1,000

On our next book bus tour, we will have been driving down those dusty, dirt roads for a year.

We have more books in our closet than we can give way.

We are talking about expanding and wondering what's next for this adventure.

We have filed articles of incorporation and are looking at filing for federal non-profit status.

For the last few weeks, I have had at least one person a week tell me they are interested in volunteering.

And we have had more than 1,000 page views. I know some people get that much traffic in a day or even in an hour, but for me...it still seems like we ought to celebrate. It is a milestone.

We might not be big. We might not have any power or money to speak of.

But...we are moving, we are thinking, and God is using what seems so little to us.

We are grateful and excited about the movement we see!

Agriculture

A couple of weeks ago I went to the Storyline Conference and heard Donald Miller say,

"The spiritual life is like agriculture, not commercialism."

And today, I read these quotes...

Oscar Romero wrote, "It helps, now and then, to step back and take the long view. The kingdom is not only beyond our efforts: it is beyond our vision. We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is the Lord's work. Nothing we do is complete, which is another way of saying that the Kingdom always lies beyond us. No sermon says all that should be said. No prayer fully expresses our faith. No confession brings perfection. No pastoral visit brings wholeness. No program accomplished the Church's mission. No set of goals and objectives includes everything. That is what we are about. We plant the seeds that one day will grow. We water seeds already planted knowing they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that affects far beyond our capabilities. We cannot do everything and there is a sense of liberation in that. This enables us to do something, and do it very, very well. It may be incomplete, but it is a beginning, a step along the way, an opportunity for the Lord's grace to enter and do the rest. We may never see the end results, but that is the difference between the Master Builder and the worker. We are workers, not master builder; ministers, not messiahs. We are prophets of a future that is not our own."

May we remember this as we plan, and write vision statements and business plans, and apply for 501c3. May we remember this as we watch families continue to disintegrate. May we remember this as we work and minister.

Could a day at the beach change the world?

Disclaimer: I am not, nor do I claim to be, the perfect parent. I screw it up as a mom all of the time. Also, for many of the parents of my students, life is so complicated and tough, that even a trip to the grocery store can be a real challenge. I'm not blaming anyone or saying if I were in their shoes I could do it differently. I am saying, "there has to be a better way, and how can I help?"


For the most part, I would say I haven't spoiled my children. I expect them to do what they are asked, to use their manners, to think for themselves, and I love each of their little steps towards independence (dressing themselves, brushing their own teeth, going up the stairs by themselves to get whatever it is they left behind). We don't buy the newest toys, we own no gaming system, and although they may have a lot of clothes, many were worn previously or picked up on the clearance rack. But...there is one way my husband and I have intentionally spoiled our children. We have spoiled them with experiences. 

We go to the library about once a week.

Both of our girls have been to Haiti.

We have taken our oldest daughter to live theater productions.

Today we went to the beach, and on the way Isaac and I talked about a trip we are planning to take to Washington D.C.

For being six and two, they've done and seen a lot.

Today when we went to the beach, we picked up rocks and shells and talked about how old they might be or how they got to the shore. We stopped to notice a rabbit hopping around the dunes. We built a sand castle and talked about how important it is to have the right mixture of water and sand. These are the same things my parents did for me, and they are things many of my friends would do with their children without even thinking. 

On the way home from the beach, my mind drifted to the dreams Teri and I talk about and the plans we are trying to make. And, I thought...here is another example of how different My children's lives are from many of the students I see every day. 

You see today was a day I could have easily taken for granted, that my children quite possibly took for granted...but for at least half of the students I see at school, it would have been an extraordinary day. 

Teri and I often say we wish parents realized how important the "little things" are. If we could somehow get parents to feed their children healthy meals, read to them every day, give them a bath, and put them to bed on time consistently; we think this would be a different world. And, then I wonder if you could add a trip to the beach or a museum every once in a while on top of that regular, basic care and attention...

I don't know of any fix. I don't know how to "make" any of that happen. I just know that if we could help a few parents learn how important these things can be, we just might change a few kids lives.

The best part

We love seeing a child's face light up when they find the perfect book, 

or they walk away with their arms filled with a few new treasures, 

or we see them at school and they have a "book bus" book with them. 

But this little girl, has just stolen our heart. 

She has been at book bus nearly every time we've made a trip over the last year.

And on Saturday, she came running to the book bus with her arms in  the air, saying,

 "I've been waiting ALL DAY for this!" 

 

And that is the best part!

Not Just Any Old Saturday

Helping JoJo choose the right book.

So excited to see some of our students!



Sharing Wisdom

Showing off her books.

Lots of customers!

Making a new friend :)

Catching up with an old one.

Saturdays can mean different things. For me it is often laundry, cleaning, or a trip to Gainesville for a little shopping. But one Saturday a month I get to ride down a few dusty roads and give out books with friends and acquaintances. I can't even describe what joy it brings to pull up to our first stop and see three or four vehicles waiting on us! We have streamlined the event. Now that we are using a trailer for our book bins there is no unloading at each stop. This has made us so efficient we have increased our stops to six within our two hour time slot. Our signs have gotten a facelift too. (I will post a picture of one next month.) Next month is our one year anniversary. It has been a busy year. Reflecting back on all that has transpired, I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve our community in such a small way. I look forward to more doors opening and I pray God will give us the strength and wisdom to boldly and gracefully walk through them.

We are too easily pleased.

"It would seem that our Lord finds our desires not too strong, but too weak. We are half-hearted creatures, fooling about with drink and sex and ambition when infinite joy is offered us, like an ignorant child who wants to go on making mud pies in a slum because he cannot imagine what is meant by the offer of a holiday at the sea. We are too easily pleased." C.S. Lewis

Isn't this so true? How often have we settled? We've settled for what we know, because it is familiar and comfortable. Like the rich, young ruler we cling to the treasures in our hands instead of trading them in for God's amazing, but unpredictable way of life.

How often do we come to God with meager requests because we don't have the faith to ask for our real dream? Or how often do we not ask because we are afraid that if God made a way for our dream to happen, we would only fail?

These are the questions I'm struggling with lately. What things am I holding onto because they are familiar and comfortable, but they are really just in the way of what God has for me? And what things has he already given me, but is still daring me to dream bigger?

As for Seeds of Grace, the articles of incorporation were mailed yesterday! I can't wait to see what God may have for us in the coming months. This is an area I'm confident about. God is definitely saying, "DREAM BIG!"

New summer schedule

I am sure Teri will be posting pictures of Book Bus from this past Saturday, but I wanted to go ahead and get the word out about our summer schedule. The Book Bus will be rolling out on...

June 16
June 30
July 14
July 28
August 11

We are looking forward to meeting new people and seeing our "regulars" even more regularly. ha.

Also, I'm hoping to start writing a little more regularly again too!

Thanks to all of you who have continued to check the blog, even though we've been mighty quiet.