I'll take anything for free...

My family jokes that I will take anything for free. 

Anyone want this? 

My hand goes up first! 

Allow me to clarify and defend myself a bit. I don't raise my hand for the "crap" (well maybe sometimes) I raise my hand for the things that mean something to my family. 

When I look around my house, the majority of it came from someone. 

The milkcan in my kitchen was used on my Grandma Leitnaker's dairy farm as a child. The lamp sitting on our buffet was the original Tannie Haynes' (Paul's great-grandmother). The silver I have is Aunt Grace's, the china was passed down from my mother in-law, the gold band I wear as my Grandma's. I have necklaces, bracelets, watches all passed down from family and those are the things that I hold the most dear and will never give away until I give them to my own children.

Henry is the star student this week. Tomorrow he takes 5 things to school that mean something to him. Two of them made me cry:

My dad's baseball glove

My grandfather, his Bear's, baseball hat

Henry knows that those two things are special; that they were given to him by two people in his life that have passed on to the next and he was grateful to know them and have their stuff.

What do you hold on to?

What things do you take for "free" from your family? 

As I sit here and think about what means the most to me, it is just that. My family. Our things that have been passed down through the generations that will continue to be passed down. 

Abraham and Sarah longed for a family and they were told that their descendants would be more than all the stars in heaven. They were given the ultimate legacy and we are tasked with carrying that on through our faith, our family traditions and our stuff. 

The stuff tells the stories of all of our families

I cherish my Nana's Bible's, I cherish the communion cup and plate that was given to me by my Nana that was used in WWI, WWII, the Korean War and Vietnam by Army Chaplains. All that those items have seen are held in the space and spirit that surrounds them and I am grateful to pass them on one day to my own children.

Don't pass up your chance to get that free stuff in your family; take it and cherish it because it is apart of who you are. 

Take the free stuff and when you do know that you are enough, you are worthy and you are beloved. 

-Pastor Ali 

God showed up

I encourage my congregation to recognize when God shows up in their life. I recently preached on the topic and had them share among each other when a prayer was answered, when God showed up or when they had a hard time finding God. 

Often you can look around trying to find God and think "is that God?" 

I go with the thought that if you think it's God, then it is. God has shown up many times in my life when I least expected. Nudging me in certain directions, giving me guidance and reassurance that what I am doing with my life is the right thing.

God was present when each of my children were born

God was present the day I married Paul

God was there the day my dad passed 

God was there when I finally accepted my call into ministry 

and God is with me every single day even if I don't "see" God

God never abandons us and provides for us in ways we least expect.

This past week, my family and I traveled to Arkansas to celebrate the life of my husband's grandmother, Gran. Gran passed from this life to the next on Feb. 13th. She was laid to rest this past Sunday. 

As I prepared to leave for Arkansas, in a bit of rush, I had set everything up for worship on Sunday. 

Preacher- check

Music- check

Email to those that needed to know- check

And off we went, to be with family. 

I ignored my phone ringing on Sunday morning, sorry Jae, and just let God handle whatever was going on.

I later learned that it was an urgent situation. Our music director was not going to make it to worship due to things out of her control and our worship leader and choir section leader were tasked with leading all of the music.

As I spoke with Jae this morning, they explained that they and our worship leader had come up with a plan and were ready to go. Yet, when Jae sat down at the piano, Jae felt as though they no longer knew how to the play the piano and it wasn't going well...

Suddenly, Jae felt a tap on their shoulder. A woman, one no one had ever seen, said "would you like some help"

She sat down and played and she didn't just played she WAS AMAZING. She played for the rest of worship. 

Countless people today told me of the God moment at Indian Heights. God showed up that day, in the form of a woman who was able to play the piano and make worship even more meaningful. It would have been a beautiful service even if she hadn't given of her talent, taking that vulnerable step to offer help- that was truly a gift from God. 

Hebrews 13:2 states 

"2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by doing that some have entertained angels without knowing it."

To Jodi- the woman who played the piano. You were the very image of God on Sunday.

God shows up

God provides

You never know when God will appear in your life

You don't have to sit around and wait, simply live life and be open to the possibility that you are in the presence of God; because God truly is all around.

See God in the beauty of every day life and the people in your midst. 

Know you are enough, you are worthy and you are beloved.

-Pastor Ali 

Faith and Guns

I have never considered myself a pacifist; however, the older I get and the more I see the pain in the world, I know understand why my grandfather, his father and father-in-law all lived this way. 

My faith calls me to see all people as equal

My faith calls me to help all people

My faith calls me to see everyone as worthy

My faith calls me to see the value of all of humanity

And my faith calls ALL of us to put down our arms

Jesus lived in a time of political turmoil, much like the times we are living in today. He was arrested by the Empire that was oppressing the Jewish people and turned over by his own. He was a political pawn and no matter what he did, he couldn't change the hearts of all the people encountered. 

