Adding to the crime we have already experienced in our new locale, we had quite a scare the other day. In the middle of the afternoon, our dog started barking in the backyard. I looked outside and noticed that the fence was violently shaking. I opened the door and heard voices in the neighbor's yard. As it turns out, two men had gotten into the neighbor's yard and were trying to kick their back door in. Fortunately, the dog scared them off and no one was hurt.
Needless to say, this was quite a scare, especially as we realized that they most likely got in through our backyard (if you see our fence, you'll understand).
So, only partly as a result of this, and mostly as a result of the jobs and other opportunities that we have developed here in the Metroplex, we are looking for a new place to live. It is a long drive to our church, to other things we go to frequently, and we think it might be best for us to move that direction. We would appreciate your prayers.
Sunday, February 10, 2008
Some random pictures of the family...
Anne and Calla on their way to the Dallas Symphony. The seminary has free tickets, so the girls took advantage. Calla was as giddy as can be, and had a fantastic time...Two good looking dudes...And a girl who will be embarrased by this picture in a few years...
The Kimbell Museum
We recently had a chance to visit an exhibit of "Early Christian Art" at the Kimbell Museum in Ft. Worth. If you are in the area, I would recommend it. The exhibit showed art from around 300-400AD, when Chrsitianity became the state religion of Rome. It was a fascinating look at the theology and ideas that were central to Chrsitians then, and how little has changed for us today.
One thing I found interesting was their extreme interest in baptism. Many of the images on their art recreated stories of Noah and the ark and Jonah and the big fish. The sculpture above shows the story of Jonah. Two parts of the story are shown; Jonah is being thrown out of the boat (on the right) and being vomited out on the left. The artists used the mythical Greek sea creature ketos in the Jonah story. "Ketos" is apparently Greek for sea creature or whale. Interesting.
But again, the early Christians used these stories to illustrate the ideas of salvation, resurrection, and baptism. They were concerned about the same things we are today...
Our November 2007 Update
Many of you hopefully saw this, but I put it here just in case...
Greetings from Dallas! Things have been moving so quickly for the Harrisons in Dallas, that we thought it was time to update you all on our adventure.
We moved to Dallas in early July, and hit the ground running. We’ve done a pretty good job of settling in to our new house and our new neighborhood. It is definitely a lot different from our neighborhood in Lubbock, as we learned when our car stereo was stolen out of the driveway. But, other than a little culture shock (and a lot more traffic), we are adapting. We’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with many friends and family members in the Metroplex, which is wonderful. We’ve made a few friends through the seminary as well.
On the job front, I was blessed to step in to a job right away, at Starbucks. God really used that job at the beginning to help us financially, but as the semester progressed, we came to realize that it meant a lot of time away from home and not much pay to show for it. I would be in class all day and then at Starbucks all night, hardly ever seeing the kids. We made the hard decision to quit, but God has proven very faithful, and has met our financial needs. Though I do sometimes miss the free coffee…
Another wonderful work opportunity that God has given us is an internship at a local church. I have been named the Leadership Development Intern at Chase Oaks Church in Plano. Essentially, my role is to help identify and train leaders in the church. I write curriculum, teach classes, and help people connect to ministries they are interested in. I am excited about the growth potential that this ministry affords; please pray that I can be effective in my role.
I’m also doing some adjunct teaching at Tarrant County College, teaching a Film Appreciation class. Two part time jobs is a lot, especially when combined with a full schedule at DTS. That leaves little time to study and even less time with Anne and the kids. We are making time where we can but it is difficult. Please pray that God would give us more time together, and not let my work overwhelm our other more important activities.
As far as school is concerned, things are going well, even if they are stressful. The coursework can be challenging and the workload is quite daunting, but it is exciting to think of all the things I am learning. Anne and I have had many a late night discussion of theology and other weighty issues over the past few weeks.
As I said above, please pray for our priorities to remain focused. With so many things to study and read, and with so many job commitments to juggle, it would be very easy to forget why we came here in the first place.
As for Anne, she has been working hard to keep the family running smoothly. Moving in was a bit of a challenge, because we downsized and lost storage space, but she has been very creative, and our place is beginning to feel like home. She has enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with her family, she loves teaching school to the kids, and she is forming relationships with new friends, too.
Now on to the kids. The short version of the story is that they are adjusting. It was tougher on them at first than we anticipated. The “fast-paced city life” has left a longing in their hearts for the familiarity of family, friends, and their home in Lubbock. They have acted out in small ways and in big. But as they say, children adjust, and they are slowly doing that.
They have begun school, and are really enjoying it. Hannah is in the third grade and Calla started kindergarten. Hannah received a financial gift that allows her to do ballet, and thanks to her fantastic teachers in Lubbock she is ahead of the other girls in her new class. Please pray for her to make new friends. It is hard being eight years old and in a situation where all the other people already know each other. She auditioned for and got a part in The Nutcracker (she’ll be playing a mouse), and those extra rehearsals have helped her make a few friends in her ballet class.
Calla, too, received a financial gift, to play soccer. She is fantastic, if we may be so bold. A real spit-fire. She, too, would like some girlfriends her age. Also, please pray for her to do well in school.
Elliott, who does not know a stranger, has surprisingly had the hardest time adjusting to all these changes. Please pray he can get used to his new home and his new surroundings.
In closing, let me just reiterate how excited and energized Anne and I are to be here, serving faithfully. God has shown us over and over through our first semester that we are His children and He wants to take care of us spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. He has been continually inspiring to us, and He is teaching us mighty things, reminding us that, “Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world.” Please know that we are praying for each of you as we send these letters, and thanking God for you as well. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in Christ,
Kris and Anne Harrison and Family
If you'd like to contact us, send us an email and we'll pass on our address.
