From the mouth of Jack

The last two mornings Jack has woken up with a disgusted look on his face, gone right to the Air conditioner and said, "Mom, why did you turn the AC on!?" In actuality, God has cooled off our little section of His world and Jack's effort to stop the cold is really turning the cold on.

I guess it's time to start taking baths first thing in the morning. It's the only way to warm up with no heat in the house. It's refreshing...fun to wear a sweater, at least until 11 am, when we do the mad dash to put shorts and tank tops on again.

Happy Thanksgiving

We are home from our Conference. It was full...by that I mean that it was deep with teaching revolving around our heart...the things that really make us tick and it was convicting and compelling. (I always say heart issues are compelling, but not everyone agrees...)

Last night when we got home we were so tired that as I was trying to tell Jack to throw his booger away (he had found an incredibly huge one, so much so that it was likened unto a toy in his mind) and I mistakenly said, "Jack, go put your booger in the fridge..." That made for lots of laughs in the Rathmell household, but that's just a small idea of how tired I was (so much for heart issues, huh?) :-)

Anyhow...Buddy heads off on a retreat tomorrow for three days...he's got lots of kids going and God provided more staff today, so we are thrilled. I was mentioning to my friend today that it's always so cool when you realize that God really doesn't need you for ministry...it's totally His gig, and we've been so out of pocket this fall, that to even have a small handful of kids on any retreat would feel monumental, and to see that God is doing His thing...redeeming, bringing hope, cleansing and purifying all without any Rathmell power is encouraging.

Thanksgiving was great....we are blessed with a very cool community here and we are so thrilled to live in it. I especially have missed my Dad today...he is well taken care of, but Thanksgiving was usually my Mom's thing and so I think today will be hard. If it's Thanksgiving where you are, please pray for him.

We miss you all...thanks for praying...please pray for safety and God's heart-redeeming work this weekend...we eagerly anticipate it.

Gone for a week

Hi all...today we head to our Fall Staff Conference for a time of spiritual refreshment. We are both looking forward to it. Please pray for us to have teachable and humble hearts...also for opportunities to minister to our teammates.

Catch you on the flip side...Jen

Powerwashing

Tonight Buddy is finishing up the final touches with our borrowed powerwasher (thank you Vanossdalls!). I wonder if there is a better invention than a powerwasher.

Someday when I write a book about, well, something...I will include powerwashing therapy because as a Mom who doesn't seem to accomplish anything except for the very worthy goal of keeping kids alive and somewhat well fed, it is instant gratification that somehow soothes the soul. What once was a very dirty driveway and play area is transformed into a very clean one with very little effort.

When my Mom passed away, I kept telling my Dad how I wanted to powerwash his driveway...I now can link it with that yummy feeling of just getting something done and how that (pretty temporarily) comforts us. I know it won't last forever, but tomorrow, my synapses will be firing away and there will be an extra surge of serotonin as I step out my front door.

Gotta take what you can get...a great day off for us.

Martin Luther on Romans

"[Romans] is worthy not only that every Christian should know it word for word, by heart, but occupy himself with it every day, as the daily bread of the soul. It can never be read or pondered too much, and the more it is dealt with the more precious it becomes, and the better it tastes."
-Martin Luther

William Tyndale, the great reformer and translator said this of the book of Romans, "the principle and most excellent part of the New Testament."

Tomorrow the Breakfast Club kicks off. It is going to be an early morning breakfast and Bible study through the Book of Romans with our high school students. Please pray that God would allow Romans to taste sweeter to us each day.