Thought Book

Easter Action

2009-04-22T05:58:00.000-07:00

With the Action week complete, John Bowar and I headed up to Tipton, IN to join Nick, David and Charles for the Indy/Muncie Men's Retreat Saturday morning.

The whole week John had been leading the Action folks through a week of training and team work. We decided to ask, "what do you want to talk about?" on the first night of the trip, and we created talks and activities from the feed back. Mental toughness was of particular interest so over lunch the next day we headed to the IUPUI campus for some mental toughness training; preaching.

The guys all did great. In 3 groups of 3-4, we fanned out over the student union grounds. The first guy gave a 5 min talk on Jesus and/or began reading from the ressurection account in the Gospels. The other two followed with further ampliphed readings. My group posted up in from of the Starbucks Coffee, situated in one of the outside corners of the building. We were able to stand out on the sidewalk and yell so everyone in the building could hear. While most tried turned around or chuckled everyone heard the Gospel, and all the guys were stoked.

John gave two talks and the guys would come to him for advice throughout the week with questions that they'd been stirred by in the evening sessions. John said, "I've never been totally responsible for that many guys for that long." It was a good push.

CRS

2009-04-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Decipher note: graffiti is rarely spelled correctly. CRS (think Hebrew)

Sin

2009-04-08T05:53:00.000-07:00

After mission prayer we debrief together, sharing what the Lord revealed to us in prayer. Recently it's been sin, what it is, why it's killing us, and how the Lord is saving us from it.

In the neighborhood folks are hungry to learn about sin. "Sin is the reason your life is a living hell" comes as good news for many. Hell has become part of the wall paper; back stabbing and gossip, endless addiction and hopeless unemployment, unquenchable fears, surrounded by the lies of the Enemy. There is no way out. It is just the way life is. But we proclaim sin is killing us and God is here to save and folks repent and are glad. They hear and see God saving them changing their lives.

The only commandment folks seem to know is "thou shall not steal" and some know "thou shall not murder." We once told a guy, "look, when you sleep with your girlfriend before you are married to her, it causes all kinds of problems." He was astonished, "wow, you know you're right." He then immediately told his 4-5 friends with him and they all agreed, but as if struck for the first time by the revelation. Some replied "no one can actually do that though, right?" No one had ever told them it was wrong to commit adultery and no one had ever lived that way either. Many we meet have no men in their entire family, because of this. Kids without commitment.

"Look, God says that when we commit these things we deserve death," we point out, "and that isn't a statement of how terrible God is but how terrible sin is." In a world where Satan wants us blind to our sin that he may kill us, southsiders rejoice in the 10 Commandments and repent.

Humiliations

2009-04-02T05:45:00.000-07:00

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As Mary and I approached Union and Palmer, where the Corner Store is, 6 guys came around the corner. It was Lenny (name changed) and his crew. We'd met Lenny the first summer with some similar folks. I think he said something like, "I'm Satan" "or "I follow Satan" after showing us the tattoo of our Enemy under his arm.

He'd been in and out of prison since and this last week he'd just been released again. "Man, every time I get out of prison Nick shows up. I wonder if it's some kind of sign?" he had said last week.

"Hey, Lenny. What's new," I shouted. The whole group slowly blows by some on the side walk others in the street. Lenny comes up to shake my hand. "Surviving," he says with a shrug. I tried engaging them on sin. It didn't seem to sink in, but they all stopped walking, turned around a listened for a bit. One guy also named Lenny, turned out to be Lenny's dad. Picked up on my religious talk. Thinner guy wearing sun glasses and walking a pit bull. "You got be like Jesus," he told me and explained.

After trying to get a few words in, I realized it didn't matter what I said. As we turned our way, my chest tightened and burned. Prayer had been hard that day, and nothing we said seemed to matter. Humiliating. It was a wonderful moment of friendship with the Lord.

Debris Castle

2009-01-23T14:52:00.000-08:00

Every month, we spend a few days on retreat, it's a time for extended prayer, catching up on sleep, and a little relaxing. John Bowar, David Zimmel, Nick Holovaty and I were at the Coleman's cabin in New Castle, IN.

David and I found this tree that fell on another tree, breaking it off at 9 ft or so, and resting on the still standing trunk. We gathered logs with John and Nick to create a skeleton for a debris fort.

