Kyphoplasty

My Dad turns 65 years old this Tuesday, March 3rd. Also on that day he will be undergoing a procedure at IU Med Center known as kyphoplasty to stabilize a deteriorated vertebrae and hopefully lessen the pain caused by a cancerous tumor in his spine. As many of you know, my Dad was diagnosed in early January with stage four, kidney cancer that apparently came back after 20 years of nothing (almost a record we're told). The cancer resurfaced as a tumor in his spine, which was causing extreme back pain and a tumor in his right lung. When discovered, the doctors immediately suggested that he undergo high-dose radiation (which we did) to kill the tumor in his spine and essentially avoid him going paralyzed. The radiation along with steroids took care of most of his back pain.

In the process of getting a second opinion for treatment options, my Dad has had a relapse of severe back pain which has now put treating his cancer on hold (which I hate). We were given a few options for treating this pain.

1. Pain medication (which he is taking, but is not ideal)
2. Extreme back surgery that involves removing the tumor, inserting rods and bolts to stabilize the spine and would require total bed rest up to 6 weeks following the surgery. Recovery time (if he recovered completely) would most likely take 3 months and might not reduce pain. This (we are told) is the "best" way to avoid paralysis, but at the same time could "cause" paralysis too.
3. Kyphoplasty: which is an outpatient procedure in which the doctor will insert a needle into the damaged vertebrae, burn out part of the tumor with a saline solution and then insert a balloon into the burned out area where it will be inflated. This will essentially jack up (like a car jack) the collapsed vertebrae. After the balloon is inflated the doctor will then fill the hollowed out area with thick bone cement which should ease his pain significantly.

The decision to undergo this procedure has not been an easy one... Risks can include paralysis (due to the tumor), spinal fractures (depending on bone density) and bone cement leaking out of the balloon cavity, entering the blood stream and going to the lungs... or death. Most of these risks are minimal, but are still very real risks.

As you can imagine we are all very afraid, but are at peace with the decision we've made. This will hopefully get us into a cancer treatment sooner although we run the risk of eventual paralysis because the tumor could still grow and compress his spinal cord. -Please pray this doesn't happen.

Yesterday, I was sitting in a staff meeting and we were praying over all of the congregation requests and prayer concerns. I hear all the concerns week after week for loved ones who are battling some form of cancer and I notice how this disease is no respecter of age... When I think of my Dad, I also remember George Roach (one of the bravest men I've met), Sarah's 27 year old cousin Andy who has sinus cancer (which has now invaded the bones in his face) and little Wesley Jaeger (5 years old) who continues to fight so hard. My Dad's faith has grown tremendously through this horrible trial. The other day we were talking and he said "Why should I be spared from this... just look at the life that God has given me. Others have not been so blessed."

God has commissioned us to relieve suffering. Although we cannot take away the pain of others, we can go through it with them. We can hold their hands, pray with them and for them, comfort and encourage them. We can laugh with them, cry with them or just spend time with them...We cannot spare them their trial, but we can share the load and walk along with them.

"Therefore, I urge you brothers to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God-this is your spiritual act of worship." -Romans 12:1

Lent

"Repent and Believe the Gospel

A Seed is Meant to Grow

"But Blessed are your eyes because they see and your ears because they hear." This verse is just one of the ways that Jesus forces us to make a choice. In Matthew 13, Jesus tells a parable to a hodge-podge crowd and then tops it off with "He who has ears, let him hear."

Interesting choice of words Jesus... I mean doesn't everyone have ears?

The answer is NO. In Matthew 13 (the Parable of the Sower), a whole crowd of people has the truth staring them right there in the face, but most of them will not accept it. Jesus says "if they would only turn and see with their eyes, hear with their ears and understand with their hearts, I would heal them." The sad truth is that many won't turn; the good news is that some will.

Jesus calls his true disciples blessed because they get it. The whole crowd has the seed of Gospel right there ready to be sown. Some will reject it right off the bat, others will follow along until things start to heat up and still others will follow, but refuse to grow. But the true disciples will bear fruit and reap a harvest.

