Remembering The Schenzels – I Can’t Find My Words So I Will Share Theirs

{photo via Hope Jewell}

Love.

It is something I have begged God to help me understand just how deep and wide and BIG His love for me is. You see, if I can just grasp, it will rescue me from fear, show me who really am and what true self worth is, and connect me to my sweet Maker in the deepest of ways. I long to know and feel His love in deeper and deeper ways.

God is granting my request, but in His mysterious way, is doing it in a way I never dreamed He would. He has done it through tragedy.

I don’t understand His ways. But I do know that He is pure love and only good, so I trust His way.

I have experienced His promise of working all things for the good of those who love Him, even the most tragic of things. I’m seeing it right before my eyes, as I read story after story on a Facebook Memorial page dedicated to 2 of the most influential people I have ever met.

Ty & Terri Schenzel went to Heaven 2 weeks ago today. They died in a horrendous, fiery car accident, while on their way to a vacation with a younger couple they mentored.

Ty & Terri both had a huge impact on my life, in person when I was young and vulnerable. I just soaked up their love and words of wisdom. I recent years, I’ve soaked their love in via social media, especially Ty, who was such a cheerleader to me with all his “likes” and “hearts” and comments when I would post. I’ve wanted to share them with you all week, but have not been able to find my words, and still don’t have adequate words to do justice to the amazing people that they were.

Instead, I’m going to share photos, videos, links & quotes to give you a glimpse of what God’s love looks like when fully lived by His people. This post really is as much for me as it is for you, a place to come back to for words and resources from my sweet friends. It is a privilege to share them with you.

{photo via Hope Jewell}

{Ty & Terri in their own words}

{Their 4 Children Speak At The Funeral-so raw, beautiful.}

Ty & Terri were:

Hilariously Holy
Optimistically Open
Prayerful Pioneers
Exalted Everyone

{Pastor Murdoch’s Words From The Funeral}

………………..

MARRIAGE

Ty & Terri had the most beautiful marriage, and were more in love the day they died than they were the day they met. They left behind so much priceless marriage advice, and I am ingesting it all and finding myself so influenced by their words.

The following podcasts are so very good and capture the love they had for each other. I’ve listened to them twice and took notes the second time. Be sure to make time to listen to them, you won’t regret it.

{How they met, in their own words, and amazing marriage advice}

“‘You become what the most important person in your life thinks that you are. “At the end of Ty’s life, I want him to be able to say, ‘Terri was the greatest earthly blessing in my life – the best thing that ever happened to me – and that I’m a better man because of how she loved me. And that’s the goal that I live with every day. That’s how I want to love this man.‘”

-Loveumentary podcast episode 36.

{more marriage advice, part 2}

Hope Filled Marriage — This was Ty & Terri’s new venture. Encouraging other couples in their marriages through videos, a website, and workshops. Oh, how I wish I would have attended one! The videos alone are so great.

“Love is like a bank account. Every interaction you create is either a deposit or a withdrawal. If you keep making deposits, your love always overflows. You never go bankrupt.”

Videos on Marriage From Ty & Terri

“I think “BFF” means “Best Friends Forever”. When it comes to my marriage to the former Terri Alexander, she is for sure my best friend…forever.

How great is that?! My wife is my best friend. Like, I can’t get enough of hanging out with her. I’m pretty sure she feels the same way about me…at least I hope so.

When we’re together, which is a lot, we: laugh, eat, process our thoughts, feelings and emotions…go to movies, get a cone at McDonald’s, walk around at the mall, drive through neighborhoods looking at homes, eat, laugh, call our kids, work at the Hope Center, carpool as much as possible…to name a few.

With each passing year, our love, joy and friendship continues to grow and go deeper. I love my best friend the former Terri Alexander. I’ll love her forever…till the day I die…and when I get to Heaven and see her there, we’ll have forever to continue our friendship…because our friendship is forever.” –February 14, 2012 Ty Schnezel

……………….

