Life as a House

Growing up, if you’re lucky (BLESSED!) to have a dad like mine, you’re also blessed with amazing memories. And I have a lot of those amazing memories with my Dad.

We’d play catch together. He was always intentional about throwing balls that were maybe JUST outside my reach, because I told him I wanted to dive for it! Every summer, we’d take a family vacation—filled with the morning smell of bacon and pancakes, hiking up mountains together, playing Wist or Hearts before bedtime. He’d rebound for me when I wanted to get shots up, spent hours making things for me and the family, grilled KILLER chicken or steak(of which the recipe not even he knows—as it seems to change every time!). And the list goes on…

The best memories are ones that are shared—and over the past four months my Pops and I have been on a journey together—one that I’ll never forget!

ACE has a house in South Minneapolis! Located in the heart of where we do ministry, the house is going to be our ministry center. Our place of refuge. Our place to have community dinners, Bible studies, art clubs, hangouts….(and more things we’re eager to find out once we get settled!!!)

Thirty-Four #14s at McDonald’s (but somehow no added pounds to show for it)…..
Six-Hundred Dry Wall Screws….
Hundreds of hours of labor (and NeedtoBreathe music keeping us company)…
New toilets, fresh paint….
Sore shoulders….
Calloused hands…
A slice of my finger…..literally…
Blood, sweat and tears later….
WE’VE ALMOST MADE IT! The house is almost complete….

And then I realized something that is so simple yet so profound: When you’re building things together with the ones that you love most and the ones you love most, you’re not building houses, you’re building homes!
ACE has a place to now call home, and we couldn’t have done it without you, Pops! Thanks for the memories!

Cheers to hard work, perseverance and a sprinkle of good fortune!

Keep pressing on!