We're trying to engage the kids around here in a cool way... We let them use our stuff to make money, mowing, cleaning yards, shoveling snow (soon), etc...
the idea is that they can earn the use of our tools by learning the proper care and by helping us out at the houses... This puts us together and makes them a lot of money, or at least a good opportunity to...
but right now we're still in the testing phase. Not that we're evaluating whether or not it's a good idea, but THEY are testing US to see of we're really for real...
So, they break every rule.
Yesterday they purposefully used the wrong fuel, instead of using their earnings to buy some... They're supposed to supply their own fuel out of their earnings... they used 2-cycle in the lawnmower... that means a new sparkplug and a cleaning are in order, soon, i bet...
but really, who cares? This is a once a day opportunity to engage these guys and get them going...
check out lewminator to see a pic from the "stolen mower" fiasco!
Monday, September 26, 2005
Brother T Late Night Mowing
the other night i noticed that the lawnmower was missing... i was hoping that the guys across the way had gotten it to mow their lawn...
turns out that some of the guys (13yrs old) came to the door and told Mr. Weiss,my father-in-law, that "it was ok with mista ross if we take it"...
So, out I went to retrieve...
I didn't find it, but as I was getting into my car to extend the search, here they came with it... right back into the yard!
So, I made the 3 of them mow my yard in the dark...
here's my favorite one of 'em. Look how happy!
turns out that some of the guys (13yrs old) came to the door and told Mr. Weiss,my father-in-law, that "it was ok with mista ross if we take it"...
So, out I went to retrieve...
I didn't find it, but as I was getting into my car to extend the search, here they came with it... right back into the yard!
So, I made the 3 of them mow my yard in the dark...
here's my favorite one of 'em. Look how happy!
Little Jay, get off that poisonous porch!
i caught Little Jay out on the Poison Porch, the other night... actually, i came to the door, looking for my stolen lawnmower, and he bolted out...
Repaint this Poisonous Porch
Here are pics of the porch with the lead problem in Northside, just next door to the guys...
Little Jay/Lead Poisoning
The porch and food pantry in Little Jay's (see photos below) house are poisonous. The water'll be tested for lead from the plumbing, this week. He can't go out on the porch, but that's impossible. Look at the pics that'll follow and you'll see how his porch is the only way out of the house, and the safest place to be, since the road is so near...
Our confidence that the landlord will take care of this in a timely fashion is low. Is there anybody out there who wants to help us buy paint (high quality seal) and get into the task of carefully scraping, cleaning up (shop vac) (dust mask), and painting the thing for them? Pantry too...
This little guy needs you in at least two ways, right now. So do we. Would you help, and join us, and him?
elbow to elbow
Our confidence that the landlord will take care of this in a timely fashion is low. Is there anybody out there who wants to help us buy paint (high quality seal) and get into the task of carefully scraping, cleaning up (shop vac) (dust mask), and painting the thing for them? Pantry too...
This little guy needs you in at least two ways, right now. So do we. Would you help, and join us, and him?
elbow to elbow
October thru December Help Needed
I have become aware that a lot of folks would like to come to the house to help out our life here. Thank you all for your interest in our efforts and the mission we're seeing develop as the Holy Spirit guides the Church here, in Northside.
A lot of you have time constraints, though. I'd like to offer you an invitation to come share your skills and willing hands, any time you want. Let me know when you're coming, and we'll have hands here to work alongside...
yesterday, a brother came to give 2 hours to the Lord in service... He cut the hedges and cleaned around the house, outside... That stuff hadn't been touched for nearly two years...
We have a leaking third-floor gutter
a damaged outside sill.
the need to do a little plumbing and build a small wall in a bathroom
a tub that needs reglazing
a basement floor to repaint
a room down there to finish and furnish as a food/clothing pantry
we need a dehumidifier
There are a lot of things that, if completed by winter, will enable us to better serve our surrounding area... Drop me a comment on this blog and let me know what you want to do. I'll email you and we'll set it up...
