Archive for March, 2011

Hot bath + red wine + new book = A blissful end to my day.

Tell me about your favorite part of that equation…

Do you have a bedtime or bath routine?
What is your favorite wine or bedtime beverage?
What are you reading right now that you LOVE?

Last weekend when we were sick, Bella missed a very special birthday party for her friends, Josie and Kristyn. She Skyped (through tears) with them during the party, but it just wasn’t the same! So last night, we celebrated again! We had a wonderful time with Kris, Natalie, and kiddos (plus 2 extras!).

Love.

Swings.

Grillers.

Sisters.

Hooper.

Seven.

Supper.

Opening.

Boys.

There is nothing quite like an evening spent laughing and eating with friends. Our hearts are full.

And….we’re back! Life is finally getting back to “normal” around here…with lots of giggles, jumping, and fun.

This photo makes me smile because it captures my girls doing the things they love the most right now. Lucy is opening my wallet to take out all the cards and then put them back in. Bella is dashing about and “protecting” the house with her amazing sword a la She-Ra.

And more She-Ra action. Every time I see this sword, I think of the amazing time we had at Hill Shade. Our friend Chris made this sword…all the kids had them while we were there. I can’t believe it’s already been a year since we spent that time there…so many sweet memories.

I always look forward to this moment in the day (ok, ok…the mate happens several times a day). I’m thinking I should probably start beekeeping soon…we go through so much honey!

We ended our day with a trip to the park…with big sisters giving underdogs and mama hoopin’ it up.

The past couple of days we’ve taken our music and hoops with us and it’s so fun to watch the community spirit grow…just by throwing down a bunch of colorful plastic. We’ve even convinced a 52-year-old ex-gang member to give it a whirl with his grandkids I can’t wait until it’s even warmer so we can just stay there all day!

What are you most looking forward to this spring?

 

 

From the moment I saw this Happy Cow hip bag, I was in love. I’m all about being hands-free, especially with two little munchkins running about. So you can imagine my excitement when the lovely crew at Happy Cow generously sent me one to review and give away!

My favorite thing: I have everything I need around my waist at all times. It has 2 pockets on the outside…I carry my iPhone in one of them and random odds and ends in the other. The main pocket is nice and roomy and there is enough room in there for my small wallet, one diaper, and a few wipes. There is also a zipper on that compartment…along with another zippered hidden pouch on the side that is against your body.

It’s especially nice to use when we’re going on a walk downtown, to the park, or when we’re at a festival…the benefits of not carrying a bulky bag during these times are too numerous to count!

Plus, there just aren’t many “fanny packs” out there that can even compare to this gem. In fact, just typing the words “fanny packs” makes me think of my band director in high school. His was definitely not as cool as this.

The only two things I have noticed is that it’s a little harder to use in cold climates because it’s kind of awkward under a winter coat. And, I haven’t ever been able to successfully where it IN my belt loops. I think maybe my jeans are just weird. Or maybe I’m just weird. Who knows? But it doesn’t matter…I just wear it on top of whatever I’m wearing. It’s especially cute with skirts and dresses.

The leather is amazingly soft and the best part is that it is made out of discarded scraps of leather from furniture manufacturers. They also come in several colors. My friend Alicia totally ROCKS the red one. *love it*.

Be sure to check out their other bags as well. I’m kind of in love with this one.

To enter the giveaway:

• Leave a comment…any comment.
• Post this giveaway to your Facebook or Twitter page.
• “Like” the Happy Cow Facebook page

Leave a separate comment for each please!

I will choose a winner randomly on Friday, April 1. Entries must be in by 12:00 MST.

 

Whew…this week has flown by and we’re settling into the weekend.

Unfortunately, this week brought yet ANOTHER round of sickness into our house. Lucy reacquired the flu on Monday night. Just when we thought we were in the clear, Bella commenced her own “puke storm” (as Matt put it) at 4:30 a.m. this morning. Matt came home this afternoon with the flu as well.

So, right now I am thanking God for His mercy for every minute that I am able to stay well. So far, so good! It’s funny…when we were on the road we NEVER got sick. And I mean NEVER. Serves us right for re-joining the general population.

