Updated on May 1, 2013
I am really excited about this week’s giveaway! A couple of years ago a long time friend of our family felt the Lord directing him to open a coffee house that would roast great coffee and minister to the physically and spiritually needy in a strategic area of the city where he lives.
What is incredible is that prior to feeling the Lord leading him and his family in this direction and relocating to the inner city, he didn’t drink coffee – he didn’t even like coffee. But God does amazing things – and He did just that with Dan and his family.
It’s a wonderful story! Because of this families’ obedience to follow God’s leading: there is now a coffee shop on the corner of one of the most colorful, challenging and needy streets in Kansas City, MO; Dan has become a true artisan in the craft of roasting high quality coffee that honestly rivals anything else I have tasted; and ministry is happening.
On any weekday, you can stop in to Eleos Coffee, a fully functioning coffee shop on Independence Avenue, in Kansas City’s historic Northeast, and sit in on a Bible study led by Dan and other staff and volunteers, attended by any number of people, from those living on the street to those otherwise living in the community.
You’ll find weekly ESL (English as a Second Language) classes being taught, women’s ministry taking place and prayer walks happening along the boulevard that lead to conversations and additional ministry opportunities. Drawstring backpacks, with basic essentials, are distributed as particular needs are made aware of and people dealing with substance abuse are helped into established recovery programs and followed up with and ministered to with the gospel.
It is amazing what God is doing through Dan and his family and Eleos Coffee and those who are connecting with this ministry. When you look at Eleos, you can only say, “Look what God has done!”
The Eleos logo reads, Great Coffee – Making a Difference. That is why I am so excited about this week’s giveaway and the opportunity to tell you about Eleos Coffee. I love good coffee, but even more I love good coffee that is directly tied to ministry in the way that it is at Eleos.
It costs a bit more to order coffee online through Eleos than what I might spend at the grocery store, but I love that when I purchase some of Dan’s coffee I am getting a high quality bean and at the same time, in a very real way, investing in the work of God’s kingdom! It doesn’t get much better than that!
So, here is your opportunity to try Eleos Coffee for yourself! Simply comment on any post at this blog or sign up to get our email updates or tweet about the giveaway or “like” our facebook page and click on the action that you have chosen in the rafflecopter box below in order to enter – for the possibility to win three 12 oz. packages of some of the finest Eleos roasts. You can choose one or more of the actions to enter. The more actions you select the more times you are entered in the giveaway. One winner, from those who sign up, will be randomly selected later this week to receive this prize. The results will be posted here at FamilyFaith&Home on Friday.
And, when you get a chance head over to Eleos Coffee online, to learn more about what God is doing through Eleos and to maybe even invest in this work by purchasing some truly amazing coffee.
Updated on May 8, 2013
Hospitality – Part 1
We first started having people in our home just a couple of weeks after we were married. In the 16 years since then we have had many wonderful people in our home, from missionaries to older couples, from young families to newlyweds and singles.
There have been times when we have invited guests into our home every other week or so and there have been times when we have had company 3 or 4 times in one week. There have also been seasons where we had the same couple in our home every week for a meal over a period of time, for counseling or mentoring.
All of those times have been a great blessing to our family.
Why Be Hospitable?
Having people into our homes and around our dinner tables is a key way that we can show hospitality in our culture today. But, why should we be hospitable? Most importantly, we should be hospitable because God instructs us to be in Scripture. In Romans 12:13 and 1 Peter 4:9, Paul and Peter exhort us to practice hospitality. There is something about sharing a meal together in our homes that produces a more intimate fellowship and an easy environment for getting to know others. It is a way we can show our love and care for those around us.
Opening our homes to others provides an opportunity for the one anothers of scripture to be lived out. Scripture calls us to love one another (Romans 12:10a), to encourage one another (Hebrews 10:25b) and to bear one another’s burdens (Galatians 6:2), to name a few – and, being hospitable is in itself a one another; “Show hospitality to one another without grumbling.” (1Peter 4:9).
In addition, when we are hospitable, our children learn the importance of reaching out to people and how to serve others. Including our kids in the process, from deciding on who to invite, to getting the house ready and serving the meal will be a great benefit to them as they grow older. Not only does it teach them how to serve, it helps them learn to interact with people of all ages and all walks of life.
Being hospitable is one of the few ways I found as a mom of little ones that I can easily serve in our local church. When my older children were little it was hard for me to go clean the church or volunteer on a work day or help out at an event because I had my children to care for. But having people in my home for a meal and fellowship was a way I could serve.
Also, back then, it wasn’t easy for me to fellowship much at church while trying to keep an eye on the kids so having company over provided opportunity for extended fellowship.
Reaching out to others, inviting them over, is a true blessing not only to you, but also to those you welcome into your home. And ultimately, being hospitable is a means by which God will be glorified as we respond in obedience to His Word by extending ourselves to others, as Christ has extended His love and kindness and generosity to us.
Join us tomorrow for part 2 in this series on hospitality.
What are your thoughts on hospitality? Do you have people in your home on a regular basis?
Additional posts in this series: Hospitality Part 2, Hospitality Part 3, Hospitality Part 4, Hospitality Part 5
Updated on April 29, 2013
A Trip to the Zoo [Video]
Our family really enjoys going to the zoo. My mom has visited us from New England a couple of times over the last couple of years. Both years, she was so kind to give us a gift of an annual zoo pass. With the pass we are able to visit the zoo several times throughout the year, even on a whim for a couple of hours, like we did yesterday afternoon. Here is a fast-forward video, just for fun, of our visit yesterday to the zoo.
