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Malone Thanksgiving 2009

JR Rozko — Thu, 26 Nov 2009 19:04:44 +0000

Last weekend was the annual Malone Thanksgiving – the 5th since I started blogging (2005, 2006, 2007, 2008)

There was a twist this year. After a decade of gathering at the Hurst household, as our community has grown by marriage and birth, it seemed like a change of venue was in order. Thanks to the searching labors of a few friends, we decided on the Tara Lodge in Hocking Hills outside of Columbus. The place was amazing: 7 bedrooms, HD projector theater system, ping pong tables, pool table, darts, karaoke set-up complete w/ guitars, huge yard, hiking trails, hot tub, and on and on. Basically an amazing place for us to gather.

Here are some pictures from the weekend.

And some videos.

Like every year, there were some dear friends who weren’t able to make it and they were missed, but a good time was had by all as we reconnected, shared the things we were most thankful for in the last year, and chatted about the future. With more and more kids being born into this community of friends, this was the first year that we really started thinking about what this gathering will be like when it’s our kids, and not us, who are most excited about playing the annual football game. Weird to think about.

These continue to be some of the most important and special people in my life making this one of my most looked forward to weekends of the year.

Bi-Vocational Ministry & Theological Education

JR Rozko — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 16:51:24 +0000

I think this will be my last post in a series on bi-vocational ministry. If you’re looking to catch up, feel free to check out the earlier ones:

1) Bi-Vocational Ministry

2) Bi-Vocational Ministry & the Missional Church

3) Bi-Vocational Ministry & Spiritual Formation

4) Bi-Vocational Ministry & Support Raising

Thinking on this topic has stirred up a number of thoughts, ideas, and connections that I think will take shape in a next series of posts, so I won’t say too much here.

What I will say is this…

In 2004 when I began my education at Fuller Theological Seminary, I was on the fence about doing an MDiv. I wasn’t sure that my future was going to be in professional, paid, church staff ministry. I also wasn’t so sure that the structure of the degree was all that well equipped to prepare people for that sort of ministry given the trajectory of the Western church anyway. To my utter shock, I soon discovered that these sentiments were widely shared and many of the people who would have been the best candidates for MDiv’s were opting for less traditional and more flexible routes. (FYI – Fuller has since done some major and commendable course correcting regarding all their programs, including the MDiv!)

My hesitations confirmed by the sentiments and decisions of my peers, I chose to do an MA in theology which gave me the ability to take 1/2 my classes out of Fullers’ School of Intercultural Studies enabling me to craft a degree that explored a missiology of Western culture.

In contrast to the average School of Theology student, many of the students doing degrees in the School of Intercultural Studies had widely marketable skills and trades. Whereas the average SOT student was there to get an academic credential in order to get a job, the average SIS student was in school to learn how to be better a better missionary or to do more study regarding a particular area of interest. Unlike their SOT counterparts, they weren’t looking for a degree to get a job.

Now, Fuller as a school didn’t create this reality per se, they were merely filling two different needs, augmenting on the one hand, and preparing on the other.

If, as I have tried to say, churches being led by a team of bi-vocational leaders is more sustainable, healthier for leaders and congregations alike, and all-around positively spiritually formative, then theological schools would do well to intentionally structure themselves for the sort of education that Fuller’s SIS was offering de facto.

There is a lesson to be learned here from Christian Liberal Arts schools (yeah Malone!) which prepare men and women of God for service in all areas of life… AS FOLLOWERS OF JESUS. That people would “graduate” from this sort of education to one of specialized, professional theological training is a regrettable reality. I say this as one with the highest of value for theological rigor and advanced training. But, I also say it as one who thinks these things should never come at the expense of extending to Christian leaders the opportunity to lose touch with “the world.”

A missional ecclesiology calls for a missional approach to theological education that would be best described in terms of formational training. This is what I hope to explore further in my next series of posts.

Malone Thanksgiving 2008

JR Rozko — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 15:07:52 +0000

About 10 years ago some friends started a tradition of gathering the Saturday before Thanksgiving to cook a meal together, play football, and to share with each other all that we were thankful for from the previous year. This tradition has become a linchpin in the life of our community of friends.

