Keep Christmas with you

It's Christmastime!!  By far my favorite time of the year.  I love it all - the lights, the smells, the presents, the shopping, the cooking, the eating, the laughing and the celebration of God's great love for us.  I credit my parents with my love for Christmas.  Whether intentionally or not, they made Christmas a magical time for us every year.  I remember Dad putting together the Christmas Village on the window seat at our home in Edgewood, MD complete with streets made of tape and fake snow in the window.  I remember opening the pictures on the advent calendar and reading the verses that lead us up to Christmas day.  I remember big, fat colored Christmas lights, hunting for Christmas trees with my family, drinking mom's real eggnog, and sitting under the lit-up tree while Dad told us the gospel story using the tree as his text.

As I've grown older, I have striven not to lose that magical feeling.  I've watched as others my age and older grow focused on the things that hide the beauty of this season.  So much complaining and frustration, so much commercialization and stress, so much focus on money and things and so little time spent on soaking in the joys and blessing of the season. I don't care who you are... bright colored lights against a night sky is pretty!  Decorated trees are beautiful, Christmas cookies are tasty, ringing bells are festive and the Nativity Story is timeless.  Even if you can't handle the Christmas sales and shopping and the hustle and bustle of the season (which some of us still enjoy, believe it or not), you can always stop and appreciate what is there and see the mystery and awe of the celebration.

And you may see it in the most unusual places; places that you may associate with the "worst" of the Christmas season, places like... Walmart.  I think Walmart probably epitomizes to most of my friends who are frustrated with Christmas all the things that have gone wrong with the season.  Walmart is all about money - bottom line, Christmas is nice and all but how do we get the most money out of this season?  They are a business and they run like one.  And, I don't care if it's Christmas or not, we tend to not like the big-box business that Walmart represents.

Yesterday, I went to that soulless place to buy groceries and finish (again) my Christmas shopping.  As I walked in, I instantly felt uncomfortable because there were police officers everywhere.  I thought maybe the store had been robbed or there was a fugitive on the loose or something equally terrible had happened.  But soon I realized the cops were there for another reason.   A beautiful reason.  A Christmas reason.  I watched as families who were hurting financially this Christmas season were assigned a police officer that took them over to the toy section of the store with a calculator and credit card in hand.  I watched an officer get down on his knees beside a little boy who looked scared to ask for anything and say, "How about a bike, buddy?  Would you like a bike for Christmas?" and then watched as this little boy's eyes grew wide with astonishment and cried, "Can I really? A new bike for me?" and threw his arms around the officer's neck. I watched a father quietly tell the officer he was with how grateful he was for this service, how he'd never been out of a job before and he didn't know how he would be able to get even one gift for his kids if it wasn't for them.  I watched a young single mom walk through the infants section filling up on things like clothes, diapers, wipes and blankets for her little one and the young officer with her saying, "Are you sure you don't want to get any toys?" while she quietly shook her head and said, "This is what we really need."  Over and over again, I had to go hide in another aisle and wipe away my tears as I watched children laugh, fathers cry, mothers hug and officers glow.

I could tell you about the other things I saw at Walmart.  I saw sales and high prices.  I saw carts full of toys and trinkets that would probably break in a week.  I saw commericialization and depersonalization of Christmas.  I saw all of that too.  Because it's all there.  All the time.  But that's not what I left the store remembering.  I saw Christmas, the real magical Christmas I have loved my whole life.  And I have the chance to pass on that legacy to my kids.  There will always be reason to find things that wrong with the season.  I'm not going to defend them and say that they are right.  But I am going to choose to find the reasons for joy and to teach my children to do the same.  We are going to celebrate together the love the we commemorate at Christmas.  We are going to ooo and ahh over lights and eat way too many cookies.  We are going to carol to our neighbors and watch Christmas movies.  We are going to sing "Happy Birthday" to Jesus and remember once again that God so loved the world that He sent His only begotten Son.  And we are going to enjoy all the season has to offer because you know what, it's worth enjoying.  At the end of my kids time in our home, I doubt they remember how commericalized and empty the Christmas season is "out there".  I bet they remember how beautiuful, love-filled, and Christ-centered Christmas was "in here".

When I was little Sesame Street had a song in one of their episodes that I never forgot.  I leave you with these thoughts and a reminder that Christmas is what you make of it.  "Keep Christmas with you, all through the year.  When Christmas is over, save some Christmas cheer.  These precious moments hold them very dear and keep Christmas with you, all through the year."

The Punch Bowl

So, way, way back in June as Luke and I were sorting out what we were going to trash, what we were going to sell, what we were going to store and what was coming with us, we came across the punch bowl.  I love my punch bowl.  I got it on clearance at Pfaltzgraff right before the outlet in Gettysburg closed down.  It was only $7!  A beautiful punch bowl with pretty cups that hung off the edge and a ladle for dipping out delicious goodness.

For someone like me, the punch bowl meant one thing - people are coming to my house, lots of them, and we are going to party!  After all, you don't really pull a punch bowl for one or two guests and certainly not just for the kids and Luke and me.  No, you pull out the punch bowl when you have something to celebrate.  You pull it out when plain old lemonade and ordinary soda/pop/coke won't do.  You pull it out when those things need mixed together and a good dose of ice cream or sherbert or frozen yogurt gets added to the mix and it creates a delicious concoction of bubbly, frosty goodness that just makes everything a little bit more special.

