The View around my House

I am a blessed man. That is obvious.

However, no one ever comes up to me and says "We looked at you, and realize how blessed you are...". They look at my life, and then they say it. They look at the people in it, the character of them, and the grace and then they say "WOW, such a burden!!!!"


This is the view from my front door last night. It might not look to you like much, until you realize the context. I like using italics today. Anyhow... There are 5 girls there.

1. Danielle, who has become the worlds best homemaker already, while juggling a job with a disorganization, gestating a baby, helping me try to raise 2 awesome girls, and living a life of creative arts.

2. Israel "Beba" Henry, who is in the pre-teen experience of her life, making friends, being crazy, laughing, and texting like mad.

3. Judah "Boomer" Henry, who is the master of media, and has more ideas than a think tank on red bull.

4. Christina "Chrissy" Ortega, who has become the house pastor helping us learn the roots of our faith, a big sister to the girls, and a best friend to Danie all the while working, praying, and cultivating a spiritual life in a house full of coming and going. See her blog for Hanukkah video.

5. Huckleberry Henry, who is fermenting like mad, kicking, rolling, and making her mommy a little nervous that this might be the last of any sense of consistency she will ever have until the physical return of Christ.

Im not really sure what they are all doing, except for viewing pictures Christina took. The point is, they are like a private flash mob. At any point, they can suddenly, intuitively gather together, around a common and seemingly random object, and next thing I know I walk into a meeting of girls, on the kitchen floor, talking up a storm, with lots of words like "Cute", "Awesome", "AHHHHHH!", "Darling" etc.... and then just as quick, they disperse into the house and act as if nothing ever happened.

My job in this house is rather minimal. Im getting some chores assigned by the boss. I get to enjoy the kids, make food, show up at Hebrew Celebrations, and work in "The Dungeon". As the token male, they all recognize me with some sort of patronizing, benevolent attention, but Zeb and I know who really runs the ship, and we are just glad we are on it.

We know where our blessings come from, and how much we have. All you have to do is come over to my house, and walk in. You will see something like this almost every day. That is a blessing. To see "my girls" all abuzz, being silly, learning, being themselves, enjoying each other. I am blessed. I am blasted blessed.