Paseo |

Archive - Paseo RSS Feed

Worship Confessional: 12.04.11

December 5, 2011 in Music, Paseo, Worship, Worship Confessional with 5 Comments

Yesterday was truly a fun day of worship.

We have a guest speaker, Kim Hammond, in town right now. He told his story and led us to a place where we could truly see hope. To hear it, you can CLICK HERE.

This week’s music was mellowed out a bit. We just had Patrick & me on acoustic guitars and Mikell on the cajon.

Our Sunday Setlist was:
1. O Worship The King
2. O Come All Ye Faithful
3. The First Noel
4. Be Thou My Vision
5. You Won’t Relent

It was fun to just keep things simple for a week. But the best part was hearing voices raised singing back at us. That’s always, always, ALWAYS my favorite.

I’m not a huge Christmas carols fan… probably because it’s been playing on the radio since October… but I won’t lie. Singing them with Paseo was super fun.

How was YOUR Sunday?

Worship Confessional – 11.27.11

November 27, 2011 in Faith, Ministry, Music, Paseo, Worship, Worship Confessional with 2 Comments

I’ve been so bad at blogging recently. And I’m okay with that because I’ve been getting a lot of time for face-to-face interaction. But with that said… I’m gonna be better (for now).

Today was a rough day at Paseo. Not the service itself as much as just me. I woke up with a pretty raw throat. Every note seemed tough to sing this morning, but I asked all our attenders to help me out in leading this morning… and what’s cool is they DID!!!

I love my church family.

Our Sunday Setlist this morning was:
O Come All Ye Faithful – C. Frederick Oakeley and John Francis Wade
Restless – Audrey Assad
You Alone – David Crowder
How Deep The Father’s Love For Us – Stuart Townend
How Great Is Our God – Chris Tomlin
How He Loves – John Mark McMillan

Today was a simple day when it came to the band. It was just me on the keyboard, Abby singing with me & Guillermo on the congas. It was laid back… which was good… because our monitors kept cutting out. There were full verses where we were driving blind. I was hoping I was hitting the right keys and hoping I was singing in the matching keys of what I couldn’t hear myself playing.

It was rough.

But the main speakers were working. And when I thought it was horrible, I could look out and see arms raised and hear voices lifted on my behalf.

This morning, the people of Paseo Christian Church led worship. I merely chose the set. And it was FANTASTIC.

Nothing beats a family that will lift you up in worship when you can’t seem to quite make it.

How was YOUR Sunday?

In the Snack Aisle at Costco…

August 23, 2011 in Faith, Friends, Life Experience, Ministry, Paseo with 22 Comments

I love Costco. For many reasons… but mostly because it often saves me quite a bit of money. It stretches my grocery budget especially when I don’t have much of a budget to work with.

Yesterday was my bi-monthly visit. I had my fruit, veggies, bread, cheese and some meat all loaded in my cart. I had carefully counted out exactly how much money I was about to spend, discounted with the use of my coupons and was ready to head out of the store JUST IN TIME to get our shared car home to Brian so he could go to work. Last stop, snack aisle to get some fruit snacks for Chance’s lunches.

As I turned into the aisle, a petite blonde gal stood smack dab in the middle of the aisle with her cart, reading over ingredients. Politely, I made my presence known:

Me: “Excuse me, ma’am… sorry!”
Her: “Oh… sorry! Let me move that.”

We do the grocery cart shuffle.

Her: “I can’t seem to ever get food WITHOUT the ingredients my son is allergic to!”
Me: “I understand! My youngest was allergic to everything before we had him treated. It was expensive.”
Her: “I just don’t think I’m capable of doing this anymore.”

Her lip started to quiver.

The next thing I knew, this beautiful, but extremely tired looking blonde unloaded. Within 30 minutes, I knew how burdened she was. She has 4 kids. One is allergic to LITERALLY every kind of food out there. Epipens fill his pockets. She’s spent the last 14 years working and saving money to keep him alive. They’ve driven all over Texas, New Mexico and more to treat his allergies and keep them from killing him. And now, her marriage is falling apart. Divorce papers have been filed.

As the contents of my shopping cart warmed to the temperature of Costco, I looked into this strangers eyes and held her hands. All I could see was devastation, exhaustion and the overwhelming feeling of being completely alone and isolated. I didn’t have any brilliant words. I just listened and asked more questions.

Then, before I knew what I was doing, I hugged her.

A complete stranger.
In the snack aisle at Costco.
I held her little body in my little arms.

