07-08-03 - Dear Friends,

What a week. All I can say is that one of God's greatest gifts to a man is a wonderful wife. After this week of trying to fill in for Sheila while she writes her new book I wonder - "How does she do it all?" How do some of you do it all with 2, 3, 4, 5.... kids? If there's no such thing as "Wife Appreciation Day", I should start it today. I've only been at it for little over a week and I'm ready for the retirement home! Give me a rocker!

My first job was the washing. What makes those socks disappear and what makes the jeans shrink two sizes? It couldn't be something I did. The worst part is that the loads never stop piling up. Where can all those dirty clothes come from - only 3 people live in this house! But among other smaller jobs, the big job was the cooking. I asked you all to send in simple recipes that I might try. I got so many that I had to weed them down so I sorted them to about 20. But even the simplest of the simple seemed way out of my reach. I have to tell the truth - the first two nights we went out to eat! But I wasn't giving up. So I decided to do something I felt was in my reach - barbequeing. I put the chicken on the grill, seasoned it and proudly displayed my tools and utensils. After I had checked to be sure all was well, I went in to get a cold drink and to brag to Sheila about my forthcoming accomplishment.

Then it happened. I turned around to look through the window at the grill ready to brag again when to my amazement IT WAS ON FIRE! Not just the chicken on the grill - THE ENTIRE GRILL! The bottom pan, the middle, the chicken, the top! I ran out hoping Sheila wouldn't notice the "Towering Inferno" in our back yard. But she jumped up with a yell and ran out with me. "Fireman Barry" finally got the blaze out and as I looked at what was left on the grill I thought hopefully-"We can still eat this." Although the exterior was as black as soot, I tried a piece. But all hope was lost. I sighed as my entire creation went into the trash.

But still, hope reigns eternal. The next night after our TV dinners (HAHA), I thought I'd whip up a little bacon as a snack or maybe for a BLT to bring back my cooking credibility. I decided to use my cookery skills with the microwave this time. Sheila watched supportively as I loaded the bacon on a plate and covered it. We both walked away to do other things. But soon a horrible smell filled the air and white smoke filled the kitchen. I thought "No! Not again!" The microwave was on fire! The plate, the paper towel, and the bacon! Cooking classes here I come! There's always next week! The adventure continues!

Just as an update, the new website will be unveiled next week including the new E Bible Study. While all of the features won't be available for a few weeks, I know you are going to enjoy the expanded features Sheila has in store for you: the new E Bible Study for Sheila's book, a feature from First Lady Laura Bush, and new articles from Point of Grace plus much, much more. Look for the new site to be up and running next Tuesday.

What an "adventurous" week our family has had. (Christian now says, "Can I just have plain noodles Dad"!) It reminded me of this card I love that my friend Jan Silvious sent for my birthday:

Twenty years from now
You will be more disappointed
By the things you didn't do
Than by the ones you did.
So throw away the bowlines.
Sail away from the safe harbor
Catch the trade winds in your sails.
Explore. Dream. Discover.
-unknown

Because of who we are in Christ, don't worry about messing up. I'm going for it! How about you?

Stay tuned for a short note from Sheila.

With Love,

Barry

From Sheila

What can I say - the man is a Prince! After the barbeque incident we decided that there is a fine line between well-done and burnt offering! My sister and her husband are here from Scotland and they are having a great time teasing Barry about his cooking!

Thank you for your prayers as I write this new book. I was studying today the story of the woman caught in adultery. She was dragged before Jesus. The religious leaders waited to see what Jesus would say. They thought that they had him trapped. As you know Jesus wrote in the dirt after saying "Let the one among you who has committed no sin throw the first stone." The crowd one by one left but here's what I was thinking...

"Something else could have happened in the temple courtyard that day. At times in the life of Christ what he didn't say and what didn't happen are as significant as what did.

"If any one of you is without sin, let him be the first to throw a stone at her."

Imagine you are one of the Sanhedrin or someone at the back of the crowd who wants to see what's going on without getting too involved. You hear Jesus words and instead of walking away, you push your way through the crowd and take your place beside that woman. She looks at you and flinches, wondering if you want a closer shot. Instead, you smile at her and take her hand. You stand with her in as much need of grace as she is. Someone else moves forward and another and another. What would have happened? It would have been a greater miracle than feeding five thousand or healing a blind man. Those are things Jesus did by himself, that's who he is.

The miracle is when we participate in the grace process, when we become the bearers in our own bodies of what it looks like to be God's forgiven children.

A watching world is not that impressed with miracles. Satan can mimic miracles; Las Vegas has miracles at eight, ten and midnight any day of the week. What is amazing is when we finally get it that we are the band-aids. We are called to bring healing to one another. There are different reasons why our hearts are broken. We can receive a measure of Christ's healing and try and live it out alone or we can stand together and become a healing stream. This would change the world.

"By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another." John 13:35

God bless you this week.

With love,

Sheila