, the vision for the trip has shifted a bit. <br />
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COTN has been working hard to lay a foundation in Haiti, but things seem to take longer there than in most countries. They realized their greatest need at this juncture was not for us to do any construction, since they are still nailing down a home base, but to focus on building relationships. Here are the main tasks we will be tackling this next week:<br />
<b><br />1. VBS & Soccer Camp. </b><br />
One of our main goals was to meet the kids within Haiti, and be father figures for these kids through the gift of presence. We will be splitting our team between the two and running both simultaneously. The younger kids will be going to VBS, and the older kids will take part in the soccer camp. Another team from Seattle did the same thing last month, and by the end of the week, had almost 500 kids coming out. We have no clue what to expect, but we are prepared to handle that much and more. Since we are the second team, word may have spread! We have a VBS guru on our team, and a few guys with soccer experience, so it should be good. Although every team member may not be a natural with kids, I know God is going to use us in great ways to encourage these kids. <br />
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<b>2. Leadership Conference</b><br />
The COTN staff in Haiti really desired to offer this to the leaders in the community, as it is an area of need within the long-term restoration the country is facing. We are expecting around 30 or so people coming to this, and pray that God is going to work through the language barrier! Many of us will be writing our talks on the flights there (at least I will….), as we learned of this late, but we trust God is going to use our experience and knowledge to make a difference. <br />
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<b>3. Beach Day with the Sponsored Kids</b><br />
Our church took part in Hope for Haiti two years ago after the earthquake, and a large portion of our money went to support 12 children and their families. Although the devastation was widespread, COTN decided to start somewhere. Our church heard the stories of these kids, and they became the face of what COTN was doing in Haiti. We have the privilege of taking those kids to the beach for the day to get to know them better, and hopefully create a fun and encouraging day for them. <br />
<b><br />4. Meals and Hygiene Packs</b><br />
One of our main goals as a team was to help distribute the contents of the container that our church shipped over to Haiti this summer. Flood came together and packaged over 150,000 meals on a Sunday, and also put together many hygiene packs. We will be using those meals to feed kids for a few lunches, and if we have enough hygiene packs, will be handing them out, with explanation, to the kids at the VBS. Although the container had to be emptied upon arrival, we get the privilege of seeing people blessed by contents. <br />
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The VBS and Soccer will be happening in the morning from Monday through Thursday, and the Leadership Conference is slated for the afternoon on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. Beach day with the kids will be Friday. <br />
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<b>Prayer Requests:</b><br />
Let’s get some obvious ones out of the way:<br />
1. Team unity. We have 15 guys going, and there are some established relationships, but it’s a lot of personalities in one house with insane heat. <br />
2. Safety and Health. A lot of traveling and a lot of foreign food. Enough said. <br />
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<i>Main Prayer:</i><br />
There are many aid organizations that have come and gone within Haiti, mainly giving a handout and moving on. Many people in Haiti have grown accustomed to merely asking, “What are you giving me?”. COTN is continually building trust and respect there, hoping that the people realize that the ministry is there to stay. We are representing COTN this next week, and our prayer is that God uses us, through our last-minute and imperfect plans for the week, through the language barrier, and through our general brokenness, to draw people to God’s love for them, specifically expressed through COTN. Although we may not see results directly, we trust that God is using us to draw His children into His loving embrace. <br />
<i><br />Personal Prayer Requests:</i><br />
1. I have had a really busy month, with a lot of organizing, planning, and delegating. I have been in task mode for a few weeks. Although I objectively know what I am stepping into, I have had a hard time connecting with the reality on a heart level. I pray that God gives me space on the plane to slow down and prepare. I pray that I will be able to be present and aware of what God is doing in Haiti, as well as in my own heart. <br />
2. I have been on a long journey of growing in compassion, mainly through connecting my heart with my mind. I really hope that God uses this trip to stretch me in this area, even if its shocking or hard. <br />
3. I pray that I could lead the team well, giving support and encouragement when needed, but also giving myself space as well. <br />
4. I want to be Inspired. Shocked. Broken. I want my heart engaged. I will most likely regret this prayer request.<br />
5. Pray for my re-entry. My mind often goes extreme, especially within the area of money. I pray that I can process in a healthy way. <br />
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Our team will send an update, and I’m sure I will send a few updates to Tatum. I’ll let her pass along how I am doing. Be back in a week!Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-34765803548847145652012-04-30T23:09:00.000-07:002012-05-02T14:19:44.451-07:00My Haiti AdventureMy life is extremely fulfilling. I have an amazing wife and two beautiful daughters, who all bring an insane amount of joy into my daily life. I’m excited every time I enter my house. And although I would love to spend more time with my family, I also have excitement when I leave the house. I have an engaging job that lines up extremely well with my heart and passions. So no complaints on my daily routine whatsoever. <br />
<br />
Yet I knew deep down that I could not pass up an opportunity that was presented to me a few months ago. “Would you be willing to recruit a team from the Men’s ministry to go to Haiti this summer?” I was very willing to do that, as I have wanted to see more men engaged in the church, both locally and globally. But I couldn’t shake the feeling that I might need to recruit myself. When I brought up the idea to Tatum, it was a short response. “I don’t even need to pray about it. You should go.” Great, now I have no excuses, unless I can convince myself that God does NOT want me to go. Uphill climb, there. Then she added, “I think this is exactly what our marriage needs!” Me leaving for a week?! Possibly. But I knew exactly what she was referring to.<br />
<br />
Tatum and I love being parents. Would not trade it for anything. Yet it comes with loss for us. We are both driven and passionate people (one of us expresses that a bit more outwardly than the other…), and the freedom in our schedule is quite limited in this life stage. In the midst of changing diapers and 7pm bed times, its easy to turn inward and have part of your heart become numb. We start thinking about what school system is the best, and the meal schedule for the week, and when can we justify replacing that piece of furniture. Nothing inherently wrong, but thoughts disconnected from what is going on in the world around us. Tatum and I have been longing to have our hearts engaged again. For our hearts to be broken for those that are in need. For our perspective to be shattered and rebuilt! We can objectively know things, but sometimes our hearts and eyes need to see it first hand. Although Tatum cannot realistically go on a trip right now, a week trip to Haiti seemed to be the perfect answer with a feasible time frame. <br />
<br />
So from July 21st through 28th, I will be co-leading a team of 15 men to Haiti to come alongside a great organization that our church has joined forces with throughout the past few years: Children of the Nations (<a href="http://www.cotni.org/">COTN</a>). They are in multiple countries, including the Dominican Republic, which gave them a great opportunity to aid the country after the earthquake. They are now trying to establish a ministry within Haiti, and our team is going to help them in any way that we can. This will include:<br />
<br />
1. Container<br />
Flood packaged a shipping container with 150,000 meals and other crucial resources to send to Haiti. Our team will be helping to distribute those resources to those who need them.<br />
2. Children<br />
There are many children without father figures, so hopefully the gift of presence will be a huge blessing.<br />
3. Construction<br />
We are hoping to have some hands-on projects there as well to utilize our biceps.<br />
4. Casting Vision (needed the “c”)<br />
Hopefully our team of leaders will be able to dream of ways to come alongside of Haiti and COTN in future endeavors.<br />
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I have loved the opportunity to invite other men onto this team and to see who God has brought together for this adventure. A lot of key leaders within our church! I truly believe we will be a huge blessing to COTN and Haiti, but then also in our church when we return. If you know me, one of my main passions in life is to see more men engaged in the church. I think this could be a catalyst to see that happen!<br />
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Prayer requests:<br />
1. Haiti and COTN<br />
2. The men on the trip, and the men of our church<br />
3. My heart<br />
4. My family while I am gone<br />
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I will keep you updated. I cherish all prayers for this trip. You can also visit my fundraising page if you feel so inclined to give financially. The cost of the trip is $2235, and I need to raise that by June 20th. Thanks for considering!<br />
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Fundraising Page: <a href="http://www.lehman.stayclassy.org/">www.Lehman.stayclassy.org</a><br />
• 100% of the donation goes toward the trip<br />
• Page has details for credit card, paypal, or check<br />
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Thanks!<br />