More than simply attending, it is not uncommon for us as a group to do everything in our power to help others find a way to to be there to share in the day. There is nothing magic about the day, but I do believe that there is something sacred about it. It is perhaps the day of the year that I look most forward to.

Yearly, this community continues to grow. Many people in our community are in the season of life where babies are coming into the picture. These little ones add an incredible dimension to our community. We have had conversations in the past about raising kids together and it was really cool to listen to Caris, the oldest kid in the group (almost 4), refer to all these people as “uncle” and “aunt.”

My friends Ryan and Heather have new born twins and I would venture to say that the rest of us cared for them more during the day – holding them, changing them, feeding them, and attending to their cries, than Heather and Ryan. They are awesome parents, it’s got nothing to do with that, but everything to do with the fact that for us as a community there is no aspect of life that is not shared.

As always, the day of feasting on food and fellowship was followed up by a big ol slumber party back in Canton at a couple different houses. The event on Saturday is special enough in and of itself, but some of my favorite memories are created after as we play games, continue to share meals, have coffee, share stories, and visit local favorite spots. Man, I am already ready for Thanksgiving ’09!

Enjoy some pictures!

For the New Year

JR Rozko — Fri, 04 Jan 2008 15:54:39 +0000

(more here)

This year I had the good fortune to be able to host an annual New Year’s Eve Party for a bunch of my Malone friends and plenty of others. The party was doubly significant in that it also marked the completion of a bunch of restoration that I’ve been doing on my home. For the last four months I have been trying to put the pieces of my house back together due to some unfortunate tenants.

Between the beginning of September and the end of December, and with the help of plenty of family and friends, we filled 2 dumpsters full of trash and broken items, patched 3 huge holes in my walls, ripped up and replaced 3 rooms of carpet with new carpet and a hard wood floor, replaced 2 screen doors, fixed the dishwasher, stove, and garbage disposal, replaced a broken window, fixed the garage door, cleaned the carpets (twice!), patched a hole in the dining room floor, stopped leaks, hung drywall, slapped on 6 gallons of paint, moved in a bunch of new furniture, and scrubbed and cleaned till our fingers were numb. It wasn’t easy or cheap, but it’s done and it feels good!

As 2008 jumps to a start, unlike the last 3 Januaries, I really have no idea what this year holds. In 2005 and 2006 I was in school full-time at Fuller, in 2007 I was working for Fuller full-time. Plenty of surprises in those years to be sure, but at least I knew where I was. 2008, not so much.

As near as I can tell, the beginning of 2008 is marked by beseeching God for 3 major things – a church community who shares a common Kingdom/Missional vision, a challenging and life-giving career in which I have the opportunity to really make a difference in the lives of others, and a lady who’d be excited to share in those sorts of things. I suppose any one of those three things could be the catalyst for change and direction, but at this point I really have no clue which one. So, here’s to 2008 and God continuing to do God’s thing!!

Malone Thanksgiving 2007

JR Rozko — Sun, 25 Nov 2007 04:40:39 +0000

If you don’t count the sporadic delicious links that get automatically thrown up from time to time, it’s been a week and a half since I posted anything and it’s certainly not for lack of desire or content – just way busy.

I am putting in 25ish hours at Starbucks every week and another 30-40 at the Salvation Army as I oversee a few of their holiday programs.

My good friend Ryan moved in with me just a few weeks ago and I love having him around.

I have been making good progress on my house (destroyed by renters). Some major painting is getting done, a bought some flooring, and I’ll be getting some carpet here in the next few weeks as well.

Ryan and I had some other friends over the other night to sort of (re)christen the house as it gets back into shape.

Last Saturday was the annual Malone Thanksgiving. We weren’t sure that we were going to be able to, but we gathered, perhaps for the last time, at the Hurst’s. It wasn’t quite the same without folks like Sean and Julie, Josh and Rachel, Levi, Joel and Sarah, Branden, Tammy, Suzi, Abby, and others who are usually there, but nevertheless, we enjoyed an amazing game of football, a sweet meal, and, as always, the time of thanksgiving for all that God has been up to in our lives.

