A Pizza Story

by AJ Mitton


Last week, my friend from Younglife Capernaum, Chucky, and I was spending time with each other at his huge, three stories house by the lake on a rainy, pitch black night. I was cooking a pepperoni pizza for our dinner.

When I pulled the pizza out of the oven a few minutes after the timer buzzed, the kitchen was assumed with the stench of rotten eggs, and big cloud of dark black smoke filled the room. When I tested the pizza from the oven before I served it to him, it had black, hard tar on it. It was hard to cut, like cutting a card board with a plastic fork.

When I tried to bite it, it was like biting a chicken bone. When it was going down my throat, it was like a sharp piece of ice going down. But the piece of pizza was not cold like ice, it steamy hot like lava from a volcano. Then, I followed it up with a cup of ice cold water. I felt the ice, cold water cools off my mouth.

I did not want to serve him this nasty pizza. So, I decided to make a quick call to Chucky’s favorite pizza place, Pizza Hut, and told them to deliver it to the back door. I went out in the spacey living room to Chucky and played some video games with him on his Playstation 3 on his huge, sixty inches high definition television with silver thin boarders.

When I heard a soft, three knocks on the back door, I quickly got up and ran to pay the pizza man. When I took the steamy pizza, I put it on the pizza pan that I was using to bake the last pizza and brought it out to him. I gave him a big slice of pizza and a tall cup of Coke with ice.

He loved it and said, “This is the best pizza that I ever had, thank you A.J.!”

I answered, “You are welcome!
__________




AJ Mitton is a Sr. Leader with Capernaum in Virginia Beach, VA. AJ has cerebral palsy and spends a lot of time in a wheelchair, but he does not let that get in the way of living life large. He is attending college at TCC and has a 4.0 average. He is married to Regina Howley. Photos are of AJ and John Koeler and AJ with Regina, his wife. Regina is the one without the beard.

Contact AJ at ylajy3k@hotmail.com

Climbing Capernaum

by Eric Peters



The boy’s legs were useless. He could write and speak his name perfectly well (Brett), he could use his young hands to grip the braided climbing rope supporting his frame, but his body from the waist down was as inoperable as felled masts of white pine.

Like the moon in a clear, harvest sky, he dangled there thirty feet above the ground, a suspended child, a saint as it turns out, exhausted by the events leading up to this moment where he glowed at the upper reaches of the man made rock-climbing tower out of nothing short of utter fatigue and extreme revelry where the two emotions mixed and mingled as if they were reunited friends. The raucous cheering of the audience below made it perfectly clear that this was no ordinary moment, either for them or for Brett.

Normally this spot on the sidewalk adjacent to the climbing wall is a somewhat stale, recurrent place as participants, mostly high-school aged, with perfectly functioning bodies take to the fixed rocks on the wall each and every day during the summer months, some reaching the top with ease, others giving up apathetically midway, some never bothering to feign an attempt.

But today, if only for a few passing hours, this sun-drenched location atop the bluffs of Pelican Lake in northwest Minnesota is, like its biblical lakeside village counterpart, a Capernaum of sorts, a place where not only the physically impaired are raised, but the physically well can, if our eyes are open to the scene, find a healing as well.

A multi-generational crowd composed of adults, college and high-school aged gathers. We come and go as we please. I feel the sunlight searing my sandaled toes. I feel my toes. I feel. The boy, currently draped in a climbing harness and seated in his wheelchair, awaits final clearance to begin his ascent. Two men, his counselor-leaders for the week, also donning harnesses, are prepared to climb the wall with Brett assisting him along the way. They are his feet.

I witness the utmost patience of these gentlemen as they coax, urge and literally lift the physically crippled young man to a height and an experience that he might never have reached without such assistance, without such community, without such delighted belief. Like a banner on top of the world, this scene is a flagrant display of courage that rivals any contemporary professional athlete’s stamina and pursuit of adulatory perfection.

The oldest of three siblings, I am for all intents and purposes a scaredy-cat. For as far back as I can remember, I steadily maintained an overly cautious and hyper-responsible childhood. I rarely took risks then, and I find I rarely take them now as an adult. But as I am prone to do, tears percolate from my sunglass-veiled eyes at the very sight of such a risky, overtly spiritual and Christ-like display, which I am convinced I am privy to.

