Hat Burn is Not Good

Another weekend has come and gaone for the Higham's. I think it was the first weekend this summer with no sports games and/or practices. However, that did not eliminate the busyness that we are growing use to. Along with the summer jobs and property upkeep, Saturday morning included a garage sale with a couple of our neighbors while the afternoon lent itself to a shopping trip for Amy.

Along with playing taxi, I poured myself into yard work and handyman. The handyman jobs were fairly simple. Just a few broken items around the house have been in need of repair for the last couple of months. A broken handrail bracket, repair to the pantry door, and renailing the fencing to the split-rail in the back yard. The back breaking chores included work in the garden, trimming of the shrubbery, breaking down more of the tree that came down in one of the storms a week ago, some edging, and weed-eating.

Sunday, of course we celebrated God's faithfulness in morning worship. It was great to spend time with our friends at Harvest Church. I am loving the fact that I have been preaching our way through the Gospel of John. We are only completed the first 4 chapters, but I feel like God is revealing so much. I definitely feel more confident and comfortable with my preaching. And that's good. Fortuniately, the Holy Spirit has been good, stepping in to really make what we are studying powerful.

Following worship, we drove #4 to camp. He will be away from home for the next 4 days. Camp is always a great time. As a teen, I spent many summers at camp. I loved it. The friends, games, food, etc. Then as I matured; the friends games, foods, worship teaching, life changing encounters with God... It was awesome. Even Amy can share stories from camp as she spent a number of summers as a counselor. Now, it's great to watch our kids experience some of that fun and growth.

But now as the weekend winds down and I begin thinking about the week ahead, I have to say, that two of my highlights this weekend was clearly worship at Harvest and a visit with some dear friends in Somerset.

After dropping off #4, we made our way to the Benders. Jeff and Cyndi (and their daughter Morgan) are an amazing couple that we went to church with when we served at St. Paul's. Jeff helped out with the student ministry for the last couple of years that I was there. And we were all in the same awesome small group. (I'm pretty sure I've blogged about our Somerset Small Group in the past. It was an amazing group of families who deeply love God and one another.We were so blessed to be part of the group.) Along with the Benders, our friend Kim Bittner was there. (Kim and his wife Lori were also in our group, however Lori was out of town.)

The entire evening was a sweet opportunity to catch up, share life, and see how God has been working in everyone's life. And it's just so amazing how, even though it's been over a year, we were able to pick up where we left off and just connect again as friends. I wonder if this was a small taste of heaven, being reconnected with those you love...

I love that God is always teaching us, stretching us, and challening us to grow. I think that is why He has chosen to move us around as much as we've had to. With each move, not only have we experienced His incredible provision, but He has brought people into our lives who we have been able to make a deep connection with. These familar bonds strenghten us, where we live and where we're sent, knowing that we have those special relationships to fall back on. Its as though they are the hands, hugs, laughter, and love of the Father, in the physical form.

I'm grateful for all that God has done and is continuing to do. This new adventure of being a church planter has been an easy one. But I am conining to see God's hand at work; in my life and in the life of my family. And while there are days when I just sit and wonder, 'God, what are you doing here?' I know that the end result will be amazing!

But the not so good thing of the weekend is, that really bad hat burn that I now have on the back of my neck and head. It appears that while working in the yard, even though I was wearing a hat, I still took too much sun. Next weekend I'll be wearing a hoodie.

- jay

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