the creek, the clem, and coyotes

I love date night with my hubby. The girls stayed at Grandma and Grandpa Kelly's last night, so we were able to go out on the town.
We went to Partridge Creek mall, which was beautifully decoarted and lit up and it was refreshing to walk around in the brisk air ducking into stores to check out clearance racks. We left empty handed, which is no surprise. We were just enjoying the ambiance.
We headed to Mt. Clemens for a drink and I finally saw the "feather bowling" place. We didn't play, but it was neat.
On the way home, we decided to be adventurous and stop at a place we have always driven by and speculated what exactly took place within the walls. It used to be called "sneakers' but is now called "coyotes". Timm was afraid he might get beat up for asking if they have wine. But, he was courageous enough to ask. Yep, they had some. They poured him a full glass of zinfindel in a beer glass and it tasted like it had been sour for a couple of years! ha.
So, we played some pool and a few tunes on the jukebox. They even had "autentic mexican food" (that is exactly how it was spelled on the table top menu.). It also featured "fasitas". Yah, I don't know what that is? And, I must admit that I was tempted to order some of it, just to see what it looked like.
We talked, we laughed, we played, we sang along to good tunes....I love date night.

give me neither poverty nor riches

My prayer for the new year.
Proverbs 30:8-9
8Keep falsehood and lies far from me,
give me neither poverty nor riches,
but give me only my daily bread
9Otherwise, I may have too much and disown you
and say "Who is Lord?"
Or I may become poor and steal
and so dishonor the name of my God.
It's a tough prayer to truly give to God. Because I'd love to pray for prosperity and security, and comfort. But, I know that when I have all of those things, I find myself drifting along feeling pretty good about MYSELF and how well I'VE done. So, I need to be humbled. Yet, I do pray to be spared from poverty. Because that scares me. And I fear that I would be tempted to horde and not put my faith in his provisions.....
Happy New Year.

traditions continued...

Hanging out with the Carlson family Christmas day, always taking group photos like this one that has all the grandkids with Grandma and Grandpa.
Opening MORE presents from Grandma and Grandpa. Watching them open their surprise. And finally heading to the Kelly's where we finish off the night with some cards. Ahh, it's a wonderful life.

CHristmas traditions

Some of our annual Christmas traditions....aunt Katie spending the night. Hanging out at Aunt Liz's Christmas eve. Hanging out at home Christmas morning, this year Liv felt wiped out and sick, other years it's Alli. Reading the Christmas story together before exchanging gifts, the last two years Grandma and Grandpa Kelly have been able to join us.
I guess this will only let me include 4 pics at a time. I'll have to add one more post to share a couple more pics !!

Tis the season to ham it up!

Timm starred as the grinch in the Kensington Kids performance at church, which was both funny and meaningful! It was a great message for the kids, and a great time had by all.
So, it should be no surprise that the girls starred in the Christmas performance at Kensington. Surely they get that interest from Daddy!
They had an awesome time with their buddies. Here's a pic of them backstage in the green room having way too much fun before the four performances on Christmas eve.

Once upon a time, I made a rhyme

There once was a time when I enjoyed writing, just for the sake of writing. Poetry, reflections, letters to friends, anything. It never occurred to me to give a rip who read the things I wrote, or if they liked it. I miss that. So, today I will jot down some thoughts. Poems I guess. Why? Becuase I like it. I like words. I like reading them, writing them, disecting them, and especially hearing them used in a creative fashion. So, why not.

Round and round we go
where is the clock?
Nobody knows.

Stop! Did you hear that?
a snowflake just fell.
Through the tick and the tock,
I hardly could tell.

Another...another...
does white carry sound?
Perfect stillness rests.
I hear it clanging all around.

The morning has broken
the morning is mine.
The tick tock, the stillness
the gift of time.

It's there. Or is it?
It surrounds us, and yet...
With tight fists I grab hold
and with open hands I get.

Ahhh, that felt pretty good. So, perhaps I'll jot another......

It's the law you know.
When you stop you stop.
When you go, you go.

Stop. Go. Stop. Go.
In motion tremors thrill
but in the ring stands fighting
the desire to be still.

Who will be the victor?
Who will win the prize?
Can you measure these opponents?
Will they score based on their size?

Run. Accomplish. Fight. Win.
Then worthy you will be.
But, Stop. Reflect. Surrender. Lose.
And the victory you might see.

Princess and the kiss...

This is my little princess. At the risk of embarrassing her, I had to share this. First of all, I have to say how much I am cherishing our time together during our days of home schooling. We have the opportunity to share so much. Each morning we begin the day with devotional and journal time. Alli is using the "Princess and the Kiss" devotional that accompanies a great book we've read together. (By the way, if you have your own little princess, you need this book!).
During our discussion yesterday, the subject arose about what a woman should look for in a man when seeking a husband. Alli shared that she has thought about this, and has a pretty good idea of what she hopes to find in a boy. She shared with me. (Later, I asked her to share with Daddy too, which just confirmed that she really had thought about this, because the list remained the same).
Here is what she shared: "Mom, I already have an idea of what I want to look for in a boy to be my husband.....I would like him to be sensitive.....but not too sensitive. Cute. That he'd love me so much he'd give his life for me. And that he'd love God and turn to him. Because when we have hard times or argue or disagree, I want us to be able to both turn to God together for help to figure things out."
Hmmmm, she's nine. Let's hope she can hold on to these convictions. Thank you God for my little princess!

yay snow

I know most people hate the dreaded white stuff, but seriously, wouldn't you rather see sparkling white crystals shimmering in the cloudy haze of Michigan winter....rather than simply gray, brown, and a couple shades of blick.
Driving in it isn't really fun. But, again, it's all perspective. That, along with the fact that I don't have a daily commute to work.
Anyways, we enjoyed sledding today! Grabbed my nieces and nephews and hit the hill. Pretty fun stuff. The kids were pooped out after about 45 minutes, then we discovered that the back side of the hill not only sent you sailing into trees and brush, but it also had a ramp! A wooden ramp covered in snow. What kind of mom (or aunt) would not only let the kids try it, but give scores on the ramp jumpage, just to encourage it??!!! I personally value my tailbone way too much to give it a try myself.

