KONOMALA

The Church

As we continue walking alongside our friends here in Konomala, we’re often talking about what it means to faithfully walk with the Spirit within this community and culture. Everyone is experienced in “religion”, so it’s a slow-paced & nuanced process to allow God to reveal the root issues that we all need to grapple with. 

With the clarity of the justifying-gospel as our foundation, we’ve invested a lot of time and words around the daily-life-gospel. We have everything that we need for a life in godliness. We have unhindered access to walk in the grace that we stand within. Thank God that He has not left us on our own to walk through our days on earth. The Spirit Himself is with us and He’s offering life in every moment. In those same moments, the flesh is still straining for continued control — leading to miserable independence from God. 

All of us in the church are dealing with all varieties of challenges within our daily circumstances, families, social lives etc. Over a lifetime we’ve all learned and developed a natural, fleshly way to ‘cope’ with life. Now as we face those same circumstances with a new, biblically informed perspective, the Spirit wants to lead us into a new way of living. It sounds simple, but the first step in walking with Him is to recognize the flesh and call it what it is. 

When we agree with God about our flesh, we’re finally ready to consider His answers. But let’s not be fooled, the flesh won’t just go away quietly. Dying to ourselves and the ways we’ve always lived is no small thing. Don’t expect all of the feelings to affirm the truth in those moments. But thankfully, the experience of walking in step with the Spirit is so much better than the independent-minded alternative. We can experientially know the peace, joy, and strength of Jesus Himself. 

Those are the bones of so many conversation we’re having in our own homes, as friends, and as brothers & sisters in the church. There are some real, encouraging things happening in our lives in the church as we choose to humbly walk in truth with the Spirit. And as always, there are some discouraging things happening too as the flesh keeps bringing the same deadly results as it always has. 

The Family

Since there aren’t too many different things to do out here, it’s a bit of a broken record in our daily routines … school, play, friends, meaningful conversations, struggles with heart attitudes, lots of girly-giggling, playing the same games over and over … There’s almost always a girl drawing a picture, helping mom in the kitchen, or begging to play a game. 

Sometimes we daydream about a last minute trip to a fun park or restaurant, or going camping on a nice fall weekend. The other day, we maybe got a little carried away in food-dreaming … we had to have put on a couple pounds with how much food we talked about. 

We have lots to be thankful for though in our little corner. There are things about living here that are unique and so good for our family. 

Kaitlyn has an even fuller morning now as she’s started kindergarten with Olivia. Natalie and Lauren are starting 3rd & 4th grade now. Some days definitely have challenges … God is gracious though and we’re all learning to depend on Him in the middle of the feelings. 

Keep Praying

So many of our friends have become believers over the last few years, but there has continued to be constant underlying tension within their extended family. Pray that each person can see through the emotions of it all and recognize that the Spirit is offering real help in God’s word being lived out within His family. Those willing to experience social pain because of their choice to follow the Spirit’s lead can have something so much better today and into eternity. 

Some of that social pain is being brought on by silly conflicts and baggage from the past. Pray that those individuals would humbly respond to  gracious & truthful input from others. 

Some of the struggle is simply being imagined and perceived as reality. Pray that those individuals would have the courage to step into the things God is offering at the risk of having to explain their decisions to others.

Keep praying for our family as we look to Jesus and want to be faithful in what God has for us: in our own heart struggles and fleshly patterns; in our marriage as we push each other more towards Jesus; and with our girls as we strive to help them see their daily need for Jesus and all that He is offering to them.

Keep praying for our team as we strive to live in the unity of the Spirit and love each other well. We’re thankful to be here with our closest friends, and it’s only as we humbly walk with Jesus together that others will be able to see His life being lived within His family.