The things we picked up...step by step<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"I'm taking a break from the news, for at least this one moment in time. \u00a0Instead of writing about Jennifer's coming out, or Bruce's getting kicked out, I\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"The things we picked up...step by step\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"I'm taking a break from the news, for at least this one moment in time. \u00a0Instead of writing about Jennifer's coming out, or Bruce's getting kicked out, I\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:url\" content=\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:site_name\" content=\"Fibonacci Faith: Changing Everything\" \/>\n<meta property=\"article:published_time\" content=\"2010-05-31T22:21:40+00:00\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:image\" content=\"http:\/\/raincitypastor.files.wordpress.com\/2010\/05\/p1010339.jpg?w=300\" \/>\n<meta name=\"author\" content=\"Richard Dahlstrom\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:card\" content=\"summary_large_image\" \/>\n<meta name=\"twitter:label1\" content=\"Written by\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data1\" content=\"Richard Dahlstrom\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:label2\" content=\"Est. reading time\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"twitter:data2\" content=\"2 minutes\" \/>\n<script type=\"application\/ld+json\" class=\"yoast-schema-graph\">{\"@context\":\"https:\/\/schema.org\",\"@graph\":[{\"@type\":\"WebPage\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/\",\"name\":\"The things we picked up...step by step\",\"isPartOf\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/#website\"},\"datePublished\":\"2010-05-31T22:21:40+00:00\",\"dateModified\":\"2010-05-31T22:21:40+00:00\",\"author\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/#\/schema\/person\/35cc34ea723fe19cdf6bfe9446fde728\"},\"description\":\"I'm taking a break from the news, for at least this one moment in time. \u00a0Instead of writing about Jennifer's coming out, or Bruce's getting kicked out, I\",\"breadcrumb\":{\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/#breadcrumb\"},\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"ReadAction\",\"target\":[\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/\"]}]},{\"@type\":\"BreadcrumbList\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/#breadcrumb\",\"itemListElement\":[{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":1,\"name\":\"Home\",\"item\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/\"},{\"@type\":\"ListItem\",\"position\":2,\"name\":\"The things we picked up…step by step\"}]},{\"@type\":\"WebSite\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/#website\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/\",\"name\":\"Fibonacci Faith: Changing Everything\",\"description\":\"The Blog of Richard Dahlstrom\",\"potentialAction\":[{\"@type\":\"SearchAction\",\"target\":{\"@type\":\"EntryPoint\",\"urlTemplate\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/?s={search_term_string}\"},\"query-input\":\"required name=search_term_string\"}],\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\"},{\"@type\":\"Person\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/#\/schema\/person\/35cc34ea723fe19cdf6bfe9446fde728\",\"name\":\"Richard Dahlstrom\",\"image\":{\"@type\":\"ImageObject\",\"inLanguage\":\"en-US\",\"@id\":\"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/#\/schema\/person\/image\/\",\"url\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c70ef6941167d00acda35b40d90cb1e0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"contentUrl\":\"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/c70ef6941167d00acda35b40d90cb1e0?s=96&d=mm&r=g\",\"caption\":\"Richard Dahlstrom\"},\"description\":\"As Pastor of Bethany Community Church in Seattle, Richard teaches with vision of \\\"making the invisible God visible\\\" by calling people to acts of service and blessing. 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{"id":423,"date":"2010-05-31T16:21:40","date_gmt":"2010-05-31T22:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/raincitypastor.wordpress.com\/?p=423"},"modified":"2010-05-31T16:21:40","modified_gmt":"2010-05-31T22:21:40","slug":"the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.patheos.com\/blogs\/richarddahlstrom\/2010\/05\/31\/the-things-we-picked-up-step-by-step\/","title":{"rendered":"The things we picked up…step by step"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<\/head>

smores were eaten <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

step by step <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

and we've come this far <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/p>

I\u2019m taking a break from the news, for at least this one moment in time. \u00a0Instead of writing about Jennifer\u2019s coming out<\/a>, or Bruce\u2019s getting kicked out<\/a>, I want to take a moment and talk about my family.<\/p>\n

We\u2019d all cleared our schedule for this past weekend because my oldest daughter is moving to Europe <\/a>for two years and this was our time to celebrate being a family. We enjoyed some time together in the mountains. \u00a0We ate steaks and smores, drank coffee and wine, talked about everything. \u00a0We laughed a lot. \u00a0We woke early on Saturday and hiked in the snow. \u00a0We prayed together a couple of times, but neither my wife or I could finish a prayer without shedding a couple tears of gratitude for this remarkable gift of family that we enjoy. \u00a0After more than 30 years, my wife and I are better friends than ever \u2013 more honest, quicker for forgive, and more at rest in the certainty of our love for each other. \u00a0 As if this weren\u2019t enough, our kids love each other fiercely, and it was clear to me that they were savoring the moments of the weekend just as we were.<\/p>\n

The picture of the ascent reminds me that the profound joy we realize when we\u2019re together isn\u2019t manufactured in a day or a week. \u00a0Step by step<\/strong>\u2013 that\u2019s what\u2019s brought us this far. \u00a0Confessions, frustrations, forgiveness, rebuildings, confrontations, restorations, homework, holidays, reading books in front of the woodstove, family devotions, music lessons, little league, high school plays, thousands and thousands of meals, many of them with guests at the table from all over the world, dishes, diapers, climbs together, nights out under the stars, trips to Colorado when the Elk are running through the National Park by thousands right outside our tent, playing music together, or tennis, reading CS Lewis together, home-school, Christian School, Public School, graduations, celebrations, funerals\u2026 If you ask me what shaped our children, I\u2019d say all this and pages more because it really is \u201cstep by step\u201d \u2013 day after familiar day \u2013 that shapes each of us and our families.<\/p>\n

I also happen to believe that Jesus is at the center of it all, granting us the capacity to both forgive, confess, keep on the road, and love each other beyond our capacity. \u00a0We\u2019re already back into our various worlds as the new week begins \u2013 but with another step taken towards intimacy, as we celebrated our own life together, and the countless gifts we\u2019ve enjoyed as a family.<\/p>\n

I\u2019ll write about the other stuff soon enough, but this stuff, this personal stuff is life giving and important to me. \u00a0I hope it\u2019s helpful to you in some small way. \u00a0If you want the full photo show, click here. <\/a><\/p>\n

Be blessed\u2026<\/p>\n<\/body><\/html>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"