AWKward

I love awkward moments, I love awkward topics and I love controversy.  I wake up every morning and think, I hope today is as awkward and uncomfortable as possible.

...Okay, so maybe not.  

But even so, yesterday I issued an invitation to our church to a season of awkwardness.  In fact, I think I even asked people to schedule some awkward in their life in the coming weeks.

You see, there are far too many elephants in our lives consuming space that we need to make for God.  The elephants are all of those awkward issues and conversations in our lives that we've been avoiding for so long.  For some people, the elephants are big, green financial elephants.  Maybe you've slowly but surely worked yourself into debt and developed spending and lifestyle habits that you don't want to address yourself let alone bring to the light with your spouse, your family or your friends.  For others, maybe the elephants are dark, shadowy hidden elephants that have to do with behaviors or decisions you've made that have left you hiding in shame.  Maybe your elephant is a bright, red warning elephant because you know you're running headlong into a bad situation, but you don't know how to stop.

It's time to name our elephants.  It's going to be awkward and it's going to be uncomfortable.  But, I believe that as soon as we name them out loud, they lose their power.  

We have a choice to make about whether we're going to let elephants run our lives, or whether we're going to surrender our lives to God.  I believe that nothing and no one has power that can stand against the incredible and almighty power of God and it's time to get the elephants our of the way so we can embrace the life Jesus gave us when He gave His up on the cross.

Awkward is, well, awkward.  No one likes, much less loves, awkward.  But I believe that on the other side of awkward is incredible.  So, bring it on elephants - you've got nothing my God can't handle, dismantle, forgive and take away!

What's your elephant?  Who do you need to schedule some awkward time with?

BUSINESS DEGREE REQUIRED

Okay, so I will turn 30 this year and I realize that's not very old and my years of ministry experience pale in comparison to so many others.

However, I would like to offer some words of wisdom to those coming behind me in ministry:

Take as many business courses in your undergraduate years as possible - you will need them!

And for those of you coming behind me in any other field:

Take as many business courses in your undergraduate years as possible - you will need them!

It is quite simply the world we live in - so far today I've attended a Habitat for Humanity breakfast about funding a Disciples Build in our community, gone over the lease agreement for our student ministry space with a real estate agent, talked with a lawyer about moving from an unincorporated entity to an incorporated entity and had lunch with a banker to discuss our financial set-up and possibilities.

This certainly isn't what I do every day, or even most days, but it's all part of ministry.

Read. Know your stuff.  Be the best steward you can be of what God entrusts to you.

How's your business sense?

An Unlikely Friendship

My good friend, Robert Morris, died yesterday.  He lived his whole life in South Carolina and spent his entire adult life as a pastor in the United Methodist Church.  He will be missed by many.

Our friendship was accidental.  He didn't come into the coffee shop looking for me nor I for him.  But the first time we were both there, we nodded a faint recognition and did that awkward thing people do when they're pretty sure they know each other but are not sure how.  He gets the credit for making the first move.  As I stood at the cash register ordering my tall skinny mocha, he walked over and said, "You're Jenn, right?  I'm Robert Morris."  

The rest is history.  He introduced me to his nephew who was looking for a new church and he told him with great certainty that he needed to come to the church I was planting.  For weeks after I would go into the coffee shop to work and see Robert there with his nephew and brother-in-law.  We would chat for a few minutes and then go to our separate tables.   After awhile, I started Wednesday morning Java with Jenn from 6:30-8:30 and eventually we fell into a routine where Robert and I would pull up on Wednesdays around the same time and start our day together.

Robert was traditional, and I am not.  Robert was a life-long southerner, and I am not (shh, don't tell).  In many ways, Robert made me think of an almost ironic blend of my father and his father.  It makes sense chronologically as I am younger than his kids and older than his grandkids.  But because the age difference didn't seem quite right, most people walking into the coffee shop would give us that look that said, "hmm, that's odd."

But, somehow, it never was.  Robert was a friend, an encourager and a confidante.  He came to our Christmas worship and his feedback was "that was interesting."  We weren't doing anything that connected with him, and yet he believed in our vision and he believed in our purpose because he believed in Jesus and he believed in Jesus' church.

My Wednesday mornings will never be the same, but I am so thankful for Robert and thankful for our friendship.  I can only pray that in the years to come I will be the kind of friend and mentor to future generations that Robert was to me.

Who are you actively encouraging right now and how are you supporting their call from God?