The boy possesses a rowdy belief that he has it in him to scale the wall. His counselor-leaders, in turn, possess a believing hope that, just like the young man lowered by his pals through the thatched roof to the feet of Jesus, their faith will heal the boy whom they now hoist. Though science might disagree, this physical exhibition has far less to do with actual physics than it does with the intangibles of lion-like courage, the swearing off of fear, and the Ghost of God moving with such ease and freedom through the discarded remnants of society as to render them mesmerizingly holy, while leaving the beautiful remainder as limp as withered limbs. Has Your Kingdom finally come?

The climbing wall is made up of a pattern of strategically placed rocks and of various planks of wood, all held together by the bones of structural integrity. The human body is much the same, held together by bones, capillaries, vessels and ligaments. The body of Christ is made up of many parts, talents and gifts, some receiving glory, some rarely receiving acknowledgment if any notice at all, but all are worthy in their unworthiness to serve the other.

And that is the way it is in Capernaum and along the shores of Pelican Lake where the broken in body are Heaven-strong in heart and spirit, possessing a belief so childishly simple that it seems too good to possess any truth at all. Here, the weakest things of earth shame the glamorous and the strong, and the physically well, if we are lucky enough, are overcome with the shocking realization that we too need just as much help in all our climbing, flailing and falling.

At the height of our exalted exhaustion, may we peer through the torn roofs of our lives and view the gathered community in support – those who cared for us from the very beginning, those clinging to the taut ropes of both theirs and our faith - and may we bless the Lord of our once-broken souls who coaxed, urged and lifted us to the good and final End.

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www.ericpeters.net

http://middleofthestorm.blogspot.com/

www.squarepegalliance.com

Valentine's Dance 2009

Story by Triple JJJ
& John Köehler


Photos by Lauren & Tina Masters and Gail Braswell

PREFACE

I met Alfie Lopez in December of 2007 when our good friend and Capernaum Sr. Leader Allen Nebrich died.
As we were walking through the Church of the Holy Family discussing Allen's funeral on the morrow Alfie said, "I want Capernaum here." I looked at her like who IS this woman! Little did I know that she meant every word of what she said.

This story is dedicated to Alfie and her awesome son, Jeremy, a new Junior Leader with Capernaum who happens to have a disability, though I don't think God cares that much.... and neither do I. Without Alfie and Jeremy, this dance would never have happened. Rock Stars!




Dancing With the Stars


Word up my Beauties! What a night, what a night, what a night we had. As you can see, my name is Triple J and my disability is Crazy OCD which means sometimes I repeat myself. Sometimes I repeat myself. Sometimes I..... word.

So check it out. Me and my home skillet DJ Jazzy Jeff were like WHAT, let's have a Valentines Dance. And all the awesome people of Capernaum said OK, that sounds like a good idea.

So DJ put on his best ghetto blaster clothes and I found my Grand Pappy's old red suit and we came to Holy Family for the dance party. Lucky thing for us two that Awesome T Travis was there. he's the dude in front of me and DJ Jazzy. Dude got game! Big shout out to him and Jump Jive Jose for all the help they gave. If not for them....... well I don't really know but let's just say that them boys can party!

Lotta people said me and DJ looked really good and man we DID look pretty stylin. We felt pretty on the inside too and could feel God inside of us and all around us. We were like crazy man it was so wild. People were coming in and we're like:

DJ: Word my home. Who are all these PEOPLE?

Triple J: My brother, I don't know, but they look cool to me

DJ: Who invited them?

Triple J: wasn't me, man. You?

DJ: not me! Who then?

Triple J & DJ: GOD IT WAS GOD INVITED THEM ALL!!!

So we figured after that that whoever came had been invited by the main man, Gee Oh Dee. And since he's our Daddy too we welcomed everyone like rock stars. Like family. And let me tell you that the good people of Holy Family made us all FEEL like a big holy family by making the place just about perfect and crazy cool. Psycho cool.

Miss Alfie and Susie and Mr. Joe Stefonowonovanandstuffedshirtsinaditch and Miss Kathleen and all the cool school peeps.... they all busted it out so we could bust it out in style. I think God musta been pleased by these Holy Family family. In fact I know it.




Groupie Love

That's Triple J on the left with one of his many groupies, Florence Thacker. TJ used his Passion/Love meter on Florence and the girl BROKE IT!

Triple J grew up with a colorful family which accounts for his impeccable clothing tastes and penchant for strong colors. Say what?

Here's the thing about Florence. If you get right up next to her and look into her eyes, you will see God. She is like looking into the eyes of some of our kids. Agape on fire, baby. Wait, you mean to tell me that anyone can have agape? You better believe it! Easy to see it with the kids of Capernaum but shoot, God thinks ALL OF US are special, not just.... special kids.



