Basement Room

Basement Room 1
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

Welcome to our basement residence, complete with fabric walls and peicemeal carpet. We've made it home though, and hey, it's got cable. We took our rug and furniture from the storage room and made the basement room not so bad. It's complete with cinderblock walls and a working oil drum, neatly dressed with a Canadian flag. We were even able bring in our own bed. Hope you can stop by.

Basement Room 2
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

Basement Room 3
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

Basement Room 4
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

Life Goes On

Hey.. Life continues to be good for Lynnette and I. We continue to live in her parent's basement, which we've managed to make into a pretty nice little living space (let's just hope it doesn't flood). I will try and take some pics for everyone to see. As for Lynnette she is splitting her time between Ruby Tuesdays (waitress) and Curves for Women (fitness guru). I am continuing my pursuit of a Master's I am currently taking a class on the fine Wesleyan subject of holiness. I am right now reading Steve DeNeff's book "Holiness, Lies, and Videotape" (just kidding it's Whatever Became of Holiness). It's a little bit of a weird read because a lot of it has come up in his messages, so it's all a little familiar, which is a help to me since I usually have trouble wrapping my mind around these kinds of books (although I will say "Holiness for Ordinary People" by Drury was right up my alley and I still think it would be a best seller if it was titled Holiness for Dummies, but that's just me).

We should be sending in for my Green Card soon. Lynnette was getting some documents notarized today and so it should be good to go. Please pray that this process happens quickly. From they we will see. We will visit a church on Sunday near Detroit that is looking for a Youth Ministries Director. I don't know if it will lead to anything, but we'll see.

I guess that's it for now, thank you to all that have posted notes of encouragement, it's very soothing to know you have people that care about you out there.

Catch you on the flip.

So Here We Are

I would first like to thank evryone who wrote messages of encouragement on that last post. It's nice to hear good things said about Lynnette and I after hearing such negative things. To tell you the truth we really don't feel that bad. I mean yeah our confidence is shaken and I question whether I should be working with young people at all, but there's another confidence, I guess you can call it faith, that God IS is controll, and that God uses bad things for good reasons.

As for an update on us. We are living in Midland, MI with Lynnette's parents. We will most likely be here a while. The plan is (everybody always wants to know our "plan", well this is the closest thing we have):

Lynnette got a job at Ruby Tuesday's today. So she is going to work there. I am going to continue my Masters of Arts in Ministry with and Emphasis in Youth (I know it's long, but that's what they call it) from Indiana Weslyan University. I will also continue the application process for my "Green Card" (Work Authorization) so that I can get a job her in the good ol' U.S. of A. I will contact some District Superintendents to see if any postions are available. You see I would like to continue working with Jr. High students as a Jr. High Pastor, the problem is there are very few churches looking for that. Now if I wanted be a Worship/Youth/Janitor I think there are about 3 million Wesleyan churches looking for that. The other thing is that I don't want ministry to be a job. I worked at College Church for 4 years without ever getting paid before I was hired on. I did it because God led me there to do it. I feel God had led us to Traverse City, but since that hasn't happen I need to wait for God to lead us elsewhere. But we do need to make money to live, I will not take a position at a church just to make money, that is why I need my Green Card so that I can work wherever. If I'm just going to work for money I might as well work somewhere I actually want to be and find a ministry to volunteer in. Make sense.

Well that is the "plan". Sorry it's not better or more elaborate, but that's what we're donig for now. Please pray that God opens doors, or windows, or busts holes in walls or something like that. You all rock.

Our Story

Hey... To anyone that checks this sight, I'm sorry it's been a while since I've updated.. Over a month to be exact.. And a lot has happened, one thing being I haven't been around the internet for quiet some time...

As you have read Lynnette and I excepted a position in Traverse City, MI as Jr. High Pastor.. We went to camp in Houghton, NY with the teens in an effort to get to know them... To make a long story short, without my knowledge, camp really sucked.. Apparently some of the leaders to the trip got the entirely wrong impression of Lynnette and I...

