Seeking the Truth- Our story (Part 8)

Where to start...?
Things were going along pretty smooth for a change. We were in love and the baby was beautiful. Not a bad start for two crazy kids transitioning from hippy life to the real world. I was working for my dad in the honey bee buisness, which for a change wasn't killing me. And P was able to stay home and care for the baby. You know that place where everything is new and clean and you were able to make a break from the past and get a fresh start? Well that's where we were at. Paula was happy. I was happy and the baby was happy. Even our room mate Bradly, who had moved down from Orcas Island to work for my dad, was happy. Sure we still had a little wooden alter that I had built in the living room. But we were all happy.

It was a simple life. Get up and go to work. Feed and bath the baby. Cook dinner. We didn't have to much, but compaired to what we had just months before, we wer living large. My parents gave us their spare bed and P's mom had bought us a nice used car. My work was just down the road from our house and I could pop home for lunch from time to time. I loved feeding the baby girl on my lunch break.

At night we would get the baby to bed and talk about our lives. What did we want to be when we grew up? What was life about? What was our spiritual direction? It felt like we even had been given a new oppertunity to investigate the sacred/religious. I don't know how it all took place but we decided to read the great spiritual teachings. The Koran, the Bagavagita, the Bible...etc. It sounded like a great plan. I have no idea what the plan exactly was, but it was a great plan. I suppose the plan was to discover the truth. And as I have come to learn if you seek the truth, the truth has a way of being revealed to you.

One day while P was at home, a couple of Mormon boys came by the house. Wel lactually they came to our neighbors house and she saw them, so she ran over and told them what we were doing and invited them to come on by and share their stuff with us. The boys said they would come back. (They never did) We were going to find out what these guys believed. I'm not sure if it was that same day or a few day later that P was going out to take a walk with the baby, but as she came up our drive way she ran into that really nice Terri lady from the resturant I had worked at. Now if you remember, she was a pastors wife and she and P had made friends while I had worked at the resturant and there was the baby that P had been pregnant with. Terri happened to be jogging by because, as it turns out they lived just down the street from us. P and Terri started talking and I have no idea how the conversation went the way it did, but P shared how we were re-reading the great spitiual works and how the Mormon boys were coming over at some point and so forth and so on. ( I can picture Terri's face as she was listening to this) Anyhow, Terri say to P that this Sunday evening there are going to be a whole bunch of people who I had worked at the resturant with coming over to her house to have coffee and cake and talk about God and the Bible and ask any questions they had about that stuff. Did we want to come?

At their house we meet Scott her Pastor husband. He's this super tall guy who likes to surf. And Andrew thier son. Everyone from the resturant is there and we have coffee and desert and talk about God and ask questions. I remember one that I asked about Energy points in the body and how that related to the bible. Scott had no idea, but he said he'd see what he could find out. It was a nice night. A bunch of the stuff I had heard before, but that was ok. Scott proceeded to talk about stuff. I don't really remember what, but then some thing changed.

I remember, I was sitting on a bar stool at their counter listening to him. He must have been sharing about the power of Jesus to change our life andthen it was as if his words let something loose in me. That place in my heart, the center of my chest, awoke. It was like when you pour water over a dry sponge and it starts to swell and swell. I felt my soul move. The spirit came alive in me and I was sooooo caught off gaurd. Of course I didn't say anything to anyone, but I walked out of there shook. My world had been rocked. I had gone expecting to reject this Christian stuff, maybe learn a few things, have some desert, but this I had not expected.

At that time I was working for my dad, doing this repetetive job, in this super small, super hot/humid space. I was all by myself 8 hours a day with the work and my thoughts. And man was I thinking. I was thinking about what Scott had said about Jesus. I was thinking about what I thought about Jesus. I was thinking about what I had rejected and what it would mean to believe some of the things Scott had said. And even more I was thinking about the things Jesus had said. I was thinking about what it would look like to believe these things and I was thinking about how stupid I would look for believeing things had rejected for so long. I was thinking, and thinking and wrestling with God. Some one had left this old Amy Grant tape in the tape player where I was working and I listened to that. And I was thinking and I was wrestling with God and I was not working as much as I should have because I was thinking and wrestling with God...

And then it was clear. I was free. I knew. I had made a choice. A long time before, when I was a kid. I had choosen Jesus as my friend. And here he was still waiting. I was free to be who I was. I was free to be free. I was a...Christian. How long had I been pulling this weight, the guilt, this burden of destruction along with me and now I was free. Light as air. New. I couldn't wait to tell P. She was going to be so surprised.

A Whole Lot of Surprises or Head Lice Anyone?

Oh the joy of surprises. (Gifts in the mail)
And of the shock of surprises. (Bugs on your head)

We almost made it through the second week of school with no events, until we discovered that one of the kids had head lice. We there by promptly started checking all the kids heads at school for lice. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, ... you've got to be kidding me, 11, 12...how about me? Check me. No way!
All being said and done more than half the school and some teachers had head lice. So we promptly closed the school til Monday. The good news is that there is an out break of head lice across Portugal right now. (That's what the paper said) Not that a lice out break is good news, but at least it wasn't just us. Lots of nit picking going on right now. I just shaved my head it's much easier to deal with that way.

