Mourning

So...

I read a couple articles that got me to thinking.

One was about an eighth grader who was shot and killed by police while he was at school. The article was really one sided. They portrayed the kid as a good kid who was doing well and the parents couldn't understand why the police would use such brutal force to stop this poor kid. This poor kid had gone into school punched a kid in the face and pulled a gun. The police confronted the kid and he refused to drop the gun, it turns out it was a pellet gun, so they shot him 3 times and killed him.

My first reaction was the police were justified because he was a threat to everyone. Plus it is difficult to tell it was a pellet gun. The police had to make a decision on the spot. Here take a look. Can you tell which one is a pellet gun and which one is a real gun? So I just knew I was on the cop's side on this one. Btw...the the kid's pellet gun is on the left.

The second story is about a woman who went to have an abortion. She was having twins and one of them had a heart defect so the doctors said she should abort the child. She agreed but they aborted the wrong one. Then they had to do a C-section to remove the other. So this woman lost both of her children. This article was also written with a bias. It was written as such a terrible tragedy. The doctors made a huge mistake and this family is devastated. Me? I was angry, my first thought was what is going on here. How could the doctors do such an awful thing?

Then I heard the story of a 15 year old girl who was being "bullied" by other kids at school and on Face Book. She was so distraught that she wrote a suicide note and stepped in front of a bus. The article said she killed herself because she was bullied. They actually said the cause of her death was the bullying.

These three articles got me to thinking. And here is the conclusion I came to. It is our fault. We as a society have devalued human life. I didn't mourn for an eight grader who was so messed up he took a pellet gun to school. I could only think it was his own fault. That his life meant nothing.

Women get "legal" abortions all the time. We as a society don't value human life. I know some will say that it isn't a life yet. That it's just a piece of tissue. If that's the case then why are we upset that this woman lost both pieces of tissue. We are upset because the doctors made a mistake by killing the wrong "CHILD." We should be upset that we as a society don't care about human life.

And this 15 year old didn't kill herself because she was bullied. She killed herself because we as a society taught her that human life isn't important. If we tell her that an eight grader deserves to die and a child with a heart defect deserves to die then how can she ever know how important her own life is?

I know I've stepped on a lot of toes. That was not my intention. This is something that I have been struggling with for the last couple of days. So today I will mourn for and eighth grader who died when he didn't have to, I will mourn for Two children who died when they didn't have to, I will mourn a 15 year old girl who stepped in front of a bus and died when she didn't have to and I will mourn for all of as we have all allowed this to happen right in front of our eyes and have done nothing about it.

Robert

2012

CREWS FAMILY 2011
Beginnings and Endings…
I don’t know about you but 2011 has moved at lightning speed for us. This year had some major, life changing moments, some good, some not so good. It is a year we will always remember for many different reasons.

The year began with Robert and I signing up for the World Perspectives class offered at Church. A mind and heart altering class, to be sure. We found ourselves pushed beyond what we thought we could handle both in stacks of homework and papers but in our understanding of God’s plan for us, for all of us.
Liz was part of a short-term mission team that went to Toronto, Canada to work with Churchill Meadows Christian Church. It was a great time of learning about the cultural diversity in Canada. We spent time with a Polish Church plant, Portuguese start up church, and of course Churchill Meadows.
Then later that summer, Robert and Liz returned at Churchill Meadows request for Robert to perform some gospel illusions for a youth camp there and a little R & R for the two of them. Robert did an incredible job sharing the gospel through his sleight of hand and speaking skills. The adults were just as captivated as the kids.
We then moved into full wedding mode. Wayne married his beautiful bride Jamie November 5th, 2011 on an incredibly lovely day sandwiched between 2 days of pouring rain. The outdoor wedding was gorgeous, as were the bride and groom. Kathryn was promoted at Kohl’s to the store admin and truly loves her job. They count on her for so much and she loves the responsibility. Shelby has been studying, taking her SAT’s and applying at colleges; deciding where she will study Youth Ministry. Our children are all moving into the next season of their lives.

Among these unbelievable joys we have experienced, there have been some sad and heavier moments to deal with as well. Our sweet dog Ginger, we have had as a member of our family over 5 years got out of our backyard and ran away. She has not been found. We were and still are devastated, especially 2 days before the wedding. Our other dog, Toby, who ran away with her was located and returned to us. He was pretty shaken up and he still misses his best friend deeply; as we all do.
That same day, 2 days prior to the wedding, I received word that my former boss passed away. Gary was a kind, generous, funny man both Robert and I got to know well. He allowed us many opportunities to share Christ with him. Gary was Jewish, but questioned so much in his life. He was honest and direct and asked tough questions. He and Robert had many conversations about who Christ is. We spent lots of time sharing with him and encouraging him to question and seek who God is and what He did for him. It is difficult not knowing what was in his heart before he met with Christ, but we continue praying for his family as they grieve; he will truly be missed. Then, December 12, 2011 our Uncle David passed away of lung failure; an unexpected shock for the family, especially for his beloved wife Catherine. They were in love, true love and best friends.
Of course with Life’s ups and downs, it continues to march on…2012 looks to be a year of change and movement for the Crews’. As our kids are settling into the next period of their lives, we are getting ready for ours. We are preparing to move to Arizona at the end of 2012. The time has come for us to hand our lives completely over and take our next step. We are settling our kids into their lives, college, and packing (or getting rid of) our belongings and going. In this time, would you please pray for our family? Your prayers have sustained us through many difficult and tumultuous seasons and we are beyond grateful. There is much more news to come so stay tuned as we take the next Leap of Faith!

