Community Life

New Things

2005-11-26T19:53:00.000-08:00

We're going to Germany for Christmas ... the Nixon family, that is. Our new German family wants us to visit them so badly that they've bought us plane tickets. We are amazed, deeply touched, and so excited! We'll spend time with Kim and Matthias in their new home in Berlin, then travel to Wittgensdorf for the actual Christmas weekend to be with Matthias' family, and we'll get to see the friends of Matthias who came to our house for the wedding who live in Wittgensdorf. And we'll get to meet Kim and Matthias' house church family in Berlin who have welcomed our daughter so warmly. It will be new and very different to go away for Christmas. For the last 10 years or so we've had friends and family over on Christmas morning for breakfast and candles and stockings and liturgy. This seems to be our year for trying new things and be hosted rather than host.

Today Dave and I spent time with Kevin and Tracy talking about the future. There are some new ideas on the horizon for us to try out together in 2006. We're excited about that, too. And especially excited about continuing to work and share life with Kevin and Tracy who we started this whole community life thing with years ago.

Tomorrow begins advent, and with it comes the re-opening of our beloved St. Elizabeth building. I had the opportunity to share with Desiree the history of Vineyard Central this week, and after listening she said "Oh, now I understand why there's such a heart connection for you all with the St. Elizabeth building." I think some haven't heard the story of how God gave us this beautiful place ... all the prayers and sacrifice and love and prayers and candlelight vigils and sacrifice and prayers. It's sweet to re-enter this place tomorrow and expect Jesus together.

Come Lord Jesus.

Autumn

2005-10-23T09:51:00.000-07:00

Autumn has definitely arrived. It was 80 degrees one day last week, then the next day it was only inthe 60's. Trees are changing colors, leaves are dropping. The house is chilly .... time to service the boiler and get the heat turned on. Changes in the season and changes in life ....

Kim and Matthias left for Germany a week ago ... just before the weather changed. I think this marked the finality of the "wedding season" and moved Dave and I into what's next for us. After a few days of feeling sad because it's finally all over, we're now looking toward the future. We're both trying to reestablish routine in our lives ... morning and evening prayers, exercise, better eating habits, regular bedtime, sabbath, etc. We got a bit out of whack over the summer and early fall. We've been recognizing the lack of these routines, resulting in low motivation and spiritual fatigue. Now we're trying to renew our exercise in all of the practices we teach others about. It's time to shape up and move forward.

We don't yet know how the internship will shape up, but we do know that God is still using us and the convent. We continue working with the Northern Kentucky Vineyard, developing relationships and mentoring community group leaders. And we have activity beginning to build in the house. Desiree will be back to stay with us for a month or so in early November. We're hosting a retreat for a group from the Northern Kentucky Vineyard this weekend. We'll be going to Utah the first couple weeks of November to be on staff for another Pastor Sabbath Retreat ... helping Vineyard pastors refresh and regroup. Carrie will be home for Thanksgiving and it will be wonderful to spend some time with her. Jon just finished his last cross country season and we're enjoying time with him during his senior year. There's a young family coming to stay with us for a week in late November, wanting to experience some of this community life. And we hope to travel to Germany for the Christmas holiday.

So though we're still hibernating a bit, enjoying this quieter time in our life, we have our eyes open for single folks who might be a good fit for the convent during this season of transition. We also have our arms open for folks who need a place to go for a day or a weekend, perhaps even a week, to retreat and be quiet with God for a bit. We're still watching, praying, listening ... feeling warm even though it's chilly outside, and basking in God's peace.

A Wedding, Part 2

2005-09-27T17:45:00.000-07:00

And now it's all over. The friends and family have come and gone. Matthias and Kim are married and off on their honeymoon. The convent sits strangely quiet ... my son and I are the only ones home. The house is full of reminders .... sheets and towels that need washing, a shampoo bottle with a German label in the shower, rust colored roses in vases, a wedding program on the dining room table, a large pile of pots and pans in the hallway, bottles and bottles of water stacked in the kitchen, and a refrigerator full of wedding soup. The memories speak loudly of love and community and Jesus.

