August News

As usual, so much is happening around us that I've had trouble bringing it to the blogs... I think that the blogs are hard to post to lately mainly because I'm learning so much at such a fast rate that I'm not sure that anything I put down here will represent me well in an hour...

some things from this week:
Judy and I had a great time in SC at a conference, where we met Mike and Kim, Chat and Wendy, and John Paul and Kim, and Debbie, from Florida. We have such a great family relationship with these brothers and sisters down there. We love you guys...

The conference was about how to hear God and speak from that to help others know Jesus... it rocked.

the croc hunter died. I wept in the shower. that's where i was when i heard. aaron shouted it to me through the door. I know that's a scary mental image. how deeply sad. everyone please join me in praying for terri, bindi, bob, and the rest of the family.

we stayed up praying and praising God until 3am on sunday...

most importantly, Baby Malachi Jacob Shryock was born to Danielmatt and Christine, yesterday... We spent many hours in the hospital, and a lot of us are really tired, but most of all Christine. Pray for a swift recuperation. She and Kai will be coming home on Friday (tomorrow).

Thanks to all of you who pray for us over here... we had a lot of shooting around here lately, but as far as we know, nobody has been hit with any bullets... prayer!

we have this major roof leak, off the gutters on the exit side of the house. I cut back all the bushes from the foundation to inspect all around, and there's a lot of water hitting that stone, there. tuckpointing and whatnot cannot happen until that gutter's fixed. Please pray for wisdom and provision from our Father.

Our attempts to buy the house across the street failed, thanks be to God. We thank Him because we were only trying it out of a sense that the Holy Spirit was telling me to put it all on the line to try to house all these Jesus people... I never wanted to be the building superintendent for the people I'm teaching and urging to obedience to Christ.
the sellers were offended by us, and have disputed for the 500 dollars earnest money. that means we can't have it back without a court date. please pray for a resolution that honors Jesus. For wisdom, that is...

that's basically it, pray for wisdom, over here... thanks.

poetry and art

i was in the xian bookstore the otherday, loading up on books. Barna, Driscoll, Crowder, macLaren, New Testaments that look like magazines, a Bible for Andrew...

and i read a lot of it withing a couple days. no kidding. once i started reading, i just burned through it... that isn't my point, though.

what i saw is that there isn't really a market for poetry and art... i went to an art show in indy the other day to see prari's art. She got her stuff on the wall there. it was so cool...
and i've been writing again--little black notebooks and my laptop and my guitar out... i'm sure that there's a book, some songs and poetry coming out of this slop...

and i don't care about "market", but what people buy describes and determines them... we are formed in part, by the menu. We choose from among what we are offered... they only offer what we choose...

So how do i find the poetry that will uncork my bottle of tears? It's been so long since i've been touched... who dares to be that poet? And who will write the song that drains my fears? something that reaches deep down and gives me a YANK... Where do i find it?

I'm in the sidewinder this mornign with my guitar--yes they let me have my guitar out as long as i'm not a nuisance-- and my books and notebooks...

There are so many xians out there starting coffee shops and wanting to create "scene" and "matrix" for this stuff--market notwithstanding...

i sat in mcMallChurch, and there were no poets, no places to create, no place given to art... it is swept clean, like a warehouse/clearinghouse for truthculture.... now and then there's a vagabond bohemian... i saw him and his wife and his beautiful little daughter...

if i had my guitar out in mcMallChurch, would i be welcome? i should try it... or should i? if i took advantage of that space to create, synergize, and share, would i be a disruption? of what? or could that create movement? new wine? wineskin? must we always go somewhere else? i don't know...

Lil News

This has been a busy month. JP and Prari moved three blocks away to Lingo St., where they are encountering a new atmosphere. It's a lot rougher feeling over there than it is now, here at 1320 Chase.
Chris is across the street in the efficiency, awaiting his wedding to Sheena, who has moved into the Chase house until the day... How nice to finish engagement as neighbors. it's great to be able to "family up" with them...

The guys house is in the flux of repentance and pressing in to the Lord... Three of five are growing closer than ever to Jesus. Two of five are deepening in loving leadership...

Zach is working for Bobby in Thrift industries, up in hamilton... His wedding pending... Laurel is nursing and living in Clifton...

This little group of christians here in cinci has bee really stretched and blessed this summer... my what heat! Today is a rainy day, almost september... sweet...

I'd love it if someone would leave a question about this little group of Jesus people for me to answer. What would YOU like to know about this experience? How can we encourage you? What part of the story would be helpful?

no describing

sorry, i can't describe these days to you. it's so nice of you to check, but these days are unknowable. This blur--this smudge of experiences that make this day... incredible.
I wish you were here, with me, experiencing these days together...

in heaven i suppose we'll understand each other, won't we? the things that separate us will melt in the light of the Savior's--His Self... Him. Until then we skate on the impossible...

Sunday Sharing at the Orchard church

Lew and Chris went with Judy and the Kids and Andrew the Georgian to the Orchard's meeting this morning... we shared songs and testimonies and a brief word about the Kingdom and it's King.

Thanks to all who check this and pray. it has been very encouraging to receive your comments. It amazes me that you still check, even though I've been off for so long.

Thanks to all at the Orchard who received us so graciously and encouraged us in our spirits...

debrief

this summer has been heart surgery to me... anyone left checking this blog will note my long absence... that's because a lot of what has motivated my posting is gone. the angst, the sense of disappointment... a lot of that has been soothed by what our Father is doing in my life and in our family.

Things are still as they are. There are still difficult truths for us to engage, as the church in the world--one of which is that what is called church in so many places is really NOT the church... but my heart is touched by the Father's infinite love and patience with us...

drinking from healing streams...

Time in DE

I write this from the home of John, Sydney, Jacob, Evan, Hadley, Bailey, Simeon, Solomon, Noah, Micah, Isaiah, Anna, Malena, Casey, Quinn, Cecilia, and Seth (still in China). Yep, I'm with Aaron, Seth, and my new buddy from the Republic of Georgia--Andrew. We're in Delaware for a few days with these guys... We've been here more than two days and it's been great...

It's incredible to be able to see... people who are doing it--living the life described in the Beattitudes. They're doing it every day. the meekness and the patience and the persistence of the gospel, lived out in daily life...

They all do their chores each morning after breakfast. Beds get made, floors get sweeped, dishes cleaned, everything--all in a beautiful, authentic, chaos... like a salt and pepper tornado of round heads, beautiful braids, and blondie locks, swimming about... Singing, laughing, yelling, crying, screaming... playing outdoors, building forts, skateboarding, bike riding...

It's great to see a huge, american-typical, house--you know, in a neighborhood full of large houses... and this house is full of life. The kids are playing, and the cars in the driveway are all "not new", not status symbols, and there are guests parking next to the driveway... and it's living large...

Some neighbors are lobbying to have them sanctioned by the neigh.assoc. for having too many children. there have been complaints about the children playing outside.

When they went to church one time, one of their kids noted that the other kids don't have bumps and bruises on their legs. It's because most kids don't build forts outside, or dig, or jump, or bump around like them... no kidding. suburban, affluent america is more sedentary and sated with entertainment than ever... no kidding... it's real...

there's no danger from that kind of difference, though. the assoc will never touch them because there are lots of folks here who don't care about that kind of small stuff... they are a great family for this ney-hd.

We visited NY for about three days, and here for about three days... good trip...