Travel | FFH

Sabbath

1 CommentApril 26, 2012

Six days ago I wrote to you from high above Mid-America on our way to the West Coast. Here I am again – Same 737 with the blue and orange seats, same flight attendant (Armando with the cool glasses), same playlist of timeless Any Grant songs, opposite flight path. It’s like the past six days didn’t even happen. Tomorrow we’ll wake up in our own beds in Mayberry and have cereal and toast like every other day. We’ll probably walk to town for lunch and at some point maybe take a bike ride. Then on Friday we’ll drive to the airport to do it again, this time Minnesota.

It’s not that simple though. Our family didn’t just check another road trip off of our list. We experienced new life in a place we’d never been. We immersed ourselves in the culture of the Silicon Valley, where only 5% of people go to church and where only half of those living there speak English at home. We made friends with the brave men and women who are laboring there, away from their families, to build a solid foundation for an influential Kingdom community, even amidst $3500 per month rent payments. We broke bread with a few special South African families and reminisced about the Cape Town summer. We listened to them talk and delighted ourselves in their accents. We played on the beach in Santa Cruz and saw the Otters play in Monterey. We visited some friends who we hadn’t spent real time with in nine years and it was like we’d never been apart, proving again that the Kingdom of Jehovah knows no boundaries in relationships. And over the weekend we led Jesus’ family into a time of worship, which included moments of sweet rest that they were so desperate for.

At the hotel, Oscar served us breakfast every morning. His oldest son will go to UCLA next year on a scholarship, his ten-year-old is in Mexico with his mother. He hopes to see him someday. Its a long story; it usually is. This Oscar knelt by our table, the same one we sat at everyday, and asked if we could be friends. I told him that we already are friends and we exchanged numbers. He hugged the kids and we said goodbye, hopefully not for good.

So much happens in a week, whether we’re travelers, or laborers at home. That’s why we have Sabbath – to reflect and process what just happened. Experience without reflection is worthless.

They just turned the lights off on the plane and my kids are transfixed by the glow of the laptop and an episode of the Backyardigans. Jennifer is chatting with the girl beside her and I’ve got a little time to think. We live in a time when we have to take Sabbath when we can get it. My heart is aching about something and hopefully, with the help of these old Amy Grant songs, I can figure it out in the darkness of the airplane.

Lead me on, the place where deliverance comforts the seeking,

Saved by love-
Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Family, Sabbath, Travel@10:38 am

Thirty Thousand Feet

1 CommentApril 20, 2012

This letter comes to you from thirty thousand feet above America’s Heartland. The kids and Jennifer are together in a row across the isle. I’m listening to songs on my iPad and trying to figure out when we were last in CA. It’s been a while. The clouds are stretching out in long billowy rows and we are chasing the sun to the coast. Almost everyone is on an electronic device (including my kids) and paying no attention to the beauty going by out the window.

I’m listening to a playlist of Amy Grant records and wishing that we’d been around the music scene when she was making those first ground-breaking records. But in 1982 I was eight, and all I could do was listen. We played a show with her five or six years ago in Houston and she was incredibly gracious. It’s weird to think that much of our success is because of her pressing forward into the unknown. She unknowingly created an entire industry. Then we got angry when she wanted to keep moving forward. Shame on us.

My friend Omar came over to the house yesterday morning to talk to the guys and I about the state of the Middle East. Omar is an American born Lebanese super hero who is a former Delta Force medic. He’s also an expert Bible teacher, a classically trained opera singer, a concert trumpet player, a practicing ER doc, a father of four, a husband of one, and an expert on end-times prophecy and all things Middle East. He also has great hair and a perfect tan. I’m a guy with a buzz cut who plays music.

People like Omar and Amy Grant make me feel silly for the relatively small life I lead. But this is what God gave me. I’m pretty sure Amy Grant didn’t set out to create a music genre and I know Omar didn’t plan to effect as many people as he has. They were just living out their journey and God did what He wanted.

As I ponder this I look across at the little boy who thinks I hung the moon. A while ago he and I were talking about God and how He’s all around, and we can sense Him and see what He does, but we can’t see Him. I told him how we don’t really know what God looks like. Then he says, “Daddy, you look like God.”