A lot of you have time constraints, though. I'd like to offer you an invitation to come share your skills and willing hands, any time you want. Let me know when you're coming, and we'll have hands here to work alongside...
yesterday, a brother came to give 2 hours to the Lord in service... He cut the hedges and cleaned around the house, outside... That stuff hadn't been touched for nearly two years...
We have a leaking third-floor gutter
a damaged outside sill.
the need to do a little plumbing and build a small wall in a bathroom
a tub that needs reglazing
a basement floor to repaint
a room down there to finish and furnish as a food/clothing pantry
we need a dehumidifier
There are a lot of things that, if completed by winter, will enable us to better serve our surrounding area... Drop me a comment on this blog and let me know what you want to do. I'll email you and we'll set it up...
Friday, September 23, 2005
Lead Poisoning
Today it was confirmed to me that Little Jay is suffering from Lead Poisoning. His porch, his plumbing, the dirt around his house...
Zach and the boys can't plant there... Cincinnati is covered with ground lead from all sorts of sources... UC profs are writing a book on it...
there's a theory that lead is behind the low scores in our schools in the city.
what we know is that you can make a difference by praying, by selling all, by going in, among, and serving with Christ in the abandoned places, with the abandoned people... it is there we find ourselves, abandoned and retrieved...
Zach and the boys can't plant there... Cincinnati is covered with ground lead from all sorts of sources... UC profs are writing a book on it...
there's a theory that lead is behind the low scores in our schools in the city.
what we know is that you can make a difference by praying, by selling all, by going in, among, and serving with Christ in the abandoned places, with the abandoned people... it is there we find ourselves, abandoned and retrieved...
Meet Little Jay
I want you all to meet Little Jay. we love this guy around here... has a single mom, Shannon, expecting again... house hot in summer, cold in winter... life is closing in on him all the time... his days are an endless string of getting yelled at and being loved on... the traumatic juxtaposition of love and hate all around us on the street, here... in life, here, for all of us...
Thursday, September 22, 2005
Business as Usual
Thank you God for this kind of trouble! Please may I have some more?
I’m a terrible housekeeper… there are reasons for this, but suffice it to say that I have no excuses to offer to the critics of my household chaos levels…
How am I exactly supposed to do this?
Child care for the three-year-old
Repairs on twenty urgent needs for the house
Paperwork on ten exchange students
Personal visits on ten exchange students
Organization of all my clerical issues
Deep Bible Study and Theological development
Preaching and teaching
Daily discipline of a community in growth
A church plant
Physical exercise
Music practice
Prayer and meditation to a fitting extent for a man of God
Helping in meal preparation
Romance my wife (who works 40+ hours/week)
Explore writing as an avenue of wealth generation (I’ve been told I’m a good writer)
This is the short list of the things that DAILY cross the plate for me to hit at…
Projects stall
Lawn grows
Kids need training
My attention is divided
The lawn grows…
Just to mow the lawn goes something like this:
1. get out mower
2. check oil
3. check gas
4. you’re out of gas, because monty and Maurice used it all and didn’t replace it like they promised, so get the can into the car
5. go to BP (closest) and buy (highest price) gas
6. return home
7. stop everything and watch Seth because
Stop article: Seth needs care… not just getting plugged into something. He needs to get some fathering and care… but instead, I’m giving him the laptop next ot me to look at Homestar on.. Now I’ll be divided as I finisth writing this…
8. return to article
9. get to mowing anyway, leaving seth playing with his kid pool, only partly supervised…
10. mow for about an hour
11. notice that the mower tranny is slipping
12. make vow to sharpen blade soon
13. repent for lying to self
14. finish mowing.
