Packing and Relaxing

We have been trying to pack a box a day, and sometimes more. The girls have really got into it too. They have been packing some of there stuff, which requires us to unpack a box every once in a while to find something they weren't quite done with yet.

I have had a bit of a recharge which has increased my desire/energy to read and reflect. I finished reading "Road Signs for the Journey" and have started two more books.

Alban Institute's "New Beginnings" and Shane Claiborne's "Jesus for President". Both are very different and excellent reads so far.

Road Signs is a real challenging read. If you haven't read it yet, I encourage you to struggle through it. It is based on a 2006 member survey of Mennonite Church USA and looks at current trends as well as comparisons between previous surveys, between racial/ethnic members and Caucasian members and pastors. The book can make our demise seem hopeless, but it can also help us to see where we may be headed and give us some direction for conversation and action to regain hope. I for one, choose hope.