the beauty of technology

I just found out that I have a bunch of e-mails that I didn't know about because they were not coming through to my inbox!! For some reason my Verizon account was throwing them into my 'bulk' e-mail box instead of putting them in my Inbox. All that to simply say this... There were a few e-mails from blogging friends, and I feel terrible that they probably think I'm ignoring them! So I wanted to apologize for not responding - I didn't know the messages were there!! I will get on that and get back to you as soon as I can...so sorry!!

a really corny day

The craziness from the weekend has carried over into the week. Yesterday I had an appointment in the morning, got home and did work around the house, mainly re-arranging the downstairs to get ready for the new school year (I like to make it somewhat like a school atmosphere and move the kids desks to new spots to give it all a fresh start, since summer goes so quick and they can feel like it's just returning to the same old grind; it's also why we buy new crayons, pencils, etc. each year...who doesn't love fresh, pointy crayolas??) and then I had a class and some ministry stuff last night. My day ended around midnight, when I came up to find a tired and discouraged husband in need of some love and attention. When we finally fell into bed sometime around 1 or 1:30 I realized I hadn't eaten yesterday except for a bagel in the morning, and then a few pieces of fruit at my class. Oops!

So today I am freezing corn. I'm only doing about 125 ears, so I'm expecting it won't take too terribly long...but the added factor of doing it with a bunch of little ones running around always makes things a bit more...interesting.

I had planned on posting some about my weekend, but I'm not sure if I'll have time or not...I may have to check out of the blogosphere for a while to get caught up on some 'real life' stuff! So, for now, I'm off for an ear-full of fun (get it???...ok, a groaner, I know...)

my new love

another relaxing weekend

Crazy busy weekend... so tired...and frustrated....kids fighting again...baptism picnic rained out, had to reschedule...need our own building...must...get...to...bed... (more tomorrow)

operation love-your-sibling

By way of update, I had a VERY pleasant day with the kids today. They played very well together...Bryce even VOLUNTEERED to help Kate clean the bathrooms so that she could come out to the pool with him sooner. Earlier they did some games on the computer TOGETHER, and are now very agreeably getting ready to watch a movie TOGETHER that they both AGREED on!! Will miracles never cease... But seriously, I'm thankful to see the change so quickly, and I think they really do love each other, I just need to be diligent on keeping on top of the attitude thing. I think also they've been given too many choices...like today lunch went very smoothly because they had NO choice - I made lunch, served it, they all ate together and it went very well. I didn't ask anyone what they wanted...they simply all got cheese sandwiches and that was that! I think I'm gonna keep cutting back on their choices a bit til they have better attitudes. I realize so much of this is my own fault for being lax in so many ways. But I'm re-grouping, and looking forward to the new school year as a fresh start.

I fell off the wagon

Yeah, I fell off the wagon. The diet wagon, that is. I'm not necessarily trying to 'diet' per se, but I am trying to eat healthier in general, and avoid all sweets, except for special occasions...like weekends! hee hee But seriously, I am trying to avoid random snacking on junk, and the past 2 days I have been so bad!! We're talking cookies, ice cream and candy bar bad. But today's a new day, right? I did do much better today...although I wouldn't say I've been healthy...I've just been busy, so all I've had today is coffee and sunflower seeds...but we are going to an Italian restaurant for dinner tonight, so I'm sure I will get my necessary caloric intake for the day!! (As if I were in danger of wasting away...)

no bitter root

Well, today I had to 'bring the smackdown'. My kids are all grounded from doing anything with friends for a week, or possibly longer. I reached my limit today of hearing them be nasty and vile to each other, generally motivated out of pure selfishness.

Honestly, a really good mom probably would have addressed this long ago; but I'm a procrastinator and a 'yeller'. I'm the type to scold and scold, but not nearly as good as I should be with immediate follow through. For many years I would see other 'bad' kids and have been very quick to walk in judgment, or think (rather piously) how MY kids would never act that way. Yesterday my son had a friend over and I was really disappointed in how he treated the friend, as well as his brother. The reality is, I've been noticing all of my kids bickering and sniping at each other, but for some reason my brain finally engage yesterday in realizing what a big issue this is and that it needs to be addressed - swiftly and soundly.

So we had a big discussion about how we should treat people, and how important it is to treat family as good as you would a friend (that is, assuming you're actually treating your friends well), etc., etc. I informed them that til I could see them treating each other well, they would not be going over to any friends houses, and if that wasn't enough, they'd begin losing other privileges as well.