As you can tell, my punch bowl has some deeper meaning for me.... I'm odd that way.  So, imagine with me what it was like when my dear, normal husband held up that average, nondescript punch bowl and said, "What about this?  It's kinda big and we probably won't be having a bunch of people over in our new house.  Should we store it?"

STORE IT?!?  You mean, in the next four years we will not have an occasion to invite people over for a celebration of any kind?  For four years, our house will be too small to allow for celebratory get-togethers and times of community and fellowship?  I'm pretty sure the look on my face and the tears in my eyes took my poor unsuspecting husband completely aback.  The rational side of me understands why.  The "me" side of me could only think of four years of no parties, no get-togethers, no happy times of appetizers and desserts and punch.  And honestly, I thought of all the many times we'd had people over in our last house and all the joy those walls had held and, yeah, there was no way that punch bowl was going into storage.

So, it came.  It got put up on the shelf in the laundry room.  It was big, took up a lot of space and was useful only for stacking boxes of K cups on.  Until last night.  Last night, a bunch of ladies came down to my house to exchange unbaked rolls of cookie dough for our Christmas cookies this year.  And I, well, I couldn't let a bunch of friends come over and not leave without something tasty to eat.  I am Italian after all.  I made some dips and cheeseballs, some dessert and fruits and veggies and then it hit me.  This was a punch bowl moment.  We were going to eat and play games and laugh and talk about Christmas and punch was definitely needed!  I didn't have the ingredients for my normal punch but I threw together what I had and pulled out the bowl.

And there it was.  In my new house.  My new house that while smaller than my last was still big enough to celebrate.  My new house where food and friends and fun all fit just fine and where warmth and joy still filled the air. We listened to Kenny G play Christmas carols as we played silly holiday games and ate yummy food and exchange our Christmas treats.  One by one as my friends trickled out and the house got quieter and the after-gathering mess was there, I smiled!!  My house was a home.  I didn't even mind washing the dishes and cleaning up because it meant, life had happened in my tiny space in Wilmore.

The punch bowl is back up in the laundry room with stuff stacked on top of it but my girls have already asked for it to come out at Christmas time.  Who said the punch bowl didn't get used for just us?  Oh yeah, me.  Well, I can change my mind on that too or, more likely, we'll have some friends over to share our celebration with us

A Million and One

I have a million and one things to do today.  We just got back from our Thanksgiving trip to Indiana where I spent five wonderful days relaxing, eating, hanging out with my family, eating, watching movies, eating, snuggling my handsome nephew, eating, and .... well, eating.  Its funny how things change through the years.  It used to be for me that going to Indiana was leaving home and going somewhere else but since moving, going to Indiana feels like going home from another place.  When you are constantly surrounded by unfamiliar things, the familiar things take on an even more special, deeper meaning.
 

Like this morning when I was driving to the grocery store and I called my sister, not for any other reason than I wanted to hear her voice.  Like when we opened up our Christmas boxes and started decorating our tree and I marveled at each ornament like it was the first time I'd seen them or when I hug our stockings and got all choked up because we've had them for so many years.  Or like when I pour myself a cup of coffee with Peppermint Mocha in the evening and enjoy the lights on the tree and the smell of pine in my home.  All wonderful, cozy, warm familiar things that just make my heart fill with peace and joy.

The other day I crossed a big line for me in Kentucky.  I went to Walmart (okay, not such a big deal) AND I knew people there!! Several people.  As in more than one person said, "Oh, hi!  How are you?"  And today a man stopped me and asked me for directions AND I knew where to tell him to go!  I guess that "Oh my gosh, where in the world am I?" look has finally disappeared.  And, even more special, when we pulled back into Kalas with our Charlie Brown christmas tree and our minivan bulging with luggage and shopping bags and all the mess kids can make in 3 hours ina car, we were greeted with smiles and waves and texts and all kinds of love.  It felt, much to my surprise, familiar.

One day, we will pull into Wilmore to visit from wherever we finally end up and I will take a big deep breath and say, "Ah, this feels like home."  And I'm starting to figure out what the common denominator is.  It has a lot less to do with surroundings and environments and a lot more to do with people and love.  It's not really the size of the house or the quaintness of the town but the ones who fill the homes and make up the town.  It's not even that we always agree on everything or that we even all like the same things; it's that in the midst of each moment you know love is present, faith is shared and life is lived.

This will be the first time I have been away from my immediate family on Christmas Eve.  I think because they are awesome they are holding the traditional celebration until we can join them after Christmas but still, on Christmas Eve I will not be eating too much shrimp with my brothers, laughing over memories with my sister, sharing a cup of coffee with my dad or helping kids open presents with my mom.   So that will be hard.  However, I'm starting to learn (starting!) that just because things change it doesn't mean it's bad and just because something is unfamiliar to start doesn't mean it won't become a beloved familiar moment in the future.

