“This endeavor is always risky though. With four imaginative kids in the house, you never know when the lay of the land may have changed. Someone may have placed a garrison of dinosaurs in the middle of the hallway, lovingly displayed their pokemon card collection on the living room floor, or built a scaffolding of legos by a bedroom door.

I always get nervous when we watch spy movies. My kids may get the idea to INTENTIONALLY lay out tripwires and boobie traps. If I ever come to church with a broken arm...you will know why. ”

“Kyle challenged us (me) to “increase our capacity to notice and respond to nudges of the Holy Spirit.” Just what does that look like in my life? How does the Holy Spirit get my attention? Is it a gut feeling? Or is the gut feeling just, as Kyle says, a bad taco? Is it a racing heart? Or is that just my nerves?

I have found it is sometimes being led to read a certain Scripture, to make a phone call or text someone, or to pray for someone. That is a start. There is so much more.”

“I am responsible for making sure that we have an author scheduled each week for the reflection in the ReConnect. Every once in a while a week will slip by where I missed scheduling someone...shocker, I know! The "Plan B" in this scenario often times is to try to fill in as the ReConnect author of the week. This isn't a task that, as Kyle would say, makes my socks roll up and down. But, I will admit that my socks are now rollin'. Here's why.

In the sermon, Kyle said, in reference to what Jesus remarked in Matthew 17:20, that Jesus wasn't rebuking the disciples. He went on to mention that maybe what Jesus was trying to do instead was, "raise the horizon on what we think is possible"…”

“Today we decided to pick up dinner from a local restaurant instead of cooking at home. Holden would order, I would pick up, and we would be on our way to an easy meal. When I got to the restaurant, however, they told me they were out of my first choice, and I would have to order something else. Ok, I'll just have my second choice. Oh, you're out of that, too? Well the third time's the charm, right? Nope. Forth it is.

I should be used to this by now. It seems that just as we started to adjust (as much as we could) to our "new normal," it changed again. I bet if I began to count, I would find that I experience some sort of shortage or delay daily.”

“This summer was challenging for my garden. Besides the amount of rain, I was dealing with some physical limitations. But, oh, how I wanted to put that garden in. I didn’t want to even think about no tomatoes to can or sunflowers to pick. I could go without the beans, peppers, and other veggies, but I at least wanted those tomatoes and sunflowers.

It was apparent I couldn’t do it alone. And then, my 7-year-old grandson, Lincoln, offered to help. Yes, a partner! Together we did it. He did what I could not, and I did what he could not. We had fun. It wasn’t the best garden. It was dismal. The two things that flourished were the tomatoes and sunflowers; the exact things I desired. ”

“When my kids were very young, Jairus would come home from work, scoop them up, sniff the air, and say, “Hey! Have you been with _____ today?” (Insert the name of one of several blessed souls that used to visit and help me care for 4 children under 4.)

My children’s innocent little eyes sparkled in wonder at their seemingly all-knowing dad, and Kai would answer, “YEAH! How’d you know?” Then, Jairus would snuffle into their necks until they collapsed in a puddle of giggles. It was clear that he knew my kiddos had been spending time with one of these amazing people because they smelled just like them! Inevitably, the scent of Grandma’s perfume, or Buggy’s cologne, or Miss Dollie’s lotion would linger on our children’s clothes and skin as evidence of the fact they had been well loved that day.

This sweet vignette came to mind along with this scripture (2 Corinthians 2:14-15) paraphrased by Eugene Peterson: 

“...Through us, He [God] brings knowledge of Christ. Everywhere we go, people breathe in the exquisite fragrance. Because of Christ, we give off a sweet scent rising to God, which is recognized by those on the way of salvation - an aroma redolent with life.” ”

“When Kyle was preaching this week on what we do when we find ourselves extended in the desert, I was reminded of a song I had heard many years ago and actually became a focus song for me during a Lenten journey..  It was called “Cry for the Desert” by Twila Paris.  I know what you might be  thinking, “Who, in their right mind would cry for the desert experience to come?”  We might want to cry IN the desert, right, but FOR it?  Now add to that, welcoming the extension of time and rejoicing in it. Come On!…”

“On Monday morning I spontaneously read a devotional that I never read. I mean never. I found it in an email I received that morning, and I thought "why not?" The devotional was about Hagar and the God who sees. As I was getting ready for work the same morning, I started listening to the next passage on my Bible plan. Genesis 16 and 17 - Hagar and the God who sees.

Maybe that was a coincidence, but I've learned to notice repetition as a tool God often uses to get my attention…”

“Have you heard the country song, “Breaking Up Was Easy in the 90’s”?

It claims that pre-technology afforded an easier time of dealing with things because you didn’t know what was happening in real time…”

We all go through seasons that our work just seems like the absolute worst part of our lives. The unending monotony, or the overwhelming impossibility of the tasks before us can make it hard to get out of bed on Monday morning. Yet, work is an important part of what it means to be human…