Get off my BACK man
So here I am, enjoying my summer vacation. Doing some great things, having some fun times. I am getting bombarded with people chewing me out for not keeping up with this. I apologize, but like I said-it is summer time. In looking back at my recent posts, I feel like I have just been telling about fun things, and not really diving into the heart of what is happening currently in the kelly lives. So this will be a longer post with lots of stuff for you to catch up on.
The last couple weeks have been challenging for me personally. It appears (on the surface) that perhaps there is not a job that God has laid out in nyc for this fall. Don't read too much into that-I am actually still in the pools for multiple jobs there that I am unsure of the outcome. However, in my mind's eye, I had assumed if we were going this fall, that God would have already provided some work in the city by this point. That is not the case as of today. I was getting to the point that I was even angry about that, and shook my fist at God-FINE If you want us to go, the you better do the work, and get me a job, or we're not going!!!
And then I was humbled by the fact that God has a plan, and it is way better than mine. (PS-DUH.) So I asked God to give me peace, and he did. He showed me that summer time has always been a great time for me to enjoy the calmness of not working like mad, enjoying my wife and children, and the great weather, and golfing, and tennis, and cookouts, and camping, and WOW-there is A LOT to enjoy. So I really engaged with enjoying it, and that helped tremendously over the last couple weeks really enjoying the NOW.
If you ever want to really grow closer to your spouse, I highly recommend doing the listening prayer together. Here is a great book if you have never heard of it-"God Guides" by Mary Geegh. I have been trying to take time each day to not air my laundry list of items for God to take care of, but to really take the time to listen to Him and hear what He has to tell me each day. Superstar and I have done this the last two weeks, and it is pretty powerful to sit together and invite the Holy Spirit to come and speak to you both on some item, challenge, decision, or what have you. I love superstar so much, but to sit with her and ask God to speak to us at the same time is something I never imagined happening in our marriage. Thank you God for putting this book in our lives and showing us that if we listen, you will speak to us. Thank you for the Holy Spirit to guide us, I can't imagine life without the guidance.
Speaking of listening prayer, something that I continued to hear from God this week was to sell our house for less. WHAT? I can not explain in words the peace that I have felt about selling our home from the onset. One thing I always wanted to do as I grew into an adult (notice I did not say started ACTING like an adult) was to build my own house. I grew up in a house my dad built. Even helped him build one when I was in college. I always had the dream of building my own house in the woods. And so, when we moved to Rtown, I did just that. Star and I looked at a lot of house plans, modified many of them into our own. I love this house we built. If my dad was not who he was, we could not have done this. Further-if we had not done a lot of the work, we would not be able to afford selling our house at the price it is at. Thanks, daddy. So, in my quiet time, I think God kept telling me "Sell it for less". I refer back to the verse that confirmed my call to NYC:
Matthew 6:19-21
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
So if we don't get the 'equity' in our house, that seems unconcsionable to walk away from. However, this house is a treasure I will not be tied to if God is calling me to do something bigger than live in the comfort of my suburbian paradise. Thus brings us to the unbelievable peace of selling this house. We lowered the price---again.
More on the listening prayer (see a pattern developing?). Star and I have spoken about the possibility of home schooling our kids when we go to nyc if we don't get into the right neighborhood that has a great school for our kids. Private schools are out of the question with the price tag that comes along with them, unless of course some blog reader comes a long, reads this and 'sponsors' our kids. (HA!) But we went before God and asked Him to help us understand the schooling issue for our girls for this fall. Clearly I heard God say to me "Homeschool. It is Good." Twice. So what does that mean? Not sure, but we are going to obey God and pursue home schooling for now. That would dramastically change superstar's days. I pray for her wisdom and patience and comfort. I know she will be SO awesome at it, and I think our girls will excel no matter where they are.