Our community of friends and family from many places: Cincinnati, Kentucky, Germany, London, Texas, Arizona, Georgia, Tennessee, Michigan, Pennsylvania ... all worked together to create a lovely celebration. People cooked, cleaned, raked, spread dirt, planted, shopped, delivered, carried, loaned cars, drove, planned, massaged, sang, spoke encouraging words, and most importantly, prayed. Dave and I experienced so many of the people in our life coming together in one place to share this experience with us ... friends from the past, family from around the country, new family from another country, neighbors, current friends whom we work with daily ... all of the people we love and care for. Together we shared a remarkable day on Sunday, a day of worship and joy and celebration. We watched a radiant bride, our child, walk down the aisle to her adoring new husband. We listened to Kevin's words of encouragement and kindness, and many of us were deeply touched by the spirit filled blessing of the two fathers. We were blessed with music and poetry and laughter during the reception. After the event, I came home and stood in the shower and sobbed ... a good cry, feeling deeply the overwhelming love of Christ shown through our community. We are so loved!

Today I drove our German friends to the airport in a 15 passenger van loaned to us by our friends in Kentucky. I let them out at the departure area and climbed down to say good-bye. I was in tears after the first hug ... saying goodbye to Daniela. I then gave hugs and kisses to Lissy and Daniel and Soren and Michael and Thomas L and Thomas W and Steffi and Chrissy and Claudia and Josias and Helmut and Ernst. Gisela was last .... Matthias' mother. We now share our children. Gisela has become my friend, even though we don't speak the same language. We seem to be able to communicate many feelings with our facial expressions and gestures. I got into the van to drive away and looked up at all of them standing on the sidewalk. I expected they would have turned away by then to go into the airport. But they were all waiting .... looking at me in the van so they could wave good-bye. And as I pulled away from the curb they all waved in unison. I was undone.

So now we rest a bit, then put things away and get the house ready for whatever's next. We don't know yet what that is. We're content to wait and see what God shows us. In the meantime, as we rest and pray, we are thankful. So very thankful. And we are so filled and overflowing with the love of the community of Jesus.

His peace to you.

A Wedding, Part 1

2005-09-16T17:54:00.000-07:00

September has arrived. Along with it has come the first wave of family and friends to celebrate the wedding of Matthias and Kimberly next weekend. We've had a summer of rest and preparation, and yesterday, finally, Ernst, Gisela, Helmut, Daniela, Michael, Soren, Thomas, and Steffi arrived at the Cincinnati airport from Germany. We greeted each other with hugs and kisses and big smiles. We've had a little over 24 hours together and we've shared much laughter and many bilingual conversations, with someone translating either into German or English so all can understand. We share a love of Christ, and a love for Matthias and Kimberly, so we already love and respect each other dearly. It was wonderful to hear the house filled with the music of voices raised in praise to God this morning ... in German but easily understood as they were love songs to Jesus. And this evening as our friends were leaving to go see some sites in Cincinnati, a fresh cool breeze kicked in ... it feels like the beginning of autumn, the beginning of many things new. New friends, new family, new love. This week more family and friends will gather, coming from Germany, Texas, Michigan, Georgia, Tennessee, Arizona ... the convent is full of warmth and laughter and will continue to fill, perhaps to overflowing, with joy and love. I fear I may burst with joy and excitement!

A Different Season

2005-06-26T07:04:00.000-07:00

The convent is much quieter these days. The Harris family moved out recently, moving into a house in Madeira in order to prepare for the birth of their 3rd child. Scott and Charlie are still with us in the convent.

We, the Nixons, have decided to take a bit of a sabbatical until the fall. Our oldest daughter, Kim, is getting married in September to Matthias ... both were interns with us last year. Matthias is from Berlin, Germany, so in September many of his family and friends will be coming to stay with us for the wedding. We want to have room in the house for this event, so we're not planning to have anyone else move in until after the wedding. We also realized that this summer is most likely the last one where all 3 of our children will be home with us .... Kim's getting married and moving to Berlin in September, Carrie's going to New York to attend RIT in late August, and Jon's entering his senior year of high school in the fall. So we want to have some time this summer to enjoy our family and focus on wedding plans.