I Can't Stand "Church People"

(After the Message)

I have been known, on occasion, to rant.  I could blame it on my vocation, or I could blame it on my estrogen, but the bottom line is, I rant.  I'm a ranter.  Set me off on the right topic and I'll tell you everything I've ever thought about it before pausing to take a breath.

It's not one of my most admirable traits, but now I've confessed and you've been duly warned.  And so, here goes my rant...

I can't stand "church people."  Who are these loathsome types?  Glad you asked.  I've devised a simple test to determine if you are a church person.

1. Are you more interested in bricks or people?

2. Are you more interested in your time with Jesus or making time for someone else to spend with Jesus?

3. Are you determined to sing the songs you like or are you willing to sing songs that capture the minds and hearts of people who don't know Jesus yet?

4. Do you think you deserve priority and preferential treatment as a church member, or do you think your primary purpose is to serve those who are not?

If you answered "a" to any, most or all of the above, you might be a "church person."  (for the record, I'm all about the Church and the people who make up the Church; hence the quotation marks denoting a specific breed)  Now, I don't claim to be holy, righteous or even all that great.  I'm a sinner saved by grace and in need of all the grace I can get each day.  However, I think I'm on pretty solid ground with this particular view.  You see, Jesus wasn't very fond of "church people" either.

In Mark 1013-16, we're told people were bringing their kids to Jesus so He could touch them.  This didn't go over well with the disciples who thought that their time with Jesus was being invaded.  After all, Jesus picked them, chose them, invited them to follow.  And, they did, at no small cost.  They gave up their livelihoods and their worldly security to follow someone they had never met.  It was their time to be with Jesus, and those rascally, unwashed kids were getting in the way.  So, they rebuked them.  They told the kids and their parents to take a hike.

"Jesus was indignant," (v. 14)

The disciples had decided it was all about them and forgotten that Jesus was pouring into them specifically so they would be able to go and reach others.

So, you know what Jesus told them to do: Move.  

Church people are the ones who forget over time that it isn't about them.  They're the ones who start to think Christianity is an exclusive club designed to meet their needs.  And Jesus wants none of that near Him.

Every one of us has a church person lurking somewhere inside.  It's the voice that says, "I want what I want.  I want to be noticed.  I want to be important.  Pick me."  

Here's the deal: Jesus did pick you.  He died for you.  And He would have done it for only you.

That's amazing.  That's incredible.

Now, don't be a "church person."  Instead, go let someone else know Jesus has picked them too.

After the Message (making a comeback)

"Be Kind." 

    It's on the wall of every daycare, elementary school and Scholastic book cover, but not once have I seen it on a company wall or in an employee manual.  When's the last time your boss called everyone in for a meeting and said, "Today's topic is kindness."

Fits in the realm of “nice” words.  In fact, February is a good time to talk about it, right? After all, February is about love and chocolate and puppies – kindness fits right in, yes?

Two problems: not the dictionary definition nor God’s definition

Dictionary – showing understanding, generous, benevolent

Romans 2:4 – God’s kindness leads us to repentance

            Whoa, that can’t mean being nice.  God didn’t try everything and then say,

“Oh, if I just say please, they’ll come back to me.”  No, God's kindness was sending His 

one and only Son to die on a cross for a bunch of people who had repeatedly mistreated 

and denied Him.

God did the unexpected, and, according to Jesus, that’s what being kind is all about

Luke 6:27-36

Golden Rule – treat others the way you want to be treated.

            So often we convince ourselves that the way we want to be treated is fairly.

            Charlie Brown: “I just want what is coming to me…I just want my fair share.”

According to Jesus, the golden rule isn't about fairness, it's about the unexpected

            Kindness is loving the person who has shown us nothing but contempt.  Kindness is about doing something good for someone who hates you.  Kindness is about giving to someone you know isn’t going to pay you back.

Reason we don’t talk about it as adults is b/c kindness isn’t fun, kindness doesn’t pay.  Kindness would put your company out of business.

And yet...

Golden Rule in action - Jesus went completely and totally out of His way for us, in the hopes that we would do the same for Him.

What would it look like for us to “be kind” this week?