My brother made it home from NYC for the weekend, so I enjoyed some great time with him, my mom, and my 2 grandma’s. Mom hosted a kick-butt meal, and the following day we went to see American Gangster. Just a bit ago, my brother took my mom, grandma, his friend Michelle, and me out to eat at Papa Joe’s for the single greatest meal in recent memory. I had the Pumpkin Sage Gnocchi and it was out of this world.

I think that’s about it. I do however, want to offer a shout-out to my many friends back in Pasadena – from my house church community (Thias, Damaris, Mick, Tre, Kyle, Andrea, Jorge…) to my MAGL com padres (Chris, Dave, Mark, Deb, Brenda, Barbara, Mike, Ron, Joan, James, Wilmer, and others) to plenty of others – Wess and Emily, Matt K., Sam, Ryan, Autumn, Laura, and on and on. For all those of you that will see this – I love and miss you guys. All the best

Scot McKnight – The Whole Gospel

JR Rozko — Tue, 17 Jul 2007 04:25:58 +0000

I just finished listening to this message/podcast by Scot McKnight (check out his blog here) entitled, “The Whole Gospel.”

It is definitely worth a listen and I’ll be adding it to my audio page. Incidentally, if you tend to only read my stuff through a feed reader, I have tried to catalog a number of good audio messages that you might want to check out – there’s stuff from Rob Bell, NT Wright, Mike Frost, John Piper, Brian McLaren and even (gasp!), Mark Driscoll. The vast differences in the theologies of these presenters are perhaps surprising, and all I can do is say a hearty thanks to my professors from Malone and Fuller who have helped me become the sort of Christian who is able to pull the best from all sorts of different sources and drop the rest – thanks.

There’s one thing in particular that I’d like to humbly disagree with Scot on here. Toward the beginning of his message he talks about the 20 million or so (says Barna in this book – my review here) believers in the United States who have chosen to live out thir Christian lives as part of house churches. He seems to say that this is indicative of their individualistic tendencies as they have abandoned the more formal institutional form of church. Quite the opposite, I’d venture to say that it’s specifically on account of the individualistic gospel proffered by these more formal institutional forms of church that has resulted in millions of believes seeking out smaller, more authentic and committed communities of followers of Jesus. At least this has been the case for me and many others I know well. Past that, Scot has a lot of great things to offer. Enjoy and please offer your thoughts.

Restoring Hope to the Church in Western Culture

JR Rozko — Fri, 15 Dec 2006 16:07:23 +0000

This is the title of my masters thesis. The subtitle is, “Exploring the Relationship Between Culture, Theology, and the Church.” It is divided into 3 main sections – the first with regard to the relationship between God’s people and the idea of culture, a second on narrative approaches to theology, and a third on missional understandings of the church. In the conclusion I suggest how these three sections come to bear on the three church practices of preaching/teaching, baptism, and Holy Communion.

In the paper I didn’t include any acknowledgments, so allow me to do so now.

I have benefited greatly through my family – my parents, grandparents, brothers, and sister, my extended and blended family. Thank you all for the role you have and continue to play in my life.

Deep thanks and appreciation goes to the teachers, professors, pastors, and mentors who have taken a unique interest in me and shared their lives, experience, and giftedness with me – John Toth, PJ Meduri, Shane Minne, Andy Bennett, John Geib, and Steve Moroney, though not alone, come to mind. Thanks to Malone College and Fuller Theological Seminary, two of the finest Christian schools I am aware of.

To say that my community of friends has been a blessing in my life would be the largest understatement I have ever made. I am who I am today because of the love, grace, forgiveness, humility, and commitment of the friends who have shared their lives with me for almost ten years now. They have seen me at my best, and more importantly at my worst and yet they love me still. These are the people that give me life.

I must note the profound impact my girlfriend Maria Bjordal has had on me. Everything I have written in this thesis is colored by the presence of Maria in my life. Her constant encouragement and the conversations we return to time and time again have been invaluable.