My kids love Phineas and Ferb and, let's be honest, so do I.  One of the things I love about the show is that those kids live in the moment.  In fact, they personify Carpe Diem and never let a moment slip away without making it the best day ever.  Hmmm, I'm thinking there is something to that!  My life has been richly blessed with family and friends from many places; some I haven't even met in person but have forged a deep friendship with over many shared letters and chats with each other (Annie Conti, I mean you!)  I would love to gather them all up and put every single one in a room and just be with each one but you know, that just wouldn't be as special.  The moments we share together, while maybe not as often as we like, are special because they are when we are together.  Not a crowd, but a time where we slow down, enjoy the moments and bask in the famliarity of family and friends.  I don't want to miss a moment - not here in Kentucky, not when I go to Indiana, and not when I'm with my family and friends in Pennsylvania.  I want to "carpe diem" the daylights out of this life and treasure each time I get to spend it with others God has brought into my life.

We have reached the end of our first semester... can you believe it?  Luke will be taking finals next week (prayers would be awesome) and we will get a little break until classes start back up again in February.  I will start working again in January and Luke is taking on a job as well.  God continues to bless us by providing for our schooling needs and we feel so encouraged by the support we are being shown by both the seminary and the Brethren in Christ denomination.  We still don't know exactly what the "future" looks like but I have a million and one reasons to believe that God has got that under control.  For now, I'm just gonna "carpe diem" where I'm at and thank the Lord for the many blessings (YOU!) He has given us. 

Blind Blessings

Sometimes seeing the same old thing with new fresh eyes makes all the difference.  Today we woke up to our first Kentucky "snowfall".  I use the word lightly since I know my PA friends reading this blog will chuckle at my pictures and refer to our freshly-fallen white stuff as a dusting or other some such description.  In fact, last year, I wouldn't have counted it because it didn't lay on the pavement (for some reason, that was my self-imposed barometer of what could count as a snowfall).

Picture of Asbury Theological Seminary by Cody Swoboda

But this year, when I woke up and saw the layer of white covering most of what my eyes could see, it might as well have been two feet.  Because I wasn't looking with Pennsylvania eyes.  I wasn't even looking with Kentucky eyes.  This time, I was looking with Singaporian eyes and Florida eyes and Zambian eyes.  I was looking through the eyes of my new friends who have NEVER seen snow in their life except for in movies and on television. 


At 6:50 am, I looked across the cul-de-sac to my Singaporian neighbors who were all outside, bundled up like Eskimos, touching the snow, throwing it, holding it, tasting it and taking pictures of it.  They were laughing and freezing and even though I was far away, I could feel their tangible sense of awe, wonder and joy.  Soon my facebook feed lit up with statuses from my southern friends with pictures of our dusting and smiles on their faces.  Words like "SNOW!!!!" and "This really happens outside of Florida" began to fill the pages.  The excitement over what I would have brushed aside as "not real" was contagious.  The bus stop was dizzy with excitment.  Snowballs were thrown, laughter was shared, and many, many pictures were taken by my Southern friends.

Ah, my friends, how often do we miss the blessings that are right in front of our eyes?  How much of our mundane life do we dismiss as "not real" when in truth we are living a miracle?  How many of us can tell stories of how we were blessed financially, or maybe by barely escaping an accident, or by surviving a health crisis, and then at the same time wonder if we'll ever get to see a "real" miracle?  Has life become so routine that we forget to stand in wonder and awe over the incredible blessings we are surrounded with daily?  Our faith alone gives us reason to sing and shout!  Have you been around someone who has come to a new understanding of God?  They fairly leak with excitement over verses you learned in Sunday school and barely skim over as you do your daily readings.  The concepts of Scriptures that are familiar to you, they can barely wrap their heads around.  And that is as it should be, because we should always be at a place of wonder and awe as we consider the mystery of God and His Love.  But are we?  Or is it just part of our life now?

I heard comedian Louis C.K. once on Conan O'Brien share this sentiment through a simple piece called, "Everything is AMAZING and nobody is happy."  He specifically talked about the concept of flight and how "everyone who flies on an airplane should just constantly be going 'Oh my gosh, I'm flying, I'm sitting in a chair IN THE SKY!'"  But then he goes on to say how people instead just complain the chair doesn't go back far enough, and it's smelly and there are delays at the airport.

But, don't I do that too?  Do I really take the time to "see" the blessings around me?  My house is warm, I have clothes to wear, my kids are healthy,  my husband loves God, my car runs, I have running water, I have WATER... and as you know, the list can go on and on and on.  Sometimes I think I need new eyes.  Eyes that see the simple beauty in the things I normally shrug off or, sadder still, complain about.

This was not the biggest snowfall I've ever seen.  It wasn't the prettiest.  It wasn't the most fun.  But honestly, I think it will be the most memorable.  Because I saw it again for the first time.  And something about seeing it that way, makes this snowfall more than a dusting and more than a inconsequential moment. And as always I cannot help but remember these beautiful words from Isaiah, "Come now, let us settle the matter, says the Lord, Though your sins are like scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they are red like crimson, they shall be like wool."  Now that.. that is way cooler than flying!