Our house will be quiet for a season. We'll still have guests ... friends who come to see us, folks looking for a quiet place to retreat. And Scott and Charlie will still be here. But there won't be an official internship going on until after the wedding. Dave and I will take time to enjoy our family, and to soak in some of the quiet and seek God's direction for the next season in our lives. And as we enjoy this season, we'll also be looking forward to what's next ....

His peace to you.

Friends Coming and Going

2005-04-25T17:37:00.000-07:00

We've had a lot of people in and out of the convent over the last couple of months...a great opportunity to exercise our vow of hospitality. After staying with us for the month of February as a guest, Charlie decided he'd like to stay a while longer. So he became an intern and will be with us for a year. Andrew has been in and out over the past month or so. He's with us as a guest on a month to month basis. Currently he's on the road with Over the Rhine but will be back in early May to stay a bit. We were privileged to have the Canipe family stay with us while they waited for their house in Norwood to be ready to move in to. Chad stayed for several weeks without his family, then Renee and the two boys, Colin and Aidan, joined us for the last two weeks. They moved into their new home a week ago, but we're glad they're just a few blocks away. And Stephen stayed with us for a few weeks while he was looking for a job in Cincinnati. He found one and left last week to go back to get his family in Minneapolis. They'll be moving into a house across the street from the convent and we're excited to have them as neighbors. Oh ... and Ryan popped in for a short visit on his way to join OtR for their west coast tour.

So now we're back to the Nixons, the Harrises, Scott, Charlie, and Andrew as our core household. We're looking forward to having Tom & Karen & Isaiah Wuest come visit soon, and after that Chris and Jeni Smith will be bringing some friends from Indianapolis to spend a couple of days with us. With the weather warming up we're having more time in the yard, both houses together, to watch the children play or share some ice cream or smoke a cigar. The rain and light snow this weekend chased us all indoors, but the sun came out again today and the kids were back at play in the courtyard. We enjoyed hosting our friends from Northern Kentucky this past weekend, sharing good food and wine and conversation and prayer.

Sharing life is good .....

Happy Birthday

2005-02-20T19:49:00.000-08:00

Happy birthday, dear Joseph. Happy birthday to you!

Joseph is 5 .... today, not tomorrow. He thinks it's tomorrow because that's when his party is. But he's 5 today! His mama has been preparing all day for this party tomorrow .... actually all week. She's bought some plants and little jungle animals and other stuff for the kids to make a cool craft with. And I see those blower things on the pantry shelf ... you know ... the kind that you blow in and they make a noise and the paper rolls in and out. Gonna be a lively party! And today she's made pizza dough and chicken for sandwiches and cupcakes. This mama loves her kids : )

Happy birthday, dear Joseph. And happy birthday, dear Sara, too .... because you're the one who labored to bring Joseph into this world!

Additions

2005-01-30T08:35:00.000-08:00

We've enjoyed a quiet month in January, with only the Nixons and the Harrises living in the convent. It's been a nice time for our two families to enjoy each other's company and have some good talks together. Yet still the house has been full of friends. Our house church gathers here every Thursday evening. Dave and Janet Barr and their two kids (Theo and Aaron), Julie and Emma Rose, Kenny and Marissa (and Josephine) all come over for dinner, singing, prayer, and a time to share what's going on in our lives. One Friday evening we welcomed 40+ leaders from the Northern Kentucky Vineyard for dinner and hanging out. It was lively and the house was full of candlelight and laughter. And then this past Tuesday one of the NK Community Groups came over for dinner. Dave made a huge stir fry full of fresh vegetables. It was a delicious time.

And now it's time to add 2 new household members who moved in yesterday. Scott Ross has become an intern and will be living with us for at least the next year. He's a young single guy who works for DHL and is looking forward to family discussions and the rhythm of our community life. Charlie Levine also moved in yesterday and plans to stay for a month or two while looking for a new apartment for himself. We're excited about adding some new folks to our mix, and to building family with them for whatever time period they're with us.

