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Saturday, July 26, 2008
Quilts
Our church (Heart of Junction) makes a beautiful quilt for each new baby. We were fortunate that this tradition started with the birth of Purity a little over five years ago, and each of our five children has one of their own. You can see them all on the HOJ Website.
Thursday, July 24, 2008
Joint Birthday Party
Last night we hosted a joint birthday party for our son Emery (turning 3) and Kennedy, the daughter of our friends Kat & Kyle Wolfe (turning 4). Crystal and Kat decorated with a safari theme and Kat face-painted the kids up as animals. Kyle made an excellent batch of stir-fry for us to enjoy and a great time was had by all. To top it off we got to enjoy an amazing thunderstorm from the front porch!
Crystal has a tradition of making a special cake for each of the kid's birthday's and last night was no exception. Crystal and Kat made two cakes (a tarantula and a turtle, pics below), one for each of the birthday kids.
All the kids:
Painted faces:
Tarantula cake:
Turtle cake:
Birthday boy Emery:
Birthday girl Kennedy:
Crystal has a tradition of making a special cake for each of the kid's birthday's and last night was no exception. Crystal and Kat made two cakes (a tarantula and a turtle, pics below), one for each of the birthday kids.
All the kids:
Painted faces:
Tarantula cake:
Turtle cake:
Birthday boy Emery:
Birthday girl Kennedy:
Wednesday, July 23, 2008
Organic Church
I just finished Organic Church by Neil Cole. It describes what he believes to be the basis behind spontaneous church multiplication. Neil is one of the 'leaders' of Awakening Chapels in Los Angeles, a network of house churches that have exploded in the past few years.
One of the most interesting things I took away from this book was the concept of DNA. According to Neil, the body of Christ (both individually and as a whole) must possess these three things in order to multiply effectively:
We can't compromise God's truth for the sake of reaching new converts. After all, it is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32). However, the truth without love is near worthless* (1 Cor. 13). We must develop meaningful relationships with others (both Christians and non-Christians). It is only within the context of these relationships that the life-changing power of God's truth can be seen clearly...changing lives and causing spiritual growth. Finally, we must have the mission to 'go', leaving our comfort zone and carrying the truth to those in need.
This book also contains a number of stories of ordinary people who were willing to grant God control of their lives and as a result reached their family and friends for Christ. In my opinion it is worth reading.
* God's word is potent no matter how or where it is used, and God can certainly work miracles in any situation. However, having the truth of God unloving thrust upon them is often one of the main reasons the unsaved want nothing to do with Christianity.
One of the most interesting things I took away from this book was the concept of DNA. According to Neil, the body of Christ (both individually and as a whole) must possess these three things in order to multiply effectively:
D - Divine Truth
N - Nurturing Relationships
A - Apostolic Mission
We can't compromise God's truth for the sake of reaching new converts. After all, it is the truth that sets us free (John 8:32). However, the truth without love is near worthless* (1 Cor. 13). We must develop meaningful relationships with others (both Christians and non-Christians). It is only within the context of these relationships that the life-changing power of God's truth can be seen clearly...changing lives and causing spiritual growth. Finally, we must have the mission to 'go', leaving our comfort zone and carrying the truth to those in need.
This book also contains a number of stories of ordinary people who were willing to grant God control of their lives and as a result reached their family and friends for Christ. In my opinion it is worth reading.
* God's word is potent no matter how or where it is used, and God can certainly work miracles in any situation. However, having the truth of God unloving thrust upon them is often one of the main reasons the unsaved want nothing to do with Christianity.
Monday, July 21, 2008
Church Update
So, unless I miscounted, we had 37 people in our home on Friday evening (14 adults and 23 children ages 8 and under). Everyone seemed to enjoy themselves eating food and playing games. This was primarily a "get to know each other" gathering and despite the diverse group in attendance everyone seemed to hit it off pretty well.
We are hoping to hold our first church meeting on Sunday, August 3rd. I'm still a bit puzzled as to how we will include 20+ young children without complete chaos. It wasn't too bad on Friday night as we have plenty of space for them to run and play, but getting them to hold still is a whole 'nother issue. Crystal has been coming up with some good ideas to keep them involved.