All about Luke

Today I had the honor of spending the morning praying with some great women that God has placed in my life.  We get together on Thursday mornings and pray for our kids and in doing so, we share a little about what is going on in our home and the challenges and victories we face in parenting.  It is so encouraging to not only be able to pray with one another but also to know that we are not alone in many of the things we experience as we diligently desire to raise our kids in godly homes with love and respect.  In addition, we inevitably end of speaking about our husbands too and one of the wives mentioned that in a recent blog, she wrote a portion about him that really blessed him.

Well, that got my mind churning.  You see, I write the blog so you get to hear a lot about our experience from my perspective.  While I do try to keep you up-to-date on the kids and Luke, I know that for the most part, what you get to hear is my personal experience with the move and life here.  Today I'd love to share with you a bit more about what the last few months have been like for Luke.  Keep in mind, I am still the one writing so, it's still my perspective but it will be about him.



When we arrived in July, Luke had the opportunity to start to get to know several of the others students here at seminary and get a feel for what classes, professors, and seminary life would be like.  On some days, he'd wake up so excited to start classes and enthusiastic about what studying for a master's would be like.  Other days, he woke up less enthusiastic and more cautious and concerned.  The workload, the readings, the high expectations were all daunting tasks that lie ahead.  He was even told that one of the professors he had for his first set of classes was one of the toughest on campus.  Luke is a great student and absolutely is in his element when it comes to academics, especially ones that center around his faith.  But even he could not help but be nervous about what was in store for him.

The first week that Luke actually went to campus was for New Student Orientation.  In addition to a number of activities that I was able to attend with him, the Student Services and Family Formation departments had a number of workshops and events to help new students familiarize themselves with the school and with one another.  By the end, Luke was pretty jazzed and ready to start classes.  The only bummer was that his family (that would be me and the kids as well as his parents and siblings and their families) were all heading to the beach.  Luke stayed behind to start his seminary career as we basked in the sun and played in the waves.  I guess he missed us a lot (and loved us even more) because on Thursday evening, he surprised us in North Carolina by showing up, skipping his afternoon class in order to drive 10 hours to spend the last part of vacation with us.

But honestly, he loved seminary.  He loved his classes, his subjects, his fellow students, and even his assignments.  I have know Luke for almost 15 years and never have I seen him so "in his element" as he was in seminary.  He ended up adding another 3 credits to his schedule by hiring a tutor to help him pass out of Greek I so his fall semester, his first semester, rounded out at 15 credits.  That's a lot of reading.  That's a lot of papers.  That's a lot of work.

He's handled it like a champ.  Thanks to the sale of our home, he was able to not work this semester and focus on school.  Next semester he will be looking for a part-time job that will hopefully help us to meet our bills.  In the meantime, he is working hard at his classes and getting to know the staff and faculty at the seminary.  Dr. Stamps, the dean of chapel, teaches one of Luke's classes and we have truly enjoyed getting to know him and his wife Ellen outside of the classroom.  Luke attends a small group where he gets to interact with Dr. Coleman, the author of The Master Plan of Evangelism and that has been a great experience for him.  Luke is becoming more involved in the chapels offered each Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday on campus and has had the opportunity to serve in various capacities there.

But the best part, at least from my (and the kids) perspective is that we get to see Daddy a lot more than we used to.  He is able to be home most evenings, often when I can't because I'm working, and we eat dinner as a family on most nights.  Luke comes home almost every day to eat lunch with Caleb and me, which is awesome, and has time on most weekends to have a family night or afternoon.  Currently the girls are having fun with Daddy going through the Bible.  They read a portion of the Bible and then Luke gives them a project to do relating to what they read.  They love it!! I do too :)



I count myself extremely blessed to have this godly man in my life.  Our conversations about his classes have pushed me to grow in my walk with Christ and to keep myself moving forward in my faith.  While it is not always easy to have him involved in so many great experiences that for this time I can't share in, I appreciate so much that he always invites me into his assignments and lets me participate as much as possible with my limited scope and experience. 

So, for those of you praying for him as he works his way through seminary, please continue to pray for wisdom for him as he balances school, family and eventually work; for clarity of thought as he writes his papers and completes his assignments; and for continued growth in his walk with Christ and his fellowship with his fellow students here.

Luke, I am so proud of you and the way you have striven to keep God as the head of our family, His Son as the reason you learn, and His Spirit as your motivation and strength as you serve.  You have blessed me and the kids and I pray that you will continue to grow as Jesus did, in wisdom and stature, and in favor with God and men.

By the way, I usually let Luke read my blogs before I post them but I'm not going to this time because he won't let me post it. :)  This time, I'm just going to say, "I love you honey!" and smile. 

I Know Your Name

At a conference I recently attended where Skit Guys were present (yes, THE Skit Guys who made a personalized video for my girls - eeekkkk!), Eddie shared with us a story about a trip to Target with his little girl where they ran into her Sunday School teacher in the aisle.  He said that he was so blessed to sit back and watch her little face light up as her teacher called to her, asked her how she was doing, how things were with her soccer team and told her that he was looking forward to seeing her on Sunday.  As they walked away, Eddie asked her if she liked her new Sunday School teacher and why.  Her simple answer was, "Yes because he knows my name."

