i just wonder sometimes...

wondering is a weird thing. it takes a lot of time, sometimes is fun but really is probably a waste of time i know. but i do lay awake and wonder. why, when, where, what if, how...

celebrating

financial liberty. our house in texas is finally under contract. a good price, a clean contract and closing in less than 30 days. can't ask for much more. i am clear the lesson in all this has been to discern between want and need. we have lots of things confused. it will be nice to get a few wants but it has been great to learn to live much more conscientiously. i hope we keep that mindset.

can you say "griswalds"?

we are leaving for texas with the kids for the week of halloween. the drive will be a nightmare but getting to see family and friends will be worth it. we are so excited to meet baby jackson strange (or jackson waxon as the kids call him) and reconnect with our seminary small group. we have been doing "pajama church on the porch" for several months now so it will be nice to go worship again corporately and be in community with our core group. the kids are so excited to trick or treat with grandpa and grannna and play with ms ida and her kids.

what is helping vs enabling?

michael and i had this debate today about when you cease actively helping someone who isn't interested in helping themselves? jesus doesn't actually stick around with the lost and hurting; rather he meets their immediate need, tells the truth about their situation and usually the remedy and moves on. this was before the church was established and the church is given a mission that differed in some ways from jesus mission. so where does this leave us with people who continue to make choices that lead to destruction? i certainly think the church, and we as christians, are always called to forgive and welcome but i am not sure how far the help is to go. something to think about.

patria360

we are taking a mental break from church planting for now. we are going on vacation with our family.

jack be nimble, jack be quick

we have the nursery rhyme recital for kindergarten tomorrow. our little man is the wolf with the ever important line "i'll huff and i'll puff and i'll blow your house in". michael and both corrected him and said it was "blow your house down" but apparently that is not the north carolina version of the three little pigs. harrison was just so thankful that he didn't have to be a pig and where pink like another boy in his class. pray that i don't cry and embarrass him.