What I tried to point out this ski weekend was that a seed isn't meant to just stay a seed. A seed is meant to grow. An acorn that stays an acorn, will just get eaten by squirrels, but I'd like to see a squirrel try to eat an oak tree. The Gospel is the seed. When we are willing to let the Gospel change us, we grow. When we mature in faith, God can use us to bring others to Him. He can use us to build Ark's, part oceans, fight giants and move mountains.

The skiing was nice too...

COM Meeting

The Council on Ministries is our group of Ministry Team Leaders who gather and discuss the various ministries of Mt. Auburn and how to care for and promote them. Although leaders NEED to be there, any member of Mt. Auburn is welcome to attend. Anyway, last nights COM meeting (made up of about 30 people) was focused on the O'Dell Family Life Center and the possibility of eventually using it (temporarily) for our worship services along with the possibility of moving from 3 services back to 2 on Sunday mornings. As you can probably imagine this would be a huge change to our Sunday morning programming, so we began by coming up with a list of Benefits & Obstacles. Many of each were named, but here are a few of the big ones...

Benefits

• More room for growth (as our present Sanctuary holds about 200 and most of our services are filling up.)
• Opportunities for more Sunday school classes and less confusing Sunday school schedule.
• Possibility of offering a Children's Worship Service in our present Sanctuary (which would be converted into a Children's ministry area.)
• Would be less taxing for our present choir (warm up's & practice) and Pastors.
• Less Congestion between services.
  
• Should get us to a new Sanctuary faster!

Obstacles

• A gym isn't as pretty to Worship in as a Sanctuary.
• Would take a lot of work to set up and tear down for Sunday services. Saturday evening use of the gym would be extremely limited due to Sunday morning preparation.
• Pleasing lighting and acoustics might be difficult to achieve.

Overall, last night's meeting was successful and (I thought) uniting. Obviously nothing is set in stone as things will have to pass through the Ad Board and be well presented to the congregation, but I feel that change is good for the soul. It keeps us focused on our worship of God and relying on Him to show up and make it what it is.

One of the best messages that I received from Jim's sermon this past Sunday was when he mentioned a passage from Deuteronomy 32. Although he was speaking figuratively about the current economic recession, I think the metaphor can be applied to the OFLC as well.

He spoke about a mother Eagle shaking her nest so as to teach her little eaglet to fly (as is its purpose). "The baby Eagle doesn't really want to leave the nest... In the nest he's safe and well fed by his mother." Jim said, "Like the Mother Eagle, I believe God is shaking our nest, so we can soar to new heights and fulfill the purposes that he has planned for us."

Whatever your feelings about the uses for the OFLC, please keep the matter in prayer. Mt. Auburn is a family and it is our responsibility as disciples to invite others into the family of Christ. A gym will not make that happen. But God can use anything he chooses (even a gym) as a doorway into the hearts of future believers.

Crazy Love

Most of the good things in my life were introduced to me by my wife... Although I have eaten food my entire life, it wasn't until I married Sarah that I realized that you probably should really eat from all 4 food groups. It wasn't until I married Sarah that I had a real appreciation for Broadway musicals. It wasn't until 1999 (in an attempt to win her heart) that I started attending Mt. Auburn and I believe really met Jesus Christ for the first time. From Broadway to green leafy vegetables, Sarah has introduced me to many of the good things in my life today.

Last summer, Sarah read aloud to me a book review of a book that she wanted to read. I didn't think much of it until I came across a sermon by the same author (Francis Chan). I watched the sermon and was intensely stirred by what the pastor was saying. He painted a picture of "Lukewarm Christianity" that was disturbing, but even more so convicting. Let me read you a couple excerpts from his book Crazy Love...

"I quickly found that that the American church is a difficult place to fit in if you want to live out New Testament Christianity. The goals of American Christianity are often a nice marriage, children who don't swear, and good church attendance. Taking the words of Christ literally and seriously is rarely considered. That's for the "radicals" who are "unbalanced" and who go "overboard." Most of us want a balanced life that we can control, that is safe, and that does not involve suffering. Would you describe yourself as totally in love with Jesus Christ? Or do the words halfhearted, lukewarm and partially committed fit better?"

