garage sale finds

We went garage sale shopping at my FAVORITE annual neighborhood sale and this is the only time it's been May/June that I have thought about the excitement of winter.

MIMI

My mom came to visit for almost 2 weeks! We had a GREAT time! For an added bonus we spent 2 nights at the cottage and 2 nights at the Great Wolf Lodge. HOWLLLLL!!

Here's some photos from our trip.

Thanks again, Mom!

Beautiful things

I have been really depressed and struggling over the past several months with a lot of things, but finally am coming out of the darkness. The past few weeks have been so light and wonderful. Spring is in FULL BLOOM in Michigan! The death of winter is giving birth to the most beautiful flowers, and fruits, and veggies, and leaves! We've had several homegrown salads- fresh berries, and the scents of all that is spring.

During my depression I was finding it extremely difficult to enjoy my kids. It seemed like all they did was need and I didn't have anything to give. Their struggles with behavior escalated with my impatience and anger. I watched all these moms at the park lovingly push their kiddos on the swings and I just wanted to leave mine and go somewhere...anywhere. "Excuse me, would you mind watching my kids too while I just run to Starbucks?" How many times did I rehearse that?!?!

Then just as the sun rises over the horizon, so the light began to break darkness in my life. Just as the rose bushes went from being nothing but twigs to green with leaves and bright pink flowers, the flower of my soul awakened.

The kids and I have had the BEST week! I feel like we have found our rhythm. I never thought I would struggle with depression and I didn't even realize how bad it was until this week.

A couple weeks ago I was sharing some of my struggles with an old friend who I haven't talked to in years and she said, "Adrienne, I have to tell you I am really excited for you! I think God has amazing things in store for you. Really, I do." And I think she meant it, and I think she was right.

We've started going to a new church in Detroit called Messiah and recently sang this song:



"Beautiful Things"

All this pain
I wonder if I’ll ever find my way
I wonder if my life could really change at all
All this earth
Could all that is lost ever be found
Could a garden come up from this ground at all

chorus:
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of the dust
You make beautiful things
You make beautiful things out of us

All around
Hope is springing up from this old ground
Out of chaos life is being found in You

chorus x3

You make me new, You are making me new
You make me new, You are making me new


I think you get what I am saying.

Maybe I'll even start blogging again. Who knows!?!?

with you

David and I have been walking through what has become one of the most difficult times we've had as a couple- and the difficulty doesn't sit between us, but outside of us. We continue to grow closer and more united.
I prayed the Lord would give me scripture to meditate on and from the beginning he gave me the simple verse my children were learning, "Then the Lord appeared to him and said, 'Do not be afraid for I will be with you.'"

God is not with me like a person or even a flower or even the wind is with me. I can't see God- can't feel God- can't taste God. But I know He's here. And He's made me feel more aware of His great presence than ever.
I wish I had documented some of these sweet stories of late- at any rate- here's the one from yesterday...


Easter Sunday.


We were invited to go to church with our friends on the SW side of Detroit and then have dinner at their home. Their children got sick and they had to cancel dinner yesterday morning. We decided to go to their church- enjoy the pancake breakfast- and meet new people. The breakfast was great and I met some really neat people. The church is a covenant church with Lutheran roots. The second service is a liturgical service that uses the Lutheran Book of Worship. So I grew up in the Evangelical Lutheran Church- my dad is a pastor. Hearing the liturgy brought me back to my childhood- I could almost recite the responses by memory. In many ways it felt like the Lord brought me to a safe place- a place where I first met God. I grew up responding to the pastor- I didn't know what I was saying- there was no richness. Yet yesterday in this church I realized the words are full of depth-

Pastor: Almighty God, to whom all hearts are open, all desires known, from whom to secrets are hid: cleanse the thoughts of our hearts by the inspiration of your Holy Spirist, that we may perfectly love you and worthily magnify your holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
All: if we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confess our sins, God who is faithful and just will forgive our sins and cleans us from all unrighteousness.


Reflection.

Most merciful God,
we confess that we have sinned against you
in thought, word, and deed,
by what we have done,
and by what we have left undone.
We have not loved you with our whole heart;
we have not loved our neighbors as ourselves.
We are truly sorry and we humbly repent.
For the sake of your Son Jesus Christ,
have mercy on us and forgive us;
that we may delight in your will,
and walk in your ways,
to the glory of your Name. Amen.