I've noticed lately how Joseph and Grace have changed since coming here in early September. They are the children of Steve and Sara Harris. Joseph is 4 (almost 5) and Grace is 2. When they moved in they were rather quiet and guarded. Friendly enough, but a little wary of this place and all these people. Gradually over the months they've come out of their shells. Grace talks constantly ... she didn't say much when she moved in. She also gives unexpected hugs and kisses. Joseph likes to discuss various topics and has quite a lot of input to give on any subject. He likes to think, and he likes to come up with solutions. And he likes to help! He is the designated "book collector" when we finish prayers at any given meal .... and then Dave holds the chair while Joseph stands on it to put the books on the shelf. Children are terrific. Children give adults the opportunity to open their hearts, to laugh a little more, to feel tenderness.

So that's what's up in the convent. Gotta take some pictures and post them, too .....

A New year

2005-01-09T07:56:00.000-08:00

The new year is underway. Currently we're enjoying a quiet period with just the Nixons and the Harrises living in the convent. It's nice for our two families to have more time together. Yesterday we gave the house a thorough cleaning which was much needed after the holidays. It was fun working together. I love a clean house!

Desiree left on January 5 to go back to Atlanta. We miss her. She's a sweetheart. We continue to pray for her in her new endeavors.

Scott Ross plans to move in at the end of January. We're really excited about him joining us. He spent a week with us in December and immediately became part of the family.

Things are not always perfect in community life. Just before Christmas we had a "melt-down" type Saturday morning. Kids had been sick, various holiday and work pressures were upon us, people were tired...and a couple of us just melted down. We did it together, though. We worried in private, cried in public, and worked through it with God's grace. Times of tension seem embarrassing and awkward, but we tend to end up in a better place if we let them happen rather than "stuff" our concerns.

So what else is new.....

Kim and Matthias, who were interns with us this past summer (and Kim is the Nixon's daughter) are getting married in September. So we'll be hosting a wedding. We're excited about all the friends and family who will gather for this event.

Cat visited over the holidays, and Ryan was also here earlier in December. It was so lovely to have them in the house again. And again hard to let them go. But they each have teaching jobs and are doing well.

We've been having more folks trickle through from the Northern Kentucky Vineyard, visiting for a meal or using one of our rooms for a retreat. We enjoy their company and the chance to serve them.

This past weekend Kevin had back surgery, so the convent kept Izaac and Zoe overnight so Tracy could tend to Kevin. They brought quite a burst of energy into the house! It was a fun time, and nice to be able to help each other out. The adults shared the care of the kids, and even Julie came over to help out on Friday night. It was nice to know that Tracy and Kevin could focus on their immediate needs, and we could enjoy some quality time with their kids.

We hosted the December and January AllGroup for Vineyard Central at the convent. Hospitality is so precious, and it unites us to serve together. Plus it's great to see all our friends in one place. We're thankful we have a home that's conducive to events like this.

So we plod on into the new year, looking forward with great anticipation to what God will do with each of us individually, and with all of us corporately.

Christmas and Snow

2004-12-23T18:29:00.000-08:00

It's almost Christmas. At our house church gathering this evening we talked briefly about what each of us would be doing over the next few days and how we felt about the holidays. As I pondered this for myself, I realized that over the years the holidays seem to get better and better for me. Dave commented that as we celebrate advent in our community we seem to happily expect Christmas, at a slow pace, not feeling rushed or in a frenzy. We do celebrate this time of year as a community...we consider it special and an opportunity to be together. Various advent gatherings are common in various homes. In our own household, we celebrate daily with the advent liturgy beginning in early December, praying together for Christ's presence. We light lots of candles. We enjoy our meals together, invite various friends in to share these meals with us. We go to whatever school Christmas programs our children are participating in. We bake special desserts, sharing with each other favorite holiday recipes. Our household (the convent), for the second year in a row, went together on a Saturday morning to purchase a live tree for our living room. Maybe this has become a new tradition. We've watched some Christmas movies together, and last weekend we had our annual Community House Christmas party where the kids exchanged gifts and the adults played the infamous "White Elephant" game for $10 gift cards we'd all brought. The kids performed a "ballet" they'd made up. Then a few adults shared their special talents, with Ken Oster's being his Elvis impression....he lay flat in the floor motionless. Seems this is a time of laughter, candlelight, music, love, fun, and prayers.