In the midst of trying to stay on top of this with my kids, I'm hearing 'murmuring' about all kinds of stuff from adults - complaining or gossiping about friendships, family relationships, church relationships, co-worker relationships, etc. and it makes me think, "Wow, this must be how God feels about us!" We snipe at each other - although much more subtly, or behind each others' backs. We get offended, we tattle. Rarely do we confront in love, truly seeking the best for EVERYONE involved. Usually we just seek to get OUR needs met, OUR choices affirmed, OUR feelings validated. It's human nature, I guess. Fallen human nature, that is. I mean, look at Adam & Eve - the first thing they did when God asked them about the 'situation' they had gotten themselves into was blame somebody else. Protect self. I know it's usually my first gut reaction. It's a LEARNING process to not REACT when you feel threatened, or mistreated or misunderstood, but rather to pull yourself together, pray and respond in a Christ-like way. I guess God really wants me to 'get' this because it seems like every week (sometimes a couple times a week!) I have new opportunities landing in my lap to be hurt or offended. And boy do I want to snatch up those opportunities!! I think maybe I should start meditating daily on these verses:

Make every effort to live in peace with all men and to be holy; without holiness no one will see the Lord. See to it that no one misses the grace of God and that no bitter root grows up to cause trouble and defile many. Hebrews 12:14-15

good morning sunshine!

This morning I found Lukey grinning at his reflection in the glass of the hutch door saying "Good morning Sunshine!!"

Wish I felt that good about myself in the morning!

crocuses in march

Again, inspired by having all my tea stuff out, as I was gazing at my two favorite pieces, I thought about the fact that I've never done a post on why my blog title is "Crocuses in March...God's proof that there's life beneath the cold, dead surface". Maybe you thought that it was self explanatory; but there is a much deeper meaning for me.

Just over 8 years ago, my marriage hit a huge 'bump'. More like crisis. Todd & I had both done several damaging things to our relationship, and one of the biggest of all was allowing our focus to drift off of God. We allowed our work, house, finances and all the other trappings of this world to consume us, and in the process we turned on each other. It was an incredibly difficult time. It was initially a fairly slow progression, but once it started going down hill, it went full throttle. Between December of 1998 and March of 1999 we almost blew apart. By March, I seriously wondered if the marriage could be salvaged.

One day, as I was coming in our back sidewalk I was asking God if it was possible to save something that appeared to be so dead. As I headed for the porch steps I noticed something in the middle of the yard under the tree... What caught my eye was a little cluster of purple crocuses. This was unusual for 2 reasons; first, I hadn't planted crocuses, and, in the time that we had lived there up til then, none had ever grown there. The second reason I was surprised was that it was bitter cold and there was still snow on the ground - yet there were these little flowers, braving the elements, announcing to the world that indeed, spring WAS on its way. I felt God speak to my heart in that moment "No matter how frozen, cold - even dead- things seem on the surface, there is life beneath." It was my personal promise that just as God makes life spring forth from the winter ground, he could do the same for Todd & my hearts. It was a turning point. God continued to break through in our lives in ways too numerous to count. But since that time, crocuses have been MY flower, my own personal promise that no matter how things look, God is in the business of restoring life.

One year Todd found this sugar and creamer set and got it for me for Christmas. The combination of the picture (crocuses) and the words (To God Be the Glory, Great Things He Hath Done), and the fact that Todd got it for me has made it one of the most meaningful gifts I've ever received. I cherish it. One time, not too long after I got it, the sugar got broken. I nearly cried. My dear husband went out and bought another one to replace it; he knew the special meaning it had and what it would remind me of every time I looked at or used it.

I'm so thankful for the miracle God did in our lives and that He cares enough to give us signs of His promises - be it rainbows or crocuses.

hardwood and tea time

Yesterday my husband ripped the carpet out of our dining room.

We were so happy/relieved to find nice hardwood flooring underneath; a few scratches and scuffs, but overall, really good condition. The carpet was beautiful when we moved in - plush, OFF-WHITE carpet, that is - underneath a dining room table where 4 young children take their meals. Let's just say - NOT a good idea. Plus our kitchen/dining area are like Grand Central Station. Don't misunderstand...I love that we have tons of people in our house - it's just not good on carpet.

