Losing Life

Friends

One of the scariest things about moving from Chicagoland to Kansas City to start Restore Community Church was leaving friends.  Especially my kids friends.  Were they going to make new friends??  I hoped so...and I certainly prayed for them.

So here is a little update on friends...check it out:

 

Goodbye Beach

I'll admit it.  Things were so busy the weeks leading up to Christmas that when the day after Christmas came and we were off to Mexico, I secretly wished we were going to lay on a beach somewhere.  I wanted to sleep, swim, read, and daydream.  I really didn't feel like building a house.  You're shocked aren't you?  And I seem like such a nice person.

But, as soon as we arrived on site, I was so happy that God had me right there in Juarez.  Building this house will remain one of the highlights of my life and even more cool, we got to do it with my entire family.  My parents, sisters, brother-in-laws and nieces and nephews.  It was incredible.

Day one...This is where Flor, Sergio and their three kids lived, sharing the home with lots of relatives:

Day Three:  Flor and Sergio and three kids get a new house:

 

Judiann makes a new friend:

This absolutely beats laying on a beach any day...hands down.  There's only one problem, I really want to do it again.  My beach days could be gone forever!

The Christmas Competition

I have been mysteriously silent on the Christmas Competition with my sister.  All I have to say is this is NOT a stock photo.  This is my real Christmas tree.  Perhaps it is not about quantity, but quality...well, quality as defined by Wal-mart that is.

Ahhh...

Where did my baby boy go?  Jake enjoyed homecoming with his long time friend Casey who came up form Omaha.  Not only did Jake have an old friend to go with but many new friends too.  I am so happy for him. 

The Bowmans are finally here!

Yep, it's true.  Kansas City is now even cooler (if that is at all possible) because the Bowmans are officially KC residents.  Look out KC...you will never be the same again.

Good Things

• My table arrived
• Mitchell made the Jets football team
• The kids all had a good first day of school
• My boss gave me a whole list of church planting things to do, so I can start getting busy again
• It is only going to be 96 degrees today instead of 103

Who wouldn't want to be their friend?

Judiann couldn't sleep last night because she was so excited to ride the bus, Jake was concerned about when and where to go for lunch and Mitch is only thinking about the last cuts for the football team tonight.

Every year I take their picture at the front door on the first day of school.  And every year it is the SAME door.  This year the door is different.

Thanks for praying for them. 

Eventful Day

Yesterday...

• Mitchell had to get a cast on his arm.  The Dr. thinks that is best since he suspects injury to the growth plate.
• Both the boys registered for school and got their class schedule. 
• I had coffee with some neighbors while Judiann played with the neighborhood girls. (well I didn't drink coffee...you know I don't like it, but perhaps I will learn.)
• I painted Judiann's room pepto bismol pink...it's cool.
• I organized some move in help for Josh and Matt who arrive on MONDAY...yeah!

God Gave Me Chairs

In the month before our move to KC people started giving me chairs.  3 great chairs from Mike Emmert of Count the Cost ministries...they are wonderfully comfortable chairs and fit into my decor perfectly.  6 outdoor chairs from Brent Foulke of Stadia for my deck.  6 Dining room chairs from Lori and Jim Cooke for my new dining room.  These chairs were all gifts and they were all brand new.  I am thinking that God is expecting that I will be having lots of visitors.  And if the first 10 days in this house is indication of what the next few years will be like, God's provision of chairs is right on time...HE is SO FAITHFUL.

Here are our visitors over the last 10 days:

1. My parents...who helped us move here.
2. My sister Judy, and her husband Jeff and my niece Lindsey, who helped us paint.
3. Troy's Parents Val and Gene who stayed for 4 days and did lots and lots of work around the house.
4. A neighbor, Penny, who came over to bring a whole meal.  Lasagna, two salads and bread sticks.  Delicious.  AND she has a 5 year old daughter who Judiann has played with now...twice!
5. Troy's brother, Mark, wife Lisa and daughter Kaylee and boyfriend Zac...we ate the neighbors lasagna dinner on our patio.
6. Another neighbor, Jeff...who stopped by the garage to say hi and Troy said... "wait a minute, do I know you?"  The answer was yes, Jeff and Troy had just met several weeks ago when Troy and Dave consulted with his church Good Shepherd United Methodist Church about multi-site.  Then Jeff brought his wife by later with brownies.
7. Sharon Stockton of Northland Mission Church with cake and flowers welcoming us to the Northland.
8. The painter who came to give me an estimate who, as it turns out, is huge into church planting and was part of a church plant here in the Northland called North Heartland Community Church.
9. Kent and Cherilyn our new best friends in the Northland.  Kent has helped us over the months in so many many ways.  They own a coffee shop nearby called A Cup Above.  We are discussing ways to partner with the coffee shop which is really a ministry.... more to come on that. Very exciting stuff.
10. Gretchen and Cliff brought us the worlds best homemade cookies. We met them at NACC in July.  They brought over their two delightful kids...who immediately got into our hearts.  They live very close to us.

So come and see us, we definitely have enough chairs.

More on Birds and Bees conversation

Judiann is cracking me up!  She is continuing to process what we call in our family "the life secret"  It is a "secret" because you are NOT suppose to tell your friends about it....only their moms and dads are suppose to tell them....NOT you.  Here is a part of the conversation.

"Who told YOU about it?" 

"My Mom."

"Who told your mom?

"I don't know"

"What if nobody ever told anybody, there would be no babies." 

"People would figure it out.

"So a lot of people I know have done 'that', like David and Julie and Shawn and Lindsey?"

"yep" (insert look of shock on her face here.)

"Why are we having this conversation in public?" (we were at Wendy's) 

"Nobody can hear us."

(looking around at all the parents with kids):  "So all these people have done that?" 

"Yep."

"Do Jake and Mitch know?"   

"Yep, I told them a long time ago."

"I am going to tell them again, maybe they forgot."

"Oh, trust me, they haven't forgot."

Maybe I shouldn't share this private conversation for all the world to see...but it was just too funny.  AND, she doesn't yet read blogs...AND none of you will say anything to her... RIGHT?  And if she had it her way, I think she would come right out and have this conversation herself with just about any of you (even though I have advised her to the contrary).

It all started because we were thinking about getting  Guinea pigs for pets  (to avoid getting a dog) and someone said, be sure to get two girls so you won't have babies.  Judiann is thinking that having two girls increases the likelihood that you will have babies cause only girls have babies.   So later, Judi asks me do you have to have a boy AND girl Guinea pig to have baby Guinea pigs?  So I say, "yes."  And she says, "Are people like that?"  I say, "they are"  and the conversation is off and running.

Parenting note:  I have now had the privilege of sharing this conversation with all three of my children.  And none of them had heard it anywhere else first.  It is such a privilege as a parent to be the one who tells them first.  Catch them young, they are not embarrassed...just completely and utterly shocked.  Telling them young and first communicates several things: 

1. you can talk to me about anything
2. "it" is normal
3. "it" is good
4. God has rules about "it" for our joy and protection.

Why did I choose to tell them when I did?...simple... they asked.  Well, two out of the three asked, the other one was never going to ask, so we just had to tell him before he heard it elsewhere.