Today especially stuck out to me as a day where it's good to live in community together. Cincinnati is pretty much snowed in. Cars are stuck in their own driveways, or in the streets in front of the houses. Many people are wisely just staying home. But in our household we needed some groceries. So we talked about Dave walking up to Kroger to get a few things. Then we thought we'd make an adventure out of it, and all of us would go (me, Sara, Desiree, Dave, Jon...Steve had to go to work...and the kids) and we'd pull the kids' sleds and bring back the groceries and the kids on the sleds. As the morning went on and we realized just how bad it really was outside....frigid temperatures and deep, crusty snow....we weren't so keen on this adventure. Yet we still needed groceries. I had talked to Tracy earlier and she had mentioned that she could get her Jeep out of her driveway without too much trouble. So I called her again and we decided she would drive me and Becky (part of St. E's house church who lives a few houses down) to Kroger, we'd all shop, then she'd carpool us back home. We slipped and slid all the way to Kroger, and it took Tracy two trips to get us and all our groceries back home. She still had errands to run, so her kids came to my house for several hours while Tracy got her shopping done. Sara (who lives in the convent), was home with her kids, so she helped me keep an eye on Izaac and Zoe for a while. Jeremy (who lives in the brown house) had already been watching Tracy's kids while she shopped. This expedition was a great example of how wonderful it is to live near each other, love each other, and have each other to call on so we can work cooperatively to get done what needs doing.

But the best part of the snow day was watching the kids get all bundled up and play outside. Grace, 2, was a bit timid....but then she's shorter than the rest of us and to her the snow was waste deep. Joseph (4), Zoe (5), Izaac (7), and Sophie (6) had no fear, however. They ran and laughed and rode in their sleds and made snow angels. At one point we had to yell out the window at them.....they were sticking their tongues on the light pole to see if they'd really stick. We'd watched "A Christmas Story" the night before. Joseph came in after hours outside and said his hands were so cold. I had him put them in a bowl of cool water, and he said "ouch...that water's hot!". Sara decided it was time to come in. So then they all played inside for a while. The kids enjoy each other so much, rarely arguing, creating games and stories to play together. Children add so much life to a community.

On Christmas morning the two households will gather briefly to celebrate the Christmas morning liturgy together. Sharing Christmas morning has been a Community House tradition that began in 1995, when the Rains moved in with the Nixons. It would have been easy for each of our families to go our separate ways on Christmas Day, but we both felt we wanted to celebrate it together. So we began the tradition of getting up together, checking our stockings, having breakfast, then opening gifts. Over the years as we've added more folks to our community family, we've stuck to the tradition of beginning the day with stockings and breakfast, then each family moves on to their own family traditions. And we've added the liturgy on Christmas morning. It's become a lovely way to begin this special day.

So from Community House, glad tidings and much love and peace to all who are reading. May Christ fill your life each and every day of the year.

Seasons

2004-12-03T05:32:00.000-08:00

I was reflecting this morning on the different seasons in the convent. First we had the Bells/Havens. That was a time of adjustment as we'd all moved into this newly renovated house and we were developing new rhythms of life together. Next came the spring/summer of 2003. This was a lively time with many young singles with lots of energy to share. It was a time of growing and sharing and loving.

Now we've entered a quieter season. The singles moved on. Our life is a bit quieter with the Harris family and Desiree now with us. ALL of us are introverts. We enjoy each other's company in a quieter way. We have great conversations...just at a slower pace with more thinking between times of sharing. Sara focuses on parenting...Steve focuses on getting his shop running smoothly...Desiree focuses on rest...and Joseph and Grace focus on play : ) Jon focuses on his school studies, and Dave and I enjoy a new season with a new job, and much joy in our children and household family. Candles, warmth, gentleness...that's how I would describe this season at the convent.

