As I mentioned once--or maybe I thought about mentioning--I have been thinking some about how to spend my days now that school is back in session. I am still working three days a week. That now leaves me with two "free" days. I will start mentoring mid day on Fridays next week, so that will shape that day a bit. To start this fall off, I spend last Friday with friends.
I invited one of them who also has Fridays off to go with me to Oklahoma City. Her family is German, so I thought she would like Ingrid's Kitchen for breakfast. It is this great bakery and cafe. I've never been there for breakfast but my bagel sandwich was wonderful. I took no pictures--I was hungry. I did take a picture of something I brought home for our breakfast on Saturday.
Then we headed to Oklahoma Quiltworks. I had never been there and didn't want to try it with the kids.
And of course I found something to bring home.
Hadn't really thought about making a fall quilt but I've learned to leave myself some room for these things. My friend found a fabric too, so we took our finds over to JoAnn's to find a few more to go with what we bought--at a discount.
The books were on sale too.
After heading home to pick up the kids and hang out for awhile, I headed back to OKC with a few more friends to hear Jen Hatmaker. I had recently read Seven and Interupted. I also just finished reading her husband Brandon's book Barefoot Church the previous weekend. I gave a brief devotion on it at my last and final (I think) church staff meeting. Heading up to hear her, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew she was funny and insightful. I knew she might ask us to give up our shoes.
As she began the more serious part of her presentation--she is HILARIOUS in person too--I realized that this was the make-up for that Christian Community Development conference in late September that I had decided to decline. She talked about the number of unchurched in her hometown Austin, numbers comparable to those in my own city. And she talked about the difficulty telling anyone about Christ--they know about him but are choosing to stay away from churches. Her words echoed those of my missions pastor, only he was talking about Istanbul. Either they go to church or they are anti-church. Through her experience, she stressed that we need new forms to reach new people. And how do we do that? Love our neighbors. That's it. Give yourself some margin from church busy-ness and talk to the people who live next door and across the street. Love them where they are, how they are. God keeps telling me this, and I have known that my call is to this triangular shaped area between my church, my house, and my son's school. These are my neighbors. But even closer, He wants me to start with the widow next door, the new family with a three year old that moved in two houses down, and a house full of college guys on the other side of us. These are my closest neighbors, and finally, with space in my days, I am striving to be intentional and follow through. Surely some of them like cookies.
I invited one of them who also has Fridays off to go with me to Oklahoma City. Her family is German, so I thought she would like Ingrid's Kitchen for breakfast. It is this great bakery and cafe. I've never been there for breakfast but my bagel sandwich was wonderful. I took no pictures--I was hungry. I did take a picture of something I brought home for our breakfast on Saturday.
Then we headed to Oklahoma Quiltworks. I had never been there and didn't want to try it with the kids.
And of course I found something to bring home.
After heading home to pick up the kids and hang out for awhile, I headed back to OKC with a few more friends to hear Jen Hatmaker. I had recently read Seven and Interupted. I also just finished reading her husband Brandon's book Barefoot Church the previous weekend. I gave a brief devotion on it at my last and final (I think) church staff meeting. Heading up to hear her, I wasn't sure what to expect. I knew she was funny and insightful. I knew she might ask us to give up our shoes.
it took several blurry pics (without flash) before I remembered to use the night setting
As she began the more serious part of her presentation--she is HILARIOUS in person too--I realized that this was the make-up for that Christian Community Development conference in late September that I had decided to decline. She talked about the number of unchurched in her hometown Austin, numbers comparable to those in my own city. And she talked about the difficulty telling anyone about Christ--they know about him but are choosing to stay away from churches. Her words echoed those of my missions pastor, only he was talking about Istanbul. Either they go to church or they are anti-church. Through her experience, she stressed that we need new forms to reach new people. And how do we do that? Love our neighbors. That's it. Give yourself some margin from church busy-ness and talk to the people who live next door and across the street. Love them where they are, how they are. God keeps telling me this, and I have known that my call is to this triangular shaped area between my church, my house, and my son's school. These are my neighbors. But even closer, He wants me to start with the widow next door, the new family with a three year old that moved in two houses down, and a house full of college guys on the other side of us. These are my closest neighbors, and finally, with space in my days, I am striving to be intentional and follow through. Surely some of them like cookies.
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