Fall 2012 Art Crawl

Go check what Nathan Elznic & Heidi Elznic Are doing with The Fusion Church in Saint Cloud, MN!
Services Are Sunday @ 10:30 @ 921 1st n. St. Cloud. (Next to Howes bar and across the street from the Paramount Parking garage!

http://wjon.com/the-st-cloud-art-crawl-makes-its-way-downtown-audiovideo/

"Fusion Church pastor, Heidi Elznic is a new sponsor of the Art Crawl. She says, Fusion Church loves the creativity in the St. Cloud community." - Art Crawl article

Minnesota Transplant

I’m a transplant.  I didn't grow up in Minnesota and I confess, I was never gonna be a Vikings fan until I moved to the land of 10,000 lakes. I still get strange looks when I say “catty-corner” or suggest a game of “Duck Duck Goose” to my kids. I had no idea what Minnesota-Nice was until I got burned by a few “nice” people.  I was unaware that an able-bodied male in Minnesota should not physically defend himself--and win.  And it was never clearly explained to me: this ritual of eating rotten fish out of a barrel during certain festivals...there is still more to learn in my adopted state!

Similarly, I’m still learning how to fully be a radical follower of Jesus. Learning how to love people...ALL people...unconditionally. Becoming fluent in the language of joy that doesn’t quit just because things don’t go how I think they should. And patience, that may just be my downfall some days!

I will probably never be voted “The Next Mr. Rogers” or be invited to his Neighborhood, but I don’t think Jesus would be, either. The thing us Christians need to remember is God isn’t training us to just simply be NICE. He’s training us to be BOLD and live with PURPOSE! He’s coaching us to be supernaturally creative and find solutions for the world’s problems, not just mindlessly say “yes, sir” like some kiss-butt! The Bible is full of people who went against the grain, against all odds, against the traditions of the day in order to do something extraordinary that changed the world...That’s what Jesus would do, and that’s exactly what He DID when He made some religious folk mad enough to kill him.  And THAT’S the culture I’m becoming integrated with, not the plastic smiles and superficial answers to real-life dilemmas, but something real! I refuse to end up a foreigner when it comes to learning the ways of God--not that cheesy-wuss “jesus” who’s thrown into the media for a joke-- But the Jesus who was strong enough to be considered a criminal when all He did was LOVE! That’s where I want full citizenship!

Dealing With Conflict

Get in a relationship and you will eventually get to the knitty-gritty. Whether it's a romance or a deep friendship, getting through an argument is necessary every once in a while in order to keep it real and true.  There's three childhood games that imitate arguments: Smear the Queer (Not very PC, but hey, I'm not known for my politicalness or my correctness!), Dodgeball, and Hacky Sack.  

Smear the Queer-- You know the game: the person with the ball IS the target of attack.  It's the same in fighting: one person is labeled the problem by the other.  "The problem is you, and your personality, your character; you're a screw-up."  If THAT person would change, the relationship would improve.  If THAT person would quit doing whatever they're doing, the problem would stop. If THAT person would just get their act together then maybe this relationship would work.  It's all THAT person't fault and the other person takes no credit for any wrong.

Dodge Ball-- Your whole childhood mission for this game was to AVOID the ball!  The adult version is to avoid the problem! The couple who plays this game pretends that there isn't a problem.  They avoid the issue and act like it's not there, it doesn't hurt, and it's no big deal. They continually lie to themselves and each other because dealing with conflict hurts! This is especially tricky for married couples, so they spend time together without really spending time together: the majority of their time spent together is amongst activities and people so they can maintain a marriage but avoid going any deeper with each other in relationship.

Hacky Sack-- This is a mellow, straight forward game where you kick the ball around and then pass it on, the ball goes back and forth as you each take a turn.  The argument looks the same, and is actually more like a discussion since there is no blame, no attack.  Each partner takes a turn explaining the problem from their point of view, and the couple has a conversation about how to make it work better the next time.  They may or may not reach a solution, but they realize that open communication and understanding each other deepens the relationship and is more important than just finding a solution. Hippies and drunks make this game look easy, but anyone who has mastered hacky sack will tell you it takes practice to maneuver the ball with skill.  Words have to be carefully chosen and placed so the conversation can continue.  Hurts and pains need to be addressed with respect by both parties so the ball can go back and forth.  