EricEric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-57832678412211024912011-11-01T22:37:00.000-07:002011-11-01T22:59:01.999-07:00Double the Trouble<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLWewEkaCRpKuFfRZI3UsRDaT1eUm0IdaYOY2fthdazd-5IIHHPPvr_j6FroJ0gPGpj51nl9JjIHNxPCDX0zf0G2PNvaD-LyrKYeuFzNslPba9A55QpzwchKbb4hfZ1PCW3FctjQSKvaw/s1600/DSC_1447.JPG"><img style="cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 213px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBLWewEkaCRpKuFfRZI3UsRDaT1eUm0IdaYOY2fthdazd-5IIHHPPvr_j6FroJ0gPGpj51nl9JjIHNxPCDX0zf0G2PNvaD-LyrKYeuFzNslPba9A55QpzwchKbb4hfZ1PCW3FctjQSKvaw/s320/DSC_1447.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670273906192217314" border="0" /></a><br />So I am 10 days away (max) from having a second child, a mere 18 months after having the first one. And by “having”, I am not delusional in thinking I have a major role in this process. Regardless of how miniscule the impact is on my life in comparison to the impact on Tatum’s, it is still a major transition. Tatum and I will now need to figure out how to handle two kids at once. We can trade kids back and forth, but no more taking breaks.<br /><br />I’ll be honest: I have given very little thought to what is happening. With the second kid, you are so focused on the first kid that you don’t give the same ridiculous amount of energy and focus into watching the stomach grow while talking gibberish to it. It really sneaks up on you!<br /><br />Here are a few of my ponderings now that we are days away:<br /><ul><li>I have been really proud of myself over the past month. I often think of the future, create worse case scenarios, and then try to plan for them. I have realized recently how much time I wasted doing that. Regardless of my preparation, having 2 kids is going to be chaos. And when that chaos begins, I will step up to the plate and handle it to the best of my ability. For now, I’m focusing on enjoying the remaining days that we have as a family of three. I can just sit and watch Avery explore all through the house, and give her my sole attention. I am enjoying my morning routine with her without any crying in the background. I am enjoying my sleep. I am soaking in everything that I will miss.<br /><br /></li><li>Not knowing whether we are having a boy or girl has made it difficult for me to fully attach to the future reality. I would prepare my heart completely different if I’m having a boy as I would to finding out I’m having a second daughter. I know I’m going to be excited either way, but I don’t know how much that excitement will become a reality until the moment I meet our baby.<br /><br /></li><li>I really want a boy. Everybody knows that. I want to experience what it is like to be the father of both. Yet it has hit me how much I enjoy cuddling and hugging Avery, and also protecting her in my own pacifist way. With a boy, I’ll probably have to throw him around a bit more. A buddy to teach and mentor into manhood, or another princess to honor and protect. I really can’t go wrong. It’s a win-win.<br /><br /></li><li>Tatum and I are planning on spending a day alone on Friday to process what is ahead. We both have had an extremely busy year, and have not had the space to fully grasp what this transition means. One of the major losses for me is disrupting something that I find beautiful: how we function as a family of three. Yet I know that our family is not complete, and this 4th member will bring a dynamic that I would never wish away once I have experienced it. I trust the wisdom and experience of others who say my love will expand and be equally strong for Baby #2 as it is for Avery.<br /><br /></li><li>I must be getting old. It has only been 18 months, but it seems so long ago that Avery was a newborn. I know it will come back quickly, but it feels like I forgot everything. They poop a lot, don’t they?!<br /></li></ul>Overall my excitement is starting to catch up to my anxiety. I’m ready to find out who this 4th member of our family is. I’m excited to see how our family grows and changes with the addition. I’m excited to make up new nicknames, songs, and traditions. I’m excited to see how Avery embraces the role of a big sister (on her good days). I’m excited to be a father again.<br /><br />Here goes nothing!Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-65161141843865837322010-11-02T23:33:00.000-07:002010-11-02T23:58:39.998-07:00<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ0Vfbs0CDmn2tveD3fnNxPTsKuXXEk3MgN1Pq4d3RYUpJz3FL__t1E0NHOwP7631FmHu-8ziHKtkt99eUIpmuhc0BoAKfKLgWQ6RQ9d5QoK545-YtE1kgQfcyjZa7iOGh_O3BrFqApAG/s1600/IMG_1976.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgBQ0Vfbs0CDmn2tveD3fnNxPTsKuXXEk3MgN1Pq4d3RYUpJz3FL__t1E0NHOwP7631FmHu-8ziHKtkt99eUIpmuhc0BoAKfKLgWQ6RQ9d5QoK545-YtE1kgQfcyjZa7iOGh_O3BrFqApAG/s320/IMG_1976.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5535208373652508962" /></a> Since many of you have journeyed alongside of me as I slowly advanced down the path to becoming a pastor, I thought I would share with you my first experience as the officiant at a wedding. I did not choose to get licensed as a pastor in order to perform weddings, but I knew it was inevitable. I had turned down a few opportunities, for different reasons, and was waiting for the perfect match for my first wedding. The request came from one of my best friends, and old roommate, Brian Corbin. I agreed to do the wedding as long as he was okay with me being super nervous and most likely screwing up somehow. The deal was struck. I was excited that my first wedding would be with somebody I knew so well. <br /><br />Not only was I asked to be the officiant, but also a groomsman. I was proud of the role because I had never heard anybody play both roles before. Which automatically elevates me to a new level of awesomeness. At first we thought about me walking down and just standing in line with all the other groomsman, have the bride (Aimee) come down the aisle, have a moment of awkward tension as we look around for the pastor, and finally have me pop out of the line and yell, “I’ll marry you!” Maybe put on one of those white collar things, or rip off a fake mustache for dramatic effect. We decided against it, but I definitely reserve the right to do this in the future. Overall, it was fun to be in both roles, but also confusing at times. Am I the fun guy or the spiritual guy? Do I pray for him or try to make him laugh? I eventually realized they were not opposites, and I could try to do both. <br /><br />If you are wondering how I did, it is best summed up by my wife’s analysis after the ceremony. “You know how when you preached for the first time, the main comment you got from everybody was that they would have never guessed it was your first time? Well…. you could tell it was your first time.” Thanks! This was after she said that I did a great job, so don’t worry, Tatum is still the extremely supportive wife. She was just pointing out that my nerves showed a bit more. Which didn’t surprise me as I felt the weight of the day. If my sermon isn’t the greatest, “Hey, come back next week.” I have heard enough brides talk about every minute detail of their wedding day that I knew how memorable every moment is. So I felt that weight, probably more than I should have. <br /><br />It was an outside wedding and we were at La Jolla cove, which is gorgeous even in overcast. Well, I walk my bridesmaid down the aisle and take my place next to Corbin. I’m already nervous standing there, and as soon as I start talking, we hear a bunch of feedback through my mic. So much that he had to take the volume down and barely anybody could hear me. In that moment, instead of pausing and logically trying to figure out the best next step, I panicked! I looked down at my notes and began to read them…. just a bit too fast. I just hoped that the sound guy would figure it out and fix it. As I look up, the bride tells me to turn off my mic, and I see Tatum given me the signal to slow down. Okay, time to regroup. Eventually they bring over another mic, I welcome everybody to the wedding who could finally hear me, and we proceeded a bit more relaxed. The rest of the wedding went great, and I felt more like myself as the wedding continued. <br /><br />The only other tense moment, which nobody could feel except myself, happened while I was leading the entire wedding through communion. Now when I am nervous, my mouth gets dry. I also could not find water right before I went up there, so it was extremely dry. Add to the fact that the Body of Christ was not broken into very small pieces, and you have created quite the predicament for me. Have you ever had a piece of bread lodged in your throat? I looked down to the ground, and just pretended to have a more elongated moment of gratitude for what Christ has done for me. In reality, I was trying to find any saliva still existing in my mouth to get some momentum for swallowing. No luck. So I decided I had no choice but to introduce the blood of Christ to everybody with His body still lodged in my throat. With only one moment of borderline gagging, I force out the words, and then pour the grape juice down my throat. I can’t remember the last time I was so grateful for the impact of Christ’s blood in my life. Disaster averted, and communion was celebrated.<br /><br />Overall, I think the day went well. Although I learned a lot, and plan on being more relaxed and myself at the next wedding, I only had one regret from the day. I wish I would have clearly explained what an amazing privilege it was to have Brian and Aimee as my first wedding couple. They are great together, and I’m excited to see how their marriage unfolds and blesses those around them. I just wish I would have said that on their wedding day.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-24049285153713427202010-08-19T21:28:00.000-07:002010-08-19T21:38:00.620-07:00Avery the Teacher...<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm1iMskku5JXLj8AFpmiIeK2kNyEICRwkXa7Wh5MJPRHaKVrJEEkeEEknkMP_Bm5gLiJ1wRYmZ8CD2wXDcm00r4T-Vgh3_umCGoKsZxNSxGiuOPTGSiO1GaFVxFpGVp-QKBbU7jyCLkQu/s1600/2010-08-14+13.31.54.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhwm1iMskku5JXLj8AFpmiIeK2kNyEICRwkXa7Wh5MJPRHaKVrJEEkeEEknkMP_Bm5gLiJ1wRYmZ8CD2wXDcm00r4T-Vgh3_umCGoKsZxNSxGiuOPTGSiO1GaFVxFpGVp-QKBbU7jyCLkQu/s320/2010-08-14+13.31.54.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5507346503996343138" border="0" /></a><br />So Avery, my daughter, seems to be developing and hitting milestones on a daily basis. Her latest, which happened while in PA, was rolling over. I haven’t actually witnessed it in person. All I know is that she falls to sleep on her stomach, and when we get her in the morning, she is on her back. The funniest thing is she has the biggest smile, as if to say, “Look, I did it again!” She is so proud of herself. Whenever something like this happens, I want to go around and tell people how smart and advanced my daughter is, whether I have met you before or not! But I know parents who do that, and it can get old. They brag about the simplest things, which do not seem that phenomenal. So I will show some restraint. Instead, I’ll just let you come to the incredibly obvious conclusion of how amazing my daughter is through reading this story. Did I mention she can practically stand already?! (Stop it, Eric….)