15. Make vow to build a shed (when rich) to house mower, instead of the tarp…
16. Put mower to the side
17. Get the weedwacker
18. Weedwack for 20 seconds
19. Realize that it has no string in it, since Aaron or someone last used it and didn’t replace the string
20. Realize that there is no way they could have, since the string stuff is buried in that mound that we call the “tool room”
(gotta write about the pets and the flea problem)
21. spend 20 minutes looking for the string
22. string weed wacker
23. weedwack for 40 more minutes
24. be done weedwacking
25. make vow to get weed killer in the cracks
26. make vow to deal with drainage issues
take another half hour to find and supervise Seth…
27.
(I think there are fleas living in my beard!)
27. get out brooms
28. get out rake
29. get out blower
30. clean up mess
31. put away tools
32. get criticized for not looking after Seth
33. get criticized that you don’t do this enough, but it looks good, why can’t it always be done this well?
34. Make vow to rent electric hedge clipper to do hedges, which haven’t been done for over a year…
Now, it’s literally NINE hours later. NINE hours! No kidding. I have done this a number of times, and it’s always the same type of thing… if I don’t need gas, I need string fro the wacker. If not that, then someone needs help with something else…
How often do you think I have a NINE hour slot? How often do I have that?
Okay, so thnk of doing it in little pieces, during the week…
Nice. Maybe in a year, after I’m done dealing with the chaos of the tow moving trucks worth of move-in that remain disorganized…
Oh yeah, and after I get the office organized, again…
Now think about servicing the plumbing
And the hot-water heating
And fixing the electrical stuff
And winterizing
And car maintenance
And earning, on the side, through tutoring, student work (maxed out with about ten), and odd-jobs, enough money to do that stuff…
All the while taking up the slack in parenting our boys, since Judy has a “real job” (don’t get me started about how some church people talk ‘stewardship’ and ‘headship’ and being a ‘bread winner’… )
Hey, you know what? I DON'T WANT IT ANY DIFFERENT! GIMME MORE OF THIS! THIS IS HEALING ME AND RESTORING ME TO A FRESH DAILY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEACE THAT CHRIST GIVES! LET'S ADD MORE PEOPLE TO IT!
I’m a terrible housekeeper… there are reasons for this, but suffice it to say that I have no excuses to offer to the critics of my household chaos levels…
How am I exactly supposed to do this?
Child care for the three-year-old
Repairs on twenty urgent needs for the house
Paperwork on ten exchange students
Personal visits on ten exchange students
Organization of all my clerical issues
Deep Bible Study and Theological development
Preaching and teaching
Daily discipline of a community in growth
A church plant
Physical exercise
Music practice
Prayer and meditation to a fitting extent for a man of God
Helping in meal preparation
Romance my wife (who works 40+ hours/week)
Explore writing as an avenue of wealth generation (I’ve been told I’m a good writer)
This is the short list of the things that DAILY cross the plate for me to hit at…
Projects stall
Lawn grows
Kids need training
My attention is divided
The lawn grows…
Just to mow the lawn goes something like this:
1. get out mower
2. check oil
3. check gas
4. you’re out of gas, because monty and Maurice used it all and didn’t replace it like they promised, so get the can into the car
5. go to BP (closest) and buy (highest price) gas
6. return home
7. stop everything and watch Seth because
Stop article: Seth needs care… not just getting plugged into something. He needs to get some fathering and care… but instead, I’m giving him the laptop next ot me to look at Homestar on.. Now I’ll be divided as I finisth writing this…
8. return to article
9. get to mowing anyway, leaving seth playing with his kid pool, only partly supervised…
10. mow for about an hour
11. notice that the mower tranny is slipping
12. make vow to sharpen blade soon
13. repent for lying to self
14. finish mowing.
