Sometimes I Write

Benny just called to say he arrived safely in San Antonio. He’ll be there until Tuesday night and I’m pouting since I couldn’t go too. For all of you that live there, he’s speaking at the Northside church of Christ on Sunday morning. His message ofcourse is about Dry Bones. It’s partly an update since we have some incredibly generous supporters from that church, and he’ll be sharing an awesome message about “Plundering the Darkness” and taking back what rightfully belongs to God. You don’t want to miss it. I know he’s my husband and all, but I’m telling you – the man has passion and he’s an engaging speaker! He has 2 suitcases full of our newest DB t-shirts with the “Plunder the Darkness” pirate logo on the front and the DB logo on the back. They’re cool! He also has several nalgene bottles and some t-shirts in kid’s sizes as well. This is a FUNdraising weekend for him. I hope he sells everything he took with him! (The money goes to the ministry general fund – not the Nowell’s)

As most of you know, we, the families on the Dry Bones Denver team, raise our own financial support to do what we do. We are urban missionaries and count on the faithful pledges of those who choose to partner with us to support this ministry. Not everyone can be the hands and feet in every area needed and we are blessed to be here working with the hundreds of homeless and at-risk teens and young adults that populate the downtown Denver streets. That being said, I am asking for your prayers for our support raising over the next few months.

When Benny and I moved our family here last summer, it was to do a year-long apprenticeship with Dry Bones with the intention of eventually taking the ministry to a new city and planting another one. There have been many changes taking place in the ministry over the course of the year and there are more to come. Good changes like a follow-up/mentorship program for those who get off the streets, and partnering with local churches to broaden the volunteer base and have a “safe place to land” for those in the mentorship program. There are many more. God is moving and we are along for the ride and ready to work how he tells us to. Our Board of Directors has decided that the timing isn’t right yet to plant Dry Bones in a new city. They have offered a position to us and would like us to stay on in Denver as part of the team here. We are really excited about this as Benny has filled a niche that nobody knew needed filling. It has been rewarding and challenging being here working with our teammates/friends: The Wallaces, the Goldman’s, and the Zimmerhackel’s.

God provided for us financially through His people for this past year and I am confident He will do so again. I believe He wants us to ask for provision and we have that example given to us throughout the New Testament. That doesn’t make it easy though. We fight the “mission work means overseas” school of thought, and the belief by some that missionaries should take a vow of poverty and barely make enough money to live on. It’s humbling.

We have had a wonderful group of people join us financially in this ministry this year. Please pray that most of them will continue their support and for those who must drop theirs, that God will raise up another individual, family, church, or business willing to take their place. If we are the hands and feet, then our prayer team is the backbone of the ministry. We have faced many spiritual attacks since coming here to do this work, but we know we are covered in prayer by amazing people who get on their knees (and sometimes faces) on our behalf. We have felt the peace of God while in the thick of the battle and we are so blessed by our prayer team. We have also been blessed by people who have gifted us throughout the year with notes of encouragement, cards with their family pictures in it, invitations to eat with them, visits from friends who want to check out what we do here, and even gift cards for Starbucks and Blockbuster. 😉 Blessings big and small have shown us how loved and cared for we are, by our support team, and by God. We are always looking for partners in this ministry.

If you or anyone you know is interested in joining the Nowell Family support team by giving financially, joining the prayer group, or if we can answer any questions you have, email me or Benny for more information. We are planning a few more visits to areas of the country our supporters live – Tulsa and OKC, OK , Wichita, KS, and Indianapolis, IN. We are also discussing a trip to the Houston area. Benny is a “Have message and materials – will travel” kind of guy. He will also be in the Chicago, IL area in a few weeks to speak at a youth event hosted by York College, Rochester College, and Oklahoma Christian University and a few local churches there. I’ll share more details as I learn them.

