como browns update

Hey family! We haven't blogged in a while and I think I'm feeling the need for prayer tonight! Here are my random thoughts on Como, the last year, and what's coming next.

We went and saw the movie "Amazing Grace" yesterday with our three oldest. Great movie (even better if you see it after listening to John Piper's sermon on William Wilberforce - our kids were required to listen to it in order to go the movie. Lukey woke me up at 4 a.m. yesterday because he had fallen asleep listening to it on the ipod that night and wanted to make sure he finished it. Funny kid). Anyway, Wilberforce was amazing. Unbelievable joy in Jesus and perseverance. Encouraging watching that and thinking about what God has us in the middle of here. Anything is possible.

Randy and I ate at "Mama Lou's", a little diner in the middle of Como for lunch on Wednesday. Our waitress was 83-year-old Johnnie, Mama Lou's sister-in-law. Randy has been wanting me to eat in Como for at least 3 years now - historical day! Mama Lou died a couple of years ago at the age of 78. She cooked for 25 years out of her house, and not just for the average Joe down the street. She entertained the mayor, city council people, and other "big names" frequently and catered for huge events, including dinners for Van Cliburne (our neighbor, Ms. Murray used to help her). The restaurant (it's about the size of the kitchen at the Lake-okay, maybe not that big) has been featured in the local paper here and in Texas Monthly. Her nephew, Malcolm, opened this restaurant about 6 months before she passed away. He was the previous owner of our house. We met him last night when we went back to Mama Lou's at the end of our date night for dessert - sweet potatoe pie. We met Malcolm and talked for about half an hour. He told us the story of this house and what it used to look like - it was fun and fascinating to hear! He said he bought it in 1994 and it had been sitting here for so long, abandoned, that the "for sale" sign on the front door was almost completely faded and there were trees growing up into the house. He bought it for $7000. Anyway, I won't go into all the details he shared with us (the investor that bought it from Malcolm totally changed what he had done as well! This house has undergone MANY "transformations"), but what struck me was the sweet sovereignty of God. During our first year of marriage when this whole plan would've sounded like an unthinkable nightmare, God had chosen this home for us in this place and He was preparing it for us. At the end of our date last p.m., we sat in the basketball court parking lot around the corner from our house overlooking Lake Como and prayed. 6 or 7 months ago I wouldn't even drive through Como on a Friday night. Now I'm living here and eating sweet potatoe pie. There is a God.

As I reflected on the last year on my b'day, I realized that at the beginning of my last year, I had "crossed the Red Sea", out of slavery that I had been in for years (that was the trip to Louisiana) and then moving to Como was like our "crossing the Jordan" into our Promised Land. Now we're sensing that our time of "settling" is over and it's time to begin "taking the land". That sounds all romantic, I guess, but I'm scared to death. Our season of cell leading has ended and we are entering a new season of ministry. We have a "core" leadership team that only God could've put together - I am amazed at His goodness and His mercy. The Gladneys (some of our closest friends from CF), Mark Benjamin , the Gravitts, and Terrance Butler. All are African Americans except for us and the Gravitts. We are meeting with them once a month and then doing a "Common Ground" dinner once a month. Our first "Common Ground" meeting is tomorrow night. We have invited several from our church, other churches in Fort Worth, other churches in Como, the Mighty Men, and the people on our street. The apartment complex already knew about it when RB passed out the flyers today. They're all coming. Randy stopped calling the Mighty Men and their families because we're already a little concerned about space and food. This feels very significant and like there may be a little resistance from the enemy. Moriah, Josiah, Isaac, and I are all sick with coughs/colds/fever. Please pray for quick healing and protection for our family. This will be the first time that we've really opened up our home to the neighborhood. We've gone through and hidden anything that looks valuable or easily stolen. It's just kind of a vulnerable feeling - tonight I'm kind of wanting to tuck my tail between my legs and go back to "playing it safe". Is walking by faith always going to carry with it this feeling of being rather uncomfortable?

Randy and Van met with some key leaders from a large church here in Fort Worth on Friday a.m. and Randy was very excited when he came home. They have a heart for Como and plan to really promote Op Camp this year with their college students. I think getting campers will be a much easier job this year.

Luke had his 6-year-old birthday party today at the roller skating rink. I don't know of another kid who could've possibly been as excited as he was. We love that boy's enthusiasm. He spent a great deal of time diving off the rink and falling as much as possible (on purpose).

No other big news. Luke has started soccer, Josiah is trying baseball this spring, McKenna is still wowing us with her music, Moriah is consistent in her extremes - she's always being "Mo-Sweet" or "Mo-Ugly"! There are no in-betweens. And Isaac is walking and climbing everywhere and just being plain cute. And oh, yeah. Gracie is a wonderful dog and has managed to survive our family. She sleeps with McKenna every p.m. All-in-all, I've decided that the biggest faith walk of my life is not what we're doing tomorrow p.m. It's walking in steadfast faith in the everyday, mundane stuff that makes life flow with 5 kids and a husband with big vision. PRAY, PRAY, PRAY! Sometimes it feels like a marathon that has no finish line (of course, this isn't true - I said "feels"). We love you guys. Have a blessed week.

Anda