Post #2 A continuation of what I wrote last night.

I was going to try and write again last night, but I was so tired. I also need to make you aware I wrote the OK tornado happened in 1995, but it was 1999. I was not in college in 1999. I was actually finishing college when that storm came. Why is there always a storm when I am ending my college careers?!

I am writing about two more beautiful things that have happened in the last two days that I wanted a separate post for, and I did not get pictures of either of these moments either. I was just completely lost and absorbed in these holy moments.

My friend, Sharilyn Born Jeffreys, came by to see me the other day and I had no idea she was coming by. It was the best surprise; one I wish my family was still in town for—they left an hour before she came. We talked, hugged, and remembered all the amazing times we have had together. Life has hit us both pretty hard and we still believe love and life are the only way to live.

Sharilyn is one of my friends who went with me to the Moxie Matters Tour at SMU in 2017. It was for my 40th birthday and two of my faves came with me—this was a gift from my mother. This is where I discovered Wilshire Baptist Church. SMU is also where Perkins is located. Jen Hatmaker, one of the leaders of the Tour, is the one who led me to search for a church that believed in justice on this earth—not just in some faraway place no one actually knows anything about. I went to her church twice but decided 4-5 hours EACH WAY is too long of a drive to attend church. Dallas can do better than what is currently available. Thank God Wilshire showed up and was only 30 minutes away. That was the best birthday gift of all. All of these pieces coming together is so wild and why I know there is something bigger than what we can see happening. Seek and ye shall find. Matt 7:7

I love my friend Sharilyn. This gift of her friendship has never been lost on me, but it is even more beautiful now. Going through fire reveals what will shine and not be consumed. Our friendship is one of those.

The other is my friend Danielle Otenti. I went to dinner with her early on when the storm was not even close to being over. We had an incredible conversation and it just made me realize that the relationships I have built all along are solid and real. Showing up when things feel so dicey (Jesus knows this feeling too) is what real love feels like. Love is here for all of it. Danielle is one of those friends who shows up. I am grateful. I love you, Danielle.

Yesterday she took me to lunch at my favorite spot that I used to eat at quite often after my former church let out. It was a joy to eat my favorite dish again and talk to one of my dearest friends on this planet. She knows a thing or two about pain—not just how to survive but also how to thrive. Love is all around us if we pay attention.

Since I did not take a recent pic with my two dearests, I will post the most recent pics I have with them. Thank you, friends. I will call you every time I come back in town. You have made a difference in our lives and we are so much better for knowing and being loved by you.

I included my favorite pics of Kimbo and Emily, Sharilyn’s daughter. These two lost their soccer team together but found their way—and even better—with Jake Bruehl playing on his 03 team. These are pics of both of them celebrating each other’s goals when they finally started finding their way on this older team. This team truly was the dream team. There will never be another like them. Grateful we got to experience that team. It is everything soccer can be.

Last official morning in my oasis. The place that held me when it all fell apart. It gave me space to listen, to pray, to put the pieces back together and live again. It has grown and changed with me through every trial and joyful experience that came from healing and growth.

I practiced my first in-person sermon out here. I practiced day and night bc I was so nervous. This space didn’t mind my overkill. The universe even gave me an example to set the scene for my sermon. Setting the scene was what I was critiqued on the most in my preaching class.

The scene: My frankincense and myrrh candle 🕯 I had lit to inspire me broke while I was stressing out about how to begin this sermon. My sermon was on the Woman who anointed Jesus in Mark 14. This is the story that followed me all throughout my seminary career. I began to freak out about this candle that broke bc wax was spilling everywhere, but then I stopped for a sec and realized it was illuminating the jar the woman broke in the story to pour perfume all over Jesus’ head. It was setting the scene for me! I thought my candle was being wasted, but it was helping me.

Yes, scientifically we can explain why the candle broke. But those are just facts. What about the timing and how it broke? Who says science doesn’t work with faith? Madeleine L’Engle used science in the stories she told. Science expands our understanding of God—Doesn’t eliminate it.

The candle was not wasted. I used the example it gave me in my sermon and kept the jar for a long time as a reminder of the great faith of this unnamed woman we are supposed to remember every time the gospel is preached. The smell lived on a long time even without the candle.

Look, a remnant of that candle still remains on the pergola table.

Nothing is ever wasted!

Love is never wasted. People may not understand love at first. It seems wasteful and unfamiliar and sometimes threatening. Jesus understands it. Jesus honors it. Love is generous right back. That is demonstrated in that story. Praise be to God.

Final reflection from the pergola. Love is growing. Not ending.

thebruehlsaremoving #sachse #18years #lovewashere #goinghome #nothingiswasted

I have so many calls to make about our moving. I want to share two of the calls I’ve made so far that have confirmed how much we have loved and been loved by all we’ve encountered during our time here in Sachse.

The first one I called is TruGreen. The woman on the other end did not know me but was empathetic bc we’ve been such longtime and loyal customers. Talking to her reminded me of 2016 when I was feeling really depressed about the state of our world (not to say I told you so, but I told you so 😅) and a TruGreen employee came to service our lawn. He stopped me when I was going to the mailbox to tell me how much enjoyed my dogs Gracie Lou and Angel Glory who watched him from the window. He told me they were such beautiful dogs and he enjoyed seeing them every time.
Then there was a time another TruGreen employee came to my house but our ground was too wet to service that day. He saw my “We Welcome Refugees” sign and asked me about it when I opened the door so he could tell me about my lawn. What happened next was not about the sign but telling me how tired he is. He isn’t treated like a human at work anymore (I get this on a much deeper level now). A computer system sets up his schedule and meeting the demands of an inhuman system is the expectation. Those 15 min he had alotted for my yard gave him a moment to breathe and feel like a human. I received his story. I still do.

My next call was with Pest Management. This one was personal. I know the person who calls me bc I talk to him every time. He is heartbroken we are leaving and going somewhere they can’t join us. A story comes to mind about this company too.

This is right before I heard Jonathan Martin speak at Jen Hatmaker’s church in 2017. This matters bc what he preached on, this experience played right into it. A service person came out to treat our pantry moths. He wanted to see Gracie Lou but only Angel Glory would give him the time of day 😂. But in that time he was petting my Angel (May her memory be a blessing) this man starts telling me a powerful story about Nine Inch Nails and Johnny Cash and the song “Hurt.” I’m not sure what made him tell me this story but it was a transcendent moment—a moment I knew something was happening beyond what I could see or ever describe. I wrote a blog post about it bc it was so wild. This serviceman told me the dark and the light need each other. Pest Management delivering a word to me. JC and NIN could not be more different, but they granted JC the rights to their song “Hurt” after having turned down so many other bands who wanted those rights. I’ll post the blog in my comments. But in this story there’s nails, a man with the initials JC, hurt, death, and new life.

It’s wild bc these stories happened at a time I wasn’t so sure about church anymore. The fact love showed up in ways I’d never think to look for in that way, makes me not fear the mass exodus happening from churches. God pursues us in the wilderness. Love always finds a way.

I share these stories bc they are deeply human and beautiful. We are living in a world that is making human connection seem bad and untrustworthy. It absolutely can be, but it’s still worth fighting for. It’s the only way to get home.

Grateful for these memories from TruGreen and Pest Management of Texas.

I’m including a note from TruGreen that Terry wrote a few years ago. He always said something encouraging. I can’t find the pic where he said: Nice Sign. He was referencing my “We Welcome Refugees” sign.