New Year

2009-01-07T05:41:00.000-08:00

Ah yes, another Company Convention. Complete with talks, PT and even Beastie Boys Bachelor Party (and Manchos); in short, delightful. The 26 guys spent Dec 31-Jan 3 together, one of our longest Conventions to date, we helped with the Bachelor Party, Rehearsal Dinner and Reception for one of the founding members of the Company, Sean Connelly.

JT shared about the early days in Campus Fellowship when Sean first brought the Revolution after reading Kerry Koller's Revolution Talk. He said it really hit himself and a few others still with us and even in the room. Sean's commitment to recruitment yielded much of the people leading citybuilding today, who in turn recruited most everyone else. It became clear to me Sean Connelly is to be held responsible for this Revolution, Praise GOD.

To all Company guys: our water heater exploded the day we got back to Indy and John and I were totally "on call" to get the job done. We rigged up a funnel and old piece of tubing I use for cars and tied with some yarn we borrowed to the pressure release valve seen above spewing water into a tupperware. Between hauling the tupperware out the basement as it filled up, John and I shoveled pooling water into cleaning buckets using dust pans. Total clean up time: 30 min.

Picture this

2008-09-22T07:40:00.001-07:00

Johno was looking for some shot of life here in Indy, so I thought I'd start trying to capture it. These are some places and times of importance here in Indy and I hope to be grabbing more as we go.

The guys gather each morning to do morning prayer. We've been using a prayer book to guide us through the Psalms.

Each morning we have physical training too. This is a shot of the shoe rack and where the towels hang. It's kind of like 'our common life' in a snapshot.
Melissa and John begin grappling with the challenge of thinking about making breakfast. This happens late in the morning after personal admin so we can carry out our common work the rest of the day. Breakfast is where a lot of what happened yesterday is shared and today's plans are unveiled.

Here Brian works on some housing work. We're renting 2 places here on the Southside and just bought our first.
At this point prayer for missionary work begins. We don't have a script so each day the Lord gives us something in prayer to talk about. Atlas's and maps have become key to meditation and prayer research, good for background and piecing together what it was like 2000 years ago.

Here David and Ellen work on finances. Our finance guru Molly (code name Mary) Seale recently moved to South Bend so David and Ellen now watch the money.

BBQ Today, Prayer Meetings Tomorrow

2008-08-23T06:35:00.001-07:00

Today in Indy we are mobilizing for a BBQ and 3 prayer meetings tomorrow (Union St, New Jersey St and East Fountain Square). Keep us in your prayers.

What's New (8/03/09)

2008-08-03T08:55:00.000-07:00

In Indy, this last weekend was nuts.

2008-06-23T08:04:00.001-07:00

Friday fast day ended with a neighborhood BBQ. While some folks came and left all through event, the majority of folks were there from 6:30 to 9ish when we had to call it quits. We estimated 150 folks at one time. And 400 some servings were consumed.

Along with neighbors we had the Sisterhood from South Bend down. They did some mission work with us and headed up a crew of women that met with some leaders among the neighborhood girls. The neighborhood girls decided they wanted to sleep over with the gals and form a neighborhood choir.

Also, from South Bend were the CSI guys. The Company is currently training a solid group of young men to be deployable for where God is working. While they were gutting 1435 this weekend (check out video), Charles Chow and I thought we'd round up some boys to work with them. What started as 4 turned into 9 plus a 20 year old, Mark, from the neighborhood. We all tore out brush and pilled it in the back of 1435 and our duplex across the street, before having a talk about being Sons of Our Father and breaking for snack.

And some 9th grade girls with Kathy Gleason topped off the visitors list.

A few more straggled in later that night and we had Lord's Day for 50 on Saturday. Complete with Birthday honorings for Nick Holovaty and Ray Gonzalez. J-T narrated the Judges story of Ehud and Eglon (Judges 3:12) while David Z (pictured here) and I acted it out...can you guess who was Eglon?

Finally, Sunday ended with a lot of goodbyes as we wrapped up our Southside meeting, with a new record of 67 folks. It was a devastatingly exciting weekend.

Don't Stop the Little Children

2008-06-10T08:44:00.000-07:00

On the porch sat 5 mid-aged men and women, beers in hand. We had already been walking around for a few hours. "That's the house where Abe told some stories," one of us pointed out as we walked by, so crossed the street and stood at the side-yard fence.