photo junkie

OK, I realize I am a photo junkie. I only want to post if I can attach a photo to go with it. But, I don't always have the time to upload the pic, attach it, etc. So, today I just say hello.
The snow is falling, my kids are singing Christmas carols, my kitchen in a wreck, but house cleaning is next on the to-do list! I love this stuff. We're having our friends over tonight for a Christmas celebration. We're putting on a "mystery dinner" as well as games and stuff. I got rid of so many Christmas decorations last year, yet somehow I still managed to throw out a fairly festive looking spread of hospitality for the evening.
What a fun week. Very busy though.
Monday gymnastics.
Tuesday excel. Tuesday night the girls had their open house for excel (home school coop). Wednesday we spent a good chunk of time shoppping as a family for warm clothes to donate to homeless, and other things for those in need. That night my nephew babysat and Timm and I went out with the RMS gang for dinner at El Charros.
Thursday night I had girl's club while Timm and the girl's went to Troy. Lots of trips to Troy since the girls are in the Christmas production this year.
ANYWAYS, all the while I am trying to do full days of school here at the homestead, plan games and food for our gathering tonight, get shopping done, cook, clean, do laundry....you know. The usual. I had a few frenzied moments, but for the most part, I love the social gathering part of the season, and I don't mind shopping and planning for that stuff at all. And shopping for needy people is so much more fun than shopping for people who already have everything they need!
We might have a ridiculous schedule for the holiday season, but it is all good. And we are trying to keep our focus on Jesus. I know we don't do a great job of it all the time, but we are trying to honor HIM during this time of joy and celebration.
Speaking of focusing on Jesus, check out the video on Wings as eagles
Aha! That just nails it for me!
OK, gotta get back to my crazy day. I really wish all of our friends who are in NYC could join us tonight to celebrate! We will be missing them

A new attitude

My mom started talking about a Christmas gathering with her family quite a few months ago. I know we were still sitting by the pool when she mentioned it, so it was late summer! In the past, I have had an attitude problem with family gatherings such as these. But, this time, I approached it with an attitude adjustment. And, what do you know? It made all the difference.
We enjoyed a day visiting with Great Grandma Beatty, and almost EVERY one of her 13 kids' families! Yes, we had to rent a hall to accommodate. And, thank you Mom for securing a non-smoking hall! I heard a few complaints from the smokers (not to mention those who blatantly ignored the rule) , but the rest of us were elated! In the past, it would be hard to visit if you wanted to due to the impenetrable smoke screen established after 10 minutes!
And, I am so excited that my girls will have fun memories of sitting on Santa's lap, playing games, and winning prizes. It was very fun for them.
I saw cousins that I haven't seen in over 10 years! Remember, we're talking about 13 siblings in my Mom's family. So, some of our time was spent conferring with each other about WHO a person was, what their name was, who they belonged to or with....etc. And, I think we may have ended up with one or two unidentified in the end. But, for the most part, it was cool to see everyone (again).

10 minute threshold

I just realized that I have about a 10 minute threshold for tolerating technological difficulties. Beyond 10 minutes, I throw my hands up and give up entirely on whatever I am trying to do. I just lack the problem solving skills in the technical arena.
I was attempting to throw a couple of photos on here of our FUN night on the town last night. But, for some reason, I can't get the photos to load. WHATEVER!
Let me just say, we had such a GREAT time. First we dropped the girls off and Grandma and Grandpa Carlson's, which was cool because they haven't stayed overnight with them in a long time and they were excited to do that...and go to a birthday party for their cousin too! Unfortunately we had to miss our nephew's party.
But, we headed down to Detroit for Timm's staff Christmas party. Snacks and dinner provided. And a DJ spinning some tunes. It was nice to meet the people Timm works with every day. From there, we ventured downtown to the Milner Hotel. We checked in, then promptly grabbed a cab and headed to the Motor City Casino to meet up with our friends the Bermans to celebrate Jim's birthday. They had a suite at the casino, which was just that....SWEET! We had a great time dancing, visiting, and even winning some money! Timm and Jim played some slots and split some winnings. We were able to do everything from dinner, drinks, hotel stay, cab, breakfast today, and we still ended up $25 ahead! That is factoring in the gift card Timm got from his work. So, of course, that made the evening all the more fun for me. Oh, I think I just figured out the pics. What would I do without my husband????
Did I mention we were out until 3:30am? Ugh. I'm tired.

I'm one of those?

Well, I think I discovered that i am "one of those moms". Last night was wonderful. The girls were a part of the New Community Kids Christmas Production at our church. They were beaming! And they worked hard and had a great time on stage. However, during the rehearsals, a couple of hours before the "show", the decision was made to cut one section that the 1st graders were originally planning to perform. WHAT? That means my cute little Livvy won't get as much stage time? What is UP with THAT???? I wasn't happy about it. And, I felt compelled to open my big mouth and express that I was disappointed with that decision. Oops. That's when I realized I am "one of those mom's". I'm sure that is JUST what the director needs to hear when she is trying to bring 75 kids together for this big old production. Like my opinion really matters :) Oh well, it ended up being beautiful. It was singing and dancing and the overall ludicrous-ness that represents current Christmas traditions. We were blessed to have the whole family come out and watch the girls shine. It was a very fun time.

first things first

Had to add a few pics from our trip to Georgia, as I promised. But, some of the better pics are on Timm's camera. So, this is the best I can do. A fun time had by all!

goodbye

Soon it will be time to say goodnight and goodbye :(
We have had such a great visit here in Georgia. And the four girls have played and played and played!!!
We will leave very early in the morning to make the 12 hour trek home.
We have experienced the best of true Southern hospitality. Sis-in-law Deb is a "Southern Lady" through and through. There has been a constant flow of food and the accomodations are not lacking.
So, I just had to give a quick update so my sis wouln't have withdrawals as she checks my blog :)

thankful

Just a quick note.
Thanksgiving weekend, and I have so much to be thankful for. I could list things all day long. But, instead, I will drink my coffee while I listen to giggling little girls and a squeeling happy baby, and adult voices of loving sarcasm commenting on morning bed head and stinky-ness, etc. That is what you get when you have 16 family members hanging out together for the weekend. Oh yah, that and a few belly aches last night afer eating a little crazy (me included).
I couldn't even make it through our annual viewing of National Lampoons Christmas Vacation last night. My gut was too wretched.
Right now I am about to go out to the shopping madness with a few other brave souls (aka idiots).
Don't know why God has chosen to bless me in SO many ways. But, I thank Him and Praise Him, and give him ALL glory for this amazing life I have been given.
I'll probably post when I get home from Georgia with a bunch of cute pics!
Oh, by the way, high of 61 degress today. THAT doesn't suck.

turkey trot

Richmond Middle school hosted the annual turkey trot, and the Kelly girls were invited to participate. They were pretty proud of themselves completing the ONE MILE "mashed potato". Out of the three of us, Olivia was the champion. But, we all finished and had a great time.
Now, we are getting ready to trot out of town for Thanksgiving to spend some time celebrating with the Kelly family in Atlanta, GA.
Hope your Thanksgiving is restful and happy. Hope you are able to spend some time reflecting on the amazing blessings God has poured into your life. I know we will!

She's the superstar!