Such a simple thing really, our name.  I mean the only real stress involved in it for most people is when your parents agonized over baby books and naming websites to come up with the perfect name to add to their family.  Your name gives you identity in this world.  For some reason, your parents thought that the name you'd been given would somehow connect you to something or someone of significance that they hoped would help form you in this life.  Most of us even know the meaning of our name.  It's one of the first things kids like to tell me when I start teaching them.  My name is ________ and it means _____________.  For instance, my name is Christina and it means "follower of Christ."  I know my parents intentionally picked that name along with the prayer that I would indeed personify its meaning.

So our name has significance.  And when we hear it spoken, that also has significance.  And the way it is spoken carries with it much significance.   Therefore you can imagine how significant it was to me when my kids and I pulled up in front of our Pennsylvania church last Wednesday night and was soon greeted by the sound of our names being shrieked and screamed with delight as we soon became engulfed in hugs, tears, laughter and excitement... and that was before we walked in the door.  Cesar Ramos stopped mid-conversation (and if you know Cesar that's significant too) and jumped up yelling and ran to hug me.  My heart swelled.  Love personified.  I was wanted. 

Our whole visit was like that. Over and over again our names were spoken with love, excitement, and surprise as most people didn't know we were coming.  Hearing those familiar voice speaking our names was such a comforting and fulfilling thing.  I'm not sure I can accurately explain it except to say that the familiarity of it all was like a warm blanket on a cold day or a cup of hot tea on a blustery afternoon.  My bucket was filled. Or so I thought...

Because on Monday morning as we emerged on our first day back in Kentucky, I heard something.  It came from the distance and was filled with much enthusiasm and genuine love.  It was the voice of a little girl yelling, "Miss Christina, is Caleb there?"  Our little neighbor Anna, our new friend, who knows our name.  And throughout that day my heart continued to fill as our new neighbors and our new friends repeated similar greetings of welcome and excitement, saying our names with love and friendship.

I feel as though I have been doubly blessed.  Here and there, I know love.  That's a pretty incredible thing that not many people of the joy of experiencing.  I think of our friends here from other countries.  Try as I might, I know I butcher their beautiful names on a regular basis.  How comforting it must be for them to hear someone who is a native speaker say their name.  It feels like... home.

And that is why dear friends, it is so, so, so important to hear that name from the One who created your very soul.  To hear your name spoken with the most joy, the deepest care, the greatest excitement; to have it resonate within your soul with the most intense love ever from the only One who can bring the rest and comfort your heart desires.  Jesus knows your name.  He speaks it when we need it most, where we need it most, in the tone we need it most.  He speaks with excitement, he speaks with love, he speaks in comfort and correction, in joy and in peace.  And when He speaks it and we hear it, our souls are home.

We had a wonderful trip to Pennsylvania!  Thanks to everyone who came out to see us on Saturday and especially to my sister for letting us sleep in her home, eat her food, drink her coffee and make a general mess of the place.  Thanks to my parents for spoiling us with two lunches out and a fun trip to Reynolds farm.  Thanks to CBIC for the welcome and love we felt on Wednesday and Sunday and for the lasting friendship you offer in spite of fire alarms.   Thanks for knowing and saying our names. 
 

This week starts the second marking period for my girls at school.  They are loving life in Kentucky - great teachers, great friends and a great community here in Kalas.  Luke has midterms this week and will be starting the last half of his first seminary semester.  He is really enjoying his classes and the fellowship he has with the other students here.  I am spending my days with Mr. Caleb and working with the seminary kids in childcare.  God has given me such a vision of what my time with those kids can be in terms of spiritual formation and growth and I would love all of your prayers as I seek to serve and hear God's voice and be as my name defines me - a follower of Christ.

Pursuing the Pursuer

Chase.  I think it is the most timeless game of all time.  It requires no toys, no gimmicks, no instructional videos, no extra materials, no costumes, no directions, nothing; nothing except two people who decide to run after each other.  I think watching two toddlers play chase is the most fun.  Not only are they super-adorable on their chubby, wobbly legs, they also lack any restraint when it comes to just having fun with this game.  The giggles and laughter are contagious and you can't help but want to join in.  But the funniest part of toddler chase is when they forget who is chasing whom.  Eventually they are just running in circles, pursuing and being pursued and delirious with joy, or dizziness... but they are usually smiling.

Seminary has been a force to reckon with already for Luke and I as we have jumped headfirst into a community where theological discussions happen on a regular basis and where each person you meet is looking forward to a life of ministry within Christ's body.  We have met people from all over the world; people of every race, every denomination and every background you can imagine.  We've visited churches that are so far from our background we probably look more like tourists than worshipers and prayed with people whose native language we don't even speak.  It stretches you.  It forces you to examine your faith, to test it and see if it stands the test.  You are, in  a way, forced to pursue Christ deeply and earnestly; to immerse yourself in His Word in a way you've never done and to seek wisdom in a way you've never sought.

On the other hand, what a blessing to see Jesus in the lives of so many others!  I have shared before about our "same but different" stories here.  The people we have been privileged to share this time with have so blessed us by their single-hearted devotion to Christ and His calling on their lives.  We come together and our burdens are the same: to see people active in a vibrant faith and walking in a growing relationship with Christ.  Our visions are the same: to serve in the Church as ministers of grace and truth to stir people up by way of the Word and through the Holy Spirit.  And our hearts are the same: to be fully His so we can serve fully for Him.