I don't think the answer is to become militaristic. The entire point of including children in church with the adults is so they can learn, grow, and at times even contribute...and I don't this this is achieved by squashing their child-like spirits. At the same time there has to be a certain level of order maintained so we can hear each other speak. I'm honestly not sure what the right balance is as we've never done this before (well, apart from with our own kids), but I trust that God will provide the answer(s).
We are hoping to hold our first church meeting on Sunday, August 3rd. I'm still a bit puzzled as to how we will include 20+ young children without complete chaos. It wasn't too bad on Friday night as we have plenty of space for them to run and play, but getting them to hold still is a whole 'nother issue. Crystal has been coming up with some good ideas to keep them involved.
I don't think the answer is to become militaristic. The entire point of including children in church with the adults is so they can learn, grow, and at times even contribute...and I don't this this is achieved by squashing their child-like spirits. At the same time there has to be a certain level of order maintained so we can hear each other speak. I'm honestly not sure what the right balance is as we've never done this before (well, apart from with our own kids), but I trust that God will provide the answer(s).
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Classic Christianity
I recently finished Classic Christianity by Bob George. I was amazed at how well the author manages to get at the root of the spiritual problems most modern American Christians face...the bonds that seem to hold us in the cesspit of mediocre living. Through stories and simple explanations Bob George does an excellent job exposing the simple Biblical truths that have the power to set us free, as God intended (note here that is the God's truth from the Bible that sets us free, not the words of Bob George...the author simply presents those truths in his book).
I recommend this book to Christians who seem stuck in the dreary day-to-day, and want to have their lives totally and radically transformed by the power of Christ.
I recommend this book to Christians who seem stuck in the dreary day-to-day, and want to have their lives totally and radically transformed by the power of Christ.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
On the Horizon
So last week's meetings with our pastor and Eric Vaughn (a local minister working on planting house-churches in our area) went very well. Everything seems to confirm that God is really working and leading in this direction.
Being used by God as he directs is rather encouraging to me as for a number of years I have been content to "sit on the sidelines" of Christianity and not truly be open to God's leading. However, over the past six months God has used a number of circumstances to change my attitudes and my desires. I'm so thankful he never gives up working on us!
This Friday we are going to host a dinner and game night at our home. At God's direction I have called and invited a number of families who have been our friends over the years. Some are believers, some are not. Only a few already attend church with regularity. I hope to discuss this new family/small-group approach to Church with them on Friday evening in hopes that God is leading some of them to "join in". Depending on how God leads we may try to hold our first "church meeting" on Sunday evening.
Pray that God will soften the hearts of both the believers and unbelievers who will be gathering in our home Friday evening and make them receptive to His will, wherever He may lead.
Being used by God as he directs is rather encouraging to me as for a number of years I have been content to "sit on the sidelines" of Christianity and not truly be open to God's leading. However, over the past six months God has used a number of circumstances to change my attitudes and my desires. I'm so thankful he never gives up working on us!
This Friday we are going to host a dinner and game night at our home. At God's direction I have called and invited a number of families who have been our friends over the years. Some are believers, some are not. Only a few already attend church with regularity. I hope to discuss this new family/small-group approach to Church with them on Friday evening in hopes that God is leading some of them to "join in". Depending on how God leads we may try to hold our first "church meeting" on Sunday evening.
Pray that God will soften the hearts of both the believers and unbelievers who will be gathering in our home Friday evening and make them receptive to His will, wherever He may lead.
Monday, July 14, 2008
Just finished....Family Integrated Church
When I finish a book I'll post it here along with a brief review. I just finished reading Family Integrated Church by J. Mark Fox. The book chronicles the history of Antioch Community Church a family-integrated church in North Carolina.
As one seeking to start a church based around families I found this book to be well worth the read. Mark Fox covers many of the challenges such a church faces using stories from Antioch's history. Pastor Fox especially covers proper Biblical authority and the role each believer plays within the church.
