Words from Pastor ANdrew
A Wonderful, Beautiful Blessing of a Challenge…
When Sarah and I first moved to Texas, we had no kids and lived in a one bedroom, 800 sq ft apartment. We did not have great room for kids, but that wasn’t an issue, because we didn’t have any. Just 30 months later we had two kids under two. What wasn’t an issue before, now became a challenge.
The first Sunday Sarah and I were at The Chapel, our two boys were the only kids there. Just 30 months later we have a growing kids ministry. Currently the kids ministry is meeting in the woods, which is generally quite lovely, but it does not work year round. So we knew we had to figure out something else. What wasn’t an issue before, now is a challenge. A wonderful, beautiful blessing of a challenge.
A Bit Odd
This time of year is a bit odd. Sometimes it feels like winter and sometimes it feels like summer. Sometimes it is pouring down rain and sometimes I’m unexpectedly sunburnt. Some of the plants around my house are starting to show signs of life and others look like winter destroyed them and there is no hope. Parts of the country are getting incredible unexpected snow fall and others are getting tornados.
Backstory
Over Christmas we went back to Missouri. It seems like every time we go back to where we came from we are pointing stuff out.
Remember
I hope this week has been filled with times of rest and reflection. I hope that you are finding time to celebrate with those you love and remember the Christ child being born. It is always funny how fast the year goes and around October we start to think…
“oh man, it is almost time to file my taxes…”
Winter is Coming
Did you know winter doesn’t begin on November 1st. Or on Black Friday. Or on December 1st. The first day of winter begins on a day called the winter solstice or midwinter. This date is either December 21st or 22nd. That day, right before Christmas is the day winter technically begins.
You Win Some…
This week we began Advent. At our dinner table we light a candle around our homemade advent wreath, read scripture and reflect upon the idea of waiting with expectation in this season.
New Eyes
I recently got contacts for the first time. Don’t worry, I’ve been wearing glasses for over 25 years and decided now is the time to try something new. Truth be told, I didn’t wear my glasses very much when I first got them in the mid 90’s. It was only to be able to see in class or at the movies. I was always able to successfully pass vision tests for license renewals and I could get away with only wearing them every once in awhile. But I distinctly remember the first time wearing them and feeling like it was incredibly disorienting. What was previously out of focus was now oddly clear…but I wasn’t used to it, so it actually felt off or incorrect. Hence why I didn’t wear them very often.
Selah
It’s not uncommon that we like to play misery poker. We try to one up one another with our health problems, our family drama, how ridiculous a co-worker is, how unreasonable an in-law is, how terrible our day has been and on and on. This one upping to see who is more miserable is really a terrible way to pass time…and unfortunately this is something most of us will do left to our own devices. I have had conversations with my kids where their day is a bit off…and they immediately start looking for how difficult school is and how mean the bus driver was and how they don’t have a certain piece of technology…and on and on. Many of us start at our worst…and look for things to get worse. We start down and go downward.
To Restore
I recently borrowed a pressure washer from someone. When I started to rinse off an area on the side of my house that had mud and grime, stuff started to come off that I didn’t even know was there. Stains that had tinted the grout around the bricks. Dirt that had found its way into the crevices of the exterior of the house. And more stuff started to fall away from the cleansing water that I didn’t even realize was making my house dirty. I felt so accomplished after I finished one side of my house…that I started to work on the fence.
Fake Fall
We are living in fake fall. It’s not real fall. Fall doesn’t start until…wait for it…Thursday, September 22nd. That is a month from now…and yet we are in the midst of fake fall. Pumpkin and cinnamon things are sneaking into our grocery carts and coffee orders. Our pineapple and coconut have been prematurely traded for pumpkin and chai. People are growing out their facial hair…maybe that is just me…and assessing their flannel and boots. We claim an 85 degree morning that is overcast as that cool fall air. We see (and buy) apple orchard soap, fall farmers market candles, and crisp autumn morning wax melts. Just for clarity, all of those things smell lovely as soap, candles, and wax melts…but they smell nothing like the actual thing. Apple orchards smell like…well…I’m not sure what they smell like…but probably not cinnamon apple sauce soap.
