A New Start

It has been over a year since I sat down to write a post...and its been an interesting year.  Looking back I can say I feel like I have grown a lot personally as our life has shifted and changed some over these months.  I'm happy to be sitting here to pick back up and get a new start on my blog, doing something I really enjoy and have truly missed.

Since my last post some things have changed a lot, some things are just the same.  The biggest change for our family over the last year has been the change of my husband's job at our church.  For the last 12 years (about) we have been serving in our church very specifically in student ministry.  Those 12 years were some of - and will remain some of the best years of our lives.  God taught us so much.  Its funny for us to think back on those early years fumbling our way through how to handle issues like students who bring gorilla suits to change into and scare people in the corn maze you brought your group to (without you knowing),  students who are hyper, loud and jump into your babies crib (before the baby is born) to more difficult and real issues like students who are questioning their faith or are struggling with self worth.  All we can say is God.  God's grace, God's provision, God's equipping, God's love.  Its amazing what God has allowed us to be a part of and what He has taught us through it all.  Its amazing the relationships we formed and still have and it's amazing the lasting impact serving in that way will have on us. We are humbled when we look back and now expectant as we look forward.

Now our roll has shifted, we are still at our church that we love so much, we are still serving in ministry but our focus has widened.  Instead of specifically being with teenagers, Justin's new roll is families and group life.  What exactly that means was a little vague at first for us but God has been clearly settling it in our hearts.  Total honesty, this was not an easy change for us at first and downright difficult at times.  This was a totally new position at our church with Justin being the first person to fill it.  For me its been hard to find my place in it all but God is faithful. We knew this was where God was moving us into, we didn't doubt that.  But we are still human, we have human tendencies and change can expose some of the things you may be pushing deep down inside.  I have a tendency to let fear take over, to feel ill-equipped and freeze.  I have had to really turn to God's word, to pray more, to seek out discipleship and to put into practice all of those things I say I believe.  Something Justin tells me a lot is that anything that's worth something will be hard.  I can truly say over the last year, God has done so much work in our hearts.  Our marriage has strengthened and we have a clear and almost new found understanding of our purpose.  I am learning to fight fear with love, God's word says - There is no fear in love, but perfect love casts out fear. For fear has to do with punishment, and whoever fears has not been perfected in love (1 John 4:18) - and learning that God has and will equip me whenever he calls me - All Scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness, that the man of God may be competent, equipped for every good work (2 Timothy 3:16-17) -  and learning that sitting in fear gets you nowhere - Fear not, for I am with you; be not dismayed, for I am your God; I will strengthen you, I will help you, I will uphold you with my righteous right hand. (Isaiah 41:10).  I can say I'm so thankful and excited for this new season in our life.  Already God has been pruning us and teaching us. This new place has given way to growth I don't think we knew we needed but God in His goodness knew exactly what we needed.  I'm thankful for a church family that has been so gracious to us to allow us to follow God's lead, to help build us up, to encourage us, and lift us up in prayer and love us through it all.  We are still learning and growing, we are still finding our way and we are so humbled to be here right now in this moment.

So what does all of that mean for this blog?!  I think I'm finally at a place where I'm ready to be open again, I'm ready to share little things that probably no one cares about and to just have fun with it.  I have had so much fun over the last few months just updating a few things on the page and creating a new look and feel for this site.  I have a lot more things I'm still working on and hoping to start putting it out there soon.  So I have a new found enjoyment and excitement to be here and to share with all of you.  

Thank you to everyone who has read this blog in the past and to those who are still sticking around to see where all of this is going. Thank you for allowing me to be open to share some of my heart and share my home with you.  Truly your encouraging words and support mean so much to me!  I can't wait to keep going and share where we are with our house updates again and all of the little things in between.  Its a new year and a new start to this blog!