As one seeking to start a church based around families I found this book to be well worth the read. Mark Fox covers many of the challenges such a church faces using stories from Antioch's history. Pastor Fox especially covers proper Biblical authority and the role each believer plays within the church.
You believe what?!?
So, after reading the introductory post my friend John Chapman suggested that I might make a more convincing argument for our beliefs if I provided some scriptural support rather than simply telling readers to "go look it up for yourself!". While I think it is important to search the scriptures for the truth about a subject ("Test everything. Hold on to the good." - 1 Thessalonians 5:21 NIV) I'll happily provide a starting point for your search. I'll attempt to expand a little on the first of those "wisdom tidbits" in this post that I previously discussed: The blessing of children.
Let's start at the beginning shall we? In Genesis 1:28 God has just created man, and now He gives man the very first commandment:
After the flood, God repeats this commandment to Noah:
Later he tells Abraham:
God gives similar blessings to Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, as well as many others. In almost every case where God bestows a blessing on someone in Genesis that blessing includes children.
Psalm 127:3-5 really captures the essence of God's view on children:
So, if children are God's reward or God's blessing, why do we as Christians think it is our job to decide how many children God can bless us with? Here's the arguments I often hear from other Christians in favor of family-planning:
It's not good stewardship!
"Sure, having large families made sense back in agricultural days when you needed helpers for the family farm, but in today's culture it just doesn't make sense. Children are expensive. Having more kids is not a wise use of our money."
It's true that children cost money. And if every child needs designer clothes, playstations, cars, boats, ATVs, and a four year Ivy League education the dollars add up quickly. The culture demands that we give our children "the best", but are these things really the best? Are we doing our children a disservice if we don't spoil them with every entertainment the world has to offer? Should our standard be based upon what the culture demands or upon what God's word asks of us?
If you cut out the unnecessary the cost per child really isn't that high (see a recent Generations with Vision podcast on large families), and decreases with each additional child you add to the mix. The real issue here is often not stewardship, but selfishness. If I have another child I might not be able to afford that new toy, we might have to eat ramen noodles instead of fillet mignon, we might not be able to keep up with the Joneses, we might have to give up our second jobs and/or free time to take care of the kids.
If your money and time belong to God, and if one of God's primary methods of blessing us is through children, then wouldn't our money and time be well spent taking care of the "blessings" God has given us?
I just can't handle another child!
If God provides your children as blessings to you, won't he give you the strength and patience you need to care for them?
Being parents of multiple children (at least being good parents) will consume a large amount of your time and energy, there is no doubt about it. You will certainly have days when you want to pull your hair out, but God will sustain you and will not give you more than you can bear.
There are literally hundreds of verses that confirm God's authority over conception and his desire to bless us with many children....I have only mentioned a few of them above. Several books devoted to the subject cover these multitude of verses and dive deeper into the topic. I recommend:
In (the upcoming) part 2 of this "exposition" I will talk about the second "wisdom tidbit": Your authority and responsibility as parents to disciple your children.
Let's start at the beginning shall we? In Genesis 1:28 God has just created man, and now He gives man the very first commandment:
God blessed them and said to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number; fill the earth and subdue it. Rule over the fish of the sea and the birds of the air and over every living creature that moves on the ground." - Genesis 1:28 (NIV)
After the flood, God repeats this commandment to Noah:
Then God blessed Noah and his sons, saying to them, "Be fruitful and increase in number and fill the earth." - Genesis 9:1 (NIV)
Later he tells Abraham:
"I will make you very fruitful; I will make nations of you, and kings will come from you." - Genesis 17:6
God gives similar blessings to Isaac, Ishmael, and Jacob, as well as many others. In almost every case where God bestows a blessing on someone in Genesis that blessing includes children.
Psalm 127:3-5 really captures the essence of God's view on children:
Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him. Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one's youth. Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them. They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. - Psalm 127:3-5 (NIV)
So, if children are God's reward or God's blessing, why do we as Christians think it is our job to decide how many children God can bless us with? Here's the arguments I often hear from other Christians in favor of family-planning:
It's not good stewardship!