"We're some more missionaries," I said, and quickly one of the louder guys turns and yells into the house, "hey, get out here, there's some missionaries here for ya." The parents explained that what we were going to tell them was very important, and asked us into the yard. "Can we turn down the music?" One of the kids suggested we all go into the front yard, and began leading the 6-7 kids in that direction, leaving the grown-ups to their grown-up things.

They'd already heard some stories from Abe and Ellen, and now wanted more. John told them about raising the widow's son and I told them about Easter. They got excited, while one boy asked if it was true. We taught them how to pray and about reading the Bible and gave them the ones we had.

Next day, we return to check with their mother, if we could use their yard that weekend. She assured us and we made to leave, but the kids found out we were there and burst out the door demanding they know more stories. Other kids we hadn't met before came out too, now 7-8 kids stood on the porch. "Each of you should tell us a story. You, you start." Each of us told a story. We also taught them the Lord's Prayer and even did a skit with them about raising Lazarus. They wanted Bibles for their new friends, but we said we'd have to get more. It took a while to pull ourselves out of there, but what started as an errand became another chance for God's Kingdom to break out.

This has been happening all over the southside. Children and the simple come out with ears to hear, asking us for more stories of Jesus and to teach them. There is a growing kid army here who are coming to know the Lord even in the midst of a culture with 'more grown-up' things to do.

Sweet Video Awesomeness

2008-06-07T20:59:00.001-07:00

I just recently figured out some video stuff. In the sidebar you'll see My Youtube and Indy Summer. My Youtube is friends youtube videos I find and add to the playlist. To scroll through just click the left or right arrows on either side of the video box. Indy Summer is series of home videos being filmed here in Indy this summer for our brothers and sisters in the People of Praise. They are our way of sharing life with the rest of the community. The most current one will be up under Indy Summer, but I invite anyone interested to view the rest. Check out other Indy Summer videos.

It Begins

2008-06-02T18:47:00.000-07:00

June has arrived and another summer of mission work begins (check out video).

We will be splitting our time between praying and preaching, or talking with the Lord and talking with others. Time to eat and sleep if necessary.

We are two households in Indianapolis with 21 folks and another 2 on the way. I live on the Southside in 1815. We split the household here between 1815 and the duplex next door. People get ready.

Morale is high and the Holy Spirit is moving. We had orientation talks last week and are in our first week of mission work. Pray for us. More mission each day/more days per week this summer means more challenge and more excitement. Going out to do mission for longer, just as praying for longer, the Lord brings up bigger things or at least longer things. I remember last summer bumping into folks that needed more from the Lord or had a lot of stuff to work through when we'd go out for longer chunks of time, and 2-3hrs of prayer always yield new thoughts/work with the Lord. He plans with our plans in mind.

This last week has been a real grace. I always feel a little nauseous before going out and last year it was a fairly constant source of anxiety. You just had to say, 'I feel like vomiting. My King has work to do. I'm not stopping.' You punch through it. Nick, talks about last year feeling this way and having to do some traveling which meant a break from mission. No mission meant no distress, but after awhile he also realized that in the really tough moments the Lord had showed up in power. He returned to mission with a new hunger for it. "Yeah, it's rough, but Our Lord is pouring Himself out on the streets and I want to be with Him." This last week the Lord has been revealing how much He yearns to find the lost and I've found myself a little more moved to go out with Him. Praise be to God.

New Stadium, new fan

2008-05-02T06:22:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, while at Lockfield Village Bob was telling me about how much he wants to see an Indianapolis Colts game, especially now with the new stadium almost done. We were sitting with the smokers in a bus-stop-like shelter behind Lockfield. It was 70's and sunny out.

After a while, he told me about a time in his life when he was "going to fast." He got his neck broke because of the life he was choosing. He said while in the hospital, "God was trying to tell me I needed to slow down." While recovering he read Smith Wigglesworth and John Lake, two amazing men following Jesus who had healing ministries.

"One time Wigglesworth laid his hands over a boy's throat that had a hole so he could breath, and not only did he not need the hole anymore, but it healed up right before everyone's eyes. I thought to myself, 'if God can heal them he can heal me.' So I started praying and I was healed."

That's amazing. He said that when he got out he didn't slow down enough and found himself in the hospital again, with a broken neck again. "I don't think I've heard of someone breaking their neck twice," he added. "But that's why I'm in this chair now."

