The Glory of Inconvenience

Hey all.... an update on one of our bay-bays and an intro to a couple new church folks.  First our second child, Alexandra woke up to a very sore and stiff knee.  Red/swollen and apparently what is called a mercer staph infection.  Tons of pain, but now on antibiotics, Alex is her ever ready tough girly self.  Pray for her, need to keep that yuck stuff out of the bones in her knee for now.

Meet Nicole and Landen.  "Nikki" is a new church member, well, she has been with us now for a pretty good while.  She gave me permission to share her story with you.  Coming from a very hard life and running like the rest of the world, Nikki came in to the church through recovery programs held at the church coffee shop.  Her and her boyfriend Louis were committed to coming to church and attending our small group meetings and one on one discipleship training process.  Nikki is Heather's study partner.  Soon after getting involved in the process, they wanted to join the church and are set to wed this month on the 21st.  In going through pre-marital counseling I came to understand that they were living together with 2 kids from other marriages.  I "coached" them to separate for the wedding and live a chaste life until tying the not.  I encouraged them that even if one of them was "sleepin on the couch" we as Christians need to set the standard of godliness even to an unbelieving world.... and MOVE OUT.  Nikki and Louis struggled with this much because of their finances, the kids and the challenges of living, working and churching all in different areas.  The church stepped up and offered to house them and help with childcare.  What blesses me is that the church often tells people how to live, but in reality, nobody wants to step up to the plate to BE A SOLUTION.  WOW.  How inconvenient it has been for little Landen.  Mommy Nikki sleeping on a blow up mattress for a month in a spare play room in the house.  Little Madison coming over during the day.  How inconvenient for their gas....being spent double time with double miles driven doubly daily.  How inconvenient for Heather coming off of surgery, in pain, taking Nikki to go through surgery and then having 5 kids to watch instead of 3.  How inconvenient that everyday these two kids who were solid at home got separated for a season for what? Jesus?  Some would call it super-unnecessary religious fanaticism bordering phariseeism, but as Nikki and Louis stand where shore meets sea with her girls and his boys....and we open up the Word of God on the 21st, I know that all of Heaven will be applauding.  "Way to go kids".  Both of the two will come together not perfect, but changing.  Changing values, changing attitudes and changing lifestyles.  We even know that Landen and Maddy will see a living testimony of how to value God's way of marriage.  Celebrate with me for Nikki and Louis.  A beautiful family and a clean conscience....the Glory of Inconvenience.-  Stu