Now hang on a second. We call kids with disabilities SPECIAL and we have SPECIAL olympics, SPECIAL education. Gosh, with all those special titles they must be pretty special. Yup they sure are. But God never intended them to be set apart special, but special because they are HIS. Just like we all are. Just like Florence is.

Personally I think she was squeezing Triple J a tad bit too tight, but he seemed happy enough...








Nsync Beauty

We had a small stage from which Triple J, DJ Jazzy Jeff and Kitty Kathy rocked up the crowd. After a while they figured that they should share the stage and dared anyone special enough to be on the stage to..... take the stage!

So they did.

Towards the end of the night these five pretty girl came up and serenaded the crowd, singing along with Nsync with the song, God Must Have Spent a Little More Time On You. You know I really loved this song that night. It was the only slow dance we did. We taught everyone the basics to slow dancing, the right and wrong, how to do it right. Then we paired everyone up and danced. So sweet, so amazing. I looked and realized that God really did spend a little more time on all of them. All of us. He spent extra time on all of us. What? Did I repeat myself again.

Look at the lyrics and tell me this was not the perfect slow dance song for Capernaum. And don't get all fussy about the kiss part! Capernaum people like to kiss too.....if they can get away with it.

"God Must Have Spent A Little More Time On You"

Yeah....
Oh yes
Ohhh..yeah..
Can this be true?
Tell me, can this be real?
How can I put into words what I feel?
My life was complete
I thought I was whole
Why do I feel like I'm losing control?
I never thought that love could feel like this
and you've changed my world with just one kiss.
How can it be that right here with me
there's an angel?
It's a miracle...

Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it's true
God must have spent...
A little more time
On you...
(A little more time, yes he did baby)

In all of creation
All things great and small
You are the one that surpasses them all
More precious than
Any diamond or pearl
They broke the mold
When you came in this world
And I'm trying hard to figure out
Just how I ever did without
The warmth of your smile
The heart of a child
That's deep inside
Leaves me purified

Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep (and deep)
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it's true
God must have spent...
A little more time
On you...
(on you, on you, on you, you....on you, on you, on you, you..) ohhh...
(on you, on you, on you, you....on you, on you, on you, you..) yeah...

Never thought that love could feel like this
and you changed my world with just one kiss.
How can it be that right here with me
There's an angel?
It's a miracle...

Your love is like a river
Peaceful and deep (peaceful and deep)
Your soul is like a secret
That I never could keep
When I look into your eyes
I know that it's true
God must have spent...
A little more time
On you...
(on you, on you, on you, you..)
God must have spent...
A little more time
on you
(on you, on you..you....you..oooh..yeah)
A little more time
on you...ohhh

Rock Stars


Everyone wants to be a rock star. Everyone wants to be the cat's meow, the chicken strut, the dog's left foot..... what? What? What?

There is something totally cool about being up front, being on stage, holding the microphone and giving a shout out to your friends. A way to say look I'm here, I'm me, ain't I cool?
Why yes you ARE quite cool and you deserve to be up here on stage.

But I've got a disability.

So what, didn't God make you?

I guess so. But I'm pretty messed up. I'm not pretty enough or smart enough to be on stage.

Says who?

Uh.......everyone. Do you think God would be OK if I came up on stage and gave a shout out to my friends and danced up there? Would that be OK?

Let me pray about that..... OK. God said bring it on, ROCK STAR!!!

So you run run run to the stage and turn turn turn to the crowd and you dance dance dance for them and they clap and shout and cheer for you and you think wait..... am I in heaven? You wish you could have seen your Mom one more time before you died and went to heaven but then you look and see your Mom and she's smiling right at you and then you know that heaven came down to earth and you're a rock star, right there in front of everyone and for the first time in your life you think maybe there is a God. Because your heart feels ginormous inside of you and..... you're a rock star. People love you!

So you keep dancing up on stage because your people are calling your name. Rock star.

Beautiful people


No doubt Triple J and DJ Jazzy Jeff looked totally beautiful that night, not to mention Kitty Kathy and all the volunteer leaders, buddies and parents that were there. I mean we were all just shining, regardless of whether we had on our Sunday Best or our Friday worst, we..... looked...... beautiful. But look, don't take my word for it. See for yourself.

Word on the street is the demand for another party is high. And that's just from the parents! So look for an end of the year Dance. Shoot, don't just LOOK for it. Come to it!