Author: Jason Morris

Are You Crazy?

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As the day of our second child’s arrival draws near, we have had many people ask what our plans are after we return home.

So, I thought I’d take a moment and briefly share our plan.

Over the past three years, we have been blessed by Center Chapel. They have allowed me to work from home. This has given me the opportunity to be with Sammie and “raise” her. It has been awesome and we have definitely seen the benefits of this situation.

With a second child on the way, we have realized that it is fairly unrealistic for me to “work” and watch both of the girls. We looked at our financial picture and determined that we could live off of my salary and Emily can stay home with the girls…which is something she desires to do.

So, officially Emily will be taking a leave of absence through the end of the school year. At that time, we will re-evaluate our situation to fully determine if we can make this a reality. We don’t foresee any problems, but we want to keep our options open. So, most likely Emily will officially resign in the summer of 2010.

If Emily were to return to work, half of her salary would be tied up in childcare costs. And, truth be told, we strongly desire to raise our own children. God has blessed us with the ability to do that. We have chosen a lifestyle that permits us to make these kinds of changes. Some choose to live in a way where both spouses have to work in order to pay the mortgage, make the car payments, and so on. I’m not downing that…after all, it is the American dream to have every thing we desire. However, we have chosen to live differently. We live in a nice house…but it’s not fancy. We live in a decent pocket of a below average neighborhood. We drive older cars that are completely paid for. And, we can live off of my modest salary (just to be honest…after 5 years in Muncie, I still make less than I did in Elkhart…obviously we’re not in this for the money…and I think God has blessed that).

Some think we’re crazy. We’ve heard the argument that, “in this economy, you just don’t know what can happen…so shouldn’t you both continue working?” We’ve heard the cautious, “Well, I hope it all works out and you can feed your children.” We have also heard some say, “Oh, we wish we could do that.” My response is that you can if you truly want to…if both have to work…you are probably living beyond your means. Emily’s cousin Bob once said to her that it’s always wise to live off of one salary…just in case something were to happen you wouldn’t be in over your head.

We aren’t entering into this on a whim. We have prayed about it. We have practiced living off of one salary. We have built up our savings to provide in the case of an emergency. We have seen God faithfully provide for us. We are stepping out in faith. We believe that God has called us to live differently. We believe that God has called us to demonstrate that there are different possibilities out there. We believe that God will sufficiently provide for our needs. We believe that this is what God desires for our family.

So, that’s our plan. You may think we’re crazy…and that’s okay…we probably think you are crazy! Just kidding…well, kind of!

Are You Groovy?

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My favorite line from the U2 article in the latest Rolling Stone is a quote from Bono:

“Look, sometimes our audience isn’t as groovy as we’d like. “

As I read that line, I found myself thinking, “Yeah, I understand.” From my days playing with various ensembles, bands, and artists to my days in the realm of speaking & preaching, I’ve had my fair share of times feeling that the “audience isn’t as groovy” as I’d like.

Sometimes that is an indicator of the audience’s lack of ability to groove. Sometimes it is an indication that the performer just isn’t connecting with the audience. So, who needs to take the responsibility when the groove isn’t there? Can one place the blame on the other…or do we all share the blame?

I believe the groove is important because that is where the performer connects with the audience. There is something transcendent when the performer and the audience find the groove. There is a unity between the artist and the observer that goes beyond explanation. The lines of distance between the performer and the audience begin to disappear. The performer and the audience mold into one.

If you’ve ever experienced the groove, you know what I’m writing about. In the midst of experiencing the groove, one attempts to hold on…to lock-into the moment. After one experiences the groove, he or she begins to once again search for another encounter with the groove. You may have experienced the groove at a concert, a spoken word event, a worship gathering, a drum circle, a dance recital, a conversation. The groove is happening..the groove is out there…waiting for others to participate.

The article goes on to point out that American audiences tend to be a little “less groovy” compared to others.

Are you in the groove? Are you a hinderance to the groove (if you clap on 1 & 3, you probably aren’t in the groove)? Are you seeking to participate in the groove? Or are you simply “less groovy” and have given up all hope of experiencing the groove?

8 or 9 days

/ Jason Morris / 1 Comment

The day of our new daughter’s arrival is drawing closer. October 12th is quickly approaching. We are excited, anxious, hopeful, nervous, joy-filled, and all of the various feelings and emotions that come with bringing a new life into the world. This pregnancy has been a bit more difficult for Emily. The journey has been more eventful than our first. However, Samantha’s delivery was pretty nerve-racking. We’re praying that all will go well with number two!

The past few weeks, we have been trying to spend special time with Samantha…these are the last days of our family being three humans and one cat. We have had some pretty awesome moments with Sammie. These are some “precious moments” for our current family structure. We’re doing some small things to help Sammie feel special.

Today, we took her to the ridiculously disappointing Ball State homecoming football game. However, she had a blast. This was her first football game…and she loved it. She cheered. She danced. She ate hot dogs, pretzels, and a rice krispie treat from a not-so-random tailgating crew (thanks Cooper family! Sammie devoured the thing when we got into the stadium). When we decided to leave (for some reason, the pregnant lady was not comfortable), Sammie was greatly disappointed…not to the point where she threw a fit…but she just kept saying, “I don’t want to go.” Sammie and I will probably hit one of the next home games.

For those of you who are of the praying-kind, we would greatly appreciate your prayers for Emily and the baby. If you’re not the praying-kind, and in all seriousness, your positive thoughts and energy are greatly appreciated. The next 8-9 days are going to be pretty crazy. Not only are we getting things ready at the house, Emily is wrapping things up at school (she will be staying home through the end of the school year…and potentially beyond). I have a week full of meetings, Bible studies, roasts, rehearsals, and a couple of days in Delaware, OH for a class. We eagerly anticipate the arrival of our new daughter (we do have a first name…no middle name…I’ll reveal the name soon).

Twitter???

/ Jason Morris / 1 Comment

I just don’t know about twitter. I’m going to give it a shot…follow some friends…maybe post some tweets from time to time.

Maybe I’m showing my age, but…do I really care to post what I’m doing all the time throughout the day? Do I truly care to find out what others are doing all the time throughout the day?

This is a new technology that many are utilizing to stay connected.

After listening to Mark Beeson talk about the importance of connecting with people (after all, that’s the business we’re in), I decided to give it shot. We’ll see…maybe it will last a week or a lifetime.

So, I’m up…follow me if you’d like…Jason Morris on Twitter.