Today was an awesome day.
I was a little bit bummed that we weren't able to rally more troops to head down to Detroit to help with the food basket project, but we were happy that our schedule allowed for it.
So, it was much to my surprise when we loaded out of the van this morning in Downtown Detroit and approached the gathering crowd of volunteers just beginning to unload the first truck of food, when Liv asked "Is that aunt Theresa?" I quickly replied "No, Liv....Wait.....Yes it is!" And there she was, along with my nieces and nephew and good friend Michelle, already lined up and heaving boxes. I don't know why I felt honored that they were there helping ME. How ridiculous. This wasn't MY project at all. They simply signed up to help, just like I did. But, it's interesting that Timm and I have been feeling more and more connection with the city of Detroit lately, and it almost felt like they had come to "our turf". I don't know, but I sure enjoyed serving side by side with them.
Of course, it didn't take anyone long to realize who the superstar really is in our family :) Before long, someone was able to detect Theresa's leadership gift from the crowd and quickly put her "in charge" of assembling boxes. It was great. She's running around delegating, encouraging, organizing, correcting, and problem solving. What fun we had.
I was personally so encouraged and blessed by the information I gained about CDC (Central Detroit Christian). You can check out their website here. They are being the hands and feet of Jesus in Central Detroit, and it is so inspiring. THAT is a mission I can get excited about! Also, since we met at Citadel of Faith, Timm and I were able to overhear a few inspiring words given by Pastor Carey there as we were taking some tables into the church, and he was sending out some people from his church to deliver baskets as well.
He was talking about how important it is for us to maintain a humble and loving heart when we are serving people who are needy. If we realize that when we serve the "least of these" we are actually serving Jesus.....that's pretty humbling. It's not simply charity. It's not just an act of kindness around the holidays because we have SO MUCH, and others have SO LITTLE. There's nothing wrong with realizing that fact. But, our heart should be truly honored to be able to serve others. We come face to face with Jesus as we approach a person in need. Anyways, he was inspiring as well. What a great church! You can check them out here.
Great day for our family. We know that God has been stirring us to be a part of an "incarnational, missional church". That's why we feel called to Communitas. But, obviously, we aren't in NY yet. So, to find people in our city of Detroit who are living out those values, doesn't get much better than that!

Masters in TM

Ya know, sometimes I think college degrees are over rated. Seriously. What can you really learn in a classroom about practical life application in a given field?
I think that a Mom should automatically receive an honorary degree in Time Management. And it should be framed, matted and hung on the wall, just like any other degree held in high esteem.
As I look over the past 8-10 years of decision making and ponder my journal entries which plead with God for guidance, there is no doubt that time management is a necessity. Now, as I am home schooling the girls, and trying to teach them this valuable life skill, I am glad that I have my Master's in this so I have some basis for instruction. (Yah, I figure it's a Master's since I already have my Bachelor's).
And, in all of this, I praise God that I have actually had CHOICES to make. Some of us have more choices than others. I have been blessed with many. To work full time? Part time? No time? Daycare? Preschool? Homeschool? Sign up for soccer? gymnastics? Brownies? Church programs? Music lessons? All of the above? None? A few? How much scheduled time as opposed to down time is "right" for our family? How much money do we invest in extra curriculars? Vacations? How do we continue to value others and serve if we are overscheduled? How do you serve others without being over scheduled? And so on.
It is a privilege to manage the time in this home. No classroom could ever teach me these skills. So, I'll take my honorary degree. :)

A week in the life

This week....in addition to the "usual" we have taken on quite a bit of additional running. For the girls, we are running to rehearsals 3 nights this week for upcoming performances. I feel like some stage mom. On top of that, we are considering how we can squeeze in an additional audition for a local theater. I don't usually like to keep such a ridiculous schedule, but right now, we're running.
For T$, he is literally taking on additional running. Check out his blog here to see his plan to go from couch to 5K.
To keep with the running theme, I have a new toy that enables me to be on the run :) Right now, I am typing on my new laptop computer!!!!! I am beyond excited about this. Although, I am feeling a little bit conflicted. Because I really believe that we, as Americans, are sickening in our pursuit of MORE. And I have really felt compelled to simplify in my life. So, how does that fit in with the fact that I now have an ipod, cool cell phone with all the bells and whistles, and now this? Not sure. But, I do, in a strange way, feel that these things are enabling me to simplify. But, it seems a little hypocritical. Really, it just enables me to reduce my bulk. No cd collection if all my music is on a little tiny ipod. No home phone if I use the cell phone (OK, I know I still have to cancel that - what is wrong with me?), and that bulky desktop is really HUGE. When I think of the future, and the fact that we plan to be living in a tiny space, I am thinking about taking advantage of technology in order to simplify the AMOUNT of stuff. But, in doing that, I am actually acquiring more. Whatever. I got a SUPER good deal on this thing. THANKS CARRIE! And Thanks hubby for encouraging me to get it and for the router :)
Oh, if I'm giving an weekly update, I should "throw" in the fact that both girls have experienced a temporary gut issue. First Liv, then Alli. One good barf, and then on to healing. No other symptoms, but we did lay low yesterday to recuperate and avoid other children.
And, I guess I should also mention that I had a birthday last weekend. And I felt so very loved :) Was able to spend some quality time with my lover, received some awesome cards and phone calls, and spend a great time over coffee with a best friend. It was a fabulous weekend!
My life is so good, I have to pinch myself sometimes to believe it is not a dream.
Now, I have to go hug some cute little girls and spend the day talking, snuggling, and learning with them

One of the best things...

I really do enjoy work. It was hard for me to quit my job in order to do the full-time-at-home gig. Of course, I've always maintained some sort of "work" to keep my schedule semi-crazy and force me to manage my time. But, for the most part, I have been a full time stay at home mom for several years now.
It is Saturday morning, and in a strange way, this is one of the best things about my job. See, I often think about ALL that has to be managed in a home. In a family. Laundry, schedules, bills, groceries, maintaining stuff, cooking, cleaning, laundry, organizing, cleaning, laundry, groceries. Etc. Etc. Etc. It never ends. However, I also thank God consistently because I am able to get a good chunk of everything done during the week. Even with the girls home schooling this year, we work together on a lot of those things. They help out a lot more now. So, when the weekend rolls around, I try to have the majority of my to-do list completed. So, this is our Saturday morning. Hanging out in pajamas, enjoying the day as a family. Because I am blessed with the TIME during the week, we don't need to clean the house today, or go grocery shopping, or do laundry. I try to get all of that done so that our weekends can be spent differently.
Today we will bundle up in the rain and head down to Detroit for the monthly BBQ with the homeless. This is the first time all year that it appears we may not be able to avoid the bad weather. Oh well. Next Saturday we get to go to Detroit again to assemble and distribute thanksgiving food baskets to some families. I love that we can carve out the time in our weekends to serve others as a family.
On Sunday, since I still work for the church, I have my day to get up and get myself ready early, and get out the door. The girls either go with me (if they are serving at church as well) or they sleep in a little, and come to service with Daddy. But even on Sunday, I am done with my "work" by 1 or 2pm and sometimes we meet with our new church group in the evening, and sometimes we finish off the weekend with some more down time, just like we start it off on Sat morning.
So, I see this as one of the best things about my job. And, God bless all of you who work full time and have to manage the household as well. I seriously do not know how you do it. But, you are amazing. And, if you can afford it, get yourself a maid for crying out loud! Or leave your house messy and step around the clutter and the dirty floors and push it aside to enjoy a board game on the living room floor! Because, you are doing two full time jobs right now! Something has to give.

