Saturday, July 10, 2010

Staycation

my family was throwing around some thoughts of going on a little vacation to a lake for labor day weekend ... but after thinking about it we decided that we could have just as much fun hanging out at the farm. we wouldn't have to split up like when the gals want to shop and the guys don't etc, and we could get by a bit cheaper since we wouldn't have to pay for housing (that was before the idea of t-shirts and our own personalized bags including all the supplies needed like sunscreen, bug repellent, frisbees, snacks, and whatever else we need for a fun time at the farm ... so we'll see what actually happens and if we actually save money or not). my dad was planning on tearing down our old tree house anyway so we decided to take it out and make the sandbox under it a fire pit. We also have a great place for camping ... so we'll see it might just me dad and me outside in a tent and the rest in the house (otherwise known as the "lodge"). so far i took pictures around the farm, made a brochure, and schedule of activities (including bonfires, grilling, lessons with grandma to make homemade cinnamon bread, frisbee golf, and lots of hanging out. it should be fun ... my parents and i were having fun anyway!

this is one sleeping option...
and here is another ... our windbreak makes a great campsite for tenting
my parents were pretty excited to get in on the cheesy pics!

our "treehouse" (no really in a tree, but that's what we call it) is soon to be transformed into a fire pit

it should be fun ... just hanging out with my parents, bros, sis-in-laws, aunts, and grandparents for a long weekend. it's official title is Forced Family Fun at the Chipman Family Dude Farm.

Wednesday, July 7, 2010

they're not perfect, but my heart is still involved

after a lot of thought and prayer i have decided to go back to cornerstone church. as i think about some of the reasons for leaving cornerstone in the first place 6 or so months ago i still think i will wrestle with some of them, but as i jumped into harvest i was challenged with truth that since we live in a fallen world there will be no perfect church... no matter how high my expectations are. this truth makes it hard for me not to be committed to the church that has invested in me for 5 years and where i have grown to be more attached than i once thought. where there was once bitterness and anger, there is now a longing to be involved and be praying for them and the leadership there. just because something is hard shouldn't mean i should just ditch it. i remember blogging about how i didn't want to be one of those stats of churches gaining numbers simply because people who already go to church change churches. i remember thinking that each one of those stats has a person behind it, a face, a story ... and this is mine. maybe there are times to leave, but there are times to stay as well. in both churches there are good and bad things ... the result of a place that loves Jesus, but is full of sinners. so why move from one dysfunctional family to the next? that is what i've been wrestling with and what has brought me to the decision to go back to cornerstone. part of me regrets the decision i made to leave cornerstone and go to harvest, but without jumping in with both feet to a different church how was i to learn valuable lessons of commitment and that there's no perfect church and that jumping around seeking satisfaction instead of digging deep in the problem and being part of the solution perhaps isn't the best solution? maybe it's less about finding the perfect church and more about jumping in and being the church. so if in the future while i'm still in ames i start thinking about leaving cornerstone ... you should call me up and make me sit down and think long and hard about it. not because they have it all together, but because they're my family ... and jesus is present there. if He has grace for them, how can i not?

Monday, July 5, 2010

family

so as many of my friends know i have this craving for community or family within my local church. i think the gospel births this longing, but when i went home this weekend a few of the dots were connected as i was reminded of the way i grew up in my family.

friday night ....
i picked liz up to go home with me since she had no where to go for the 4th of july
drove home (with a few detours to get across the flooded river)
finally got home
grilled, chatted, ate
our neighbor/employee borrowed our van for vacation in MN since their van broke down (and they had been working in our shop all evening)

saturday ...
got up
ran
chatted with my bro between chores
breakfast at the local coffee shop with liz, mom, and dad (where we chatted with the owner of the coffee shop, the mail man, a classmate from high school)
went to a shop and tasted lots of wine and chatted with the 8 people who own/hang out there
stopped by grandma's house to chat
hung out with my mom as she cooked lots of stuff for the festivities the next day
helped dad with some training directions for the farrowing house for a new employee
looked out the window to see small children playing on our swing set
mom and dad left for a class reunion ... so liz and i grabbed some chicken and an avocado for supper, made supper, ate supper, and watched live free or die hard

sunday ....
mom, dad, liz, and i drove to omaha to go to the church i went to when i lived there (and stopped by my aunt's house on the way there)
we ate brunch in the old market
went to my relatives house for a 40th anniversary party ... helped set up for it, chatted on the deck, took a walk around the lake, hung out with relatives i knew, met new relatives, included liz in the family pic, played frisbee with some little girls, my dad, and a pastor relative that we chatted about church planting with, packed up food to take home
watched fireworks
drove home (slept all the way home)

monday ...
woke up, ate, chatted with dad and my bro about farming stuff, chatted with mom about life and friends and facebook
helped mom make brownies for a church something something
got in on a phone call from the local feed supply place in harlan that ran short on soybean meal so asked if they could use ours and replace it tomorrow when it's not a holiday ... dad said sure
ate 1/2 a brownie ... so the pan went in with one missing
grilled, ate, thought about leaving but ....
planned a labor day family staycation instead
was going to leave around 1 but ...
my dad's cousin and his mom and granddaughter (who keeps her show sheep at our house) brought out cinnamon rolls that the granddaughter made to practice for fair ... which we had to stop everything, chat, and eat some!!
then we stopped by grandma again to chat, ended up with some brownies to take home
then we were ... on the road again

all in all a great family time!