I don’t know how long since this woman was hugged and told she was worthy… by a stranger, much less… but in that moment, I was reminded how much we all need each other.

We were made for community. Without each other… we wilt away to nothing.

I need you.
You need me.
At the snack aisle at Costco.
And anywhere else there’s breathable air.

I grabbed an old airplane ticket out of my purse and wrote my number and email address down for her. I invited her to Paseo and told her to call or text anytime she needed to. And she did tonight.

In all of this… I lucked out… ‘cuz I gained a new friend.
A new connection.
Increased my community.

And one day… when I need it most, my hope is a stranger will hug me.
Even in the snack aisle at Costco.
… Especially in the snack aisle at Costco.

When’s the last time you hugged a stranger?

Conflicted

August 17, 2011 in Church Planting, Faith, Friends, Ministry, Paseo, Personal Entries with 12 Comments

Last Sunday, Steve (our Community Pastor), announced he was leaving his on staff position at Paseo.

In the last seven months since joining Paseo, the staff team has melted into a pretty tight-knit family. I’ve written times before that I felt each and every one of us served a specific purpose on the team and just about every need and area of concern could be covered due to the variances of each team members strengths and expertise. Steve has always been a part of that.

Steve has also lived here in El Paso (though he is a native Oregonian) the longest out of all the staff members and was the other start-up Paseo staff member alongside Greg. That’s a lot of history.

I know God has released Steve from his position here at Paseo… and part of me is extremely proud of him for following God’s prompting. The other larger and more selfish part of me is extremely sad to not have him be a part of the team anymore because he always helped make the difficult parts of ministry easier with his team work and lovable (and laughable) personality.

Aside from just the “work” side of it… The Jolly’s have quickly become good friends of ours. They are some of our favorite people. Anne has always made herself available to me and my kids (she’s a Nurse Practitioner) and has extended a lot of help and resources with our family not being medically insured. She has made life and health a lot more attainable and given us comfort within our spirits. Not many friends can do that.

Then, there are Steve & Anne’s kids: Abby & Caleb. Chance loves, loves, LOVES Caleb because he’s the bigger boy and Chance learns the most amazing things from him. Caleb has an incredible imagination and is a very good artist. Chance is a better artist and a more well-rounded, imaginative boy because of Caleb’s leading. Abby is older and is the most hands-on “Mama’s helper”. She is one of Paxton’s favorite people. He actually asks for her in the middle of the day or before he goes to bed sometimes (I would be more concerned about this if Pax was 16, but he’s 2). To know my baby loves someone that I know loves him back so much just melts my heart.

I know they’re not going anywhere as a family… but let’s be honest… you really have to put in extra effort in relationships when you don’t see each other on a regular basis. And though the Jolly’s don’t currently have any plans on leaving Paseo (as members) or El Paso… I think anyone who’s ever been in ministry knows we don’t get to make those decisions if we are really following God’s calling.

So, I’m conflicted. I want to be happy for them… for moving forward… for following God’s call to not be as comfortable… but all I really want to do is back up a few weeks and somehow help them change their minds… and God’s call in the process. Because I’m not like Steve & Anne…

I would prefer to stay comfortable in what I know.

How about you? Do you prefer COMFORT or CALLING?

———————

Sidenote: if you have a moment, please CLICK HERE and pray over every person on our staff team. It’s been a tough year, and it doesn’t look like it will be easing up anytime soon. Plus with the adjustments of losing a team member, the balance we currently know as a team will be tested and rebalanced. That won’t be comfortable… so please pray for us.

Thank you!

Standing in the Gap

July 6, 2011 in Church Planting, Faith, Family, Life Experience, Ministry, Missions, Paseo with 20 Comments

A few posts ago, I asked what you wanted me to write about and you guys gave me some GREAT topics. So, I decided to go with my friend, Crystal’s, request first:

write about life as a missionary and the challenges and joys that come with it… as well as the life of redemption God is currently walking you through. what are you learning? what is God showing you to work on (cause we all know none of us have arrived yet).

I never thought I’d be a missionary. If I’m completely honest… I thought coming out after my affair would take me out of ministry permanently mostly because I was always taught sinners don’t have a place on the platform. Good thing that’s not true.

In fact, God not only restored Brian and my marriage but He’s currently redeeming our faith journey.

Being missionaries has been fulfilling and at the same time, absolutely alienating. We are in a foreign land. El Paso is in Texas, but we can LITERALLY see Mexico from where we are. Everyone here speaks Spanish. Everyone but us. I feel like I’m standing in the gap between “I know my purpose” and “what have I gotten myself into?”.

