Skipping Stones

At our last barbecue I invited seven women to read the book of Mark with me. Sunday afternoon was the third of those studies and, I must say, I am enjoying it. Questions and comments from people who have never read the Bible are very refreshing. The first two studies were at our house but we decided to have a barbecue after this week's class with all the families, so Terry and Maria graciously hosted the event. Their place is bigger and more conducive to large gatherings.

You've seen their patio before:

And you've seen the kids playing at their house:

But here's something you haven't seen:

This is a picture of the guys repairing a sprinkler pump that was damaged when the kids threw rocks into the pond behind Terry and Maria's house. Skipping stones is normally a great activity for kids but the water had receded and the pipes were unusually exposed. As a result, these guys spent a good portion of the evening appeasing an upset neighbor.

In a house church environment with this many children (seventeen at this event), there are relatively few gatherings that don't result in some material damage. At times it's been a challenge to stay focused on what's really at stake here - not just material goods but living, breathing people. In a world that largely values money and stuff above human beings, we strive to offer a refuge where God's priorities and values are paramount. In doing so, we hope to introduce our friends to what life is really about and to share it with them the way it has always been intended to be - in relationship with each other and with God.

Homeschool Convention

John's mom has been visiting this week. We call her Colorado Grandma for obvious reasons but we wish we could call her Florida Grandma. She's a wonderful person to have around. My mom has been known, until recently, as Naked Grandma for not such obvious reasons. She likes to strip the babies down and let them romp without clothes. As Jonah has gotten older he has taken issue with her title and we agree it seems less appropriate for a nine year old, so now we call her Texas Grandma. She will be visiting soon too.

We haven't had a lot of time to entertain Colorado Grandma but we did take her to the beach:

We also treated her to a stay at the Gaylord Palms resort in Orlando:

This year's home school convention was there so we had a good excuse.

It was refreshing to be around hundreds, if not thousands, of people who have chosen to put their families first and really sacrifice to invest in our most precious resource - our children. Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis once said, "If you bungle raising your children, I don't think whatever else you do well matters very much." We recognize that teaching others about Jesus is critical but teaching our children is of utmost importance. We're very thankful to have the opportunities we have to spend time learning as a family and sharing what we have with others.

Mother's Day

Mother's Day started out with getting up early to make breakfast for the church, prepare for the children's class, and clean the house. That may not sound like a good day to you but there was nothing I would rather have been doing. My entire family works together to invite people into our home on a weekly and sometimes daily basis to share what God has given us.

As a special treat, Maria taught the class that day. Jonah was a bit apprehensive because I'm the only teacher he has for every subject, but he later admitted she was "a really good teacher".

After having the pleasure of sitting in on the class that John teaches for the adults, I gave each child a rose to give to his/her mom. Ben misunderstood and gave his to this guy:

I took it back.Here are all the moms with their well-deserved roses and their beautiful kids:

And here's my favorite part of Mother's Day:

Suddenly we're too large of a group again to meet in our living room so we had a barbecue at Terry and Maria's house last Saturday. We invited thirty-six people and thirty-six people showed up. The kids were especially happy about that:

To introduce our guests to each other, we started off with a mixer. Not everyone was thrilled about the idea but afterwards all agreed that it was a lot of fun.

We passed out a paper with little known facts about our guests such as "I killed a wild animal in Africa" and "I just got into law school". Each person had to find out to whom the statement applied and have him sign it. The first to collect all the signatures won. There was plenty of laughing and conversation. The winner walked away with ten bucks and second and third got some candy.

Then we ate possibly the best food we've had to date: Brazilian barbecue (churrasco), black beans and rice, salad, and yummy desserts.

One woman whom I met at the YMCA a year ago thanked me for inviting her and said she can't believe what's happening in her life. She said she has been praying and that we are offering her what she has been asking for. When I told her I started praying for her when I met her, she teared up and said, "Prayer really works!"

I invited the women to study the Bible and all ten of them accepted. Now I just have to figure out how to get them all together and find childcare for those who don't have it. John also talked to two men who are interested. We are excited to sit down with our friends and share with them why we do what we do and introduce them to the One who makes it all possible. We want them to know why "prayer works". They couldn't possibly know how blessed they are going to be when they tap into the power of God's word.

Easter Sunday

What did you do for Easter? Here's how our day started out:

Then we met our friends and neighbors at the park for a barbecue...

and egg hunt.

It wasn't a traditional Easter Sunday service. Nobody even dressed up, except this pretty little girl who insisted on wearing her best.

Some of the kids found eggs that were not ours, and I told them someone else must have hosted an egg hunt in the same park the day before. One mother asked why anyone would have an Easter egg hunt on the day before Easter. When I told her that many people go to church on Sunday morning she said she was glad to be with us at the park instead. Then she asked me why we didn't go to church, and I was pleased to point out to her that we are the church. John spoke to the group about what that means. "Well, I like this church and I want to go wherever you are next week too," she said.

Who wouldn't want to be part of a group like this? God is shaping lives before our very eyes.

Taking Flight

This family lived on our street less than 24 hours ago. Chris and Jenna and their three wonderful kids have been a vital part of our five-family house church for much of the past year. John baptized the couple in November and then married them in December. We have watched them make changes that will bless their family for generations to come.

We have grown to love them as our own family and our kids have been the best of friends. It was very sad to see them leave as they drove away Monday for their new home a bit north of here. Chris has been working in pool construction and was away from home quite often. Now he will be doing something that allows him more time with his family - something worth all the stress of moving. We hope they will not only find success with his new job but, more importantly, that they will find a church that will encourage them to continue to grow in their relationship with Jesus.

Our small church will strongly feel their absence. We pray rich blessings on their lives and the lives of those they touch. God knows they have touched ours.

Against All Odds

Last week our church began planning a Saturday barbecue for our friends and neighbors. Then midweek one of the five families in our church informed us of their decision to move out of town in a matter of days. We knew about the move but expected to have weeks or months to help them pack and to say goodbye. We were shocked and saddened and thought about canceling the cookout. Instead, we decided to press on.

Our kitchen flooded on Thursday even though it hadn't rained for days. We still haven't identified the source but are waiting for the plumber and insurance adjuster to find it. The wood has absorbed too much water to salvage, so it appears we are facing a major renovation in the near future. We considered canceling the barbecue but decided to press on. The water drained off the kitchen floor that evening.

On Friday the boys and I took a walk around the block and invited many of our neighbors to the cookout. Chris and Jenna, the couple who are moving, were busy packing and weren't sure they could even make it. We also couldn't get in touch with one other family in our small, five-family church. Again, we thought about canceling but decided to press on.

Saturday morning Ben woke up like a bear and was inconsolable. His bad mood progressed into a fever just after lunchtime. Of course, we considered canceling but again we decided to press on. By that time we had invested too much prayer, time, and energy into planning, and seeing it through had become something of a challenge.

Our church members arrived at 4:00 pm - all except the one family we never reached and Chris who was preparing for the move. Also, the girls who live one street over wanted to be here for church and not just the barbecue. We were thrilled to have them. We had a quick meeting then the guests began arriving at 5:30 pm. Among those who showed up were a Jewish couple, a family with six kids, a British fitness instructor and her daughter, and a single mom and her son. It was quite a sampling of our culture and made for an exciting afternoon. The last guests left at 10:45 pm, and by all accounts it was the best barbecue we've hosted to date.

enjoying the beautiful weather with our friends

applying temporary tattoos in the kitchen

enjoying good food and friends