It’s the Little Things

So we have had a busy few months with some
ups and downs, pretty much the life of any family!

Ben seriously burnt his feet, but now four
weeks later, he can do everything he did before, but he will not go without
socks and shoes, the new skin is still very tender and crumbs and debris on
the floor seem to hurt.  But he is wonderful and brings joy wherever he
goes.

Em has been going through a rough patch. For
some reason whenever she would wear trousers or shorts she would just be so
uncomfortable to the point of sheer frustration.  Her toes touching would
be so uncomfortable, that she would be in tears asking us why God was doing
this and not helping.  It is such an oddity to Dave and I, so we have been
praying and really just asking God for wisdom.   We have also had to
change our parenting, it’s sort of humbling when you have to re-evaluate because
what you are doing is not working.  But we have seen that in Emma, that
her drive to be ‘perfect’ and to please was too overwhelming, she would feel
guilty to the point of condemnation and feel worthless.  This is no way to
live.  So we have talked with her about the truth of  who God says
she is, the truth that we all mess up daily but we walk in forgiveness and that
God see’s us as perfect through Christ.  I think she is getting it, and I
have seen a big difference the past few weeks.  I think the ‘toe’ thing
bought all this to light.  Better a month or so of oddities, than a life
of never feeling good enough. She is amazing, she is beyond smart and
constantly writes songs, poems, and has a new business venture weekly.  We
have stamped on Satan and his lies and she is starting to realize the truth of
who she is.

Gabriella is still our artistic one, the
irony being that she has become the “easy child!”….she never stops asking
questions, and cannot be fobbed off with nonsense.  She is still my right
hand when it comes  to Ben.  She bought her first chapter book this
week and read it….so it was a big proud moment for her.

The school is doing really well.  We
have nine interns this semester, five of them graduate in a month, and so have
had to “make a plan and say “amen” … our married couple are going to go and
plant a church in Georgia, one is starting a college campus community, another
is going to start a ministry to teenage girls and show real relationships and
godly lifestyles. We have others going to teach in Eastern Europe with a desire
to bring life and light to the atrocity of genocide,……This is a group that will
enact change and refuse to let the status quo take control.  The momentum
is growing and we continue to be amazed at the caliber of young adults wanting
to come to the leadership academy.  

The visiting teachers, Ted Hanson,  John
Marsden, and Hermann Haan….have made the interns heads spin and
spirits soar.  It is fantastic, anointed, academic, it is about
seeing the offices of “pastor” “teacher” “prophet”…..it is about letting them
see it all and watching as a switch in them is turned on.

We have had a few visitors too, who seem not
to notice the plumbing issues ( still can’t flush toilet paper!) etc etc, but
they see ‘church’, they see a bunch of people, just having fun and living life
to the full and living to encourage each other and to worship God.

If you want to visist you are more than
welcome!

 

So after years of being told that “God
cares”  I am finally beginning to believe that He truly does…He cares
about the big and the small.  I am finally believing that He does want us
to be blessed and happy…..( That is my next blog….”destiny, happiness, and
guilt”).  Whether it’s healing feet, touching body parts or finding plastic
toys, God is a big God  who desires to show love in so many ways. 

So that is to catch you all up a bit, and
hopefully you are getting the blogs we post on facebook, and our adventures in
missions page.  If not let us know.  Thanks for everything! 
LIFE IS GREAT :o)