<br /><br />Fatherhood has obviously brought me a lot of joy, but it has also taught me a lot. Over the past few years, I have been on a journey to understand my view of God. I have slowly learned my skewed images of God, how they influence my interactions with God, and some of the sources of these images. I am now trying to live out of the truth of who God is, instead of my distorted concepts, but this is definitely not an easy road. One of core beliefs that I have tried to shake is that God does not delight in me. He loves me because it’s His job, but delight in me? Only occasionally. How could he with the way I live on certain days?<br /><br />So here is how God has been using Avery in this process. My love for Avery is as close to unconditional love as I can imagine on earth. Although I love my wife, family, and friends dearly, there are all elements of choice that do not exist the same way in my love for Avery. At the most simple things, I cannot help but love her without a single thought in my mind. I do not analyze and make a decision; I just love. As an example, when I can get Avery to smile enough that her binkie falls out of her mouth, my day is complete. It is the best prize of the day. Also, at the end of each night, I go into her room to say goodnight. Usually it’s just an excuse to look at her and smile. I love just seeing the unique sleeping position she has chosen that night. She could have been fussy all day, and it would not change that moment before I go to bed.<br /><br />Now my theology claims that God looks down upon me in the same way. Regardless of what I have done that day, when I’m sleeping, He can’t help but smile at His beloved son. That was incredibly hard for me to type, because it is even harder to believe. God looks down upon me the same way I look at Avery before I go to sleep?! Sort of, yet His love is stronger. I know, its ridiculous. God loves me intimately and personally. And I bring Him joy by being who I am!<br /><br />Now I realize that God may not always be pleased with my decisions, and I grieve Him when I choose contrary to what He has intended for me. When I disobey Him, He grieves. But I have realized that at the core of that grief is the loss of fulfillment that He desires for me. He grieves because He wants more for me. I did not trust Him, and it grieves Him that I, along with others, must suffer the consequences. Although this has not come out clearly in my relationship with Avery, it will just be a matter of time. I want what is best for her, and I’m sure there will be times that she chooses something contrary to that. And I will grieve when I know from experience that she will face some tough consequences. But as she falls down due to her decisions, I will be there to pick her up. And God is there for me as well. Because His love has more to do with Him than it has to do with me.<br /><br />Although it still doesn’t sink in at times, my love for Avery has given me something tangible to cling to. And hopefully it becomes more of an experiential thing, and I start to live out of the confidence of that love. My heart has always lagged behind my mind in understanding this, but I’m hoping Avery will help my heart to begin to believe.<br /><br />At the end of each day, God smiles upon me because I bear His image. And maybe He is so proud of my smallest development that He wants to tell all the angels. And maybe He also finds joy in my unique sleeping position. Who knows….Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-74804957295940363012010-06-28T21:20:00.000-07:002010-06-28T21:22:37.098-07:00Why are You a Door?!I went to a pastor’s spiritual retreat a few months ago. Luckily I work at a church where our entire staff was encouraged to go to this all-day reflective retreat. One of the exercises was to pick one of Jesus’ “I AM” statements, and really meditate on it. (Here’s a quick <a href="http://www.susancanthony.com/resources/biblists/seveniam.html">list</a> I found) So I picked the statement: “I Am the Door.” If I am honest, I picked this one because I could not figure out what it meant, nor could I remember its context. Since it was a pastor’s retreat, I came up with a more spiritual reason for picking it. Something like, “I was really drawn to that one!” <br /><br />I ended up spending several hours meditating on John 10 where Jesus describes Himself as the shepherd. Although I have always enjoyed this passage, <span style="font-weight: bold;">John 10:9-10</span>, where Jesus refers to Himself as the gate (or door), really hit me in a new way<br /><br /><span style="font-style: italic;">9 I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved. They will come in and go out, and find pasture. 10 The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it to the full. </span><br /><br />The part that stuck out to me the most was the second half of verse 9. I grew up in a more legalistic environment. I’m not throwing my childhood church or my parents under the bus whatsoever because I had an amazing childhood. Every restriction I was given as a kid was saturated in love. But the reality is, when you grow up in Amish country, the entire culture is focused a bit more on the “do’s and don’ts”. <br /><br />When I first imagine the wall around my grazing area (I’m in character… I’m a sheep!!), my gut reaction is to think of it as restrictive. I chose to be a Christian, so I need to stay in my area. If I look over the wall, I can see the other sheep playing kickball, high-fiving, and laughing so hard they are crying. They get to do whatever they want and have a blast! When I ask Jesus if I can go out and play, He lets me know that He loves me, but I can’t partake in those activities. I need to focus on my math homework. I basically looked at the guidelines and boundaries in my life as a test from God to see if I really loved Him. Not really any meaning behind them, just random things to follow. If I really love God, I will show Him by blindly following His rules. Since Jesus died for me, I should not have a desire to have fun!<br /><br />But Jesus says, “They will come in and go out, and find pasture.” Nothing is forced! The sheep are free to come and go! What?! There is freedom? This has been one of the most monumental learning’s for me in my adult years. Verse 9 and verse 10 are related. Our fulfillment in life, which God came to give us, is directly linked to the wall constructed around us. Yet this wall has an opening, and we are free to leave whenever we want. <br /><br />But the more I have examined the wall, and each “law” or “commandment” which are piled up to make this wall, I’ve started to see the boundaries are not restrictive for arbitrary sake. They are invitational. God’s commandments invite us to trust Him with our lives. Each commandment is there for our ultimate well-being. They are placed there because God loves us dearly and wants us to experience the most fulfilling and exciting life possible. Although it does not make sense to us at times, and may not seem as attractive as the fleeting and momentary happiness we see around us, it is true! If God was willing to sacrifice His Son in order to have a relationship with us, we have to trust that His laws are tied to that love. He wouldn’t die in our place to merely have the ability to test our love and obedience. He invites us to trust Him because He has proven without a doubt that He is worthy of our trust and He has our best intentions in mind. It’s an invitation with freedom, not a command with judgment. Jesus is the unlocked door.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-73914246197570788432010-06-09T10:27:00.001-07:002010-06-09T13:38:30.395-07:00Protecting My Daughter<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2ZP8kkoq8q6nq882iZddESKV49BzfEVJtwdtHl8Oy1UJHkmigVcsXArUQG4IH3lcDlq6Pa0wu7I9yjCDRd7hoJG3WsAxAmp2n9VYyMQAgSeVmbFwDmIoS0HIDWIjnbm_9etqAJdy16xQ/s1600/IMG_6937.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 320px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjm2ZP8kkoq8q6nq882iZddESKV49BzfEVJtwdtHl8Oy1UJHkmigVcsXArUQG4IH3lcDlq6Pa0wu7I9yjCDRd7hoJG3WsAxAmp2n9VYyMQAgSeVmbFwDmIoS0HIDWIjnbm_9etqAJdy16xQ/s320/IMG_6937.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5480875839890577442" border="0" /></a><br />I realized early on, even within the pregnancy, that one of the strongest fatherly instincts surfacing within me was the desire to protect my daughter. Once Avery was big enough in the womb that we could feel her kicking, Tatum would often treat her like a circus trick. If she wanted to somebody to feel Avery’s kick, and Avery happened to be dormant, she would poke her belly and wake up our resting daughter. I would often try to defend my daughter, but to no avail. The attacker was too persistent, and in reality, stronger than me.<br /><br />I’ve seen this trait come out even more after she has been born. Although my wife is well-researched, and I trust her wisdom as a mother, I’m often more cautious with taking her places and need my wife to reassure me. I want to protect her from anything that could harm her. I’m sure this desire for protection will become quite challenging as she gets older, and especially when she starts dating (in her late 20’s).<br /><br />One of the worst feelings I have had so far as a father was listening to my daughter try to sleep with a stuffy nose. I felt helpless! When Tatum tried to feed her in the middle of the night, Avery was forced to eat, breathe, and cry through her mouth. And she was so hungry she was trying to do all three at once! I wanted to punish whoever got her sick, but unfortunately that person is WAY too likeable. (innocent smile)<br /><br />So I got sick one day before Avery, and then watched my daughter follow suit. I hated the fact that I was the cause of her discomfort and pain. And since I was sick, I couldn’t hold her. So I get her sick, and then am banned from her presence. Not fun at all! The one bright spot is that Avery takes after her mother, and was an absolute trooper through her sickness (I think I cried from my stuffy nose more than she did from hers). But what I realized through the week was that this cold is just the beginning. Not only will I get her sick again, but there will be many other ways that I will not be able to protect Avery from her own father. My parenting is going to be drenched with my flaws and weaknesses. No matter how much I try, I will not even be close to being a perfect father, and Avery will be influenced by my shortcomings.<br /><br />It’s hard to swallow. Although my character has grown throughout the years, and I continue to be molded by Christ, it’s inevitable that I will hurt Avery with my sarcasm. I will be selfish and pick me over my family. I will be unreasonable, angry, and judgmental at times, but hopefully I will also be apologetic, authentic, and forgiving.