Heaven help me. How this boy sees me is going to shape how he sees the Living God for his entire life. That brings me back to reality and reminds me to journey well and not worry about changing the world. If, as I travel, God chooses to leave a world-changing wake behind me, that’s His choice.

For now , Lord, lead me on to the place where the river runs into your keeping.

Chasing the Son-
Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Family, Travel@1:12 am

Merridee’s Monday

1 CommentNovember 15, 2011

Hoosier Edition

I was planning to write this letter yesterday, but by the time afternoon came and I was alone I couldn’t muster up the energy to do it. We (FFH) spent this past weekend on tour in Indiana and it was more tiring than normal. The concerts were a lot of fun, but the weekend was grueling. Hutch and Sadie-Claire were with us this time along with the other guys in the band, our tour manager Ally, and my mom, who came to help with the kids. We were nine in all. Jennifer and I decided several years ago to take the kids along with us when we’re going to be gone for more than one night. They usually roll with it pretty well, but for whatever reason, they were more high maintenance this time than in the past. As I type I’m taking long breaks to think about them and what’s made parenting such a labor lately. A couple of my friends are feeling the same way. I guess it’s normal. I’ll brood on these thoughts and then all of a sudden Sadie will come dancing through the kitchen in her ballet outfit twirling like she’s on stage in front of thousands, or I’ll hear Hutch playing quietly in his room pretending to blow something up, and the heaviness will lift and I’ll remember to be thankful. Forgive me Father for loosing perspective.

As I spin the wedding band around on my finger I ponder the road we’ve walked to get here. It doesn’t feel like sixteen years since Jennifer and I were married. So much has happened that we’d have never expected. All of life is like that, that’s probably why Jesus told us to only consider today. Even our best laid plans for tomorrow can be thwarted in a heartbeat, or the absence of one…

Our shows this past Thursday and Friday were promoted by our friend Tom Roberts and his family. We first met them many years ago when we played at his church in Anderson IN. We remember it well because of the bright blue wall-to-wall carpet that blanketed the sanctuary. Tom later moved on from that church and booked us for concerts in other places. This past weekend he was joining FFH with CSI (Christian Services International) to bring awareness to the Bell family and their work with unseen children in Kenya. What most people didn’t know was that Tom and his family we’re dealing with unseen hurt of their own. This past summer, their son Jeff went to bed feeling a little sick and didn’t wake up. His brother discovered him in the morning and the family’s world was turned upside down. Things went from normal to tragic literally overnight. After the concert on Friday I spent a couple of minutes with the Roberts’ listening as they recounted what happened. The hurt was still fresh, still very near the surface. They remembered Jeff with joy though, and told me of miraculous things that happened as a result of Jeff’s passing. I marveled at their sprit and their faith as they laughed and cried at the same time. It’s amazing how joy and sorrow can fill up the same teardrop.

(As I’m getting ready to post and send this letter I receive an email from Tom…)

“Jeromy, I felt you really struggling with the loss of our son, Jeff. Believe me, it was a CRISIS of Faith! I was at a crossroads of Belief. Did I truly believe what God’s Word says? We have had many people come to us and say that they have never seen anyone with a faith as strong as ours going through something like this. This is what I know….it has nothing to do with us. Jesus is carrying us through this time. We would not make it otherwise. Nothing, absolutely nothing, has to do with our strength. Left to ourselves, we would have been a total wreck. One day I was talking with God about this so called strong “Faith”. He just reminded me of the story about Doubting Thomas… Remember this was after the resurrection of Jesus

(John 20:24-2924) Now Thomas, one of the Twelve, was not with the disciples when Jesus came. 25 So the other disciples told him, “We have seen the Lord!” But he said to them, “Unless I see the nail marks in his hands and put my finger where the nails were, and put my hand into his side, I will not believe.” 26 A week later his disciples were in the house again, and Thomas was with them. Though the doors were locked, Jesus came and stood among them and said, “Peace be with you!” 27 Then he said to Thomas, “Put your finger here; see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it into my side. Stop doubting and believe.” 28 Thomas said to him, “My Lord and my God!” 29 Then Jesus told him, “Because you have seen me, you have believed; blessed are those who have not seen and yet have believed.”