"God is merciful," I said, "do you want to pray again. Right now?" He told me what he needs is to walk again. He's been in there for a couple years and while his right leg is making slow progress he cannot move anything below his left hip. We put our hands on it and prayed. "Lord you make millions of legs everyday, you've got authority over this one. Be healed."

His toes moved. Fred freaked out. We praised God for His wonderful power and mercy. "Bob, you're going to walk to that Colts game." Bob has renewed hope. Jesus saves and He never gives up. Alleluia.

Wandering Day

2008-04-30T12:12:00.000-07:00

Relationships are built on decisions. Decisions made for the other person, for the friendship. It's best illustrated in the question, "well, (insert friend's name here) what do want to do?" It might be a movie, a road trip or taking over the world each night (as was the case of a rodent duo in the best cartoon ever).

In our friendship with God it's the same way. Decisions build the friendship. I however, do not experience a wealth of helpful ideas regularly forming on the surface of the standing water that is my imagination. It's one thing to make decisions for a friendship, another to have ideas on which to decide.

Cool side note for fellow pools of swamp water: delight in your friend. Find ways to delight in them. Ideas flow. The Lord pointed this out to me some weeks ago as I was asking Him about this problem. He brought up J-T, a fellow housemate. J-T gave me his wallet when he heard I was organizing my life. He burns me the best mixes I've ever heard. Sends comics my way he knows I'll love. The Lord pointed out how delighted J-T is in me. Delight in your friend, ideas follow.

My wandering day of mission bubbled up as I've been hunting for my delight in the Lord. Check it out.

I packed New Testaments and food for IUPUI folks, the shakers who shake their coin jars on the corners in downtown and the southside folks.

Ahh, the UC. It was beautiful out and many students sit outside instead of in the buildings, helpful. I got to speak with a bunch of folks about the Kingdom of God and prayed with some folks.

Downtown was the most joyful. stopped first to meet Ralph and Aman. We sat down and talked for a while, at one point we all stopped to read everyone in ear shot the Good News. The 4 of us Ralph and Aman, Hannah and I were together for about 1/2 hr before we met Don and Don (see above) and Ken Williams (see right). Don and Don were a father and son pair out riding their bikes. Former travelers with the circus, the father now has an apartment and the son is working construction. Ken was a preacher "without a place to lay his head." We stayed awhile with Ken swapping scripture and sharing stories.

We then headed south to the Southside, where we were just in time to meet up with Dalton and his family.

Oh yeah, new post

2008-04-23T12:22:00.000-07:00

This last weekend I spent in Albuquerque, New Mexico with Abe, Brian. Brian's brothers Sean and Patrick were celebrating their collective birthdays and Brian's dad works out in NM, so they invited us and the Ganther guys out; Jim, and his two sons Tim and John.

Upon arrival we began with a little basketball - short hoop. And it quickly devolved into "dunk contests."

Afterward we toured the Eclipse jet factory where Brian Sr works and headed up the Sandias Mountains - amazing.

It took awhile to get up to the top.

We ended up getting to see a lot of Albuquerque and even visited Santa Fe, also hiked mountains there, also amazing.

As I walked up the side of the very large rock in Santa Fe, I was struck that I often get to experience my friends' creations: music, paintings, style of decor, etc. It is not often I get to walk in, see, hear and breath my Friend's creation.

You can take him out of the South...

2008-03-05T12:57:00.001-08:00

We're here in Louisiana until Friday morning, and we just arrived having spent last week in Minneapolis and the last couple days in Arkansas at house a friend loaned us.

Seeing Dinkytown again was a lot of fun and I got to catch up on the news. There is a new way food is done in Dtown where once a week a team goes shopping for the whole division and then each section (there are 4: Missionary, Management Information Systems, Finance, and Action) goes shopping in the basement of one of the houses where food is stocked.

Friday night John Fidler organized some folks, it was a real joy to see those folks; most of whom I hadn't seen in years.

In Arkansas Mike, Abe and I met Nick, Brian and Nathan, for a couple days of prayer and brainstorming.

And now we're here in Allendale. And Brian is home...

Visiting

2008-02-25T16:53:00.000-08:00

Hospitality has been on the Lord's mind. Here in Indy we just received 10 members of the Kane family, and 9 Northern Virgina folks with a few from South Bend people. With the NoVA folks came a 26 foot moving truck filled to the ceiling with their furniture, dishes, appliances and everything else we might need to run a 'center of hospitality' consisting of about 4 houses.