Anyway, in the process of removing the carpet, I had to empty my hutch (so it could be moved) and this morning as I was re-loading it, I was reminded how often I used to use all my pretty tea things, and how now I RARELY get them out. I think I may have used a tea pot 5 times or less since we've moved here, which is going to be 2 years ago already in November (can you believe it?!?!?). Many times since moving/church planting/etc., I have felt like I've lost who I am. Tea (and everything related to it) was a huge part of who I am/was. Now I wonder sometimes where that person went. In almost 2 years, I don't think I've invited anyone over just to have a cup of tea! In fact, when we moved I had to get rid of one of my two hutches because there was no room, so half of my stuff is still packed in boxes. (The pic below is only about half or less of my collection). I've been processing through this...I think part of it is just simply the season I'm in, not only with the church, but with 4 small children, and, of course, homeschooling. My time is much more 'filled' than it used to be. I also drink a LOT more coffee now than I used to (I used to not drink it at all until I got pregnant with my third, and suddenly I became a coffee drinker! Weird!). But another thing I noticed is what I associate the drinks with. To me, tea is a relaxing, unwinding, comforting drink. Coffee is a working, accomplishing, getting things done drink. I much more often sit down in the morning to make my to-do list with a mug of coffee; I used to brew myself a small pot of tea and have it in a dainty cup, even just by myself.

The conclusion of all this is: I think I need to be more purposeful in slowing down. Rather than making everything 'purpose driven' I need to take time to live a little bit. You know, try out being a human BEING instead of a human DOING. I think something about the hardwood reminds me of my Grandma's, a place that, at least for me, was never a 'doing' place, but always a 'being' place. (Not that we didn't do things there, but there was always time for visiting, and tea, even in the midst of the doing). I think the combination of the new (old) wood floor, and having my tea things out has stirred a lot of emotions in me (well, more than were already stirring from many other things lately). I'm trying to not 'push past' those feelings that are coming up but rather allowing myself to experience the torrent of memories, feelings, sounds, and allow it all to become part of my now, not just part of my past. I think I'll have a cup of tea.

free advertising

It seems like I know a bunch of people who have or are starting businesses, so I just thought I'd throw out there what all they're doin' and if anyone happens to be interested in any of their services, leave a comment or message me and I can put you in contact with them.

My brother-in-law has a great greenhouse. If you're gonna be looking for any mums this fall, keep them in mind. Here's their website: www.glicksgreenhouse.com.

A young woman from our church with a degree in nutrition has just started a business where she does cooking for families. She has an initial consultation to discuss their dietary needs, what the family is looking for, etc., then she comes weekly (or bi-weekly, depending on individual needs), plans meals, does the grocery shopping and cooking for the week, then freezes the meals. What an awesome way to save time and have good, healthy, home-cooked meals at your fingertips!

Need you air-ducts or chimney cleaned, or some other home project? Yeah, we got somebody for that... "Chim-chiminey, chim-chiminey, chim-chim charoo...."

My sister has 2 businesses going right now, one is a cleaning business called 'Mother's Touch Cleaning Service', and the other is doing 'Tastefully Simple' home demonstrations. This weekend she made some of the Tastefully Simple dips for the birthday bash, and they were DELICIOUS!! So here's an idea - hire her to come clean for you and your house will be all ready for having a bunch of people over, so you could host a Tastefully Simple demonstration!!

Another young woman from our church is doing photography, and has done an AMAZING job with portraits of our family! She also has other beautiful photograph prints available for framing, that would be a lovely addition to any room in your house. I believe she is also starting to do wedding (or other special occasion) photography, so if your looking for some creative, excellent photography, she'd be your gal.

And coming soon... it seems like one of our church family might have some kind of craft/gift shop in the works, AND we are in the process of looking into options and getting business input on starting our coffee shop!! God is really releasing a lot of creativity in our midst!! A few of us also have some children's books that we are looking into the details of getting published. (If anyone reading this has any experience with publishing and could give us any tips or advice, we'd love to hear from you...comment or message me!!) Lots happenin'...

I know, this was a lot of blatant advertising, but hey...it's my blog!!! :o)

boot stompin' good time

My sister Betsy is the BEST party planner ever!! Her kids are very lucky to have such a creative, fun-loving mom who throws a theme party for them every year. This year was a cowboy party over at the 'Glick Ranch', and everybody had some good fun and some good grub! They played games like panning for 'gold' (in the sand), toss the snake in the boot, pin the badge on Sheriff Joe, lasso the cow and of course, as every good party has, a pinata. Here's some pics of the little cowpokes:

Country Cousins
Sheriff Bryce & Deputy Seth
Miss Elle
Most of the cousins...there's still 3 more that were missing at the moment...
Panning for gold...
Clemmer Clan - Yee-Haw!!
And this little cowgirl was just plumb tuckered out...

gangsta

speak no evil

Today I woke up with a pounding headache...you know, the kind that starts at the bottom of your back, works your way all the way up your neck, feels like somebody has tightened your shoulder muscles to the point that they are attached to your ears, and you can only open your eyes a tiny bit, because they too are throbbing? Oh, and don't forget that if you turn your head too fast you feel like you might vomit. Yeah, that kind...