"If Life is a river, then pursuing Christ requires swimming upstream. When we stop swimming, or actively following Him, we automatically begin to be swept downstream. Or to use another metephor more familiar to city people, we are on a neverending downward escalator. In order to grow, we have to turn around and sprint up the escalator, putting up with perturbed looks from everyone else who is gradually moving downward."

Now a lot of books I've read with this same kind of message end up guilting you into service by proving the disobedience of the church to God's Word. Now don't get me wrong, I agree that the perseverance required to Obey the Bible often get's lost in the magnitude of God's grace. But Crazy Love is unique, not in its message but in the contagious passion and awe that Francis Chan has for Jesus.

I am not the type of person to jump on the bandwagon of "New & Improved" Bible studies or "next Best thing to the Bible" books. But I really enjoyed the way Crazy Love inspired me to examine my life and the way that I feel about my God. http://www.crazylovebook.com

"Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith; test yourselves."
II Corinthians 13:5

Acquire The Fire/BattleCry 2009

Acquire the Fire is a traveling, year round event put on by Teen Mania, a youth ministry organization out of Lindale Texas. Mt. Auburn has been taking teenagers to this event since Dave Buckner was the Youth Pastor and I myself have been several times. Most years, ATF is held at Ball State, but this year it's coming to Conseco Fieldhouse. The theme for this year is' "Here Comes Trouble". This promotional video will give you an idea of what the weekend is like.

ATF can be a very positive experience for young people as well as their parents. The music, drama and preaching is relatable to young believers who may never have worshiped in a conference setting with thousands of other Christians before.

This year I would like to invite parents to attend the event as well. There will be a special "break-out" session designed specifically for you that I think might be insightful to your family ministry. If you are interested or have questions about this opportunity, just call me or shoot me an email. The date of this event is Saturday, April 4th 8:30am-9:00pm

For more information on Acquire The Fire or The Honor Academy, log onto the following links.
http://www.acquirethefire.com
http://www.honoracademy.com

Parents Letter 2009

Dear Parents,

I just wanted to take a little time to chat with you about the youth program we have at Mt. Auburn. I intended for a parents’ letter to come out just after the first of the year but as always time gets away from me, as I’m sure it does for many of you. But I believe that God has a reason for everything, so I’m sending one to you now. If you would, please allow me to take the next 10 minutes of your time to tell you a story and relay my thoughts about real successful ministry.

On Monday, January 5th, my father was diagnosed with “incurable” renal cell cancer that began in his left kidney (20 years ago) and has now resurfaced in his spine and right lung. He was hospitalized immediately in fear that the cancer in his spine would cause too much pressure on his spinal cord and cause paralysis. He spent the whole week in the hospital for radiation treatments, biopsies of the cancer (which caused his right lung to collapse), and general observation. Naturally, during all of this I spent each day with him in his room so as to be updated on all new information by the attending doctors.

On Thursday of that same week, I was in his room and working on my January Youth Newsletter. My father looked at me and commented, “I’m proud of you Trav… I like what you’re doing over there… You do a good job”. Immediately, I stopped writing and the thought came to me, “How do you know? How do I know if I’m doing a good job?” Do I look at numbers and see if they are increasing? Do I monitor the youth’s enjoyment level and restructure accordingly?

My father’s statement forced me to take a step back and evaluate my ministry. So I asked God in prayer that day how to do my part in guiding the youth of Mt. Auburn. God answered, “Tell them the Truth.” Now, obviously I always try to teach the truth, but sadly the truth is sometimes hard to hear. The Gospel can be offensive and it does take faith to accept as truth. That’s why topics like Heaven & Hell, Selfishness & Selflessness, Salvation & Damnation make some people a little uncomfortable.

At one time, the Disciples actually told Jesus “This is a hard teaching…” and the Apostle Paul himself tells us:

“For the message of the cross is foolishness to those who are perishing, but to us who are being saved it is the power of God” -1 Corinthians 1:18

And

“For the foolishness of God is wiser than man’s wisdom, and the weakness of God is stronger than man’s strength.” -1 Corinthians 1:25

We learn from these verses in 1 Corinthians chapter 1 that the Gospel doesn’t make any sense to those who don’t believe it; to those who don’t receive it in faith, it's just silly. But Christians believe the Bible is true!