15. Make vow to build a shed (when rich) to house mower, instead of the tarp…
16. Put mower to the side
17. Get the weedwacker
18. Weedwack for 20 seconds
19. Realize that it has no string in it, since Aaron or someone last used it and didn’t replace the string
20. Realize that there is no way they could have, since the string stuff is buried in that mound that we call the “tool room”
(gotta write about the pets and the flea problem)
21. spend 20 minutes looking for the string
22. string weed wacker
23. weedwack for 40 more minutes
24. be done weedwacking
25. make vow to get weed killer in the cracks
26. make vow to deal with drainage issues
take another half hour to find and supervise Seth…
27.
(I think there are fleas living in my beard!)
27. get out brooms
28. get out rake
29. get out blower
30. clean up mess
31. put away tools
32. get criticized for not looking after Seth
33. get criticized that you don’t do this enough, but it looks good, why can’t it always be done this well?
34. Make vow to rent electric hedge clipper to do hedges, which haven’t been done for over a year…
Now, it’s literally NINE hours later. NINE hours! No kidding. I have done this a number of times, and it’s always the same type of thing… if I don’t need gas, I need string fro the wacker. If not that, then someone needs help with something else…
How often do you think I have a NINE hour slot? How often do I have that?
Okay, so thnk of doing it in little pieces, during the week…
Nice. Maybe in a year, after I’m done dealing with the chaos of the tow moving trucks worth of move-in that remain disorganized…
Oh yeah, and after I get the office organized, again…
Now think about servicing the plumbing
And the hot-water heating
And fixing the electrical stuff
And winterizing
And car maintenance
And earning, on the side, through tutoring, student work (maxed out with about ten), and odd-jobs, enough money to do that stuff…
All the while taking up the slack in parenting our boys, since Judy has a “real job” (don’t get me started about how some church people talk ‘stewardship’ and ‘headship’ and being a ‘bread winner’… )
Hey, you know what? I DON'T WANT IT ANY DIFFERENT! GIMME MORE OF THIS! THIS IS HEALING ME AND RESTORING ME TO A FRESH DAILY KNOWLEDGE OF THE PEACE THAT CHRIST GIVES! LET'S ADD MORE PEOPLE TO IT!
Monday, September 19, 2005
bbq boyz
to us, this is so easy! Instant youth group, and most of these kids already have more christian background than most! just add encouragement, sell all you own, give it away...
JP grillin
you know, it's hilarious when people ask about our "ministry", I tell them this guy is our "associate minister". priceless...
Freestyle 2
my sons will never know racism as their culture. They'll always see it as foreign, or as a relic from another time... to them, diversity will not be something to work toward, but the daily facts of life...
I could see us living in the city for the rest of our lives. NO problem... there's so much here that keeps us real... feet on ground, head in clouds...
I could see us living in the city for the rest of our lives. NO problem... there's so much here that keeps us real... feet on ground, head in clouds...
Freestyle
We got a noise ordinance citation from the city on our last "freestyle contest". the funny thing is that it was issued in response to a COMPLAINT FROM A NEIGHBOR.
now, if you lived here, you'd see the irony in that. I'm talkin' major noise issues, all the time... so funny that in a 'hood where people are constantly thumpin' away with the bass, screaming, playing loud music in their houses... that during the daytime there'd be a fuss over this... seriously funny...
it was a great way to introduce ourselves and our mission to the police...
now, if you lived here, you'd see the irony in that. I'm talkin' major noise issues, all the time... so funny that in a 'hood where people are constantly thumpin' away with the bass, screaming, playing loud music in their houses... that during the daytime there'd be a fuss over this... seriously funny...
it was a great way to introduce ourselves and our mission to the police...
All things done for building up the body of Christ
Recently a question arose among us about the removal and addition of links to other blogs, here on the Chase House/Northside Church/Grubbykupp blog. The bottom line here is edification. We want to connect you with web logs and sites that embody the principles of Ephesians 4:29.
"29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Anytime I see contentious, argumentative name-calling, or other such speech in a blog linked to this one, I'll simply remove the link.