If your best efforts to remain cool in confrontation fail, here's a short list of phrases that have proven to de-escalate any argument:

I'm sorry

I was wrong

Please forgive me

I forgive you--anyone can make a mistake

Happy Fighting,

Nate & Heidi

TheFusionChurch.org

No offense meant towards the lesbian/gay community when we say "smear the queer"--in fact, we think church is for queers (and straight folks, too)!

Inspiration For Starting Over (for the 9th time)

I put out the call for all who needed to be whacked by God's favor to come join us, and they have!!  Whether they read the blog or not, THEY'RE HERE!  I am now suddenly surrounded by people who need a second chance in something in their life for the umpteenth time. Maybe it's their job, their marriage, their career choice, their parenting, their sobriety...whatever it is, it's a make or break window in all our lives. There is hope in the air.  Maybe it's guarded hope, but it's definitely hope!

Starting over is harder... the 9th time!  The first time you try, you may need a little push but the 9th time, you basically need to dig yourself out of your premature grave, drink a couple pots of coffee and quit looking in the toilet at your past.  We need to let go of past failures: we can move on physically without moving on mentally, we have to fully let go of mistakes or we will relive them in our minds. 

Second attempts challenge our persistence, creativity, mental agility, knowledge and talent (am I leaving anything out?) TO THE MAX!  On the bright side, a second attempt is a more educated attempt. Tell yourself you're smarter this time around!  Think of Edison or the Wright Brothers who knew thousands of ways to NOT make a light-bulb or build an airplane.  They earned a place of honor because they were determined to keep going!  History is made by people who didn't know how to quit, and they all have a tale to tell of how they did it!  Very few people had success fall into their laps! If you want it, you give 100% because nothing big ever came out of someone's half-hearted attempt to kinda do something.  Sort-of doing something results in something that's sort-of done.  

Sometimes we hope to outsmart ourselves: we try to safeguard our emotions by not getting our hopes up but God made us to hope.  Think of anyone you know of who refuses to hope: they've had their cheerios peed on too many times and they're ready to pee on yours!  When we shield ourselves from expectations, we sentence ourselves to only a fraction of what our life could become.  We think we're building a fortress to protect ourselves, but we're really building a wall between us and potential solutions that can lead to our dreams.  We are only safe from defeat when we quit taking it personally, quit making it a bigger deal than it is (nobody died), or just quit!

Enthusiasm & heart get us farther in life than talent and knowledge any day of the week!  Think of it this way: there's people smarter than you, prettier than you, with more money than you, who are older (or younger) than you, better equipped than you, who have had more opportunities than you who have already quit!  We are more than conquerors: the Spirit that raised Jesus from the dead lives in us! If you try again maybe you'll look like an idiot, but maybe you'll look like you heard from God!  And if you do end up hearing a chuckle or two, who's laughing? Your critics?!  They're already laughing, they'll laugh whether you win or lose so who cares if they're laughing?! Don't they have something better to do? I guess their preoccupation with your life already answers that question! 

At the Fusion, we are doing something different.  God brought us this far and there's no way we would be at this place if God didn't have His hand on us!  And He didn't bring us, or YOU, this far so we could all fail!  Let our story remind you that GOD believes in YOU! And I leave you with this thought: you're not a failure when you try something and it doesn't work, you're a failure only when you quit trying.

My Co-Worker Told Me The Future!

A Catholic sat down beside me and told me the future!

It was a normal day at Abba Roofing & Windows, just us office staff at a GREAT company (you know I gotta give my Co. a shout out!) and I was seated at our conference table, getting ready for our next meeting.  My co-worker, who happens to be Catholic, sat down beside me and said, "As I sat down beside you, I just got this overwhelming feeling that your church is going to grow and it's going to happen quickly!" This was out of the blue and honestly took me by surprise!  I know he has a church he loves and he knows that I pastor a church I love, but other than that we don't talk church to each other.

He continued, "In the beginning you will reach the down & out, but as time goes on you'll also reach businessmen & women and upper class in this area.  I don't know what building you're in, but you need to think about a bigger building!"  I told him something like, "thanks, that sounds great" and my co-worker insisted, "No, you don't understand: this is something you need to get ready for, this is going to happen!" 

WOW!

