Thanks For Your Patience

Well, I'm back. I know all of my loyal readers (both of them) are wondering what the heck has happened to me and my lively and stimulating blog posts.

Now that my brief hiatus is over, here's what's happening:

SCHOOL STARTED!!! YIPPEE! The kids were anxious at first about making new friends but of course, had no trouble. Preschool will start next week and I'll be turning cartwheels.

Things at church are going awesomely! The kids love their classes and friends. They love youth group. We've been invited to people's houses to hang out or go to movies. We've gone to pool parties. We have friends. It's great.

Lots of new people are coming to church. Some are joining. We will have a baptism next month. Some inactive members have returned. There is excitement. The community is growing by leaps and bounds. Sadly, we also have our first funeral today for a loved and respected church member. Life goes on.

Hospitals and Harry

This was one of those weekends that just sucked. I mean really. Friday is my husband's day off. All week long I'll plan things we need to do on Friday. It is usually a day for running around town trying to check off the large "to do" list. In the evenings we try to play games or watch a movie together as a family.

Have I ever told you that most pastoral care emergencies happen on the pastor's day off? Now, don't get me wrong, I know that's part of the job and I'm good with that. However, I would love it if an emergency could happen on whatever day doesn't happen to be my husband's day off. It has also happened more times than seems coincidental that funerals must occur during the week we had planned to go on vacation causing major disruptions and change of plans.

So, anyway, this past Friday the husband spent hours and hours at the hospital. We canceled our dinner plans with new friends who are thinking of joining our church. I invited them instead to the family outing at the county pool the next day. I hope I can get the hubby to take some time this week so we can work on last week's errand list. Saturday we got the kids up and fed and dressed in their bathing suits and slathered with sunscreen for the big church outing at the huge county water park. Right when we're heading out the door, we get a phone call. This time it is a family emergency. This is worse because it hits us personally. It is hard to explain to the happy, expectant kids why for two days straight our plans were being canceled. They were looking forward to playing with their friends at the pool. They didn't understand. I had to cancel with our new friends again. It was hard. The family emergency was hard and will be for a long time. Please pray for healing.

Fast forward to Sunday night. Me, a friend from church and the oldest two kids went out to dinner and to see Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. LOVED IT! Love the whole series. Can't wait for the new book being released later this week. Hate the thought that the series will end. All the reviews were talking about how this movie seemed darker than the others but I don't agree. I also think there are good lessons to be learned in the good vs. evil of this movie. We had a good time. It made up a little bit for the weekend but not totally. Maybe we'll hit the pool later this week. We can plan it anyway.

New Friends

I am so happy that everyone here at the new church has been so welcoming and nice. There are lots of women here in my age range which is a new phenomena for me. This church has lots of singles and couples in our general range. I've been invited to several things in the church already. I've been out to lunch with a new friend and out to dinner with another new friend. I've received mail from new friends telling me that they are happy we are here. The kids have received mail from new friends welcoming them also.

I've been to people's houses to eat homemade ice cream. People have been burying us under fresh garden veggies. This church and area are just so welcoming. We met a couple last night that live in the neighborhood behind the church. They are members of a different church than ours but have a child the same age as our oldest. We are going to get together. She is also going to introduce me to some other moms with kids of like ages around the area. Wow.

We don't feel isolated here. We feel like part of the church and community. Our last church wasn't very welcoming. Even though we were there several years we never felt accepted. My best friends at our last location were not even church members. Things are different here.
Life is good.

It's Like a Heat Wave

It's hot at my house. Hot weather, hot tempers. The kids are moody. No one knows more than I that this has been a lousy summer for them. They have packed, moved and unpacked. (Of course, they did not actually do this...me and the hubby did). They are constantly complaining about not having any fun. "We're bored" they say in unison.

No duh. I'm not having any fun either. I would also like nothing better than to go jump in a nice cold pool. However, some of the kids would rather eat asparagus than get near a pool or any large body of water that is not a bathtub. So, you go to a community pool, pay an exorbitant fee to get in and then end up sitting in the hot sun with the kid with the water phobia, hoping that you've applied a thick enough layer of sunblock to everyone while hoping the other lucky kids who actually get to submerge themselves don't drown.

Today I've been trying to unpack my things in the master bedroom. Yes, I know we've been here like three weeks, but everyone else's things are unpacked and put away nicely, as are things in the bathrooms, kitchen, kids bedrooms, and family room. So I'm trying to make headway in my room among the constant "I'm bored", "I'm hungry", "We never do anything", "You're mean", "When will daddy be home?" Someone once said that having children is like being pecked to death by a duck. I agree.

First Sunday

Here's how the first Sunday at our new church went. I dropped the kids off by their classes where they already had some friends. (I used to think it was dumb for churches to do VBS during move week...but hey, it worked out great for us!) They were happy to go in and excited about what they learned.

I went to the Sunday school class of the youngest adults. BOOOORRRINGG. We have to bring that class along. It is lecture style and based on the Cokesbury curriculum. There is so much more relevant, exciting things we could study.

Worship was great. The kids sang the songs they learned at VBS and the hubby gave a short sermon telling about himself and his call to ministry. I already knew quite a few folks from them dropping by. Attendance was high. I hope that continues. With the two morning services and the evening service there was over 200 in attendance. Wow! There were even some visitors there from a local neighborhood. They are about our age and very nice. They were at VBS also. I sat with them and several people came over to greet them. I hope they will be back.

The worship service incorporates some modern music along with guitars and drums. It's not just piano and organ. Another "woohoo"! I already feel at home here. I'm excited about the opportunities. There is alot going on for the kids. There is an active youth group. There is a praise band. There are people wanting to reach out to the area people and grow...both spiritually and numerically.

It's early yet...but I am hopeful. God is good.

Settling In

Hey. We're here. We're unloaded. We are not unpacked. Important things are unpacked...dishes, bathroom things, beds and sheets. The kids clothes are put away....but mine aren't. The kids bathroom is in order....mine still has things all over the counter. The kitchen is done but the garage is a mess. It's a work in progress.

I'm looking forward to getting pictures on the walls and maybe some color on the walls. The house is painted in a nice light creamy beige which is much better than the stark white at our last house. I feel like this could be home for a long time. We didn't have that feeling at our last appointment. In fact, in all our years there we never unpacked the good china or hung anything up. I'm itching to do that here. New friends from church brought over several meals and gifts of fresh veggies. That made the first few days alot easier. Everyone has been very nice and welcoming. We love the area, the house and the people we've met (not necessarily in that order.) I think this is a good thing.

A Tribute

Ruth Bell Graham died yesterday afternoon. She was a truly remarkable woman and an inspiration to those married to a clergyperson. She chose to stay out of the spotlight and raise her 5 children practically alone since Billy traveled for months at a time. She did this without complaint or bitterness. She did this so Billy could do what God had called him to do because this was what God had called HER to do. Oh, to be like Ruth.

Here is a poem that Ruth wrote. It can be found in her book, "Sitting by My Laughing Fire"

And when I die
I hope my soul ascends slowly,
so that I may watch the earth receding out of sight,
its vastness growing smaller as I rise,
savoring its recession with delight.
Anticipating joy is itself a joy.
And joy unspeakable and full of glory needs more than
"in the twinkling of an eye,"
more than "in a moment."
Lord, who am I to disagree?
It's only that we have much to leave behind; so much...Before.
These moments of transition will, for me, be time to adore.

Go with God, Ruth.