Come and see (let us know, but come and see). We've got beds being made and the rice cooker is hot. The Lord is working hard here in Indy and He's made room for anyone who wants to come and see.

Also, last Saturday we put on a Pentecost Seminar here in Indy and prayed with some folks for the Holy Spirit. It was a real joy to do, because the Lord and I have been talking about teaching. I asked the Lord for a new gift of teaching and a few days later was asked to speak with a group of high schoolers in South Bend and give a talk at the Pentecost Seminar.

Last Friday Brian, Mary, Ellen and I drove up to South Bend to talk about what the Lord is doing in college. Ten high schoolers attended and we shared stories from college, saw a video that Dinkytown Division made (it was amazing) and had a prayer meeting.

Then the next day (last Sat) I had the honor of giving the 2nd talk on what God is doing in our world today.

Going to MN

2008-02-19T11:21:00.000-08:00

Abe and I will be headed up to Minnesota next week. Driving up Tuesday, the 26th, and returning on Sunday (click on the week tab at top-right corner of calendar then scroll if needed using arrows at top-left for better view). I thought I'd post my calendar to help coordinate meetings. I'll change it as it fills out, give me a call/email if a time works.

Stopped

2007-12-03T19:03:00.000-08:00

A couple days later Ellen, Dan and I are the only missionaries, we make our way up the steps and through the glass doors of the UC.

I'd received a word to preach. God wanted us to tell students He's forming a people who love Him here at IUPUI, but today an amplified student with a guitar reigned over the din of the UC lunchroom that sat strangely vacant.

"You could just ask to have his mic," Ellen suggests. I really wished I'd at least asked, but instead we left. We headed across the quad, entering the the hotel food court. Often we'd find individual/small groups of folks, but today we would attempt our first hotel preaching.

Pushing through the doors, we entered the food court. I instantly realized how much louder and larger this room was. Extending back it will hold 3-400 students at a time and with much higher ceilings and lots of concrete, sound echoes off the walls. Long lines had already began bisecting the room snaking between packed tables and structural columns.

Dan, Ellen and I positioned ourselves to the side of the lines so that as many folks as possible could see and hear. "Good afternoon everyone," our welcome echoed down to the end of the long room and returned. All heads stopped and with a motion almost audible, turned to see what was happening.

I had been talking now for about 2 minutes about how love calls us to do some crazy things when out of the hotel this 220 lbs 45 year old man in a suit complete with clear ear bud enters the room. Seeing us he turns and starts heading straight for us. I notice him. Usually when we are asked to stop the person stands off to the side, but those were students and in the UC. He walks right up to me and stops directly in front of me and in a voice lower than even Dan or Ellen could hear he commands me to stop and come with him.

"Just a minute I'm almost done, sir," I reply," SO LOVE CAN MAKE US DO CRAZY THINGS," I shout over his shoulder.
"No. You will stop and come with me. Now." It was final.
"Alright," I tell him and again shouting over his shoulder," GOD BLESS Y'ALL, WE'LL BE RIGHT BACK." I tell the court and head
outside.

He takes our names, tells us we cannot proselytize in there, and was really a nice guy about it. We'd been standing in front of a glass wall and in view of the whole food court. As we're conversing, a student emerges to inform our detainer that she really likes what we do and has heard us a few times. She really doesn't want us to get in any trouble, she tells him.

Dan and I glance at one another, mouths agap. No student has yet defended us, this is really remarkable. But the hotel manager assures her we are in no trouble and will only receive a warning.

Thank You Lord

2007-12-01T21:07:00.000-08:00

As I walk through the University lunchroom I pray 'Lord, who do you want me to talk to,' under my breath. A pair of guys at the end of the table closest to the cashier caught my eye. The word this afternoon about the resurrection came to mind, so leading with "have you guys ever heard of the resurrection" we were off.

"OH! I do NOT want to hear about this!" Guy number 1 replies. Number 2 nods.

"Well, alright. I'll leave y'all alone," I assure," but sometimes the Lord wants to tell us stuff even when we don't want to hear it." I pause, asking the Lord for any words.

"YOU NEED TO RESPECT THEM," this 30-something guy begins demands. "STOP FORCING PEOPLE TO BELIEVE WHAT YOU THINK. YOU'RE FORCING YOUR BELIEFS ON PEOPLE," now finished packing he gathers his pack and marches in my direction still yelling.