So I got up, took some ibuprofen, got the kids breakfast, put the roast in the oven for our company tonight, changed Luke's diaper and asked everybody to go outside and play for a bit (under Kaitlyn's responsible supervision) so I could soak in a hot tub for a while to see if I could shake this nagging aching. All was ok until I been in for a good 5 minutes, then it seemed that all manner of chaos broke loose. Apparently the children had forgotten to unlock the door on their way out...so first I heard pounding on the downstairs door, then the side door, and shortly after the front doorbell was ringing. I grabbed my towel and went to the side door (dripping wet) and unlocked it, yelling from inside to come around to the side and quickly hurried back to the tub. No sooner had I got back in and the screaming began. In my utter frustration and physical pain as I jumped back out of the tub, I (very uncharacteristically) yelled "Oh my God!"

Now please understand - this is something we NEVER say in our house...in fact, it's a serious offense, and the kids all know this. Todd & I never said it growing up, so it's not like it was something we had to 'catch' ourselves to keep from saying in front of the kids...we truly never said it. But today, in that moment, I said it - (and the rest of what was unsaid, in my mind was "...keep me from killing these kids!!!". Not literally, of course, it was just one of those 'mom' moments when you think you really might just go off the deep end).

Anyway, Bryce witnessed this whole thing (he was the first one banging on the door to get in). He stood by silently as I dealt with the pinched fingers of his brother (the cause of the screaming)and then quietly stood outside bathroom door, once I returned to the tub yet again, and said "Mom, you need to say sorry to God." Then he went back outside. Immediately I knew he was right, and I did talk to my Father about the whole morning scenario.

Later tonight I talked with Bryce about how what I said was inappropriate, and that I was sorry I said it. I told him that he was right, not only is it not right for him to say that, it's not right for me either. Needless to say, it was humbling.

My headache did eventually finally go away and we had a fun evening with our company. But this is a morning I probably won't forget for a while...not because of the killer headache, but because of being brought up short by the wisdom of my 7 year old, who himself is learning the fear of the Lord.

birthday date update

For those of you who read regularly and were left hanging as far as my dilemma for Todd's b-day, the results were... I was unable to plan anything in advance beyond having a sitter for the kids overnight (thanks Grammy & Grandpop!!), so I left a note in the morning (which he didn't find...oh, well) saying I was up for anything he wanted to do that night and/or the next day. (I called him to tell him that, since he must've been too groggy in the morning to see the note I had taped to the door at eye-level!!) He opted for a good steak (from Texas Roadhouse), leisurely conversation at a private table outside of Starbucks and Pirates of the Caribbean 3 (which is almost 3 hours long, and didn't start til 10:15!!) On the way home we got pulled over for speeding, but the officer graciously left us off with a warning...maybe because we cooperated, maybe because Todd has a good record, maybe because it was obvious we were just trying to get home (it was 1:30 and we were mere blocks from our house, which happens to be just beyond the police station) or maybe because it was Todd's birthday! In any case, we went to bed and slept UNINTERRUPTED (a rare occurrence) til 10 on Friday and spent the rest of the day...doing church business. Oh, well, at least we were together, right?!?!

All in all, it was a wonderful time together. (Note: there was lots of romantic mushiness on our date, but I'll spare you the gory details...) We absolutely love each others' company and being able to relax and talk together (especially over good coffee) is one of our favorite pastimes. I'm lucky (actually, no, I'm blessed) to be married to my best friend.

spillin' my guts

Sometimes when there is a lull in my blogging it's because my life has gotten crazy busy, and I just don't have a spare moment to put my thoughts into coherent sentences. Other times, it is because I am avoiding my blog because I can't share what is in my heart...because it's too painful and/or because it wouldn't be helpful to anyone. I don't want to simply use this as a forum to spew my frustrations on the world, so I pull back for a bit til I can get a grip on myself, and process through my emotions. This past week has been one of those time. (WARNING: THIS POST IS QUITE LONG, BECAUSE I HAD A LOT OF GUTS TO SPILL.)

The world of church planting, I'm convinced, is basically a series of highs and lows, hopes and disappointments, and LOTS of changes...constantly. Sometimes there's lots of people, sometimes there's few. Sometimes there's money, sometimes none. Sometimes joy, sometimes mourning. Sometimes there's options, sometimes you're just plain stuck. There's a weird struggle in me through all this...sometimes I thrive on it, and sometimes it feels like it is completely crushing me. I can totally see God working in me through it all, but the process is sometimes so painful.

