Play by play...

Well, it’s back to some old ways. Here’s a recent play by play…

We moved the first of this month. Both YWAM Modesto families live in Salida now as housing at our church became unavailable. So we moved. That has “busy” ramifications of it’s own. We like our new place. We live with Aaron near Modesto Christian school in Salida. It’ll do for now. We are content.

Last weekend, we had family here…Amie’s brother and sister-in-law from Oregon. They were here for Amie’s grandma’s 90th birthday party! They all stayed with us. We had a lot of fun staying up way too late, eating Thai food and solving all the world’s problems.

Last Friday at the last minute, our friend John came through town with his Discipleship Training School (DTS) team from YWAM Bishop, CA. They are a wilderness DTS learning discipleship principles and outdoor survival techniques. It’s pretty cool and John is flourishing. They came through to BBQ with us down on 9th St. and spend the night at church. We had a sweet little BBQ cooking for our friends down in the motels, hanging out with them and praying for people. It was awesome to see this team go for it with their witness and just pouring out love.

Monday, we had another team arrive from down in southern California to host a “night of missions” at New Hope. This was also kinda last minute but a great time. This team is YWAM as well and all they do is travel the states and Canada to promote missions in churches. They are independent of any “base” and are truly representing all of YWAM when they are on the road. They toured our city and we shared our heart with them for the poor of Modesto. We worshiped God and prayed together on 9th St and again, this team just went for it…crying out to God to change our city and bless the poor.

And this week, horror of horrors…our computer totally died! Like dead dead. Ahhh! So, I will not be too terribly internetty for a while. I am stealing time on Marge’s computer at the moment in the wee small hours of Monday morning to blog and catch up on email.

So, that’s that. Change is in the air. Please pray with us…we have some fairly heavy stuff going on in the life of our church community and our family, we have much work to do to, we have some specific needs as far as support and whatnot go and we need a computer. But “life is an adventure to be lived, not a problem to be figured out” and even hardship is an invitation to run deeper into the heart of God.

The Shiva is done for

The Shiva Motel is all but shut down here in Modesto. The place got condemned by the county who looked the other way at this filthy, run down place for way too long. The oppressive management has charged people ridiculous rents to live in squalor, taking advantage of the fact that many are willing to pay high rents for shelter if they don’t have to pay first and last and a deposit.

Most of our friends there have found new places to live...better places...not much better but better. We went and visited one friend in his new digs yesterday. It’s a small studio apartment complex on 9th Street. Others have moved to the airport district and still others to different motels.

Please pray for the displaced, dysfunctional community that lived at the Shiva. A horrible season has ended for them. We are privileged that we were able to meet these folks and be a part of their lives. Their tenacity humbles me. We are still in touch with some of them in their new locations. Pray the kids do well in new schools and new places and that we can manage keeping in touch and stay faithful to friendship in a new way.

Er...um...

Yesterday I realized that there is something wrong with me. I can sing the entire theme song of America’s Funniest Home Videos from the early 90’s and the Facts of Life theme, Differ’nt Strokes, Gilligan’s Island, The Brady Bunch and most of the theme to Muppet Babies but I have not memorized the Apostle’s Creed. I’ll get right on that. wow.

It's starting to rain

The Autumnal equinox was September 23rd but today is the real first day of Fall. The clouds have been gathering for a couple of days now and the sky finally cracked a bit this afternoon. Nights have been getting cooler and the wind is picking up.

Change is in the air too. My community is having a bit of a “heart equinox”. We moved this week to a house in Salida. We’ve been blessed with a new (er) car. Our season living at the church has come to an end. A good friend is dealing with the joy and sadness of his grandfather passing. Some truly wonderful people in my life are facing unjust accusation and the sting of petty, uncaring betrayal. This is a bittersweet time.

This is a time when I just want the people in my life to know I love them. Once in a while, the dumb stuff disappears from view and you sink down to the essentials. Good relationships, good, honest work and Jesus. Have you ever just been so hungry for him? I mean the real Jesus. Perhaps my advent season is starting a little early because my heart cries out for Emmanuel. How long, O Lord? Don’t let us miss the point.