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!