May God’s love bring you and yours peace, love and joy in the New Year!

Robert and Liz Crews

Merry Christmas

Thanks Ken!

Last week Steve Jobs died because of cancer. He touched people all over the world. Newspapers, blogs, Twitter, Facebook and any other social media you can think of was abuzz. They all hailed him as a great innovator, as an amazing inventor. Really. I read one guy's FB post comparing him to Albert Einstein. I think there are a lot of people who idolized him.
No disrespect intended but he wasn't the only person who died.

Today I found out a great man died. Ken Jones.
There wont be all the news headlines. There should.
Twitter and Facebook won't be abuzz. They should.
People all over the world will never know who Ken was or what he meant to a bunch of kids on the San Carlos Apache Reservation. They should.
You see Ken was on the Board of Directors for Arizona Reservation Ministries. He also volunteered his time on the Rez. He also loved the Apache people. He made a difference for the kids on the Rez. He made a difference for the adults on the Rez. But most importantly, He made a difference for the Kingdom!
No, you won't see or hear CNN or Fox News or any other news organization speak of Ken Jones. They won't broadcast a picture showing him surrounded by a bunch of kids.
This world lost a wonderful man, a kind man, an inspiration.
Right now Ken is walking with the Lord. There is no more pain.
I know when he stood before the Lord, He said to Ken, "Well done my good and faithful servant."
By the way, that is better than any news article/story/post from anyone.
I will miss Ken Jones, but I will see him again.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.
Please pray for his wife Frances.

In Him,
Robert

The Center of the Falls

As most of you know I was fortunate and blessed to travel to Canada twice this summer. The first was a planned, intentional trip to Mississauga, Canada to work with Impact Canada’s flagship plant, Churchill Meadows Christian Church in May. We attended and helped with 2 weekend services, delivered door to door thousands (OK maybe hundreds) of flyer's for a community BBQ, visited and experienced a Buddhist temple, a Hindu temple and a mosque. We also got to do a couple of “touristy” things like going to the top of the CN Tower and visit Niagara Falls.
Niagara Falls was a “bucket list” item for me. I was so excited to get out of the car and run to see it! (Yes, the team kept looking at me strangely) They were more than I imagined, God’s handiwork could not be questioned standing in front of this marvel! As I peered over the railing, a small boat was heading to the middle of the Horseshoe Falls. For those who have not been there, the Horseshoe is named appropriately. The falls on the Canadian side are shaped like a horseshoe. You can walk along one side of it, but the center and other side are not accessible by land. This small boat, the Maid of the Mist, was headed into the center of the horseshoe. It sat there fighting the raging waters swirling in the center, the massive mist that covered the view of the falls from time to time with its power, battling to stay in the center. I looked at our team and said “let’s go!” Well, we didn’t make it that day on the boat but that was OK, God was using us all in incredible ways, and I did get to see the falls.
Then in August, through countless blessings and generosity of loved ones, Robert and I went to Canada to work with Churchill Meadows. They had been looking for a magician for their summer Quest camp for kids, and I mentioned my husband does that. We spent 5 unforgettable days in Canada, sharing at Churchill Meadows and having some true quality time alone together we have not had before. Robert had been to Canada before, but not to Niagara Falls.Before we went, I asked if he would be interested in going on the Maid of the Mist the day we planned on seeing Niagara Falls. He had a very enthusiastic, YES!
Just like me, he was excited, overjoyed and in awe of the sight God placed before us. We enjoyed the view, and then headed to the dock of the Maid of the Mist. We could hardly contain ourselves as we slipped on our blue rain coats and waited to board. We made our way to the very front, top deck of the boat, on the railing not wanting to miss anything. The boat went to the American falls first and stopped for a few minutes as we were sprayed with water and loving the view so close to the waterfall. The boat slowly turned and headed toward the Horseshoe Falls. We raised the hood on our blue rain coat and held on as the plastic coats whipped in the wind. The closer we got to the center, the current was rougher, the wind stronger, the water poured on us, not mist, full on water pouring so hard I had to fight to keep my eyes open. But I fought; I did not want to miss a thing. The beauty was incredible and indescribable, to experience it all around you, everywhere you looked. We were surrounded by God's power and beauty.

Have you ever been in the center of God’s will? Are we living in the calm of our lives, watching from the sidelines saying wow, this is great. I am here looking in and I am safe right where I am. I have a great view from here God; I don’t need to move any closer. I don’t need to go on that Mission trip, I can pray from here. I don’t need to share with my non-Christian friends; they already know where I stand. When I first felt a tug to step out and truly give everything up for Him, I fought it. Guess what, when I started to give into the idea, moving into His will and not mine own, I entered a storm. It wasn’t a calm step; here I am Lord now it’s easy from here. It is tough, it is difficult, it is challenging and taxing and I felt like giving up. I questioned whether I really wanted to do this? Like the small boat fighting the currents and wind in the center of the falls, I feel like that boat some days. Struggling for the center, fighting against the waves; but I am actually fighting myself, my desires, my selfishness. My desire is to be in the center of God’s will for me, wherever that may be. It may be rough, it may be difficult, dangerous, completely not what I had planned, but I want to be in the center!