Nancy Beach

Off To Africa

     Tomorrow I will head to Zimbabwe with my husband and a few other team members.  This is my first trip to Africa since college, over 30 years ago, when I traveled on a missions trip to what was then known as Rhodesia.  Since that time, the country has endured a revolution, and now Zimbabwe is ravaged by corruption, unbelievable inflation, a cholera epidemic, and massive poverty and disease.  Our church packed 4.5 million meals to send to partners in Zimbabwe, and we will meet with those partners and establish some new relationships.  We will also create a video to report back to our congregation, and on Friday I will have the opportunity to speak to hundreds of women in a gathering.

     But here's the main reason I asked to make this journey - it's for the condition of my heart.  It's been far too long since I was exposed to Third World poverty.  About 6 years ago we took our daughters to the Dominican Republic.  Since then I have traveled exclusively around the First World, teaching workshops, etc.  My heart needs to be reminded of how about a billion people exist on one dollar a day or less.  I need to look into their eyes.  I need to feel some of their despair.  I need to be reminded of my responsibility to the under-resourced.  I need to be lifted by their faith against such daunting odds.

     So I won't be blogging for about 10 days.  When I return, I'll let you know how God moved inside my heart...

Brown Bag About Christmas

     Yesterday I had the joy of meeting over lunch with several area arts leaders to explore the challenge of planning Christmas services for this year.  The group ranged widely in terms of how far along we are - one lady from a local Lutheran church is already done with the planning for this year and starting on Christmas 2010!  (At that moment we all didn't like her very much, but we got over it...)  Others have not yet begun but are feeling the anxiety that we are halfway through September. Our team at Willow is making progress but not as far along as we'd like to be.  

     The best part of coming together is knowing we are not alone, and sharpening one another as we exchange ideas.  I walked away with some thoughts and possibilities I never would have received without the input of others in the group.  We come from all different kinds of churches - but everybody is doing something for Christmas! 

     If you are serving God at a church in a town anywhere, I urge you to consider building bridges to other arts leaders from other churches.  Even if just a few of you gather over lunch, I promise you good things will happen.

     Now I have to start loading the car to return my daughter to college - hopefully she won't bring as much as she did freshman year!!!

Inspired By Whitney Houston

     Last night I watched my recording of the Oprah interview with Whitney Houston. There's something incredibly powerful about seeing a person come back to life, abandon her destructive path, and reclaim her gift and personal dignity.  Whitney made several references to how God gave her the strength to leave her unfaithful husband and walk away from her daily drug habit. Her mother was a key influence for lifting her daughter out of the darkness.  In part two of the interview, Whitney sang from her new CD, and once again I heard "the voice."

     My older daughter was watching with me, and is completely unfamiliar with Whitney Houston because she has been out of the music industry for so long.  Houston's voice has been called a "national treasure" and many young singers modeled themselves after her.  When she began to sing, I realized how much of her gift is not only the voice, but the passion and storytelling in her eyes and expressions as she sings.  Whitney owns a song with every fiber of her being.

     Whether you are a fan of Whitney's music or not, it's almost impossible not to be rooting for her comeback - not just back to professional recording, but back to life, back to health, back to embracing her gifts and leaning into love.  I don't know how real her faith is, but it seems to be a vital ingredient to this resurrection - and she would say God was THE INGREDIENT.  Just when we think there is no hope, our God provides a way.  That is enough for me today...

First Things First

     This weekend we launched a new series at Willow Creek titled The Forgotten Way.  Bill Hybels was teaching about our pace of life, and what Jesus meant when He told us to seek Him first.  As part of the message, Bill did the demonstration many have done (did it start with Steven Covey or someone else?) with sand in a jar.  The idea is that we fill our lives too full and we can't fit everything in (the sand is overflowing). Then on top of all the regular commitments we all have, we try to add time with God, investment in family and friends, working out, etc.  However, if we start with an empty jar, and first put in the rocks of what we most want to prioritize, we can then fit in everything else (all the sand).  Don't know if that made sense - it's a lot easier to see done visually, which you can do if you watch Bill's message on the Willow website.

     So I started to reflect on whether I've got my rocks established first.  I admit that working out is one part of my schedule I simply won't miss.  It's built in first.  I'm also good with vacation and family time, planning those in advance.  My time with God is carved out in the mornings, but honestly it's sometimes more rushed than it should be.  I need to take another look at how I'm handling my mornings.

     How is the rhythm of your typical day, and are you putting First Things First?  What are you learning about intentionally managing your pace?  This is a battle for most of us, and I'd love to hear what you are discovering.

Christmas in September

     Today I'm heading into an all-day meeting to brainstorm further for Willow Creek's Christmas services.  I agreed a few weeks ago to serving as the Executive Producer for this year.  An innovative young team already prepared some great ideas and we have our theme - Emmanuel...God With Us.  We all love the theme, so now we have to figure out how to deliver the most moving possible gift to our people - helping them to actually sense the wonder that God came to our planet to be with us and if we will pay attention, we will see that He continues to be with us in very real ways.

     On a gorgeous September day, it seems a little odd to be thinking about Christmas.  But my guess is that church artists all over the world are either beginning to plan, already set, or feeling tremendous anxiety that they haven't yet started!  Those who hold the privilege of designing experiences for others to delight in next December must transport ourselves ahead and imagine how we can usher in the Christmas story of hope in new and fresh ways.

     I'd love to hear from anyone who finds yourself in similar meetings.  What are you hearing from God this year?  What kind of gift will you bring to your community?  It always helps to know that we are not alone...

LABOR DAY IN THE WINDY CITY

     Yesterday my husband and I celebrated our 29th anniversary, and decided to take the train to downtown Chicago.  It was a glorious day of perfect weather to have lunch and walk around.  This is the time of year when I can't imagine living anywhere else!  (talk to me again in mid-January...) 

     The city is all abuzz with the closing of part of Michigan Avenue for the grand opening of the Oprah show.  A huge stage was erected, and I don't even know what talent she has collected to join her, but it was fun to explore the area where technicians were setting up yesterday afternoon. The Windy City will be shown off to the world with another spectacular day of sunshine.

     So now it's back to the routine of work as we head into Fall.  Actually, I'm grateful for work, knowing how many folks are hunting for jobs right now.  God made us to work, to be purposeful and to make a contribution.  I have several relatives and friends who have been laid off, and I don't want to take employment for granted.  We're all hoping that we will see an economic recovery in the coming months.

     Blessings on you this Tuesday-after-Labor Day.  May you find all kinds of little reasons to be grateful, no matter your circumstances...

LABOR DAY IN THE WINDY CITY

Watching Old Videos

     I'm sitting with my daughter Samantha watching old family videos before she heads back to college - something she asked to do.  I can't believe how many little "productions" my husband and I experienced and recorded of our girls performing little plays.  It's incredibly revealing to see their personalities emerge, to recall their earliest discovery of gifts, and most of all, to see their relationship, squabbles and all.  

     It has been said that fourth grade may be the most telling year of our lives, forecasting much of who we will become.  We can search for clues from back when we were 10, for who God created us to be and what we most love to do.  All the clues my girls sent out in those early years had to do with telling stories, acting, singing, dancing, and creating.  Years later, their eyes still shine whenever they engage with the arts.  

     I told Samantha that I hope she has children someday who subject her to endless productions that she must watch - I will get such a kick out of that!  What a treasure to see them growing up, to go backwards in time, and to be reminded how very swiftly time is passing by.  I feel very, very blessed...