Obviously you could recite these words and not mean them- you could go with the flow- or you could choose to engage with the body of Christ and experience the power of confession, repentance, and forgiveness.

Anyway, so church was a mix of emotions.

So we get home and I dont' know what we are gonna eat for Easter dinner- and I don't know who is coming. So I am starting to feel anxious and sad that it will be a small group.


We decide on cheese fondue and chocolate fondue.



Our friend calls (I had mentioned we might do fondue at church) and he would like to come with their kid and bring his friends!

So around 4 everyone gathers- 7 adults and 5 kids and we sit at the table to celebrate Easter together. Turns out our new friends are from LA- moved to Detroit to start a new life- have traveled the world- and are excited about community gardens, communal living, engaging the community....




The Lord once again provided in my need.

Psalm 34
I will extol the Lord at all times;
his praise will always be on my lips.
2 I will glory in the Lord;
let the afflicted hear and rejoice.
3 Glorify the Lord with me;
let us exalt his name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he answered me;
he delivered me from all my fears.
5 Those who look to him are radiant;
their faces are never covered with shame.
6 This poor man called, and the Lord heard him;
he saved him out of all his troubles.
7 The angel of the Lord encamps around those who fear him,
and he delivers them.

8 Taste and see that the Lord is good;
blessed is the one who takes refuge in him.
9 Fear the Lord, you his holy people,
for those who fear him lack nothing.
10 The lions may grow weak and hungry,
but those who seek the Lord lack no good thing.
11 Come, my children, listen to me;
I will teach you the fear of the Lord.
12 Whoever of you loves life
and desires to see many good days,
13 keep your tongue from evil
and your lips from telling lies.
14 Turn from evil and do good;
seek peace and pursue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are on the righteous,
and his ears are attentive to their cry;
16 but the face of the Lord is against those who do evil,
to blot out their name from the earth.

17 The righteous cry out, and the Lord hears them;
he delivers them from all their troubles.
18 The Lord is close to the brokenhearted
and saves those who are crushed in spirit.

19 The righteous person may have many troubles,
but the Lord delivers him from them all;
20 he protects all his bones,
not one of them will be broken.

21 Evil will slay the wicked;
the foes of the righteous will be condemned.
22 The Lord will rescue his servants;
no one who takes refuge in him will be condemned.

abraham's faith

I recently began attending a Bible study nearby on Thursdays and we have been studying the book of Genesis. I really enjoy this especially because our church studied Genesis last year and the repeated pounding of the scriptures makes me enjoy them that more deeply. The past week or so I have been thinking a lot about Abraham. In Genesis 15:16 we read, "Abraham believed God and it was credited to him as righteousness." We know that this occurs after God and Abraham have a discussion about the Lord's promise to make his offspring as many as there are stars in the sky, while Abraham and Sarah remained childless. However, the text doesn't give us any indication of what his belief looked like- it just tells us that Abraham believed God- and that was what clothed him with righteousness. This is obviously a very popular text because it highlights the life of faith vs. a life that is devoted to works. (Although we know faith without works is dead- James 2:17). Faith is the foundation to the Christian life. This text is often used as a gateway into examining our own lives. Are we living a life of faith? What kinds of things is the Lord asking us to entrust to Him? We know Abraham is tested in Genesis 22 with the potential sacrifice of he and Sarah's only son, Isaac- and he responds out of faith. Once again a glowing example of the faithfulness Abraham is capable of proving. As I have been considering the passages lately I couldn't stop thinking about David's parent's church in Mexico. Before I tell the story I should share some basic background information: The pastor, Juan Carlos and his family live in a parsonage attached to the church. They have been there for as long as I have known David- so at least 10 years. There have been a lot of crime and bribery problems in Northern Mexico.... especially related to the drug cartels. Often times people will receive a letter that demands money and if it isn't awarded there is a threat of violence to you or your family. These violent acts have been carried out. So about a year ago this pastor received a letter demanding money or else his family would be killed. It gave names of all the people in his family and obviously it is known he lives next to the church. I don't know the details of what happened, but from my understanding he chose to ignore the request. About a week before the letter was received there had been stories of other murders- so his choice to ignore the request must of been quite difficult. Our church family was praying during this time in hopes that the Lord would protect Juan Carlos and his family. It is with joy that I share no harm was done to this family! As I have been thinking about Abraham's faith and Juan Carlos' faith I am filled with joy and conviction! I also considered to analyze the cost. In both situations the Lord provided good things- in Abraham's life he fulfilled his promise of inheritance and offspring, in Juan Carlos' life he provided safety. What if the Lord hadn't provided protection for Juan Carlos' family? Would we still give glory to God? Would he have justifiably regretted ignoring the plea? Often I wonder to what degree am I called to be faithful. Must I be faithful even when I am faced with persecution or danger? How do I know? The Bible speaks clearly about bribery . We know that the easy way out of harm would have been to pay the bribe (although the requests might have never stopped once this began), but we also know that faithfulness has a cost, but a far greater reward. I am especially encouraged by this passage in Isaiah 33: You who are far away, hear what I have done; you who are near, acknowledge my power! 14 The sinners in Zion are terrified; trembling grips the godless: “Who of us can dwell with the consuming fire? Who of us can dwell with everlasting burning?” 15 Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil— 16 they are the ones who will dwell on the heights, whose refuge will be the mountain fortress. Their bread will be supplied, and water will not fail them. 17 Your eyes will see the king in his beauty and view a land that stretches afar. The Lord speaks clearly through His Word the expectations of believers. We often muddy the clearness of the Word with our fears and misreadings. It makes me think of James 1: 2 Consider it pure joy, my brothers and sisters,[a] whenever you face trials of many kinds, 3 because you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance. 4 Let perseverance finish its work so that you may be mature and complete, not lacking anything. and also Philippians 2 So may we all live out of our faith in the Lord and not out of our fears. For me, that has been choosing to stay in a city known for it's danger, while raising three littles, one with special needs (praise God for continued private services!), being part of a church I don't always like (turns out there is no perfect church!), and choosing to live in the moment... all the while trusting the Lord for what He has for our family. Where in your life is the Lord asking you to be faithful? Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see. 2 This is what the ancients were commended for. Hewbrews 11:1