As surrounded and as embraced as we are by Paseo… we still don’t feel like we fit in. I still think this move was the best thing for our family unit. We’ve gotten to test the core of our family a bit in all this, and I can’t say I’m disappointed. I’m just saying following God’s call isn’t easy. However…

Community is happening here. Ministry is happening here.

In fact, Brian just left to go play poker at a nearby bar/restaurant. He goes, because there are regulars there. He goes because we’ve decided to be a PART of the community here… not call them to gather around us. Brian goes because two weeks ago, he got to share our story with a man there who isn’t churched. And in that conversation, that man asked Brian to meet with him regularly to talk about life… as it’s really lived. So Brian goes.

Our next door neighbor is going through a divorce. A divorce that is not his first choice. His Mom was just here for a month so she could watch his 4 year-old, Kristian, while he was on duty. He’s in the military so he’s gone days at a time. His estranged wife, who is abusive in ways that are unspeakable, agreed to sign divorce papers and hand over custody of Kristian if he would pay her a small amount (yes, she basically sold her child to him). He’s hurting. His little boy is hurting. So Chance and Paxton play with him. I share my wireless internet access with them.

I sat at their kitchen table talking to his Mom for two hours two weeks ago. I just listened. To the hurting heart of a mother for her beloved son and grandson. Of the grief over the dissipating dreams of having a relationship with her only daughter-in-law. Pain.

As much as I can’t yet say I fit in, I know without a doubt we are called here. We truly love the people and culture of El Paso. I don’t believe we’re called here to be healers or to fix anything. I feel we’re just called to actively BE here and let others know they’re not alone.

So… here we are..
… the whole Clayville Clan…
… with no agenda…
… just standing in the gap…
… till they let Jesus fill it in.

And in the times I’m most homesick for what is most familiar… I remember… not everyone gets to be and do what I’m being and doing. Not everyone takes the challenge to truly live.

Carpe Diem!
How are YOU seizing the day?

A Bit of Water

June 2, 2011 in Church Planting, Faith, Friends, Ministry, Paseo with 6 Comments

A couple of weeks ago, we had baptisms at Paseo.

I FINALLY downloaded my photos so I thought I’d introduce you to a few people and share their stories.

This is Maurice. Seven months ago, he walked onto a construction work site overseen by Rusty, a Paseo member, and asked for a job. Rusty… who is a natural shepherder, took Maurice under his wing as well as introduced him to Steve (our Community Pastor). Maurice immediately saw something amazingly different in his new boss, and in response stayed out of jail, was consistent in showing up for work and soon accepted Jesus into his heart. Maurice has been clean for almost 3 months now and was the first in his family and friends to invite Christ into his life. Steve baptized Maurice.

This is Amorette. And her dad, Vico, got to baptize her. When kids choose baptism, it always gets me. When parents get to baptize them, that gets me even more. I just keep imagining Brian hopefully baptizing our sons one day and I just light up. So often, we put kids in the box of “they’re kids and don’t really know what they’re doing…” but I remember being a kid and I remember knowing SOME things for certain. Just as certain as I am about those things today. This was one of the certainties I knew about at 12. And the reality is life only gets more difficult after this… so please keep Amorette in your prayers.

This is Mara. She’s Greg’s middle child and only daughter. She’s one of the most passionate people I know. And when Mara makes up her mind, very little can happen to steer her decision away. Mara is also good friends with Amorette… so it was really sweet to see two buddies make a decision to be baptized on the same day together… but separately. Seeing Greg & Jill’s face during all this just melted my heart too. We spend a lot of time with the Hunt’s so, watching Mara get baptized is watching a family member publicly declare her life for good.

This is Rosie. Three months ago, she found herself evicted from her apartment and homeless. Nick (our Leadership Resident for Community Engagement) and his roommate, Andy, gave her a couch to crash on so she could get back on her feet. In the process, Rosie began attending Nick’s Paseo Home group and found Christ there. She’s now on her own feet again and has a new best friend in Jesus. Sometimes, it really takes a rock-bottom to see really see Jesus for who He is… our SAVIOR. Nick, of course, got the amazing privilege of baptizing Rosie into our eternal family.

This exactly what Paseo is about.
This is exactly what my heart beats for.
This is EXACTLY why Brian and I uprooted our family, left everything we knew 1,800 miles away and raise our own support to do what we do down here.

Giving hope to the hopeless and changing lives for Christ.

Your turn.
Share a “hope” story with us!