stuff i think

Thanksgiving approaches....

and we're anticipating a house-full. This year 30+ will gather at our place...they are mostly (though not all) singles, and one way or another, too far from home to warrant a return trip. It will be like the first thanksgiving....mostly pilgrims and a few Indians comparing their own traditions and making new ones.. Our freezer now houses two twenty five lb turkeys (yes, that IS a lot of meat) and the table will groan for mercy when all the side dishes are set out.

I love this holiday. Perhaps because it's slightly less commercialized than Christmas...but also because I live in a state of being overwhelmed at how much God has provided for our family. Here's a partial list of the things I'm thankful for.

Dual citizenship....
We have heart parts in a number of geographic regions (Tennessee, Cincinnati, Kansas City) where God has provided us with family. We'd be in three places at once if we could. Also, the ability to rest comfortably in two faith communities - VCC and IHOP - affords us much richness. Many people live without ever feeling at home. Even fewer find home in more than one place. We love our home(s).

The Stream of Humanity...
that passes through our lives. We have met the most interesting people because God saw fit to bring them our way. I am thankful for people like Jim, my AIM cohort and Burning Man Media Mogul. We invest (some might say waste, but they'd be wrong) long conversations into such topics as classic Johnny Cash and interpretations of the book of Revelation. Also for those back in Cincinnati who are teaming with us to make this journey of intercessory missions a reality and the huge variety of folks we've met here, like Billy and Marybeth. (It always encourages Billy to see that he's made the blog....)

The Gift of Timing...
that allows us to be alive at this point in history. I've always been a history buff but I know that we're living at the most exciting time in history - at the crossroads of technology and Divine destiny. The day is coming soon when global communication will be more than a novelty - it will coordinate the actions of an army of young people intent on showing a broken world what it means to live in wholeness, and we've got a front row seat.

The Fam...
I live in a hectic household populated by Kelsey and I, my mother, and my three boys. They all - along with the steady trickle (some would say a torrent, but perspective is everything) - of visitors make my life complete. It's a joy to still be eating my mom's soup on a cold day, to make household decisions with Kelsey, the love of my life, and to watch the development of three boys destined to change the world. Revolutionaries are fun to raise. I often ask myself WWEDD? (What would Elijah's dad do?). Elijah was once a boy, just like them.

I'll probably be adding to this list all week, because I love thanksgiving...but before I go, I'll toss a few more in today: I'm thankful for Rusty and Jen. I'd go adventuring with their family any day, any time, anywhere. Lewis and Clark have nothing on Geverdt & Bohlender. I'm thankful for my VCC team. I'll miss you and 14,400 Krispy Kremes on Christmas Eve (and IHOP'rs, that's not a 'made up number..."). More to come.