Life is good

The last time we were all together

“You're the reason for every good thing, every heartbeat
Every day we get to breathe
You're the reason for anything that lasts, every second chance
Every laugh, life is so sweet
You're the reason for every good thing, every good thing
Every good thing, every good thing...” from “Every Good Thing” by The Afters

Emma came home last night and by dinner time tonight Christine and Ed both will return from their respective schools. For the first time since the middle of August we'll all be together under the same roof. I can't wait. For those three it has been a wonderful season in their lives – forming new friendships and developing ones that had began before, enjoying new experiences, participating in new fellowships of believers to worship and do life together with, and, of course, attending classes and feeling their way forward into a future that is not yet discernible to them.

Even the 'stache looks cool

Ed had another wonderful season of Cross and was part of something a tad bit historic – for the first time in recent memory UW-Superior did not finish last in the WIAC but edged out UW-River Falls at the conference meet earlier this month to take 8^th place. Being the smallest school in the entire University of Wisconsin system – only 2,700 kids! - that's something akin to the “Miracle on Ice.” To turn in his best performance yet in his young college career that day was only icing on the cake. He has found a faith family of believers at Duluth Gospel Tab just across the “high bridge” and continues to fellowship weekly with the believers who gather at Cru on the UW-S campus.

Liking the spot llight

Emma flew the nest on a hot sultry day in August and hasn't been home since. In true Emma-form, she dove into all things Bethel. She's in the Women's Choral and won a role in BU's production of Step on a Crack. It was her first “villain” role and believe me for a thespian that's big stuff (after 10 years of community theater, I finally got my first 'bad guy' role only this past summer). And of course, she was wonderful. Because of her lack of transportation, she has been bouncing between Bethel Christian Fellowship and Roseville Alliance depending on who's driving (her challenge is that she likes them both) but Vespers in Benson Great Hall is a must every Sunday night.

Inside Benson Great Hall - but Vespers doesn't look anything like this

Christine's faith-family

Life is grand

Since mid-September Christine has been a student at the Youth With A Mission Discipleship Training School near Madison. In a word, she loves it. As much as she enjoys the teaching, she has thoroughly enjoyed her classmates and bunk-mates. Nearly every day since she's been there she has posted new pictures on her Facebook page of so many of the life-moments she has been a part of while living at the campus there. Perhaps as equally important is that most Sundays she gets to worship with her grandparents and Uncle Tim and Aunt Cathy at City Church in Madison. And as a bonus she's been blessed to enjoy time with family and being a part of cousin Evan's and Uncle John's birthday parties. Life is good.

Some people think he's cute

And now the little birdies are flying in for a long Thanksgiving weekend home. I've been informed that part of our agenda will be going to Catching Fire together (someone in our family thinks Josh Hutcherson is eye candy – that would not be me.) Personally, beyond just having the house full again one of the highlights will be having Emma lead worship with Ed, the Brothers Westholm and Lynsee in support this Sunday morning. Just having them in the 'house (i.e., at Refuge) will be glorious in itself. Gosh, I'll say it again, life is good.

Parents raise their children to fly – to soar to the heights on providential thermals and to do the best they can when the winds are against them. It does my heart good to see them flying so well right now. I'm not forgetting Charlie. It's true he has been left behind but he carries on, goes to work, helps out at home and at Refuge and enjoys his shopping outings with his mom. This past summer he and I made it out to the Badlands and more importantly at long last made it to “the Four Heads” (a.k.a., Mt. Rushmore). Check that off his bucket list.

Cross it off the bucket list

All month I've been noticing how many of my friends in Facebook-world have posted fresh statuses nearly every day of things they are grateful for. And there are so many things to give thanks for, aren't there? I'm grateful for the gift of seeing my children grow and mature into the fine adults they are today. I'm grateful that they are eager to come home and spend some time with the folks and actually like and love each other. I'm grateful that twenty-seven and a half years and counting Linda still loves me even though the odds are not always in her favor for doing just this. I'm grateful for a faith-community that continues to pay my way so that I can work my craft and aspire to grow in our mutually held faith. But most importantly, I'm so grateful for God's ongoing love and work and care and provision for me through the seasons of my life. Yeah, just like the song says I'm grateful for every good thing.