As he went along, he saw

Lately, in Communitas, we have been focusing on this portion of John 9:1 "as he went along, he saw...." Basically, we have been focusing on the fact that Jesus was always reaching out to people "as he went along". Rarely do his miraculous healings or supernatural provisions take place because he set out with an agenda to reach a particular destination, heal a person, move along to the next item in his planner, and provide for the needy person, etc. Rather, he goes along and he finds countless opportunities to serve others because he is always keeping his eyes open for those very opportunities!
We are trying to learn to live more like this.
Today, I believe we were able to something "as we went along."
With our small groups, we are meeting twice a month for bible study and twice a month to serve together. Once a month we have found a great fit for our group to help with the BBQ in Detroit with the homeless. But, we have been trying to remain open to God's prompting for the other group serving opportunity each month.
Timm had set up for our group to come out to Richmond today to help with some outdoor work on the school grounds. We were to meet around noon. Before that, Timm took a bike ride, and AS HE WENT ALONG, he noticed a friend, a parent from his job at RMS. She was working on a roof project with her husband. After stopping to chat with her (rather than zip by on his bike and pretend not to notice her) he learned that she and her husband were helping their good friends who are struggling with various medical and financial problems by tearing all the shingles off of their house and putting on a new roof. She went on to express that she was bummed because the volunteers hadn't shown up to help.
Hmmmm.
We changed our plans for today.
I think they were a little surprised when, a little while later, 7 adults and 5 children came filing out of vehicles with work gloves, shovels, etc. ready to help with the project.
We spent all day there, tearing down shingles, piling them in a dumpster, raking leaves, picking up nails, and meeting new people.
The couple who lives there found themselves staring at us several times throughout the day, repeating things like: "I can't believe you guys are here. I can't believe strangers are in our yard right now doing this work. This is pretty crazy!" Timm was able to share that he knows God led him to run into his friend on the bike ride, and we were happy to be able to help.
After a great day spent in the gorgeous fall outdoors (sunny and 60), we headed home. It was then that I realized something. We have plans to attend a spaghetti dinner, fundraiser, tomorrow. A friend of mine is helping to organize it and I told her we would attend. This friend of mine lives about 30 minutes away, but she said the dinner is closer to where I live, because her friend lives in my town.
When I got home, I looked up the flier and I couldn't believe it. The dinner is for the very family we met and worked with today! They never even mentioned the fundraiser that is going on tomorrow. I look forward to seeing them tomorrow and telling them how I know their good friend and had plans to come to the dinner all along! Some might say, "wow, what a coincidence" or maybe "wow, small world". I say, what a cool God we serve. As we went along, we saw... and now we have met some cool new people and hopefully we can show them a tiny glimpse of Jesus by living open handedly.

true colors?

True colors. Am I speaking of the incredible fall landscape God has blessed my optical sensors with? Ummm, not exactly. Just had to admit, today was the first day in our school year so far that I let my "true colors" show.
You see, I lack patience. Yes, hard to believe, I know. But, God has mercifully worked in me to grow me slowly into a more loving person, and it has helped me be more patient. But, I am a sinner. And one of the sins I struggle with is lacking patience, and lashing out in anger.
So, day one of week eight in our homeschool journey, and I lost control of my tongue. I resorted to sarcasm and teeth gritting, and placing my hands on my head while mimicking the act of pulling my hair out, while my face was beet red. I'm just being honest. I feel I should be honest about my struggles if I'm being honest about all that I have to celebrate.
Truth is, I still see the blessing in this. Because, if God had not miraculously changed my ugly heart over the last few years, the behavior I exhibited today would be the norm. Now, it is a short term relapse. I apologized to my girls, asked for forgiveness, and changed gears so we could start over. All is well. They are gracious and understanding of my shortcomings, and I try to extend the same grace to them.
True colors. Mine can resemble the dead grey of winter some times, but God really can transform them into the beautiful, vibrant array of colors we experience in the fall. Thank you God.

Ahhh, I needed that!

For the last 13 years, Timm and I have been a part of a "small group" through our church. For the last 10 years or so, it has been a Friday night routine. Every other Friday night, breaking bread together (pizza), fellowship (sharing stories, laughing till our eyes water and our guts hurt, making fun of each other ruthlessly, etc) , studying God's word, praying together, and holding each other accountable for life choices, laughing some more, eating some more, listening to the kids run around and squeel with delight, and inevitably staying up much later than we thought we would and dragging the sleepy kids to the car, or to bed WAY too late!
Last night was no exception. As a matter of fact, it was even better. Because we were able to share the evening with Craig who has this incredible gift of teaching and vision casting. Everyone we meet with for our small group now is a person who has felt called to be a part of the ministry taking place in New York. However, we are still in Michigan. It was just so nice to spend some time with Craig and just listen to him share stories of how God is working in the city, what has happened that they did not expect, and what it has been like to adjust to the new way of life. Like I said, he just has this wonderful gift for casting vision.
I think we all needed to be reminded that Jesus has called us to be his hands and feet to the world we live in. It doesn't matter if we wake up in MIchigan, or New York, or India, or wherever!!!! Our mission on this earth is the same, no matter what. To love. To show God's love. To preach the good news to others through our words and actions.
I honestly don't know how people can go through life without experienceing comunity as God has intended us to. I don't care if you are an introvert or extrovert or whatever. God created us to do life together. And our Friday nights have always been about that. True friendships. Not the kind that go like this: "how ya doin?"....."Fine"....."that's good".... But, true friendships that sometimes are warm and fuzzy and feel great, and sometimes are difficult and confusing and frustrating and do not feel great at all. If you are only loving people when it feels good and is comfortable and makes you feel warm and fuzzy, perhaps you need to explore what LOVE really means. We need to learn to LOVE each other even when it doesn't feel easy or good. That means asking and answering difficult questions. It means NOT ignoring the tough stuff. It means honesty, integrity, humility, and sometimes suffering and aggrevation. But, that is community. It is the only way to live.
So, ahh, I needed that. A good dose of VISION from the pastor. A good dose of true community with others. A good dose of pizza and brownies, and listening to the kids scream and squeel as they played together. All the while, learning to walk the narrow path that Jesus offers. Learning that it is often a difficult path that requires more self denial than any of us are capable of on our own. Learning that if we try to do it the "easy" way, we are fooling ourselves. Learning that we need each other. And, most of all, learning that God's will for us is actually quite simple (notice I said simple, but not easy) and that is to glorify Him in all that we do. To make him Lord. To simply submit ourselves to him every moment and let Him lead us. It really is a simple concept. He created me. I am His. My joy comes from serving Him and spending time in his presence and in His word.
And now, it is Saturday. 10:30am, and I am still in jammies. (that was just for you sonyia-cuz i know you have been up for over 6 hours already). Life is good.