"Sure, having large families made sense back in agricultural days when you needed helpers for the family farm, but in today's culture it just doesn't make sense. Children are expensive. Having more kids is not a wise use of our money."
It's true that children cost money. And if every child needs designer clothes, playstations, cars, boats, ATVs, and a four year Ivy League education the dollars add up quickly. The culture demands that we give our children "the best", but are these things really the best? Are we doing our children a disservice if we don't spoil them with every entertainment the world has to offer? Should our standard be based upon what the culture demands or upon what God's word asks of us?
If you cut out the unnecessary the cost per child really isn't that high (see a recent Generations with Vision podcast on large families), and decreases with each additional child you add to the mix. The real issue here is often not stewardship, but selfishness. If I have another child I might not be able to afford that new toy, we might have to eat ramen noodles instead of fillet mignon, we might not be able to keep up with the Joneses, we might have to give up our second jobs and/or free time to take care of the kids.
If your money and time belong to God, and if one of God's primary methods of blessing us is through children, then wouldn't our money and time be well spent taking care of the "blessings" God has given us?
I just can't handle another child!
If God provides your children as blessings to you, won't he give you the strength and patience you need to care for them?
I can do everything through him who gives me strength. - Phillipians 4:13 (NIV)
Have I not commanded you? Be strong and courageous. Do not be terrified; do not be discouraged, for the LORD your God will be with you wherever you go." - Joshua 1:9 (NIV)
And it is impossible to please God without faith. Anyone who wants to come to him must believe that God exists and that he rewards those who sincerely seek him. - Hebrews 11:6 (NLT)
Being parents of multiple children (at least being good parents) will consume a large amount of your time and energy, there is no doubt about it. You will certainly have days when you want to pull your hair out, but God will sustain you and will not give you more than you can bear.
There are literally hundreds of verses that confirm God's authority over conception and his desire to bless us with many children....I have only mentioned a few of them above. Several books devoted to the subject cover these multitude of verses and dive deeper into the topic. I recommend:
In (the upcoming) part 2 of this "exposition" I will talk about the second "wisdom tidbit": Your authority and responsibility as parents to disciple your children.
Friday, July 11, 2008
These are the Generations...
Occasionally I may post links to other blogs of other people who are of a similar mind in church practice. Today's blog is These are the Generations... by Scott and Angie Head. It's worth the read.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
A Vision for Families
My wife and I attended the CHEC conference last month, and since then God has really laid it on our hearts to share the vision he has given us (and others) about family and children. I believe he may be leading us to start a family-integrated church fellowship in our area! I'm not quite sure what direction this vision will take, and to be quite honest I find it a bit frightening....it has been some time since I have served in any leadership position within the body of Christ (since 2001 when Crystal and I were first married).
I'm keeping in mind Joshua 1:9:
Tomorrow I am meeting with both the pastor of our church Heart of Junction as well as with another local minister who is working to start house churches in the Colorado River valley (see River Churches) to discuss this further. I'm excited to see what God will do! If you read this please be praying.
If you are unfamiliar with the term "Family Integrated Church" I recommend you check out the National Center for Family Integrated Churches for more information. The key concept behind family-integration is that it is the role of the parents (specifically the father) to disciple their children, and it is the role of the church to support and encourage the parents in that goal.
Family News
On Saturday my Dad got out the boat and we wen't to Harvey Gap for the day (a small reservoir not far from here). We tried to teach the kids how to fish without much success (my first time fishing in about 5 years), but had a great time with the family on the lake.
Crystal's twin sister Brandy met us at the lake and spent the night with us. On Sunday we traded her for Purity and Charis' friend Isabel (from church) who has stayed the past two days with us. Crystal took them all back to Grand Junction today to go to a beekeeping presentation at the library.
I'm keeping in mind Joshua 1:9:
This is my command—be strong and courageous! Do not be afraid or discouraged. For the Lord your God is with you wherever you go. (NLT)
Tomorrow I am meeting with both the pastor of our church Heart of Junction as well as with another local minister who is working to start house churches in the Colorado River valley (see River Churches) to discuss this further. I'm excited to see what God will do! If you read this please be praying.