            Random acts of kindness are great – paying for the person behind you in the drive thru line, letting someone go in front of you in the check-out line at the grocery store – awesome stuff

But what if this week…you gave up the grudge against the person who didn’t do right by you; you forgave the person you said you would never forgive; you were patient with the most impatient person in your life; you spent the majority of your prayer time on people who’ve mistreated you and not just your family and friends

vv. 35-36 – God is kind to the ungrateful and the wicked, go and do likewise

Some Political Thoughts on State of the Union Day

For all of the obvious reasons, I avoid political commentary on this blog.  However, some of you may know that I have a secret passion for all things political.  In college, I majored in political science and had opportunities to intern for U.S. Representative Todd Platts and the policy research and reporting group, Stateline.org.  (If you're really interested and desperate for something to do, you can go to Stateline and search the archive for articles by Jennifer Brown :)

I realized my senior year of college that God had different plans for me than the political writing world I had envisioned.  I am so incredibly grateful for the turn my life took, but I still enjoy the political world and today I had an opportunity to write a guest review on George W. Bush's new memoir, "Decision Points," for the Gutenberg Girls blog.

Check it out here.

I highly recommend the book for people of all political persuasions and particularly for leaders in all fields.

What have you read lately that impacted you?

Year One New

Grateful, so grateful!

My Plate is Full Yet I am Empty

I know you know what I'm talking about.  

I'm talking about those times when your life is full, but your soul is empty.  You're so busy that your emotions shut down because you simply can't process anymore.  

A few more synonyms: burnt out, completely overwhelmed (this is different from overwhelmed, which is a condition I would describe as the new norm), and zapped.  

If I'm honest, I have to tell you that I get to this place about every three months.  Maybe it's because I'm a church planter.  Maybe it's because I'm a mom.  Maybe it's because I'm working on being both of those at the same time.  But probably it's because I'm human.

We like to think we're superhuman and there is always one more thing we can tack on and still make it all work.  But we're not.  We don't have an endless supply of energy and creativity, enthusiasm and passion.  At some point the tank runs dry and we need to fill up - but that can't happen by doing more "stuff," and unfortunately running away to a remote island for a week or more isn't always (or ever) a possibility.

So now what? 

A few things that help me:

1. Re-inserting the prayer time I slowly hacked out of my morning because I had "too much to do."

2. Reading a book that has seemingly nothing to do with my work and my life.

3. Doing something with my hands (i.e. wandering around the park and taking pictures or baking cookies) - I once heard Rick Warren say that if you work with your mind you need to play with your hands and if you work with your hands you need to play with your mind.  I've tried it and I think he's on to something.

What helps you re-fill?

Happy Birthday, Clark! War Eagle!

Today is my hubby's 31st birthday and also the day that his beloved Auburn Tigers won the national championship.  To say there is great celebration in our home is an understatement.

And so, in honor of both I say what a game and what a guy!  I am blessed beyond measure to have Clark as my husband, partner, best friend and father of our son.  He is a man of great passion who loves and lives with loyalty and intensity.  

Happy Birthday, baby!  May this year be filled with joy, hope, challenge, surprise and the constant knowledge that you are loved by God (and by me :)!

Overcoming Early Setbacks

Sunday I preached about dreaming big and truly making way for the God who shuts the mouth of lions. Monday morning I blogged about it briefly, and then...

The Great Stomach Bug of 2011 hit the Williams house and the Ashley Ridge staff!

As of this morning, we are officially two full days behind at work (which feels monumental) and our energy stores generated by holiday rest and new year excitement are depleted.

It's hard to recover when you never really had traction to start with.  Often, it's the perfect excuse to let it go, decide it's not the time or not the right scenario and just get back to living day-to-day, trying to keep your head above water.

Can I suggest there's another way?  

It's still early and the good news is you haven't lost much because it's early in the game.  Give yourself time to recover, grace for a re-start and humility to call a mulligan.  Make today your new start day!

It's GO BIG 2011 - Happy New Year!

After an extended technological break, I'm back and pumped for 2011.  It's going to be an amazing year! Why? Because God is amazing and this is the year of big dreams, big prayers, big asks and big follow-thru.  It's time to see the signs and wonders the apostles saw in Acts 2 and beyond.  It's time to start praying prayers worthy of the God who shuts the mouths of lions (Daniel 6:22).  

Are you in? What are you asking God to do in your life in 2011? What are you planning to do for God this year?

