Category Archives: Local

Grace Church, Local

The NEDA Walk- Eating Disorders

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Last week, my family and I participated in the NEDA walk- Kansas City.  This is the first time we were able to walk due to our summer schedule, but not the first time we’ve donated.

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A few years ago, a beloved and wonderful young woman lost her life to an eating disorder.  Her name – Emily (Em).  At the time, there were limited places that were offering significant treatment in the Kansas City area.  So, her family looked outside of our area.  Two of the best ones around 4 years ago were:

Timberline in Lemont, Illinois

Remuda Ranch in Wickenburg, Arizona

Now, there are numerous clinics and facilities all over the country, and Kansas City now has numerous options for those struggling with an eating disorder.  Much is to be learned about eating disorders, and so what follows is a bit of information to better inform.

Eating Disorders are often referred to as “ED”

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What is NEDA?

NEDA is the National Eating Disorder Association.

“NEDA was formed in 2001, when Eating Disorders Awareness & Prevention (EDAP) joined forces with the American Anorexia Bulimia Association (AABA) – merging the largest and longest standing eating disorders prevention and advocacy organizations in the world. The merger was the most recent in a series of alliances that has also included the National Eating Disorder Organization (NEDO) and the Anorexia Nervosa & Related Disorders (ANRED).”

Why is the there a walk?

Money needs to be raised for the diagnosis, treatment and cure for of all aspects of ED.  NEDA raises around $4,000,000 a year.  Compared to numerous other illnesses and diseases, this is a rather small sum.  There are a few other groups out there raising money as well, but little research or study is actually being done to better understand ED.  The Federal Government provides around $30 million as well.  More needs to be done.

Around 300 people gathered this year at Berkley Riverfront Park.  There were many supporters there, in prayer and helping make the walk possible.  Here is the link to the walk site.  We raised $30,000!  As we walked, numerous signs shared the staggering and sad statistics.

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Eating Disorders by the Numbers

Millions of people suffer from ED (possibly over 30 million)

ED Is Not Choice, It’s an Illness

10 Million Men Suffer from ED

ED is way underfunded.

Since “Anna’s” Law was introduced in May of this year, 384 people have died from ED.

Anorexia kills 12x more girls age 15-24 than ALL other causes of death combined!

A Bill Becomes Law

In no small effort from the friends and families of those affected by ED, Governor Jay Nixon and the Missouri State Legislature passed a bill to help those struggling with ED.  Essentially, the bill forces insurance companies to cover all aspects of ED.

Read about it HERE

 How Can We Help?

Pray! Pray! Pray!  Pray for those suffering with an ED.  Pray for the family and friends of those suffering.  Remember, we are not alone if we stand together.

Donate!  Give money to help those with an ED.

Pay Attention!  ED’s are not always diagnosed.  Why?  When your arm is broken, you go to the doctor and they “fix” it.  But when you have a mental disorder, some believe you can just fix it by willing yourself to change.  That is not a helpful approach.  The stigma needs to end.

“According to a number of experts, as well a study published in the American Journal of Psychiatry, eating disorders might be the most deadly of all mental illnesses, with an estimated 10% to 20% of individuals diagnosed with anorexia nervosa dying prematurely as a direct result of the disorder or its complications.” National Post 2/5/15

ED’s are deadly.  The more we can talk about it, the more lives can be saved.  We need to share information, treatment options and do everything we can to help those who suffer.

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Go in peace and go with God.

Church Blog, Local, Methodist

We Are All in this Together!

