Quickly Approaching

Greetings! To everyone who has been toying (pardon the pun) with the idea of getting involved with our Christmas party and toy drive this year, the time has come. There are still tons of kids and families to get presents for, and we could use everyone's help. Tell your friends and neighbors and church members and coworkers and anyone else you can think. We need to know by Friday, Dec. 10, how much you want to donate and whether you want to send money for us to shop or if you want to receive information about kids and families for whom you can then shop yourself!

Thank you so much for helping out with this! God is doing great things, and so many new relationships are springing out of this experience.

The Joy of a Life with Children

Today started out in a really challenging way. I spent the morning trying really hard to focus on God’s word in John 3, but for some reason, I just couldn’t seem to get my mind around a lot of it. The more I tried to grasp at it, the farther away from the Lord’s presence I felt. I even tried walking around ACU’s Lunsford Trail while worshiping and praying. Even though it reminded me of a different side of God I hadn’t experienced in a while, ultimately, I was just begging god to help me feel valued, connected and loved.

Fortunately, Jesus granted me the desire of my heart, very shortly after. Initially, that prayer was answered when I got invited to spend some time with Merissa Marlof, a close friend who God’s been drawing my heart deeper and closer to, recently. Later, though, God started answering my prayer in a very different way.

After hanging out with me, Merissa drops me off at Allelon Community’s house, and I’m telling you guys, pure joy awaited me within the walls of this house. Within a split second of my opening the door to the house, Ana and Donavon yell my name at the top of their lungs, leave everything behind and start jumping on me, clinging to me like their lives depended on it. Ana was so stinking excited to see me that she made me feel like the most valuable person on this planet. As soon as she was done hugging me, loving on me and telling me how happy she was to be with me, she passionately launched into explaining to me her and Kristen’s exciting plans to go into the woods and “hunt horses”. Even though there were going to be many colors, she explained, her favorite was going to be the big white one. She absolutely insisted that I join her and Kristen on this wild escapade of theirs. As it turned out, Kristen couldn’t make it, but Wes and Donavon joined Ana and I in trudging down the well worn pathway behind the house, through the field of tall, dead plants. Even though I was excited to see the older guys and girls in the community, my mind and heart were truly sold out to loving and focusing on these children. Between “watching out” for snakes, protecting ourselves with sticks, having Ana lead us all to the horses, desperately trying to calm the kids down so that they wouldn’t run down the hill at 60 mph, singing “old MacDonald,” looking for Ana and Donavon as they pretended to blend in and become one with the shrubs, and finally, hunting imaginary rabbits, Wes and I were trying to love on them and teach these two precious children about what it meant to be obedient and loving, what it looked like to be a noble leader (since Ana was our leader) and what it looked like to look out for each other. Even though we never found the horses or got to hunt them (thankfully), we all had so much fun.

Honestly, it was the highlight of my entire weekend. There’s something about being loved on by children that allows me to feel more joy and affection than I could ever try to relay. One of the things I love most about being a part of the Allelon Community is that I always get to observe the older members of the community handle children, discipline them in the way of the Lord, love them genuinely and teach them wisely. If I am super lucky, I get to sit back and intently observe how the boys try to love and correct crazy Donovan as he runs wild, and actually succeed in doing it, through raising him in the love and wisdom of the lord. My heart really soars, though, when I then get a chance to model what I learn, through getting to handle the children and deal with their mistake or weaknesses, and succeed in showing them love while teaching them about respect and obedience.

If you have any idea what the house is usually like, you’d know that I get that chance a lot, since there are almost always children over there. I’m not a pro at bringing children up, but I am receiving a tremendous amount of joy and love through succeeding at playing with the kids and having them enjoy their time with me, through succeeding at holding them and showing them that I love them, through watching them actually do what I say without any anger or frustration entering the situation and, most of all, through watching them model Christ through their every day actions. For example, I got to see Donavon trying to share his little bit of lunch with Cody Terry today – it is most definitely an image that will linger in my mind for a long time. It’s during times like these, when I get to see the kingdom of God manifest itself within the lives of little ones, that I cannot help but give honor and praise and Glory to our lover and creator.

Being a part of this community has also taught me how much value children really have. They are NOT bothersome nuisances that should be ignored. They are the most life-giving, precious creations on this earth. They desperately want and need love, respect, attention, wisdom in the lord, and most of all, they DESERVE to be taken seriously, not just made fun of or shrugged off. We truly don’t realize how much influence we have in young children’s lives. They are so impressionable, that the most insignificant acts of love and kindness (in our eyes) will still be imprinted within their minds and actions for long times to come.

It was upon sitting down and reflecting on my day at the house that I discovered something: spending time with Kids is becoming one of the primary ways I receive and show love. It’s also becoming an essential part of my growth and maturity process. Thanks to the incredible role models I have at the house, I have started taking children very seriously, giving them a part of my heart and allowing myself to get attached to them. Walls that society teaches us to have built around our hearts to distance ourselves from the hearts of children, are being passionately torn down through community with the guys who are teaching us all to value children. Not only do I allow myself to get attached to kids, but taking them seriously allows me to be intentional and genuine about bringing them up in the ways of the Lord. Also, these creations are taken so seriously by me that they have the power to overwhelm me with love, joy and value when no one else could. Even though having children is not even in my field of vision, I feel so privileged to already be receiving rich, wise and intensive training in raising them with the Allelon community.

Christmas Time is Here!

That's right! The time has come for our second annual Stevenson Neighborhood Christmas Party. Last year's party was a huge success, even though it came together in an impromptu way. It was only ten days from the conception of the idea to the actual party, during which time God provided multiple presents for over ninety kids, as well as an awesome event consisting of games, crafts, face-painting, caroling, and, of course, gift-giving! God is so faithful. You can read all about last year's Christmas party HERE.

This year, we have gotten a bit more of a head start. We began initial preparations over three weeks ago, and we have adapted our system to be more organized, with Family Information Forms and more opportunities for adults and children in the neighborhood to help with the planning and putting on of the party. We are so excited about all the new relationships that will be formed through the whole experience.

We already have over 130 kids signed up for this year's party, and we expect even more before it is all said and done. For those of you who are interested, there are several ways you can be involved with this year's party:

1) If you are in town or feel like coming to town, we would love for you to participate with planning, present wrapping, shopping, cooking, and the actual party itself! Please let us know if you want to be involved in this way. There is a meeting this Sunday, Dec. 5th, at 4:00pm at our house to talk about everyone's roles as the big day approaches. Even if you miss that meeting, let us know, and we will get you plugged in.

2) Please cover the event and all the preparations in prayer. Pray for safety for everyone involved, for God's provision for presents for kids and all the food and supplies for the party. And mostly pray that this will serve as a catalyst for relationships and greater community - life-giving community - will grow in the midst of our neighborhood.

3) You can also help provide presents for the kids or help meet some of the needs of the families during this Christmas season. If you are in town, you can bring toys, games, stuffed animals, clothes, books, CDs, and pretty much anything else that would make a good present for kids ages infant-16 to our house (465 Cockerell Dr., check out the "Come and Visit" page for directions). For friends in more distant places, financial contributions and gift cards would be a huge help! We are partnering with a local church just like last year, so if you would like the tax-write off, you can make checks payable to St. John's Baptist Church. Please send contributions to 465 Cockerell Dr., Abilene, TX 79601. Any excess funds will be used to help restore the abandoned community center in our neighborhood.

We are so excited to see God provide once again this year. Thank you for your prayers and support and for considering how you might be involved!

Children decorating ornaments at the 2009 Christmas party.