In each testimony and each prayer, we remind each other over and over again of this thing - we are not here because we thought it'd be cool to be in ministry or because we were bored with our lives as they were.  We didn't leave behind friends and families on a whim or for a selfish cause.  With each interaction we are reminded that we are here because we were pursued by a God who loves us wholeheartedly and who desires to use us as His vessels of grace and truth, to share His Word and His love to this generation, to be His hands and feet and to do so with all our heart, soul and mind.  

And so as we are pursuing Christ, He is pursuing us, calling us ever onward to the "upward call of God in Christ Jesus."  The pursuer and the pursued are no longer defined.  He comes after us with his grace and we go after Him with our will.  And the result, when our eyes are fixed on Him, is that unspeakable joy and faces that reflect the glory of the One and Only.

This blog was inspired by a few things.  One, a dear friend of mine here at seminary recently wrote her own blog post about her faith journey and in it she wrote, 

"Through those years, I ran from God. I thought that He wouldn’t want me to even claim Him, because I was so damaged and broken. And yet, He was always there.  In the quiet stillness, I would cry out in my pain, and He would be there. His presence was tangible to me, His arms comforting me. Even so, I continued to push away. But God is not easily deterred. He is a God of mad love, crazy about me….crazy about you." (Read her whole testimony at http://familyinsanity.wordpress.com/)

God pursued, God loved, and God never gave up.  Having prayed with this friend, I know that she is now pursuing Him - pursuing and being pursued; never still, always growing.  

The second inspiration was going to church with Dr. Stamps and his wife on Sunday morning.  Before we went Dr. Stamps stopped by to give me directions and left me with this challenge that I cannot forget.  He said, "This isn't church like you are used to but these people need Jesus.  I have pastored three churches in my life, two in my tradition and one much more liberal.  I won more people to Jesus in the liberal one than the other two combined.  There is my mission field."   God pursuing through Dr. Stamps in a way I never dreamed and I saw the fruit of his ministry on Sunday as he challenged and proclaimed, holding up a standard of truth in love and revealing his pursuit of His Pursuer.

And finally, through this sign on the seminary campus that has spoken to my heart many times since we started here.  The text reads, "We grab hold of the grace that changes us." What a picture of beautiful pursuit!  The grace that teaches us to say "No" to sin, the grace that covers all of our unrighteousness, the grace that unconditionally forgives and fulfills; we chase it and grab hold of it and it transforms us.  

This game of chase is not a game.  It is life, fullness of life, abundant life. It doesn't wait until heaven; it is available now.  This awesome opportunity to know and to be known by our Creator deserves our full attention.  And as we join the chase, I know our hearts will lift in joy.  The whole idea of God always being with us becomes even more amazing when we know that He is indeed pursuing us with His love.  He's not just idly sitting by; He is coming after us with more life, more joy, more wisdom, more grace.  As Peter says, "Make every effort to add to your faith, goodness and to your goodness, knowledge and to your knowledge, self-control, and to your self-control, perserverance, and to your perserverance; godliness; and to your godliness; mutual affection; and to your mutual affection, love.  For IF you possess these qualities IN INCREASING MEASURE, they will keep you from being ineffective and unproductive in your knowledge of our Lord Jesus Christ."  There is more and more abundant life to be had!  Pursue Him and be pursued by Him and grow richer, deeper, fuller in your knowledge of Him!

It may have taken seminary to help me see this but the reality is, it was always there.  From the beginning of my walk with Christ, I can see the pursuit.  From the moment we felt called to ministry, I can see the chase playing out.  From the second we decided to take the step to go to seminary, I can see the quest from both sides - God calling, us following, us seeking, God answering.  So the next time you see two toddlers chasing each other, laughing and squealing, imagine the pursuit you are in!  God loves you, He is pursuing you, He has so much abundant life for you.  Pursue Him and allow that grace to "grab hold" of you!

Seasons Change; God Does Not!

Seasons Change, God Does Not 

Coordinating schedules, our newest step in the transition to Kentucky life!   When we first moved here, we pretty much had a big ole fat NOTHING on our calendar.  Having gone from very full calendars, this was a welcome break but soon became a tedious repetition.  Having nothing to do means you end up with a very clean house, lots of "down time" and plenty of chances to catch up on important things like... the latest series on Netflix.  While we did use this time to get to know people here and the surrounding area and to adjust to our new life here and dive more deeply into our walk with Christ and each other, there was something about all that down time that got old fast.

For one thing, all those "things" we had on our schedule before weren't "things" as much as they were people, relationships, service and friendships.  It represented the things that helped make our life, our life.  While our children's lives very quickly filled up here with new friends, lots of outdoor shared activities and school, Luke's schedule and mine took a bit longer to envision.  Getting a job, classes started and meeting new friends have started to fill those gaps and that feels good.

This Sunday for the first time in a long time, we "coordinated" our week.  It felt funny.  For weeks the answer to "What do you have have planned this week?" has been, "Um, I don't know, work, school I guess, we should do something."  But this week we are meeting friends for lunch and dinner, working out and meeting with friends, small groups and dinners, times of worship and times of prayer, times with family and times together.  It feels like... life.  