He's showed me idolatry in my life...looking to other people to meet needs, rescue me, provide for me, and sometimes those idols have been ripped away. I'm beginning to learn it is easier, much less painful, if I just allow myself to see it, and give it up. HE is my source, no person.

I'm also learning to, in my pain or frustration, turn to and lean on my husband, rather than attack him. Now, don't misunderstand, I haven't mastered this, but I'm REALLY starting to get it. This weekend I was completely irrational, walking around picking at old wounds and forming imaginary new ones. While it was hard to share with him all that was swirling in my mind (mainly because on some level I knew the absurdity of it) I did open myself up and confess to him my inner wrestlings. He responded in the most loving, Godly way...he simply held me and left me cry, rant, pout...and then gently encouraged my heart with truth. He didn't belittle, scold or condescend, but rather reassured me of his love, while at the same time not joining in my pity party. In my mind, that is true leadership.

It's interesting the way our emotions can sometimes distort the truth. (I think I may do another whole post on that...). But I think that it's a very effective tactic of the enemy of our souls. What better way to take someone out - get them to give up, walk away - than to try to immerse them in their hurts - past, present and the fear of future ones. From the perspective I've been re-gaining the past two days, I truly believe that's what I've been experiencing the past week or so. This isn't just me being silly and random - it's not even just because I'm an 'emotional woman'. (I'm learning to value the fact that I AM an emotional WOMAN who serves an emotional GOD!) But this kind of struggle, I believe, it really spiritual warfare; an attack from a very real enemy who does not want to see God's kingdom advanced in Pottstown or anywhere, and will use any kind of slimy tactic to try to derail God's purposes. But the weapons of MY warfare on not "carnal" - not rooted in the selfish nature of my flesh, but rather are rooted in the spiritual realities of God's truth. I am so thankful for a Body of people that surround me - my husband, family & friends - and spurs me on it that very truth. The help me to see when the enemy is trying to enshroud me in a lie. The grab hold of my hand and pull me out of the pit of despair.

One of our leadership team members was encouraging me yesterday, saying that she truly believes we are on the brink of a breakthrough of some sort. She said she'd like to start logging when we do have breakthroughs, because she's apparently been noticing that the pattern has seemed to be that right before we do, I get hit really hard with something. She feels like it's because I am much of the 'vision carrier' in the long-term goals. (Todd & I refer to our personalities as 'lengthener' and 'strengthener' (terms coined by Larry Kreider based on Is. 54:2 "Enlarge the place of your tent, stretch your tent curtains wide, do not hold back; lengthen your cords, strengthen your stakes."). I am the lengthener - the 'big vision - "let's go for it, anything's possible!!" - type person, while he is the one with the attention to detail, making sure everyone is growing, maturing, being discipled - a true pastor's heart. We've come to terms with our personalities and are now learning to work together in them, rather than fighting them. Makes life much easier.) Anyway, our team member said that when I lose steam or feel defeated, it very much effects others, and so the enemy seems to make me the prime target. Hmmm...interesting observation. In some ways, I feel like I've been 'tipped off' about a terrorist plot and can now take steps to diffuse the plan!

I have more to talk about, but this is so long already, and supper must be made, so I'll have to go for now. It's good to be back.

and from a bigger Clemmer...

Kate felt left out that I didn't quote her, so here's one of hers from last week at the library:

Librarian: "Do you know about our summer reading program?"

Kate: "No."

Librarian: "Are you interested in hearing about it?" (ever-so-sweetly)

Kate: "No, not really." (Politely, but firmly.)

Librarian: (Taken aback) "Oh, ok. Well...I get paid to tell you mom about it at least..." She proceeded to tell me all about it. At the end she mentioned that at the end of summer, the BIG drawing is for a laptop.

Kate: (Just tuning back in...) "Did you say a laptop???"

That was last Thursday; in the past week she's read 26 qualifying books(books 50-100 pages count as 2, 150-200 count as 3, etc., so it's not actually been 26, they've mostly just been bigger books).

Apparently a little (or big) incentive goes a long way.

quotes from little Clemmers

Here's something no mother really wants to hear:

Child 1: "Ow! Stop it!!"

Child 2: "Wow, I didn't know you could bend that far!"

(That was Seth to Bryce this morning while I was getting their breakfast.)

Yesterday I had this exchange with my darling little Luke (who is 2):

Him: "Oh my GOSH!!!"

Me: "Lukey, that's probably not something you need to say."

Him: "OK. Oh my HECK!!!"

They truly pick up everything...

what is a third place??