<br /><br />And here is the greatest hope! Fortunately, Avery will have a perfect Father to balance me out. All I can hope is that my attempt at fatherhood will give her a small glimpse of His love for her. That when I show forgiveness and grace, Avery will understand it is Christ shining through me. I will shower her with my unconditional imperfect love and teach her of God’s perfect and persistent love. I will pray that Avery will choose to trust God enough to allow Him to lavish His love on her. And if my hopes and prayers are answered, and she chooses to receive His love, God will fill in the gaps that remain from my parenting and she will become the beautiful woman that God created her to be.<br /><br />That truth gives me the grace that I need to be the best father possible.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-62127738886401845702010-05-28T09:02:00.000-07:002010-05-28T09:18:50.074-07:00Pastor Lehman? Call me EricI’ll be completely honest with you: I really wrestled with my calling to be a pastor. I’ve always enjoyed being the guy that will grab a beer (if that offends you, I meant root beer) with somebody and just talk about life. I liked living out my faith in the midst of the real world. I liked being “one of the guys”, but just with different values. Unfortunately sitting in a cubicle punching numbers into my calculator (or excel spreadsheet) to determine the spacing and embed depth of the anchor bolts for my steel column (and that’s an easy one!) was draining me. My passions and gifts were calling me elsewhere.<br /><br />I was also scared of going to seminary and working at a church because it meant I would be working with a demographic that is sometimes hard to get along with: Christians. We can often be judgmental and unloving in the midst of sharing our message of love. Our hypocrisy is what keeps many people away! And we all disagree with each other, and spend too much time arguing over things that divide us instead of looking for things that unify us. Sounds great! Sign me up!<br /><br />I finally gave in and became Pastor Lehman. Luckily the oxymoronic aspects of that title allow me to either speak with spiritual authority, or as a simple layperson, depending on the situation. Over the past 6 months since I became an official pastor, I have noticed benefits and drawbacks.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Benefits:</span><br />- I have had the privilege of being invited into situations and conversations that I never would have if I was not a pastor. I have been blessed by watching some men take critical and monumental steps in their journey of faith. I would not have been able to witness this without the title “pastor”, or at least having the job that I do. This is a huge benefit that outweighs the drawbacks. <br /><br />- Also, there are certain sacraments that I now have the honor of administering. I baptized somebody for the first time this year, and will officiate my first wedding in the fall. At first these opportunities caused some anxiety, because I recognized the significance of these moments and decisions. What if I said the wrong thing? What if their baptism/wedding is marred by my idiotic mumbling?! I then told myself to be quiet and enjoy what God was inviting me into!<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br />Drawbacks:</span><br />- I think the title can be a barrier at times. Small talk with strangers often leads to the infamous question, “So what do you do?”. “Um, I’m a pastor”. For a small percentage of people, I then spend the next 15 minutes explaining how that is different than a priest and how I’m not only allowed to get married, but it is completely affirmed! For an even smaller percentage, they get excited and ask questions. For a majority, their countenance changes. “Oh, you need to go grab a drink? Completely understand, it’s a bit warm in here.” “You need to get back to your book? Yeah, I might watch the in-flight movie.” (I rarely do that, but said that so you knew my example was on an airplane. Genius!!)<br /><br />- I end up being stereotyped at times. A person may think I’m a square, or cheesy, or judgmental, or that I can’t talk about anything other than Jesus. Regardless, they are not comfortable around me and analyze every move. This isn’t everybody, but a percentage. <br /><br />- I have to pray for every meal, because supposedly I am an expert in praying. Its part of my job!!<br /><br />The hardest thing for me is when people think they cannot relate to me. The title “pastor” creates a barrier for them. The reality is, I have a long way to go in my journey of being more Christ-like. I am broken and make mistakes, just like everybody else. True, I may know a little bit more about God and the Bible than the average church-goer, especially since I went to seminary. But I’m on a continuous journey trying to understand Jesus more and how his life, death, and resurrection practically apply to my life. I just happen to find extreme joy in helping others on their journey as I learn how to navigate mine. I love to learn your story, and hopefully help you take one step closer to understanding God’s love for you. I’m just another Christian guy, who is also a pastor. You can call me Eric. (or handsome, like my wife)Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-33139002459013974852010-05-20T09:39:00.001-07:002010-05-20T09:45:00.863-07:00Pondering #1 - Car Insurance<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yQopkpzT5cxi1RNofuD7Op8Ur186QhCQSAoQ6H1PTYEMcgLM8aV0HHmCyPFotLANLXJNGFudVKD3VU23hnm9vduCXmp44uGni9MWPQrVHHvBZL5pDPeNHHAzZ3vewYySgjLv4wfFdZr8/s1600/geico-gecko-1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 236px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3yQopkpzT5cxi1RNofuD7Op8Ur186QhCQSAoQ6H1PTYEMcgLM8aV0HHmCyPFotLANLXJNGFudVKD3VU23hnm9vduCXmp44uGni9MWPQrVHHvBZL5pDPeNHHAzZ3vewYySgjLv4wfFdZr8/s320/geico-gecko-1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5473392829626410418" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">It is difficult for me to always look at life through a "serious" lens. Many of my ponderings in life add no value to the society around me, but merely entertain me (and sometimes others). Such a pondering follows....</span></span><br /><br />So it feels like every other commercial I hear on the radio, and maybe every third commercial I fastforward through on my TV, is about car insurance. Geico will save you 15% if you spend 5 minutes of your time with a gecko. Progressive will compare their quote with all the others to guarantee savings. I always hear AIS on the Mikey Show and how they will save you hundreds, if not thousands, a year. Then there is All State, State Farm, and Farm All (it’s only in Lancaster County…. Ok, ok, I made it up).<br /><br />Here is the logical conundrum I find myself in. Every car insurance company is promising the lowest price on car insurance. At least way lower than the price you are paying right now. How can every car insurance company be offering the lowest quote at the exact same time?! There are only a few possibilities.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">My first thought: </span> The insurance companies will continually beat each others prices, since they desire to be true to their word, and the trajectory of this glorious reality is we will all eventually have free car insurance!!! This is awesome! (Dear economy wiz: don’t test my logic, just get excited)<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Second possibility: </span> There is a devious, and quite shrewd, car insurance company out there, that remains a mystery, but has somehow convinced the great masses to buy their overpriced car insurance. And now that the internet has finally taken off in the past year, people are starting to realize how much money they can save with these other companies. But don’t worry overpriced car insurance company who is losing all their clients….. I’m sure the government will bail you out (political stab with no willingness or ammunition to back it up).<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">The third possibility: </span> the car insurance companies are promising things they cannot follow through with, or they are saving their money in customer service and/or shoddy policies. I just fell asleep writing this “Hey, let’s approach this realistically” option, so let’s rule it out.<br /><br />I’m personally subscribing to possibility number one, and have adjusted my budget accordingly. Any votes or proposed possibilities?Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-68048043277563903142010-05-12T18:34:00.000-07:002010-05-13T07:09:49.847-07:00Reflections of a 3-week old Father<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDqqin64rpUoM5CiTA8bvD_FsMnygret1t7v2PkE9gg76WUht3z1tVgPmHFwGpGhtxKmmhi9fQxxe9yn0mbacPNCf_EPENRX3qY8nMTiLmvG-Y-LOgtBKgxo6zLU44N9AM2xv508FrVQq/s1600/IMG_0556.JPG"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhiDqqin64rpUoM5CiTA8bvD_FsMnygret1t7v2PkE9gg76WUht3z1tVgPmHFwGpGhtxKmmhi9fQxxe9yn0mbacPNCf_EPENRX3qY8nMTiLmvG-Y-LOgtBKgxo6zLU44N9AM2xv508FrVQq/s320/IMG_0556.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5470563072669224994" border="0" /></a><br />Yes. I have been a father for 3 weeks now. Since a few have asked my thoughts, I decided to share my reflections as I’ve taken on this new role.<br />The backdrop you should know:<br /><ul><li>I read zero books in preparation for this life-changing role.</li><li>I have rarely hung out with kids throughout my life, except when I was a kid of course. When I walk into Floodkids (children’s ministry at my church), I panic and stare at the kids as if they are speaking a different language that I no hablo. Don’t get me wrong… I have always loved kids, but more from a distance.</li><li>I love my nieces and nephew, but my best way of connecting with them has produced the nickname: Crazy Uncle Eric. </li><li>I had never changed a diaper, watched a video on how to change a diaper, or even spent any logical energy in assessing the best tactics for said diaper-changing. (I’m sure I’ll share my first diaper change at some point)<br /></li></ul><span style="font-weight: bold;">So, here are some noticings, with the more trivial coming first:</span><br />1. Half of my times with Avery so far seem to be when she is not the happiest. I often change her diaper in the midst of the transition from Leftie to Rightie (or vice versa). This means that she is still hungry, so feeling the cool air on her bottom is not her first choice. Luckily she connects my voice to that, and the following scenario….<br /><br />2. I keep thinking that I am hurting her when I change her diaper because she is crying. Which makes me wipe more gently. Which means it takes me longer. Which means Avery feels the cold air longer. Which means she cries more. Which means I am ultimately shooting myself in the foot.<br /><br />3. I am not good at making songs up. And most of the songs in my head are not kid-friendly. So I end up singing “Jesus Loves Me” around 27 times in a row. I am currently working on a modified version of a DC talk song, which will be titled, “The Easy Way.”<br /><br />4. I continually ask Avery “What’s wrong?”, despite knowing full well that she cannot answer that question. I also tell her “You’re okay!”, when I have no clue. Sometimes I have an entire conversation with her with her continual response being the monkey face.