my family

Thu17:44 Let me tell you about my family over here… I’ll start with James (JJ)…… James Jea Armstrong (21) is my brother, and like blood brothers we have a tight bond of love, and we also can allow our flesh to make us stupid. We are both willing to fight for out friendship (even if that means fighting our own flesh). I don’t think he knows all the ways that God uses hid life. He is a quiet example of loving and caring about people. Many many times I will meet someone, or encounter someone, or talk to, or play a game with someone, and my relationship with them will stop there. Often James will meet them, find out about them, remember their names, and build relationships with them. I am both encouraged and convicted by this. James is one of the people that I can talk to about anything. He is always ready to listen, encourage, pray, or just talk with me. He is smart good at sports and engaged to …… Jenelle Grace Herring (21) is one of those people who makes people laugh harder, longer, or more often then they normally would. The gift of laughter is a gift that I put a lot of value on. She sets high expectations for herself, but often bypasses my expectations. She keeps her eyes wide open (not literally) (she sees the “barcode plastic world” for its fakeness, and the motionless steeples, pulpits, and smiles for their emptiness). She has seen too many Bibles with paper thin pages. When I talk with her, there is no fear or feeling of having to measure up or appear this way or be so strong or know so much. She neither offers or requests any pretences. In her, I see childlike joys and adultlike concerns. I can joke with her more freely than with most friends. She is truly my sister, and her sister is …… Eva Joy Herring (for 16.5 hours)(the time is now 23:30) (27) constantly (almost) reminds me what life is all about. She seeks truth with all her energy and speaks it with a quiet, unapologetic resolve. Her beauty is knit to her soul. She doesn’t claim to be wiser than the foolish or stronger than the weak or more noble or worthy than the dirt jar that God stores His priceless riches in. she isn’t interested in spotlights or titles. She “stands fast in liberty”, and is not “entangled in the yoke of bondage” [Galations 5:1-15]. Eva Joy is about as materialistic as a mud hut. She loves kids, is a little bit ADD, is a little bit crazy, and in about 45 minutes, she is marrying …… Caleb Senecal is a man… and I mean that in the fullest extent of the word. He is a hard worker, and he loves to work with his hands. Caleb bored is like an Alka-Seltzer in a coke bottle. He “seeks God in the morning and learns to walk in His ways”. Caleb would love to live in a mud hut (not to mention build one). God began to build our friendship before we even had a conversation. God just put each of us on each other’s hearts and in each other’s hearts. He is a quiet servant, and he loves the rejected. I have never tired of his company. Caleb is my friend, brother, and comrade.Both he and Eva Joy are like precious treasure: one is not easily separated from them, nor easily forgets them. I cherish their friendship.Ah!!, but I have not mentioned Caleb’s new parents in law (Eva Joy and Jenelle’s parents)…… Bob and LuAnn Herring…… Bob Herring is a name that is rarely spoken without causing a response or reaction. Bob is a faucet of wisdom, knowledge, great stories, and terrible jokes. Furthermore, the supply is all but endless, and the faucet knob is broken, permanently stuck in the “on” position. When Bob speaks, the wise listen, the proud tremble, those hungry to learn draw near, those who want naught but comfortability steal away, those with good timing get words in edgewise, and the religious people cringe. Bob would say that his greatest prayer for us is that we could, one day, be as humble as him (he is very much joking). He realizes that he and everyone else is a great big “fart in a barrel” except for the Christ in us. He is not a “respecter of persons”, and he doesn’t take off his hat or cower before men with titles and positions. God speaks to him and he listens and shares what he has heard. Bob never tires of telling the same sory, or message, or truth or saying, over and over again, and though we grouan or sigh at the retellings, I realized that I am truly thankful that he repeats them. They are etched deeper in my memory after the seventh time hearing them. He loves his family, and is eager for people to share any words, songs, wisdom, and gifts that God has given them. He is less a leader and more an encourager, exorter, light shiner, accountability provider, and advisor. Bob is a father to many and he is married to…… LuAnn Herring is a mother to all who will have her. She serves and toils when no one is watching. None of us works harder than her or are as underappreciated as her. Perhaps it is impossible to appreciate her enough to match her services. LuAnn’s presence brings comfort, even when it is she who needs to be comforted. She does not love people at arms length, but at full embrace. She listens intently and searches for ways to help. LuAnn is a joyful witness of God’s ridiculously awesome provisions, choreography, perfect timing, and strange, mysterious, and sweet ways. When she is happy, I can hardly be otherwise. Her smile can never be lonely, for when I see t, my own smile is drawn out to keep hers company. How her body can manage to contain her huge heart, mystifies physiology and anatomy, and defies laws of science and matter. Soo…. That’s my team/friends/family over here…