Friday, January 21, 2011

The Sunny Side

It is so much easier to remember and write about the negative, but so much of our time together is so sunny! We are still working towards forming good habits. The journal-every-day habit for the kids is going well. They have remembered to do it, have enjoyed putting stickers on the sheet we made to track our progress. These journals have not been checked for spelling or punctuation, it is just a free-writing exercise.
They've also been working hard at helping in the kitchen. Instead of a chore chart that changes who does what every week, I'm giving them a chance to really learn how to do a few things well.
My precious little distraction is such a busy toddler. He has embraced toddlerhood with gusto! Climbing what I thought was impossible for him to climb. Pushing chairs and step stools so he can reach everything. Learning new words every moment and chattering all day long. He still distracts schooling, but is learning to have a little longer attention span with a little toy, or be distracted himself with a preschool video. The big kids have been helping so much with him; I would not be able to participate in the ministry as much as I do without their incredible help.
I am enjoying learning how to use Photoshop and how to help with the coffeehouse website. I am working hard on the girls ministry aspect of the FireEscape youth ministry and will be starting a girls' Bible study, will be prerecording a radio show for women of all ages to broadcast on our radio station. I am also working on blog posts that will go along with the radio show for the girls' website that will be launching soon. Most of that work has been going on in the wee hours and I am sure I have more dark circles under my eyes, but hard work for the kingdom is good work.
My dear husband has been working so hard to make our new old house ready for us to live in. He's torn out all the old, broken plumbing and his brother will come soon to help him install new. The furnace is still a no go, but a dear friend is helping us figure out what is wrong with it, and if we can repair it for a far less cost than replacement. The apartment above the coffeehouse has been such a blessing, but the cost of utilities for us living here full time is taking much needed funds from the ministry we would like to be doing here. So we'll be moving out as soon as the plumbing and furnace are working, even though there will be many other projects to work on in the house while we live there. But that is so exciting to me! I'm sure I'll get tired of endless projects, but we're going to have a house of our own! God provides so beautifully for our desires and our needs! We've previously rented and I know you can nest in a rental, but to me it has felt like we've just been perching. Now that we feel committed to the vision of this ministry, and to the longevity of it, it feels like we can settle

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