Local Starbucks Supports Olivia

This morning my friend Shawn stopped by the Starbucks where Amy works. On the counter sits a whiteboard with updates of Olivia and a picture. Let me just say these baristas have been amazing—supporting her every step of the way. But an unimagined surprise also came about. The customers that Amy serves every day are going beyond the well-wishes. Some are making meals, some have brought little gifts, some are bringing flowers, and some have written cards. It has been awesome to see such genuine concern from such a wide range of people.

Thank you.

Words from the Wife

My amazing wife has a brand new blog. I have agreed not to edit as I read, which is just fine because I do too much of that as it is. She has something to offer young mothers; she has experienced hurt, she has been broken inside, she has overcome, and she is wise. I can’t tell you how many times a day she takes calls from those with twenty questions at a time. She takes it all in stride and speaks from a position of having read from the breadth of book knowledge available, and from having lived through so much already. Her gracious tone and willingness to help brings people back time and again to draw from the well of her experience.

The questions often return to the theme of raising children who are in love with God amidst the busyness of life. Too many Christians withdraw into the safety of the religious bubble: four safe walls, too little interaction with the outside world, a lack of true life-long relationships—meaning having Christian and non-Christian influences in your life and not having any fear about that, but rising to the intellectual and spiritual challenge—that encourage and challenge each thought you entertain, studying themes that have extrapolation but not interaction with anyone but other Christians, and finally justifying this lack in spiritual terms. Sorry, but you won’t be coddled by Amy (or myself) if this is your stance. We must be able to live life with all its joy and pain, its suffering and exhilaration, and still be in love with God or the Gospel is of no use. The Gospel is for all people in all cultures at all times, in history and in the future, and in every situation of life. If this is not the outcome of what you believe, what you study or how you act, then it is not the Gospel.

No amount of egocentric excuses can justify a hands-off approach to the world or to refusing to interact with those who disagree with you. This bubble is antithetical to Christianity itself. And thank God that Jesus did not take an egocentric, hands-off approach to us.

Thank God.

Which Store Was That?

I’m looking for an easy, enjoyable part-time job just to keep our family on the positive side of the bills. For the second time in as many days, my wife was talking with another woman about the transition. The chat went something like this.

“Josh is thinking about getting a small job at the Mac store.”

—“Really? That’s interesting.”

“Yeah, I’m just concerned he would buy a bunch of stuff and we wouldn’t see a dime of it on a paycheck.”

—“Why would he do that?”

“Because he likes all of their stuff. If we ever have extra money, he starts dreaming about what he can get from the Mac store.”

—“But . . . what does he do with it all?”

“He uses it. He doesn’t have much now, but if he worked there or if we had the cash he would.”

—[slight giggles] “But . . . what does he do with . . . makeup?”

“I meant the Macintosh store, not the MAC store.”

I don’t know, maybe my wife is onto a new model for a husband and wife business. We can call it “Fruit/Face,” a new Apple and makeup combo store.

Wish I Could Claim It

Amy is away for the weekend with her mom's group, which means I have the girls all to myself. It should be a great time for them. I wish I could say I came up with the idea, but how about if I just take partial credit for letting her go?

Now, let's see, what's for dinner? Waffles are easy.