TY SCHENZEL

The Hope Center -Ty was founding executive director, and a pastor in Omaha, NE

“Comma before the exclamation point” Ty Last Sermon at Waypoint Church

The graveside burial is a comma and not a period. For the believer, the lover of Jesus, this is not the end. This is not the ultimate, this is not the goodbye, this is the “we’ll see you” — eternally speaking — soon. The graveside, for the believer, is a comma before the exclamation point. / Pastor Ty #‎commanotaperiod

Ty’s Last Tweet

I want the gap between how much God loves and how much I experience His love to be narrowed. #Love — Ty Schenzel (@tyschenzel) August 17, 2015

Ty’s Book “A Thousand Screaming Mules: The Story of Stubborn Hope and One Dad’s Dream To Transform Kids’ Lives”

Wordz From The Hood — A weekly podcast hosted by Pastor Ty Schenzel and former Hope Center for Kids youth Frank Lucas, Wordz from the Hood hopes to provide a window into the heart of life in the inner city.

Ty’s Tumblr Blog

Step Up To Life Booklet – The Little Booklet That Led Ty To God

Ty Sermon Please Be Seated on 1 Thessalonians 1. His teaching was unbelievably moving! Watch it here…..He starts his teaching at 14:24.

“God loves me more than everyone else, not really, but kind of.” –Ty Schenzel

…………………

TERRI SCHENZEL

{Terri’s Favorite Song}

Top 10 Impacts Terri Had On My Life – a great post full of Terri’s words of wisdom

Terri’s Famous Spaghetti Sauce Recipe – just made this yesterday. Oh. My. It makes a ton and is simply delicious. I will be blogging about my experience soon!

Terri’s Blog

………………..

{A song played at the funeral, my new favorite. It is a beautiful reminder of how loved we are.

‘We Dance’ by Steffany Frizzell Gretzinger}

Ty & Terri’s Memorial –attended by 3,000 people in person, and at 7,000-8,000 more by satellite.

Ty & Terri’s Memorial Youtube Channel

Ty & Terri’s Memorial Facebook Page – thousands of stories and tributes made here. It’s been such a place of comfort reading about them!

Take The Baton T-Shirts – to benefit the Schenzel Family Legacy Fund – I’m ordering mine today!

Acts 20:24, “My life is worth nothing to me unless I use it for finishing the work assigned me by the Lord Jesus.” May the mantle Ty & Terri carried be passed down to many. With the mantle on our shoulders and their baton in hand, may this scripture describe us all.
– Pastor Lincoln Murdoch

………………

Thank you for taking the time to read about and learn about these super special people in my life.

I will see you again, Ty & Terri. Until them, thank you for living loved and sharing the love. Thank you for faithfully holding the baton. I will grasp it, hold on to it and always remember your example.

Oh…and Ty? God loves ME most, not really… but kind of.

Books/ Spiritual/ Sponsored

7 Ways To Journal & Why I Write VS Type

I am just coming out of a quiet season, one in which I have been extra reflective and purposeful in sorting out all that is going on in my heart and head. It has been a profitable time, a time of growth.

The joy of journaling has played a large role in this growth as I have used it to reflect on all this life brings, the good and the bad.

There are many reasons why I journal, here are just a few:

WHY I JOURNAL

~it shows glimpses of this precious thing called life, and captures moments while emotions are still fresh, real and pure.

~it helps me to put onto paper thoughts and emotions that can clutter my brain and make my perspective cloudy, which brings clarity. It keeps my brain sharp, helps me to retain information better, and the practice of writing makes me a better writer.

~it is a safe place. A place for inner words that are not ready to be introduced into the world yet.

~depending on the type of journal, it is also a place to leave a legacy and capture thoughts and words to share with generations to come

~it can record a journey. Where was I one year ago today? What were my thoughts & desires? How have I changed?

~A journal can create a place to look back and remember more hopeful times in the bad times. It also records hardships that have already been walked through and overcome, which in reading can bring hope.

Journals & diaries can be workshops for the soul, laboratories where we an investigate and examine our lives, our secrets, hurts, resentments, memories & joys.

Journals are records for the heart and mind. They chart the joys and sorrows of our daily lives, and, like a road map, they can direct us back to our hearts.

Journals are testaments of our lives that we live as fully and consciously as we can.

