It's a common joke among Christians--never pray for patience because God will answer your prayer! Well, I haven't specifically prayed for a lesson in patience, but I am certainly getting one. I am a person who likes to hit the ground running--get things going, get events planned, get things done, keep busy. And this new work, this new type of ministry, has not been conducive to that. AT ALL. These days I find myself spending days at home with the kids, doing less "ministry projects" and more cooking, cleaning, and thinking. I wrote a couple of weeks ago that I am enjoying the opportunity to slow down, to step back from the busyness of the church and ministry that threatens to consume many of us. And I am. But it's a struggle, because it doesn't come naturally to me.

In terms of the ministry here in Ithaca, Daniel and I are still making contacts, getting involved in various ways in the community, and trying to make real relationships. But these things don't happen overnight. In some ways it's frustrating to me, deep down, although at the same time I want to self-edit and remind myself that I shouldn't feel frustrated. And that makes me even more frustrated! Well-meaning friends are asking: "Do you have a meeting in your home yet? Are you getting to know lots of people? What IS your plan, anyway?" And I have to explain that these things take time, while inwardly I am asking the same questions of myself. This mission certainly is an adventure, after all. When I compared it to jumping off a cliff, I didn't know how accurate that description would turn out to be! And constantly, always, I remind myself that this is God's mission, God's adventure, and we were lucky enough to be invited along for the ride.

And there is no season more fitting, more perfect, to experience this than Advent. Rob Bell says that Advent (really, all of the church calendar) is about the rhythm of life, the breathing in and out, the richness and depth of the human experience. That tension, that frustration, that longing, is exactly what we need to be focusing on as we eagerly await Christ's birth, and beyond that, His return!

Please pray with us and for us:

Grace and peace to you as you long and wait, and watch for God's hand at work!

In the last week or so, I have been through a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from happiness, to loneliness, to excitement, to intense sadness, and everything in between. I knew that this adventure would be difficult, so I can't say I'm surprised. But I wasn't looking forward to the sad times. My birthday was last Sunday--and I realized I didn't have any friends nearby to spend it with. That made me sad. Daniel and I wanted to meet some friends in Syracuse on Monday for a movie--but without a babysitter we couldn't do it. I have said out loud more than once this past week, "I want to go back home." But even as the words left my mouth, I knew I wouldn't, even if I had the chance. There is nowhere to go but forward, and so forward we will go.

And tomorrow is Thanksgiving. And I realize I have a lot to be thankful for. We have a church full of people in Watertown (not to mention elsewhere) praying for us and loving us. I got more birthday cards in the mail this year than I have ever gotten!! So far, God is providing each and every need (and then some). We have a beautiful family, an exciting calling in our lives, and a sense of mission to fulfill. We serve an awesome God who leads us with love, even through the tough times. No one said adventure was going to be easy--if it were easy, would it really be an adventure?

Please pray:

Have a safe, thankful, restful Thanksgiving leading into the Advent season.

P.S.--Here's a cool blog of daily Advent devotions to check out as we move into the Advent season. There is also a great article by Rob Bell on Advent in the latest issue of Relevant Magazine. Here's a link to the digital mag, the article starts on pages 80-81 of the digital copy. Enjoy!

I have recently commented to some friends that there is no "normal" for us these days. One can always expect that type of upheaval when moving, especially when moving to a new city, but I think this new life goes beyond the norm. For the last 6+ years, I have been completely immersed in church life--working full-time in the office during the week, plus all the evening and weekend activities, meetings, trips, and other things that make up an associate (youth) pastor's schedule. Not only that, but my own hobbies, Daniel's hobbies, our kids, and their activities, took up a large amount of time and energy. We were really lucky if we sat down to a REAL home-cooked meal once or twice a week!

In the last month I can recall saying many times that my life was about to drastically change, and look nothing like it has all those years in Watertown. I was more right than I could have realized. I literally have no schedule right now. I am reminding myself to relish the chance to slow down, spend more time being home with my babies, cook dinner most nights, and get involved with people and places in the community in ways I've never had time for before. Soon enough, church business will pick up, and I will have meetings to lead, sermons and Bible studies to write, and administration to attend to. For now, I'm trying to take advantage of the time to read, study, write, and enjoy being home with my family as we get to know people in the community! I want to savor this experience. It's a well-known fact that we Americans are over-scheduled and over-stressed. Not many of us get the chance (or take the chance) to completely change that. It requires tough choices, and it requires saying no to some of the many things that demand our time, money, and attention. Let's remember that being busy, even in the church, does not equal being godly.

Moving update: we are almost at the end of the mountain of boxes, and then our next task is to paint and remove wallpaper. In a few more weeks, this house will truly look and feel like our home!

Prayer Needs:

Thanks friends! Please feel free to share our blog with others who might be interested in our journey!

As I write this, it is our second-to-last Sunday at Life Church in Watertown. We just returned from a great district pastors' retreat and now I feel like the next two weeks are going to go by in a whirlwind. It's hard to believe our entire lives will look different in just a couple of weeks. If you are so inclined, here are some of our prayer needs right now:

In addition, we received the news that Daniel's grandfather, Jim Cash, went home to be with Jesus early this morning. We will likely be traveling to Georgia to be with our family this week.

Thanks for reading, and we'll keep you posted on this exciting adventure God is leading us into.

~Amanda