Rather than try and re-invent the wheel (or the 'third place' as the case may be) I am borrowing the following explanation from another church community doing the 'coffehouse thing'. It's called "The Freeway", and this is how they explain the concept:

Third place?
"Third places" [a term coined by Ray Oldenburg in his 1990 book The Great Good Place] are informal gathering places where people in a particular community or neighbourhood meet to develop friendships, discuss issues, and interact | network with others. They have always been an important way in which the community has developed and retained cohesion and a sense of identity.

There are essential ingredients to a well-functioning "third place". They must be free or inexpensive to enter and purchase food and drink within. They should be a place where a number of people regularly go on a daily basis. It should be a place where the person feels welcome and comfortable, and where it is easy to enter into conversation. And a person who goes there should be able to expect to find both old and new friends each time she or he goes.

Coffee House?
"Third places" are neither home nor workplace, but somewhere between. Places to meet, socialize, relax, hang out, or work away from the office. Places to eat and drink without pressure to consume or move on. The third place is epitomized by the modern coffee house, with its sofas and newspapers - a revival of its 18th century role.

That coffee houses should be third places more than bars, say, has to do with the beverages consumed. Stay in the bar all afternoon and you will get drunk. Stay in the coffee house and you will get things done. Of course it's not always that clear-cut. But for a place serving alcohol to function as a third place, its raison d'etre must not be the consumption of alcohol.

Of course, in many ways this is a new name for the role that coffee houses have long performed in North American life. But the third place is not focused on the act of eating and drinking in the fashion of traditional cafes, restaurants, bars and pubs. The food or drink one consumes is the entry fee, not the point. The "third place" is a living room, but not in someone's house; a workplace, but not in someone's office.

the woman at the well

Our vision for a coffee shop has just been burning in me again...I SOOOOO want to see it get up and running. We are not sure at all about the building we originally looked at - we currently don't have anywhere near enough to sign a lease (although, since the end of April we've raised about $9,000!! That in itself is amazing.), and as of 2 weeks ago when we spoke to the owner there were 2 other people looking at the space. While I was somewhat bummed initially, we really DON'T want to be where God doesn't want us. Maybe that's not the space because we might actually be able to start the coffee business sooner than we thought. Who knows. But one of our leadership team, who is currently a manager at Starbucks, is working on putting together a business plan, and it seems more do-able all the time. That gets me really pumped!! I've also been Googling some coffee stuff and find other churches doing similar things.

One in particular that we went to visit back in January is Ebenezer's - they are the exact, prime example of what we are shooting for. They are owned and operated by National Community Church in Washington, DC and are located right on Capitol Hill. The church is multi-site - they meet not only in the coffeehouse but also hold services at a movie theater in Union Station. The pastor, Mark Batterson, talks about coffeehouses being like modern day 'wells'. In Old and New Testament times, wells were a place where people could meet others and talk. It was a place where people went to get refreshed with water for themselves and their animals. While their animals were drinking they just got off of their feet for a few minutes they would talk with others doing the same. This is how Abraham's servant found a wife for Isaac and how Jacob met his wife.

I notice this to be true every Monday morning when I meet a friend for breakfast at Einstein Bagels (we don't have a Starbucks or ANY coffee shops locally - another thing in our favor, actually!!). Every week we see the same people there - the same employees getting our bagels, the same nice older gentleman who offers to take our empty trays, the same guy that sits by himself with his laptop. We meet there every week to talk and pray. Yep, we pray together right there at Einstein. It's a 'third place' for us. (I plan on doing a separate post explaining what I mean by 'third place'). How awesome would it be to own that place, pray in that place, worship in that place and have the Spirit of God filling it! I really believe in relational evangelism, and I believe that coffeehouses - modern day wells - are a very relevant vehicle to relating to our community.

For those of you who might not know much about Koinonia House, a very large part of our vision is to own a 'secular' coffeehouse (think Starbucks, minus the franchise) that would have a lower level that would serve as our church facility, as well as able to host bands, art showings and be rented out for other events, and also house our offices. (When we (our team) first got the vision for this we had never heard of anything like it. When we heard about Ebenezer's in DC, we HAD to check it out and they are DOING exactly what we envision. And it's working!! So exciting. They've also been very open about sharing information with us and helping with any questions we've had.) I have NO IDEA how this is going to become a reality, other than to say I know that with God, anything is possible!!

TODD - DO NOT READ!!!