Thank you for your prayers, and Thank You for your support!
If you get to see Benny while he’s in his home state, tell him his yankee wife misses him! 😉

O.K. So the verdict is in and the pooch stays. She’s been at our house for three days and you’d think she was custom made for our family. She’s still very calm and friendly…she has slept with the kids the past two nights and everyone loves her…even I’m beginning to like her. I know, pick your jaws up off the floor. Here’s the scoop…

The lady that bought her as a puppy paid $520.00 for her at a pedigree store. I have the original receipt. She’s a new breed called a Boggle – a beagle/Boston terrier mix…not a mutt. They named her “carolie” – rhymes with holy. What were they thinking?? I told the kids that IF we keep her she needs a new name. Before I could tell them it should sound something like her original name, Zoe wanted to call her Michelle. Ha Ha I don’t know if my college roommate would find that flattering or not. We decided on Girly because it’s close. And, she does have a pink collar and harness, which is girlie. (No I didn’t pick them out- she came with them.)

The kennel we received with her was broken and she has escaped every time we’ve left her home alone. Since we know we’re keeping her, we bought her a much needed new kennel/cage tonight. We had left her in the kid’s bathroom and she did some damage to the door and molding, and the carpet she could reach from under the door while trying to get out. Is that separation anxiety? She’s afraid of the broom – Zoe was just putting it back where it belongs after sweeping up – which is one of the ways we know she’s been hit before. Other than that, she’s just about perfect. She’s not a barky dog, she loves the kids – but seems to love me most of all. Ironic, huh? It’s like she’s saying “Love me, I won’t hurt you, I’m sorry for other scary dogs…”

This morning Petey woke up at 5:30 a.m. and came walking to our bedroom. Max and Girly were asleep on the floor in the T.V. room (the boy doesn’t like beds much) and as Petey passed by she barked at him and scared him. He screamed and Benny jumped up and turned the light on and brought Petey to our bed. Girly jumped up on the bed and licked Petey all over as if to say she was sorry. The first night she was here she growled at me when I went to check on the kids. She was lying at the foot of the bed in their room and it was dark. She saw my silhouette in the doorway and growled. When I turned the light on she looked at me and ducked her head down in submission, then laid back down. She was being protective of three kids she had just met, but also recognized me as the boss! She follows me around waiting for my attention and is currently curled up at my feet under the computer desk as I type this.

Did I mention I’ve had NO allergy problems since she arrived? Petey goes back to Dr. Brian on Thursday afternoon. So far he’s testing o.k. as far as pet dander – but we want to be sure for Girly’s particular breed, so we’re taking him back to double check and if needed, get him desensitized to her. Fun Fun! We took her to Petsmart tonight with us and she did great in the car. I’ve got to say it makes me really angry that she has been abused in the past. If you can look for anything positive in a situation like this it’s that it has made her a very submissive dog for us. Though she is house broken, the previous owners never took the time to train her to do anything like sit, kennel up, or even come when you call her name. My friend Laurie used to train dogs for Petsmart, so she’s going to teach us everything we need to know to train Girly. Then she really will be the perfect dog – though Benny is still hoping for an English Bulldog puppy someday. Laurie breeds them, so his wish will eventually come true…eventually. 😉

We got a dog today…sort of. Our neighbor brought over a dog and asked us if we want to adopt it. She’s a cute beagle/terrier mix and pretty calm so far, but I just don’t know. I’ve had pet allergies my whole life, I don’t need the responsiblity of a pet when I have three very busy children, and I don’t know the first thing about owning a dog. All of my friends are laughing their heads off right now reading this. ME of all people getting a dog on my birthday! Ironic. I don’t like dogs. I’m actually afraid of most of them. I was attacked by my friend’s dog when I was 15. I have a huge scar on the side of my face/ear where I had to have multiple stitches to repair the damage done. Ever since then – I don’t like dogs. I’m not even sure if I liked them before that. I’m not a cat person either, or gerbils, or birds, or any other pet. I am fully convinced that God made some people to love animals and some to just, well, tolerate them. Please, no hate mail from you animal freaks out there.

