26 on the horizon

Number 26 is on the horizon. The other day I tried to count all the houses I remember living in since I was born. Course, I could be off by a couple. To my best knowledge, the apartment we are living in now is my 25th home.

After our house fire, Pastor David mentioned to our church family that we need a place to rent. A person heard the comment and was currently in the process of looking at and possibly purchasing a place to rent.

To make a long story short, he wanted to find a good family to rent to, and we are a family that needs a place to stay. God has some details to work out but it looks like 2 weeks from now (or so) we will move to [my] house number 26, AND God has provided so many more things. It's in the country, it has 5 bedrooms, Bunker will get to rejoin us, we can have a garden this summer, plenty of place to play and roam, really a nice place to call home.

Could we ask for one big thing for you to pray about? Closing for our future Landlord is around March 14. He and we would like to wrap this up sooner. Could you pray that if God will be honored that he could close much sooner and we could move much sooner? We have very little to move and are ready. We will have pictures and details as soon as things are final and we move.

Thank you so much for bathing us in prayer during the past weeks/months. We can feel it often. We love you!

Gratefully serving with you,
Bruce, Michelle, Bryan, Nate, Caleb, Kaitie, and Seth

2014-02-16

Cook's Short Order Update

Would it be weird to start an update letter following a total-loss house fire, "It's been pleasant"? Ok, "pleasant" may be over simplifying, but it hasn't been a horrifying experience. Tough, scary, but not horrifying.

Since our home burned to the ground, with 98% of our worldly possessions in it, just over 3 weeks ago, we have experienced many ups and downs, some strong emotions, some peaceful days. But what we haven't experienced is the emotion draining stuff that normally follows trauma.

Please understand, there are 7 in our family, and each of us is interacting with this event differently. One might choose to not talk about things. Another chooses to talk very freely about emotions or struggles or disturbing dreams. Please pray for Dad and Mom as we seek to listen and help each precious gift process through thoughts and struggles and growth. Don't forget, even though Bryan is not living with us, this has affected him as well.

We are working on many many things, building the new life God has put in front of us. Two big hurdles to cross are 1) Finding a place to rent/buy and 2) Itemizing our home's contents (this will be difficult, to say the least, as we think through specific things that are gone).

Many of you have asked, "How can we help? What do you need?" We want to say, "Everything." But that could be dangerous. We don't have that much space :), and we don't want to move it all when God provides a more permanent place. So, for now, we are sticking with just the basics to get through the next few weeks. When God provides a home for us to call "home," for whatever length of time He gives it to us, we will begin posting more specific things that will help us continue serving Him.

As always, prayer is the most needed thing. We have sensed this going on so much as we have navigated the past 3 weeks.

To God be the glory!! Hallelujah! What an AWESOME God and Savior!

Gratefully serving with you,
Bruce, Michelle, Bryan, Nate, Caleb, Kaitie, and Seth

Donations Update

We are overwhelmed with God’s goodness, care, graciousness, kindness, and generosity He is showing us through you all. We have been busy since the fire fielding phone calls, sorting through donations, and accepting people smothering us with love. So many of you are asking, “What can we do to help?” Or, “If you need anything, let us know.”

The truth is, we are just beginning to figure out what we may or may not need. As much as we dislike taking this approach we will begin posting “specific” things that will be helpful. Here are a few ideas that have already been suggested to us. We are not implying that anyone who reads this should do this. Just passing along information.

Gift cards for Walmart, Kohls, Payless Shoes, etc.
There is a savings account opened for us at The Bank of Salem, MO.
Donation page has been begun for us on Facebook. Not aware of where to locate it.
If you live in Rolla, Jim and Tina Balch have offered their home as a collection site.
Please ask sizes before bringing more clothing. We are sorting through piles of blessings right now. Some of us have more than enough blessings to wear, while others are still in need.

To each of you, Thank you! You are wonderful!

Merry Christmas

In the interest of staying off the computer and with each other tonight and tomorrow...

Merry Christmas!

It was really cold and snowing last night, and we walked around for almost an hour before this picture. We're all shivering.

We will pray at lunch today that your Christmas will be war , safe, and full of wonder of the gift of salvation offered to us.

Thank you for being our faithful firends and partners. We appreciate you.

Toothpaste and Fig Leaves

We talk throughout the year about our fellow citizens being good and kind and generous. I normally don't offer my opinion on that, like, "The heart is deceitful and desperately wicked...", or "There is no one good, no not one..."

But doesn't Black Friday tell a different, more accurate tale of who we are? When you squeeze a tube of toothpaste, do mashed potatoes come out? When you squeeze someone looking for a bargain (printed or 'five-finger') won't their toothpaste come out.

People were arrested in a local department store today. We ask, "What have we become?" This question shows our lack of understanding of biblical truth. We have not "become" selfish me-centered jerks. We have always been selfish me-centered jerks.