What I'm Reading:

1. The Book Thief by Marcus Zusak

2. Axiom by Bill Hybels

3. The blogs listed to the right and also Michael Hyatt's blog.

What I'm Watching:

1. Scrooge, The Musical with Albert Finney (this is my favorite Christmas movie so I keep it on deck all through December)

2. Parenthood (Tuesday nights on NBC) - my husband and I love watching this one together, especially as we are navigating our way through the early years of marriage and parenthood

What I'm Listening To:

1. Andy Stanley's sermon series on "The Thrill of Hope"

2. One Question with Ken Coleman - series of short podcasts asking questions of some great leaders and innovators

3. North Point's new Christmas album - AMAZING!

4. Gungor - an incredible worship team from Denver; if you only download one song, make it "Beautiful Things"

5. The song "Winter Snow" sung by Audrey Assad - makes me cry every time I listen - if you were in worship with us at Ashley Ridge on Sunday, Kadie Naugle sang this song beautifully!!!

what are you currently consuming?

For months I said, "I don't care how cold it is, I just don't want it to rain."

But then race day came, and it rained, and it rained, and it rained.  But still we ran - 13.1 miles we ran.

That's right, friends, I finished my first ever half marathon Saturday on Kiawah Island.  I had two goals: to run the whole thing and to finish in less than 2:15.  I ran the whole thing and I finished in 2:13 - mission accomplished!

A few observations:

1. There are a lot of really skinny people at these events.

2. We, and by "we" I mean Jamin, observed that at the starting line where the masses lined up according to pace, people got skinnier as you got closer to the front (which is the nice way of saying that those of us between the 9 and 10 minute pace were heavier :) - something you can easily tell b/c everyone is wearing spandex.

3. Everyone got a medal as they crossed the finish line.  While I typically frown on the whole "everyone gets a trophy" mentality, I am now a firm believer that running 13.1 miles is deserving of a medal.  (Plus, the people who won got much shinier and fancier medals that actually said "winner" on them; whereas mine just says "Kiawah Island Half Marathon.")

4. We need to challenge ourselves.  There is no exhilaration that comes with doing something we knew we could.  There's a complete euphoria that comes with doing something we didn't think was possible.  It's about being stretched, getting out of our boxes and re-learning again and again that God wants to do more with our lives than we dare to dream.

So, who's running with me next year?

Joseph's Disruption

The first Christmas when Jesus came, it was anything but silent and peaceful, it was a HUGE disruption to everyone involved.

For Joseph, it was a family issue.

Family is so complicated – tis the season, right? We visit with our families and we eat a lot of food and we think, “surely I don’t share DNA with all of these people.”

Nevertheless, families are important.  I had an OT professor who said to never read thru Biblical genealogies too quickly.  In 

Matthew 1 Jesus' genealogy is rolling along with so-and-so the father of so-and-so and so-and-so the father of so-and-so until 1:16, which says “and Jacob, the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary, and Mary was the mother of Jesus who is called the Messiah.”  Something doesn't seem quite right.  It doesn't say "Joseph, the father of Jesus."

Can you imagine what it was like for Joseph when he found out Mary was pregnant?  He had to have been stunned.  In the end, he had two choices: take her to trial and have her stoned to death for adultery, or divorce her quietly and make no accusation.  The Bible tells us that he was a "righteous" man and therefore chose the second.

But then...the angel shows up and clues him in.  Stun gun, take two.  Joseph, Mary is pregnant by the Holy Spirit, take her to be your wife and name the child Jesus because He will save us from our sins.

And so he did.  And because we know the rest of the story, we applaud his obedience.  But, think about his decision at the time.  The angel didn't show up to the rest of the village to explain what was going on.  By taking a pregnant Mary as his wife, Joseph opened himself up to a lot of gossip and ill repute.

You see, Joseph takes on a life that only history will celebrate.  In his life, it will not be celebrated. He’ll be the discussion in the corner at the family Passover celebrations.  He’ll be talked about in the town square.   He’ll be the guy the other guys leave out on spin the dradle nights.

And yet, he was obedient because following Jesus is so much more important than your reputation.  

Here’s the deal – Joseph may not have fathered Jesus in the traditional sense, but it was through Joseph’s family line that God promised a Savior would come.  God had a plan for Joseph’s life – didn’t fit Joseph’s plan, wasn’t very popular, BUT…

God has a plan for your family this Christmas.  When we let Jesus into our lives, into our families, our decisions don’t look the same, our lifestyles don’t look the same.

           

What is God asking you to do this year that will be hard in the moment, but unforgettable in the end?

Safe

After a two-month break, my Thursday morning women's Bible study started again this morning.  As three married women and one soon-to-be married woman, we decided to read "Wild at Heart" by John Eldredge in an attempt to grow in understanding of our husbands.  (We try, men, I promise we try.)

