today is an exciting day for the residents of cabin c...

there is a brand-spankin new wood-burning stove waiting to be installed in our cabin.

once again, we are trying to learn how to do maintenance and repairs on The Land without hiring professional help. this morning marc and i woke up with a bit of concern that something wouldn't quite be up to par and we'd end up with raindrops joining us in bed tonight. honestly though, there comes a point where you just have to choose to trust your family as well as your Dad and hope for the best...

we came to this realization after marc expressed his frustration at the continuation of the do-it-yourself attitude which has been prevalent in this ministry for years. (it really is a cultural thing, i guess. hippies like to be resourceful and creative, but many times their creations end up breaking quickly and looking shoddy.) he attempted to share his concern this morning when we met with derek and curtis for devotions; however, it came across to derek more like an attack on his ability to accomplish the task at hand. in the end, marc and derek learned how to communicate like a family does: sometimes with frustration, but always attempting to extend grace to one another and seeking to understand the hearts of others.

ultimately, we all had a fresh reminder from the Lord that our hearts are all stained and dirty: we are constantly seeking to satisfy our own desires rather than looking to serve others. i was humbled as the Lord reminded me that just yesterday i allowed a turkey club sandwich (from Arcata Pizza and Deli, for those of you who know...) to come between marc and me...it was MY leftover sandwich that i wanted to save for later but marc was still hungry and couldn't believe that i wouldn't offer it to him. (you have to know that i didn't know he was still hungry, he hoped that i would offer it.) still, my selfish little heart wanted to save that sandwich so i could eat it later and that dang sandwich ended up being another brick in the wall that erected itself between us yesterday. how did that happen? at the end of the day, we talked the wall down again (until 1:00am...can we say 'sleep deprived?') but once again, marc has become the mirror that reflects the true heart within me.

all in all, i would say it's been a successful day. The Lord spoke to us as a community, humbled us before one another, and knitted our hearts together a little bit tighter than they were yesterday. ...we removed the old propane heater from our cabin and have begun prepping it for the wood stove. i cooked lunch for the community, updated the ministry mailing list, called 5 towing companies in an attempt to have a newly abandoned van removed from our property, and started a blog. i'm just glad it's friday. maybe tomorrow marc and i will watch march of the penguins or maybe he'll keep working on the cabin. either way, i'm stoked it's the weekend.