<br /><br />5. Avery seems to have a lot of the same tastes as my wife. I have made this realization through several statements from Tatum. “Avery would like you to shave.” “Avery wants you to put some cologne on.” Weird, I can almost hear her mother making those same requests.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">A few more significant…..</span><br />6. I have often felt disconnected. I can’t feed Avery, which is her absolute favorite thing to do in the world! She is often more calm in Mom’s arms then she is in mine. I’m actually okay with this, since she has known Mom for 9 months longer than me. And Tatum is a very natural Mom, while I am a loving but awkward Dad at times. The one thing that warms my heart is when I can tell she recognizes my voice. I know this will change, but I’ve realized my focus needs to be in serving Tatum. Which leads to the next one…<br /><br />7. I have never had more respect for my wife then in the weeks following Avery’s birth. And since you can never really know how much I had previously respected my extremely gifted and beautiful wife, this statement will never carry as much weight as it is intended to produce. Being induced (which just produces a longer labor), going through labor, and then ending in a C-section is hard enough. But then watching her valiantly learn how to be a mother while not being able to sit up on her own, fighting off an infection with a 101 fever, and enduring the beginning pains of nursing, has made me love her ever more dearly. And praise the Lord in heaven I was born a man.<br /><br />8. Although it’s a sacrifice, and an extremely daunting responsibility, I’m so proud to be a father. I know my love for Avery will continue to grow, which is exciting. For now, I’ll just enjoy watching her make 37 different faces while sleeping.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-72280273304860285682009-06-30T19:34:00.001-07:002010-05-13T07:10:44.886-07:00The Finish Line!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfuarpOANd-FE_1kwKs-9a7rfkfsej-zUC8dw0N3Ql6cMtPBmKA_lYoq20lrhiXGrDCLQv36bqk2aXeuiprOg61qhxgDqCgxyNqDIHL8jw7s0Gn6rupbeuLdK30al1ASvpxIjm_-V-ujy/s1600-h/IMG_5766.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOfuarpOANd-FE_1kwKs-9a7rfkfsej-zUC8dw0N3Ql6cMtPBmKA_lYoq20lrhiXGrDCLQv36bqk2aXeuiprOg61qhxgDqCgxyNqDIHL8jw7s0Gn6rupbeuLdK30al1ASvpxIjm_-V-ujy/s200/IMG_5766.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353314689792885282" border="0" /></a><br />I made it! I ran through the finish line. The cheers and the emotions are still very real with the realization that I just finished the hardest race of my life thus far. Granted, I have not tackled many hard projects, but the sacrifice that it took to get my masters degree seemed very similar to a marathon. I had the thrill and excitement at the beginning. I had moments where I received a second wind and stretches where I settled into a solid pace. At the end, my body and mind were wondering if I was going to make it and were longing for the chance to collapse and relax. And now after two weeks, my body is still having a hard time getting back into the swing of things. I always knew Tatum was cheering me on, but I do not think I realized how much she had run right alongside of me during my race. This hit me as I saw how emotional she was through the graduation weekend. <span style="font-style: italic;">We</span> had made it! And now I am doing whatever I can to help her finish strong (Tatum’s graduation date – August 3rd). School has definitely dominated our marriage, and we are excited about the next phase where we have time to enjoy each other more and to really pursue our careers.<br /><br />The graduation also signaled the end of my graduate internship at Flood. This definitely caused a lot of reflection. Although I am excited about the full-time, salaried job, I am incredibly grateful for the journey I have been on with many of you. Some of you have helped me financially, and many of you have offered your prayers to help me get through this phase. I cannot express how much I appreciate each one of you. And much beyond the behind the scenes support, we felt the encouragement and the support from everyone each time we saw you or talked to you. Tatum and I are incredibly blessed with friends and family, which shined even brighter through this journey of support-raising. So thank you for believing in us and believing in what God wanted to do through us. And we hope that you will continue to pray for us, even though the prayer updates will not be as regular. Along with that, please continue to let us know if there is any way we can pray for you and support you.<br /><br />I do want to give you a quick update on the last couple months at Flood. Due to the additional responsibility of moving in May, the last two months were overwhelming with putting a house together (90% of this was done by my beautiful wife) and finishing everything before graduation. But in the midst of that, we had several New to Faith classes along with some growth group training. I wanted to highlight one of the NTF groups. We only had two people go through this last class, and because it was during one of my busiest stretches, I don’t think I fully realized what God was doing. After three weeks of explaining the gospel and answering questions, we found out the woman had accepted Christ and the guy was incredibly close. Although my brain was overwhelmed throughout the class, it was fun to see God work through Mindi and I to bring them both closer to God. What a blessing!<br /><br />What’s in store now? I officially start my full-time job with Flood on July 1st. The newest job responsibility will be in the area of education, where I will be overseeing any class that we offer for enrichment. In other words, I will be looking for ways to help our church grow in their faith outside of Sundays and our weekly groups. So I am spending most of my summer brainstorming, planning, and putting things on the calendar. Then, after Tatum graduates, we will be taking almost three weeks off to relax and celebrate the close of this chapter. This will include a trip back east to visit friends and family, along with a week-long trip to Hawaii. This second trip will definitely be a blessing to our marriage since we have not relaxed together, just the two of us, in a very long time.<br /><br />Also, I am hoping to transform Lehmantations.com into something a bit more than a support update blog. I really enjoyed writing devotionals this past year, so I am hoping to explore that a bit more. Also, I will try to post some of the papers I wrote throughout seminary just in case you are intrigued to read them. If you are interested in the thoughts and ideas that have birthed out of my education, please check back on occasion. I will also email you if I add any significant material.<br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHcNNQHg2f2MOWFVOS2RjlzjV7nEaZREWcOJQ_ehuvNfdzhEClBLRrREj3tXnXJ1TlZHRZ7sOk2EFpmP-fJSBcwryz2rQ3-liqIBxoThSX2ntFUk1-PNHIO6iuD1CMnJRQMCUYjmwNfjE/s1600-h/IMG_5771.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZHcNNQHg2f2MOWFVOS2RjlzjV7nEaZREWcOJQ_ehuvNfdzhEClBLRrREj3tXnXJ1TlZHRZ7sOk2EFpmP-fJSBcwryz2rQ3-liqIBxoThSX2ntFUk1-PNHIO6iuD1CMnJRQMCUYjmwNfjE/s200/IMG_5771.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5353317872643044578" border="0" /></a><br />I think that is all I have for now. Again, thanks for helping me cross the finish line and I am excited to journey with you in whatever God has in store for us and for you in the future.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-18915582180902438042009-05-02T20:57:00.000-07:002010-05-20T09:30:51.912-07:00Easter Update!!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHfY3SvlBJgYq9jzJ9sUJ9_MMo_zYoy9CkfwFoPq__jiVE5hPemlYcrhWl3M51QadjrwdFAgCtC3traikxbyC-wrM2snggQ6D-TmJmFPf5AMzWFJaAYGnyEu4S6P19RzQZOVQ6sRok9Ms/s1600-h/GOOFY!!!"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 263px; height: 192px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzHfY3SvlBJgYq9jzJ9sUJ9_MMo_zYoy9CkfwFoPq__jiVE5hPemlYcrhWl3M51QadjrwdFAgCtC3traikxbyC-wrM2snggQ6D-TmJmFPf5AMzWFJaAYGnyEu4S6P19RzQZOVQ6sRok9Ms/s200/GOOFY!!!" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5331744091672692498" border="0" /></a><br /><img src="file:///Users/Lehman/Library/Caches/TemporaryItems/moz-screenshot.jpg" alt="" />I wanted to finally take the time to update you on what happened over the Easter holiday. Flood has always put a significant amount of time into planning for Easter each year, knowing that it may be the one of only a few times a person steps foot in a church all year. We try to figure out ways to allow people to truly encounter God and hear a clear presentation of the love and grace that God offers. This year, the staff member in charge of Sunday production, along with the help of a few others, built two huge Lite-Brite boards. We gave each person a peg when they arrived and created a tangible way for people to respond to the message. We started with giving people a chance, who have never put their trust in Christ, to come forward and place their peg into the huge board. Then, we opened it up to the rest of the church in order to see what kind of force our light could be to the world around us. My job was to be up front and be available to pray for people. It was an amazing viewpoint as I watched around 20 people put their trust in Christ in each of the two morning services. Two women who had just finished up our most recent New to Faith group made the commitment. I also saw another woman, who went through the class about 6 months ago, place her peg into the Lite-Brite along with her brother and sister-in-law. Also, I witnessed a woman, who only came to one New to Faith class, make the commitment as her mother, who is involved in our church and has been praying for her for years, was crying as she stood walked to the front with her. The day reminded me of how everybody is on a process, and what a thrill it is to be just a small part of their journey. It makes every difficult conversation and moment of prayer worth it when you see people make such a huge commitment. I sincerely thank each one of you who support me and allow me to have such an amazing viewpoint on what God is doing.<br /><br />As if that is not enough, we had the Strategic Fatherhood event the following night. We had never done a fatherhood event before, but we realized with the way our church is growing through procreation right now, we should look into it! We were hoping 40 or so guys would show up, so we were thrilled that 75 guys came and most of them attempted to take part in our potluck. Its always a little risky when you ask men to bring food, especially when the first 10 claim soda, but it turned out to be a great meal. Pastor Matt and his growth group shared their journey of trying to become more strategic fathers, and then we had a big brainstorming session to share everybody’s wisdom. We were definitely encourage to see so many fathers, and many men who will one day be fathers, interacting and encouraging each other. I am excited to see what God has in store for the men of Flood!