-Roseann Lloyd – Journey Notes

TYPES OF JOURNALS

If journaling intimidates you or just feels too big, know that it does not have to be an everyday thing. It also can be many words or just one word. There are so many ways to journal and types of journals. The key is to just write.

1. Fill in the blanks

I love these types of journals. I love having a question to stimulate my writing. I have given these types of journals as gifts to my mom and my grandmother, asking them to fill them out and give them back to me. They then become treasures.

2. Art journals

My youngest girl Avery started an art journal. She has the gift of drawing, painting, and taking bits of paper memorabilia and making it into beauty. She is pretty proud of her creation. Gel pens like the Uni-Ball® 307™ Gel Pens found at Office Depot are perfect for these types of journals, as they roll beautifully onto all types of paper– even glossy paper– skip-free and no smudge! They come in a variety of vibrant colors.

3. Thankful journals

There has been very few other practices I have done in my life that are as profitable as journaling my thankfulness. I started doing it with my 1,000 gifts series here on the blog, but this year I started journaling my thanks by hand, in a daily planner type journal. There is something beautiful that takes place when I sit with my thankful journal and pen & gain perspective of all the wonderfulness that happens, even on the most murky of days.

4. Inspirational journals

It is quite a practice to take quotes from inspirational type books or from scripture and apply it to oneself. Writing the inspirational quote or verse down then making it personal is something I enjoy doing. I will either substitute my name where applicable or ask, “What does this say about me?” “How do I apply this to my life?” and then journal it.

5. Nature journal

Go out in nature and journal what you see, hear, smell. Even just simply listing it creates a beautiful journal. You could also take photos and make a nature photo journal.

6. Calendar Journal

My great-grandmother kept a calendar journal. As her granddaughter, it was so precious to read through what everyday life was like through her calendar journals. She would jot down who she visited, what appointments were made, and what she did on certain days. Little daily glimpses of her life, which turned into a great big snapshot of my sweet grandparents and their life together for their grandchildren to enjoy.

7. Classic Journal

This is the type of journaling I do most often. Anything goes. Some days I write pages, some days just a paragraph. My classic journal is lined and contains lists, thoughts, reflections, verses of songs I want to remember & things I am learning. I make it a point to have no rules for myself, as there is no perfect way of journaling.

As you can see, there are so many different ways to express your emotions on paper…so explore them all!

TOOLS OF JOURNALING

~Journal

I am a big fan of Moleskine journals. They are well made, classic, I like that they look uniform on a shelf and will last for years to come. They come ruled, squared or plain. I prefer ruled as without it, my handwriting tends to slant down to the right.

~Pens

To me, the pen is just as important as the journal. I am a bit picky when it comes to the pens I use. They must feel right in my hand and allow me to write without thinking about the tool that I am using, which means it must flow freely & smoothly. I need a pen that inspires me to write. I have found just that in the uni-ball® AIR™ Rollerball Pen which can be found at Office Depot. It writes so smooth and at every angle. It gives a perfect fluid writing experience and the ink shows up nice and bold. It is elegant and sophisticated, and features exclusive uni Super Ink for three-way protection against water, fading and fraud.

~Coffee or Tea

Ok, ok, not a necessity for everyone, but it sure is for me. There is nothing like sitting down with a warm cup, my journal & my favorite pen to clear my head and help me to just exhale.

WHY WRITE VS TYPE

I’m sure you would have guessed that I am a nostalgic person, especially with the name of my blog being New Nostalgia. There is something so nostalgic about handwriting. I have cards with my great- grandmothers beautiful, loopy cursive writing that I have saved, not because of the card itself but because of how priceless it became once she wrote in the card by hand.

As a blogger, I do my share of typing. I even write a series to my girls called “Leaving a Legacy” which too, is quite nostalgic. But, I love that despite all my typing, they will also have plenty of journals with my handwriting in them. It makes it so much more personal. Think about it… would you rather have a typed list of things your mother or father were thankful for or would you like to see it in their own handwriting?

I also keep a recipe box with handwritten recipes, with key family recipes in it that are also hand written. I have hand written recipes from aunts, friends, my mom and grandma. I just love seeing all the different handwriting from those I love!

One last point, handwriting is something helps you retain what you are writing and can be quite therapeutic. Handwriting is the result of a singular movement of the body, typing is not. It takes movement, thought, fluidity, & pen to paper.