Lily!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tlSeb7Hd6aw&feature=youtube_gdata_player


Sent from my iPhone.

Lily!

Homegrown

Dinner was so fun tonight!
Homegrown ingredients:
Eggs
Green pepper
Jalapeño
Green onion

Market fresh Michigan grown:
Tomatoes
Asparagus
Red pepper

Other:
Cheddar and mozzarella cheese

We'd like to eventually have a whole meal that we've grown/ raised!!

Bentley and our new dog Ringo

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ukYmCuVjINs&feature=youtube_gdata_player

Bentley drummin at church with the intern, david

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hdi4kM27fXw&feature=youtube_gdata_player

reserving time

A couple weeks ago one of the pastor's encouraged us to not always be in such a hurry. The community where we live is unique in that there is an extremely high rate of unemployment leaving many people available and willing to talk at any time. However, many of the members of our church are people who have moved into the community and have jobs and have a tendency to do life in a hurry. It seems like we are always in a hurry to get here or there and do this or that. So the challenge was to carve out time before and after things so that if there is an opportunity to connect with a neighbor or someone in the community you don't have that feeling that you don't have time. So what does it look like to not pack our days with things to do and leave time for the unknown? For me it can often feel like my day looks unproductive- I like to get things done! So if there's a block of time that I don't know what to do with I feel a little stressed- which is so backwards! Shouldn't I feel free and thankful!?! So I have had it in the back of my mind to not have so many planned activities. Well today the kids and I were walking to church (just like every Sunday) and we were more than on time (which is normal when it's just me home). So the boys were walking and I was pushing the stroller (because they are so exhausted after church I don't have them walk home) and I had Lily on my back in the carrier... so we're walking and Bentley found trash (surprise, surprise). Initially I said, "Icky!" and made it him throw it back on the ground. So another unique thing about our community is that it often feels like a giant trash bin. Daily I see people throw chip bags and trash out the car door window. The parks are littered with wrappers and the streets have trash all along the sides. There are so many reasons for this (without excuse) and I may get into that on another post- but for now I'll stick to my point! So we're walking and I just kept feeling like it was a teachable moment of what to do when we see trash on the ground. So I took the boys back and we picked up the chip bag and walked across the street to where there is a garbage can and threw it away. I felt like it was a really good lesson for the boys to learn that we don't litter the streets with trash. But what I really enjoyed about the experience is that we had time for this teachable moment. So often I am zipping from one thing to the other that I don't have time to stop and use the teachable moments wisely. I am really trying to not go with the culture and pack my life with activities. I want to live a more relaxed life with opportunities to help pick up trash, or plant flowers, or sit in the sun, or talk to a neighbor without feeling rushed. Also living in a slower paced life allows the kids to do things on their own- get dressed, put on their shoes, feed themselves, get in the car alone, walk instead of ride in the stroller, help with chores around the house, etc... My tendency is to do it for them because I can do it quickly and without making a mess- while they in their learning state- are super slow and make tons of messes! So anyway, all that to say one of my current desires is to reserve time for the unknown and enjoy what God does in my life when I don't plan because it all comes back to trusting Him and believing that I will have time and will accomplish things- even when it doesn't seem that way.