I was called Sunday evening, with our trucked packed with all our belonging, by the Senior Pastor at the church we were headed to and told not to sign on the house we were to purchase the next day and come up for meetings.. These meetings were rough.. To explain I will tell one story, Larry (the High School Pastor at the church) had told the leaders that they need to have the girls in bed by Midnight, as students were getting sick and needed rest... Lynnette, trying to do this, went around after midnight tell girls "lights out" and asking girls to go to sleep... If you know Lynnette you know she wears glasses, she was not wearing her glasses as she did this.. She asked for lights out in a room that Deanne (Larry's wife and fellow Youth Pastor) was talking to some girls in... Lynnette, of course, did not know that Deanne was in the room..

An honest mistake, right? Well, I guess not, rather than talk to Lynnnette "hey, why did you do that?" Deanne and the other lady's on the trip along with Pastor Larry called together a meeting to say harsh things about Lynnette and myself, all derived from circumstances like the one described.. This meeting led to the phone call to myself, more meetings with the Senior Pastor, Youth Pastors and leaders involved... In the end the Senior Pastor decided it would be best that Lynnette and I not be offered the job there...

So here we are homeless and out of work... My belief in myself and the church is very shaken, but my belief in God has not changed, I know God will be glorified, even through this... I don't know what's going to happen next, our things are all in storage in Midland, MI and we are staying in Lynnette's parent's basement for the time being... Please pray for us that God will show us his will... I believe God had called us to Traverse City, but that calling was blocked... What this means I don't know and am trying to figure out.... Thanks for taking the time to read this.... It's a messed up world we live in and people all over the world are dying needless deaths, loosing a job and a house isn't the worst thing that could happen to us... To God Be The Glory

Camp Days

This week I have been spending my time split between Indiana North District Jr. High Camp and finalizing the purchase of a home. Let me tell you it's been a very interesting week. Camp has been going great and started out stressful with a lot of work on my part, but is starting to smooth out. I'm still finding out there is a lot of stuff to do to buy a home and get a home loan... But it will be worth it I think. Next week Lynnette and I go to came in Houghton, NY with New Hope church. After that we have a week to get moved then take a group of 8th graders from College Church to New York City. The next few week should prove to be some great ones. I hope to blog some of my experiences as they happen until then I hope all is well with anyone reading this.

New Address

For anyone that wants to know my new mailing address will be:

4820 Springbrook Dr.
Williamsburg, MI 49690

I will have a new e-mail soon, but I will keep my hotmail as well:

dave.mason@hotmail.com

I will post my new cell when I get it switched over... see ya

Last Call

Bodyshop
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

Tonight is my last Bodyshop. If you know me you know that Bodyshop has meant a lot to my life. I will miss this place very much, but it's not the place that I will miss the most but the people. The students and the sponsors that I've gotten to work with over the last few years are quite frankly the coolest people in the world.
I'm not sure what tonight will bring, I'm sure laughter and tears, this group has been a huge part of my life and it will be tough to leave behind.
But God has new adventures for me to take part in. New people to meet, new friends to be had. I look forward to what God has for Lynnette and I, and at the same time take a moment to remember the great times that I've had here.

If you have any Bodyshop memories you'd like to share I would love to hear them, please post them to this entry.

.....Goodbye Old Friend

Meet Noah

Noah
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

This is my youngest nephew Noah.. He's a really cool dude and I just thought that you'd like to meet him. He was born last year right around this time, soon enough to make it to his Uncle Dave's wedding. Just thought you'd like this pic.

Doesn't he kinda look like the Michelin Man?

Worship

Worship
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

The past few days I've had the opportunity to play bass for High School Camp in Fairmount, IN. Leading us in worship for the week is the good man Justin Johnson. I love the opportunity to lead worship with talented musicians like Justin. Not that God needs good musicians to worship, but I think it makes it so much easier to allow yourself to not focus on the act of playing and get past that to actually worshiping. The music becomes organic and a part of you as you play.

I don't know why this is or how even to explain it, except to say I will miss playing with Justin and the guys (Mark Shepherd, Geoff Buck, Caleb Swyers). At College Church I've had the priviledge to play with some amazing musician. But more than that they were all amazing worshipers. I will miss that. I hope I can find more musicians that love music and love Jesus to play with in Traverse City. Thank you to every one that has allowed me to worship with them at College Church you will be missed.