A Wonderful, Beautiful Blessing of a Challenge…
When Sarah and I first moved to Texas, we had no kids and lived in a one bedroom, 800 sq ft apartment. We did not have great room for kids, but that wasn’t an issue, because we didn’t have any. Just 30 months later we had two kids under two. What wasn’t an issue before, now became a challenge.
The first Sunday Sarah and I were at The Chapel, our two boys were the only kids there. Just 30 months later we have a growing kids ministry. Currently the kids ministry is meeting in the woods, which is generally quite lovely, but it does not work year round. So we knew we had to figure out something else. What wasn’t an issue before, now is a challenge. A wonderful, beautiful blessing of a challenge.
A Bit Odd
This time of year is a bit odd. Sometimes it feels like winter and sometimes it feels like summer. Sometimes it is pouring down rain and sometimes I’m unexpectedly sunburnt. Some of the plants around my house are starting to show signs of life and others look like winter destroyed them and there is no hope. Parts of the country are getting incredible unexpected snow fall and others are getting tornados.
Backstory
Over Christmas we went back to Missouri. It seems like every time we go back to where we came from we are pointing stuff out.
Remember
I hope this week has been filled with times of rest and reflection. I hope that you are finding time to celebrate with those you love and remember the Christ child being born. It is always funny how fast the year goes and around October we start to think…
“oh man, it is almost time to file my taxes…”
Winter is Coming
Did you know winter doesn’t begin on November 1st. Or on Black Friday. Or on December 1st. The first day of winter begins on a day called the winter solstice or midwinter. This date is either December 21st or 22nd. That day, right before Christmas is the day winter technically begins.
You Win Some…
This week we began Advent. At our dinner table we light a candle around our homemade advent wreath, read scripture and reflect upon the idea of waiting with expectation in this season.
New Eyes
I recently got contacts for the first time. Don’t worry, I’ve been wearing glasses for over 25 years and decided now is the time to try something new. Truth be told, I didn’t wear my glasses very much when I first got them in the mid 90’s. It was only to be able to see in class or at the movies. I was always able to successfully pass vision tests for license renewals and I could get away with only wearing them every once in awhile. But I distinctly remember the first time wearing them and feeling like it was incredibly disorienting. What was previously out of focus was now oddly clear…but I wasn’t used to it, so it actually felt off or incorrect. Hence why I didn’t wear them very often.
Selah
It’s not uncommon that we like to play misery poker. We try to one up one another with our health problems, our family drama, how ridiculous a co-worker is, how unreasonable an in-law is, how terrible our day has been and on and on. This one upping to see who is more miserable is really a terrible way to pass time…and unfortunately this is something most of us will do left to our own devices. I have had conversations with my kids where their day is a bit off…and they immediately start looking for how difficult school is and how mean the bus driver was and how they don’t have a certain piece of technology…and on and on. Many of us start at our worst…and look for things to get worse. We start down and go downward.
To Restore
I recently borrowed a pressure washer from someone. When I started to rinse off an area on the side of my house that had mud and grime, stuff started to come off that I didn’t even know was there. Stains that had tinted the grout around the bricks. Dirt that had found its way into the crevices of the exterior of the house. And more stuff started to fall away from the cleansing water that I didn’t even realize was making my house dirty. I felt so accomplished after I finished one side of my house…that I started to work on the fence.
Fake Fall
We are living in fake fall. It’s not real fall. Fall doesn’t start until…wait for it…Thursday, September 22nd. That is a month from now…and yet we are in the midst of fake fall. Pumpkin and cinnamon things are sneaking into our grocery carts and coffee orders. Our pineapple and coconut have been prematurely traded for pumpkin and chai. People are growing out their facial hair…maybe that is just me…and assessing their flannel and boots. We claim an 85 degree morning that is overcast as that cool fall air. We see (and buy) apple orchard soap, fall farmers market candles, and crisp autumn morning wax melts. Just for clarity, all of those things smell lovely as soap, candles, and wax melts…but they smell nothing like the actual thing. Apple orchards smell like…well…I’m not sure what they smell like…but probably not cinnamon apple sauce soap.