What we have become are people very good at disguising our toothpaste. Or could I say, covering our toothpaste with fig leaves?

Joy in Frustration

Before I jump into what I am going to write about, let me jump to the end: I have been experiencing joy today. Now, back to this morning.

Woke up tired, cold (conserving wood), slight headache. I picked up our chainsaw to try a couple more things. It hadn't cooperated all weekend, which has put us seriously behind on fire wood.

Nothing.

I called a friend who suggested I should tear apart the carb. Really? I'm no mechanic even by redneck standards. Just don't really know enjuns. But why not. I carefully tore it down, cleaned it, rebuilt it according to my careful pictures I took along the way...

Nothing.

"God, are you aware that we have very little fire wood and I want to keep my family warm?"

"Duh." Not His exact wording, but close.

So I picked up the splitting maul and began on a large pile of logs we've collected to split later. During a break, I called the same friend. He suggested a new spark plug. Really? Really? You think $2.50 will fix my problem?

I called Michelle and asked her to look for one. Then back out to the pile to split more wood. On my way out there I was overcome with peace that it's going to be ok. I asked myself, "Are YOU aware that we have very little fire wood?" I gave myself the same answer God did.

I continued splitting, enjoying the need to be outside, enjoying the brisk air, enjoying the slight snow falling, enjoying the thud of the maul in the oak.

I tell you the truth. I really don't know why I was peaceful and joyful, except that God is maybe changing me? Not sure, just that I was enjoying time.

When Michelle returned home, I grabbed my $2.50 in a box that looked much like a spark plug and proceeded to the tool shed.

"It can't be this easy, but I know God will provide." Another moment of joy filled me.

Now, please don't get me wrong. I'm not filled with joy, nor have I learned what it means to live a joy filled life. I'm simply saying, baby steps. God has allowed me to take one small step toward living in joy even when the bad keeps being bad. As our Pastor David Gidcumb recently preached, "What about when bad things stay bad?"

No, I'm still nervous about having enough fire wood, but I'm not depressed or anxious or trying to cut down trees with my pocket knife. Nope, don't have huge amounts of faith either.

Oh, wait. I have a chainsaw in my hands. Wondered why my arms were getting so tired.

So, I stepped out of the tool shop, cranked it a few times.....

and it worked! Praise the Lord. Thank you, friend, for your advice. Thank You, Jesus, that spark plugs don't cost $250! Thank you, friend of 2 years ago, for providing this trusty chainsaw for us.

And the best part? I had no more joy after the saw emitted it's throaty growl and smoke belched from the exhaust than when I was struggling with it not working.

Wait. No more joy when it worked? That's right. Circumstances aren't supposed to dictate our level of joy. That's what excited me the most. I was happy, but not more joyful. I had a worship service and thanked my Savior for providing.

Just one small step in my spiritual growth.

"... to your children's children..."

As I sit at my desk and work through my daily routine, I can hear the kids in the other room working through their school day with Michelle. Nothing new. We've been doing this for almost 16 years.

What struck me this morning was listening to Seth read from Genesis. But this wasn't for a Bible class or his personal devotions. This was for history.

I sat, pondering for a moment, what he might be reading or being taught if we chose alternative methods for our kids' education. I hear this statement, "I was home schooled but I'm going back to "real" school this year."

Really?

What about learning a reconstructed view of history is "real"? What about hearing lectures from someone other than Michelle or I makes it somehow "real"? What about learning disrespectful attitudes from other kids is "real"? I've even heard this, "I'm too advanced in my studies for my parents." Really? They are so lucky to have you on board.

Some who have chosen other methods of educating their children feel that sharing their opinions on home schooling is ok (and it is), but that my opinion is best kept to myself. The unspoken message out there is, "If you attend "real" school you are free to talk as negative as you like about all other schools, but if you don't, especially if you are home schooled, you need to just be quiet and take it. We'll let you know later if we think you are worthy of listening to." I've actually had conversations in a vehicle (hard to escape that one) during which someone told me we were not doing all that we should by educating our children at home. When I talked about the negatives of where his children were being educated (in much more than the 3 R's), the conversation was cut off.

My turn. I'd like to begin "sharing back". I don't intend to offend. You are free to not read.

What could be more real than learning history from the only book that hasn't been altered since it's original authorship? What could be more real than learning moment by moment from two adults how to process life, both the joys and the frustrations? What could be more real than learning how to respond properly to a brother or sister, all day, every day? What could be more real than learning daily how to run a home? What could be more real than spending large amounts of time as family? Didn't God create a family in the first week?

Have you seen what happens on a daily basis in "real" schools? I have. Scares me. And no, this is NOT preparing them for life. This is preparing them to be average, just like every one else.