I'm in love

Perhaps I have neglected to mention that I am in love? I notice something when I peruse the mustard seed distributed blog. T$ has a knack for mentioning his wife and his love for her. What a great thing to do. Have I neglected to do the same? Shame on me.
I honestly can not believe how God has blessed me with T$. I was not the type of girl who always dreamed of being married and living happily ever after. Guess I was a little too independent to believe someone could make me any happier than I was on my own. Seemed like it would be a drag to have to worry about someone else all the time :) Dating was a little bit of fun, but I have to admit that I was always thinking ahead to how exactly we'd end our time together, and I did my best to not get too wrapped up in a person who would eventually be a part of my past.
Then T$ came along and turned my little world upside down. Don't misunderstand. . . it wasn't love at first sight, sweep me off my feet, romance. Oh no, it was much more effective than that. Let's just say, God knew exactly how to break through my world of independent self sufficiency, and he sent T$ to do it! Thank you God for knowing me better than I know myself! As usual.
Some of the things that made me fall in love with my man: his sense of humor, his confidence, his intelligence, his poetry and how he sees the world around him from a spiritual perspective, his independence, his sense of adventure, his desire to seize the moment and have fun, his ability to remain calm and logical and not let anxiety take over, and I can't neglect to mention his uncanny ability to read me like a book, throw me off completely, and make me see another dimension of myself that simply wasn't clear before he helped me to see it.
Can I just say that each of those attributes drew me into falling for him when I didn't see it coming at all! And now, 15 years later, I am more in love with him than EVER! I appreciate every one of those qualities like never before and I thank God every single day for orchestrating our lives to be together. And as each of us pursue our relationship with God as the number one love of our lives, we grow closer and closer and closer to one another. That's the way it works! God IS LOVE.
I do not necessarily believe in "soul mates" per say. I do not necessarily think that each person can only find that ONE other person. But, I do believe that God brought Timm and I together. I know it as definitely as I know anything! But, for us to continue to grow in our love, we NEED to constantly pursue love. GOD IS LOVE. He desn't just expalin what love is, or tell us how to love, or give advice about love. . . HE IS LOVE. As T$ and I grow closer to that perfect LOVE, which is God, we grow closer to loving each other.
So, if I have neglected to mention my lover, I'm sorry. It just points to my tendency to be fact-oriented. If you look at my blog, it tends to present facts and information about myself and my family and friends. If you look at mustard seed, it tends to present thoughts and feelings. That is just one more example of how God put these two pieces of a puzzle together to complement one another in our differences. I am capable of sharing thoughts and feelings and emotions, but it just tends to happen in a more protected environment, whereas T$ has the ability to be transparent with everyone. One more thing I love about him. Integrity. . being who he is without apology. Not changing himself to please the crowd. So, if he has offended you due to this quality I am praising, please understand that it is part of his beauty. Yes, the fact that he doesn't give a sh#$ about what you think. . . it's a beautiful thing! he-he.
Love you T$

week 7

Well, we started week #7 today in our home school curriculum, and all is well.
Some things I am liking about homeschooling: 1) flexibility with our time on a daily basis, an hourly basis, and a weekly basis 2) spending time with my girls 3) learning some things from literature and history that I do not believe I have ever known, and seeing the girls getting excited about learning it too 3) Hearing one of the girls ask "when do we get to start history and science?" 4) not spending evenings pouring over homework and papers from school 5) field trips 6) being able to take the time to answer questions and discus topics of interest with my girls every single day 7)huddling up on the couch eating a snack and taking turns reading aloud from our books 8)allowing the girls to be more involved in household activities like cooking and cleaning, even though it takes a lot more time to teach them and let them "help" than to do it myself 9) being able to teach every subject through the christian worldview and training the girls' hearts to respond to the world in love, like Jesus 10) Seeing the joy on their faces when they are successful at something or are proud of some hard work they have accomplished.
I could go on, but just thought I'd say, things are going well. Thank you God for leading me to this decision. I never would have thought this was the road for our family, yet obedience to His nudging has already had great rewards!

pics of fall nyc trip

NYC in the fall

We just spent 7 days and 6 nights in the city. If you want details, you will have to check out Timm's blog at mustard seed distributed because he is the techie guy who brought the laptop and posted blogs frequently. I, however, chose to take a break from technology and have a vacation. So, I am back. Yesterday I had 103 emails on home account, almost as many on my work account (church), and had to check the forum we use to communicate Communitas stuff, and had to do some checking up on facebook. UGH! I haven't even taken the time yet to read the other blogs I enjoy keeping up on. Amazing how technology can be so consuming!
But, I will say that we had an amazing trip. Wasn't sure how I was going to juggle it with the girls and school. We ended up just taking a complete vacation from school. So, I guess we will make it up over Christmas break or something. I LOVE THIS FLEXIBILITY WITH HOME SCHOOLING! Don't know how I will ever go back. But, that is something I am holding lossely because we are just really trying to NOT get ahead of ourselves, but focus on what God has called us to do NOW. And I am certain that NOW this is the BEST thing for us.
Some highlights of our trip (without rambling for 10 days, which I could) include, going to the park with Sarah almost every day, visiting with all of our dear friends and laughing till we cried and our guts ached, walking and walking and walking, Meg cooking for us, eating on the rooftop in the gorgeous weather, dinner at Kallen's and talking with them till way late, seeing everyone's apartment, visitng Queens and Brooklyn, showing snippets of love to homeless, wondering if Liv is narcoleptic as she fell asleep several times just slumped over where she sat because we were going non stop, looking at apartments with friends, visiting a public school and seeing that it was really neato and not scary, discovering serval neighborhoods in "the village" that felt like home for us and looking at apartments there, visiting a couple of street fairs on a saturday afternoon in those neighborhoods and, again, feeling totally at home, wathcing Alli and Liv look at these tiny apartments and be TOTALLY pumped and excited about moving, instead of freaked out about the small space (what a blessing), going to many parks and playgrounds, doing the circle line boat tour of the island and seeing staue of liberty and ellis island close up (breathtaking), getting to know Chris even better with our chats and time together, the girls laughing and playing with Caleb and making forts in the closet, and of course our first church gathering on Sunday evening where everyone came together and our hearts longed to be an active part of what is happening with this ministry in the city(and then realizing we are an active part of this ministry, but it just looks a little different for us at this time), oh yah, can't forget the enjoyment of NY slices of pizza! OK, I am not going to be able to keep listing. It will bore you all to death.
I am amazed that we feel so at home in the city. Not so much for Timm and I, but the girls. That was my prayer from the beginning of this journey. That God would give the girls amazing peace and call them to the city as well if this is really His plan for our family. And He has done that! Why am I so surprized? I don't know. It's just an amazing answer to my deepest prayers! And it is really a gift to see other young people like Caleb and Megan thriving in the city environment. But, it isn't all pretty. Megan and her friends are having such intense spiritual battles, it is scary. Everyone is, really. They are having to be so strong and bold and realizing that this sparkling city by day is a very dark place by night. We enjoyed our visit as tourists, but we do not underestimate the lure of the dark side of this city. That may sound strange, but it is so real, you can feel it in all of your senses. It will take total dependence on God's power to go into a place that is so infiltrated by evil and wordly lusts and idols and remain pure and be a light. It scares to pants off of me to imagine that my girls will have that task before them! But, I trust that if God is calling our family to be a light in a dark place, then that is exactly what we will do! By HIS strength and power, and not our own. We are not worthy or strong enough or wise enough. But, we are learning to abide in HIM daily and walk in his path. To lean on him COMPLETELY. He WILL call us out of our comfort and security and force us to rely on HIM. If we are relying on our own strength and skills and abilities, then we aren't really getting the point. So, as much as we enjoyed this vacation and appreciated God's confirmation at so many times that this is HIS call for us, we do not go into this with anticipation of only good times and fun and happily ever after. We consider it entering the battlefield and being the warriors on the front lines, armed with LOVE, TRUTH, HOPE, LIGHT, and His power.
Here am I, send me. . . . .