Though it sounds common to place it at the beginning, and perhaps foolish to place it at the end, the fact of the matter is that nothing is more important to me that God’s presence in the world, and consequently, in my life personally. As one being saved by grace and learning anew each day that the Triune God is the beginning and end of all things, I am both humbled and thrilled. Humbled by my weakness and inability in comparison – thrilled by the mere though of being included in His plan for the world and even within the very life of the Trinity. To God be all praise forever and ever, Amen.

To each and all – thank you for your part in the story which has been unveiled as my life.

All that being said…

You can get the entire thesis (375 pages, including appendices) here.

You can get just the thesis (70 pages) here.

Here is a zip file with all the appendices so you can pick which ones to read.

I would love to hear any thoughts or remarks. I do not fear criticism, in fact, I encourage and welcome it. Actually, come to think of it, it is vital to the aim of my project, so let fly!

Malone Thanksgiving 2006

JR Rozko — Mon, 20 Nov 2006 19:54:28 +0000

Here’s a couple clips I took from our big pre-Thanksgiving Feast. The first if after the annual football game and the second at the morning-after breakfast at Panera. I will have more to post about our yearly gathering when I get some time (dang thesis).

Malone Thanksgiving 2006

JR Rozko — Thu, 16 Nov 2006 23:40:09 +0000

I missed it the last two years, but refused to let it turn into three.

Starting our freshman year of college, my friend Heather began inviting some friends back to her parents home for an early Thanksgiving Feast. It has grown to include more and more people each year through marriages, babies, and extended networks of friends. It is one of the most meaningful events of the year for me. The day includes everybody bringing something to contribute to the meal, everyone cooking together, playing football in the back yard, sharing what we are thankful for, and watching the OSU vs. Michigan game.

Last year I was stuck in California watching the game in a bar by myself and then went to write a paper after. I tried every cell phone I knew, but no one answered. All of a sudden, my friend Josh called me and had me on speaker phone. He asked me to pray for the meal before everyone ate. As I hung up the phone, I wiped a tear from my eye – it was just so incredibly meaningful to me.

So, in just 2 short days I will have the chance to enjoy an entire day with some of my most favorite people in the world (minus one exceptionally important lady who is stuck in Norway) and watch OSU kick the crap out of Michigan. It should be an incredible game between 2 unbeaten teams whose rivalry in unsurpassed in college football.

Things I never thought

JR Rozko — Mon, 01 May 2006 08:47:08 +0000

Sometimes it can be crazy to think about the course or events of your life and how the most unexpected of things can wind up being the things that most shape and define you.

I never thought I would go to a Christian college, but in so doing, I found myself a part of a community of friends who shaped the way I think, see, and dream.

I never thought that when I graduated I would step into a youth ministry position at a megachurch, but these were three of the most formative years of my life.

I never thought I would relocate to California to attend Seminary, but the time I have had to spend with my family out here, living in a culturally and ethnically diverse community, and the friendships I have made are all some of the most important things in the world to me.

I didn’t plan for any of these things, they all sort of snuck up on me unexpectedly. In each instance, I ventured into stages of life that were both scary and held little intrinsic promise.

Many people told me that going to a small, Christian college was a horrible decision. Everything inside of me told me that accepting the position at RiverTree was a bad idea because of how far in over my head I would be. Coming to Fuller tore against every fiber of my being – it made so little sense.

What do all these things have in common then? They all share the common feature of being what I (and others) discerned to be the leading of God.

Sometimes I think about where I’d be, what I’d be doing, and who I’d be if I had decided to do what made sense and what was comfortable rather than taking risks and doing be best to follow what seemed to be God’s leading. I feel like I know 2 things for sure…

1) God would still be present, He would still love me, and He would steal work in and through me
2) My experience of Him, His grace, His provision, and the excitement of what it means to follow after Christ would be incredibly lessened.

I don’t think God’s promise to be with us is necessarily contingent on whether or not we take the risks and challenges he places before us, but like any good teacher, God can only give us what we are willing to receive. Once when I was completely stressing over a major decision I had to make, a good friend and mentor asked me, “JR, how many people do you know from Scripture that felt ready and equipped to do what God was asking of them.” None. There were none. Abraham, Moses, David, Isaiah, Mary & Joseph, the disciples, Paul, even Jesus himself, they all balked at, questioned, or otherwise demonstrated the insecurity they felt toward the task to which they were called. Why should we expect any less?

