Ned Erickson: UPDATE Week of April 13

David told me that we were "up to do good." Ha! And that's how we became the Do Good Bandits... #originstory

HE IS RISEN !

Just as we settled into a routine - it's Spring Break! Ah! Oh well.

But you know what? I DON'T WANT TO SETTLE!

We were made for more than this, and I don't want to forget it!

At the same time - like Esther - you and I were born in this time, FOR such a time as this. Let's rise to the challenge. Let's step up and be the kind of men and women we are called to be.

People who love God.

Love our families.

Love everybody else.

What can you do today to make a difference for someone else?

As we say in the Fellows - "We don't retreat, we advance!"

BIG SMALL ENCOURAGEMENTS

Lia received a sweet note from one of our church staff members and her children

Words of encouragement.

Thanks Hope Church!

PUT A SMILE ON SOMEONE'S FACE

Julia and Reese (year one Fellows)

Farmer Julia and Easter Bunny Reese spread the cheer by tandem biking around the neighborhood on Easter

NO HE DIDN'T

Oh yes he did!

I told you all that we missed Bryan Pardue on our Fellows call last week because he was traveling west for a girl! Well, Bryan wasted no time. He proposed on Tuesday!

She said yes! It was a classic (her sister videoed the whole thing!)

Special props to Cylde the Glide Godwin who was the matchmaker.

Congratulations guys! Can't wait to get the party on!

SPRING HAS SPRUNG

Nature didn't get the memo - it's beautiful outside you all!

Anna rose discovered a bunny nest in our backyard.

New life is all around us!

Aslan is on the move!

THE WEEK

Sorry Mattie!

Round Table (maybe I should start calling these "Rectangular Tables") was great. We checked in with each other, went over a list of ways we can reach out in our communities and stay connected to what's going on, and - the highlight - we were able to celebrate Riley and share things that we love about her. If only afterward there was a way to reach out and hug.

Near Disaster Rotary. I was asked to speak at our pilot virtual Rotary Meeting.

I looked good from the waist up.

Good thing we piloted. We had a snafu!

About an hour before I was to go on, workers in our backyard accidentally cut the cord to our cable and internet!

not good!

It was shocking how disconnected we felt. The kids school - over. Lia's work - over. My talk...I sped down the street to our church (where I still have a key) and snuck in a back door, hid in a corner, didn't touch anything, and gave my talk!

out and about.

The biggest miracle was that Spectrum came and fixed it about an hour later! Well done, Spectrum.

Leader Lunch with Phillip Summers. We had a great time with Phillip Summers on Wednesday.

Phillip and the gang

If you remember, Phillip is the guy who worked in Public Health and decided to quit his job to work on the transportation challenge in our city by becoming a city bus driver.

His story and some of his discoveries can be found on his excellent blog: https://www.blindspot.city/

Last week, I mentioned we were taking part in a 24 hour 7 day a week prayer vigil for our city. I had told Phillip about it and he had signed up during our Leader Lunch! So halfway through our time together, when it was time for him to pray, we all joined in! What a sweet moment!

Phillip also shared this video that he had made about some of the things he has been up to during quarantine...

Bible Study. Man Time. Later that afternoon, we had Bible Study with the guys and the gals.

I don't know what the gals did, but the guys decided to do theirs shirtless.

Some of us did

You Are So Fly. On Thursday, at virtual Flywheel, Allie Mangin, Jason Clegg, and I spoke at their monthly meet up.

there we are

thanks guys for organizing!

Speaking of organizing. Haley Westervelt has organized Thursday morning prayer for us.

I think I walked around my house a hundred times while we were on the call.

Thursday afternoon pre-marital counseling with Brendan and Natalie.

Going over one of their assessments

What a gift to walk with these guys! Wedding is in August - we shall see if we get to have a party! Please Lord!

Life Together. Special thanks to Lynn Brewer who finished up her class on What Now?

Such a great book

The main thesis of the class was...Ok. Jesus has saved you. What are you going to do now?

Love it! What an inspiration.

Lynn shared this cool video about having to relearn things.

thanks Lynn!

"The Christian life has to start internally before we can live it out externally." Lynn Brewer

Last Class with Nigel...maybe...We had our final class with Nigel later that day. It was so good, like all of them have been.

So grateful for my friend Nigel

A couple nuggets...

"Courage has less to do with accomplishment than with the way we approach life." W. Paul Jones.

Fierce Conversation: one where you come out from behind yourself and make it real.

The conversation is the relationship

Why do you go out on a limb? Because that is where the fruit is.

Thank you Nigel!

I've been on a lot of Zoom calls - Nigel facilitates the best I've seen. The man is out of this world!

Easter Food Delivery

After class, David and I zipped down the road to the Enterprise Center to take food to churches that were doing food distributions in their neighborhoods.

making memories

the cooking crew worked over time!

oh my

Community Buddies.

One of the ways we are trying to stay connected is splitting up our group into pairs and having a buddy you check in with every three days.

Jackson and Brianne on their social distance meet-up.

as it turns out...

You don't have to socially distance with dogs

EASTER

Brianne found her Easter basket

Hope isn't cancelled

Side walk art isn't cancelled

My sister and her children stand on one side of the gate while my parents worship on the other side of the gate for an Erickson sunrise service.

Dyeing Easter eggs isn't cancelled

Michelle Schapira's eggs look much more professional than ours...

But Lia made some mean egg salad with ours...not pictured case you were wondering

KEEPING FOOD ON THE PLATE

We hired 421 Builders thanks to Joanna Lyall who introduced us to her husband Troy Shaffoe to put in a patio behind our house. We had it made socially distance appropriate!

It felt good to know that eight families were employed because of us this week.

These guys kicked serious butt!

It's coming together

They finished in a week

Wow!

We would HIGHLY RECOMMEND 421 Builders. They were professional and fast!

IT IS WELL !

Well!

We had decided to turn the old well into a fire pit. It was covered in debris and we had already had a few fires in it. I was clearing it out yesterday when I saw a hole!

There is still water in it!

Not entirely sure what to do, but I capped and covered it, and I think we are still going to try to make a fire pit out of it - but stepping in the fire pit is OFF LIMITS!