The Tree House Mural

The children at The Tree House worked on painting this mural for about 6 weeks. It now hangs on display in The Tree House.

So what is the Tree House?

Imagine 25 children wanting your utmost attention, running around with high energy, yelling, crying, and often physically instigating one another... well you get the picture. This was a typical afternoon at The Tree House. Our two day a week after-school program involved a Bible lesson, crafts, reading, computer time, and games.

Through prayer, wise counsel, and implementing very specific boundaries we have seen the Lord transform not only the behavior of some of the children but soften their hearts as well. Our next door neighbor's children were three kids that we had some of the most trouble with. As we spent more time with them outside of The Tree House, we learned how their mom had recently moved with them away from their dad after being together for more than 10 yrs. He had been unwilling to work and had no intentions of ever marring her. The two boys had been sleeping on the floor and daily necessities were a challenge to get. The more time we spent with the kids the more they began to trust us. What was once hostile, distant, and angry attitudes has turned into hugs, sweet notes with beautiful pictures, and even helping hands.

It hasn't only been the children's hearts that have needed softening but ours as well. We have often shared that perhaps going to seminary, living at White Rock, and serving the children has been more for our refinement than it has been for anyone else's good. God is changing my attitude of irritation and ungratefulness toward the noises of the children next door, kids playing on our porch, and the weekly trial & errors of running an afterschool program to the very things I am grateful for and most days even say I love!

A Day In The Life Of Jackson

Enjoying Spring Break & Sprinklers at the Lake

5 & 1/2 months along...or 22 weeks :)

Neighborhood Friends

The two older children, Lynne and Kendrick have become a regular part of our week. Lynne already has sweet motherly instincts at the age of 8 and Kendrick is giving me a good picture of what a little boy is like at the age of 6. They love to play with Jackson and they love to play with .... Jack! As if the picture doesn't already communicate that :)

I'm still trying to learn how to respond when kids knock on our door to see if "Jack" is home. If not, they usually sigh and then run off to do something else. Lynne & Kendrick have been coming to Church with us the past few weeks. They talk about it during the week and have said in their own ways how much they like going to church. We are blessed to know and love them.

"When I was a child, I talked like a child, I thought like a child, I reasoned like a child." 1Cor. 13:11

"My Daddy's in Jail"...these four striking words spoken with such little emotion from the mouth of a young boy were said in such a way that convinced me how completely foreign this concept is for me yet at the same time how normal it is for him. This is all he knows of his father right now and so he reasons, thinks and speaks of what he knows as a child would. I felt trapped to find the right words to respond. "I'm so sorry" came out first. The little boy then shared how his brothers and sisters have different Daddy's than him. Now this concept isn't so foreign to me, it was just said in a way I am not use to. I grew up hearing my friends’ say, "this is my step-dad, my half-brother, or my half-sister" Another way of saying this is simply how this little boy put it, "My brother & sister have a different Daddy's than me but we have the same Mommy."

After the initial feelings of uncertainty in how to respond passed, it was as if for the first time while living here I was able to speak back to him like a child by sharing a deep concept in a simple way. I shared how even though he can't see his earthly father right now He has a Father in heaven that sees him everyday, who takes care of him, who loves him and who knows him intimately. We talked about the ways God takes care of us and what Jesus ultimately did to take care of His children. I'm not sure what type of impact this conversation had on this young boy but I am confident that God is working in me to learn "discipleship & evangelism" in such a new and almost more challenging way than I have ever experienced. The scripture above finishes, "When I became a man, I put childish ways behind me." Though this is true of me as an adult, my prayer is that I would put back into my mind & heart the way children think, reason and speak so I can better minister and love them while I live among them.

A Missionary Sits On A Rock

Day After Day, The Missionary
Learns The Ways And Language
Of The People From The Children

After Many Months,
The Life Of The People
Draws In The Life Of The Missionary

~Author Unknown~

Make a Smilebox greeting

Favor in the eyes of children

Our community continues to grow with new residents which means it continues to increase in the amount of children we see playing & running outside. My kind hearted husband began to notice how much the children around us had little to do or even play with after school. Though play grounds and a computer center on on there way, there is little to do in the mean time. Our church put on a simple Christmas play early in December. Jack thought it might be fun to try and gather the children around us to see if they would want to participate in a Christmas play as well. Little did we know that this endeavor would lead to such sweet relationships between us and the children. The gospel was shared in our community through these children as they participated in a play that shared about the birth of Christ from the gospel of Luke.

It is clear to us now, that God is giving us much favor in the eyes of the youth. We hope that as God continues to give us opportunites to know and love these Children that He would bridge the gaps we continue to face in connecting with the parents around us. My heart melts everytime I see one of the kids run up and give Jack a big hug! Please pray with us that we would be able to put together some sort of after school program here at White Rock Hills.

A Mother's Love

If I am always cleaning, organizing, running errands and cooking
but have not love, I am just another wife and mother.
If I give my time to community service, volunteer work, & church activities
but have no love toward my family, I gain nothing.
If I spend time in God's word, in prayer & in writing
but have no love, it profits me nothing.

Love is rising with little sleep and letting go of a planned week.
It's changing diapers, wiping a runny nose, singing songs and playing "Uh Oh!".
Love reads silly stories and makes air plane noise,
Love carries on her hip.

Love is willing to endure back pain.
It does not envy another life;
wishing things were different or longing for more free time.
Love accepts her lot and believes her cup runneth over.

Love fights bad attitudes.
It confesses sin and asks for forgiveness time& time again.
Love disciplines in hope that her children see God's loving boundaries.
She does not discipline for her comfort or peoples praise.
Love sets other desires aside, so she can look into her child's eyes;
She realizes how fleeting life is.
Love never fails.

~ Emily Murphy ~
October 21, 2008

The idea to write this was modeled in a book called, A Mother's Heart. The purpose was to help us pin point areas in our life that seem to rob us of the agape love we are called to pour out to our children and husband. The purpose was also to bring light to areas that seem so insignificant, such as changing a diaper, and enable us see the little selfless things we do daily in Mothering are communicating and living out this agape Love that God has placed in our hearts through Christ. The Lord has been shaping and renewing my mind in significant ways toward this calling of Mothering. It is also taken from I Corinthians 13.