Farm 2

This video is a quick summary of the welcoming ambiance of "the farm". :0

Bentley's day on the farm

Bentley's preschool took a trip to the farm yesterday. It was absolutely delightful. So we arrived and the kids got to play on the giant playground for awhile. Bentley of course went straight to the sand box... and then the tractor. Then we rode on a hay ride for about 30 min. Then the kids all got to ride the horses around the field- Bentley was chosen for the mini pony! He LOVED it! Then we had lunch. After lunch they took the kids into this large barn area where they were able to do their "chores". They bottle fed the baby goats, lambs, and pigs. Then they hand fed everyone else. They were even able to milk a cow! They were encouraged to hold the baby ducks, chickens, kittens, rabbits, and pigs. They got to climb in the pens of the lambs, pigs, and goats. It was mass chaos and SOOO fun! I got a vision of what Bentley's life could be if he desires- working on a farm and learning to garden would be a great way to live. I will never limit what Bentley does- and he may flourish in school- but chances are it's gonna be a struggle to do the abstract work- so to see a way that I can encourage his development and growth in a hands on way was so encouraging! So get ready for this urban farm to expand!!

Bentley lining up on the wall at school

First up- TRACTOR!

Never was there a little boy with glasses who loved horses more than this kid. :)

Hay ride!

Horse ride!

So handsome!

baby bunny?!

baby ducks- which I did become brave enough to pick up!

bottle feed

hand feed

milking the cow

playing in the pens

family photos

Garden growth

Cold crops are coming in strong!!

Kid heaven

It's so fun to have a kid yard!! 2 big kid swings will be hung soon. The swing set will be built in phases- next year we will add the slide and platform and then in 2 years the playhouse.

connections

So a couple weeks ago David and I had the privilege of sharing our story with the 1st year medical students at WSU. The purpose was for the students who were finishing up their coursework in genetics to gain insight and compassion from families of children with genetic abnormalities. This was our 4th year in a row. I love this opportunity because it's important to share the joy of Bentley with others so that people can gain compassion and also see that he isn't a life that should've been terminated because of his disability. I feel very strongly that people with genetic abnormalities should be given life- that God knit them together in their mothers' wombs with a purpose. If a pregnant mother thought she couldn't handle a child with special needs there are many families who lovingly adopt and care for these children.

So my friend (Carrie) called me today to encourage me because she had been on a walk with another friend (Colleen) recently. So Colleen's niece (I think that's the relationship) is pregnant with a child who has an abnormality of some sort- the diagnosis is still unclear. Well either the pregnant mother or her husband was in the room when David and I shared our story. So they were telling Rich and Colleen about this young couple who had brought their son with DS to the panel and had shared their story and it was really powerful, etc.. So now Colleen wants to connect me with this young mom.

Raising a child with special needs has proven to be quite difficult. I can't read the normal parenting books and apply them to Bentley. In fact, most of the advice that I receive I get from a friend who has a son with DS. Bentley has a special gift that we call menacing. He is able to find anything in a room that he shouldn't play with and do just THAT. Just this morning he took a cup that Clayton had been drinking from and started to drink from it... typical.... and then he turned and poured all the water out... everywhere. Why? What was he thinking?!?! I am constantly thinking of ways to raise Bentley to be thoughtful, compassionate, independent, and obedient. He consumes a lot of my brain activity! My latest trial is to keep him close to me and bring him everywhere I go around the house and allow him opportunities to be helpful. He really loves to be helpful and do what I do, but he cannot do this if he isn't directly assisted. For so long I wanted him to be independent and be able to leave him in a room without destroying something- but this has proved failure over and over again. So I am trying to train him to successful within the limits that he is capable of (this is a very fine line).

Raising a child with special needs has also proven to be joyful. Bentley has a very tender and compassionate heart. Even in his stubbornness he will relinquish a toy to his fitful brother just to see Clayton happy again. He always greets friends with a hug and kiss. If given appropriate activities he will joyfully spend time alone playing. He claps for all sort of things I wouldn't have noticed.

