Caden started Kindergarten today.

This is a good thing because after 2 years of preschool, he pretty much has a PhD in the alphabet.

But the house is feeling empty this morning. 

So. 

We will do some errands and beg some friends to hang out with us.

I knew I was kidding myself that sending him off wouldn’t affect me.

I will miss him.

Little one packed a lunch for himself, too!

With Mama



This is his teacher’s first year too!  I hope they all learn well together.       Hopefully I will be a little more regular on here.  I will have nap time to get some things accomplished.  I want to continue on with some lessons God has been teaching me.    But I’m also excited about all the other hats He asked me to wear.    Like spending the majority of my emotional energy on my family this summer, per my husband’s request.    Like getting to know what my almost-3-year-old is like alone.    Like leading an outreach with integrity (the Administrative hat doesn’t fit my head and my Executive pants feel a little like someone else’s…but that doesn’t mean I’m not supposed to put them on and work hard.) Speaking of the outreach, you could pray for it if you want.  I’ve had two big churches in town contact me in the last week or so interested in what we’re doing.  There seems to be a sub-committee from every group interested in combating human trafficking and I’m not certain of everyone’s angle or philosophy.  All I know is there is a right way and a wrong way to do an outreach, and I don’t want to see His people do more harm than good in the clubs.  These women don’t need pity or money thrown at them.  They don’t need people coming in trying to convert them and they definitely don’t need people trying to pull them out of the business. They need safe love with no strings attached.  They need to have sincere offers of friendship without pushing or rescuing.  They need to see God’s people living differently, but attractively.  They need to know there is Someone worth living for and a Healer worth their hearts. Our vision is for the four of us as a community to go deep in one or two places of business – and ask God to raise up communities to engage one or two places of business each, becoming an expert on that club or massage parlor or escort service.  But we’d love the training and vision of every outreach community to be unified.  Not so we can lord it over anyone, but so His Body can work together sharing resources and courage and success.   This is not something you can force on others. So there’s that.      Also.  I fell off the menu planning wagon somewhere around mid-summer.  We ate at home and hosted people and all that, but I wasn’t as diligent in making things stretch.  So I need to renew my passion for that again.     The school year routine will be good for everyone.     I like school.  I always have.      Jesus, please help our oldest like it, too.  Refine the character we’ve spent the first 6 years on through classmates and rules and taking turns.  Use the inevitable conflict to deepen his trust in You.  Begin teaching him now how to love the world without looking exactly like it.  And help him be a blessing to his teacher and classmates.   Thank You that You “hold the weight of the world, still we don’t slip through Your hands.”   You are Awe-some.