Showing posts with label Home group. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Home group. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 7, 2020

New Beginnings

For new beginnings some things must end. The 2019 sticker-calendar came to an end. Our family getaway ended.  


I was going to title this blog post "The End" and questioned whether it was time to discontinue this habitual blogging--chronicle of our lives. However, the need to process and tell the story of our family adventure, led to not one but four posts. And here I go again, at the start of a new year. 

My desire, is expressed in Hebrews 12:1: "Let us put every thing out of our lives that keeps us from doing what we should." Is this blog one of the works God has prepared for me to do, or is it a distraction from what I should be doing?

Meanwhile, I will keep on keeping on with what I know until God redirects. Reader, He may use you to give me advice.

Life is a daily keeping on, often tedious. Michael jumped right back into the work of sorting and settling into the Matthews shop after our trip without much of a break, still so much to do to prepare for Kick-Off.

I was happy to see the art that had graced the walls of the Muncie shop now had a place in the new team headquarters.



Meanwhile, I kept busy unpacking and finding a place for the new gifts as well as taking down Christmas decor.
The pour painting Leah gave me found its home. This technique allows colors to flow with little control. Imaginative minds can see into the fascinating patterns and sometimes add their own touch to bring out a theme or image.
In this piece I can see a cat, a couple birds, a dog, and many eyes. How about you?


Leah, and other members of her family, came down with a bad cold, had no voice, and still recovering from the accident, and more bruises popping up. She badly needed some Jewish Mother's antibiotic--chicken soup. Instead I took over some of  "Dad's turkey soup." It worked just as well.

Vestiges of Christmas outside Leah's door
Kayla, also under the weather, needed a Grandma-visit. Can you see four faces in this silly pic?


We had a fun New Year's Eve get together with a small group of friends. Each brought a gift, but not to give away,that was different. The idea was for each to pick an unmarked present, guess who brought it, and then hear the story behind the item. We learned a lot about one another.


I spent a lot of time preparing food to add to the varied and abundant options for the Kick-Off. Surprisingly, or maybe not, there was not that much food left.


Two other area teams joined us, so it was a very full house. There was the anticipation for the long-awaited reveal of the 2020 challenge, after the usual long speeches and introductions. Finally, the game animation, Infinite Recharge, followed by a lively discussion of the new rules, strategies, and initial ideas for building this year's robot.



So, here we are, off and running. And again Hebrews 12 has timely advice: "Let us keep running in the race that God has planned for us.  Let us keep looking to Jesus."

Tuesday, April 2, 2019

Last Winter Blast


Our week ended with a sudden blanket of snow, one last glimpse of winter beauty lest we forget in the euphoria of spring blossoms and scents.

The most powerful memory that surfaced this week was the anniversary of the horrendous accident our grandson Malachi suffered March 24, 1918.


Son Sam, ever intentional to remember anniversaries of God's gracious goodness, wrote:
Hard to believe it’s been a year, it’s been a whirlwind! This day was by far the scariest and hardest day of my life and yet a day filled with the hope and peace that only comes from the Holy Spirit. Not to mention the amount of support and prayers we received that were absolutely felt and tangible......So thankful looking back for our older sons and the work God has done in their lives since then. I am humbled
The event was complicated by younger brother Elijah's skateboarding accident within the same hour!


God's presence, grace, protection and healing covered our family, like the blanket of snow abundant and beautiful. 
A year later, the family is intact and active. And there is the promise of a new member--Malachi's fiancé, Lexi Meacham (above lower right).


Another anniversary remembered--Tuesday the 26th, Jimmy's 45th birthday. I love this photo of Papaw with his favorite little person.


Wednesday, we introduced Moriah to a movie that stood out in our list of meaningful thought-provoking films. How many have seen The Mission? If so, what was your reaction?
For me it has the added attraction of taking place in Northern Argentina, in the area of IguazĂș falls.



Sunday evening we enjoyed a meal with our home group from church. There is so much to learn and gain from sharing in community. We love getting to know these friends. And Michael's idea of a potato and ice cream bar was perfect. Everyone brought a topping for each, and a favorite ice cream.
Son "Chef" Stephan's directions for the perfect baked potatoes worked beautifully.


Thus ended the month of March, one quarter of the year, and another page of my sticker calendar complete!