breath of fresh air

we have internet!!! ha... this makes me so happy! now you can all look forward to new posts from the hamline house blog every week! and you'll probably be hearing from me a bit more frequently too! 3 thumbs up right? :)

ahhhh... i miss all of you! my blog family! how are all of you? i guess if i really wanna find out i'll just have to make a little trip over to your blogs! and now i actually have some time to do that! ummmm... ok, so in my last post i was going through some rough times... ha.. life in community IS all it's cracked up to be... but it's HARD. it takes ridiculous amounts of prayer and patience... which are to things i get to grow in daily. things have started looking up too... natalie and i developed our covenant and weekly structure! since i'm sure you're all dying to know what it is... i thought i'd post it here for you all to see! enjoy :)

Hamline House Values

Simplicity - as community members we commit to living with what we need, not what we want. this requires continual evaluation of our lifestyle. we consider the needs of our local and global neighbors before our own.

Sharing - as community members we commit to sharing our resources with each other so that we may have more to give those in need. we recognize that all we have belongs to God, and then to our brothers and sisters in the house.

Peacemaking - as community members we commit to resolving conflict according to the way prescribed in matthew 18. we commit to extending self-giving love to all people in the same way God does. this includes our enemies. we commit to following the Spirit's leading as we work to heal and restore our broken world.

Work - as community members we recognize work as the dignified activity of helping God provide for human needs. we commit to balancing work inside the home with work outside of the home.

Accountability - as community members we allow one another to lovingly challenge and encourage us to remain faithful to our covenant and to Jesus' kingdom way of life, and we commit to doing the same for each other.

Communication - as community members we commit to speaking truthfully and lovingly to each other. we avoid meaningless talk, half truths, and dishonesty so that we may commit to simplicity in our speech as well.

Leadership - as community members we take ownership of our HouseGroups, taking on leadership roles and offering our time to be spiritual guides for people.

Submission - as community members we recognize the church as Christ's body and humbly submit to it's leadership as we would to Christ. we recognize our tendency to pursue our own self-centered vision rather than God's dream for our community. we commit to support and encourage those God has called to leadership roles among us and to passionately follow the dream that God has called us to as a covenant community.

Freedom - as community members we commit to lifting burdens off of those we meet in our world and to liberating people from poverty and emotional and spiritual deprivation.

Transformation - as community members we commit to the disciplined spiritual life, recognizing God as a God of life and newness. we resist stagnation and encourage growth on the individual and communal level.

Play - as community members we commit to creating times in which we have fun together, fostering an enjoyment of all God's good gifts.

Rest - as community members we commit to times of reflection, both individually and as a community.

New Family - as community members we commit to living as God's new family. this means respectful and loving interaction between genders, ages, races, and any other lines which divide people in our world. we recognize the humanity in us all and welcome strangers with Christ-like hospitality.

and there you have it folks. i feel so blessed to be a part of this house. thank you all for being such a huge support for me through all of this. i got nothing but love for you :)