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My beautiful and amazing wife often remarks that “we are all in this together”.  It’s a good phrase to remember during the tough days.  When driving to work and the traffic slows, it’s the man or woman who cuts through traffic, the person that is only out for themselves that doesn’t understand that we are all in this together.  The rude, the mean, the arrogant and the selfish does not bring us together.
In a deeply broken and sinful world, humility and thinking more highly of others is often absent.  The example of Jesus through service, compassion and love shows us one of many paths we daily walk.
It’s a new week and we have a chance to live into a life of service, or go back to our selfish ways.  Check your bank account, your calendar and your relationships- is there selfishness or God honoring service?
A life focused on Jesus does what is right, not what is popular.  It’s easy to speak or write these words, it’s much more difficult to live into them.
So let’s think about a few things.
If you can recycle in your community, then remember, we are all in this together.
When you see a single mom struggling with her kids, please remember, we are all in this together.
If someone else needs that promotion at work, help them get it, and not because they will do something for you, but because it’s the right thing to do- we are all in this together.
Some people get this- like firefighters, the police, EMT’s, nurses, docs and many, many others.
Do you get it?  Does our church get it?
If more of us got it, there would be less homeless, hungry, death, suffering, pain, hurt, struggle, anger, divorce, hatred…
We are all in this together.
I pray and hope that phrase sparks us to action.  We are one body, one faith, one church, one people and with one God of all.
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.

We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
We are one in the spirit, we are one in the Lord.
And we pray that all unity may one day be restored.

And they’ll know we are Christians by our love
By our love
Yes they’ll know we are Christians by our love.
Go in peace and go with God

Church Blog, Local, Methodist

A World Without Borders

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My son will grow up in a world without borders.  It’s true.  There will be no borders.  Many people, maybe not many, have discussed this topic for a few years.  Recently, it has become more of a relevant topic.  This past week the word came out that there will be no more borders in the whole wide world.  Who announced this?  It was announced in the Wall Street Journal.  Why would they announce it?  Because the Borders I speak of are not borders around countries, or fences between neighbors, it’s the Borders book store.  They closed a bunch of stores, tried to keep a few open, but alas, they are all closing.

We shop, well shopped, at Borders.  It was a great store.  It was the only retail bookstore chain in Lee’s Summit.  We purchased lots of books there (we like to read).  We also purchased many Christmas gifts there, as they always have the coolest stuff for kids.  We don’t have a kindle, except on phones/tablets.  I hear that the reason they are closing is competition from Amazon, ebooks, etc.  Maybe that’s true.  Barnes and Noble are still making it though, or are they?

My son will never enter a Borders bookstore.  Borders has been around since 1970.  And now they will all be gone soon.  I started thinking about many of the things I grew up with that have since closed.  Remember Polaroid Cameras?  They closed in 2002 after 60 yrs in business.  Arthur Anderson, a huge consulting and accounting firm opened in 1913, then closed in 2002.   How about Tower Records?  They had a 60 year run. Now closed forever.  And you might not believe this one, but Olan Mills closed in 2008 after a 70 year run.  Yes, the people who did church directories no longer are trading stock.
Anyone remember TG&Y?  Opened in 1935, closed in 2001.  My sister worked there.  GM almost closed, if it weren’t for the Federal Government.  Lots of other companies closed during the latest recession 2007-2011.

Lots of things change.  Lots of things end.  What will my son see go by the wayside in his lifetime?
The United Methodist Church has been declining at a rate of 500,000 members every 10 years.  We were founded in 1968, and with the average age of an organization being 60-70 years, will we come to an end around 2030?  What would a world look like without the United Methodist Church?  What would my son’s life look like without the United Methodist Church?

We are a church that has a dual focus- making disciples for Jesus Christ and social justice/missions.  Known to us as personal piety and social holiness.  There is lots of talk about measures of vitality and fruitfulness by tracking worship attendance, professions of faith, baptisms and people serving in mission.  Those are great indicators, but just tracking stuff will not turn the ship.  I don’t have all the answers, but I do know one thing.
If the church (every church and pastor) doesn’t begin to take seriously the call of Christ to love their neighbors, there will be no United Methodist Church for my son when he graduates from college in 22 years.

As for Grace, we continue to grow and reach out.  Our attendance, professions of faith, baptisms and people deployed in mission are all going up and we are doing very well.  Keep it up Grace.

And although I am sad that Borders is closing because I enjoyed going there, but something else will come in and I will find somewhere else to buy books.  Let’s make sure there is a United Methodist Church that is making disciples and serving those in need for the next 100 years!  Not because we enjoy going there, but because lives are being eternally changed!
Go in peace and go with God.