Well, my husband's b-day is in 2 days, and other than having it lined up for the kids to be away overnight (which I was going to keep a secret, but one of the kids left it slip last night that they were excited to sleep over at Grammy's soon) I don't have anything planned! (I'm assuming since he's working everyday between now and Thursday that he won't have time to read this blog before then!!) My original idea was to do an overnight getaway, but since we got to go to the shore a few weeks ago, that's not too much of an option now. So I'm trying to come up with something else... AND it has to be something outside of our house because our worship team practices HERE on Thursday nights, so I told them they could still do that, and we just wouldn't be here. I thought of trying to go to a Phillies game that night, but there is no game that night, so that's quickly ruled out. There's a Reading Phillies game, but the seats really aren't that great from what I can tell online. Todd isn't a huge movie fan (I'm more of the movie fan and we very occasionally do that as a date to indulge me...but it's not MY b-day :o) ).

Arrgghhh....any suggestions???

old friends, good times

This is a post I've meant to do for a while, but couldn't find a bunch of my old photos. I came across them today in my cleaning!! It was a funny coincidence, because these are the old friends (which is in no way a reference to age, Shan!) that I talked about in my post from the other day, 'laborers in the same field'! We used to get together more often, (below you'll see an example of why we can't as much now!), but when we do it's 'just like old times' - only slightly more chaotic!!
These are our 7 kids!

a good read

Finished reading a very good book last week called "Sex God" by Rob Bell (published by Zondervan). Now before anyone panics and writes me off as...well, I don't know as what... but before you do, the book is about people, as in the male sex and the female sex, and our connected-ness (and the loss of it at The Fall) with each other and God and how we see humans constantly striving to reconnect their entire lives. Of course, the only way to do that is through accepting Christ's redeeming sacrifice on the cross; sadly, not everyone does so and thus spend their entire lives chasing after something that is completely unattainable, and often the pursuit of which brings destruction and sorrow.

I'd recommend this book to men and women alike, married or single. It gives a fresh perspective on many things. And the title (as well as chapter titles) are definitely designed to grab your attention...and the attention of someone who otherwise might not consider picking up a 'religious' book.

(Just a side note...I'm not sure who all reads this blog anymore. I almost titled this post 'sex god' but thought it might be too racy - give someone the wrong idea before they even read the post. Obviously if you're reading this note you now know the content of the post...so I'd just be interested to see what you think... should I have gone with the original or stay sensitive to the 'unknown' factor?)

for such a time as this

I don't even know how to describe the past 2 nights. Last night we had a worship night/feast to corporately break our 40-day fast. The worship time was amazing, set up on someone's deck, with a portable sound system, under the stars, raising a sound to the heavens. As the focus of our fast had been repentance for the past 40 years (a generation) of 'free love' and the many other moral breakdowns the happened in our country since the infamous 'summer of love' in '67, we stood together as a group representing 3 generations, the oldest symbolically asking our generation for forgiveness for "dropping the ball", our generation not only forgiving, but thanking them for the good seeds they have sown into our lives, and together looking at all the young children in our midst, asking God to pour out His spirit on them and give them grace to live lives totally sold out to Him. We felt it was such a significant day spiritually, knowing so many events going on worldwide where people were together fasting, lifting prayers, crying out for salvation to come to the earth. I believe God is at work in people's hearts, and it is an amazing time to be alive.

Tonight our Celebration service felt electrified as we worshiped and shared what God had done within our hearts during the 40 days. God has definitely fanned the flames of passion in our hearts to see a lost generation come to find salvation and freedom. I personally feel like God is giving me a new heart for people, seeing their desperate need for Him, replacing what always felt like an 'obligation' to 'share my faith' with a pure, passionate love for Jesus and a desire for others to experience the hope and freedom that only He can offer. It's still incredibly hard for me to just begin to make conversation with people I don't know, but I feel a new sense of faith that God will give me grace and bring divine appointments with people that are hungry - even if they don't know what it is they are looking for. I don't know who they will be, or where I will talk to them, but I am believing God for a new boldness to seize the opportunities I sense He will be bringing me.

While it was such a rich, powerful weekend, I am, admittedly, EXHAUSTED!! Hopefully we will be able to pretty much just chill out tomorrow. I have something in the morning and again in the evening, but hopefully in between will be some serious R&R!!

And so begins another week...

laborers in the same field

I'm exhausted and should be headed to bed, but my heart was just so full from the day that I had to share it.