A little taken aback, I try to explain that I can't force anyone to believe anything and that these two are free to believe what they will. His shouting only escalates, but he soon decides he's repeated himself enough and stomps off. A dissonant silence resumes. Watching from their lunches, students picked up their pizzas again. "Well, God bless y'all," I say to the silent two. I depart.

I sat down with Park next. He's a graduate student from Japan and unfamiliar with the Gospel. Honest and transparent he permits me to sit and share the Good News with him. Meanwhile, the two and my accuser have regrouped, but I try to ignore it as Park asks about what Jesus preached.

"So, Jesus said that the Kingdom of -"
"What's your name?," said the accuser now standing beside us.
"I'm Rus. How about you?" I replied.
"NO. What's your full name?!" he demanded, yanking a paper out of his pocket.
"I'm Russell Lyons. Two s's, two l's. L-y-o-n-s." He scribbles this down and again marches off, my "God Bless" on his heals.

Park and I finish up with little progress and this concludes another day in the UC.

Get a Job...

2007-10-11T20:18:00.000-07:00

Thought I'd post a bit on employment here in Indianapolis. Give us today our daily bread, we're taking as relying on the Lord for our day-to-day items. Namely our bread, and beans. We've decided 'tent making' to pay some our expenses is important to our missionary way of life.

Hence Substitute teaching...

However, others are involved in nursing, waitressing tables, sub-contracting, teaching dance and voice lessons, mowing lawns, nannying and I stuffed envelopes for a while.

Mary and Naomi went to St Marys and U of Portland for nursing and took their Boards at the end of the summer. After passing and applying for jobs they now both work for IU Hospital. Naomi in an Oncology Unit and Mary in a Bone Marrow Transplant Unit.

We've all been brainstorming how to make this work with missionary schedules. We want to be free to spend as much time as we'd like doing mission work and so decided to work 10 hrs/week (except the RNs who have full-time jobs). However, we also figured we'd need jobs that pay about $12/hr. Which got us thinking what can we offer.

Ellen is teaching dance and had her first class today. She's working with her former dance teacher from Servant Branch to formulate a lesson plan and working with Indy branch kids. Molly just got a job at a local private school teaching choir classes. Apparently there were only 2 students signed up for the class initially, but when one of the gals in the branch who attends this school realized Molly was teaching rounded up her friends and assembled 15 students to give up lunch time for choir class with Molly. Praise God.

Hannah and I have both been doing substitute teaching, though we now have better paying jobs and are looking at other options. Hannah waitresses at Bistro Chopstix downtown and I sub-contract for Carl Horlander, member of the branch.

I just ended work at a Direct Mailing company, Proto-Type - stuffing envelops and helping to reorganize the warehouse, though I still cut the lawn (which I'll be doing tomorrow morning). It was great, I could get up and get to work at 6AM, by walking across the street and they'd break at 7:30 so I'd still get to eat breakfast back with the household. Here you can see the blue warehouse from my desk. Amazing glimpse into life in the Kingdom.

Ah, and I must finally inform that the beard has been downsized. I could no longer afford to pay it's salary and was forced to let it go.

Mr. Lyons

2007-10-03T19:17:00.000-07:00

INDIANAPOLIS - At approximately 8:30AM one Russell Lyons recieved a phone call from Kelly Services requesting his person report to an area middle/high school for a emergency substitute job.

Upon arrival he was handed a list of class times and shown his room. "We told him he'd be the music teacher for the day and that the previous teacher had been let go over weekend with a few others due to budgetary concerns," said the Assistant Principle.

"I was informed there would be no lesson plan for the day and then shown my classroom, which is more commonly known as the bilingual room," Mr. Lyons said. What ensued was 7 hours of the most intense chaos he said he'd ever experienced.

After discovering the instruments in the back room half way through the first class, it wasn't long before fat beats and trumpet blasts could be heard throughout. A hall monitor put down this operation and Mr. Lyons turned to a rhythym-based curriculm featuring clapping circles, pencils on tables/chairs, stomping and beat-boxing.

"I gotta say it was just what ever I could do to keep them from yelling at each other and running out of the room to 'go to the bathroom.'" At one point the 8th grade class was told they'd be realised 5 minutes early if 3 students could recite the subject matter - "Henie ma tovue." They did and he did, for which a swift reprimand was recieved by all.