Life is about connections. It's about connecting with another to continue in our fight towards righteousness. Bentley continually pushes me to pursue Christ and seek ways to love others more fully- to discover creative ways to raise my children in the Lord. The genetics panel allows us to share our story- the joys and the difficulties- with prospective doctors. Doctors are on the front line in diagnosing patients and their way of brining that information to families is vital in the families' responses. My heart is that people will see Bentley has a life that has value.... that the pursuit of having perfect children who go to perfect schools and have perfect jobs and marry perfect people would be challenged with the opportunity to raise a child that will rock your view of what life is all about.

Anyway, after a really rough morning with 2 very tired little boys it's a good reminder that children are a blessing. :)

And here's a recent goofy video of the menace.

on the mcropders

On Saturday Scott, Kristen, David, Lily and I went to a conference in Spring Arbor, MI. It's called CAHO (Central African Health Care Organization) and is established through the Free Methodist Church. There are a few key hospitals focused through this group- Kibogora, Rwanda, Kibuye and Bujumbura, Burundi, Nundu, DRC, and oddly enough, Haiti. This was our 3rd attendance at the conference (last year we presented as we had just returned from Kibuye). It was so refreshing to go- and quite miraculous that David and Scott both had the day off! Apart from the interesting speakers and ideas about missions, we were able to network and connect with some great people. The room was filled with people (mostly over 50) who have spent their lives in Africa offering health care and Jesus to the poor. It's quite humbling and inspiring.
So this is where I get goosebumps as I introduce a group of people that are of my age group and whose story is quite profound and exciting!
So during our final days in Africa David had the opportunity to go to dinner with a group of young doctors who were scouting several countries to see where they could move their families to begin a life of teaching and practicing medicine to the poor in Africa. At the time of David's meeting- it was still in process, but he came back to the place where we were staying with eyes beaming and full of energy as he described the possibility for Kibuye. And a year later the plan is in full motion!
So... 3 families (4/6 are doctors) with 7 young children along with 2 single people are currently fundraising and chucking their possessions as they prepare to go to language school in France for a year, followed by moving to Burundi with a plan to settled down for at least a decade. In that group of doctors there is an opthamologist, general surgeon, ob/gyn, interest, med/peds doc, and an ER doc. They will be working with medical students from Hope Africa University to train them. You probably remember from previous posts that Burundi was severely damaged after the civil war- during which an entire generation of education were killed leaving Burundi left with  few professionals. Training medical students (and other students) is more than a necessity- it's a must- an obligation. Currently Kibuye Hospital has about 80 beds for about 100 patients and EMI (an amazing Christian engineering group of missionaries) will be creating a plan to make it into a 300 bed hospital with room for teaching and taking care of patients.
The mcropders (a name made up of 3 of their last names) will be building a home for them to live in while a 3 additional homes are built adjacent providing a certain form of community living. There is a young teaacher who is currently raising support to come join the team and be the teacher for the missionary kids as well!


So you can read their blog or maybe I will write more later- but this is so exciting and so great I though you should all be in the know!

So some final thoughts:

When I asked the opthamologist about his chosen speciality he said he picked it knowing (as he had grown up in Togo, Africa- his dad was a general surgeon) that there is a huge need for opthamologists in developing countries. I just love that he thought first about what is needed and then said, "I'll do that" rather than doing what he wanted and hoped God could/would use it.

When David came back to our room that night in Africa and began telling me this story I got tears in my eyes and I said, "David they're so amazing. They are seriously giving it all up" (knowing that each of those families could be making around $500,00/year).

And he replied, "No, Adrienne. They're gaining it all."

on communal living

When I began blogging several years ago it was always my intent to be open and vulnerable about my life. I decided this because I think it is important foremost as a Christian to walk openly and humbly before others so that
1. I continue to recognize my brokenness
2. I allow others to pray for me.

So this is one of those posts I'd rather not write because I do have some shame in it and it's a difficult issue to convey via text (vs. conversation). However, it is one of the greatest things in our life right now and there definitely is need for prayer.

So about a year ago David and I began pursuing the purchase of the home we now live in. Initially Scott and Kristen had discussed renting from us for a year and seeing how it went, but after realizing that there were a lot of decisions that we had to make involving the renovating of a home decided to join us in the process and presented the idea of buying the house with us. We quickly accepted the offer as it aligned with our vision of communal living. The first few months were filled with major house decisions and hundreds of hours of labor to avoid paying a contractor to do EVERYTHING. But alas the move in day arrived and we quickly made this house, home. Over the past year we have grown very close to Scott and Kristen. It has been an incredible year.