So God says to me, these small little trinkets of treasure that I have shown you the last few months to comfort you and to show you just a very small part of how I am using Jeff’s passing for my Glory….remind you of something Thomas? It is the one ………who never sees any fruit……..any sign that He is using a situation for His Glory……and still continues to hold on to the Faith……that is a strong Faith. Pause…………….He was right again as always. Tom

Have a peaceful week, one day at a time-
Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Family, Kids, Marriage, Travel@2:26 pm

Meridee’s Monday

6 CommentsJuly 6, 2010

You may or may not have caught my posting on Facebook this week asking for help with some mold questions. I was a little nondescript in the posting because we weren’t exactly sure what we were dealing with. We know a little more now. I’d like to share it with you and then tell you what this past weekend was like. To bring you up to speed, here is an email I sent to some of my church friends at the end of last week describing what is going on with our home…

For the past several years Jennifer and I have been patching and re-patching an annoying roof leak around our chimney. During the flood things got really messy and bucketfuls of water leaked into our bonus room. We were away at the time and our AC was off. When yet another contractor opened it up to find the source of the leak he discovered mold. When the mold “specialist” came to remove it last week he took a sample to have it tested. Turns out it’s a very toxic strain of black mold called Stachybotrys. It’s nasty stuff, causing all kinds of health problems with prolonged exposure.

Three nationally recognized and trusted mold experts told Jennifer and I yesterday that we CAN NOT go back home until the entire house is tested and every room containing traces of the mold is cleaned with a bio agent. Anything in that room will have to be either thrown away or bio-cleaned, whatever that means. Best-Case Scenario: it’s all contained in the bonus room and we can move back in as soon as the things from the bonus room are either throw away or deemed safe and the rest of the house is proven to be mold free. (The furniture and kids toys are being thrown away today) Worst-Case Scenario: The mold has traveled through the HVAC and has infected the whole house in which case we lose most everything. Chances are we will land somewhere between the two extremes. Either way, we can’t go home until we get the process going which Jennifer is beginning today with a Consumer Advocate mold specialist in Atlanta. He will be coming up to Franklin to head up the project.

Right now we are in St Louis at Jennifer’s family farm. This was a planned visit. I’m driving back down to Nashville tomorrow to get Fritz and lead worship at Fellowship for the weekend. I’ll stay at Brian and Jannell’s and will likely drive back up here and we will commute to our shows and to Nashville from St Louis at least for the next three weeks. Our Consumer Advocate told us that as soon as the house is assessed and tests are completed and results come back we will know the next step. It may mean renting a place in Nashville for a couple of months while we get this all sorted.

WISDOM is what we are asking you to pray for us to receive. WISDOM and PATIENCE to walk in step with Jesus as he opens and closes doors for us, and to not get ahead of ourselves but take it an hour at a time, reminding ourselves that “it’s just a house”, we’re safe, kids are healthy, etc.

Thanks for listening and thanks for caring.

The ten or so people I sent to message to were kind and generous in their responses, several offering their homes to me for the weekend while I traveled back to Franklin to lead worship. I was able to stay at Jennifer’s sisters place but the additional invitations were nice nonetheless.

It was strange to come home and not be able to really go home. Our mold adviser strongly discouraged us from even entering the house briefly so I just stopped over to get the dog and a few things from the garage and left. Fritz had been being let out by a friend for about a week and was so happy to see me that he peed. He and I went over to Jannell and Brian’s and got settled and then went to Merridee’s for a salad and then up Main Street to Starbucks.

Under normal circumstances this would be a night I’d look forward to, even if I were by myself. I was at my favorite bakery, having my favorite sandwich, walking to my coffee shop having my favorite drink. (Grande – Decaf – Mocha – Frappachino Light – With Extra Ice – In a Venti Cup – With Whip) But it wasn’t fun at all. It was depressing. I saw some friends and walked the other way. The whole weekend was like this. Same town, same car, same dog, but no Jennifer, no kids, no house. Everything was turned on it’s head. I know it’s “just a house” but it’s what happens there that is special. It’s where our life happens and I felt like an outsider not being able to go back.

The only time I felt normal all weekend was at Fellowship. The Body of Jesus really is a family and I felt at home when I was there. I only know a handful of people at Fellowship really well. Most are loose acquaintances and lots more I’ve never even met. None of that mattered. I was with family, I could tell in my spirit, and it felt good. Again God used something hard to show me something new.

