endurance

There is a difference between enduring and enjoying and I think that is the correct order. Right now we are working towards endurance. The move, two house dealings, morgtage companies, 4 kids, work, a new church, a wedding in Colorado blah blah blah. This is just life and all of us have crazy ones! Why do we allow this...

celebrating

Michael is done, done and for sure done. He finished his last class ever at DTS! It is so nice to have that behind us and move forward. I am so proud of him and so looking forward to seeing him live out the passions God has given him.

logistics

We leave for Colorado on Wednesday for Jason and Michele's wedding (finally!) and will be there through Sunday. We pick the kids up, the movers pick our things up and we all head to Asheville next week. We plan to arrive there the evening of August 9th. Hopefully our things are right behind us?! The kids start school the 14th and 16th.

post modern people

- desire authentic community
- are searching for why we are here; not just where we may be going
- are open to sincere service to others with no reciprocity desired

pray

today!

climb on

This week has been a roller coaster. Sold the house, didn't sell the house. Have a house in NC maybe have to exercise the contractual out on the NC house. Moving but maybe no where to live when we get there. Got to be there for Harrison to start school on August 16th. But wait- Tatiana starts school on August 14th!

celebrating

My husband and his faithfulness. He is clear on where our strength comes from and was such a calming voice of reason all week. It was a comfort to have him and trust in his leadership of our family!

are there really good people?

It seems as thought in the midst of realtors, mortgage brokers, inspectors and appraisers everyone has an agenda. While I am happy many of these people are on "our side" all these negotiators on our behalf actually caused me to doubt everyone's intentions. The sellers we are dealing with may in fact just be good people seeking to do the right thing for their family--hey--kind of like us. Not out to screw anyone over, just seeking to do the right thing.

All this at the same time a realtor in Dallas was murdered by stabbing in a model home with little leads on a motive.

can people really be good? or are we all just one short step away from falling into just wickedness?

prayers

* continued healing and restoration for our friend's marriages
* our kids in this transition time (lots of cartoons holding us together in the busyness)
* stillness
* a wonderful opportunity for Ida (our sitter) once we leave
* a wonderful new Ms. Ida in NC
* Janaki- an 11 year old Indian orphan we have adopted and support- she is in the orphanage for her education and physical care
* safe travel and productive missions for our friends from Providence Community Church visiting the Indian orphanage and providing vacation bible school

postmodernity in the church

...presenting the Bible as a fascinating collection of true stories that together make up a big story that stretches from before the creation of time to beyond the end of time...

...learning to live incarnationally...as Christ teaches and models....

...making a shift from print to an image-based culture....

...seeking to make all things holy as they are given to God... secular or not...

don't count....

on things to always work out. The supposed offer on our house is no more. We have showings scheduled for the weekend so hopefully the RIGHT person for our house is waiting in the wings.

CELEBRATING

Pizza night at our house tonight and dinner out tomorrow! No cooking for momma this weekend!
There is always something to celebrate.



Have a good one!

moving along--literally

CELEBRATING

It looks like we may have sold our house in TX. Just in time for the close in NC. PRAISE GOD! Of course all the details still have to be worked out but we are hopeful all will move forward. Our closing in Asheville is August 7th!

THEOLOGY

Michael and I are studying together once per week a particular relevant social issue and the biblical principles associated. This week was on poverty. The three articles we read contend there is much to be done to care for the poor from praying for them all the way through to economic leveling advocated by some Christians as a biblical mandate. This sparked MUCH discussion and reading of the scriptures.

There is no question that Jesus spent a great deal of words and time with the marginalized of society. I don't however see anything in the New Testament that calls for economic leveling. There is the Jubilee of the old testament where every 50 years all debts were forgiven, land returned, etc.... I personally continue to feel more and more compassion for those less fortunate (I wonder if that coincides directly with my own parting with riches in this new season of ministry life?). I think of the command to care for orphans and widows and think of all those children we left behind when we got our girls from those Russian orphanages and my heart aches. Our own comforts really do blind us to the suffering of others.

There is a big difference between being sad about it and doing something about it. Social justice is one of the values we have for our new church. I have been a little concerned to see all the press about Jolie/Pitt, Buffett and Gates doing for the poor what Christians have been commanded to do for centuries. It is easy to rest on it being much easier for them with the sums of money they have. God isn't financially strapped and there are marginalized right in each of our neighborhoods.

I don't think the scriptures should be twisted to press any one issue in front of all others but the whole discussion was a good reminder, especially collectively as a faith community, to be conscious of where we can reach out to those in need.

patria360

Michael got some of our thoughts down regarding the mission and values. Check out his blog for this information. We are interested in your feedback, questions and prayers. We continue to have opportunity to share more about ministering in a postmodern culture and our particular ministry passions. Certainly getting to Asheville in early August will help us move things along. We have secured a web address and will be seeking to get a site set up soon.

POSTMODERNITY AND THE CHURCH

Many churches seeking to reach a postmodern culture are considered "emerging" churches. I like this definition of emerging churches from Gibbs and Bolger:

"emerging churches are missional communities arising from within postmodern culture and consisting of followers of Jesus who are seeking to be faithful in their place and time."

This is our heart.

think on this...

So we watched Munich last night. If you haven't seen it have some friends over and after the movie engage in some lively discussion...

I hope we would all agree that taking innocent hostages for any cause is wrong.

* should we (Israel in the movie) ever launch an offensive to kill others (the operation in the movie came to be called Operation Wrath of God)
* is it ok if it is determined self-defense vs revenge?
* is it ok if they are "God's chosen people?"
* is it a governments place to carry out the "wrath of God"?
* the old testament is full of examples of nations rising up against nations; often unprovoked
* did Jesus usher in a "new Kingdom" when he came to Earth?
* what are the tenants of this "new Kingdom"?
* does this replace the ways of the old testament?
* do you think God is honored by nationalistic pride? do you think God blesses or curses nations?

If you didn't see the movie (it is based on actual events with creative license--not a documentary) you can click here for a summary of the events: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Munich_Massacre.

I tell you, these things keep me up at night thinking...

POSTMODERN CHURCH

-engaging culture with a Christian worldview; breaking down secular/sacred separation

CELEBRATING

Community- yesterday our friends Jessica and Danny stopped by unexpectedly to drop something off while they were out. We have become a society of planning and such individualism that you rarely get someone just stopping by. I was reminded that this results in missing divine appointments such as yesterday. What a gift it is to just hang out with good friends! We raided the fridge (Jessica is 8 mos pregnant) and just talked for hours. Don't be too busy to just hang out sometimes!