I am amazed at the people on the communitas team. I love them-DEARLY. It is really a difficult thing for me to explain it to you how much I care for them. I know that is something that God continues to do for our team, and I am thankful for that. Briggsy and I have been texting back and forth. Here is a guy that is going to nyc-without a full time job, and without a place to live. I am so praying for him right now as he struggles to get through the hard parts. I find myself just praying for people on the team, and not for anything in particular, just holding them up to God and asking for his provisions. His glorious and grand provisions.
What else? I still have not smoked a cigarette this year. I had a dream last night that I wanted to smoke, and I was telling superstar "You're not going to stop me!" Not sure what that was all about, but thank God for helping me to overcome my addiction. We served at the BBQ in detroit again last saturday, and I learned some things from Ron, Ron, Mike, Keesha, Tony, and Larry. I learned that these people are human beings that are longing for a relationship with God and with others. Funny, that's what I have been longing for. Oh, wait a minute-that's because I am a human being. So why do we guard our eyes and belittle and stereotype people in cities of different colors? We need to stop doing that, and engage with humanity and care for each other, and show others that we are different because we understand the love of Jesus. And that that one item changes things forever. Mike told me about his struggles in addiction, and his 'escape' from the reality that he caused for himself with bad decisions. (HUH, again, that sounds like me, or maybe even you?) It was incredible to pray for Keesha and her kids that don't always know where their next meal will come from, and the look in her eyes that I would be there and pray for her and pray for her kids-the glimpse of God in her eyes is inexplicable. You should look harder. We should look harder. We need to stop the injustices that are happening across the globe, and across the street.
At the last one on one with pastor, he asked me 'so what do you think when you get to the point that you might be here this fall?' I balled. Sadness is the only word that would come out. But he asked if the kellys are here if we would step into a leadership role for communitas-mi. Of course we will, but that really hurts me down to the corpuscles. But following God is not about our timeline, or what we want, or when we want it. If you are really following Jesus in your life, you will do what he asks of you without delay, without complaining, and with joy that he has given you the honor to serve His purpose. We are meeting pastor and wife of pastor tuesday to talk more about it. Maybe this is why the job has not happened. God might need us here. And we will follow.
Which leads to a job possibility of a residency in detroit for a year....two schools opening in Brooklyn fall of '09. Wednesday is all day interview in GR. Which is a TOTAL bummer because I may not be able to get to the combine demolition derby up north. Yes, you read that right. People take combines and smash into each other. I have been planning on going with my nephew spiiart, and was SO looking forward to it. We may still make it. I hope that we can.
Sad news coming up. Shortly after getting married, superstar and I got a yorkshire terrier. We named him Pedro. He was an AWESOME dog. I know a lot of people say that, but Pedro was more than most dogs. He was truly a smart dog, and loved our family for many years. He was my bud in the summer before we had kids, and he even went to minnesota with berman and I, and almost got eaten by an eagle. A couple of years ago, Pedro moved to a nice retirement home in a warmer climate. Great family (thanks tracy and marty), doggie door, the snow never was taller than him, etc. He died this week. What a great gift from God to many families.
IS THAT ENOUGH? I am going to try to be more dilligent about this, even in summer mode. Feel free to convict me again of keeping that promise to my loyal readers. Furthermore-we got to see the rut family recently while they were in town. They used to be in our small group, and they went to be part of the church plant in Utah-K2. Rut is the arts director, and we sure do miss them. I never appreciated what he was going through then, until I started going through the process. A HUGE shout out to the ruts for following Jesus and demonstrating how to live for us, so that we would be better prepared to make the leap ourselves. Anywho-rut and I have emailed a couple things back and forth, and he said I need to write a book about my experiences since he thought about it, but never did. So I am going to challenge myself to do just that. Write a book about being called by God to do something, specifically, to plant a church. Perhaps the words might some day have a positive impact like the words from Petherick's book 'Wavelength'.