Local

A Desperate Plea- Stop Changing Things

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We are pretty loyal to the places we shop, the restaurants we frequent and to the denomination I choose to serve in.  Brand loyalty is a big deal in the corporate world.   Once you have a loyal customer or consumer, you have to do a lot to push them away.  When humans find something we enjoy or like, we stick with it.  Even though change is in the very nature of creation, many of us like consistency.  I’ve heard stories of people driving hours to get their favorite Bar-B-Q.  Living in the Kansas City area, I am not surprised by that passion.  Brand loyalty goes beyond just agreeing to repurchase items from the same company.  Real brand loyalty drives people to share their experiences and invite others to be apart of their positive experience with the brand.
On the other side of that are the negative reactions that people have to certain brands.  Few people will share positive experiences (unless they are way over the top experiences) because we expect a positive experience with the things we like.  But, if you have a bad experience somewhere, you are more than likely to tell others about it.  No matter how many good experiences you’ve had, we will tell others “don’t go to that restaurant, the service is awful”.
One of my all time favorite places to eat is Wendy’s.  I love their burgers.  For me, they are almost as good as a “gourmet” burger.  For fast food, I choose Wendy’s.  We did not have a Wendy’s in my hometown, so going to Wendy’s was a big deal.  The toasted buns, the square, juicy hamburgers-Dave Thomas naming the company after his daughter.  The frosties are amazing.  The chili is awesome (I mean really, who else serves chili all year long?).  And the fries.  That is what I remember from my first few experiences at Wendy’s (the burgers, fries, frosty, chili).
Since then, I have been a die hard, loyal customer.  Even during the bogus food scares in California (of which most don’t remember).  I had chili the day some lady accused them of putting something disgusting in the chili, and the day afterward too.  Why?  I am loyal.
Lately though, my brand loyalty has been strained.  Why?
Change.
I never thought I would be someone who would gripe about change.  Most of us have a “roll with the punches” attitude, but a few things have me not as fired up to go to Wendy’s these days.  Here are the things that have changed, or I miss at Wendy’s.

5. The buffet from many years ago, where did those go?
4. What happened to Frescatta Sandwiches- those were amazing!
3. Baked potatoes with cheese/bacon- gone.
2. The pickles now taste exactly like the ones from Five Guys
1. They changed their fries ;0(

Those are just a few small things, but they add up to a few big things.  I now have to go elsewhere to get fries because the “new” sea salt fries are not my favorite anymore.  They are not dippable in the chili or frosty.  I love them less, which in Biblical Jesus terms is pretty bad.
See, I am a nut about Wendy’s.

Hopefully by now you realize I am not just talking about Wendy’s.  Change is life.  How we react and deal with those changes reveals the content and character of our hearts.  I’m sure that the changes in our lives are sometimes purposeful.  When we better understand the changes around us, we more easily accept them and sometimes become champions for change.

When change comes without warning, almost with an aggressive, haphazard or fumbled delivery, we shy away from the change.  Sometimes we end up on the other side against the change.  Most people in this world are reasonable, and if spoken to in a manner of respect and love, they will hear out why changes are being made.  They are may not agree with the changes, but they will go along with them because they were respected enough to be considered.

The #1 reason most people will walk into a new church is not because of word of mouth, or they thought the website was cool.  Most of them are in a time of transition and they are seeking a place to experience God.  They are motivated to go.  They haven’t been coerced or made to come, they made a choice to try and change their lives.  And what do many of us do with the gift of someone new?  Not enough.

I pray for you during your times of transition and times of change.  Some changes are blessings, some seem like the end of days.  Let the changes in your life be purposeful and filled with meaning.  Help others to move through their times of change as well.

Oh yeah, hey Wendy’s, please bring back your old fries.   I know they were ranked 3rd on the list of America’s favorite fries.  It’s ok to be in third place.  McDonald’s and Five Guys are just better.  After 41 years you changed to be like someone else.  Be yourself.  Be unique.  I still love Wendy’s, but I love them a bit less these days.

Go in peace and go with God!