Homelessness and Isaiah 61:1

This issue of homelessness and poverty has struck me in the last few months throughout my quiet times. It doesn't help that every time I go to the grocery store I hear a rap tap tap on my car window from a homeless person begging for money, or on almost every intersection there are beggars with signs asking for help. Fresno actually has the highest homeless rate in California, and the fourth largest in the nation. This issue has always bothered me, and my heart began to wrestle with God over what my responsibility was regarding this issue. Jesus says in the gospels that the poor will always be with you, but he also encourages the rich man to sell everything he owns to give to the poor. I was still caught in the middle of where or how much do I give? In talking with a local homeless shelter employee, I found out that there are various levels of homelessness, and some actually make quite a good living while begging. Others truly are at their wits ends and have hit hard times. Through the conversation, I also found that there are lots of resources in the city that can help and provide proper aid. I myself could be putting Dave and I in danger if I were to invite someone into our home, but a shelter could provide the assistance I could not. After much prayer and wrestling with God, an idea emerged. This idea, I truly believe, came not from me, but through my prayers by hearing God's voice. I would buy a Costco-sized box of granola bars, print out copies of all the homeless resources in Fresno, rubber band them to the granola bars, and give them out every time I encountered a homeless person. This feels right. I am helping to satisfy a physical need (hunger), while assisting with a deeper need (homelessness). Dave thought it was a brilliant idea as well, so here are some pictures of us preparing the granola bars. Praise God that he helps us wrestle through the issues of daily life such as poverty in our own cities. We don't have to travel around the world to make a difference.

The joys of having a dog

We have been having so much fun with Oliver. He has brought a lot of joy to our home and definitely keeps us entertained with his curious and playful personality. Here is Oliver attacking Dave while I was trying to give him a back massage on the floor. Then, Oliver took an interest in our beverages.

The new addition!

So, Dave and I have been talking about getting a dog for a few months now. We both love animals and really wanted a dog to go hiking with. The problem is that we have a small backyard and travel quite a bit. Our compromise was to get a small dog that we could take with us. We will get our big dog later on in life =) Oliver is 13.5 lbs terrier mix. We got him from the humane society, which is always a bit of a gamble. We really were blessed in this game of luck. We couldn't ask for a better dog. He is really mellow (unlike hyper Kuyper). He loves to play, but prefers cuddling up with anyone and everyone on the sofa. We took him for his first road trip this past weekend and he was SUCH a trooper. He bonded with my family really fast and didn't want to leave. He slept in the car either on my lap or on the back seat on a blanket and never barked or whimpered the entire time. He has yet to go to the bathroom in the house. He trains easily and we've already got him obeying commands and potty trained. We couldn't be more excited for this little addition to our family. Enjoy the pictures of Oliver!!

Weekend with the Inlaws

We spent Dave's three day weekend to head down to Santa Ynez to spend some time with the folks. It was an awesome trip. The highlight of the trip was Gary teaching me how to plow the field. He even let me wear the sacred John Deere hat, to which he referred to as Joan Deere. We played cards, looked at old pictures and just spent time hanging out. It poured rain the day we left, but our time indoors was cozy and warm. It was such a recharge getting out of the valley into the beautiful hills. Thanks Gary and Judy for an incredible weekend. Oh, and we did some wine tasting a few times along the way =)

Snowshoeing in Lassen

On New Years Eve, Dave, Bill, Cassie and I make the trek up to Lassen for some winter fun. The weather was less than desirable (ran/snow mix), but the bonding was fantastic. After our hike, we did some sledding on a near by hill. Dave and Bill kept challenging each other on who could get the most air........figures.....boys will be boys. We finished up our time with some hot cocoa at the lodge, a slushy drive home, and board games and mimosas to toast in the new year.

Flag/Mud Football

It is a Lane family tradition to bust out the old sweat bands, stretch out the muscles, and head out to Bille Park for a holiday game of flag football. The teams were divided, the game faces were on and the competition was fierce. I vote Cassie MVP for her stellar kicking abilities and Eirik MVP for catching 2 touchdown passes even with his eye depth perception problem. I look forward to taking you all on next year!

Our First Christmas

The plan was to snow shoe up into the mountains, find the perfect Christmas tree, chop it down, and bring it back to the house for decorating. We ended up buying one next to Food Maxx.......apparently Fresno doesn't allow anyone to chop down trees anywhere in the foothills or national parks.

We still enjoyed the festivities of decorating our first tree together. We gave each other ornaments, a tradition we decided to start together. Our stocking are hung, a fire is crackling, and our first Christmas together couldn't be better.