nce upon a time, in a land not so far away, the first spark was ignited for what would become weROCK.  I was putting together a family photo album in 2004.    It’s the fancy schmancy kind of scrapbooking with specialty stickers, textured paper and detailed journaling.  This hobby soothed my aching self when I was really sick.  My body had stopped but not my mind.  Here’s the sticker that got me thinking:

By this time, I’d been studying the Bible for three years and one of my favorite verses came to mind:

“You will keep in perfect peace those whose minds are steadfast, because they trust in you.
Trust in the LORD forever, for the LORD, the LORD, is the ROCK Eternal.”
Isaiah 26:3-4

By 2004, after a lifetime of religion, I was enjoying the freedom found in a relationship with Christ so I connected some dots…

“Hey – this sorta describes Christians who stand on the ROCK Eternal and cultivate a relationship with Him that ROCKS.”

“Hhhhmmm – cool double meaning of ROCK.”

I kept thinking…

“What if we as Christians were no longer known for what we are against but rather what we are for?  What if we became solely known for whom we trust and how we emulate and celebrate the Lord the ROCK Eternal?”

I tucked my thoughts away but based on a drawing I discovered in my scrapbooking closet, I thought about it again in 2006:

A few years later, when I felt this was becoming more of a calling than just a scrapbooking sticker, I filed for a trademark to see if anyone else owned the mark weROCK.  Why develop the idea if someone else owned the name?  I filed and I waited.

My team of doctors released me back to work December 2008 just in time for the global market meltdown.  The shrinking economy left no capacity for me to return to the position I held prior to my long-term disability leave.  I was stunned.

But as with all things God originates – God orchestrates.  I received in the mail a letter dated March 6, 2009, from the United States Patent & Trademark Office.  It was an acceptance letter stating that I could register the mark.

Given I’m a former Bored, Bible-Blind Believer who discovered that it’s the relationship not the religion that ROCKS, I wanted to share my message of victory.   At this point, I’d already been invited to share my story six times so I was ready to go.  When thinking through who I wanted to share my story with, it wasn’t tough for me to expand my “B-BELIEVER” list as I call it because I know and love people in all of these categories.

THE 5B BELIEVERS:

Bored Believer – your pew mates in church keep it quiet; they don’t want to wake you.  They are even tempted to check for a pulse. Your faith experience is a big snooze.

Bible-Blind Believer – the shrink-wrap is still on the Bible you purchased and/or your heart is shrink-wrapped preventing any longing for God’s Word.

Badly Bruised Believer – you’re still healing from the deep hurt inflicted by the harsh judgment and condemnation from self-righteous so-called Christians.

Been There Done That Believer – the hypocrisy in the church finally pushed you over the edge so you packed your bags and put God in the rearview mirror.

Believers In Other Forces –  you put your trust in a force that you can name (or maybe not) but it’s not God the Father that the Christians talk about.

I pray weROCK can be a catalyst in people’s hearts and lives to expand God’s Kingdom one person at a time.  And this story will have the happiest of endings.  “And those who ROCKed lived happily ever after.  As in forever!”