The last couple weeks have been challenging for me personally. It appears (on the surface) that perhaps there is not a job that God has laid out in nyc for this fall. Don't read too much into that-I am actually still in the pools for multiple jobs there that I am unsure of the outcome. However, in my mind's eye, I had assumed if we were going this fall, that God would have already provided some work in the city by this point. That is not the case as of today. I was getting to the point that I was even angry about that, and shook my fist at God-FINE If you want us to go, the you better do the work, and get me a job, or we're not going!!!
And then I was humbled by the fact that God has a plan, and it is way better than mine. (PS-DUH.) So I asked God to give me peace, and he did. He showed me that summer time has always been a great time for me to enjoy the calmness of not working like mad, enjoying my wife and children, and the great weather, and golfing, and tennis, and cookouts, and camping, and WOW-there is A LOT to enjoy. So I really engaged with enjoying it, and that helped tremendously over the last couple weeks really enjoying the NOW.
If you ever want to really grow closer to your spouse, I highly recommend doing the listening prayer together. Here is a great book if you have never heard of it-"God Guides" by Mary Geegh. I have been trying to take time each day to not air my laundry list of items for God to take care of, but to really take the time to listen to Him and hear what He has to tell me each day. Superstar and I have done this the last two weeks, and it is pretty powerful to sit together and invite the Holy Spirit to come and speak to you both on some item, challenge, decision, or what have you. I love superstar so much, but to sit with her and ask God to speak to us at the same time is something I never imagined happening in our marriage. Thank you God for putting this book in our lives and showing us that if we listen, you will speak to us. Thank you for the Holy Spirit to guide us, I can't imagine life without the guidance.
Speaking of listening prayer, something that I continued to hear from God this week was to sell our house for less. WHAT? I can not explain in words the peace that I have felt about selling our home from the onset. One thing I always wanted to do as I grew into an adult (notice I did not say started ACTING like an adult) was to build my own house. I grew up in a house my dad built. Even helped him build one when I was in college. I always had the dream of building my own house in the woods. And so, when we moved to Rtown, I did just that. Star and I looked at a lot of house plans, modified many of them into our own. I love this house we built. If my dad was not who he was, we could not have done this. Further-if we had not done a lot of the work, we would not be able to afford selling our house at the price it is at. Thanks, daddy. So, in my quiet time, I think God kept telling me "Sell it for less". I refer back to the verse that confirmed my call to NYC:
Matthew 6:19-21
19"Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. 20But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. 21For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.
So if we don't get the 'equity' in our house, that seems unconcsionable to walk away from. However, this house is a treasure I will not be tied to if God is calling me to do something bigger than live in the comfort of my suburbian paradise. Thus brings us to the unbelievable peace of selling this house. We lowered the price---again.
More on the listening prayer (see a pattern developing?). Star and I have spoken about the possibility of home schooling our kids when we go to nyc if we don't get into the right neighborhood that has a great school for our kids. Private schools are out of the question with the price tag that comes along with them, unless of course some blog reader comes a long, reads this and 'sponsors' our kids. (HA!) But we went before God and asked Him to help us understand the schooling issue for our girls for this fall. Clearly I heard God say to me "Homeschool. It is Good." Twice. So what does that mean? Not sure, but we are going to obey God and pursue home schooling for now. That would dramastically change superstar's days. I pray for her wisdom and patience and comfort. I know she will be SO awesome at it, and I think our girls will excel no matter where they are.
I am amazed at the people on the communitas team. I love them-DEARLY. It is really a difficult thing for me to explain it to you how much I care for them. I know that is something that God continues to do for our team, and I am thankful for that. Briggsy and I have been texting back and forth. Here is a guy that is going to nyc-without a full time job, and without a place to live. I am so praying for him right now as he struggles to get through the hard parts. I find myself just praying for people on the team, and not for anything in particular, just holding them up to God and asking for his provisions. His glorious and grand provisions.