However, Scott and Kristen approached us a few weeks ago declaring their decision to move out and find a home of their own. There is no dissension, no bitterness. There was no major conflict or fight. In fact, other than the normal stuff we have lived very well together - addressing conflict immediately and praying and taking care of one another. There aren't in a rush to get out as they are looking to buy a home in this community and there aren't a whole lot of move in ready homes in Detroit. (They don't want to renovate a home again).

So currently we are living in this transitional place where Scott and Kristen are actively looking for a home while David and I are continuing to fix this one up. Once again, there isn't any awkwardness, but it is a different atmosphere. If I am completely honest with myself this house probably wasn't big enough for 2 families that want many children. While we are currently on pause (but still praying through foster care or adoption or biological), the Selle's are just beginning (no, they aren't pregnant!) So instead of waiting it out and cramming in kids, they thought they'd get settled into their own place, preferably nearby. I don't want to share too much of their story, since it is their story, so I will leave it at that.

Since this is MY blog I do get to share some of my story. :) Initially I was super bummed- and I can actually look back and see I went through the "grieving process". So first I experienced shock and denial. When they first told us I didn't sleep and I was really sad. Shortly after came the guilt and pain. So I began to think of all the things I did wrong and I have just done this or that differently they would've stayed with us. Then came the anger and bargaining. This is usually where I would stop feeling- so my feeling was more like- peace out- go do your thing. And I wanted to disconnect. But I decided early on to pursue our relationship with reconciliation through Christ rather than my response without Christ. Then came the depression. So feeling super bummed and just not really sure how to proceed. So then things started looking up. I experienced reconciliation. After countless hours of meetings and conversations I was able to see that I was going to be OK. :) Finally, acceptance and hope. Yes, Kristen and Scott are moving out. And yes, we are going to be OK. And I have started dreaming up all the things I can do now that they are leaving! (Like, giving Lily her own room, putting my sewing machine on the third floor, getting a dog, not having to be so quiet in the mornings with the boys, etc...)

Perhaps if you are reading this you are wondering why it's such a big deal. So here's the thing- the Selle's living with us, wasn't a financial decision and it wasn't a quick decision- it was a long drawn out decision rooted in the belief that communal living is not only doable, but valuable. As I've mentioned several times, David and I got to experience the beauty of communal living in Tucson through our friends the Brunsons, Cepins, and Cheryl- a community house going on like 15 years together. They even have kids (2 in each of the families). So after experiencing it through those friends I really wanted it for my own life and my children.  To make it work there are a lot of things that you have give up though. I am going to list some of the things that I have experienced, but please don't read them and assume the Selle's agree or disagree- once again this part of my post isn't about them. :) I think you have to give up the desire for me and mine- as in my kitchen will look this way all the time (because with more adults there are more messes/need to clean up)- or my children- and don't you discipline them! (because everyone in the house has a determined authority over the children or else they would begin to take full advantage of the non parents). Every major decision (or sometimes even the minor ones) have to be discusses among at least 4 people rather than the traditional 2. Space. You give up a lot of space when you're sharing space with others. But with the sacrifices come GREAT gains- only cooking a few times a week, but eating healthy homemade meals almost every night! Consistently having someone around to talk with. Experiencing life with a group of people. After parties there are 4 people to help clean up and not just 2. (we have a lot of gatherings here!)

The next question people tend to ask me is, "Are you going to have someone else move in?" And the answer is, "I don't know." We still believe in communal living, but we recognize that it is quite difficult to find people actually willing to do it! We could rent out the third floor, but we aren't sure if we are going to do that yet.

So anyway, pray for us. Pray that there would be continued unity in the home. Pray that the Selle's are able to find a home near us that allows them to continue to be missional in this community. Pray that David and I would use the time after they leave to enjoy living alone (it'll have been 4 years! Actually we have lived with people a lot- Steven during our first year of marriage, then we had Halie, then we moved to Ann Arbor and lived in the condo ALONE for a year-- then came Bentley, then the whole time we have lived in Detroit we have lived with people).

So anyway, look forward to seeing a post with a dog in it. Ha.

Boys playing!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUyn7i06PPw&feature=youtube_gdata_player