I’m a little disappointed. My birthday happend to fall on a Saturday this year. I’d love to be at the half price sale at ARC, and having chai with a friend. I’d love to be hanging out with my whole family or having a date with Benny. BUT, he’s working until 8 or 9 tonight, my friends are all busy and even if they weren’t, I don’t have a babysitter. The kids aren’t minding me very well today and now I have this dog to deal with and the stress of deciding whether or not to keep it. Benny said it was up to me…great. The light at the end of my tunnel is my upcoming night out with Rebecca, my college friend that lives here. Dinner and going to Sing Sings. Our friends Corey and Tricia are coming over at 6 to babysit until Benny gets home. Benny and I will do something to celebrate on Monday.

Thinking positively, I have received a lot of phone calls today – my Mom even sang to me. I feel special! 🙂

So what is it about birthdays that we get it in our heads that everything is supposed to be just perfect and go OUR way for the day? Is that even real life?

Last month one of my street friend’s birthdays happened to fall on a Thursday – which means she spent it with Dry Bones. At the feeding that night, a few of the kids got in a fight, and my friend also received some alleged bad news from another streetkid. My friend threw a huge fit, crying, yelling, and drawing as much attention to herself as possible. She said more than once – “And it’s my birthday – nothing is supposed to go wrong today”.

Where does that come from? At what point do we learn that the world is supposed to revolve around us every year on the anniversary of the day we were born? I think your birthday should be special. It’s a day to celebrate who you are and who you are becoming. But life is life every day of the year and sometimes stuff happens. Unplanned stuff.

What’s with people who say, “I don’t celebrate my birthday anymore”? Do they think they aren’t worthy of celebration? Are they just enduring each year as it comes and goes? That’s sad.

As a mom, I think I should get a present each year on each of my children’s birthdays…afterall…I did all of the work on the day they were born! haha

Technically I wasn’t born until 11:29 p.m., so my birthday only lasts for 31 minutes…or so my Mom used to joke.

Here’s some July 29th trivia for you:

Famous people born on this day:

Benito Mussonlini 1883
Clara Bow 1894
Peter Jennings 1938
Wil Wheaton 1972 (that could explain the crush since we were born on the same day in the same year…I wonder if he was born in Californina too?)

1754 – The first international boxing match was held. The 25-minute match was won when Jack Slack of Britain knocked out Jean Petit from France.
1890 – Artist Vincent van Gogh died of a self-inflicted gunshot wound in Auvers, France.
1914 – The first transcontinental telephone service was inaugurated when two people held a conversation between New York, NY and San Francisco, CA. (And now we can talk to someone on the other side of the world!)
1940 – John Sigmund of St. Louis, MO completed a 292-mile swim down the Mississippi River. The swim from St. Louis to Caruthersville, MO took him 89 hours and 48 minutes.
1950 – Disney’s adaptation of Robert Louis Stevenson’s “Treasure Island” was released.
1957 – Jack Paar began hosting the “Tonight” show on NBC-TV. The name of the show was changed to “The Jack Paar Show”. Paar was host for five years.
1958 – The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) was authorized by the U.S. Congress.
1968 – Pope Paul VI reaffirmed the Roman Catholic Church’s stance against artificial methods of birth control.
1981 – England’s Prince Charles and Lady Diana Spencer were married. (I watched it on t.v. on my 9th birthday – dreaming of being a princess myself one day)
2005 – Astronomers announced that they had discovered a new planet larger than Pluto in orbit around the sun.
2004 – The first episode of “Blue Collar TV” aired. That one is for Benny!;)

I joked in this post about starting another blog about sex, love and marriage because the topic was so broad and the feedback was so good. Well, after seeking wise counsel and much prayer, I feel God has indeed led me to do just that. I’ll do the best I can though I may be posting only once a week on all three of my sites. We’ll see what happens next! Now go check it out!