<br /><br />Finally, I wanted to share with you the next step in our extremely transitional period of our lives. After 2-1/2 years in a one-bedroom apartment, we are making the jump to a 3-bedroom house! Through some friends of ours, we were offered an amazing deal to rent this house. The family needed some people they trust to take care of the house and we needed an affordable rent. It ended up being a great fit and we are moving in two weeks. We are really excited to have more space, which includes a backyard. I am finally going to be able to buy the army-sized pack of toilet paper from Costco and have a place to store it!! We view this as an incredible gift from God as we pray through what God has in store for us in the future. So please pray for us as we try to move in the midst of an intense time at school, and especially for Tatum as she will have to live in clutter for a bit until we get settled (if you know her, you know why this is a prayer request). But now we will have room for any out-of-town visitors!! If we are not a good enough reason to visit, you will want to see the one wall that has tree wall paper on it, as if you are standing at the edge of a forest!! We will see you soon!<br /><br />I am finishing up another New to Faith group this week, and Tatum just finished her Core group. I will give you an update on both of those in the next blog entry. But for now, if you could pray for our situation at Kearny High, that would be great. We are out of a home for the next two weekends because of a reported case of swine flue in the school. We will be scrambling a bit, but are confident that God is still going to do great things in the next two weeks.<br /><br />You stay classy, friends and family. Thank you so much for what you mean to Tatum and I.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-11589859104756064632009-04-10T19:14:00.000-07:002009-04-11T14:19:25.622-07:00Not Going Anywhere....I thought I would post a quick note to say “Happy Easter!!” to everyone. Many of you will celebrate this momentous holiday with family and friends, which hopefully is a refreshing and fun experience for you. Now that I work at a church, my new tradition is to celebrate Christ’s resurrection by helping others celebrate with me (which includes helping them find a place to park…). As with most churches, Easter is a big Sunday at Flood. We have had the theme of Risk this year, with a focus on sharing Christ’s love with others. There are many within our church who have taken the risk of inviting friends, family, and coworkers to attend church with them on Easter. Since most people are more open to it on such a significant holiday, we are praying that many who do not know Christ will hear and experience His love for them. So we would love for you to pray with us that God would show up in a powerful way on Sunday and change lives.<br /><br />Also, we are having our first Fatherhood event on Monday night, right after Easter. We have been blown away by the response and have 60 rsvp’s already. This is obviously a need within our church, so pray that God would use the time of sharing and discussion to push the fathers of Flood to be more than just present in the lives of their kids, but to also be strategic.<br /><br />I also have a few updates of praise. We just finished a New to Faith class, where I had 7 people going through the seeker section. We are following up with them over the next week or so, but we already have one woman commit to follow Christ! It has been amazing to be a part of what God is doing in transforming people’s lives. If you think of it, pray that she would find the community that she needs to really grow in her trust of God and that the rest in the group would continue seeking God.<br /><br />Finally, in some bigger news, I have been officially hired by Flood!! My internship ends when I graduate, so I was waiting to find out what the next step would be. In the midst of some tough economic times, God has blessed our church with enough finances that they were able to hire me full-time starting in July! I will share more about my job description when it is fleshed out, but my main focus will by on the same areas of ministry. So thank you so much for everyone who has supported me financially and prayerfully over the past two years. For those who have been supporting me on a monthly basis, your commitment ends after June!! Its my own version of an economic stimulus package. Overall, Tatum and I are thrilled to be here longer. We have been blessed through our church and are excited to see how God can use us in this community over the next couple years. So if you go to Flood, sorry, but you are stuck with me!<br /><br />I’ll post another update soon to tell you about Easter, the Fatherhood event, and Tatum’s core group. It is a blessing to serve alongside of each one of you.<br /><br />EricEric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-44865317981410161662009-03-02T22:01:00.000-08:002009-03-02T22:41:40.354-08:00February is over!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z33nN_r_V7Azza3yWq-fxFbHt-SC2FMh8wsQURHyCHkN0nzMaeB6b3pfL6R7wYs1yWz5JxKhnOhARhNOB7F2-Ixwl_15eny48XmIHXkk_whWvuWIUM62yNRGAD1b3_D4cGnExLFPOTc4/s1600-h/IMG_0021.JPG"><img style="margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; float: right; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7Z33nN_r_V7Azza3yWq-fxFbHt-SC2FMh8wsQURHyCHkN0nzMaeB6b3pfL6R7wYs1yWz5JxKhnOhARhNOB7F2-Ixwl_15eny48XmIHXkk_whWvuWIUM62yNRGAD1b3_D4cGnExLFPOTc4/s200/IMG_0021.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5308839420764828850" border="0" /></a><br /><br />It is officially March, which has been welcomed into my life. I just finished a week of events which were a blessing, both to me and others, yet it all happening in one week left my quite tired. Other than the ministry updates included below, there is not a whole lot to report on. Tatum and I are studying away. I have just over 3 months until graduation. At that point, I’ll be having a graduation party whenever I see somebody. The one social highlight we had came the week after Valentine’s. We actually went out for a nice dinner in Little Italy. We talked. We laughed. We relaxed. It was insane. That whole “date” thing is worth all the hype. But since we forgot our camera on our one social event, you only get a picture of the cliffs along the Pacific. Now onto the ministry updates…..<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Soma Conference</span><br />We have an annual conference entitled the “Soma Conference”, which is always focused on wholeness. My job each year is to oversee the coaches for each team and spend the painstaking time of figuring out which team is the best fit for each person. Its one area where my excel spreadsheet skills from my engineering days come in quite handy. Although it is draining, it’s a good fit for me. I also coached five guys throughout the weekend, which is always fun for me. The theme of the conference was Risk and we had some amazing speakers in for the main sessions and the workshops. Overall, the conference was a huge success so thank you to all who prayed.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Men’s Event</span><br />In order to save myself some effort and utilize a great speaker, we had a Men’s Event the Monday night before Soma, which is Thursday through Saturday. Well that sort of backfired on me because we had 115 guys show up. That is 40 more than any Men’s Event we have ever had during the week! So all of the sudden I had to put some effort into figuring out the food problem since the hunger was not being dissipated. I cannot complain that the event took effort, though since God answered some prayers in bringing out such a huge turnout. I’ve heard great feedback and more guys are interested in the future Men’s Events. The topic was “Dangerous Friendships” and Todd Langerveld talked through principles found in the friendship between David and Jonathan. We also had a challenge to give up NOT spending time with God for Lent. So my prayer is that the men at Flood spend more time with God over the next 40 days than they have in a long time.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">New to Faith</span><br />Also, we finished up another New to Faith class this past month. It was definitely a smaller class in that we only had two girls, but it was still a huge success. It’s always a thrill to walk alongside of people when they are seeking. One woman had already made a faith commitment to Jesus Christ, but still had a lot of questions. Therefore, she was fine going through the seeker section of our class. The second woman was definitely in a place of seeking and had many questions. The best news came at the end when both girls asked if they were allowed to go through the second tract of the New to Faith class. Just to give you context, we have only had one total person choose to do that in the past year. The second girl seems very close to making a faith commitment, so we are excited to see them continue to grow in tract 2. So if you think of it, please pray for them.<br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">Growth Group Leader Training</span><br />Well, although I thought I had four guys going through the training, two of them had to drop out because of schedule conflicts. So I’m finishing up with the two that remained, and the other two will join another four guys in a new training starting on March 15th. Please pray with me that God would continue to raise up more men to be growth group leaders.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">March….</span><br />So what does the next month hold? Tatum gets a well-deserved spring break! I might get a weekend camping trip in, but most of my month is full of studying. Here are a few highlights that are coming up though:<br />➢ Tatum’s Core Group on finding redemption from sexual pasts. Her next group starts up on March 15th, so pray that God would speak through her like He has in the past. (You can talk to the girls from her first group for proof)<br />➢ We are going to try an event in April focusing on Fatherhood. Since having babies is the new fad at our church, we realize we need to start addressing the new role. So pray that God would lead us in that.<br /><br />Thank you to each one of you. Your prayers and support have been a huge encouragement to me throughout the year. I know any success in my ministry is tied to your prayers, so thank you.Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-58032079694236029802009-02-02T13:12:00.000-08:002009-02-02T14:03:06.969-08:00And now its February....<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSxCFqeoHjqWpj7KPksc1yI2l8uWylKM75Zj1HXOqNNtI9msxdOIHU257t7mlcp4MqfKUDRLoa7XpK4r3EzoOYBZkuiFELyrMBE7a9E4_5PTyTvN9mywZMZC03cDzP4HbTixkA3FMdOAx/s1600-h/IMG_5235.