Traverse Home

Springbrook House
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

So this is the house we bid on... What that means to those of you (like me) that have never purchased a home is I act like I'm at a rummage sale and tell the person that the price they have on the item (a house) is too high and I'd like to purchase it for less. From what I understand then they tell me a price they would like to sell it for and we go back and forth until we reach a price we can both be satisfied with. Right now I'm sitting here waiting to see if the price get's accepted. The plan is to "close" (another home buying term meaning the final handshake) by July 24th and get in that week sometime.

The house does have 3 bedrooms, which means we should have plenty of room to have everyone over. The lot is 286 by 193, which, if I can figure out a way should be just big enough for homerun derby... sweet!!!

House or Home?

House
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

This weekend Lynnette and I will go to look at houses in Traverse City. I've never purchased a house before and honestly I'm a little scared, that's a lot of money to be purchasing one item. I don't like spending more than $10 on a CD (which I need to soon to get the new MXPX disc). The home pictured here is one of a few we will be looking at. When we find one I will certainly put up more pics.
What makes a house a home anyway?

The Weekend

This weekend was a great one for me... It started with a Friday of enjoyment with Dave Zigler and Brandon Schenck. We were supposed to be taking a group of Jr. High Boys into the woods to teach them what it means to be a man of God, but the trip got cancelled due to lack of interest. Instead Brandon, Zig and I ate some burgers and brats and played a some Home Run Derby, which I of course won 9-5-2..

Saturday was spent with more great friends of ours.. Lynnette and I spent the day up at Darren and Nancy Campbell's lake house on Lake Tippy.. This was a fun filled day of Jet Skiing, Tubing and Skiing.. A lot of fun and another great day...

Sunday was another beautiful day with much fun being had.. Now it's Monday and I'm on my way to "hit the back nine" with Jeremy Summers, this should be another adventure into the world of golf..

I can't say that I will actually miss the city of Marion itself, but I sure will miss all the great people here.. Thanks everyone..

City By The Bay

Traverse
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

To let all know.. Lynnette and I will soon be living in Traverse City, MI. The beautiful city by the bay in Northern Michigan. Also home of the Cherry Festival and most recent home town of Sam Bills himself.

We've accepted a job at New Hope Community Church as Jr. High Pastor. It should prove to be a great experience and a fun place to adventure. I hope to have many visitors and great times with all. Continue to pray for us as we take this leap into a new world.

The Run is Over

It's official... Lynnette and I are now leaving Marion, IN. It's a very sad thought to be leaving behind a church and a place that has become home to me over the past 9 years. I know most of my friends left Marion shortly after graduation, but I stayed a little while longer. 5 years to be exact.

It's been a great ride and I'm glad that Marion has been a part of my life here. I've met many friends, and had many adventures in the place. I've also grown a lot and learned about who I am. I will miss you Marion, IN I will think of you kindly... thanks for the memories.

The Office

dave2
Originally uploaded by Babymase.

So this is my office, at least it's my office at this moment... As you may already know Lynnette was let go by College Church and after much prayer and seeking of counsel we decided to resign from our postition here. Many ask where we're going next, supposing that we would have a plan before we up and leave our jobs, but that is not the case. We simply feel that God has released us from this place and has another place for us to serve him, even though we don't know where that place is as of yet.. There are a few possibilities and we are exploring them, God will reveal where he wants us in his time, until then continue to pray that God will lead and direct our path..

As for this office, it's been a great office. The color red really spiced up your days and working on a mac is always a fun experience.. The best part of this office is the people I've shared it with, first with Sam Bills and Darren Campbell two remarkable men of God who inspire me to be a better person and now with Jeremy and Andrea Summer, two more great people who've shown me what a Christian marriage and family that is serving in ministry can look like.. This is also the office where I started my relationship with my beautiful wife Lynnette, she worked a few feet on the other side of the wall from me, what a beautiful woman, coming to work, not knowing that she will be here is the saddest thing in my days right now, but knowing that she will be at home when I get there continues to bring joy to my moments.

Here Goes Nothin'

Well, I don't supose anyone will read this as I have yet to mention to anyone that I am starting a blog.. To be honest I'm still not quite sure what a blog is, anyways.. From what I understand it's a way to tell people about what I'm up to.. Seeing as I have recently resigned from my position at College Church and am currently looking for a new position, this could be a time that might be interesting to read about. So this is what this blog will be about, just telling anyone that wants to know, what my wife and I are up to. Hope it is fun for you.