Inside Jokes

Last night I asked Alyvia if she wanted to go for a special time away with me and she immediately exclaimed "Yes"! When I told her I wanted to take her for a sunset hike up Sawnee Mountain she then said "Oh, actually I'm going to stay with mom". I'd be lying if I said I completely understood as I really wanted to take her.  With mild disappointment I started to tuck in the rest of the gang one by one. For some of the kids, one in particular, it was a serious fight to keep them in their room and the tantrum was memorable...

After I got them all to sleep I came back downstairs and Alyvia said "Dad, I'm ready to go. Meet me upstairs". A bit frazzled from the bedtime havoc I slowly processed her change of heart, grabbed my belongings and jumped in the car. By this point it was 8:11pm and I knew the sun was due to set at 8:46pm so we raced in our giant rental car to the base of the Sawnee Mountain Preserve. 

Once we arrived we filled our water bottle with haste and set off toward the top. We were moving at a pretty incredible pace for an eight year old, even passing a few couples along the way. When we rounded the last switchback about 600 feet from the cliff I heard someone yelling it's about to set and I glanced at my phone to check the time. It was 8:45pm and I yelled "Alyvia, run we're going to miss it"! We took off and sprinted the last six hundred feet to catch one of the most incredible sunsets I've ever seen. The sun was ruby red against a pink and purple sky and it was quickly slipping over the top of the blue ridge mountains in the background. Within seconds of being at the top it vanished beneath the horizon. We panted at the top and enjoyed the splendor of the painting (I did most of the panting). We had the best conversation about the painter and his undeniable faithfulness to provide day in and day out. We were truly amazed by the variations in the sky and we climbed and descended alongside the steep mountain drop off to catch different vantage points. Alyvia was so mesmerized she wanted to see as much as possible and every direction. 

She was also incredibly fearless walking toward the edge on the boulders and scaling down rock walls to get a different view. I was proud of her sense of adventure but also incredibly nervous as she scooted out to the edge to let her feet dangle whenever possible. At one point she said "Dad, you're kind of acting like a scaredy cat. I'm not going to fall or anything". I smiled back at her and told her I trust her but also insisted that she hold my hand...

I realized the immense value of our time together and how much I would treasure this memory. Once it was almost completely dark and there was only one small group left at the top we decided to start the decent. We wandered the trails playing different games and laughing uncontrollably. She taught me how to play one game called true or false which is apparently the same thing as one truth and a lie. I thought it was a great time to tell stories about me and Thiele that she may not know and be creative in the false responses. It was amazing for me to hear her stories and her sense of creativity and to laugh hysterically while we wandered through the dark without a flashlight. Our eyes adjusted and our hearts were delighted. It was truly a time where inside jokes are made and I'm so thankful for that. 

On the way home we sang songs and laughed some more before we arrived home. I hope that she took as much from our time as I did. I was reminded of the value in relationships, the value of adventure and the restoration that laughter brings. I was reminded that a grand a glorious story is being written and the painter is involved in all the little details. It was a night for the books!

Blank pages

This morning before any of the clan awoke I stumbled out into the kitchen dramatically grasping for the K-cups so I could make some coffee. I had hit the snooze for just long enough that I woke up to the second alarm with a mass amount of disorientation. I must've hit the REM cycle in record time! While my coffee was brewing I grabbed a few things and decided to the spend the morning outside on the deck. 

One of the benefits of moving is you unearth historical treasures from years past that have been buried deep amidst the American collection of things. I noticed that sitting on a shelf was a journal from a specific date I couldn't recall that had been placed as decoration on a bookshelf in our living room. Like an adventurer on an expedition I excitedly took it with me outside. Upon opening the journal I found a story (more a collection of prayers, dreams and hopes) inside from what seems like an eternity ago yet was only actually a few years ago. 

On the pages, week after week, were stories and prayers from my everyday life. Stories of healing and stories of immense pain, joy and peace. Though the prayers seemed to go wherever the spirit led and jumped from place to place there was a consistency to the storyline. Then all of a sudden in January of 2012 the journal was written out of the story and sat somewhere untouched for years. 