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhuSxCFqeoHjqWpj7KPksc1yI2l8uWylKM75Zj1HXOqNNtI9msxdOIHU257t7mlcp4MqfKUDRLoa7XpK4r3EzoOYBZkuiFELyrMBE7a9E4_5PTyTvN9mywZMZC03cDzP4HbTixkA3FMdOAx/s200/IMG_5235.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5298322678876133458" border="0" /></a>Time for another update! I was avoiding it at first because I was in denial that I am back into the swing of things. But alas, I am. Tatum and I had a wonderfully relaxing break over Christmas. It was the first time that both of us had off of school since June 1st, so we were definitely excited. We spent some time in Colorado with family and in Idaho with friends. We talked about things other than school, played the wii, enjoyed snow, watched some movies, went skiing, and ate more food than we really needed. We definitely got the relaxation we needed for the final push of school. It is hard to believe that I am done in 5 months and Tatum is done in 6 months. Go ahead. You can let out a cheer!<br /><br />This quarter in seminary is going to be a challenge because I am taking both of my classes independently. That means I do not have to go to class, but it also means I do not technically have deadlines. Just one: at the very end. For those that know me, that is not ideal. I have set my own deadlines and have already missed most of them. Good times. So please pray for diligence since I really want to graduate.<br /><br />Regarding Flood, the first few weeks back included a 3-day staff retreat, the big growth group launch (at least big for me), and the Fripple Awards, which is our thank you event for all of our volunteers. The retreat was good, but unfortunately it made me realize how much I have on my plate over the next couple months. The Fripple Awards were also a success as almost 200 people came out to celebrate what Flood has done over the past year. We really do have amazing volunteers and its always fun to see how God has worked through each one of them over the past year. We also shared the vision for the year which is centered on the theme of Risk. I’ll share more as things come into fruition.<br /><br />Our growth group launch was the biggest ever on the guys side. We have 5 new groups and 3 other groups with a few openings. We will see if everyone that signed up actually follows through with it, but we filled up each group by the end of the last church service. I am blessed with the leaders that God has put around me and I’m really excited to see where the men’s ministry goes over this next year. I’ve included the big things coming up next month in case you want to put some prayer behind it. February will definitely be a busy month.<br /><br />➢ <span style="font-weight: bold;">New to Faith</span> → Our next New to Faith class starts on February 8th. I’m not sure how many will be participating, but prayer is always needed as seekers wrestle through their questions and roadblocks.<br />➢ <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Growth Group Leader Training</span> → We will start up another training on February 8th. We are hoping for a few more guys, which will force two trainings.<br />➢ <span style="font-weight: bold;">Men’s Event</span> → The next men’s event will be on February 23rd. Todd Langerveld, who has been on staff with Campus Crusade for the past 25 years, and discipled Pastor Matt, will be in San Diego and will share on dangerous friendships. We are really excited to see how God uses him.<br />➢ <span style="font-weight: bold;"> Soma Conference</span> → Febraury 26-28 marks our annual Soma conference, where we talk through how God has created us and His desire for wholeness in our lives. Todd will be staying the whole week and will be the keynote speaker for the conference as well.<br /><br />Thank you for all of your support and prayers. It is a blessing to serve at Flood and you all make it possible and make it a joy. Its crazy to think that I am in the final leg of my internship. And it will be fun to celebrate with all of you.<br /><br />EricEric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-58791387527863619012008-12-15T21:07:00.001-08:002008-12-16T12:30:04.696-08:00World Series Update<img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhewgqo7FwICHGfaw_BUay4DYGjJ0DrqmCZU4E-4YL8r73xIkXJVzFvT67WUWWow4VeH2nAT3m1ceJYjNzNc4Amc-87dyEh-reO9YccZ2XO8SSbkc71UtJhJSTkvud687-MCflMWHgBVLU_/s200/IMG_4790.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280259848218210946" /><p class="MsoNormal">This update is incredibly difficult to write.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Not because it invokes any sort of pain, but because it is almost impossible to summarize a trip where I experienced one of my biggest dreams in life:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>seeing the Phillies win the World Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Whether I am a loser for having this dream is up for debate, but while on this website, we will assume that it is an admirable dream.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>One that makes you smile.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And think of butterflies.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">Background story:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Remember that dance at my wedding, where I absolutely killed our first dance consisting of fox trot, swing, salsa, and a splash of quick step?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I'm not bragging, just pointing out reality.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>For me to pull that dance off is nothing short of miraculous (or sinful depending on your outlook).<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Anyway, for those that don't know me, I'm actually not a huge fan of dancing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In fact, agreeing to take dance lessons was only birthed out of our biggest disagreement of the engagement.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>My response to her request was similar to:<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>"If I'm going to spend 10 weeks of my life in a dance studio in order for you to have your dream, then I get to live out my dream when the time comes."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Words spoken like a future sacrificial husband.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Anyway, Tatum took the incredibly favorable odds and agreed that I could go to a World Series game if the Phillies are in it.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Backdrop complete.</p> <p class="MsoNormal"> </p><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjgMdHJ96nSRWlfrZjMgE_Ag1doWsolNl0wxP2lsDLkV2RiA_HWO9enKbof73lDmEwWFUotETJLu6StY-M_UTFVU2L0_wQC7VT0VmpJ8oiAMkASBvuaY4p9zhlY-Tob5Ao3zS6WS-uqx5Ao/s200/IMG_4793.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280252611882757282" /> <p class="MsoNormal"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">When the <span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-weight: normal; "><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal">dream came into focus:</b><span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>NLCS series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was in the middle of one of the busiest months of my seminary career.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was recording the games and watching them at 10pm.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The last thing on my mind was going to the World Series.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>When they beat the Brewers, my friend Wick, who was the best man in my wedding, let me in on the secret.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Since he works for the Padres, he was able to reserve 4 WS tickets at face value to each game in Philadelphia.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>In other words, more was riding on the series that I had realized.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I almost convinced myself that I could not go.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Luckily everyone around me is not as dumb as I am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I bought the plane ticket when the Phillies were up on the Dodgers 3 games to 1.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>We bought Tatum's ticket after they clinched.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The trip was happening.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was speechless.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Especially when Wick dropped off the tickets with an authentic World Series Phillies jersey for me to wear.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></span></b></p><p class="MsoNormal">I could write a whole book on this weekend, so I will just give you a few of the highlights.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>If you want every little detail, just ask.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I really don't mind telling them.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">Ø<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Sat next to Mitch Hamels on the flight into Philly.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Yeah, that's Cole Hamel's brother.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I tried to talk to him as much as I possibly could while maintaining my cool, "no-big-deal" façade.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Learned about pitching and his brother. </p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">Ø<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Went right from the airport to Game 3.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Getting there 2-1/2 hours early is not as cool when the game is delayed another 2 hours.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Great game that ended with a walk-off squibbler.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Crawled in bed at 3:45am.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Quite a day.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">Ø<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Tatum went to Game 4, which was quite a treat.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The only game with good weather and four home runs.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Even Joe Blanton was hitting home runs!<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>She had a blast seeing me in my element and enjoyed all the energy that comes with the Phillies dominating.</p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left:.5in;text-indent:-.25in;mso-list:l0 level1 lfo1; tab-stops:list .5in"><span style="font-family:Wingdings; mso-fareast-font-family:Wingdings;mso-bidi-font-family:Wingdings;"><span style="mso-list:Ignore">Ø<span style="font:7.0pt "Times New Roman""> </span></span></span>Game 5 was 3 days long.