Posted on April 26, 2013
Where Does My Help Come From?
When someone hears I have 12 children their first response is usually, “Oh, I can’t imagine”, followed by, “I could never handle that many”. To be honest, there are days that I think the same thing.
Those thoughts didn’t start though when I had 12, I remember all too well feeling overwhelmed when I had 2 children. There were days that felt like such a struggle to keep up with the children, the house and the laundry.
There have been lots of nights over the years that I would go to bed thinking, “I have no energy to get up and do this all over again tomorrow, let alone the desire to.” But in all those times, God has never failed me, every morning when I wake up, just as His Word says, “His mercies are new…”.
No matter how exhausted and defeated I feel when I go to bed, the Lord always gives me renewed strength and joy and love the next morning, everything I need for that day to care for my family.
This isn’t because I am a morning person and naturally wake up cheery, nothing could be further from the truth. You won’t catch me bouncing out of bed with a big smile on my face, normally I am dragging myself out of bed fighting my selfish flesh that wants to sleep till 9am.
But, being filled with love, joy and strength from God doesn’t necessarily mean you always have a smile on your face and everything is rosy. It does mean your joy comes from Christ and serving Him.
If I didn’t know my job had an eternal purpose, if I didn’t know I had a Shepherd who will lead me and guide me, if I didn’t know my loving Creator would renew my strength so that I can run and not be weary and walk and not faint, then I would become defeated in my weariness.
Knowing those truths, keeping my eyes set on a faithful, mighty God is the only way I am able to face each day. Being a mother of 2, 5 or 12 is a tremendous joy, one that I wouldn’t trade for anything. At the same time, I think all mothers know, it is exhausting, hard work. In order to keep our joy and strength in our ministry as mothers, we have to stay on guard and be diligent to “fight the good fight”, looking to the Lord to provide everything we need to serve Him effectually and joyfully.
Us moms tend to think we need a more “practical” answer to how to deal with feelings of weariness. But more mom time and more books won’t give us the help we really need. When we are overwhelmed and feel like we can barely keep our head above water, the only thing that will help is God, His precious Word speaking to us, His presence in prayer. It may sound like a simple, pat answer, but it is the only way this, sometimes weary mom, can have “joy in the morning”.
Updated on April 25, 2013
Beholding the Lord’s Possessions
We enjoyed a couple of days of ministry and visiting family in Kansas City last weekend. On our way back to Wichita, we pulled off to stretch our legs and take a few pictures in the Flint Hills. I have driven through the Flint Hills countless times and I never tire of the beauty of what God has created there; an ocean of rolling hills, as far as the eye can see. If you strain your eyes, in the picture above you’ll notice a line of little dots (cattle) on the distant landscape. It reminded me of the words of the Lord, in Psalm 50, verses 10&11;
For every beast of the forest is mine,
the cattle on a thousand hills.
I know all the birds of the hills,
and all that moves in the field is mine.
What a blessing and privilege to have beheld some of the wondrous possessions of the Lord in this way. He established it all and owns it all. What a glorious Creator!
Updated on April 30, 2013
Oops – Correction
For those of you who receive the email updates, the post entitled “A Shower of Blessings” said it was posted by Jim, but it was actually posted by Nicci. It is corrected at the blog. 
Updated on June 2, 2013
A Shower of Blessings
We were blessed to attend a baby shower the other night for our 12th baby. Some dear friends of ours threw a couples shower for us. It was the first couples shower I had been to and the first shower ever that Jim had attended.
It was really more like an intimate baby dedication. There of course was the usual shower fare: delicious food set on a beautiful table, a diaper bouquet and generous gifts. But the true icing on the cupcakes was the 18 individual prayers that were prayed over our son.
They were taken from Thomas Watson’s Characteristics of a Godly Man in his book, The Godly Man’s Picture 
We were overwhelmed with gratefulness that these men would spend time lifting our little one up before the Lord in this way. We will be looking with anticipation to see how God answers these prayers in our new little ones life.
Have you attended or had a unique shower thrown for you? I’d love to hear in the comments section.
This post is linked at: My Joy-Filled Life
Updated on April 25, 2013
Quick Tip – Homemade Sugar Scrub
Dry skin seems to be a real problem around our house. Several of our girls suffer from eczema on their hands and legs, we have tried everything to alleviate it, to no avail. Then, during my last pregnancy I started having problems with very dry skin on my face and no amount of moisturizer seemed to help.
Recently we heard about sugar scrubs, and how they did wonders for dry skin, especially eczema. So I looked up a recipe for a sugar scrub and found one that calls for only two ingredients: sugar and olive oil, both of which we had on hand.
I made some up and tried it on my face. The scrub left my face smoother than it had been in years. I had the girls try it on their hands, it made their hands feel so smooth too, and it seems to be helping their eczema.
After so many years of trying to find something to help our children’s eczema other than steroids, I’m excited to have maybe found a solution, especially since it’s one that is so inexpensive and natural.
In searching for this recipe, I found other fun sugar scrubs I’m anxious to try. Have you used sugar scrubs? Do you have a favorite scrub recipe? I’d love for you to share it in the comments.
Updated on April 23, 2013
A Seven Day Plan for Doing Family Worship
http://youtu.be/YwLINiaX8Y4?rel=0
Family worship (family devotions) has been a daily part of our home since our children were very young. When we began doing family worship, the method that is described in this video is how we started. It is really how we continue to pattern our times of family worship today.
Do you do family worship in your home? You can find other helpful tools and information on family worship at my ministry blog, The Family Worship Resource Center.