Now some of you think I'm crazy.  Some people don't like to see a busy schedule.  For some, it it busyness and distraction.  It represents chaos and frustration and detracts from the simple life. And I get that; I truly do.  But, it's not how I'm wired.  I'm a "get up and go" gal!  In fact, our whole family really seems to thrive when we are out doing and serving and being with others.  Caleb even gets super excited when it's time to go to childcare with me.  Not that we don't get tired and not that we don't appreciate our times of rest together, but we are very grateful for the "groove" we are finding.

Last week was the week where we realized that we were fully entrenched.  I had taken on some extra hours at work which meant Luke had the kids for longer times.  He took them to their school for a family movie night on Friday while I went into work (and like the sweetheart he is, he had dinner and a movie waiting for me when I got home at 9).  Then Saturday morning while I worked he cleaned the house with the kids and took Hannah on a daddy date when I got back.  We had company over for dessert and coffee that evening and then when the kids went to bed, we sat and enjoyed each others company.  And that's it - doesn't sound like much, but to us, that's life.  And it's a good life filled with love, God, family and friends.

The kiddos at the orchard

We would ask for your continued prayers for us as we are still praying about what church community God would like us to join.  God has been so good to us in giving us many opportunities to "fill up" spiritually here.  Luke goes to chapel throughout the week and is part of a men's small group, as well as being in a class with Dr. Stamps who I shared about in a previous blog which is pretty much church in a class.  I have a small group that meets on Saturday mornings and pray with some other moms on Thursday mornings. I have also enjoyed the Women's Communion and family activities offered here as well as times of worship with friends in the village.  The girls are participating in a Praise Group that meets here in the village and have great relationships with the kids here.  However, it would be fantastic for us to find a place where we can all participate at the same time in worship and fellowship as would be afforded by a church community.  

View of fall sky from our back porch

It's just starting too cool off down here and we can see a few leaves changing, denoting the change of seasons approaching.  It seems an appropriate picture of our own life as God leads us forward with Him.  Seasons change, God does not.  Our lives change, God's presence does not.  Our surroundings look different, God is the same - yesterday, today and forever.  He is our Solid Rock, our Strong Foundation.  His voice whispers the same words of truth into our hearts and His Spirit fills our souls with the cry of "Abba Father."  No matter the season, the schedule or the silence, our hearts can be in communion with Him and He will forever remain unchanged and unmoved.  "On Christ the solid rock I stand, all other ground is sinking sand".   The fullest schedule or the most empty one, the answer for rest is the same, found only in the one who gives rest to the soul.   

When I was younger, my dad would often say these words of blessing over us.  May these words fill and bless you today, no matter what your day looks like or what is going on.  Find rest in the One.

"May the Lord bless you and keep you.  May the Lord make His face shine upon you and be gracious to you. May the Lord lift up His countenance upon you and give you peace."

Trainspotting (not the movie)

It's become routine.  The sound of a train passing behind our house.  It's become a normal, everyday part of our life here in Kentucky.  Even Caleb, our avid trainspotter, has begun to shrug off the passing trains as just a regular part of life in the village.

But every now and then the noise we hear is a little different, enough to grab our attention and make us take notice of the tracks behind the house.  Sometimes it's just a particularly loud train, sometimes it's one of the many pieces of odd equipment that gets used to keep the trains running, and sometimes it's the one engine that for some reason feels the need to blow its horn RIGHT BEHIND OUR HOUSE (I have no idea why; it's just one and its usually at naptime). 

More often the ones that grab my attention are the trains that come to stops behind our home.  I'm not sure why they stop.  I guess somewhere further up the line the something cool is happening.  But here we just see and hear the cars slowing down and stopping.  Do you know how long it takes a train to stop?  It is a really long time.  I haven't actually timed it but I'll tell you what, those creaks and groans and screeches seem to drag on forever.  The trains shudder and shimmy, their cars make all sorts of creaking noises and brakes eek and squeal for what seems like an eternity.  And just when you think it's finally stopped, it gives this final shiver and honestly, it sounds like the poor thing has died.  Then, a few minutes later, it all starts again - the creaking, grinding, moaning and groaning and eventually the massive metal object begins a forward momentum and vacants our back yard.  Caleb stands at the top of our stairs yelling, "Bye! Bye!" and after a while the train moves on.

As I was running one day, a train began slowing down next to me.  I thought to myself, "I wonder if I can run longer than it takes a train to stop?"  I can, but that's not really the point of this little blog.  As I was running, I felt as though God began speaking His truth to me yet again.  You see, we, the Embrees, were on the fast track of life, zooming along and blowing our little horn as we raced on the tracks of life.  Then all of the sudden, God started slowing us down.  I say all of the sudden but what I really mean is, slowly and painstakingly, God started slowing us down.  We creaked and groaned and shuddered and screeched but eventually we got still.  And in that moment we heard His voice leading us to Asbury Seminary and Wilmore, Kentucky.  

We were on the right track and headed in the right direction but God had some things He wanted to do in the down time.  He taught us so much about love and faith and dependence on Him in those months before our move, lessons that will stay with us for a lifetime.  During our first two months here, He led us to new friends and new things to learn and experience and now, it's time.  With classes in full swing, my new job, the girls school and Caleb just being Caleb, the Conductor has begun to move the Embree train forward again.