If you are unfamiliar with the term "Family Integrated Church" I recommend you check out the National Center for Family Integrated Churches for more information. The key concept behind family-integration is that it is the role of the parents (specifically the father) to disciple their children, and it is the role of the church to support and encourage the parents in that goal.
Family News
On Saturday my Dad got out the boat and we wen't to Harvey Gap for the day (a small reservoir not far from here). We tried to teach the kids how to fish without much success (my first time fishing in about 5 years), but had a great time with the family on the lake.
Crystal's twin sister Brandy met us at the lake and spent the night with us. On Sunday we traded her for Purity and Charis' friend Isabel (from church) who has stayed the past two days with us. Crystal took them all back to Grand Junction today to go to a beekeeping presentation at the library.
Wednesday, July 2, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to the Hicks Family Blog! This post serves as an introduction to our blog and our family. We're glad you stopped by! We are a family of seven (currently) living in Parachute, Colorado (which is about an hour away from Grand Junction on the western end of the state - up in the mountains).
Our desire is to serve Jesus Christ through our words, lives, and actions. Because of His sacrifice upon the cross and resurrection from the dead we are no longer slaves to death but are free to live!
The purpose of this blog is to keep family and friends informed of what's happening with us, to encourage dads and moms as they attempt to parent and disciple their children, to share what God is teaching us, and occasionally to serve as a political soapbox when the need arises.
In the past few years God has really impressed upon us his passion for children, and as parents we have a huge responsibility to demonstrate God's love to them. We don't always get it right (in fact some days I'm not sure we get it right at all) but God has revealed to us two key "tidbits" of wisdom that probably seem pretty unconventional to most Christians, and certainly to non-Christians:
1. Children are blessings. God loves us and desires to bless us. When we take family planning into our own hands, we potentially rob ourselves of the blessings that God wishes to give us.
2. Dads and Moms have a God-given responsibility to disciple their children. Parenting and discipling your children is likely the most important thing you will ever do in your life. In order to be effective in this calling, parents (not the government) must take full authority and responsibility over their children's growth: physically, mentally, and (most importantly) spiritually.
Now if either of these concepts sounds foreign or offensive to you I ask that you grab your Bible and find out what God really has to say about the issue. I think you'll be surprised. For those of you to whom these concepts seem radical, I hope to include a deeper discussion of these and related topics in future posts.
Now that you know where we stand, allow me to introduce the family!:
My name is Roger Hicks. I work as the IT Department for my father's company, The Avsource Group, which provides a variety of aviation related services to airlines and leasing companies that own large jets. That's me in the back-middle. Nickname: Pidge or Pidgel.
My wife Crystal is (in my slightly biased opinion) the best wife in the world. Her daily work includes being mom, teacher, and maid, which is certainly a big task. Were that not enough she is both a licensed CNA and Cosmetologist and provides hair cuts, colors and perms to a growing list of clients in her "spare time". We are presently working on installing a dedicated salon for her in our basement. She is the one kneeling in front of me. Nickname: Blushious.
Purity (blue dress in the middle) is our oldest at age 5. She's got a strong will and a gentle spirit. She loves to sing and color and does a good job of helping Mom and Dad with the babies. Nicknames: Squirt and Peanut.
Charis (purple dress on the left) is 4. She's very sensitive and loving and is a great cuddle-bug. She also works hard to be a good helper around the house. Nicknames: Carebear, Two-shoes, and Peach.
Emery (being held on the left) will be 3 later this month. This guy literally has more energy than the rest of us combined. He's very observant and loves to fix broken things. Nicknames: Em, Buddy, Mr. Fixit, and Juggernaut.
Veronique (pink dress being held next to me) is 20 months old and has no problems asserting herself! She tackles each new learning experience with much gusto and excitement. Nicknames: Nique, Insta-party, and Weasel.