Heaven forbid that I ever lack the courage to follow where God seems to be leading – that I trade the depths to which I might know and expereince God in all his fullness for the sake of doing that which makes sense, seems logical, and ensures safety and security.

Community, Seminary and the Church

JR Rozko — Mon, 20 Feb 2006 01:12:59 +0000

Community at seminary is something of a mixed bag. I was just commenting to my roommate Ryan the other day, “I finally figured out what the problem with seminary is. It’s not college.”

In college relationships came first while school work and classes were a distant second. In college, if an unexpected nice day were to come around, attending classes would be quickly replaced by spontaneous games of football, basketball, angle ball, or any other activity that involved

1) being together
2) being outside
3) having fun

We really don’t have that luxury at seminary. For starters, the very nature of what we are doing is temporary and people default to being guarded about their time and levels of intimacy. Also, this ain’t cheap. Most of us have college loans and the reality of paying those off as well as the new ones incurred in grad. mandates that we take what we are doing pretty seriously.

The upside is that I can relate to the people at seminary in a way that I have never (and probably will never) been able to relate to anyone else. We are all currently more focused on the importance of theological, cultural, and psychological dimensions of the Christian faith than we might ever be again. We can have deep and profound conversations – conversations that have the chance of changing us in a moment and the kinds of conversations that have the potential to change the entire trajectory of the church in the world. That sounds kind of dramatic, but the reality is, mainline denominations don’t hire pastors with out MDiv’s and most other church traditions (mine is an exception) always look more favorably on those with theological education and pastoral training. Not only that, try being a theological educator without a PhD! Like it or not, me and my peers at Fuller and other comparable seminaries around the globe (though mainly in the US) are indeed the future shapers and guardians of the Church. So maybe it’s not such a bad idea for us to take what we are doing seriously. I’m off point…

Here’s my tension. I’m not at all convinced that the model of theological education that I am currently a part of is really the best way to get at it. In fact, I’m not even sure how biblically faithful it is. Wouldn’t it be better to integrate theological education and community/ministry involvement? Some seminaries (Fuller and Bethel for sure) have a couple degrees that you can complete w/o leaving your home context. You fly in periodically for intensives and do the rest of your stuff online and at home, but I’m not sure this is all together good either. Afterall, this education is still individually (not comunally) concerned and focused.

Here’s where I am going. I am hoping for a future in which the church communities we are a part of take primary responsibility for theologically educating and equipping their congregations. I think there’s a name for that – oh yeah, discipleship. Sounds strikingly like an idea that some Jewish carpenter had about 2000 years ago, man was he ahead of his time.

Back to the point. Community is important. Christian/Church community that much more so. Not only should people not have to leave the communities of which they are a part in order to receive quality theological education, I think the very idea is endemic to God’s vision for the Church.

Here’s what I am saying – I want a rich and challenging expereince of Christian community and quality theological education and I think the Church is the answer. Let’s go!

And O So Many More!!!

JR Rozko — Tue, 06 Dec 2005 13:02:00 +0000

Lest you think I have provided you with an exaustive lift of those people who are most dear to me, think again. I wish I had time to tell you all about…

Ben and Sarah who are one of the finest couples I know.
Babs and Carrie who are perfect for each other and make my face light up every time I see them.
Wess and Joel, the voices of Malone College radio and 2 of my most insiprational theological peers. (not to say anything of their incredible wives – Emily and Sarah!)
Suzi, whose words have encouraged me and whose demeanor has humbled me for the last 8 years.
Tammy, who live her life for the sake of other.
Eric, who will still understand the way of life better than me even after I finish Seminary.
Nick and Katie, the kind of married could that everyone else wants to be like – including me! (Picture would be way better with Katie in it -believe me!)
Gerb, who has a sort of, “Come on, let’s get with the program” sort of attitude that I admire, respect, and would like to emulate.
Levi, one of my most missed friends, who blesses everyone he comes in contact with.
Johnny Ruhlin who, although he will be late to both his wedding and his funeral, I would trust with my life.
Jared, who is always looking for the best in people, or his wife Andrea who enjoys helping to create good in people.
Julie, whose presence is so warming that you never want her to leave (especially when she is your euchre partner)!
Cone, who is excitement personified.
Rachel Lantz, whose relentless pursuit of God is constantly motivational.
Erin, who loves to be who God made her to be.
Rachel Mcpheters, whose zest for life and love of people I always look forward to.
Nate, who certainly doesn’t deserve his wife Jessie, but whose way with words and refusal to let people off the hook intellectually have forced me to grow.
Branden, whose simplicity and genuineness is a constant reminder just how overcomplicated I tend to make things and life in general.
And Scott, a friend now gone, but whose legacy of enjoying everything, taking risks, seizing the moment, and dreaming big dreams lives on in me and everyone else who knew him.