This was a great reminder: my life is not normal, this is not business as usual, God is at work even when I'm unaware of His plans! I am about to be overtaken by FAVOR and I was just going about my day!

I hope this encourages YOU!!!  If you just need a chance, you just need someone to believe in you,  remember that GOD IS WITH YOU! He loves you! He has good plans for you--WHETHER YOU CAN SEE IT RIGHT NOW OR NOT!!!

Check back with this blog soon, I'm sure we'll have more real life-stories to encourage your faith...

Or better yet, come check out the Fusion @ 10:30AM starting September 9th and get in on God WHACKING us all with FAVOR!

How To Have A Great Argument ~ Heidi Elznic

Hey, I'm hijacking Nate's Mind today...enjoy :)


Misunderstandings...they’re so confusing, so exasperating, so stupid.  If you’re like me, I mentally retrace my conversation to try to pinpoint the miscommunication.  If I am objective (and that’s a big IF in the heat of the moment), I see where BOTH of us could have been clearer...or at least nicer.  Although this seems like a logical thing to do since I don’t want make the same mistake twice, studies have shown it’s actually proven to be, and I quote, “really dumb”!  I have never resolved an argument by retracing every word and pointing out who did it “wrong” cuz guess what, what’s “wrong” to me is fine for you and what’s “wrong” to you has never offended me etc. etc...Even if the conversation would have been perfectly planned, the perfect words chosen, and discussed at the perfect time, there would still be a good chance that both you and I would not HEAR it the same, or that someone would read into a word that was never meant to be read into!  And then what do we do?  We argue about what was said during our argument (this is reaching astonishing levels of genius)!  Unfortunately there wasn’t a scribe handy to jot down our little talk, so nobody will ever be able to prove the difference between what was said, what someone thought was said, what was never said, and what someone thought someone thought about saying.  Let’s be real, when we start splitting hairs about what words were said instead of just HEARING each other, all we’re trying to prove is who’s right. No, let me say that again: all we’re trying to prove is that me, me, ME; I’M RIGHT!!!  It’s safe to say that at this point I’m not smarter than a 1st Grader.  Here’s a new idea: we need to take responsibility for ourselves during an argument.  Self-ownership is a huge responsibility!  Self-ownership means no one can make you feel, act, or think a certain way: you and I feel what we allow ourselves to feel, act how we allow ourselves to act, or think what we allow ourselves to think. And with self-ownership comes the release of other-person-ownership. We usually get these two confused: We try to make the other person own their part when we only have the right to own OUR part.  Don’t you wish your neighbor was reading this?! (WARNING: The selfish and immature should quit reading right now unless they’re willing to put on some big-person panties!) This means I am the only one responsible for me.  God will not hold me accountable for how someone else lived their entire life just like He won’t hold you accountable for mine.  What I’m suggesting is this: whether you’re talking about money or macaroni, an argument can quickly become ridiculously blown out of proportion.  WE don’t have to become ridiculous along with it, WE can stay calm and realize the person we are screaming at means more to us than a few dollars and some slimy pasta, WE can keep our voice steady and stick to the original point, WE can find a solution.  Maybe it’s time to define SOLUTION. A solution is not to have the best argument, or to name call, or to win the argument, or to turn all my friends against your friends, or to say the other person is wrong since they started the argument, or to keep the argument alive as long as possible, or (my favorite) to say someone is “unbiblical”.  These may seem like obvious non-solutions but I’ve done extensive in- the-field research just to make sure.  And it seems that a solution isn’t even finding what works best for ME!  A solution is found when it works for both of us. When WE work from self-ownership, we work from strength not frantic reaction.  Frantic reaction never paints anybody in their best light, unless you look your best in “really dumb”.  Let’s face it, we’ve all had stupid arguments. I know my favorites are between my husband and I when neither of us can recall what started the whole thing.  So please give yourself some grace: anybody’s words can be taken badly and cause a fight; and give everybody around you that same grace along the lines of “do to others what you want done to you”.  And join me as I challenge myself to go deeper in the realms of “self-ownership”.  It’s not easy, it takes a lot of courage, but the sooner you and I decide we are the only ones responsible for our happiness, the sooner we can discover Paul’s secret to truly being at peace in any situation.


Disclaimer: The title was tongue-in-cheek, not to be taken literal.  If, however, you are looking for a good argument I’m sure there’s one about to break out on any given playground.