Ahhh…pen to paper. Even typing that makes me feel nostalgic & makes me crave a cup of tea!

——–

What about you?

Do you journal? Do you keep an online journal or a written journal? Do you still keep a handwritten recipe box? Do you like taking notes by typing or writing?

This is a sponsored conversation written by me on behalf of Uni Ball. The opinions and text are all mine.

5 Minute Fridays/ Spiritual

Being Found + 16 Of God’s Promises

Participating in 5 Minute Fridays. 5 minutes to write about one word. Unedited.
This week’s word: FIND
………………..
GO:

Seek me and you will find:

Peace

Hope

Goodness

Love

Clarity

Think this is too good to be true? It is not.

His promises reign true.

Are you in a season of hopelessness? Seek Him & Find Him. Allow Him to do what He does best, changing what was meant for harm to good.

Will He immediately change your circumstance? Will He immediately heal?

Sometimes. Most times, not immediately.

Most of the time healing is a process, and one that must be sought after with all that we are. Persevere my friend. Hang on.

God will be with you. He is found with promise after promise to work all things out for the good who love Him. Seek those promises, they will be a light for you in the dark, a hammock for you’re hurting heart.

Keep seeking. Keep looking for answers, for healing.

Know that our keeper sees you, knows you, and you are found.

STOP.

————-

16 of God’s Promises

{From God’s Promises For The Hungry Heart}

1. I can use evil things that happen to you to accomplish good things. Genesis 50:20

2. I will cause your life to draw others to Christ. Matthew 4:19

3. While you depend on Me, I get things done for you. Exodus 14:14

4. You can have My comfort and be satisfied. Matthew 5.4-6

5. I will never lie to you. I’ll make good what I say! Numbers 23:19

6. When you’re merciful – you’ll enjoy My mercy. Matthew 5:7

7. Trust Me. I keep my word. Forever. Deuteronomy 7:9

8. I have a reward for you in Heaven because you endured hard times here. Matthew 5:11

9. When you soak yourself in My Word, you’ll have success. Joshua 1:8

10. Put Me first – I will give you all your need. Matthew 6:33

11. You can be fearless in any situation because I’m with you. Joshua 1:9

12. I want to give you good things. Matthew 7:9-11

13. Every promise you find in My word will happen. Joshua 21:45

14. Do My will and you’ll go to heaven. Matthew 7:21

15. Share my love with others – I’ll reward you! Matthew 10:42

16. Give me your burdens and you’ll receive My rest. Matthew 11:28-30

5 Minute Fridays/ Cancer Journey/ HEALTH/ Spiritual

Health Is A Gift – 5 Minute Friday and A Health Update

Participating in 5 Minute Fridays. 5 minutes to write about one word. Unedited.
This week’s word: GIFT
………………..
GO:

Health is a gift.

On Tuesday I had a CT scan and a bone scan, as it had been 2 years and I have been having health problems.

On Wednesday I get the call that they saw no evidence of disease. Such a gift! I rejoice.

On June 17 I will meet with a Gastroenterologist and there will be more looking on the insides for answers. Oncologist tells me they have tests that can show what scans can miss, and maybe answer questions. Why weight loss? Why the daily nausea and digestive issues? I hope to get some answers.

Appetite is a gift.

Stomach growling is a gift.

Even weight gain is a gift when one sees the scale sliding down, down, down and has no idea why.

But here is where I really want to be.

I want to be in the place where all is a gift, embracing all that God has allowed to go through His hands and onto me, His child.

Even the hard stuff.

I’m not there yet…not even close.

When cancer treatment caused the symptoms, I was closer, as symptoms were expected and let up in time.

In this unexpected and unknown, it has been harder.

I want easy and let’s get real honest, I want perfect. I fight perfectionism, a battle that has crept back up.

I am being stripped of perceived perfect and that is a gift.

I feel like I’m flailing and falling through this life of nausea, just wanting stillness.

And the I get a glimpse, on Wednesday, when girlfriends surround and make a cross on my forehead with anointing oil and pray to our great God for answers and healing and ultimately, His will– whatever that might be.