This list remains incomplete for two reasons. First, there are many more people I know that I should talk about, but can’t right now. And second, because the list is growing all the time, not only on my end, but as all these people share their lives with others.

Man do I love friends and relationships!

No related posts.

The Guys

JR Rozko — Mon, 05 Dec 2005 13:56:00 +0000

To alleviate any suspicion of sexism on my part, I should probably follow up the last post with one about some of the most influential guys in my life. Since I would probably use of all the server space Google has to offer if I said everything I want to say about all my boys, I’ll have to be selective. Jay, Ryan, and Josh. I didn’t get to really get to know Jay until our senior year of college and much better in the years that followed. Although Jay is a Pittsburgh (and apparently Michigan) fan, I have come to love him like a brother. He really wants to let God be God and has a huge desire to see other people come to know God in the way he does. He is a great friend, always looking to create opportunities for people to be together and enjoy one another. He is an even better husband, always looking for creative ways to let his wife know he loves her.

Ryan is one of the straight up coolest guys I know. He has the ability to weave seamlessly in and out of deep theological conversation and riotous joking. I love that Ryan never takes himself too seriously, but always takes others seriously. What I mean by that is that Ryan seems to love people far more indiscriminately than I am often do. He is also an incredible husband and all other guys reading this post would do well to follow his advice.

More than anyone else in my life, Joshua has shown me what it means to love and worship God in creative ways. His insights, writing style, and personality are a source of constant encouragement and challenge. The beauty of our friendship is that without the bond of Jesus’ love, we would probably not have one. I shutter to think of how much would be lost without the dynamic of Josh in the context of my community of friends.

Sean on the left and Jason on the right.

Sean… Sean…. The guy pretty much defies words. He is hands down the funniest guy I know. He makes me laugh like no one’s business. He named his dog Steve and his cat Jeremy for crying out loud. I was spoiled rotten to work with him as a worship leader both in college and later when we did church ministry together. He has all the upsides of a truly gifted musician and virtually none of the downsides. His ability to think through situations and remain patient when I think he shouldn’t has been a saving grace on numerous occasions. Plus I just love to play basketball with the guy.

I love to joke about how I taught Jason everything he knows because it seems like he is always following me. He took over out college FCA group when I stepped away. He accepted my invitation to lead a ministry at Malone called Celebration when I couldn’t do it anymore. And then he joined me at RiverTree after I had been there for a year and asked him to come be a junior high pastor. The reality, however, is quite the reverse. God used Jason in all three of those ministries in ways I don’t think He ever could have with me. I get inspired every time I get to watch Jason teach or lead. He’s a real simple guy who just wants people to know God loves them and has taught me a tremendous amount about the Christian faith.

These are some of the central guys who have shaped who I am and who continue to sharpen me. I can’t imagine my life without them and am really excited to get back to a place where we can be doing life together.

No related posts.

The Girls

JR Rozko — Thu, 01 Dec 2005 13:58:00 +0000

My friend Ryan sent out some pictures the other day and this one was among them so I thought I’d take the opportunity to tell the whole world about these fabulous ladies.

From L to R: Wendy, Sarah, Cris, and Heather. Obviously, these girls are gorgeous, but each posesses her own unique beauty as well.