For many Christians that came later, after his death and resurrection

I don't believe God required a human sacrifice for the atonement of our sins; yet that is what happened, and it was in the most violent and humiliating way possible.

Being hung on a cross to die was reserved for the worst kind of criminals and the Son of God was nailed to that cross and died right beside them all.

As he was being taken away, Peter pulled out his sword and Jesus tells him to put down his sword. To not fight violence with violence.

Jesus is calling all of us to put down our swords and violence that we carry in our hearts and thoughts.

The city of KC celebrated the winning of the Superbowl on Sunday.

It was amazing, I have never felt more proud to be a part of Kansas City and to watch the unity that this brought to  the city. Yet, how long does that last? 

Today as soon as the parade was over, breaking news came on. The vote in the Senate impeachment trial was taking place. And I have stayed off social media since then out of fear that people are now moving away from unity and spouting off hateful rhetoric toward one another.

How do we move from unity to separation that fast? And how do we get back to the shared goal of Christianity- to love God with all our heart mind and soul and our neighbors?

Violence has been a part of this world since the beginning of time and people pride themselves on their right to carry, their right to protect themselves but at what cost? 

How do faith and guns go together?

They don't.

They simply don't.

Owning a firearm for hunting, sport or b/c you hold a job that requires it makes sense and I can wrap my head around.

I don’t understand around talking faith while promoting organizations that want to put guns in the hands of all people that want them.

I have witnessed too many people be hurt by firearms, working in domestic violence will do that. I have heard the stories of pain, see the gunshot wounds and listened on the phone as a woman begged for her life. 

As Christians, we are called to be pacifist, like Jesus. Like Jesus told Peter to be. 

We are called to love one another, to respect one another and to put down our arms. To live in unity and to love each other wholeheartedly.

Faith and guns? 

They don't go together. 

Faith and love do 

Faith and unity

Faith and forgiveness

Faith and pacifism. 

I guess I am more like my grandfather than I thought.

I hold strong to my beliefs and with that I believe our city can live in this unity we are in right now after the high of winning the Superbowl. And I believe that we can lean into the stories of one another and see each other for who they are; truly beloved children of God just trying our best in the world. 

And we can do all of that while putting down our swords, opening our hearts and telling all of God's people that they are enough, they are worthy, and they are beloved.

-Pastor Ali 

Most of Most- 6 years too long

There are times that I just want to fly through the day. Life can be hard and being a parent is probably the hardest part. Raising children to be kind, brave, loving and just the best versions of themselves puts pressure on parents. Yet, it is by far the most rewarding thing I have ever done.

I look at my kiddos now, well now they are actually in their room ignoring me... but in general I look at them and can't believe how big they've gotten. Henry is 7 and Tannie is 3. Just yesterday it felt as though I was bringing Henry home from the hospital, terrified of how to even change his diaper. Now I look at him and wonder how I can possibly protect him from the world. I know I can't but I hope he always knows that through all the trials he will go through, his mom and dad will be there.

I grew up with strong parents. They gave us a foundation to be the people we are today. Without them, I wouldn't know how to be a mom. And then I found my husband, Paul, who grew up with the same values and heart for family.

6 years ago, on Feb. 5th, my dad passed from this life to the next. Most days, I live in hope that I will see him again and then there are days that I look at my children and long for him to be here. I do believe he sees us and guides us in our life but he isn't HERE.

6 years

6 years of birthdays, weddings, deaths of grandparents, buying of homes, laughter around the table, Christmas eve and morning- so many things he has missed.

And yet my love for my daddy goes stronger every time I see my kids and how much they are like him in many ways. Henry is sensitive. If you knew my dad, he could cry at the drop of a hat. Tannie is kind and funny, so was my dad.

It amazes me how as time passes we grow to adjust to the ones that are no longer in our lives but it really never gets easier, just more manageable.

Faith has gotten me through the past 6 years. A faith so strong that it has pulled me out of the deepest pits in my life and brought me closer to my family and made me a better mom. Faith that is strong enough to know I will see him again and that he is sitting in the present of God waiting for the day we will be together.

Time flies.

Treasure the crazy of the days and the shortness of the years. Because before you know it, your kids will lock you out of your room and want "alone" time.

I await the day I will meet my daddy again. But dad, you're gonna have to wait awhile, I've got these kids that need me. We have a life that is incredibly beautiful. And daddy, I thank you for that. Always believing in me and giving me the best chance in this world.

Camila Cabello sings it beautifully "You were the first man that loved me"

Love you most, dad.