But the final bell rang and with bone-deep fatigue Mr. Lyons plopped his report in the office, gathered up his belongings and piled into the car to return home by nearly 4PM.

Another day making-tents brings new levels of exhaustion and great piles of joy.

Today

2007-09-21T18:50:00.000-07:00

Hey Tom, liked your post. It brought a lot of light. So, here's a snap shot of the Indy life.

Today was a little different. It's Friday, which is usually our day off, but 3 guys Justin, Joe and Zach came down with Walt Seale for the weekend. They got in late last night so we had a late start.

10:00 Do some personal prayer down stairs in common office - all rooms full up

10:30 Coffee happens with household. I just get up and walk across porch to over side.

11:00 Chores: Joe mows side-field (God bless him)

12:00 NoVA guys and I head to IUPUI for tour of hotel, UC, the quad, library, etc. Talk about what it's like to preach right where stand to do it in UC. End up under shade trees in hotel courtyard about how to start a conversation.

1:30 Return early. Abe picks us up, and we get back with enough time for Justin and I to talk a walk. Solid senior, I think God's got some plans. Upon return we figure out the Iliad and Martin Luther before dinner.

2:30 Dinner! Praise God. Women have packed and will leave directly for Women's Retreat, but we all eat Hannah egg salad sandwiches on donated Panera (God be praised) and Loughrin cookies and Ellen's carrot cake with cream cheese frosting. Amazing.

3:50 Abe and I - dishes.

4:15 Head to Southside for evening o' mission.

4:30 Hour of mission prayer. I was talking with Holy Spirit about our future and wanted to set higher expectations. We talked about Paul's imprisonments and His directness of communication through visions.

5:30 Zach and I head hit the streets. Meet some new and old folks. Repentance and the book of Acts was a part of conversation today. Zach preached Paul's first vision to a few people (as that's what he got in the hour of mission prayer).

8:00 Missionaries gather from all the corners of the Southside for quick debrief before headed back.

8:45 Night ends with more cookies from the Loughrins - thank you Jesus - and we sit and tell stories from the day. It was really wonderful. John and Justin prayed with a Vet for his girlfriend who's in the hospital. She called a few minutes later just to say she was feeling quite better. WOW. And we end with evening prayer. Abrazos all around.

Tomorrow I'm getting up for 4 miler with Joe at 6:00, we'll all pray at 6:30, then breakfast and painting all day. This will be payment for staying in house on Southside until December. Lord's Day dinner with all guys in Indy branch at Center.

What a life the Lord lives.

The Hippie Grows a Beard

2007-09-01T09:39:00.000-07:00

The summer gone, and a new semester ahead calls for a new introduction to Indy 2.0 and quick update on news.

During the summer of 06 I took a Philosophy class on the Southern planes of Minnesota. We lived on a farm, cooked our own food, lived with our classmates. I picked up book binding in some free time there, and have recently been able to restore two books; my own Christian Community Bible and Ruth's Grandmother's Bible which had lost it's cover, the spine and was in the process of shedding pages. All were able to be restored and it looks/feels like a usable book again.

In putting these books back together it struck me how I'd never really cared that much about a book before and how easy it was to just purchase another. But now what was manfactured - probably by massive sewing/glueing/cutting machines is a new creation. Instead of one more uniform product spat from the mouth of factory half way around the world, its someone's. This got me to thinking on clothes, furniture, and food - how we in the People of Praise are a people and how the pots and pans, the books and tables of different culture are wrapped up in who they are, what they're about, and how they live. Some day we might have our own architecture or form or communication. What does the People of Praise style/genre/worldview/lens look like in the normal, the everyday?

This last week we completed our move from 1444 Rembrandt into the Duplex across the street. We had been renting the Rembrandt house for these last 8 or so months and now our contract has come to an end. Looking from front, the guys have right-side, women have the left. Upstairs are private, 1st and basement floors are common. As you walk in to the guys side from our wide-shared porch you have to walk through the office, then our common study to get up the stairs to stuff rooms and sleeping floor-space. Right now the guys kitchen, which is behind the stairway is torn up, awaiting some more work.

The gals got the common living room, dinning room and soon-to-be incredible kitchen. The two sides' floor plans are laid out as mirror images.

And speaking of mirror:

Shalom.

photos by Mary Seale