Alongside these entries were dozens of prayer cards I remembered creating after reading A Praying Life in 2010 & 2011. I found bible verse, key words and hopes for members of my family, my closest friends and leaders within the church.  It was amazing to see through the cards the answered prayer for these individuals over the last few years and a much needed reminder that He is faithful to finish what he has started. 

About half way through the journal the pages became empty and the stories/prayers seemed to pause. I must admit there have been many days where real life seems to have mirrored the pause. And yet this morning the blank pages seemed a sign of hope. A reminder that the story is far from over. And an invitation to come and be heard, to listen, and to move forward. 

A traveling road show...

It's been almost a month since we haphazardly crammed every inch of a 27' moving truck with seemingly endless amounts of stuff. If you live alone and have moved the only way you can relate is if you...actually you can't relate. After over eight years in a city we love deeply we started a traveling roadshow complete with a three vehicle caravan and embarked on the journey south. I had the privilege of taking my oldest son with me in the semi truck while my gracious wife endured the other four kids in her van and my kind sister in law followed in back with her kids crammed between the "junk" we couldn't fit anywhere else. As every wise human would we loaded the entire day then decided we were superhuman and would drive overnight so the kids slept the majority of the drive...

It's was 10:45pm on a Saturday when we pulled off the beautiful tree lined street in Lincoln Park and navigated toward Georgia. If you've been to Chicago (at any time/day) then you know we got stuck in traffic and spent an hour just to get on the highway. It was an adventure!

Remember that superhuman strength we have? Turns out we were more fragile than we wanted to admit, at least my sister in law and I were. We made it until 1:45am then slept amidst a sea of semitrucks in rural Indiana. When I woke two hours later I found out that my wife was actually superhuman and was currently hours ahead of us in Kentucky. By this point the dawn was about to break and Anderson was awake. It's one of my favorite memories. We were talking about the sunrise and how faithful God is to bring a new day each morning. Anderson had so many great questions and told me he was getting hungry and he was wide awake. I looked left to see the sun rise over the horizon and when I looked back Anderson had passed out. I learned that you can't always trust what a six year old says at 6am. Still I pressed on with the thrill of trying to catch up with my beautiful wife!

Once we made it about 45 miles north of Louisville my sister in law and I were having serious Starbucks withdrawal so I googled the closest one and we raced to get our prize. After wandering two miles off the exit the destination was on our left. The only problem was that it was now an autozone and when I looked at the Starbucks that was in Google Maps I realized that I failed to notice the "permanently closed" message directly below. This trek, while adventurous, was keeping me from catching Thiele. Kinsey and I rushed to find the next Starbucks which turned out to be 2 1/2 hours later in Bowling Green Kentucky. 

Once caffeinated we pressed onward with a vengeance through the rolling green hills of Tennessee. It was around Nashville when the A/C went out in the semi and the temperature began to soar into the upper 90's (Welcome to the South!). It was the best of times and it was the worst of times. Our road trip took the ultimate step in memory making when we then had to cruise with the windows down and the jams on blast! For a little over four hours we endured the heat and pressed on. Finally in the late afternoon we arrived to our new home in sweat soaked clothes. It was a feeling of both victory and complete exhaustion (we also NEVER caught Thiele...). 

From that day forward we've been sifting through our belongings and wandering through the hoarder-esk trails that exist between stacks of boxes. It feels good to say we're making progress (even if it's going slow). I've loved seeing our kids enjoy the adventure. In the little things like gardening, running through the forest, eating on the deck and playing ping pong. While no one is settled at this point there is a feeling that this is where we should be. It was a long journey to get here but we all survived. I hope that my older kids will share stories of our cross country move with their kids and the little kids will create new memories as they grow up in metro Atlanta. For me it's all about the story that's being told and I love that we have little roles along the way. Someday when we're rocking on a porch swing and our grandkids are running around the estate I hope to call them up to the porch and recall all of the little stories being written in the moments of life. Stories of our move, of dance recitals, of times things went wrong, of times things went right, of where we saw God move, of where we witnessed redemption first hand, of the falls, of the comebacks and of the love that overflows. 