We will be serving lots of toast and tea this weekend.

Much love to you all!
xxoo

**P.S. These photos were taken BEFORE they got sick…in case you were thinking that my children were super human or something. Here they are in the midst of it (still smiling!)

 

I know many of you have been patiently (and some not so patiently ) waiting for more photos of our house in Longmont. We’ve been slowly making it HOME and I wanted to share a little tour of our living room with you. We have plans to paint the bedrooms and bathroom soon…and I will continue to post more photos as we get those rooms finished.

I love the fireplace and mantel! One of my favorite memories so far has been lighting the fire and snuggling in for the night with my loves while snowflakes came down outside. The Arian Armstrong print reminds me to be content and to remember that “where my treasure is…there my heart will also be”.

Every time I walk into our living room, I get happy.

**You can click on these photos to enlarge them.

 

Over the past 4-5 years, Matt and I have slowly gravitated away from the mega-church setting and more towards the “family-like” community that is offered with smaller churches, and even more specifically, house churches. The change really started brewing when we read the life-changing book “Irresistible Revolution” and subsequently sold everything and hit the road. I highly recommend that you read this book…it’s not just for Christians, but for those on any type of spiritual journey. It explores how different life (and the world) would be if we took “religion” out of the equation, stopped arguing amongst ourselves, and simply lived out what Jesus truly taught in the Bible. The book does have some flaws, but it’s still powerful stuff.

During our travels, we were able to visit a lot of different types of churches…and while we enjoy the energy of worshiping with a large group, we also enjoyed the more intimate gatherings. The conversations and relationships seemed more meaningful and we took applicable truths with us throughout the week in a much different way than when we just sat through a non-interactive sermon.

Now that we have settled in Longmont, we are so happy to be involved with Emmaus Road Community, a network of house churches located in the Boulder county region of Colorado. We meet weekly in our small groups and then once a month we have an “All Gathering” where all of the house churches come together for a larger worship and fellowship time. It’s the best of both worlds.

When I had mentioned our house church in a previous post, there were many of you who expressed interest in hearing more about it! I have asked Kris Cheek, one of the leaders with Emmaus Road (and a good friend of ours) to answer some of the most common questions about house churches. Feel free to post more questions in the comment section and we will do our best to answer them!

What is a “house church”?
A house church is not just another set of meetings. It is a small group of friends…a spiritual family sharing biblical community. House churches are an expression of the larger church family happening in homes or other common place settings.

A house church is for those of us who still need to grow, who need a place to ask questions and who need others to both celebrate our victories and help us when we mess things up. It is not a group of perfect people, but a safe place to be real. It is a place to eat, play and rest, to learn together what it means to follow Christ. A place to study the Bible together, find spiritual mentoring, to be a spiritual mentor, to figure out together what it means to love our God wholeheartedly and our neighbors unselfishly.

A house church is a group of people learning what it means to carry each others burdens and confess sins to one another. We strive to share our resources and possessions to meet practical needs within the local church family, our neighborhoods, and around the world. A house church gathering may also include a baseball game or school play. It could be painting someone’s house or watching a movie together. The essence of what makes a gathering of people a “house church” is about their vision and commitment to “doing life” together.

What does a typical gathering look like?
We usually start with a small social hour, including a potluck style meal.  The group then gathers together in a living room for singing, sharing, praying and Bible discussion. We will also share in a simple communion time periodically.  House churches consist of adults and families, single and married, young and old.  Children, teenagers and college students are all part of the house church life.  If we have a lot of young families and children in a house church, we typically have a lesson geared towards children during the adult Bible discussion time.

Do you miss having a “big church”? With big music, big programs, etc?
Yes and no.  Big church can mean “corporate worship gatherings”, these celebrations usually consist of quality music, worship and preaching. There is a place for large meetings, because they encourage people to remember that they are part of something bigger than themselves. Large celebrations inspire faith and point the way forward for the whole community of house churches.  Big church can also serve to centralize people and resources to make a broad impact and meet a variety of needs in their community and world.  However, big church can also foster consumerism and anonymity, where people attend for an hour on Sunday morning or maybe participate in a program or two throughout the week, but likely will miss out on becoming a part of a small spiritual family where they are known, accepted, and spurred on to love God and people more deeply.

