from humbled hands

90 degrees, overhead fan spinning keeping the hot air from sitting still against our unacclimated Pacific Northwest skin. Church planting couple, Stu and Jen and their 4 kids, 13 years ahead of us in life, invited us to sit on the patio with them. This is a normal event for them, something anyone might spot if they come up the drive around 8 pm on any given night.  "What would you do differently?" We asked Stu and Jen.  "What was it like growing up a church planter's kid?" We asked the kids. "What was hard?" "What was good?" Trying to live in the moment while simultaneously picturing our kids as adults home from college on summer break.  How can we pour into them? How can we point them to Jesus? How can we involve them, yet not make them carry the burden that God has given us? I'll never forget those nights on the patio. Time is moving as fast as those spinning fans. from humbled hands, jessie

While we were sitting in a coffee shop in Shingle Springs, CA working on mail chimp, reading church planting books and taking notes, we met Barry and Jerri. They'd been up and down, on the phone and in intense conversations when Barry popped over to our table to see what we were working on.  "We love Jesus and He's called us to Utah to tell people about Him," I shared. "Do you know Jesus?" I asked.  "Yes! Oh, do we!" He resounded.  They had grown up in Southern California during the Jesus Movement and had followed Him closely ever since. As a gardener, he knows a thing or two about cultivating and climates, not so different from a relationship with Jesus and navigating these days. Currently, they are working on a solution for her mom's living situation as age and medical concerns have caused a need for change.  We prayed for each other and encouraged each other and thanked God for being with us through all of life's ups and downs. As they l...