"29Do not let any unwholesome talk come out of your mouths, but only what is helpful for building others up according to their needs, that it may benefit those who listen. 30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God, with whom you were sealed for the day of redemption. 31Get rid of all bitterness, rage and anger, brawling and slander, along with every form of malice. 32Be kind and compassionate to one another, forgiving each other, just as in Christ God forgave you."
Anytime I see contentious, argumentative name-calling, or other such speech in a blog linked to this one, I'll simply remove the link.
John and Prari
John and Prari are getting Married! next April! JP proposed to her on a starry full-moon night, on a hilltop overlooking Amish Country in Sugar Creek, OH.
We all stayed up extra late that night, singing around a campfire.
We all stayed up extra late that night, singing around a campfire.
Sept 2005 Football
Here are some pics of our life here... We have lots pickup games, here... no program necessary to have "youth group". Just availability!
everyone should move here.
everyone should move here.
Sept 2005 Football
So, you've got a Sunday night comin' on and you've got the burgers all cooked, and you're ready to have church night with the family of God, and this heathen football game comes up... church night postponed! Sweet! We put off church for over an hour to have this stuff! Lovin' it!
Sunday, September 4, 2005
Prophecy for the Body of Christ
This prophecy was shared this Sunday evening by Johannes Weiss:
Behold my children: Be much aware that you are living in the last days. And remember the man warnings that deception will be rampant during that time.
If I do not cut the days short, even some of my very elect will be deceived.
The main problem is that you always are looking for comfort. However it is in the days of your great discomfort that I can work my best changes in you.
My desire is to change you into the likeness of Jesus Christ more and more, every day. And therefore I am bringing suffering and discomfort on you.
Be not discouraged, but endure until the end.
Thus says the Lord.
Behold my children: Be much aware that you are living in the last days. And remember the man warnings that deception will be rampant during that time.
If I do not cut the days short, even some of my very elect will be deceived.
The main problem is that you always are looking for comfort. However it is in the days of your great discomfort that I can work my best changes in you.
My desire is to change you into the likeness of Jesus Christ more and more, every day. And therefore I am bringing suffering and discomfort on you.
Be not discouraged, but endure until the end.
Thus says the Lord.
Saturday, September 3, 2005
not hard to rejoice
it's not hard to rejoice when you're surrounded by friends. that's what this move into Northside has done for me. For my family, too. Every day, our neighbors come to our house, use our internet connection, chat, drink coffee, cry, pray...
Every day I see Zach, JP, Smitty... Chris, Danielmatt, Christine...
As if it weren't enough to wake up to Judy, Aaron and Seth! I mean, this is an unreasonably blessed life.
Add in Grampa living downstairs... Tim Koschmieder (1 year high school foreign exchange son)...
It looks like Prari and Lauren are gonna rent our top floor, too!
I mean, in just a year or so our life here has become wonderfully full. We have all the folks at the Chambers House over there, all the folks who live at Chase House... It's so great!
And I know It'll get greater.
All this started with a search for a house where we'd be able to do hospice care for Grandma. Stage IV Renal Cell. She passed in June of 04. Her passing was a painful time (understatement of the world). Her absence is... indescribable. The Hope of Glory, though. Knowing that She is there, with Him, waiting for us... Knowing that one day we'll be with Him... In fact, our loneliness for her is totally surpassed by our longing for Him, Jesus.
Now, we have these neighbor kids in our lives. Like JP is putting bikes together for the kids! People give him bikes (nice ones) and he fixes them up and gives 'em out! I mean, they're like broken and stuff, so people don't want them, but for junk, they fix up fine...
So, I woke up this morning and got to have this wonder all around me. Power Rangers in the background...
Every day I see Zach, JP, Smitty... Chris, Danielmatt, Christine...
As if it weren't enough to wake up to Judy, Aaron and Seth! I mean, this is an unreasonably blessed life.
Add in Grampa living downstairs... Tim Koschmieder (1 year high school foreign exchange son)...