Have a restful week. If you have any black mold experience we’d definitely appreciate hearing about it. Be safe –

Jeromy

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Church, Family, Friends, House, Kids, Mold, Travel@9:59 am

Mid-Week Wandering

6 CommentsMarch 3, 2010

It’s just the kids and me tonight. Jennifer is out with her sister Jannell for a special night alone before her baby comes. Jannell and Brian are expecting their second son in two years this month and instead of a shower Jennifer decided to take Jannell away for some quiet time. It’s been anything but quiet here. I took the kids to Toys R Us for something to do and they tried to loose me. They needed me for check-out though, so I got them back. Sadie-Claire skipped her nap and rode her scooter around the living room most of the afternoon and we watched the new Lego movie. We had freezer pizza and ice cream for dinner and now Hutch is begging me to play Legos with him.

I got a call tonight from Addison Road’s bus driver tonight. They are borrowing our bus for their tour while we are home for a while. Strangely enough, the call came right after I downloaded their album from iTunes. I didn’t realize that Jennifer’s favorite song (Hope Now) was theirs. We’ve been trying to figure out who recorded the song for a few weeks, catching only bits and pieces of it on the radio, where they never announce who the artist is that performs the song. I got chills as I downloaded the song. Then their driver called to ask me how to get the bus generator started and the chills went away. Addison Road’s has had as many problems with the bus in one week as we’ve had over the past year. Figures.

Hutch needs to get to bed so I’m gonna go. A lot went on this week that I need to tell you about but I need to get past it a bit before I can collect the thoughts. Remind me if I forget. Talk to you Monday if not sooner –

Jeromy Deibler

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Addison Road, Bus, Travel@10:30 pm

Meridee’s (Midway) Monday

2 CommentsJanuary 19, 2010

I would normally be at Merridee’s this morning but instead I’m at Midway Airport in Chicago, standing at gate B1, smelling the popcorn popping from across the building. We’ve been here this weekend for show. No pre-boarding today, the kids stayed in Franklin with family this weekend so we have to line up with the rest of the cattle. This was the first time Jennifer and I have gone away to play shows without them in over a year. When we returned home from Africa in 2007 we decided that, if and when we ever returned to turing, we’d make every effort to bring them with us and we have, until now. The kids’ cousin Elias was in town this weekend so we knew they’d much rather be home playing Wii than on another airplane so we decided to let them stay. Jennifer is in the terminal toy store buying gifts for them, probably partly out of guilt because we miss them and also because this was a really nice break for us to be alone together.

In downtown Chicagao today the fog covered all the tops of towering buildings making them seem all the same height. Brian (our drummer and Jennifer’s sister’s husband) was in the backseat of the van taking a sales call about one of the cars he has in inventory, and as I drove through the city center I thought about how, even with the suffering in Haiti, everyone in Chicago still has to go to work. We all watch as networks broadcast the unimaginable scenes of devestation; orphans sleeping in the streets, people fighting over food, and yet we have to go on with life up here, life as normal. But everything that is usual for us seems so pointlees with the knowledge of such suffering happening simultanously. We do our best to help while we go through our normal motions, from celeberties organizing telethons, to $10 text donations, to church bake sales, but we can only do so much. After that all we can do is pray and remember. Remembering is important though. I think it’s written into the fabric of our beings. It’s why we remember Dr King, or the sufferings of the Holacost, Pearl Harbor, or the 9/11 attacks. It’s not just a wistful thought. It’s an acknowledgement that something happened then that effects us now, even at a distance, and will continue to effect the course of history.

One of the most striking interviews that I’ve watched during the Haiti coverage was with their President. Like most of the city’s buildings, his palace had collapsed and was unlivable. He said that he was trying to figure out, among other things, where he would sleep that night. In an instant he was like everyone else in the city… displaced, homeless, uncertain. Like the fog made everything the same height this morning, suffering levels the playing field. And as we pray for the Hatians and remember there need we are reminded that we are all small, all human, and all vonerable. And that gives birth to compassion and compassion give birth to action.

Jeromy Deibler (FFH)

Categories: BlogPosted Under: Martin Luther King Jr., Meridee's Monday, Travel@11:50 am