I was up until 2:30 last night grouting the tile.  So now we have a floor back in the kitchen.  Yeah!  That means I can get the cabinets installed and we can move the things that go in the cabinets out of the garage and into the kitchen.  Yeah!!  It also means we can have a sink in the kitchen and bring in the dishwasher from the back porch and not wash dishes in the bathroom anymore.  Yeah!!!

So all this started when we thought a construction crew was coming.  We started getting things ready for them so they could open up our kitchen/dining/living room areas.  This was driven by the need for good ministry space.

Well, the construction crew didn’t come and so we became the construction crew.  It is not good timing for such things, since we have been in the middle of a semester, but the damage had been done.  So things get done during free moments -  of which there are not many. I won’t quite make the thanksgiving deadline, but should be almost there.  maybe all but the countertops.

If you need any thoughts on kitchen stuff, I might have some.

Today we celebrate Josh’s 15th birthday. It should be a lot of fun, especially with the fireworks the city of Boulder will be displaying for him (at least thats what we tell him). He quit believing us a long time ago.

Next week Julee and I will speak with students at a training program thats taking place in Denver. That should be a lot of fun also.

The window is closer to completion. The window itself is in now, just having to make modifications in order to install some structural steel. You should see the 1/2 inch concrete screws we are using - Tim the tool man would be proud. We could screw whole houses together with these things.

Continue to pray for our team in South Asia. They have continued to see fruit from their labor and God has been teaching them deep things. Our challenge is to shepherd them so that the things they are learning stick and to help them process all that has happened this summer. Also our good friends who were on staff here at Challenge will be moving there on July 10, so they would appreciate your prayers for their challenging transition.

We will be receiving many freshman contacts soon and will begin the process of connecting with them. Please lift up these freshman whom we don’t know - yet - that God will encourage their hearts and connect them even closer to us and Him over next year.

Colossians 2:1

When will it end?  We began a ‘little’ summer project two weeks ago - installing an egress window in a basement bedroom (I’ve never used this term before moving to Boulder, but its a big basement window that allows for escape in case of a fire, or late night Taco Bell runs).   Here we are two weeks later and only a little closer to completion.

It all started with a mini-excavator rental (actually it started before that, but the fun part started here).  This was the easy and fun part.  Everyone should get to dig with one of these.  Then I put my strong sons in the hole for a little hand digging to finish it out. (if they hadn’t gone to camp they could have had fun with the excavator also.  Oh well)

Now for the really fun part.  Cutting through an 8 inch thick foundation wall.  How does one do that?  Call the professionals you say?  Not so quick.  With a chain saw!  Yes, a chain saw. Don’t worry, its made for cutting concrete.  Well, on the first cut the chain broke.  Then the wait began.  After almost 2 weeks waiting for a new chain I gave in and called in the professionals.  He came yesterday to take care of this issue  and after looking over the job declared “I can’t do it”.  Of course.

So what does one do then?  One relies on a friend who locates a little known rental place that has a - concrete chain saw.  And three hours and gallons and gallons and gallons and gallons of water later your hole will be cut.

So this morning I contemplate the next phase - getting a 6 foot by 4 foot piece of 8 inch thick concrete out of the hole - and greeting whatever new issue threatens our inner peace and tranquility.

This is the very brief version, but its been a great example of the proverb:

“If its not one thing, its another.”

I haven’t found this in the Bible yet, but all truth is God’s truth and this seems to be true.  But praise God for concrete chain saws, friends who can find one, mini excavators, Christian Challenge directors who live down the street who are installing windows also and can split the cost, strong sons, and lovingkindness that is new every morning.  And that last one is in the Bible and is a truth to rest on.