**Mustard Seed Distributed**

So you have to ask yourself, what am I doing here? I am on one of the prettiest islands I know as part of a team of people who are working to accomplish a task that some say is impossible. I have to argue with those people. Anything is possible through God, and when a group of people commit, and I mean REALLY commit to doing something, anything is possible. (So it is ten p.m., and all I can hear is 'taps' bouncing off the buildings. I forgot that they play that here on the island each night. Beautiful to listen to.) And so it is with my communitas brothers and sisters, we cannot accomplish this church plant in the greatest city in the world without Him. Without truly giving our entire lives to Him. Without really committing to following Him, no matter what. I spent a lot of time on the ride up in prayer for my bros and sis' on the team. Even not in nyc, I feel great love and desire for each person's goals and dreams, and that our team would be united in Chris...

So today on my journey, I sit in Gaylord, MI, en route to Mackinac Island. I do this to attend the ‘staff retreat’ for my new school. Pretty unbelievable story that God is writing in my life, and I can’t even believe the transformations that have taken place in my career, my marriage, my family, and my spiritual disciplines. (By the by, I’m writing on my new laptop-check that-notebook-or is it tablet? I don’t even know what it is called. I do know that the Spaniard told me it is a $2700 machine.) The journey can be summed up pretty easily. I truly thought I was doing life the right way-going to church, tithing, attempting to be kind to others, blah blah blah. Since the communitas thing happened to our family, the journey is much different. Even a simple thing like driving up north is different. I spent the morning praying for each member of communitas. I prayed for God to continue to reveal to me what my role is for this team, and what I need to pay attention to for Him. The ...

Ok-do you understand that I am thrilled about my new position? Check the box: Yes No (OK, so I can't make the boxes. Get off my back man.) I am in the book of Jeremiah, and what a bunch of losers we humans are. Even with all the times God showed up, demonstrated his love, power, and mercy, humans still follow other idols and walk away from Him. The Creator. PS-I am including myself in this group, not being a pharisee. So Jeremiah 15:19-21 starts like this: "...If you repent...." This was a huge learning for me this morning as I ponder God's word in my life. It is only when I repent my sins and come to G od and ask forgiveness that He frees me to do His work, speak His words, fight for justice, do what is right. If I have sin between us, there is no freedom to love uncontrollably, to serve Him, to follow. But when you start there, start with repentance, God shows up in glorious ways and demonstrates His compassion for you and for your li...

So really stop for a minute and process life with me if you would. I have a position right now where they are paying me well to learn from them. Did I mention that I love to learn? It has officially been a week today, and I am already locked in at my new school. This is going to be a place that makes a long lasting impression on my life, how I live, what I do, and where I am at. I never expected to be working in D-town at this point in time, and yet, if you process with me, this is the most incredible place that I could be. Period. Learning how to do things from the best. Everyone in said organization keeps saying 'oh, that is a great school', or 'she is the best' about the principal. I have not met a slacker as of yet. It is energizing to be in a new place, at a new time, with a new approach to life. Refreshing and invigerating. I just hope to 'help' in some way shape or form this year, not just sponge it up. Our men's group did a fast on Monday...

I know it has not even been a week in my new position, but COME ON! Why did God choose to bless me in such a great way? I am not worthy of this gift, and I can't hardly believe what is going on with me. I have spent considerable amounts of time in Detroit for four of the last five days. Working the new position, took the girls to the DIA, homeless BBQ on Saturday. Detroit is growing to be a fond place in my heart. Is this me blogging? Did someone take over my body? Did I fall down and go boom? Who would have ever thought that I would be saying these things about Detroit? I have not even been in my position for a week, and I already love it. LOVE IT. It is going to be such a cool opportunity to learn from some great people, spend time in an urban school, and grow as a pir. Each day is going to be glorious. If you are reading this, and you can't say that about your job, then stop the press and ask God to show you where HE wants you to be. I have to warn you-you are...

Welcome to Detroit. That's what the sign says, but for me this week, it has been way more than a welcome. I started my new position, and what a welcome to a new place. It almost seems surreal to walk into a place that treats you so well, and is on point with what they are doing. So I work for two days, and we couldn't work Friday because of the electrical panel switchover to install the AC. So a two day work week to start is pretty cool. I have already learned SO much in two days, and I am thrilled to be working with this team of people for the year. I am kind of excited that the other school (potential interim principal) did not need me, so that I can start from the get go and spend the entire year with the team. I will write more about the team as we move on, because I can't think of any cool pseudo names for them yet.... Friday Day off-Took the girls to the DIA and to Mr. Fo Fo's for lunch. You ever want a corned beef sandwich in the D, it is at second and ...

Tomorrow is day one at the Academy. I am so excited to begin this new journey, and can't believe that I won't be at RMS this fall. I will be sad to not be with some of the people that have become my best friends over the last four years. I enjoyed working with each person, even in times of conflict and trouble. I learned a lot there, and I hope to apply it in a new way this fall. I will certainly miss my lunch partners hammy, bb, cdubs, and sometimes the woodsy. I will miss the secretaries A LOT. The real peters was always so good to me, kept me on track, kept me in check, and made our office flow. I will miss her a ton. And tt came into our office and added not only another ocd person, but great laughs and balance to our world. As I pulled away today, I had fond memories of my time. Now it is starting time on a new journey. I pray that God will lead me in my new way this week, this month, this fall, this year. God is good, and everything is right in the world today...

So- I have been given an offer for a position, and I have accepted it. I start on Wednesday. I can tell you with great fervor that the last year has taught me a lot. It is a year to the day TODAY that I first heard God nudge me to NYC. The last year has taught me so much about listening to Him, reading my bible, being in communitas with others, trusting God, loving other people before myself, knowing who Jesus is and what He taught, and following Jesus. I could write and write and write and write about all that. It is magnificent what transformation has taken place in my heart, my mind, my actions, my passions. So back to the position-it is with a charter school management company . It is a 'Principal in Residence' position at a school in Detroit for the 08/09 school year, and is an answer to my question of 'how am I going to get a job in nyc without any urban experience?' So I will spend a year at one of their high performing schools learning from an excellent ...

So, for the fourth August in a row, I am on LBI. If you don't know what that means, you can google it for Pete's sake. (Not for sick pete's sake, but just for pete's sake.) I am with the Donald here at the Raver's shack. Funny that I wrote that, and that this is the first year the 'man shack' is finished off, and that is where the donald and I are sleeping. Anyway, this has been such a cool tradition for me for the last four years, I have really enjoyed it every single time. The first year the kkft was had by all, but for the last three years, just the donald and I have made the trip. Each year, we have spent time discussing the upcoming school year, talked about our goals for the year, challenges, things we hoped for, etc. This year we didn't quite get that far into the conversation for the T$ end of things. You see, we left Sunday night about 10:00 or so, and began driving toward LBI. Took turns napping through the night-notice I didn't say sleepin...