Family Update

Well it's been a while! Really, we have neglected our blog updates for the last 2-3 years. I think that it's time to change that, and to start us back off, I think family is a great and meaningful place to start. 

The first half of 2013 has to have been our busiest one yet! With Janelle doing her masters in nursing at UBCO, Ronnie continuing to assist the churches in England & Spain (coaching church planters, training leaders, working with key leaders in the nation of Spain), as well as taking on the shared initiation of both a local mentoring initiative (addressing the issue of fatherlessness) and missional church planting communities, our lives have been full over the last 6 months. The funny (maybe scary) thing is that amongst all the papers, society applications, building relationships, strategic planning, listen to Holy Spirit, training potential mentors, understanding directorship, charity and mentoring a couple of fatherless youth, relationally connecting with and supporting a number of pastors and leaders in town, caring for our neighbours, and coaching soccer, there have been so many other things we feel we could have been involved in or so many needs around us that we just wish we could help meet. 

We started the year with the Marriot family of 6 living with us in our home. They are the other couple who are initiating the missional church communities with us here in Kelowna. In February, after being with us for 4 months, they found a new place to live in Kelowna as we welcomed Janelle's brother's girlfriend from Boston into our home. However before she moved in we hosted a group of Watoto choir kids and auntie. What a blessing it is to have a home where we can be not only hospitable but give accommodations to those who are needing them. The Marriots were the third friends to stay at our home for a time while they integrated themselves into the city and  they probably won't be the last. 

We are blessed beyond belief by our growing, loving and full-of-life boys! It truly is a joy and delight to love them and help them become the people that God created them to be.

Parenting is not easy, no two ways about it! We are constantly trying to grow in our parenting and better understand how to guide, love and empower our boys to be all they can be. One of the biggest influences on us this past year has been the writing and philosophy of Danny Silk (Family Pastor Bethel Church Reading, California - "Loving our kids on purpose" & "Keep your love on") and an organization that helped shape his philosophy/psychology called Love & Logic (www.loveandlogic.com). We love the new covenant approach and accurate theology (my opinion) that Danny brings to raising our children. We value the fact that heart connection and love are the fundamentals that undergird everything else. We agree with the belief that kids are brilliant and empowering them to make good decisions because of love, out of self control, are fundamental. I think for me personally at least (and I think Jae too) the hardest  part of teaching your kids how to exercise self control and making choices out of love and heart connections in our relationships, is having to do the same things yourself towards them. Praise God for refining us in the fire and safety of family, hopefully allowing us to better love and care for those in our world. Amen for that! I think we can say that that is rejoicing in our suffering or necessary humbling at least. My boys have an innocent and brilliant way of calling me out when I need to be called out, and with brokenness, lovingly, or with a real sense of justice, holding me to account for my behaviour, hypocrisy, or out right failure. For that I am grateful and constantly humbled. 

Caleb, continues to thrive in life and all he does. He is a caring friend, loving brother (most of the time), kind son, hard worker, great thinker, eager learner and creative genius. I have enjoyed watching him work so hard and not let anything hold him back as he  began soccer this year. It was a joy (most of the time- coaching 12 five and six year old boys has it's moments) coaching him and the other boys on his team the past few months. Caleb is a bright boy and is loving learning French. He has been blessed with two wonderful teachers this year who have seen the love and life in Caleb and helped him to excel in school. For that we are grateful. 

Jaden is a passionate, strong and sensitive young man. Sometimes I forget that he is just a young boy, as his sense of justice, bravery, sensitivity and care are well beyond his years (particularly when it involves ladies). Preschool has been so good for Jaden (Have we told you before how amazing Stepping Stones Preschool in Kelowna is!? And how much we appreciate both teacher Carolyn and teacher Nina! They are amazing! We are grateful for them in our boys lives, such a blessing and a treasure they are!) Jaden has loved interacting with his new friends, learning so many interesting things though has occasionally been asked to give a couple of the girls in his class (whom he is most fond of), a little of their own space from time to time. Yes we will need to be careful to help him guard his heart and realize that not every girl is going to care as much about him as he may about them. Oh the joy and challenges of parenting, this is one we will continually appreciate you praying alongside us about. 

Traeton is his own person, no doubt about that. He is comical, energetic, tough (and he needs to be with two older brother) and absolutely loving in his own way. One of my favourite things about Trae right now (and probably one that annoys Janelle the most) is how when we are reading stories before bed at night and he says 'neckie', grabs me around the neck and gives me a big hug and a kiss (that's not the part that annoys Jae, this part is), then the next thing he will proceed to do is lick my face as many times as he can while I am trying to read a story to the boys. While Janelle gets annoyed and somewhat frustrated by this, I have learnt that, although this only exacerbates Trae's actions, when I lick his face a number of times in return we both think it is a fun game that could go on for hours, I mean minutes, well anyways he thinks its hilarious. 
Trae is cherished and loved beyond belief by everyone in his life, his mom and dad, his brothers (although him and Jaden can have their moments for sure) and pretty much daily by his Nana Zerr who spends many many hours loving our boys as Jae & I do all the things we believe we are meant to be doing in this season. 

Nana Zerr is a blessing to us as care giver (and excellent house cleaner) bringing so much love and stability to Caleb, Jaden and Traeton allowing us to do what we do with confidence and joy in knowing our boys are always being loved and well taken care of. This new season for both of us, (especially Jae) has been conflicting at times in regards to our kids, if we are truly honest. Although the balance we have achieved and the awesome grandparents and friends we have in our lives, along with the commitment we have as a family to do life (especially starting our church communities) together, as a whole family, has allowed us to spend as much time as possible together in meaningful relationship, and for this we are grateful. 

We are blessed and we are grateful for so much, especially each other. 

Much love, 

Ronnie, Janelle, Caleb, Jaden & Traeton +