It looks like Prari and Lauren are gonna rent our top floor, too!
I mean, in just a year or so our life here has become wonderfully full. We have all the folks at the Chambers House over there, all the folks who live at Chase House... It's so great!
And I know It'll get greater.
All this started with a search for a house where we'd be able to do hospice care for Grandma. Stage IV Renal Cell. She passed in June of 04. Her passing was a painful time (understatement of the world). Her absence is... indescribable. The Hope of Glory, though. Knowing that She is there, with Him, waiting for us... Knowing that one day we'll be with Him... In fact, our loneliness for her is totally surpassed by our longing for Him, Jesus.
Now, we have these neighbor kids in our lives. Like JP is putting bikes together for the kids! People give him bikes (nice ones) and he fixes them up and gives 'em out! I mean, they're like broken and stuff, so people don't want them, but for junk, they fix up fine...
So, I woke up this morning and got to have this wonder all around me. Power Rangers in the background...
How We Bible Study
Take a 6am time slot, once a week, at a caffeine house: the Sidewinder in Northside...
Add a 52 Chapter book of the Bible: Jeremiah
...and there you have your 1-Chapter-a-week deep study... Jeremiah at the Sidewinder!
Starts in just a week or so, so get yourselves ready and committed. We're finishing up Ephesians, and we'll spend the next year in Jeremiah.
Add to that Yearlong study a daily chapter of Proverbs (there are 31, so that works with monthly), a daily Psalm (there are 150, so that's a little off. Feel free to always read more), and you got yourself a great, simple, workable plan to get us all "on the same page".
The great thing is how, all this time, we've found ourselves echoing each others' scripture readings, just by the leading of the Spirit. I hope this is something that will INTENSIFY that.
So, Each Friday Morning at 6, we mosey down to the Sidewinder.
We read that day's Psalm
We read that day's Proverb
We read that week's Jeremiah Chapter
We drink coffee and discuss/share around the readings
We go to our days' work...
No kidding. We've had the 6am's running really smooth, now, for about a month and a half.
And there are also 6am's on monday and wednesday for prayer at the Sidewinder... Folks in mission in Northside come together to pray. Gary from City Cure and Joann from North Church come regularly...
I know that these early morning times seem hard, but it's great. You really grow with this, and it regulates life a bit with a discipline that honors the Lord!
Add a 52 Chapter book of the Bible: Jeremiah
...and there you have your 1-Chapter-a-week deep study... Jeremiah at the Sidewinder!
Starts in just a week or so, so get yourselves ready and committed. We're finishing up Ephesians, and we'll spend the next year in Jeremiah.
Add to that Yearlong study a daily chapter of Proverbs (there are 31, so that works with monthly), a daily Psalm (there are 150, so that's a little off. Feel free to always read more), and you got yourself a great, simple, workable plan to get us all "on the same page".
The great thing is how, all this time, we've found ourselves echoing each others' scripture readings, just by the leading of the Spirit. I hope this is something that will INTENSIFY that.
So, Each Friday Morning at 6, we mosey down to the Sidewinder.
We read that day's Psalm
We read that day's Proverb
We read that week's Jeremiah Chapter
We drink coffee and discuss/share around the readings
We go to our days' work...
No kidding. We've had the 6am's running really smooth, now, for about a month and a half.
And there are also 6am's on monday and wednesday for prayer at the Sidewinder... Folks in mission in Northside come together to pray. Gary from City Cure and Joann from North Church come regularly...
I know that these early morning times seem hard, but it's great. You really grow with this, and it regulates life a bit with a discipline that honors the Lord!
Thursday, September 1, 2005
HOPE FOR TOM
HEY ALL: WRITE A LETTER ON TOM'S BEHALF! GET IT TO ME ASAP! THESE LETTERS COULD GET HIM SPRUNG AND BACK TO US QUICK! email Lew or Zach
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