An Incredible Month...and it's not over yet!

I knew the month of August was going to be significant because it marks 30 years that I have been married to the beautiful and amazing Charlotte, but little did I know how much would be packed into this month...and it's not over yet!

Sunday, August 2, Charlotte and I took part in the Upper West Side weekend gathering as we have done on other occasions. We had lunch with Cece and Regina at the Key West Diner and then went to our Upper Manhattan Missional Community. What a rich time we experienced as we entered into a profound conversation on what it means to live missionally. We had been asked to participate in the weekend gathering in Chelsea at 7:00 p.m. and so we took the downtown "A" train to the beautiful St. Paul's German Lutheran church where Origins meets in the evening. It seemed a bit strange that Charlotte and I were asked to give the benediction together, but we did, and then the announcement was made that we were celebrating our 30th anniversary, effectively making us old enough to be the parents of 97% of the congregation present! We were led downstairs to the fellowship hall. There our missional community had planned and prepared an amazing reception, complete with food, balloons, flowers, candles, pictures, a wedding cake decorated like the original, and a sea of the most amazing people in Manhattan, including two of our children. How blessed we are, not only to celebrate 30 years, but do it in the community called Origins!

The next weekend we were able to spend a day with Charlotte's parents and then attend a family wedding on my side. We brought my folks back to Manhattan with us and they were able to attend our church, experience our Life Group and understand a little better why we are committed to living and serving God in this city.

This past weekend was a little more low key, but maybe even more significant--living in community--seeing how that really looks: caring, sharing, celebrating, cleaning, surrounding a hurting member, eating, praying, giving God the glory for the gift of His dear Son who makes all this possible. As we heard Sunday, we are God's glorious inheritance. Wow! I am speechless!

Next weekend...another wedding...can't wait to celebrate with Josh and Jess! And then Charlotte and I are going to do some celebrating of our own--a week away during the actual date of our anniversary!

It's been an incredible month...and it's not over yet! Dog days of August? I don't think so!