What else? I still have not smoked a cigarette this year. I had a dream last night that I wanted to smoke, and I was telling superstar "You're not going to stop me!" Not sure what that was all about, but thank God for helping me to overcome my addiction. We served at the BBQ in detroit again last saturday, and I learned some things from Ron, Ron, Mike, Keesha, Tony, and Larry. I learned that these people are human beings that are longing for a relationship with God and with others. Funny, that's what I have been longing for. Oh, wait a minute-that's because I am a human being. So why do we guard our eyes and belittle and stereotype people in cities of different colors? We need to stop doing that, and engage with humanity and care for each other, and show others that we are different because we understand the love of Jesus. And that that one item changes things forever. Mike told me about his struggles in addiction, and his 'escape' from the reality that he caused for himself with bad decisions. (HUH, again, that sounds like me, or maybe even you?) It was incredible to pray for Keesha and her kids that don't always know where their next meal will come from, and the look in her eyes that I would be there and pray for her and pray for her kids-the glimpse of God in her eyes is inexplicable. You should look harder. We should look harder. We need to stop the injustices that are happening across the globe, and across the street.
At the last one on one with pastor, he asked me 'so what do you think when you get to the point that you might be here this fall?' I balled. Sadness is the only word that would come out. But he asked if the kellys are here if we would step into a leadership role for communitas-mi. Of course we will, but that really hurts me down to the corpuscles. But following God is not about our timeline, or what we want, or when we want it. If you are really following Jesus in your life, you will do what he asks of you without delay, without complaining, and with joy that he has given you the honor to serve His purpose. We are meeting pastor and wife of pastor tuesday to talk more about it. Maybe this is why the job has not happened. God might need us here. And we will follow.
Which leads to a job possibility of a residency in detroit for a year....two schools opening in Brooklyn fall of '09. Wednesday is all day interview in GR. Which is a TOTAL bummer because I may not be able to get to the combine demolition derby up north. Yes, you read that right. People take combines and smash into each other. I have been planning on going with my nephew spiiart, and was SO looking forward to it. We may still make it. I hope that we can.
Sad news coming up. Shortly after getting married, superstar and I got a yorkshire terrier. We named him Pedro. He was an AWESOME dog. I know a lot of people say that, but Pedro was more than most dogs. He was truly a smart dog, and loved our family for many years. He was my bud in the summer before we had kids, and he even went to minnesota with berman and I, and almost got eaten by an eagle. A couple of years ago, Pedro moved to a nice retirement home in a warmer climate. Great family (thanks tracy and marty), doggie door, the snow never was taller than him, etc. He died this week. What a great gift from God to many families.
IS THAT ENOUGH? I am going to try to be more dilligent about this, even in summer mode. Feel free to convict me again of keeping that promise to my loyal readers. Furthermore-we got to see the rut family recently while they were in town. They used to be in our small group, and they went to be part of the church plant in Utah-K2. Rut is the arts director, and we sure do miss them. I never appreciated what he was going through then, until I started going through the process. A HUGE shout out to the ruts for following Jesus and demonstrating how to live for us, so that we would be better prepared to make the leap ourselves. Anywho-rut and I have emailed a couple things back and forth, and he said I need to write a book about my experiences since he thought about it, but never did. So I am going to challenge myself to do just that. Write a book about being called by God to do something, specifically, to plant a church. Perhaps the words might some day have a positive impact like the words from Petherick's book 'Wavelength'.
Comments
I am so bad at taking risks and have a huge fear of change, that when I read about you guys and all you are doing and will be doing my head spins and half the time I want to be right next to you, giving it all away with the hope of a bright future and the other half I'm cringing in fear for all of you and myself!
Plus, I have been losing hope in the future with the economy and job losses in Michigan. I try to see a bright future, but all the bad news gets in the way. I can be frozen with fear to take chances because of that.
That is why your blog has been kicking my rear into some sort of action. It's hard to read what you Kelly's are doing without thinking of what I might do for the Great Commission.