Update

Here is a quick update on all things Kitchens':

• Allison started back to TCU today for her final year. She is very ready to be done.

• We absolutely love our church (Trinity Chapel Bible Church). We have been involved with a small group there for about 4 months and in September we will begin leading a college small group.

• Work is work. I still enjoy it, which I know is more than most people can say.

• Over the next couple of months we will visit a few schools to determine where, if anywhere, I might go next fall. We still feel like this is something we need to peruse until directed otherwise.

• Lastly we are looking at trying to go to Europe this March. Our reasons are threefold; 1) It will be our one year anniversary 2) We have some friends who are living in London for the next 11 months that we want to visit 3) We hope by that time to have established a few contacts in France who are engaged in the same sort ministry/missions/lifestyle that we would like to be in the coming years.

Until next time

the Kitchens'

photography...I think i love it again

Hey All! Its Allison
Many of you know that FOREVER, ok maybe since high school I have loved photography. I have shot for many friends, and done some bigger jobs, but really I just love the art of photography. I love the way it connects me and the person/people I am shooting. I love that it is a way for the creativity God has made in us to be displayed. I love to use the camera to make people see they have great value...either through the pictures they see, or through the works I can speak to them in the time I spend with them. I love that it is an always changing art...and that ANYONE can be a photographer.

Somewhere though in the last 6 months... I had come to a point where I hated photography... I hated the thought of picking up my camera. I had not even realized this until the time grew closer for Amber and Jessica and I were getting ready to shoot Jake and Jessi Russo's Wedding. The whole feeling of hate came out. I still don't know why I felt that way... but Jake and Jessi's wedding cured me of it. Now all of the things I LOVED about shooting are back. It has been so good for me to walk through that because now the passion I once had for photography-where I never let my camera leave my hand, is returning.

But in light of all of that, I have been editing the pictures and here are a few...

A Rahr Adventure

Hi Friends!
Today Justin and I experienced something fun and native to Fort Worth. Every Saturday from 1 to 3 the local brewery gives a tour and allows you to taste the beers that they brew. Justin and I had never gone before, so today we tried it. It was hot in the brewery but it was fun... a lot of live music and people everywhere. Here are some pictures from our day-

Islam in Europe

I just wanted to post a link to an interesting story I read about European Converts to Terrorism. I found it to be very informative.

I think the first thing that runs through my mind when I read stories like this is fear. Then unfortunately my fear is followed by anger, I think this is a defense mechanism. I say this because I feel like these emotions are fairly typical of Westerners; however the fear and anger, over time, become hate. We want to feel safe in our own country and these people are being brainwashed to hate us from the time they are small children. They have suicide bombers, they treat women horribly and many people have lost family members to the war. They make it very easy for us to hate them.

However I think somewhere along the way we as Christians decide that "they" being Muslims are not worthy of the gospel. Now we don't actually say that but it can be seen in our actions towards them or lack there of. It can be seen simply when you watch how people react when you begin talking about Islam or ministering to Muslims. I don't say this to bang on the Church or Christians, that is not my intention at all. I say this because I don't think we even realize that we are doing it. Somewhere between fear and hate we dehumanize Muslims. This is why we are not devastated by the fact that people send themselves straight to hell by blowing themselves up in the name of a god who doesn't exist. This is why we don't long for a better life for Muslim women and education for Muslim children. It's why we want to segregate ourselves from them so that we can feel "safe".

Don't get me wrong there is nothing wrong with wanting to feel safe; it is just not our end goal. Our end goal is to establish a Kingdom filled with people from every tribe tongue and nation.

So my hope is that God would remind you (as He so graciously does me all the time) what He saved you from. That He would remind you that you were dead in your trespasses and a child of wrath until He decided to make you alive. That you had no "redeeming qualities" that caused God to choose you. You did not choose to be born into a Christian home or in a country where people have the freedom to preach the gospel without fear of persecution. It was out of His great love and mercy that He decided to breathe life into you. That He has made you a minister of reconciliation and called you to go and make disciples. That we are commanded to love our enemies and pray for those who persecute us.

Have a great fourth of July weekend.

Salutations

So Allison and I decided a few weeks ago that we should create a blog in an effort to keep in touch with those who we don't get to see as often as we would like. The hope being that by keeping people updated as to what is going on in our lives they might reciprocate by commenting and or calling or whatever. We tend to forget about people, who we love and cherish very much, until they call randomly or something weird triggers a memory of them and then we are upset b/c we haven't talked to them in like a month. So this blog, in part, is an attempt to avoid those frustrations.

We would also just like a place to express thoughts, ideas, dreams etc. We talk often about our dreams and goals with our friends with the hope that in doing so we are creating accountability for ourselves. We want people to ask how our efforts to do missions with Muslims in France are going, and what we are doing now to make that a reality. Not to build us up or make others think more highly of us but to challenge us to stay focused.

Finally it just sounded fun. My wife takes awesome pictures so I love the idea of her getting to share them through this medium. I like to write occasionally and love the idea of facilitating discussion this way. So we hope that you will put us in your bloglines or google reader and comment often.

Love
The Kitchens'