Homes

On Sunday our lesson was on our homes.  As I sit here listening to the shop vac that I have conveniently rigged up a way to suck up the slow seepage of water from the floor crack, I have to admit that I have this love hate relationship with these structures that are meant to keep us warm and safe.  Too often I take this structure for granted, get tired of cleaning it and just plain wish we didn't spend so much money on it's upkeep.  I don't often enough appreciate it's warmth, the ability to make good food in, the chances to sit with friends and family. 

Michelle's words continue to ring in my mind to "stop comparing". So often this has paralyzed me from having people in our space because I am not a decorator or really even a tidy homemaker.  The tension in our marriage has at times been because one wants something nicer than the other thinks it needs to be or the conversation about what is motivating us to do or buy something. How do we be authentic to who God is calling us to be without the outside pressures of those around us (and even the pressures from within us).

I realize the chapter is looking at many ways that people are being creative with homes - from energy usage to community living and sharing spaces, all of which are thought provoking.  I look forward to next Sunday to have discussion together on things we have experimented with, things we are challenged by and what steps we are wanting to take forward.  I also welcome conversation about the chapter on finances as well.

Life Standards

Before we begin to look closely at the testimonies that we will be studying from here on out, I thought it might be good to give space to re-look at the Life Standards - the foundation we need in order for this study to not be a fleeting memory.  I encourage you to re-look at what you have learned from each one.  What are the building blocks which have been laid?  I know there were lots of things that could have been said along the way, that you may not have been ready to verbalize or for whatever reason we got talking about something else, hopefully each of us can take a little time to reflect in a written form here. 

As Doris states on p.29, "Following and obeying Jesus Christ is never a list of responsibilities.  It is a perpetual response to the living God.  Standards are divided and listed here only for ease in handling concepts.  My hope is that after you absorb what's in this book, the separate standards will melt together for you into a solid, integrated way of living."  Remember, not all of these standards come naturally.  All of us have absorbed things in different ways - may we continue to learn from each other. "Strong standards rooted in commitment to Christ offer hope for better choices." (p.31)

Do Justice, Learn from the World Community, Nurture People, Cherish the Natural Order, Nonconform Freely.  All of these are under-girded with LOVE - for God, for each other, for the world, for the church.  When we strive to care for and love each of these - we can't help but be changed. 

I believe that our biggest challenge of today is take the focus off of ourselves, to realize that our choices affect others (in good and bad ways, in the short-term and the long-term) .  I am pondering what it really means to be a community.  A community of believers of Christ.  To take the action words in the standards and really embrace them - Do, Learn, Nurture, Cherish, Nonconform.  It reminds me of a group that Jeff & I led called Active Parenting.  In the early years of parenting it was tiring and so much easier to yell across the room for the girls to not touch something, etc.  This class reminded me that I needed to be active - that it was more effective for me to get up off the couch and remove the hand from the object or to be an example of using words and explaining why instead of just saying no. 

I also still wrestle with what it means to be accountable, to be vulnerable enough to share deeply, to know that someone cares enough about me that I know it's okay to share my questions without being judged.  Have we begun to know each other?  Maybe this is just me being the new person, but it has been true in other settings where we all go about saying we are fine - when really we aren't.  If we stay on the surface, we create a false sense of belonging. 

Right now I'm thinking of Gwen, in my short time here, she was one person that seemed to ask the right questions and I felt her care.  Her hospitality was so warm, her smile was genuine, it was evident that she learned from the world community-she saw through a larger lens than NW Ohio...she was a gift.  She has made a difference in many ways. 

Why am I studying this book?

So I've decided to try this new blog as a way for all of us to continue processing what we are reading for class and to encourage, challenge and help hold each other accountable for what we read and talk about together.  I hope we can find this beneficial.  I know at times I have found myself pondering things throughout the day and by Sunday have somewhat forgotten what I had been thinking.  Or after a Sunday have wanted to continue to find ways to follow up, so here is an attempt to keep the ponderings and conversations going.

So I hope that all will feel free to write or comment on posts as you feel led.   At this point I have added some of you as authors and will add more as I get more email addresses.  Feel free to send this blog address to those you have emails of who are in class.  Hopefully by Sunday everyone will have a chance to check this out and those who can, to respond to the above question, "Why am I studying this book?"