Carrie has come home from Houston. She finished her season at Houston Baptist University, spending time with her Pappaw. She loved her time there but seemed ready to come home and see her friends here. It's lovely to have her back in the house. She's planning to attend Xavier in January, taking some more math courses.

Ryan visited this week. He's now out on the road with Over the Rhine and will be back for a few days later in the month. So good to see him. Maybe we'll see Cat in January. Dave and I will hopefully drive to Madison in January to reunite with Matthias for a weekend. He'll be coming over from Germany to visit Kim.

We look forward to what God has for us in the new year....will there be some new faces? Maybe. And hopefully family members from the past year will visit us, too. And peace and joy will abound...thanks be to God.

Photos posted...

2004-11-15T17:24:00.000-08:00

Just posted....RAT photos...click on Photos by Community House to the right. Enjoy!

This post is dedicated to Ryan Henry...

Bingo!

2004-11-05T13:05:00.000-08:00

We got it! Or Steve got it, I should say. Last night....he caught the rat. We've been battling with this creature since September I think. He's been alluding all of our efforts to snag him. But last night Steve had put the cage in a new spot in the basement, put some granola inside, and the rat couldn't resist. So this morning we're all carrying Ryan's stuff out to his car so he can leave for Dallas and Steve comes running up the stairs yelling 'I got it"! (...yes, yelling...this gentle, quiet man was actually yelling...how exciting!) How fitting that the beast is captured right before Ryan leaves. A happy ending to his stay at Community House. Photos will be posted on the fotopage as soon as I can get them off the camera...slight snag there. Tonight, those of us left in the convent will celebrate. This is a milestone for Community House!

Good-byes

2004-11-02T07:12:00.000-08:00

More goodbyes....Cat left this morning. Ryan leaves on Friday. Cat to New Hampshire and Ryan back to Texas.

It was a quiet, loving, community send-off for Cat this morning. A gray and rainy morning. Matt Murray, Elizabeth Herron, and the Havens joined our household for morning prayers at 7:00. Others trickled in .... Julie Thompson, the Rains family, Kenny O, Aaron and Sarah and Chloe....Kevin remarked the atmosphere was like a funeral and he felt he should have brought a covered dish. It was a bit somber. Not really a happy occasion, yet in some ways it is a celebration. A celebration of how Cat became a loving and vital part of our family. She shared our laughter and tears. She loved our children as her own. She blessed us with her gifts of faith and perseverance and encouragement, and left them behind with us to share with others. We celebrate with joy the year she lived with us, and we look forward to her visiting with us again and telling us about the new chapter she's now beginning in her life....one God led her to through her time with us. We're all thankful to have Cat in our family...she'll always be one of our "kids". So we all stood in the rain and waved good-bye as she tearfully got in her car and drove down the road.

And on Friday we'll repeat this for Ryan....because we love him, too. He also has shared his gifts of wisdom, responsibility, thoughtfulness. He's shared his struggles and listened patiently to ours. He's offered words of encouragement, prayers of blessing, and always been willing to do whatever has been asked of him...it will be hard to let him go as well. Yet we are blessed to have shared this moment in his life, and will continue to be blessed as he's now a permanent part of our family.

Interns will come and go. That's the plan. Come live with us for a period of time, learn from us, teach us, share life with us, enrich us....then take what they've learned to share with others, and we'll take what we've learned and pass it on to more interns. Yet we remain family....family in the body of Christ. Thanks be to God.

The Rat

2004-09-23T05:53:00.000-07:00

It's interesting what things pull you together in a household....what projects naturally come up when you live in a house together...how easy it is to share ideas and work together toward a solution.