We're transitioning well into our new southern digs but appreciate your continued prayer over our crazy quirky family. 

Flying high...

If you've had the privilege of flying in an airplane before than you completely understand the feeling I'm about to describe. You load the airplane and if you're lucky (or have status) you have the window seat (no offense to those of you who prefer aisle, offense if you prefer middle). After the steward/stewardess finishes the safety announcement (which business travelers could repeat from memory) the aircraft begins to taxi toward the runway. "We've been cleared for departure. Flight crew please take your seats". The announcement muffled through your earphones and then the airplane makes the turn on to the runway and in a matter of seconds the nose is reaching toward the heavens. It's in these moments between cities that I am frequently reminded of how small I am. I believe flying is one of the most humbling experiences that exists. It is also one of the greatest reminders for me of how large our creator is. 

In the moments after take off there is a silence aboard the plane as everyone anxiously anticipates reaching ten thousand feet (likely so they can pull out their laptops and resume work). Two dings quickly sound and the businessmen instantly begin firing away emails because we cannot and will not be disconnected from planet earth. I find myself slower to grab my lap top as I gaze amazed out the window at the incredible ability to soar above the earth. I must admit that I too spend too much time complaining about slow airplane wifi and my inability to remain connected but today on my flight without wifi I sit silently staring in amazement at all that exists in the world as we know it. 

Until the last century there was never the ability to experience so much of God's creation. If we're honest we feel entitled as flight has revolutionized our ability to travel and connected so many communities globally and for someone of my age has always been a viable travel option. The more I travel the more I realize that I am one of the first in our family who have been able to travel the world. I've had the opportunity to visit more places than both sets of my grandparents combined and I am always fascinated on my travels. 

People always describe each destination and the differences that abound there but the more I travel the more I see the similarities. There are definitely differences geologically, culturally, etc. but the human experience is so similar it's truly amazing. Everywhere I travel I see families. I see relationships developing. I see people hurting. I see people striving. I see people thriving. I see people surviving. I see the rich and I see the poor  and everyone in between. I see that despite the physical differences we are so much the same. Regardless of location we're desperate, we're searching, and we're hoping. We need someone to rescue us and someone to love us well. I'm so thankful that for me I know who that someone is and I've seen his provision time and time again. I've experienced the grace of his forgiveness unimpacted by my stupidity and without regard for my lack of wisdom. I've witnessed his pursuit time and time again. He knows me and yet he chooses to love me deeply. 

Cutting across the Great Lakes on my way from Vermont to Chicago I am again encountering the majesty of his rich love. I'm reminded as the fields become small and myself even smaller that a great redemption story is being told. And most of all I am so grateful for these moments of true clarity and the reminder of our greatest hope. I hope that flying brings you the same clarity and that you encounter the truest love which is pursuing you in every instance. 

Afternoon awakening...

Sometimes when you're alone in a car full of sleeping kids and a screaming newborn you're given glimpses of the incredible stories unfolding. Of course the screaming can be distracting but as you're able to comfort your little one you realize just how much you've been entrusted with. People keep asking what it's like to have five kids and I often respond "it feels largely the same, we were outnumbered before and we continue to be". Obviously this is my lame attempt at moving past everyone's shock of our family size which far exceeds statistical averages. 

While I often look in the mirror and see a quickly aging 45 year old (dad bod to the extreme) I have yet to actually reach thirty...

And the shock continues... Honestly this may be one of the best opportunities I have to share what an incredible privilege it is. Sure, some days seem eternal and there are nights that feel the same but better than that are each of the moments in between. In the stillness (or if you can function in chaos which I believe can be learned) you start to realize that you've been entrusted with a generation. Your family is your greatest gift from God and the greatest gift you give back to the world. If you have kids let that sink in. One day our kids will be charged with the responsibilities we're currently facing; building community, loving others, working the land, providing for family, caring for us (I really don't want the retirement community...). 

