This most recent slide show includes pictures from:
Tara and Emily's day out to Build a Bear, a Memorial Day Hawaiian Luau, a day trip to the zoo,
and Isaac's Kindergarten Graduation.
The heat of the summer has begun here in the desert. Noah and Isaac just finished up 3rd Grade and Kindergarten respectively. Emily and Joshua are at the peak of Toddlerdom, and all the kids have already spent most everyday this summer in the water. Tara's glad to be out of school too as she was the school nurse at the boy's school this year. Bryce has been teaching at a prison in Florence for 1 year now. He's not tempted to get a tatoo across his forehead in spite of pressure to do so from inmates.
We are excited about how God is moving in our community. We are in position to be of help to many people around us who are struggling internally, and/or externally. I would like to keep you all updated a little better through this blog as to the ongoings of our lives. We love you all, and please keep us in touch with the happenings in your lives as well.
Monday, June 22, 2009
Get in Over Your Head
Have you ever gotten yourself in over your head before you knew what was happening? Often times in our lives, our willingness to try new things and do things that seemed crazy resulted in overwhelming situations. I can't count how many times I have whispered to myself, "What have we gotten ourselves into?!" But overall these decisions have led to much growth internally, and new community opportunities.
Early in our marriage my parents moved to Colorado and left us to be the drop off place for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We said, "sure, no problem," not knowing how this operation had grown over the years. In BigFish, our house is our church and we were not able to find a temporary place to house these shoeboxes, so we said, "why not our house?" Before we knew it, we had our spare bedroom filled to the ceiling and overflowing with 10,000 shoeboxes! Our backyard became the sorting and packing center, and people from all over were coming to our house to help us get that thing done. We were in over our heads and it was a bit stressful, but in the end it became a community forming centerpiece. Plus, we learned not to do it again the next year!
When we started doing foster care, and then adoption, we kind of knew what to expect, but not really. It's been quite the challenge and we've felt overwhelmed often, but it's been a blessing to see how people have come along to help, and how love has changed Emily and Joshua's lives, not to mention how it's changed our lives and those who have decided to foster and adopt as well!
These are only two examples of how we've gotten ourselves in over our heads. In short, some others have been: moving to Texas, Tara taking care of three extra kids two days a week, helping start a business with no money, etc...
In each of these situations, God has convicted our hearts or given us the stirring within to go where He wanted us to go, or do what He wanted us to do. In each of those situations, He knew what He was doing even though we didn't. We didn't know what He was doing or what we were doing! He often calls us into baffling circumstances in order to teach us something we need to let go of, or become transformed from. In those times, he also leads us into more relationships and community. In fact, when God has led us into these things, people have naturally followed to help (probably due to pity!).
If you have a baffling call upon you right now, I encourage you to go for it. It may not make any worldly sense, but it makes all the sense in the world to you and in the Kingdom of God. We look forward to more baffling, mysterious opportunities as we journey onward!
Early in our marriage my parents moved to Colorado and left us to be the drop off place for Operation Christmas Child shoeboxes. We said, "sure, no problem," not knowing how this operation had grown over the years. In BigFish, our house is our church and we were not able to find a temporary place to house these shoeboxes, so we said, "why not our house?" Before we knew it, we had our spare bedroom filled to the ceiling and overflowing with 10,000 shoeboxes! Our backyard became the sorting and packing center, and people from all over were coming to our house to help us get that thing done. We were in over our heads and it was a bit stressful, but in the end it became a community forming centerpiece. Plus, we learned not to do it again the next year!
When we started doing foster care, and then adoption, we kind of knew what to expect, but not really. It's been quite the challenge and we've felt overwhelmed often, but it's been a blessing to see how people have come along to help, and how love has changed Emily and Joshua's lives, not to mention how it's changed our lives and those who have decided to foster and adopt as well!
These are only two examples of how we've gotten ourselves in over our heads. In short, some others have been: moving to Texas, Tara taking care of three extra kids two days a week, helping start a business with no money, etc...
In each of these situations, God has convicted our hearts or given us the stirring within to go where He wanted us to go, or do what He wanted us to do. In each of those situations, He knew what He was doing even though we didn't. We didn't know what He was doing or what we were doing! He often calls us into baffling circumstances in order to teach us something we need to let go of, or become transformed from. In those times, he also leads us into more relationships and community. In fact, when God has led us into these things, people have naturally followed to help (probably due to pity!).
If you have a baffling call upon you right now, I encourage you to go for it. It may not make any worldly sense, but it makes all the sense in the world to you and in the Kingdom of God. We look forward to more baffling, mysterious opportunities as we journey onward!
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