With hands laid, prayers lifted, a breeze coming through the open window and robins chirping, I find not what I want, which is health, but what I need.

The gift of stillness.

STOP.

…………….

Be still and know that I am God. Psalm 46:10

Cancer Journey/ HEALTH/ Music Renews/ Spiritual

A Health Update & The Best Girlfriends

I have this special group of girlfriends. We are not able to get together as a whole very often, but when we do–world watch out! We wine, dine & “go there,” opening up our worlds and hearts to each other, knowing it is one of the safest places to do so.

Because we are not able to get together often, much of this opening of hearts and worlds happens in a Facebook group that we have formed. It is the place of many smiles and inside jokes, but most often it is the place where we place our prayer requests.

After I wrote this health update, I let my sweet group of friends know about it and asked them to pray for me. For some reason it took me longer than usual to update them. I’ve been quiet, a bit withdrawn. I blame nausea for this. When it lasts at least half the day, it seems to take me the rest of the day to recover emotionally, and then it starts over the next day. So, it has made me quiet. And tired. I spin my wheels trying to keep up with life, most of the time in a weird spot of wanting to be busy but being so very tired from just putting one foot in front of the other and a smile on, yet, busyness has brought relief. My girls keep me busy and driving them around is about the only thing that feels normal right now as my body sure doesn’t. And since I’m being honest I suppose it took me a bit to ask for prayer as there is a part of me that is not just physically tired but also tired of being the ‘sick girl.’

I want to be well and strong and happy and fun!

Sometimes life has other plans and they are not fun.

But here is the deal. God shows up even in the ‘not fun.’ He does. I’m in the middle of typing this not-so-fun post and my Facebook messenger dings and it is one of my girlfriends from the said Facebook group, who has been praying for a job but that prayer is not yet answered so she has time and wants to be with me during my upcoming scans. This is the first time I have not asked anyone to come with me. I am not sure why, it’s just that ‘quiet’ thing I guess. This new ‘a-bit-withdrawn’ me. Not really knowing what I need or will want moment-by-moment but God sure does. I’m not sure if we can work it out for her to be there, but just knowing she was willing was a God-kiss for me.

The responses I got from my sweet friends in my Facebook group were so dear. One tells me she is “praying peace over and around” me. Another sent me the song I post below that just soothed me and was what I needed to hear. It really hit me while listening to it how I’ve been consumed with trying to solve the mystery of my health, trying to figure out why I have been feeling so sick, instead of just resting and trusting. I confessed my anxiety to the group and she also reminded me to hold every thought captive & worship, worship, worship our God. What better advice could one give? I needed it and my heart received it. Such sweet love.

By the time I finished this post my sweet friend group offered to come by an evening this week to pray for me, led by one who told me she has been praying Luke 7:50 at 7:50 a.m. for me every morning since writing my last ‘health update’ post. Yeah, overwhelming love.

+++++++

So scans. It has been 2 years and my Oncologist wants to look inside and make sure we are not missing anything with my new symptoms of nausea, weight loss and fatigue. She is also giving me a month-long break from my cancer meds, including my dreaded monthly shot that places an implant under my skin each month to shut my ovaries down. She wants to see if that is what is causing the symptoms. My next one is due on Friday so if I start having relief from symptoms around that time then maybe the cancer meds are the culprits. If so, well, that is another post, and I will keep you updated.

In the meantime, I’m going to obey my girlfriends and trust our very trustworthy God and worship, worship, worship!

Psalms 59:16 But I will sing of your strength; I will sing aloud of your steadfast love in the morning. For you have been to me a fortress and a refuge in the day of my distress.

Trust

noun

1.

firm belief in the reliability, truth, ability, or strength of someone or something.

I Will Trust In You

by Lauren Dangle

Letting go of every single dream
I lay each one down at Your feet
Every moment of my wandering
Never changes what You see

I’ve tried to win this war I confess
My hands are weary I need Your rest
Mighty Warrior, King of the fight
No matter what I face, You’re by my side

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

Truth is, You know what tomorrow brings
There’s not a day ahead You have not seen

So, in all things be my life and breath
I want what You want Lord and nothing less

When You don’t move the mountains I’m needing You to move
When You don’t part the waters I wish I could walk through
When You don’t give the answers as I cry out to You
I will trust, I will trust, I will trust in You!

