Man, I have been real lame about my blog, but perhaps today I can express my life in 500 words or less, and have it all make sense!

My daughter leaves for Romania (mission trip) on Friday morning. This is a big thing with the family right now. Trying to get her ready to go, and prepare myself for having her out on the planet on her first mission trip without us (her parents). But I figure it is an awesome life, to be 14, serving God and able to go across the planet to share your faith - all without mom and dad there!! She must be diggin' it! It won't be easy on me though. We moms like to have our chicks in close where we can protect them. But God has bigger wings than I ever will, so I hand her back - and pray.

Still waiting on news about the space we hope to have for Joel's Place. Waiting is an art. One that I haven't quite mastered. I have been reading Dallas Willards Book "The Spirit of the Disciplines" and it is marvelous to be sure. I have begun observing the Offices (also called the Divine Hours), something I started before reading this book, and it has been a blessing. I feel I need to also incorporate the discipline of "silence" (I talk alot, and often for no real reason, just prattling really) so that should be a challenge. So perhaps too, the art of waiting, to wait upon the Lord, to wait in silence....wow, could be a blow to the blog, but a boone to my spirit. Perhaps I should create a blog "My life in no words" and simply type out the scripture I have set before me for that day. hmm. Maybe not.

I would like to thank my friend Kevin for the nice introduction from his blog.

Well yesterday ended up being rather fun. After work I hooked up with some firends (also staff of Joel's Place) and we went to BIG LOTS. For those of you who have never been to a BIG LOTS, it's a place that you get almost anything super cheap because its all the overruns and extras from all sorts of stores. Great place to do some Joel's Place shopping! And shop we did - all 6 of us (3 women and my 2 kids and my daughters friend) combing the store on the hunt for a deal! Came away with some awesome coffee cups for JP - real neat mid-night blue ceramic cups with a unique shape - I found 31 - all they had in the store that I could find, and got them all for about $15! Got some lime green plastic french fry boats for like 30 cents each - very cool. Lime green is a primary color to people at Joel's Place. At excersions end, we had 2 large garbage cans full of treasure and only a $169 bill! (The garbage cans were part of our booty) All in all, we walked out rather pleased with ourselves, feeling we had spent the Lord's money rather frugally!! Oh, the large lime green plastic mugs that you freeze will be a huge hit for Maria's Root Beer Floats - we got 10 for $4.

When we had loaded up Maria's little ECHO with the stuff (the back of my van was still full of JP gear from this Saturday!) they asked if they could come see the bldg we are hoping to have for a home for Joel's Place. So I called the folks at the bldg and they said sure, give 'em a walk through. So off we went.

Serving with people of like mind and spirit is a marvelous thing. They see what you see, they feel what you feel and they understand when it all makes you whacky! I knew that they had the vision when I was just standing in the middle of this back area of what used to be a grocery store and all I heard was them chattering like a flock of black birds. "We can do this and that and oh look over here!" I just stood for a second basking in the joy of hearing their voices speak the vision forth. It was one of those God moments, so precious, so sweet.

Nettie

OK, here's the first installation of my life in 500 words or less:

My name is Nettie Cross, software developer, Evangelist, mother and wife and musician, quilter and uh, I think that's it. If you know more titles to slam in here, feel free!

My husband (Mike) and I have 2 kids, Nichole 14 (leaving for a mission trip to Romania on Aug 16) and our son Jacob 11, video gamer and pretty good kid. We run an outreach called "Joel's Place"(http://www.joelspalce.com) and are planting a house church - The New Wine Gathering (http://www.NewWineGathering.com).

Joel's Place has the chance to FINALLY have it's own bldg (well, the back end of what used to be a grocery store - funky - perfect) so that is huge on my heart right now. Trusting God to give us the entire space (others want some of it for storage - ah!) So if you pray and have time - we appreciate it!

am I at 500 words yet? Well, I may blog more later, the details are the fun part!

Nettie