Passionfest today was an amazing experience for me. First of all, it was good for me in the sense that it stretched me in ways that kicked me out of my comfort zone. When we checked in to volunteer (Kate and I both volunteered; side note - I was so proud of my 11-year old who spent almost the entire day volunteering running kids games) the first order was to hand out flyers with the schedule for the day. Just walk up to people and talk to them. TOTALLY not me. But it was so good for me to do something stretching. Then we gathered in the prayer tent for the briefing of what the plan was for us prayer counselors; after the skateboard/BMX guys gave their testimonies, the message and 'altar call' - the altar being a skateboard platform complete with ramps - we were to go find someone and pray with them and take down their info so they could be connected with a local church. We also put our names and church down on the card because the idea is to connect these people to a place with a familiar face - the person that prayed w/them today. I got to pray with a scared but hungry 6-year old boy named Ryan who came up because he wanted to give his life to Jesus. We prayed that God would give him the strength to follow him every day and to live a life always sold out to Jesus. We prayed he would learn to hear God's voice and always obey. It was precious. Ryan was there with his dad and brother...as were many that I saw come front today. What a better way to connect dads and sons than have a Skateboard/BMX/Motor X event and then present the gospel. From what I saw today entire households believed. I saw multiple dads with little guys come front to receive God's gift of salvation. Ring any bells??

"He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers..." Malachi 4:6

Another thing that was quickened to my heart is the absolute desire of God's heart to see unity among churches. Today no one debated doctrine, frowned upon worship styles, or questioned policies. Today we stood in a field and prayed for salvation to come to our town; for individuals to be set free from sin and find freedom in Christ. Today it was a common mission and a spirit of unity.

It was particularly cool for me on a personal level. We have some great friends who we used to get to spend more time with when we were all about 20-21 years old. As two young married couples we would sit around til 1 or 2 in the morning (several times a week!!) playing 'Dutch Blitz' and talking about what God wanted us to do with our lives. We felt like He was calling us all to ministry, but were unsure what it would look like or when. We often said we felt like we'd do something together - at the time we thought it would be running a Christian bookstore. The guys did a short stint as a band called 'Vyne' (us wives were the groupies), but ultimately that was NOT our calling. Today, almost 15 years later, Scott is an associate pastor of a church about 15 minutes away from ours. We've gotten to know many of the same people. Today Scott was also a volunteer prayer counselor. Tonight as I thought how cool it was that we were there together today, God quickened to my heart that we are, indeed, in ministry together. Different churches, different network (aka 'denomination'), same goal. To see people come to know God. We are laborers in the same field. Gives me goose-bumps.

And that was just the afternoon!! The evening is another whole story, but alas, it must wait til tomorrow as my eyes are growing heavy, and we must be at the church by 9 a.m. to set up to lead worship. Then ladies group at noon, and our church in the evening. I'll probably be teeming again by tomorrow night. It may take days for me to get all this out.

God is amazing. Good night.

wrong Baldwin

CORRECTION: Thankfully, as the anonymous commenter pointed out on my last post - it IS STEPHEN Baldwin coming to Passionfest, NOT Alec. I knew that, just apparently had a brain to fingers blip last night while posting. Thanks anonymous!

Had our volunteer meeting tonight...I'm a volunteer prayer counselor for the event tomorrow. Can't wait to see how God is going to touch lives through this. There were probably a couple hundred people there tonight that were all volunteers. Different denominations gathered in one place, with one mission, worshiping together. THIS is what the Kingdom is meant to be. The main thing they stressed was PRAYING for tomorrow's event. As one of the coordinators so aptly put it - "We can do all the planning and organizing we want, but without the Holy Spirit showing up, it's all worthless." So true.

weekend ride

Once again, time is flying by, and I realize it's been almost a week since I blogged. I've been kind of down this week (no particular reason) and that coupled with the busy-ness has kept me merely skimming through the other blogs I read, rarely even commenting, and dashing off to my next 'thing'. Our summer so far has been bombarded with sleep-overs, VBS's, practices, and other events. This weekend, for example, is absolutely CRAZY!! Tomorrow night I have a volunteer meeting for Passionfest, (a one-day festival type event here in good 'ol Pottstown, PA), and then some pre-marital counseling (with one of the TWO couples we have in the KH family that are getting married within the next six months - that's a pretty big deal in a church our size!). Saturday is Passionfest and it's also the last day of our 40 day fast (HALLELUJAH!!). We are ending the fast with a blow-out worship/prayer meeting and lots of FOOD!!! Then Sunday morning our worship team is filling in at another church, at noon I am hosting a luncheon to kick off our summer ladies' small group, and then our Celebration service Sunday night. I think Monday we might try to come up for air!

So, my blogosphere friends, I'd like to be posting some of the excitement of this weekend, but we will see how it goes. Maybe I'll get in a blurb here and there...or maybe my fingers won't touch these keys again til Monday...only time will tell. Maybe I'll even be able to get some pics on here (Alec Baldwin is, after all, speaking at Passionfest...). OK, so there's my update for now. Hope to be back soon.