You are my strength and comfort
You are my steady hand
You are my firm foundation; the rock on which I stand

Your ways are always higher
Your plans are always good
There’s not a place where I’ll go, You’ve not already stood

I will trust in You!

FAMILY/ Spiritual/ Sponsored/ Uncategorized

Really Living In The Dash | Where Hope Grows Movie

“This post is part of a social shopper marketing insight campaign with Pollinate Media Group® and Godspeed Pictures, but all my opinions are my own. #pmedia #wherehopegrowsmoviehttp://my-disclosur.es/OBsstV”

Yesterday, I had the opportunity to preview a super inspirational and touching movie called “Where Hope Grows.”

It is a movie about redemption, faith, love and hope. It was exactly what my heart needed.

“Where Hope Grows” is about an ex-baseball player, Calvin Campbell, who is also an alcoholic and pretty much ruining his relationship with his adorable teenage daughter. While grocery shopping, he bumps into a kid named Produce who has a disability, Down Syndrome to be exact, and is intrigued by how happy he always is. They end up slowly building a friendship, and through that hope, faith, & love abound.

There were many touching moments in the movie, (even a touch of romance) but a moment that really got to my heart was when Campbell asked Produce, while shopping at the grocery store,

“How Are You Doing?”

Produce answered:

“I’m Doing Good, Even When I’m Doing Bad, I’m Doing Good.”

Oh be still my heart. My heart just melted when he said that because it reminded me of my sweet nephew who has autism–what one would consider a disability. Over the last year before my sister put him on a special diet, he had severe tummy aches. You could tell he was in so much pain, and he would stop his day to cry out, but then his little resilient self would go back to what he was doing and in no time his smile would com back. Even when he was doing bad, he was doing good.

My nephew is 4 and really amazing when it comes to learning to speak well. Every time I see him I’m amazed at his communication skills. That phrase above, the one that says “Even when I’m doing bad, I’m doing good,” I can just hear my nephew saying that someday when he is older because that is the type of human being he is growing into. Thanks to the great love of his parents and our great God, he has this smile that just never quits, and a heart that is just full of joy. Oh how I love him…can you tell?

I learn so much from my nephew’s resilience, and I learned much from this movie.

I’ve been struggling quite a bit the last few months with physical symptoms related to medications I have to take due to my cancer history. It has been really, really rough and continues to be on certain days. I have not talked a whole lot about it here at the blog as it has just been too raw to do that yet, but I do talk a lot about living new and living well here at New Nostalgia and although I am doing my best to do just that, I sure needed the inspiration this movie brought. It was a beautiful reminder that optimism goes a long way, that choosing joy is possible when you have faith that God will work all things out for the good of His children, and that redemption is always offered no matter what ones’ life looks like or feels like.

If you too, need some inspiration, or just want to see a movie that is uplifting and joy-giving, view the movie trailer below and make sure you check your local theaters for availability and showtimes and go see the movie! The movie comes out May 15th.

At the very end of the movie, I was struck with what was said. They were talking about how life is meant to be lived and how there are dates on a tombstone that everyone will have, we will all have a start date and an end date, but we also all get a dash. We must make that dash count. We must live, really live.

Here’s to living, truly living, in the dash!

5 Minute Fridays/ Spiritual

Simple Steps To Meeting With God

Participating in 5 Minute Fridays. 5 minutes to write about one word. Unedited.

This week’s word: MEET

………………..

GO:

Come, meet with me, meditate on my truths

Meet with me in the morning for there you will find my mercies are new

Visualize what I can do in you, visualize how you see your future

Speak with me, pray my name

Speak to me and I will answer you and show you great and mighty things

Quiet your thoughts, turn down thoughts spinning, turn up my truth and use it as meditation.

Skip the morning? Then find me in the night.

Just come

Come quiet, let’s meet.

Simple Steps Of Meeting with God:

~Grab pen, journal, Bible

~Find a quiet space

~Light a candle

~Come quiet

~Meet Mercies

The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end;they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. Lamentations 3:22,23

~Pray my name