The last couple of days, in our household, it's the rat. Jody was standing in the hallway yesterday and saw a big, fat, black rat run across the kitchen floor. She was sufficiently freaked out....ran to the porch and squealed to Tracy and Sara, who jumped up immediately. The 3 ladies searched the kitchen for a while...timidly. Well, okay, Tracy wasn't timid...she was the bravest one. Couldn't find the sucker, though. At dinner the topic of conversation was the rat, where it's coming from, how to "get it". Ryan volunteered to get traps. He brought them home and he and Steve set them up....and while setting them up the booger ran out of the pantry, across Ryan's foot, and across the kitchen floor. So now we have two eyewitnesses. And the traps were set with cheese buried in peanut butter. This morning, Ryan found the traps...food gone...one trap tripped...but no rat. Grrrrr....

After morning prayers the topic was all about the rat. Everyone exchanging ideas...what to do...thoughts about how the scoundrel got away. Sara and Jody and Cat express their horror and annoyance. Ryan continues to analyze and come up with ideas to try. Steve laughs...I think he is amused by our squeamishness...then he volunteers to bring home some glue traps...after explaining the torture the rat will go through if caught in one. Yes! Dave's out of town, but he gives his two cents by phone...the peanut butter/cheese idea. Even the children are in on the discussion. Jon acts very cool and nonchalant...he IS 16...and reminds us about the rat we had last year. Joseph doesn't quite know what a rat is because he's never seen one, but he asks hundreds of questions and thinks maybe it looks like a fox. Grace has no idea what's going on...she just laughs and smiles at everyone and all their funny faces as they discuss this problem. But together, this little army will defeat this enemy!

We have great discussions in community...we discuss challenges in each other's lives and offer encouragement, we offer each other spiritual direction and counsel, we share ideas from books we read together, we have political discussions....and sometimes we discuss a rat and how to kill it.

August 2004

2004-08-28T20:00:00.000-07:00

Many changes are taking place in our household. We had a fun and active summer. Five single interns occupied our 2nd floor...Ryan from Texas, Catherine from New Hampshire, Kim from Cincinnati, Jeremy from Cincinnati, and Matthias from Berlin, Germany. These five along with the Nixon family (Dave and Jody, Jon who is 16 and Carrie who is 18) made up the household. Carrie graduated from high school in May, and joined the interns on many of their activities this summer...movies, playing in the park, swimming, etc. The summer was filled with cicadas, lovely cooler weather than normal, spontaneous games of woofle ball or frisbee or croquet in the back yard, ice cream runs, travel here and there. We spent time on Saturdays working in the yard or on household projects. And through it all we bonded....grew to love each other and share much about our lives with each other. We prayed together daily, and for each other constantly.

Prayers concerning vocation seemed to be prevalent. We even held an all night prayer session to pray regarding this topic...for ourselves and for others we knew who were struggling with the same thing. It was all so very good, and God has been faithful to answer. Many changes have come and are coming.

Dave will begin a new job this week, working with the Northern Kentucky Vineyard as the pastor of discipleship. Community House will be involved in this work, helping develop community groups, hosting folks from our Northern Kentucky family in our home for retreats and training, and just in worshipping with the family in Kentucky.

Cat received an offer for a teaching job in her home town in New Hampshire...she's still contemplating the possibility of doing this. If she decides to accept, she'll be leaving to move to New Hampshire sometime this fall.

Ryan has decided to pursue teaching and is currently doing some course work in order to achieve this goal. He'll be moving back to Dallas in October.

Matthias left two weeks ago to return to Germany. He'll continue his schooling there which he hopes to have finished by March of 2005. He's also working with a house church in Berlin.

Kim left last weekend to move to Madison, Wisconsin to be a student in the Mad City Church training program. She plans to live there for at least a year...and Kim and Matthias have fallen in love : )

Jeremy began a new job working with Jonathan Hicks in home renovation this past week. He's going to try this out for a while and see how it goes.

And Carrie leaves this weekend to move to Houston, Texas for a while. She'll be taking some classes at Houston Baptist University while spending time with her grandfather.

Steve and Sara Harris and their two children, Joseph and Grace, will be joining our household in mid-September. We're finishing up some renovations, getting rooms ready for their family. We're very excited about having little children in the house again!

So the house is emptying out....changes are coming....loved ones leave and new friends are coming. All is good, though the good-byes are sad. We continue to pray and see what new and wonderful things God does.