But that is not what the above picture is all about. That is a little piece of the gift package of LOVE that we just recieved from the Young Adults Team that came over to Serve the City here in Portugal. And it couldn't have come at a better time. See this last week I have been tired and fighting the blues. Sometimes I hit this wall and feel useless, like the darkness around is getting the best of me, getting to heavy. I was sharing some of this at our team meeting yesterday. We've been so busy for so long and I feel like we're paddling up stream a lot. It's good to have a group of people around you who know you and love you. And that's what our team is. But even then you have these days.

So because of lice we have been trapped inside for three day washing everything and on top of that, this morning I sent Paula to Philidelphia (for the weekend) to pick up the school books for CSA. So i'm just feeling tired and blue, when the door buzzer rang unexpectedly. Who could that be? I don't want to see anyone and my house is a mess. The postman? What's he doing here?
SURPRISE! Three packages from the good ol' US of A. Three package from the people who came here to work with us. No way! Cool! Look kids, letter's, books, candy, Halloween Oreos, STARBUCK!, Tapitio, games and more. I wish P was here to get to open this with us.

And then they came. The chills. The tight chest and tears. Stress welling up and being released. The feeling of love. Memories, faces and more thoughts. Am I this stressed out. My kids faces so excited to get these little gift. Tootsie Rolls. Little round chocolate like things that don't taste anything like chocolate and are so yummy. My Daughters face filled with joy as we pull out the third bag of Tootsie Rolls. My son saying can we play the game now, oh no way it's multi-player. Oh cool all the books. And My heart might pop. How can such a little bit be so hugh?

I am sure that some one was praying for me today, after yesterdays team meeting and I know that the package was sent way before yesterday, but I believe that God answered today's prayers when that package was mailed on the 19th of Sept., because I needed it today. Thanks you guys and gals. It feels good to be loved and shead a few tears in the process. I am Blessed, We are Blessed, you Be Blessed too.

The First Week of School at CSA

I was going to put this photo furthur down but it ended up here and I'm not moving it. This is the drama/art room. Were going to leave it rustic like this. The kids and I like it that way. What kids you ask? The students at Corner Stone Academy. Yes we have students. This room also doubles as one of the changing rooms for the kids at lunch. They like to go swimming in the pool at lunch time. Yes we have a great big pool. Isn't that cool. Student and a pool! Keep reading and check out more pictures below.

It has been a crazy busy these last three weeks. I haven't even had time to think about anything except opening this school.Who would have thought that we could start a school in three months, but it happened. The first week has come and gone. We have 21 students and 5 full time teachers. The Lisboa Matrix kicked in hard with lots of service time to get this thing pulled together.

P is teaching high school and has 6 students. I get to teach drama and run the Truth for Youth time for the k-6th and EPIC for the Jr High/High School. Truth for Youth and EPIC are our spiritual development times once a week. It's so exciting to see things going. We still have more to do, but one step at a time.

So this is what the new school looks like. (Looking down the hall from up stairs.)

Fresh flowers to brighten up the entery way.

The high school room. (Emily, Haley, Christien, and Thiago)

The first grade room. (Liz, Lucas, and Josiah)

The 5th and 6th grade room. (Carie, Noah, Clara, Dani, and Olah)

What a blessing to see this thing going. Be Blessed and Study Hard. (More to come)

My...Thoughts?

I have writers block. There is so much I want to say, but it all jumbled together in a mess of thoughts, feelings amd emotions. I don't know where to start. It's this constant noise, this stream of thought that just keeps going through my head.

It sounds something like this;
"How's that news..what news?...The news letter? I need to write a news letter...did I send the last one to everyone...what was it about?...That TV is so loud...What am I going to write for this one?...And why's the dog crying at me...He probably needs to pee. Oh, man my back is sore. What time was I supposed to be at the school to paint tomorrow? I wonder...man i'm hungry. What time is Paula getting back from the school today?...We need to...what was I going to write about...I think I need to get a blog out, it's been a few days...This is a stupid blog. I shouldn't post this... Why is the dog cry?... This blog is really lame! There is no condemnation in Christ Jesus...Corner Stone Academy... How in the world are we going to get all of this stuff done. I'm excited about teaching drama next year... Please stop crying dog, but don't pee in the house. I should be a better dog owner. ..I am going to post this! What am I going to write for our news letter?...Are we going to get everything done for the school? I need to call my mom. Ok...ok I need to spell check this. What are we having for dinner? Ok I'll take you to the bathroom!"

Be Blessed

Two Years Later

Yesterday was our two year anniversary here in Portugal. Above you can see a little photo journey from then to now. A lot has changed and a lot is the same with our family. We are all older. (I turned 40 this summer) Some of us have longer hair and some have shorter hair. (And some of us even have tan legs) As always we are on a wild adventure with God. We do not know what He will call us to next but we like it that way and we will be listening.

As we prepare for this next part of the journey we would ask you to pray for our endurance. Starting this school is all consumming. (The school was gthe latest call we recieved) Our family needs your prayers. As soon as we are not putting in 14 hour day there I will get a blog up about what is happening at Corner Stone Academy. For now just know that in the last 3 months we have put a school together from scratch. If that wasn't a Big Hairy Audatious God Sized Goal then I don't know what is. Love to you all and Be Blessed (And why doesn't my spell check work on blogger any more. It's revealing a deep flaw:)