A break in the clouds

Thanks to much prayer the cold sore is in recession. I may yet reawaken it but I'm doing my darndest to keep it down.

I had a fruitful conversation with a great customer today that really saved me a lot of work. Still not all caught up but time should heal that wound. I can feel things moving smoother all the time.

The framing guy did well today, worked hard and is cool with the work schedule I proposed. I look for him to start making a big difference in '08.

Brummers remain a joy to have in the household. Ben and I continued our Jenga grudge match, I continue to trounce him. He has been close to tears but I will not let that stop me. We built a house together with the blocks after his 3rd defeat. Friendship is a guarantee.

One more day of framing; it needs to go very well. Then.... bring on the Christmas rest-fest.

Progression

We're firing on all kinds of cylinders. Some we did not know we had. Widmo continues to be busy but the light has made itself evident at the end of the tunnel. 1 huge double door and 1 small double door and 3 exterior doors by Friday. then some rest.

I was able to start training on our new employee today. His name, coincidently, is Josh. He's going to fill out paperwork tomorrow and may start working for real in January. Praise God, I need him.

Ben Brummer and I played one intense game of Jenga this afternoon. I won by a slim margin and he was rather crestfallen that we were unable to complete our rematch before dinner. He'll remind me tomorrow, I'm sure of it.

Hit it running

Nice day today. Started out on the wrong side of the bed... the sleeping-in side. I missed morning prayer but woke with enough time to get prepped and ready for the day without rushing. Kind of bittersweet.

Slow morning, not a lot of activity. Caught a mouse in the glue trap, spoke with Bud Rose, my boss, about hiring a new guy to frame, did a little gchatting and emailage.

The afternoon saw some reorganization of the warehouse by Mickey as well as a very cool conversation with a man whose last name is X. Quite the guy, we had a serious talk.

Headed to Vincent, talked with my friend Gabe about his newborn baby girl (very cool), and hit the framing hard. Polished off two doors and got set to finish the rest of 'em.

Many people for dinner. Brummers, Seitzes, and the household at two large tables. Ruthanne cooked some ridiculous spaghetti and hit the spot that I needed hit. I gave the DL on WDMO. Jeff Brummer talked a bit about his work at a hospice house. We learned that Seth may or may not have beat Carl twice at Jenga. The discussion lacked some finality.

I then headed back to the warehouse on St. Vincent where the framing occurs. I finished the custom hinge and strike preps for one door and tacked on the threshold for an exterior door that I'll need to get a 15 lite insert in tomorrow. I then organized a ton of disorganized items from super glue to hinge screws.

Praise God! I got a cold sore! I'm getting close to the end of my rope! Bring it!

Sunday Sunday

Laura Brummer's family arrived in town today. They're here to visit her and all of us and celebrate a little Christmas and do a little work. Her parents, Jeff and Dikka, are long-time members of People of Praise in Minnesota and have raised 10 kids, 6 of whom (including Laura) are now in Allendale.

We had a household meeting about all that we're planning for the next couple of weeks. Right now the household is working on creating and instituting systems by which we can sustain our life. There are so many areas of life that we want to concentrate on and so few of us to operate everything that we really need to formulate a common practice for many of the operations we need to do. Finances, food, cars and several other things are all slated for systemization.

Lord, help us do this well. Help us plan well, work with you and with each other, do what you do, the way you do it, with you.

A whole new life

A man from the neighborhood stopped by the other day. We've been helping him pay for his diabetes medication. He's been in a bad way; he can't see well, he has almost no energy, he can't work because his energy level is so low he can't stay on his feet. We are very careful with giving out money because it's such a powerful tool. Through serious conversations we've learned that his story is reliable and we've actually gone to the pharmacy with him to pick up his meds.

Unlike most folks we help out he's repaid us every time and even given us a couple small gifts in gratitude. This is totally unprecedented activity and we love to see gratitude like that blossom.

Recently, he called Nathan (the leader of our work here) to borrow some money to pay for getting his apartment room unlocked. Nathan, in telling me this, related that he wanted to help him out in this situation but that he really just wanted to give him a whole new life. The guy is half dead from diabetes, he's got no job, his apartment charges him $25 bucks when he locks his keys in, etc.

So, the guy comes over, after having gotten into his room, and he needs the money for his diabetes meds. He has his VCR with him for Nathan to hold until he pays us back (wow!). Nathan says something like, You need a whole new life and the guy says I'm getting one (again, wow!). Nathan, after 5 years in Allendale has been fed many similar lines, is a bit skeptical and asks What do you mean?

This guy explains: he's been to a doctor to talk about his diet and how he can get this disease under control. He's changed what he eats and has gained 5 pounds. He's drinking green tea with Vitamin C and not sugar (not the favored drink of the urban black male). He shows Nathan his half-empty bottle of the stuff to prove it. He's got a job offer. The world doesn't dissolve into an indistinguishable blur when he takes off his glasses. The Lord is at work!

New every morning

Hey! I'm back with another rigidly timed daily update! Right, apologies to any and all who have read any previous post and have hoped for further updates. My mind and soul have come to a kind of mellowness, at long last, so that I have not only thought about writing another entry but have actually done so.

I am now the manager of Windows, Doors and More Outlet, a building supplies store at 2119 Lakeshore Dr, Shreveport, LA 71103 (that's for all of you with Google Maps access). I left FedEx Home Delivery to take on the task of running this business. There's one basic reason for that departure: the Lord needs me at WDMO (affectionately referred to as "Widmo").

Since August, much and much has changed here on Yale St. Nathan and Genevieve Barrett have married at a world-changingly beautiful ceremony in South Bend. Mass was packed from front to back and left to right with enthusiastic friends and family of these two missionaries and celebrations across the country reverberated with the power of that weekend.

One week later, with hardly a breath drawn, I made the Covenant of the People of Praise in South Bend. I placed material, spiritual and financial possessions at the service of those with whom I made the Covenant and they did the same for me. We are a family in Christ.

And, skipping over the 24 guests for the Lord's Day after Thanksgiving, door framing training from David Zimmel, arrivals and departures of Bud and Sharon Rose, Chris Vieck, Ellen Reed, and Brian Couch, the two new useful sturdy lovely tables in the dining room of 1442, the common office with it's glass-topped tables that we made in 2 days we arrive at now.

Praise God, for his unification with us here, for his interest and involvement in our lives, for his patience and faithfulness to us, for his endurance, for his true and constant love. See you all later.