TROPICAL STORM PARTY!!

Last night as what was left of Ivan came through, we gathered in the den for a tropical storm party. The whole family (me, DH and three little munchkins age 7, 4 and 3) had cookies and watched Star Wars. Episode 4, mind you, the original. It's probably the 20 something time I've seen it. As we watched, DH and I kept announcing that a classic line was coming up. For example,

Han Solo - "Hoky religions and ancient weapons don't substitute for a good blaster at your side."
Luke Skywalker - "I'm Luke Skywalker, I'm here to rescue you."
Princess Leia - "Would somebody get this big walking carpet out of my way?"
Darth Vader - "I find your lack of faith disturbing."

I know there are more but I just can't think of them. Anyway, we had hoped to all sleep downstairs just in case the wind was really bad but it died down and DH and the 4 year old went to sleep upstairs. My oldest and youngest wanted to sleep downstairs though on the air mattresses and in the tent we had put up. So I ended up sleeping in the tent with my 3 year old daughter on an air mattress. Well, I wouldn't call it sleep though, more like tossing and turning. She kept draping her arms and legs on me and I could never get comfortable. Then I woke up at 6 to take a shower and she woke up and realized I wasn't there and started to cry. Poor thing.

Anyway, the aftermath wasn't as bad in our yard as it was with Frances. No big pine limbs in our backyard, thank God.



PURPOSE DRIVEN POST

Hey, do you think I need to pay Rick Warren for using this as my header? LOL

I've gotten through about 19 chapters of the book and have heard two sermons and been to one homegroup concerning the material. For all my previous annoyances with the book the principles are pretty sound. Right now we're on the part about being formed for God's family. His point is that the church is an important institution that should be loved and guarded. His points about fellowship have really hit home for me though. He says that being in a small group is vitally important for your growth. I have been in small groups the majority of my Christian life, that being almost 13 years now. I have experienced growth in these groups but I have always felt like the odd man out in most of them. For the past 10 years this has been the case. It always seems that the others in the group develop the intimate friendships that I so desperately desire. I never feel like "kindred spirits" with anyone. I never feel like-minded with most if not all of them. That's why the HSC and those up there in Bristol have so captured my imagination. I so agree with their decisions not to have programs and small group ministries. Sometimes I think these things produce a false superficial community but make you think that you're really relating to people. But as I read all the "one another" verses in the NT I realize that I don't have the kind of intimate relationships that allow you to practice those verses. We're in a Sunday school class that's pretty small but it doesn't allow for the type of relationships he's talking about in the book. I have always struggled with this and I really don't know what to do except pray. The homegroup we're in only lasts for six weeks and those in our homegroup are not in our Sunday school class. We wanted to get in a group with people from there but only a few were committing to it.
I think this is where the folks at HSC are right on. They fellowship with each other in one another's homes. They are intentional about their motto - Simple, Separate, Deliberate. I either haven't worked hard enough on relationships or haven't found those like minded families yet. There's probably one family I've met in our church who homeschools, doesn't use birth control and is fairly Reformed - but they live about 40 minutes away on the other side of Atlanta. Hey, if any of you out there who read this blog know of a family like this in the metro Atlanta area please let us know.

By the way, I realized that you probably can't find my email from this blog. It's beattym@bellsouth.net. Please email me if you read this blog. I'd sure like some encouragement and practical technical help with the layout of this blog.

Thanks