Blessed!

This past weekend we had the privilege of getting to spend a lot of time with a lot of our close friends, culminating in hosting home group at our house last night. The kids were all wet from playing in the blowup pool, the house was full of smoke because something in the oven started burning, and it was a million degrees because it's July in Arkansas. As we all sat down together to eat dinner -some of us sprawled in the living room floor, others standing at the bar in my kitchen, and some crammed onto our couch, kids crawling all over everyone and everything, and watermelon and corn on the cob getting ground into the carpet - I almost audibly heard God speak to my heart, "This is what it's about."

Acceptance. Love. Food. Fellowship. Discipleship. Authenticity.

Raising our kids together, wanting all of God's best for our families. Being real with each other - no facades, no masks, just what-you-see-is-what-you-get. We're all messy and slightly neurotic, but we honestly love spending time together and watching our families grow together.

I praise God for bringing us to this place, this church family, these specific people to walk through life with, raise our children together, go against the status quo with. This time last year, we felt so alone and without a home church. God has been so faithful to connect us with so many families. Now we've got Christmas trips to Branson, birthday parties, and mission trips planned with these folks. We are blessed beyond words.