Jesus began his teaching time and time again with the simple declaration of, “I tell you the truth…” So let me follow his example and say:

I tell you the truth, Your Child’s faith will suffer without you.”

The truth is that your kids are quickly growing up… The truth is that culture today forces all people to see things they shouldn’t see, listen to things that they shouldn’t listen to and to laugh at things that make God sad. In a world that views the Gospel as foolishness, our children's faith is constantly under attack and can be crushed under the opposition, so they need all the help, support and guidance we can give them in Christ.

In 2009 I want so many things for our youth group. I want our friendships to be strong and encouraging. I want our kids to reach others for Christ and grow numerically. But most of all, I want our youth to deepen their own faith and relationship with the Lord Jesus Christ… because loving the Lord with all your heart is what constitutes a real successful ministry.

“Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right. Honor your father and mother- which is the first commandment with a promise-“that it may go well with you that you may enjoy long life on the earth.” Fathers, do not exasperate your children; instead, bring them up in the training and instruction of the Lord.”
–Ephesians 6:1-4


Your Ministry starts in your home…
Talk about your faith with your kids…

Special Olympics

It’s Wednesday, January 28th and we have a ton of snow outside… In fact, all Johnson County schools have been closed and I’m thinking about breaking in my new sled this afternoon. I still think it is funny that Sarah got me a sled for Christmas this year; she knows how much I love snow.
This past Sunday, Sarah and I with seven youth ventured to Paoli Peaks (2 hours south) to help volunteer for the 2009 Winter Special Olympics. This is the second year Mt. Auburn Youth have been involved and it seemed like everyone had a terrific experience. We lodged at the exquisite Midwest Inn and like last year, were the only guests. One room was too hot, the other too cold and all the youth continued to confirm their doubts that we would survive the night… (They think an axe murderer lurks nearby) Despite their assurances of horrific death, everyone survived the night unscathed.
We began the evening with dinner at Chicago’s Pizza in French Lick and then went to the Athlete’s Ball in the French Lick Hotel. While there, I was reminded yet again of why I love chaperoning this event. Athletes of all ages were out on the dance floor, cutting a rug with moves seldom seen by much of the population. Humility was scarce, but in its place, laughter and friendship were in abundance. Elvis songs like Love Me Tender were karaoked with originality, heart and enthusiasm and many of us danced with the athletes who were brave enough to ask.
The athletes however were subjected to the dances and contortions performed by the boys of Mt. Auburn… Dances like the Lawnmower, school bus, shopping cart and sprinkler were among the many of the performances. My favorite was a somewhat disturbing number by Sean Peters and Alex Hutton, which must have been a dance move of previous study.
Monday morning came cold and early. We arrived at the lodge at 7:20am after breakfast and little coffee. We prepared the “start & finish” flags which was followed by an instructional meeting at 8:30am. The athletes arrived on the snow around 9:30 and we each found an athlete to assist.
The athletes range from first time skiers to borderline professional. Our jobs at first were to simply encourage and assist in any way possible, mostly just keeping them on their feet and going straight. If the athlete accomplished this, they moved on to snowplowing, followed by turning. This took about 2 hours at which point, most everyone was cold and ready for lunch.
Lunch kicked off with “Happy Birthday” sung in Texas Roadhouse fashion to Joy Atzinger who was celebrating her 14th birthday. We didn’t have a cake, but cookies seemed to be an acceptable replacement.
By 2:00pm we began the “Time Trials”, in which the athletes competed for the best time in various events according to skill level. This seemed to go much faster than last year…
We finished up around 3:45pm and were able to ski for a couple of hours at a discounted price. Amanda and Scott Musgrave as well as myself attempted snowboarding for the first time and I must say, It’s harder than it looks. After about half an hour of falling over and the hill beginning to really do a number on my back, I started to get the hang of it. First time skiers included Alex Hutton, Joy Atzinger, Connor Edwards and Scott Musgrave.
Everyone lived!