Last Few Weeks...

The last few weeks have been quite busy with the ministry and family life.

On the family front, Brennan has officially earned the title of "first bone broken". He broke his collar bone last week and we've been healing since. We are not sure how this happened..wrestling, football, etc. 2 Year olds...atleast Brennan...have a way of getting a little wild at times. So, however it happened...it happened. The X-ray showed the broken bone and he has been wearing a shoulder brace ever since. As of today, he is doing well and on the road of recovery. As I type he is standing here with me...giving me that "not so innocent look".

Caleb is doing fall baseball here is Chelsea and loving it. He is practicing one night a week and playing games on sunday. So far, he is slugging the ball and playing some good defense. I (Randy) am kind of assistant coaching on the team. So, we are having a great time with that. Also, Caleb is doing incredible in school...learning and soaking it in.

The last few weeks for Melody and I have been quite busy with ministry stuff. We have added a few more couples that we are working with one on one. Thinking of calling this "Compassing"...but that is for another blog for me to talk about. Anyway, we have been busy with that...quite rewarding to come alongside couples and walk with them through life challenges. We also worked with 3 couples last weekend in a Living Room Encounter. Wow is all we can say. God showed up and did some deep work in couples' lives. We stand amazed at how God is moving and using our brokenness to minister to others.

Conversations for Couples

Tomorrow night, thursday night, we will be hosting another "Conversations" night for couples. This is a time we set aside for couples to come to our house and hang out. It is a relaxing environment to talk and share. There will be couples at various stages in their journey seeking to connect on a deeper level. This 2-3 hour block of time provides an ongoing way for couples to deal with the real issues of marriage and intimacy.

"Conversations" is an important part of the overall Marriage Encounter ministry. It helps us to accomplish two things. First, it gives a "front door" entry for anyone to our ministry. It is a safe place to talk and deal with relevant issues to your relationship. Second, it provides an ongoing environment for couples to build on the truths taught in a Living Room Encounter or other experiences.

So, I look forward to the conversation tomorrow night. I know that Melody and I will grow and be challenged through the time together.

community of handicaps...

friends...
wow, been a crazy week or so. the family was hit with a stomach bug last week...so we were down for a few days. lots of spiritual warfare last week...i should have blogged you guys to be praying for us. learning as we go. thanks for your ongoing prayers...this ministry and work is actively coming against the enemy, Satan. So, we need your support.

Anyway, thought i would share a few thoughts that have been hitting me about "brotherhood"...what does that really look like?

The first from Paul...
2 Corinthians 12:9-10 (The Message)
7-10Because of the extravagance of those revelations, and so I wouldn't get a big head, I was given the gift of a handicap to keep me in constant touch with my limitations. Satan's angel did his best to get me down; what he in fact did was push me to my knees. No danger then of walking around high and mighty! At first I didn't think of it as a gift, and begged God to remove it. Three times I did that, and then he told me, My grace is enough; it's all you need. My strength comes into its own in your weakness.Once I heard that, I was glad to let it happen. I quit focusing on the handicap and began appreciating the gift. It was a case of Christ's strength moving in on my weakness. Now I take limitations in stride, and with good cheer, these limitations that cut me down to size—abuse, accidents, opposition, bad breaks. I just let Christ take over! And so the weaker I get, the stronger I become.

Next, from a brother named Nate Larkin who wrote "Samson and the Pirate Monks"... (i am reading this book right now...powerful story and community)
"Considering Paul's problem and God's response, I was suddenly struck by the possibility that God's apparent inaction in a painful area of my life might have been deliberate. Maybe, just maybe, God knew I needed that problem. He hadn't afflicted me with it, that was clear, but maybe he loved me too much to take it away. Maybe that problem was the only lever in my life big enough to force me out of my determined isolation and into honest relationships with other members of the body of Christ."

So, I guess (i know) pain/handicaps/thorns are our "lever" into community...our brokenness paves the way for community...
No brokenness, No community.
Know brokenness, Know community.