Chris & Rudy found the Texas Jenga set and played a game before we officially started. 

Here Chris finally made the tower fall.

Sam is allowed to share two stories each week and then we all vote if he is allowed to share a third one based on how interesting his first two were. Last week he was given a third one, this week he was not. We are expecting some good stories next week.

Rachel has taught us some great Improv games these last few weeks. Today there were four people who could only speak in jibberish as they tried to explain to another person a clue like scenario including 1. Who was killed 2. With what 3. at what location.

Andria played guitar, Emily Preston played piano(keyboard) and Emily Currey and Elle lead singing as during songs of worship tonight. We sang Psalm 130, Abide with Me and For All the Saints. I’ve noticed lately that Hymn writers misspell quite a bit, at least spell check thinks they do.  

This is Rachel Hutson teaching these guys Settlers. They liked the game so much they didn’t want to leave at the end of the night.

Here John Hutson is teaching a game I simply cannot pronounce or remember. I think Nathan won, but I’m not certain of that. 

These crazies played Apples to Apples.

While these guys played Texas Jenga. During the night Chris lost once and Ubuntu lost twice. Jenga’s weird because the person who loses gets recognized not the people who won. 

Alas, the blocks tumbled. 

Somehow Ubuntu found Cam responsible.

In Apples to Apples the cards you win are supposed to explain your own personality. You can see that is good and bad in this picture. 

We bought 8 2×4 boards. Cost for wood $18.36. We also learned the 2×4 pieces of wood are actually 3 3/8 and not 4 inches wide. Who knew? After loading our swagger wagon with wood we brought it home.

I have learned over our 5+ years here that the best way to get things made out of wood is to ask the great family across the street how to make boards turn into really cool things. Ron always knows what to do.

Laura helped by testing the tensile strength of the wood. 

Sadie Piper helped by running around like she was flying. 

I had planned to measure out 3 times 3 3/8 (whatever that is) on each board and mark it with a pencil. Ron just made a nook like thing with the saw so every cut would be the right length, no measuring, no pencils, etc. Our 8 foot boards made  9 blocks and had less than a centimeter of wasted wood.

The next step was sanding. My plan was to use some sandpaper sponges I bought at the store to sand all 72 blocks by hand. Ron suggested we use his big sanding machine that sanded a block in about 30 seconds. His way seemed better than my way

We tested it out as we went, so excited! 

To make things even more efficient Ron cut two boards at a time. 

The girls helped transporting blocks back home (before we knew about the sanding machine) in the stroller. 

This is the sanding machine. I had a block rip out of my hand and shoot away from it.  

The Pre-Sanding station. 

This is what happens if you question the genius of making a Texas Jenga set. 

Afterwards we played a game with the Youngs. 

This was the move before the game ended. Tammy had the unfortunate designation of the first person to lose Texas Jenga. 

This is what happens when the game is over. This is action shot just as it is hitting the ground. 

It didn’t take long to realize something was still missing. The blocks needed to read “Texas Jenga” on the side so Beckham and I headed to Hobby Lobby to find stencils and spray paint. Most ridiculously girlie store I have ever been in. It was like Home Depot for Women.

I made a stencil and decide I need more coverage around it so I cut holes in paper and taped my stencil on that.

Here is a picture of me doing it, but Laura actually sprayed 95% of them. My craft skills are a bit like my wood working skills.

Here is what the blocks turned out looking like. Now they were perfect. 

Huge thank you to our great neighbors help making this happen. The game is really fun to play.

 
Here is how the game goes, Lydia and I played a round at Church Monday morning.

We’ve been beginning each Breakaway lately with Improv games that Rachel Hudson has been teaching everyone. Here is a small clip from tonight. Unfortunately the clip ends before Sam Ba-Sham gets in the car and states, “You mind if I do the Tebow?” He then proceeds to do the Tebow pose.

We’ll have another round of Improv With Rachel to start the night off and later we’ll be answering the student asked questions, What is proper worship? Does musical style matter? How do we know? Hope to see you there from 6:30 to 8:00 tonight.

This week at Breakaway we’ll be sharing some time of fellowship, singing some Christmas songs and enjoy the annual watching of The Very First Noel. Please bring some snacks or desserts to share with others. Hope to see you Wednesday at 6:30 PM.

Tonight we played 3 v 3 Basketball tourney. Ever team had to have one girl and girls shots were worth 5 points each. In the end Emily Preston, Joe Bartu and Sam Basham were defeated by Elle Hershberger, Cam Earnshaw and Zach Hershberger. The MVP went to Elle after she scored 10 points in the final. Good times.

Hope you enjoyed your Thanksgiving holiday. Breakaway is back on tonight, it’s a games and fellowship night so wear some tennis shoes (or whatever athletic shoes are called nowadays). We’ll be singing Christmas songs. 6:30 to 8:00 PM.

It was written by Henry Francis Lyte who was born in Scotland, 1793. His father abandoned his mother and him and later, he was orphaned at 9 years old with no support. He was invited by Rev. Robert Burrows into his home, accepted as part of his family, and had his education paid for. Henry studied at Divinity school, was ordained at 21 and began preaching at St. Munn’s Church in Taghmon, Ireland.

This hymn was written in 1824, when he ministered to Rev. Abraham Swanne who was dying. They both studied the Scriptures together and realized they were both blind guides. After coming to a saving knowledge of Christ, Henry was inspired to write this hymn.

Give it a listen, read read the words as you do. This version is from Indelible Grace II: Pilgrim Days.

Jesus I My Cross Have Taken

1. Jesus, I my cross have taken,
All to leave and follow Thee.
Destitute, despised, forsaken,
Thou from hence my all shall be.
Perish every fond ambition,
All I’ve sought or hoped or known.
Yet how rich is my condition!
God and heaven are still my own.

2. Let the world despise and leave me,
They have left my Savior, too.
Human hearts and looks deceive me;
Thou art not, like them, untrue.
O while Thou dost smile upon me,
God of wisdom, love, and might,
Foes may hate and friends disown me,
Show Thy face and all is bright.

3. Man may trouble and distress me,
’Twill but drive me to Thy breast.
Life with trials hard may press me;
Heaven will bring me sweeter rest.
Oh, ’tis not in grief to harm me
While Thy love is left to me;
Oh, ’twere not in joy to charm me,
Were that joy unmixed with Thee.

4. Go, then, earthly fame and treasure,
Come disaster, scorn and pain
In Thy service, pain is pleasure,
With Thy favor, loss is gain
I have called Thee Abba Father,
I have stayed my heart on Thee
Storms may howl, and clouds may gather;
All must work for good to me.

5. Soul, then know thy full salvation
Rise o’er sin and fear and care
Joy to find in every station,
Something still to do or bear.
Think what Spirit dwells within thee,
Think what Father’s smiles are thine,
Think that Jesus died to win thee,
Child of heaven, canst thou repine.

6. Haste thee on from grace to glory,
Armed by faith, and winged by prayer.
Heaven’s eternal days before thee,
God’s own hand shall guide us there.
Soon shall close thy earthly mission,
Soon shall pass thy pilgrim days,
Hope shall change to glad fruition,
Faith to sight, and prayer to praise.