Fall is in the air

I remember last year at this time, sitting in our small group bible study (not realizing at the time that we would be stepping down from leading that group, which we MISS!) anyways, we were sharing, for fun, what our favorite time of the year is. I think I was surprised that every single person said Fall. Football, back to school, cider mills, cooler weather, leaves changing, etc. It actually gave me more of a fondess for Fall with everyone sharing such warm feelings. Of course, I think I was the only one who said summer.
So, this fall, I am immensly enjoying the fall season. We have been to Wolcott Mill farm learning center, Big Red apple orchard, and of course PANKIEWICZ cider mill! Just so that you all know, they do have the BEST donuts. The best. Don't even bother getting them at those other carnivals that call themselves apple orchards. The Pank mill might not have haunted hayrides through a corn maze while petting farm animals and climbing a hay mountain. . . . you get what I mean. But, what they do have is YUMMY apples, cider and donuts, as well as a ton of charm. Stop by sometime.
Michigan weather is so strange. Last year for Alli's b-day, it was so hot. In the 80's. This weekend, we have some fun celebrations planned for our big girl turning 9. And, the high temps soar into the 50's. I can't believe it is October. I can't believe my baby is turning 9.
Life is good. Fall is good.

Weekend update

Yes, I realize it is Tuesday and I am posting a weekend update. I did attempt to start this several times, but never finished.
So, we had such a great family weekend!!! Crap! The phone just rang. See, I can never seem to get time without interruptions. Who can, really? Oh good, it was my husband. I never mind taking a call from my sweet man. So, where was I?
Oh yah, awesome family time this weekend.
Friday night we had a fun dinner of tacos and nachos, then went to see the High School Musical production put on by the Richmond Community Theater. I was a very proud aunt!!! My 15 year old niece and 13 year old nephew were both starring in the show. And my nephew had a solo. It was great! Olivia was so cute, she got autographs afterwards from the actors.
Satruday we got up early and headed to Detroit for a thing going on at the science center. We got a membership this year, and it was cool to go to a member's only preview of a show in the planetarium. Enjoyed that a lot. And, we happened to meet up with our friends who were going also, and didn't even plan for that until the day before! After the show, we hung out with them at the science center for a few hours. Kids had a blast. Small hiccup in the plans, our realtor called and said we had two showings for the afternoon. UGH! Our house was trashed. So, Timm whipped home and did a quick house cleaning, and whipped back down to Detroit. . . all while we were enjoying our time at the science center. COME ON! What a great guy.
After that we headed to the park where we do the monthly bbq with the homeless. It was such a gorgeous day. And I spent a lot more time visiting with the people, which was very cool. I am not always quick to warm up to people, and have always found that my comfort zone is serving up the food and a smile. But, after going there for so many months, I'm finally learning to be comfortable and to find value in just hanging out and visiting with everyone.
Sunday after church, we went to Emil's buffalo tavern out here in Richmond. They were having their buffalo fest weekend. An old friend of mine from Richmond bought the "famous" local tavern which had been closed for many years. She put a lot of work into remodeling it and re-opened it recently with a great new menu. We had dinner before heading out to Troy for our Communitas meeting. At first I was so dissappointed because they had a limited menu with lots of buffalo meat items, but nothing exciting to me. Then, I was even more dissappointed because something got messed up with our dinner ticket and it took an HOUR after ordering to get our food. We were growing more faint my the minute. 3pm and still hadn't had lunch! However, my disappointment miraculously faded and turned to joy when the manager told us he was picking up the tab due to the inconvenince. YAY! We rarely go out for dinner. And for it to end up being free!!! Thank you Jesus. Now we can afford to go back some time when the regualr menu is available, since I've heard such great things about it.
OK, I'm babbling and it's time to get dinner on the table. I've been running back and forth to the kitchen as I type.
Once again, if you have made it this far with my ramblings, God bless ya.

Let the bidding wars begin! HA!

Well, we waited almost 9 months to get an offer on our home. We started this process by pricing our home low enough to appeal to buyers in this crazy market. $217,995. Then, we lowered the price. $207,995. Then, we lowered the price again. $199,995. Then, we waited. And we waited. And we waited. You get the picture. We are currently sitting here with the house priced at $55,000 less than it was worth 2 years ago. OK, I can swallow that. That's just the reality of the situation.
But, this week, we get a call from our realtor that someone is planning "write an offer". Cool. Well, we never did get it in writing, because it was so ludicrous that our realtor told them she wouldn't waste her time writing it up if it wasn't closer to our asking price. They offered $150,000. That's just $60,000 under asking price! Well, hopefully they will find someone who is desperate to sell. As for us, we verbally countered at $194,995. I'm sure they are nibbling at their fingernails right now deciding how to play out this bidding war! (sarcasm) Actaully, we don't expect to hear back from them.
Meanwhile, for the NYC team, we have 6 families/people who have successfully rented out their homes. We have zero who have sold. Wait, let me check that stat. . . . yep. . . that would be zero. We keep thinking that the Kelly's will be the first. . . . we'll see. . . .

Mesopotamia? Who knew?

So, we are just into our second week of school here in the Kelly home. And we are in full swing home school mode. I realize it has only been a few days, but so far, I am LOVING it!
We are studying world history from creation all the way into the 1900's. This week we have been learning about some of the very first civilizations ever. We're learning about archeologists and all of their discoveries, as well as a bunch of geography. I must say, I am loving it, and I am looking forward to learning all about this stuff WITH them.
At the library, I was showing Alli where some of the documentaries and instructional media is, when she noticed a collection about ancient civilizations. She checked one out about Mesopotamia because we had just been learning about it that day. And, we watched it last night. OH MY. It could not have been a better fit with our curriculum. How fun is that?
OK, so maybe you aren't as excited as I am. . . but I guess this is just my idea of fun right now!
She also checked out a video about the titanic because she has been interested in that ever since she read a book and did a project about it last year. I just LOVE to see my girls demonstrate a DESIRE to learn about things.
Also, started a home school gymnastics class on Monday and excel home school co-op today. Girls had a great time. IT's all good.

Wow, what a week!