Wendy has one of the most compassionate hearts that I have ever known. She is also really competitive, which I can appreciate. It seems like Wendy is always looking for a way to brighten someone elses day. When we were freshmen in college I asked Wendy to go see Titanic with some people (I thought she was cool and cute). The other people backed out and then so did Wendy because she got scared. Her husband and my friend, Jay, is the ultimate beneficiary of that decision.

I don’t know anyone that likes to have fun the way Sarah does. She genuinely just loves to be around and enjoy other people. She is constantly looking ways to challenge herself and never (NEVER) makes a decision without thinking it all the way through. She embarasses pretty easy and especially hates it when I pick her up and spin her around in public places. I loved that I got to live with her this past summer.

Cris is such a lover of life. Not only is she one of the funniest people I know, she is always laughing herself. Her sense of humor is matched only by her incredible desire to let God use her in life. During our sophomore year of college Cris was kind enough to let me know, “JR, you’re much cuter now than you used to be.” She let me stay with her for about a week this past summer and showed me around NYC. It was one of the most memorable expoeriences of my life.

I hardly know where to begin with Heather. I can’t say as I remember the exact first time I met Heather, but I definately remember thinking to myself, “I have to be friends with this girl.” Heather is so full of life that it explodes all over everyone around her. She of one of the few friends that has loved me enought to get in my face and be down right blunt when I have been stupid. She is a natural leader and is the kind of person that others know they can count on to make things happen.

So girls, if this makes it to you, I hope you know how much I miss and love you. You have shown and taught me more than I could ever possibly convey. Can’t wait to spend time with you later this month.

Malone Thanksgiving 2008

Malone Thanksgiving 2005

JR Rozko — Sun, 20 Nov 2005 00:31:00 +0000

The Saturday before Thanksgiving is one of the most important days of my year and has been the last 8 years. That is not an exaggeration. Eight years ago when I was a freshamn in college (holy crap!) I was invited along with a few others to spend the Saturday before Thanksgiving at one of my friends parents house. We were supposed to watch football, maybe toss a ball around in the back yard and then have a Thanksgiving dinner together. Every year this event grew bigger and bigger. It’s now to the point that people plan on it well in advance, sometimes flying home from whereever they are. This group has grown as friendships have emerged, couples have married, and more recently, babies have been born. Each year, this gathering has become more and more significant to me. I don’t remember that first time awfully well, but I will never forget this year – and I wasn’t even there.

It didn’t work out for me to get home for Thanksgiving at the Hurst’s last year and this year I simply couldn’t afford the ticket. Today, at 1 o’clock California time it occurred to me that I was by myself in a sports bar, eating chicken strips and fries, and watching the Ohio State vs. Michigan game, while my best friends in the world were together in one house, cooking a grand meal, telling stories, laughing together, playing two-hand touch, and undoubtedy getting filled in on what everyone else was up to and what God had been doing in their lives. I decided to call and see if I could get a hold of anyone, but wasn’t able to. I was instantly saddened.

I finished watching the game, went back to my apartment and grabbed my books so that I could go to a local coffee shop and work on a paper that is coming due. Just after I started my phone rang and I noticed that it was my friend Josh, who I assumed was at the dinner. His voice nearly brought tears to my eyes (Josh’s voice can do that to me for any number of reasons). He said, “Junior, we’re all here at Heathers and we miss you. You’re on speakerphone and we want you to pray for us and the meal.” I was overwhelmed. I said a quick hello to everyone, offered up a prayer for my friends and the meal God had provided, and then told them all that I loved them and missed them and wished that I could be there. They all said the same, and we said goodbye.

It really was a short phone call, but one of the more profound ones of my life. That I got to share in the day, that they remembered me, that they gave me the honor of praying for the meal, all this causes great joy in my heart.

Many who will read this are the same friends who were at the dinner today. I love you guys, I really miss you. Thank you so much for remembering me and letting me be a part of something so important to me.

Many other who read this won’t have been there and may not really understand what the big deal is. If that’s the case, I’m sorry. I want to encourage you to plead with God to bring you into relationship with a group of people whose friendship you esteem so highly that to be apart is quite like losing a limb or suddenly not being able to speak.

Gang, I can’t wait to see pictures and hear stories. I am already counting the days till next year!