08/9/24
We have a lot of good things to share with you from the last month or so in the Hanson clan.
Our two oldest girls attended a youth leadership camp called Project Timothy in Tehachapi with some other youth from our church. When they returned they talked endlessly about how amazing all the other kids were. Those kids inspired our girls with what’s possible as a young person. Project Timothy stretched them in hearing God in new ways and ministering to others in new ways. Carys said she felt like a bigger person after the experience. Ashlinn and Carys also played violin and flute respectively with the newly formed youth worship band at our church on a recent Sunday morning. They had inspiring energy and an amazing sound.
At the end of June, we took a trip to see my family in my home area in Washington for the first time in a few years. I especially enjoyed sharing experiences from my childhood and youth with my own kids now that they are old enough to appreciate them. The baby had her first wild huckleberries, which she loved. I also got to show all the kids how to operate the excavator that my dad and I used when we worked together in construction. We hiked a trail in the Cascade mountains to a waterfall, and we visited the old apple cider press where I used to work. Sharing it all with people I love filled my soul.
Our August Pride peach tree produced an abundant harvest this year. It’s amazing how the tree seems to automatically and almost effortlessly produce a lot of delicious fruit as long as it has good soil, consistent sun, and consistent water. I notice our lives are similar. You and I are like trees. We are made for producing fruit in relationships, service to others, creation, and restoration. If we consistently pursue learning, growth, and meaningful relationships and plant ourselves in the soil of humility, the good fruit is almost certain. Sometimes the consistency seems boring or difficult. Keep going. Don’t give up.
Hannah and I have had some great strategy meetings lately, and I’m excited about what’s ahead for us.
The baby continues to amaze us as she approaches turning two years old. She talks in sentences and shows us every day that she understands complex ideas. At the moment, she loves bouncing on her bed, reading Go, Dog. Go!, and going for walks in the stroller.
Thanks as always for being part of our community and for spending a little time with us today. Blessings until next time!