What is the most common reason people seek out a house church as opposed to a traditional church?
Many people are looking for a faith community that is participatory, involved, produces accountability and reproduces leaders that may in turn start other house churches.  We also believe that today’s generation of young people and families are seeking a community where the focus is on relationships, authenticity, the freedom to be creative, and inter-generational connections. Why house church? For community, for love, for help, for growth. But remember, a house church is not a utopia – in fact, it can be a bit messy at times. Because life is messy! 

Is there a place for the “mega-church” in present day Christianity?
Definitely!  No one model of church will minister to the world by itself.  We need all kinds of churches to engage all kinds of people.  In the earliest parts of the Book of Acts, we read of thousands of followers of Jesus gathered together for worship daily.  Mega-churches today attract thousands people with their state of the art technology, music, preaching and large buffet of programs.  To compliment these large-scale amenities, some mega-churches supplement with smaller independent groups called “community groups” or “life groups”.

What do you do with the kids?
We can’t forget that we’re following a guy, namely Jesus, that highly values children!  He told his own disciples to “Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.”  Matthew 19:14

Kids are always welcome and encouraged to be involved with the house churches.  The family integrated environment is beneficial to the kids, as well as the adults.  For that reason, we have children remain with us for much of the time during our house church gatherings.  We do provide our children with some structured “kids church” time with trusted adults during a portion of the house church, particularly the adult Bible discussion time. We encourage children to begin sharing responsibility and are treated with utmost respect and value.


Is attending a house church biblical?
The Church is not a building or a meeting, it’s simply people, For the first three centuries of the church, known as Early Christianity, Christians typically met in homes, if only because intermittent persecution (before the Edict of Milan in 313) did not allow the erection of public church buildings. Local church expressions come in all different shapes, sizes and styles. Throughout the many references to the local church in the New Testament, it is clear that the local church physically gathered at certain times and places. These were regular connecting points to worship, study the God’s Word, share meals, pray, play and encourage one another (Acts 2:42-27).

Here are some examples of churches gathered in homes throughout the New Testament books:

“The churches in the province of Asia send you greetings. Aquila and Priscilla greet you warmly in the Lord, and so does the church that meets at their house.  ”Aquila and Prisca greet you heartily in the Lord, with the church that is in their house.”  I Cor 16:19

“Greet Priscilla and Aquila, my co-workers in Christ Jesus. They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them. Greet also the church that meets at their house.” Romans 16:3-5

“Give my greetings to the brothers and sisters at Laodicea, and to Nympha and the church in her house.” Colossians 4:15

“To Philemon our dear friend and fellow worker—also to Apphia our sister and Archippus our fellow soldier—and to the church that meets in your home.” Philemon 1:1-2

What are some books I could read on the topic of house church?

General audience:
Organic Church by Neil Cole
The House Church Book by George Barna
The Forgotten Ways by Alan Hirsch

Geared towards those in leadership roles:
Starting A House Church by Larry Kreider
Total Church by Steve Timmis

 

Guest Blogger: Kris Cheek

In June of 2006, Kris and his wife Natalie, along with five other families launched Emmaus Road Community, an inter-related network of house churches. Kris also spends time helping other individuals and families start new Christian faith communities around the country. Before moving to the Boulder area in 2006, Kris directed a youth sports organization called SportReach in Lincoln, Nebraska.  Kris and Natalie have been married for 11 fantastic years and enjoy traveling, date nights, and hanging with their three kiddos Taylor, Jocelyn, and Kristyn.

 

 

 

I’ve been feeling so very blessed lately. I’ve received so much *love* in my mailbox and my heart is so full of gratitude! This beautiful letter arrived today from sweet Anita. I love the flowers! The day before she sent an envelope of historical info about her city for Bella. So fun.