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>The rain did not bother me at first due to adrenaline, but the game got ridiculous.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then we had to stay around another hour to find out if the game was officially suspended.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Then came the decision.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Do I spend $250 to change my flight to watch the rest of the game?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Plus use two more vacation days?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Well, I decided I could not afford that.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Therefore, God took care of it and cancelled my flight.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was the only one in the airport who was ecstatic at the "inconvenience."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I then stood at the game the following night with full confidence that they would win.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Ok, a few doubts.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span></p><p class="MsoNormal"> </p><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYjlml9JBkTjMF3PBiyWo3l7f_bHvK2bwx54uHyc62C8i_4u4eArLObE_fv1RDNzeIKiDeCfkr96G-guWAyUxowFt9oJM7y9AJRcB_kExhZA4L9cbjMVjwuDFJgdxC7CM3QkxzKRMlPMYE/s200/IMG_4877.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5280250944658516146" /> <p class="MsoNormal">Overall, I watched 27 innings without the Phillies trailing at any point.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I was able to go with my wife, my brother-in-law, and 6 different friends.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I own 4 rally towels.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>I drove from Lancaster County to Philly (1-1/2 hour drive each way) 6 times in 6 days.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>Our tickets were row 4 of the upper deck.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes"> </span>And I watched the Phillies clinch a World Championship for the first time in 28 years! This picture sums up how I felt.</p>Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-29060683100627945772008-11-01T23:04:00.001-07:002008-11-03T14:44:13.359-08:00Grateful for November!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt8T1HBmYTY1SSvNlly3xQuKOq8Ov157hf9cHBXKog-H5CYegl9WLDIwFbsp6nUfYQUD6lUqre-cj8nar14kaWKfKL-v_w-wxpUzWKc-0ITXAvc6dGrri85xoLpUyTiBtf3eattRiRvTX/s1600-h/Kansas+Wedding.jpg"><img style="margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; float: left; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 189px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQt8T1HBmYTY1SSvNlly3xQuKOq8Ov157hf9cHBXKog-H5CYegl9WLDIwFbsp6nUfYQUD6lUqre-cj8nar14kaWKfKL-v_w-wxpUzWKc-0ITXAvc6dGrri85xoLpUyTiBtf3eattRiRvTX/s200/Kansas+Wedding.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5264565205363164162" border="0" /></a><br /><br />Well, I made it through the month of October. Although one of the busiest months I can remember, it was also quite fulfilling. As noted in the previous entry, I was quite busy at church, which I will update below. Beyond those big events, I also had an intensive class, which is 30 hours of class in one week (6 hours per day). Mixed in throughout the month were some really fun, and of course unavoidable trips: bachelor party weekend in Big Bear (mountains a few hours away), weekend in Kansas for a wedding (see picture), a trip back to Philadelphia for a little thing called the World Series, and a few big birthday celebrations. I will have to give a separate entry for the World Series, since that was one of the greatest moments of my life. If that's not enough, I was sick for a week and sliced open my finger while washing dishes. It needed 7 stitches and I couldn't use my right hand for about a week. Did I mention that my computer has been so inconsistent that I had to shop for another one? Yeah, you can say I'm grateful for November.<br /><br />I wanted to give you an update on the prayer requests from last entry. Here are some quick updates on the events:<br /><br /><ul><li>Nancy Heche, or at least the topic of how the church can respond to homosexuality, was quite the draw. We had over 200 people come out to interact with this topic. I thought it was a huge success and Nancy really challenged us to transform our response to the homosexual community from fear and anger to love and respect. Although we have a long way to go as a church, the dialogue started as to what our role is. If you would like to listen to her talk, you can follow this link: <a href="http://diveintoflood.com/archives/">http://diveintoflood.com/archives/</a>. Go to the bottom and you will see the talk under the heading of H20. </li><li>As expected, the classes on evangelism did not attract quite as big of a crowd. We averaged about 10-15 per night and had some great discussions on what it looks like to share God's love for us with the people around us. There are a lot of misconceptions, so it is always fruitful to reexamine what evangelism is all about. I led the first night and focused mainly on the motivation of compassion, what our culture looks like, and different styles of evangelism. We were blessed to have James Choung speak the second night. If you are interested in the way he presents God's story to others, you can watch his YouTube video. Its only 3 minutes long: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCVcSiUUMhY">http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kCVcSiUUMhY</a>. The final night consisted of a panel from our church.</li><li>Finally, we had another Men's Event. We had about 60 guys turn out for this one, which is not bad considering we were competing with the baseball playoffs and Monday Night Football. We had about 7 different recipes of chili represented along with some nachos and hot dogs to complement them. We discussed our view of God and how that can often be related to how we view our earthly fathers, whether they were healthy or not-so-ideal role models. Through a few testimonies and group discussion, I'm hoping that the men left at least with some questions and ideas to begin their journey on this topic. I think men often strive to be better Christians and do not realize that they are approaching God through a faulty view of Him. Hopefully we will be able to encourage each other in this process.</li></ul>As far as the growth group training and Tatum's core group, I will update on them next month since they are still in progress. Also, stay tuned for an update on how I was such an integral part of the Philadelphia Phillies becoming World Champions!Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8872770660794375845.post-60837491597245629152008-10-02T21:47:00.001-07:002008-10-03T09:49:33.594-07:00A Busy October<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeLLE99NGHOKR7wjkB3mmTLyaKEZyDAClEF53A8Acxcnxg-Lv0L-bjojUMAmbzt1aFPRqkmTvptN7-tq3S409zEIDsk2w6ToBUExoS0CjAncwF-ZdpC4o6YzRG0ahOZl3ZaOXFVBI1fQK/s1600-h/golf+club.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5252969898612152786" style="FLOAT: right; MARGIN: 0px 0px 10px 10px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAeLLE99NGHOKR7wjkB3mmTLyaKEZyDAClEF53A8Acxcnxg-Lv0L-bjojUMAmbzt1aFPRqkmTvptN7-tq3S409zEIDsk2w6ToBUExoS0CjAncwF-ZdpC4o6YzRG0ahOZl3ZaOXFVBI1fQK/s320/golf+club.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div dir="ltr"><br /><div>Well, this is my first attempt at passing along an update to all my supporters through the infamous blog. Although I hope to expand this site in order to update you on other areas of my life, and to include some of my writings both in and out of school, I will start with updates on my ministry at Flood. Who knows? Maybe I'll become one of those bloggers that has so many readers that it becomes my full-time job and I have really annoying advertisements on the side!! Let's hope not. The goal of the blog is that I'll be able to update more often with less to say!</div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Things have been busy this fall, both with the start of seminary and the increase of church activity. Our falls are always busy with all the college students coming back and the rest of our church coming back from vacations. With Tatum having an exremely busy semester in her nursing program, we have had to try really hard just to communicate on a regular basis. Also, we have learned a lot about sharing errands and cooking 10-minute meals. But we are enjoying life. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Some quick highlights from the fall so far. We had our growth group launch at the beginning of September. Although we did not have as many new growth groups as I was hoping, we were still able to plug some guys into community. Also, we just finished up another round of new to faith. We had twelve go through the class, with 10 of them picking the seeker section. Its always a blast to dialogue with people that are authentically asking questions. Please pray for us as we meet up with them 1-1 over the next couple weeks. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Also, Tatum is two weeks into her second core group on finding redemption from their sexual past. It is definitely a different group this time around, but Tatum has been blessed so far. Pray for these girls as they share their stories over the next few weeks, most of them for the first time.<br /></div><br /><div>Finally, here are a few things that are going on this month that you can pray for. I'll update you as they happen.</div><br /><ul><br /><li>We are having a class on Homosexuality this coming Sunday. With gay marriage becoming legal in California, and having a younger demographic, this is a big issue at our church. Nancy Heche, who's daughter dated Ellen DeGeneres, is coming to speak. She taught my class over the summer and has an amazing story.</li><br /><li>We are having a 3-week class on Evangelism which I am overseeing. I'm excited to see others get excited about sharing their faith. Please pray that God would speak through me and the guest speaker.</li><br /><li>We are having another Men's Event on October 13th. We will be tackling the issue of how we view God and how that relates to our relationship with our earthly fathers. I am excited for men at our church to start down this path.</li><br /><li>Finally, we will be having two growth group leader trainings going on this fall to hopefully have more growth groups in January. Pray that God would raise up leaders.</li></ul><br /><div>That's it for now! Thank you so much for your support! Oh, and in case you didn't figure it out from the photo, Tatum, along with many others, gave me a new set of golf clubs for my 30th birthday! I was just a tad excited. Now I just need to learn how to use them.....</div><br /><div></div><br /><div></div></div>Eric Lehmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15467574248326533978noreply@blogger.com5