Was going to wait until I could flash a darling picture up here of my little Livvy doing the "Little Miss Good Old Days" contest. But, I just don't have the energy to make that happen, so I thought I'd give a little update anyways.
What a week we had last week. Started school and so far that is going VERY WELL. In addition, we had our annual small town festival. Always busy and fun. Like I said, Liv participated in the "Little Miss" contest with her prairie dress and bonnet (Shout out to Michelle for the dress!) on Thursday evening. She had a big old fan club cheering her on. So CUTE! She was a little bit disappointed to not be selected on the court. Mainly because Alli was on the court, so she wanted it also. But, nothing a little dairy queen from Grandma couldn't soothe!
Friday we went to the carnival and the girls got wristbands for all of the rides. They were literally the first ones in line at the ticket booth. We arrived a little bit early and when we realized the ticket booth was opening, Liv ran full speed towards it without regarding anything in her path. She WHACKED into a bench and was writhing in pain on the ground. But, she didn't want to stop for long, knowing that the opportunity to go on rides was so close. Later, she revealed the nasty bruise where she rammed her leg. OUCH! She really is a tough cookie. ANWAYS, they ran from ride to ride to ride to ride non stop until they were turned away at 11pm. The only break was to throw down some hot n ready slices that Timm brought us. Crazy!
Saturday Liv rode on the float in the kiddie parade with all the other cutie pies in their dresses. Then, we did the ping pong ball chase. Picture a thousand kids running down main street, each with a bag, chasing a bunch of bouncing ping pong balls. Each ball is marked with a prize. We won some free slushies, sodas, and crazy bread. Also, a bunch of candy from the "good old days barn". After that, we played games in the park (more candy prizes) and did a candy scramble (more candy). On Sunday we went to the grand parade, and the kids filled another bag with candy from that! For some reason, I really enjoyed the parade on Sunday. Maybe the beautiful weather? I don't know. But, I found it enjoyable and relaxing.
Maybe it's because I had gotten up and gone to church from 8am-1pm, came home and sat at the parade from 1:30 - 3:45, came home for an hour, then turned around and got ready to leave for our Communitas church meeting. The parade was the most relaxing time of my day!
Well, now I'm tired and I haven't even gotten to our Communitas stuff. We celebrated the fact that they were having their first meeting in NYC as well. And they were already expecting to have a good number of people come check them out and possibly get involved. Already growing! And then we faced some creepy giants within the group still here in Michigan. It's not an easy thing, this following Jesus thing. Some times it feels like it would be much better to give up. Jesus asks us to "count the cost" of being his disciple. The cost is everything. And sometimes, that is too much to bear. We spent some time in tears and prayer for some of our team who is experiencing the cost right now. Giving up comfort, family, friends, job, home, belongings, life. . . it's tough. But, us crazy folks, we believe that the only way to FIND your life is to LOSE it. The life Jesus has for us is so much richer and more meaningful. But, the journey is tough.
OK, I'm tired with a capital R. Good night!

first day

Yay! I love the first day of school. And, just because we are home schooling this year, that has not changed a bit.
Still woke up with that excited feeling of anticipation. Still eager to wake the girls and prod them along to prepare for the day. Breakfast, hair, teeth, clothes, etc.
And, still eager to get that "first day of school" picture. Gotta have one.
The day went well. Very well. My girls are bright and curious and fun and motivated. It was a great start to a new school year.
Here is a picture of my cutie pies!
Life is good.

making lists

Okay, so be honest. . . who are the other "list makers" out there? I know who some of you are. Let me just confess the extent to which my daily list controls my life. Basically, if I do not have a list, I literally stand there immobile and can't figure out what to do. Sick, I know.
So, this morning, I am feeling pretty good about myself. It is only 9am and I have already crossed off over half of the items on my list for the day. Today that is about 5 things. So, I still have 5 more to go. Of course, the remaining 5 are a little more time consuming. So, I just admitted that my level of self worth is directly measured by the number of items crossed off my list. That's not healthy.
Anyways, I just love sociology, anthropology, psychology, and any "ology" that involves the study of us crazy humans. So, I love to stop once in a while and take a look at the way we do do things. I can't tell you the affirmation I felt when a respected friend of mine confessed to me that she too is a list addict. She even confessed to writing something down that she already accomplished, just so she could feel the satisfaction of drawing a line through it. HA! I can relate. And for those of you who think that is crazy, you're right, it is! But, we all do crazy things. And I personally think it's great fun to discover the craziness of people (including myself).
But, here's something God has taught me over the past few years. Most of His plans for my day, He does not reveal to me ahead of time. He reveals them to me as "divine appointments". And if I am too busy pouring over my "list" and fretting over what I have accomplished (and what I have not accomplished) then I might miss the good stuff. So, although I still think it is OK for me to have my list and to allow it to give me some sort of order. . . I really have learned to hold it loosely. God has specifially taught me to leave margin in my life to simply be AVAILABLE. That has been a difficult discipline for me. But, it is definately one of the greatest changes I have made to be a better daughter of Christ.
So, I must now confess that I did not have "post on blog" written on my daily list. This is causing me just a wee bit of anxiety as I realize the time I have spent on something that didn't make the list. So, I guess I'll get going.
Please feel free to confess your strange habits to me. It is likely that I WILL laugh and make fun of you and point out what a freak you are, but all in love and good humor.
Oh, sarcastic humor. That's another interesting human tendency. Some people get it, others don't. I think I'll save that for another post.

Angel aunts

Seriously, I am surrounded by angels.
Aunt Kelly calls me this week and asks what I think about Alli and Liv going with her and Katie to Georgia for Labor Day weekend. WHAT? Are you serious? We haven't been to GA in almost 2 years, and my kids are DYING to go. You would be willing to take them with you? That is just crazy talk. But, that's the deal. If all goes well, they are going to include two small children on their 12-hour-each-way road trip! And my girls will be FOREVER grateful. They will have cherished memories of this trip. I offered to go along, but at the same time thought it would be totally awesome to have that time to get "ready" for the school year to start on Tuesday (the day after they return). But, I will definately go along if that works out better. Actually, Timm and I tossed around the idea of taking off for the weekend since we wouldn't have the girls We would like to get to NYC a couple of times this year. But, Timm has traning Thurs and Fri, so if we drove we couldn't leave until late Friday. That would be pretty crunched. And flights were too expensive. So....probably not gonna happen. Still praying about the possiblity. But, might rather look for cheap flight deals and go as a family in Oct.
ANYWAYS......
We are seriously surrounded by angels. . .