We have listed a few specifics we would be honored to have you pray for us. Please let us know how we may pray for you.
--Pray for Kris to be diligent in his studies, honoring the Lord in all his work. (Proverbs 9:10)
--Please pray for the kids to make new friends and to let Dallas feel like home.
(2 Samuel 7:11b)
--Pray for the Lord to continue to meet our needs spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. (Matthew 6:26-35)
--Pray for Kris’ internship to be a real time of growth and he learns to better serve the Lord and the body of Christ. (1 Timothy 3:6)
--Please pray for endurance for Anne as she is often alone and keeping the house and family in order. (Hebrews 12)
Thank you so very much and may the Lord richly bless you for your prayers, your gifts and encouragement to us. We will be in touch again soon.
Greetings from Dallas! Things have been moving so quickly for the Harrisons in Dallas, that we thought it was time to update you all on our adventure.
We moved to Dallas in early July, and hit the ground running. We’ve done a pretty good job of settling in to our new house and our new neighborhood. It is definitely a lot different from our neighborhood in Lubbock, as we learned when our car stereo was stolen out of the driveway. But, other than a little culture shock (and a lot more traffic), we are adapting. We’ve had the opportunity to reconnect with many friends and family members in the Metroplex, which is wonderful. We’ve made a few friends through the seminary as well.
On the job front, I was blessed to step in to a job right away, at Starbucks. God really used that job at the beginning to help us financially, but as the semester progressed, we came to realize that it meant a lot of time away from home and not much pay to show for it. I would be in class all day and then at Starbucks all night, hardly ever seeing the kids. We made the hard decision to quit, but God has proven very faithful, and has met our financial needs. Though I do sometimes miss the free coffee…
Another wonderful work opportunity that God has given us is an internship at a local church. I have been named the Leadership Development Intern at Chase Oaks Church in Plano. Essentially, my role is to help identify and train leaders in the church. I write curriculum, teach classes, and help people connect to ministries they are interested in. I am excited about the growth potential that this ministry affords; please pray that I can be effective in my role.
I’m also doing some adjunct teaching at Tarrant County College, teaching a Film Appreciation class. Two part time jobs is a lot, especially when combined with a full schedule at DTS. That leaves little time to study and even less time with Anne and the kids. We are making time where we can but it is difficult. Please pray that God would give us more time together, and not let my work overwhelm our other more important activities.
As far as school is concerned, things are going well, even if they are stressful. The coursework can be challenging and the workload is quite daunting, but it is exciting to think of all the things I am learning. Anne and I have had many a late night discussion of theology and other weighty issues over the past few weeks.
As I said above, please pray for our priorities to remain focused. With so many things to study and read, and with so many job commitments to juggle, it would be very easy to forget why we came here in the first place.
As for Anne, she has been working hard to keep the family running smoothly. Moving in was a bit of a challenge, because we downsized and lost storage space, but she has been very creative, and our place is beginning to feel like home. She has enjoyed the opportunity to spend time with her family, she loves teaching school to the kids, and she is forming relationships with new friends, too.
Now on to the kids. The short version of the story is that they are adjusting. It was tougher on them at first than we anticipated. The “fast-paced city life” has left a longing in their hearts for the familiarity of family, friends, and their home in Lubbock. They have acted out in small ways and in big. But as they say, children adjust, and they are slowly doing that.
They have begun school, and are really enjoying it. Hannah is in the third grade and Calla started kindergarten. Hannah received a financial gift that allows her to do ballet, and thanks to her fantastic teachers in Lubbock she is ahead of the other girls in her new class. Please pray for her to make new friends. It is hard being eight years old and in a situation where all the other people already know each other. She auditioned for and got a part in The Nutcracker (she’ll be playing a mouse), and those extra rehearsals have helped her make a few friends in her ballet class.
Calla, too, received a financial gift, to play soccer. She is fantastic, if we may be so bold. A real spit-fire. She, too, would like some girlfriends her age. Also, please pray for her to do well in school.
Elliott, who does not know a stranger, has surprisingly had the hardest time adjusting to all these changes. Please pray he can get used to his new home and his new surroundings.
In closing, let me just reiterate how excited and energized Anne and I are to be here, serving faithfully. God has shown us over and over through our first semester that we are His children and He wants to take care of us spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. He has been continually inspiring to us, and He is teaching us mighty things, reminding us that, “Greater is He that is within us than he that is in the world.” Please know that we are praying for each of you as we send these letters, and thanking God for you as well. We look forward to hearing from you.
Yours in Christ,
Kris and Anne Harrison and Family
If you'd like to contact us, send us an email and we'll pass on our address.
We have listed a few specifics we would be honored to have you pray for us. Please let us know how we may pray for you.
--Pray for Kris to be diligent in his studies, honoring the Lord in all his work. (Proverbs 9:10)
--Please pray for the kids to make new friends and to let Dallas feel like home.
(2 Samuel 7:11b)
--Pray for the Lord to continue to meet our needs spiritually, emotionally, physically and financially. (Matthew 6:26-35)
--Pray for Kris’ internship to be a real time of growth and he learns to better serve the Lord and the body of Christ. (1 Timothy 3:6)
--Please pray for endurance for Anne as she is often alone and keeping the house and family in order. (Hebrews 12)
Thank you so very much and may the Lord richly bless you for your prayers, your gifts and encouragement to us. We will be in touch again soon.
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