sermon and book

I think i said on my last post that jackson senyonga's sermon didn't record, but it did! go to christfellowship.org and listen to it! we're reading shane claiborne's irresistable revolution. Jesus for president will probably be next. intense time right now of re-examining what it means for us to live simply and missionally.

love y'all,
anda

Having some technical difficulties!  Will try again later-Holly

Family Highlights

I don't really know what I'm doing or if these pictures are going to go in the right place but here are a few highlights from the last few weeks.  Love you guys-Holly

Video

Does anyone know how to upload video clips to blogs? I have a video of Lena that I wanted to share, but don't know how to put it on a blog. Anyone know how to help me?

life in Como

No big news. Most of our life is made up of the mundane - like tonight, for instance. I'm standing at the sink giving our dog a bath who was proudly released out the front door by our little precious 2-year-old. While out, Gracie decided to take a nice roll in some cat poop. Anyway, I'm giving her a bath while listening to Josiah complain about growing pains when Isaac strikes again, spilling a left over cup of milk all over the inside of the fridge and the floor. Cleaning up messes - slimy yogurt, chunky applesauce, snotty noses, spilled milk, lots of water being poured in various places, and poop...poop, poop, and more poop.

Whatever. There are some cool things going on in our neighborhood. I'm including the grafitti picture. Randy noticed that some gangs had visited the pavillion at our lake a few weeks ago. The following week he was praying at the pavillion (he does this once a week with another guy) and while he was praying that God would take the grafitti away, a truck drove up and sandblasted it off the wall. Pretty cool.

Some of you have met Demonte from Op Camp (he's our neighbor - sometimes - not a mighty man). His mom lives down at the apartments by our house and was saved about a month ago. She hasn't touched drugs since and it has been amazing to listen to her talk and to just look at her. She LOOKS like a new creation! We pray for her often - she's still living in the middle of "drug world" down the street, but she says she's never going back to that life.

About 2 weeks ago, we got to be a part of the first "pastors alliance" meeting that Randy and Terrence Butler put together. Jamey and Kim Miller (our pastor and his wife) and another white pastor from a large church near here were the only white pastors there. It was very cool to see this group of about 16 people sharing a meal together and seeking racial unity. We have been amazed over and over again at what the Lord is doing in Jamey and therefore at CF. He is really preaching racial diversity and love for the poor, etc. and has become passionate about seeing it happen at CF. This past Sunday a man from Uganda named Jackson Senyonga preached. He is on one of the George Otis Jr. Transformation videos and he was amazing. His message was EXTREMELY convicting and SO good. I wish I could tell you to go online and listen to it, but he has spoken 2 times before at CF and it has never been successfully recorded. This week it happened again. Not sure if that's God or the devil, but his message was powerful! He is truly a missionary to America.

Our kids are doing well - Isaac is two and quite challenging at the moment, but we've survived 4 others so I'm sure we'll make it through this one! ha! Moriah is doing better (praise God!). i've been doing more "time out" this week with her and Isaac (mostly because my own nerves seem to be on edge and spanking sometimes seems inappropriate for ME). Today I saw her in the time out corner and when I asked her what she was doing, she said that she had to be in time out for hitting Isaac - she had put herself in time out. She did that again tonight. Quite a contrast to the wrestling match we had a few months ago.

It also looks like God is moving in getting more people to join us here in Como. Jeff and Charlotte Connally are making plans to move here in June 2009 and another single woman at CF is house hunting right now. There are a few other families that we believe the Lord may move here (they just don't know it yet :) ).

Love you all. Sorry about my random rambling - just wanted to write some things down (so that I can remember them later!!).

May you see God's glory this week,

Anda

MCS Track 2008

Here are a few pictures from our first track meet. I somehow missed getting any of Annie but she and Reagan were awesome and Abby Claire and A. J. were 2nd grade standouts! I would have to say that all four made us proud and I can see more track meets in our future...

So focused...

Reagan's Big Jump!

2nd place 4x100 Team...they beat the MCS 6th Graders so they were pretty pleased with themselves!

Bluebonnets Part 2

On Wednesday, Lena and I met up with some friends to take pictures in the bluebonnets again. Partly because the flowers were still there, and I was hoping to get pictures of Lena with her little friends. The friends picture didn't work out so well. But, here are some pictures of Lena in the bluebonnets--again. No grasshoppers this time. We also went to dinner that night with James' mom, since she was in town. At dinner, I was showing them the pictures from the day, and James pointed out that my pictures weren't so clear. He looked at my camera and showed me that the lense had a Lena sized fingerprint on it. So, now I know where my camera went when it was missing for a few days, and two--my pictures should be clearer from now on. Sorry for the blurriness before.

Happy Birthday!

To Alan! We hope your birthday has been WONDERFUL!

And a little late to Jill!

We love you both. You are two phenomenal people and our family is blessed to count you as ours!

Lena in the bluebonnets

Last week, I took Lena to a nearby soccer field that had some bluebonnets growing there, and took some pictures. Needless to say, it wasn't the easiest thing taking pictures of a two year old, because two year olds don't like to stay still for too long. Out of the 178 pictures that I took, I did get a few that seem to be good. Anyways, Lena had fun running around in the flowers. Towards the end, a grasshopper landed on her dress, and she wasn't sure what to think of it. She kept saying, "Get it off! Get it off!" She finally brushed it off herself. We may try again at a later date and see if she stays still then.

it was good being part of the Brown Family...

Yes, it's 4:20 a.m., but I just finished nursing (for those of you who are Ezzo junkies, YES, Malachi should be sleeping through the p.m. by now, but we've gotten used to dealing with some developmental "delays" because of Isaac (I hope you all know I'm JUST KIDDING!)). Anyway, just a brief little story for a laugh. Most of you probably thought after World War III that Moriah was completely reformed and no longer exhibiting rebellious behavior. Sorry to disappoint you, but the battle still rages on (although I will say that it's not quite as intense). On Sunday a.m. Randy was at meetings all a.m. before church and I was left on my own to get 6 children ready - can I just say that we were only 10 minutes late? I hope someone is applauding! Mo was having one of the worst mornings she had had in a while and after her, oh I'd say, sixth spanking of the a.m. she looks at me and says "I'm giving you away and I'm giving Daddy away." Trying not to bust out laughing, I asked her who she was going to give us to. She said "the GUILD family." When I asked her who was going to take care of her, she emphatically proclaimed that McKenna would be taking over. When I told McKenna the news, she said she was coming with me! God have mercy on us all! Better go back to bed now!

love,
the woman who used to be Mo's mom....