Good Weekend

Just thought I'd say a quick hello and mention that we had an awesome weekend.
Timm had the day off Friday, and we had some KKFT (Kelly Kelly Family Time). We went to the DIA, which was really fun and made me wonder why we do not take advantage of the museums and such more often? IT was so great to see everything through the girls' eyes. Such wonder. Pls, I hadn't been there in FOREVER. So, it was very cool. Then, we went to late lunch. I was looking over my coupons before we left to see if I could find a BOGO deal. But, the girl's said "We're going to Detroit? Can we go to lunch at Mr. Fo-fo's?" I am always amazed at their memory. Last month, Sam was telling us about Mr. Fo-fo's. It is a little Deli in Detroit that was purchased by a Christian organization with the goal of providing job training for kids in the area. Nothing fancy, but a very cool mission, so, that's where we went. They are known for their HUGE corned beef sandwhich. Timm and I split one and were STUFFED.
After that, we ventured up to Timm's new school. We played on the playground, and met the building and grounds man.
OK, so I better move along on my account of the fun weekend. I'm losing you already, I know.
So, KT offered to have the girls spend the night. We dropped them off early Friday evening. So, their fun continued into the night (including Chuck E Cheese, ice cream etc). And, mama and daddy had fun too. We went to "the clem" and walked around on a beautiful evening. Enjoyed the fresh air, visited a couple of bars with patios and had a couple of beers. Then, we ended the eveening with a visit to Del Taco. Yum. It was funny because we were sitting outside finishing our food and one of the employees was finishing work and asked "what are you guys doing tonight?" We realized that, as we were getting ready to head home at 10pm, he was getting ready to go out for the evening. He was trying to convince us that we should go to this cool place for the evening of fun. . . but we were happy to be heading home.
Anyways, Saturday TImm and I were able to go and play some tennis together on a gorgeous morning. Then, in the afternoon, we headed down to Detroit for the monthly bbq with the homeless. KT went along. Beautiful afternoon.
On the way home, we picked up Collin. He came over to spend the night so his mama and daddy could enjoy a night out with friends. He is so stinkin cute. It was fun. But, it was very strange having a little baby spend the night. It's been a long time! I was up a lot because I am not used to all of the little noises those little buggers make as the "sleep". We were totally happy to babysit. And totally happy that our days of having babies in the house are in the past :)
Alright, I will get this over with. Sunday I went to church early to do the nursery. Daddy got two girls, and baby out the door and to church. So, I was able to see Collin again in the nursery. Later in the evening Sunday, we had our first meeting with Communitas without our leaders. They were literally on their way to NY for their final trip there. It was weir. But, always fun to hang with that group.
OK, I must go. Really not much of a post. Just felt like giving an update.

cliches and more

Most of you are aware of my inability to retain the correct words or sequence to successfully deliver a cliche when I intend to. I always seem to get one word off. . . or I screw up the order. . . or the emphasis. Like, "Take one for the group" instead of "take one for the team".
So, it shouldn't surprise you that I messed up the job title that Timm was offered. I wrote that it was "resident in training". Whatever. That isn't it at all. It is "principal in residence." Hope I got it right this time.
Also, we realized that when we use the name of the organization, it flags them and they find our blog. Riveting reading, I know. But, I did go back and remove their name for now. I would hate for them to have to endure checking out my blog whenever I ramble off the name of their organization.
I will also add that they do NOT need to Timm to act as interim principal after all in the school that was farther away.
So, tomorrow, he will start in Detroit. Principal in residence.
Yipee

ch-ch-ch-ch-changes. .

Gotta give the update of changes in our family life.
First of all, Timm was offered a new job and has accepted! He is currently finishing his last two days of employment with Richmond Schools. He will begin working for a Charter schoool organization in two days. He was offered a choice of three jobs in the area. Two were principal jobs, the third is a RIT (Resident in training). Basically, they said they would really like for him to step into a building principal job. However, they confirmed his plan to ultimately work in New York. Sonce they are planning to open two new schools in NY in 2009, they felt that it would work best to place him in the RIT position. But, then they asked if he would accept the position of "interim principal" at a school ina school that is located about 70 miles away from us. Until they find a permanent candidate for that. He accepted. So, they offered him mileage and/or hotel costs in order for him to assume that role. So, the ultimate goal would be for Timm to open the Belleville school for the 2008/2009 school year. When they find the right person to fill that position, they slide him into a school in Detroit, which is only about 40 miles from our home. Then, he is prepared to move to NY for the 2009/2010 school year to open a new school there.
In the meantime, we still have our house up for sale. Still have people looking about once every two weeks. . .
We plan to home school the kids and be prepared to relocate when God moves us. . .
We had our final Michigan meeting with our pastor and his wife and the Communitas team this week. Timm and I were asked to take on a leadership role with the Michigan group, as everyone continues to launch to NY. For the past year, we have functioned as a "launch team" for a church plant. That means, we have dealt with many logisitcs and made an effort to build a team of people who feel connected and on mission. Now, the role of our group is changing.
Yesterday, our pastor announced that we are now "Communitas" the church. In other words, as they start their mission in NY, we are a part of that. However, our role here in Michigan is going to look a bit different. But, we are to mirror as closely as possible what is happening in NY. We will meet on Sundays at the same time, using video and technology to be linked with them. We will meet in small groups through the week, and study the same material that they are. We will discus some of this material during our large group gatherings on Sunday. We will all make it a priority to be involved in serving opportunities individually and in groups, as a way to extend the love of Christ to those in need, making it a part of the fabric of our lives. And, one by one or two by two, we will leave Michigan, launch to NY, and integrate into Communitas there.
Here is the difficult part. . . that means a much bigger time commitment to Communitas than what we have had this past year. At the same time (at least for Timm and I) our time is being stretched by new endeavors. What gives?!?!??!
Well, logically, our involvement in our current church. kensington. Ouch. It's hard to do. But, if we can not find the time to pour into our call within Communitas, we need to consider our level of involvement at Kensington. We were challenged and encouraged to consider unplugging from our commitments there. That STINKS, but it makes sense. Our Pastor confessed that he made the mistake of holding on too long to his commitments there, and being divided for too long, and he doesn't want to see us do the same thing and burn ourselves out.
Why is this hard? Because we love that church. LOVE. And, it is an awesome place to serve. It is a place comitted to seeking the lost, loving everyone, serving everyone, getting off your duff and LIVING for the Kingdom, etc. It is a growing, thriving, living extension of the hands and feet of Jesus. So, what we are being asked to do is to step out of that arena, and instead take on the role of leading a group of people that will ultimately shrink down to nothing and fizzle out here in Michigan, as they leave for NY. I know, there is my natural optimistic view of things coming out. But, it's TRUE. God is asking us to do something that doesn't appear very rewarding or impactful in the immediate sense. So, God is challenging me to look beyond the immediate. I've never been gifted at seeing a long term vision. So, this is a stretch for me. I don't like the idea of giving up my involvemnt in something that is tangible. Something that i can physically SEE making a difference in people's lives. Something that is comfortable and something that I feel pretty good at. Why would God want me to give that up? Well, I believe he is trying to not only stretch me, but to strengthen my weaknesses.
So, another twist. Just when I thought we had things figured out. . . just when I thought we would hang out here for another year doing what we are already doing. . . God reveals more to me. It's like, he knows we can only handle so much as once. So, little by little, he reveals his plan.
Well, I must stop rambling and get on with my day. But, here we are. . . heading into the next school year. . . new job. . . new church. . . new serving roles. . . new opportunities to serve Jesus. . . and who knows what else lies ahead????