Our conversation this morning led quickly to a conversation about safety - our desire for safety, our pursuit of safety and the sinfulness of safety.  We live in a world that seems driven by the idea of safety and security.  We work hard to make sure our children are safe, we make career choices that are safe, we make financial decisions that are safe (and if they aren't safe, they help us keep up with the Joneses, so at least there's a good reason :/).

While we're not called to be careless with our lives nor foolish with our money, we are called to live dependent on God, which means at times abandoning our safety nets.

How are you living dangerously? What recent financial decision have you made to give extravagantly?

Disruption, Part 2

Disruptions come in the good and the bad variety.

Good Disruption - my son wakes up from his nap early and comes walking down the hall saying "Mommy, hold you" with his little arms outstretched.

Bad Disruption - a staff member accidentally spills coffee all over his Macbook Pro and we spend the morning laying hands on it in desperation, cleaning the mess and googling home remedies for drying out a computer (for all of the Apple lovers out there who are panicking, fear not, all is well).

Zechariah's disruption in Luke 1 was a little of both.  The good part - "even though you and your wife are old and maybe not up to chasing kids, you're going to have a baby and he's going to be awesome.  He's going to prepare the way for Jesus!"  The bad part - "since you doubted whether the good part was possible, you're going to lose your ability to speak for nine months, which may be a tad detrimental in your work as a priest."

Can you say "DISRUPTION!?!?!"

A kid on the way, no way to talk (how many of you pastors have tried preaching a whole message to your congregation in subtitles?), and on top of all of that, the kid was supposed to be the one the prophets spoke of who would call people back to faith and prepare the way for the Savior of the World (not exactly the message Rome was waiting for or wanting to hear since Herod thought he was the King of the Jews).

See, it's like I said before, that first Christmas when Jesus came created a major disruption for everyone involved.  Zechariah thought he had life figured out.  He knew his gifts, he understood his job.  Sure, he and Elizabeth had experienced some disappointments in life such as not being able to have kids, but they were fine.  They had each other.  Their life had been good. They knew their parameters and the way of the world.  They understood their limits and they worked well within them.  Oh, but wait...

Jesus was coming and everything was about to change.  Rules are gone, limits blown away.

Jesus is coming again this Christmas.  What limits are you placing on your life right now that need to be taken away?  What boundaries have you set for what you can and cannot do?

Jesus wants to do more than you ever dreamed possible.  Will you let him disrupt your life?

Awkwardness and Praying Couples

So, let me take you back a few years to one of my earliest and most awkward ministry moments:  I was finishing my first year of seminary and had been assigned to a large church in South Carolina for my summer field placement. I was newly engaged and not looking forward to heading even further from my fiance for 12 weeks. 

Before going, we had an orientation weekend for field placement supervisors and students filled with workshops and other get-to-know-you activities.  The pastor who would be my primary supervisor couldn't attend so he sent his associate pastor, a retired Air Force chaplain in his 60s who today is one of my greatest friends, advisors and confidantes.  However, at the time, it was simply awkward.  I wasn't real sure about heading to his church (i.e. the church I went to work at full-time when I graduated two years later) and he hated (still hates) sitting in meetings of any kind.  We were having a great time (read dripping sarcasm :).

Anyway, during one of the workshop breakouts we chose to attend a workshop that was titled "Spiritual Growth in the local church."  Sounded better than "Death and Dying" so off we went.  When we got there, we met a pastor who talked about a lot of things, but I don't remember much spiritual growth.

I do remember about 15 minutes into the session when he started talking about couples praying together, followed by the statement that couples who pray together regularly dramatically improve their sex life (he actually was much more graphic, I'm keeping this PG for my readers and my own comfort level).  Whoa!  Who saw that coming?  Not this unmarried pastoral intern.  Not the guy sitting next to me.  AWKWARD!!! In fact, awkward doesn't begin to describe the moment.  We laugh about it now, but at the time, both of our faces were scarlet.

Ironically, one of the things that keeps many couples from praying together is the fact that it's so incredibly awkward.  Different kind of awkward, but still, awkward.  Fear not, I'm not about to try and talk you into it for the purposes mentioned above.  However, I would just like to say that whatever the fringe benefits may or may not be, couples need to pray together.  I tell our high school students all the time - look for the person who will pray with you and for you.

When my husband and I were engaged and living in separate states, we used to pray together over the phone.  That was more awkward for my roommates than for me.  As a married couple, we've had periods of time when we've been very faithful to pray together and periods where we've been awful about it.  I can guarantee you the times we're praying together are our best times, our most genuine times and the times we've been the closest and gone deeper in our relationship.