Eden (being held by my wife) is our latest addition. As of this post he is a little over 4 months old and does a much better job of holding his head up now :) He's quite the talker and will happily coo and caw with anyone who will give him some attention! Nickname: Smurf.
Also pictured with us here are my parents, Barry & Jan Hicks (on the right) and my grandmother Nancy Stover (on the left). My sister Kate (who recently turned 18) somehow escaped this picture. Also not pictured is our dog Schnitzel and our two cats: Prince Jester and Thumb.
Thanks for stopping by to visit us. I will be updating this blog on a semi-regular basis so be sure to bookmark it or subscribe to the ATOM Feed for updates. God bless!
Our desire is to serve Jesus Christ through our words, lives, and actions. Because of His sacrifice upon the cross and resurrection from the dead we are no longer slaves to death but are free to live!
The purpose of this blog is to keep family and friends informed of what's happening with us, to encourage dads and moms as they attempt to parent and disciple their children, to share what God is teaching us, and occasionally to serve as a political soapbox when the need arises.
In the past few years God has really impressed upon us his passion for children, and as parents we have a huge responsibility to demonstrate God's love to them. We don't always get it right (in fact some days I'm not sure we get it right at all) but God has revealed to us two key "tidbits" of wisdom that probably seem pretty unconventional to most Christians, and certainly to non-Christians:
1. Children are blessings. God loves us and desires to bless us. When we take family planning into our own hands, we potentially rob ourselves of the blessings that God wishes to give us.
2. Dads and Moms have a God-given responsibility to disciple their children. Parenting and discipling your children is likely the most important thing you will ever do in your life. In order to be effective in this calling, parents (not the government) must take full authority and responsibility over their children's growth: physically, mentally, and (most importantly) spiritually.
Now if either of these concepts sounds foreign or offensive to you I ask that you grab your Bible and find out what God really has to say about the issue. I think you'll be surprised. For those of you to whom these concepts seem radical, I hope to include a deeper discussion of these and related topics in future posts.
Now that you know where we stand, allow me to introduce the family!:
My name is Roger Hicks. I work as the IT Department for my father's company, The Avsource Group, which provides a variety of aviation related services to airlines and leasing companies that own large jets. That's me in the back-middle. Nickname: Pidge or Pidgel.
My wife Crystal is (in my slightly biased opinion) the best wife in the world. Her daily work includes being mom, teacher, and maid, which is certainly a big task. Were that not enough she is both a licensed CNA and Cosmetologist and provides hair cuts, colors and perms to a growing list of clients in her "spare time". We are presently working on installing a dedicated salon for her in our basement. She is the one kneeling in front of me. Nickname: Blushious.
Purity (blue dress in the middle) is our oldest at age 5. She's got a strong will and a gentle spirit. She loves to sing and color and does a good job of helping Mom and Dad with the babies. Nicknames: Squirt and Peanut.
Charis (purple dress on the left) is 4. She's very sensitive and loving and is a great cuddle-bug. She also works hard to be a good helper around the house. Nicknames: Carebear, Two-shoes, and Peach.
Emery (being held on the left) will be 3 later this month. This guy literally has more energy than the rest of us combined. He's very observant and loves to fix broken things. Nicknames: Em, Buddy, Mr. Fixit, and Juggernaut.
Veronique (pink dress being held next to me) is 20 months old and has no problems asserting herself! She tackles each new learning experience with much gusto and excitement. Nicknames: Nique, Insta-party, and Weasel.
Eden (being held by my wife) is our latest addition. As of this post he is a little over 4 months old and does a much better job of holding his head up now :) He's quite the talker and will happily coo and caw with anyone who will give him some attention! Nickname: Smurf.
Also pictured with us here are my parents, Barry & Jan Hicks (on the right) and my grandmother Nancy Stover (on the left). My sister Kate (who recently turned 18) somehow escaped this picture. Also not pictured is our dog Schnitzel and our two cats: Prince Jester and Thumb.
Thanks for stopping by to visit us. I will be updating this blog on a semi-regular basis so be sure to bookmark it or subscribe to the ATOM Feed for updates. God bless!
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