And so as I snuggle my fifth child with numbers three and four passed out nearby I'm painfully aware of how quickly time is passing, how quickly they're becoming their own person and how quickly they'll be a contributing member of the global community. We have to be intentional with our pursuit of their little souls and give them abundant grace to learn and to stumble. Our love has to be big and the source has to come from our Father who is able to equip us for the challenge. Right now I need more help than I'm often willing to admit. I need grace too. 

As parents let's step up together to the greatest adventure we've ever been on and biggest gift we will likely receive. In the end I want to know that my kids know the love I have for them and I want them to go forth and share the same love with the next generation. 

Where did the last week go?

If you've travelled to Europe or Asia there's a good chance you've had the opportunity to ride on the high speed rail lines. They're incredible in the sense that you're moving on land at a rate so much higher than is typical yet the journey is as smooth as a car ride. Our newest little bundle came barreling into our family's lives in much the same way.

It's was around 7:45pm last Tuesday when Thiele's water started to break but there weren't any consistent or significant contractions. Since we were having a home birth I quickly rushed off to Trader Joes to grab some snacks for the midwife team because I knew this was finally it. At six days overdue I returned from the grocery store around 8:10pm and the contractions had increased in intensity. It's amazing to me how incredibly unique each birth experience is and yet at the same time how many similarities. In typical fashion my amazingly strong wife (SUPER WOMAN) argued that it wasn't active labor but I insisted that we call the midwife. We had no idea that less than two hours from her first contraction we would be meeting the incredible Adrian James Reece!

That's all it took (Thiele I'm sure can attest that it took more than I'm leading on)! In a record one hour and forty minutes we were holding our fifth child, our third son, and the one our family had been so eagerly anticipating (we were also crying and smiling and laughing). It's amazing to be a week out and returning to work (side note we need to discuss paternal leave) because the memories seem so close. 

For me it's a reminder that every moment has an enormous impact and is also fleeting. We have been given the opportunity to invest in future generations by the way we love our kids. We've been entrusted with the greatest gift and called to love. It reminds me of the first time we gave birth (by we I mean Thiele) and the immediate new understanding of our father's love for us. Each and every time since I have had even more clarity around the undeniable love of our creator and I'm amazed by his graciousness in sharing this gift with us. 

Our family is embarking on a new adventure and we couldn't be more thrilled. There will of course be; obstacles, laughs, cries, fights, encouragement, exhaustion, excursion, selflessness, selfishness, memories, smiles, frowns, joy, and everything else between. Alongside all of this there is a purpose for Thiele and I as we lead our family and I hope that we will be humble in our approach and relentless in our pursuit of our father and his kingdom. 

Caution: curve ahead, slow speed.

Looking out at the water is an instant reminder that everything has a state of constant motion. Commuting in the morning there are people scrambling every which way and embarking on journeys by foot, bike, car, train, even plane. Even when we're asleep we're spinning through the galaxy at a pace we can't comprehend. It's exhausting and sometimes overwhelming. 

I've been becoming more and more aware of the rapid pace lately as we wait patiently (more honestly impatiently) for our newest family member to make his/her arrival. The moments seem to be gaining momentum and I don't want to miss a beat. I keep hearing a gentle reminder to slow down and soak it in. Like a sign on the road warning of a change in driving conditions ahead I feel the need to brake. 

Trying to be intentional about creating space to be still, to be quiet, to observe and to soak in all the memories that are being made. I don't know if it's the pace or the upcoming changes but I'm feeling millenially nostalgic as of late. The kids are growing and evolving at a rate I can't believe. A reminder to be intentional and protect our family time because sooner rather than later they'll be going to their first dances, graduating from high school, moving out of our home, falling in love, serving others, and building new memories with their own families. Selfishly I want to stop time and document every part of the journey even though I know I have to let go. The only control I have is over how I allot my time and pursue their hearts. 

So as a I stand over the current of the lake I'm reminded to slow down and soak it in. To plan my time wisely and to invest in building character in my life that cares for each of them as an individual.