I'm thankful for a husband who invites me to pray with him even on the nights when I'm annoyed with him and would rather just go to bed.  I'm really thankful for a husband who invites me to pray with him on the nights when he is rightfully annoyed with me and doesn't really want to talk with me let alone pray with me.  Mostly, I'm thankful for a Savior who invites both of us into His presence even when we're so unworthy to be there, but at least we're there together.

I know it's awkward, but today, ask your spouse or the person you're dating to pray with you.  I promise you it will be awkward. I promise you it will be worth the awkwardness.

Disruption

Tis the season - you know, the season of stress, anxiety, over-eating, etc.

Wow, that sounds really Bah Humbug. I assure that's not what I mean. I love Christmas. I'm one of those people who decorates the day after Thanksgiving and watches as many sappy, cheesy Christmas movies as possible between Thanksgiving and Christmas.

Nevertheless, along with the Christmas fun, comes a month often overshadowed by shopping, cooking and busyness that can make the most enthusiastic elf weary.

So much of our preparation has to do with shopping for the perfect gifts, preparing for the perfect parties, decorating so as not to be outdone by the neighbors. We prepare in order to manage and control the craziness.

But, what if Christmas isn't at all about peace, control and perfection. As I read the Christmas story this year, I'm increasingly aware of all the disruptions going on in people's lives. Take Mary, for example, she was getting ready for a wedding, transitioning from childhood to a home of her own when all of a sudden Gabriel shows up, scares her to death and then proceeds to tell her she's going to have a baby, and not just any baby, the Messiah they'd been waiting for for so long.

Mary's response: "Not possible." (Luke 1:34)

All of Mary's preparation went out the window - "Holy Disruption, Batman!" was more the order of the day.

Jesus' arrival at the first Christmas was anything but planned and organized, it was a total disruption to all of the immediate players (we'll talk about more of these stories in the coming weeks).

And so, here's the question: what are you preparing for this Christmas? Are you preparing for parties and celebration? I hope so, there's much to celebrate. But, are you also preparing for the complete and total disruption of a Jesus who comes to change your world and your life?

I don't always welcome it with open arms, but I know there are things in my life that need to change. The question is am I willing? Willing to change? Willing to grow? Willing to be disrupted by the greatest gift ever given in Jesus Christ?

Tell me about your Christmas preparations.

Real Life Radicals

Yesterday in my message I mentioned this blog about a girl named Katie - please follow her and pray for her.

I stumbled on Katie's blog in my reading last week and it blew me away. Katie is living the kind of life Francis Chan talked about in "Crazy Love," the kind of radical love Mother Teresa demonstrated for the world, and more importantly, the life Jesus talked about when he said , "Take up your cross and follow me."

Not all of us are called to leave everything behind, move to Uganda, adopt 14 children, run a feeding ministry that provides food for 1,200 people and spend our free time running a makeshift medical clinic out of the back of our van. However, all of us are called to live a life of sacrifice, a life fully surrendered to Jesus Christ.

I hope Katie's story inspires you to do what God is asking you to do. If you already know what that is, please share b/c the Courtyard family would love to pray for you.

Stolen

Okay, so my luggage was found and returned after its long voyage coast-to-coast and back again. But then this morning I went out to my car to leave for work and I discovered the contents of my glove compartment all over the front seat.

(Not my week, friends, not my week.)

I calmly walked back inside the house and asked my husband if he had been in my glove compartment. He said no and together we walked back outside to the driveway to discover that both of our cars had, in fact, been broken into during the night. Interestingly, the only thing taken was my husband's GPS. They bypassed the Kohl's shopping bag on my floor, Clark's sirius radio, my iPhone to sound system connector, cd's and more. (Can't figure out why they wouldn't have wanted Jacob's new bibs or the box of diapers in the back :).

Surprisingly, the whole event didn't unnerve me all that much. My family was safe and all was okay. Then I got in my car and started to drive away and all of a sudden the eerie feeling went through my head, heart and stomach that someone had been in my car. Someone had invaded my space.

Now I realize there are lots of people who have experienced what I'm talking about in far more invasive ways. This isn't even on the playing field with people who've experienced personal injury, people whose homes have been broken into, property destroyed and more. But, I think I got a taste of what it feels like when something gets stolen.

I've never before questioned the safety of me and my family in our home. I've never truly considered that something I left in my car wouldn't be there when I got back. That innocence is gone. Stolen.

What has been stolen from you that changed the way you function and think?