And this AMAZING scarf from Kimberly made me *swoon*! She picked the purple yarn out just for me…I am so humbled and in awe of her. The best part is that Kimberly and I randomly ran into each other at the Portland Saturday Market after being in touch online for quite some time. So crazy.

Cheryl and I have written back and forth several times…she sent this lovely handmade paper folder with textured paper inside. On the back, it says:

“In Nepal, we would never write on the card, it is considered to be part of the gift. This card is meant to be used over and over again, with just the insert being replaced. The older the card is, the more valuable it becomes because of all of the giving that has been associated with it, when it is finally worn out, please frame it and hang it in your home as a sign of prosperity. You can sign and date the card if you like to document it’s travel.”

How fabulous is that?! I’ve so enjoyed corresponding with Cheryl…even though my heart is breaking for her family right now as her husband is battling cancer. Please lift them up in your prayers and thoughts.

I always love receiving mail from another country. I’m in awe of the mail system and that a little package can make it’s way ALL the way across the ocean to my mailbox. It’s a miracle! This is the necklace that beautiful Helly sent me from Australia. It feels SO good on…so smooth and lovely. I’ve been wearing it almost every day…the weight of it is comforting and yummy. The carved piece of wood is made from reclaimed wood from the goldfields.  She has had an Etsy store in the past, so I’ll be sure to let you know if/when she stocks it again!

My cousin Trish sent me a fun package with some goodies, including some chai spice mate and chai flavored honey…she knows what I like!

There have been several other day-brightening letters and packages…and I’m sure I’m missing someone. But thank you so much to all!

I believe in the POWER OF THE MAILBOX!
Make someone’s day. Send mail.

I’ve been having fun sending out goodies myself…mail makes me so happy!

 

 

Our day began with a trip to Louisville for the unschooling park day. It was our first time going and we were excited! The most wonderful thing about living in Longmont is that no matter where you drive, there are mountain views!

Taking care of a baby AND hoops is a big job.

Watching Care Bears. “Tenderheart! Tenderheart! The caring meter dropped two whole points!”

Had fun hooping and getting to know these unschooling families…and so many more! Such fun to finally connect. Looking forward to more fun days like this!

On our way home, I decided to drive around downtown Louisville a bit because it’s ADORABLE. Came across this sweet house for rent right in the middle of it all. I had a little fantasy about living in the tiny red house. Then I snapped out of it

Came across a green VW bus. I cannot help but take photos of sweet busses. I miss ours!

We stopped at Starbucks for passion tea and cake pops.

Colorado is amazing.

Once at home, we decided to make banana muffins. But we pretended we were in a competition and had to present to judges Bella added maple yogurt, chocolate, and strawberries to hers. Delicious!

Lucy enjoyed the muffins by candlelight.

We turned our enclosed front porch into a “house” and made beds there while we waited for Daddy to come home from work.

I hung up my favorite flags and sat back and sighed…remembering all of the places they have blown in the wind and the conversations we’ve had beneath them. And my heart was happy.

It was a very good day.

 

The weather was GORGEOUS today so we jumped on our bikes and headed to the park! Lucy LOVES riding in the Burley and Bella and I LOVE riding our bikes, so everyone is happy

We arrived at the park and Bella instantly disappeared into the gaggle of kids already playing. Lucy and I hung out and worked on her sand play “etiquette”. As in, sand doesn’t go in other little girls’ hair. Even if it looks pretty.

After about 15 minutes, Bella came over to me and said:

“Mom, I can watch Lucy while you go read your book…”

Wow. Really?! Now that got me excited Mostly because I really like the book I’m reading right now** but even more so because of what I saw in Bella’s simple action. Just the fact that she thought about me and decided to show me this kindness (even though she was deep in play with her new friends)…it was so touching and it made my mama heart sing

After leaving the park we headed over to Caffe Luna, where we sipped cold drinks, sat on the porch and enjoyed the sun a bit more before heading home to our nest.

**I haven’t written about downsizing/organizing/simplifying in awhile and I’m excited chat with you about it soon…it’s spring cleaning time baby!