I find myself reminding myself (I talk to myself a lot apparently) that it takes ALMOST as long for the train to start moving again as it does for the train to come to a stop.  There are lots of ugly noises, uncomfortable-sounding groanings, and some creaking and screeching and straining.  I'm not great with the whole TIME thing.  I'm all about, "Let's get in and let's do this thing...today!"  But I've been reminded over the past week that "it takes five years to have a a friend you've had for five years."  Having spent the weekend with my sister Joanna and best friend Miriam, my heart felt at home.  These ladies know me, my history, my hurts, my joys and my quirks and love me anyway and wrap me in that love.  Watching them drive away was seriously one of the hardest moments for me here.  I wanted to pull them back and say, "No!  Stay!  You belong here with me.  My heart says you belong here."

It was quite the screeching, groaning moment for my soul.  I wasn't thrilled with the idea of moving ahead, of letting the Conductor pull me forward and on to wherever He's got this train headed.  But God is pretty cool about these moments.  As I spent the day with Him on Monday and shared my heart with my husband that evening, I was reminded again that He has a goal in mind; He sees the track and knows the destination.  It's not easy to get a train moving forward but once its going; it is going!  God also sent me some timely and loving reminders through new and old friends, some special conversations and some blessed moments that even though it's hard to start moving, we are not alone.

I like to think that as some of you read about our experiences here with moving, transitioning, schooling and adjusting, that it strikes a chord with you in regard to some experience you've had or are having in life. Maybe you are in that place where the train is slowing down and it's frustrating and painful and seems to take forever.  Maybe you're at a stop not knowing when or where you will start moving again.  And maybe you are like us, starting forward, slowly and creakingly, as God moves you in a new direction as a family or in your own personal life.  Regardless, may I encourage you as I have been encouraged by the trains behind our house?  I have never seen a train stop and just stay there.  I've never seen a train unable to stop or unable to start.  I've never seen a train fall apart or break to pieces no matter how terrible the stopping and starting may sound.  And I've never seen a train "left behind" as the engine moves ahead.

I've also never seen a believer abandoned by their God.  I've never seen a Christ-follower stuck forever in their faith.  I've never seen a seeker slowed to a stop forever by circumstance or doubt.  If we let the Conductor lead us forward, slow us down, and stop us for a while, He will always be faithful to take us where we need to go and to let us know, He's got us in his capable hands.  

Our little family train is picking up steam.  We're finding our rhythm and the forward momentum is beginning to take us with Him.  As we each find our place here and in the kingdom of God, I anticipate that our time on this leg of our journey will speed along quite nicely and before we know it, we'll be slowing down again and listening for God's direction for the next track of our life.  And He is faithful to lead the way.

Snapshot of our Kentucky Life

This house smells fantastic!  I just finished baking some banana bread and coffee cake for our company tonight and tomorrow morning. As soon as I'm done this, I'll get ready to meet the girls at the bus and take Naomi in for her first dance class (ballet and jazz).  Then home to greet our guests/friends for dinner and an evening of fellowship.  Tomorrow morning starts with a run, putting girls on the bus and then a few other moms are coming over for coffee and goodies before I head to work at 10:45 and then again tomorrow evening.  Friday I work in the morning and then lunch with our neighbors and then Joanna and Miriam arrive (yay!) just in time for a Garden potluck and a campfire at our place.

Luke is currently in class.  His classes started officially last week and he has two classes on Tuesdays and Thursdays and one class on Wednesday.  He's also taking an intensive class that meets all day on Friday and Saturday once a month.  And he is loving it!!  His classes are all unique (one is a study of Matthew, one is church history, another is on worship, and I don't remember what the intensive is... after all, I'm not taking it, heehee) and he is enjoying every single one.  He keeps saying, "I can't believe I get to be here!"  His days usually start with a run except Thursdays where he participates in a men's small group that meets on campus.  His nights are mostly hanging out with us and reading his very big, and in my opinion, very boring books.  I must note that he does not find them boring at all and desires nothing more than to talk to me about them but my poor husband notices that moment where my eyes glaze over and he backs off and says things like, "So, do you want to watch something?" So glad he gets me!

The girls are at school.  At this moment, they are in their specials classes.  Hannah is very much enjoying 4th grade and is kinda a celebrity because she got to take the whole week off last week.  Her class has to do 100 minutes of out-of-class reading per week so the Jessamine Countly Public Library has become a good friend of our family.  At home she has invited many girls over to "make cards" with her and it is not unsual for 3 or more girls to be in her room, scrapping away.

Naomi came back from vacation to a new teacher (long story) so she is still adjusting.  Her closest friend at school is a girl named Nanami so when the two are together, it can be a bit of a tongue twister.  When she's here, we rarely see her as she is usually out riding her bike, learning how to ride a Ripstik, or playing over at her friends' houses.  I never really know where she is most of the time but she always comes back smiling, chattering, and very sweaty.  The moms in the neighborhood know her well and it is not unusual for me to get a "Naomi story" on a daily basis.

Caleb is taking his nap right now.  You'd think with the trains going by and his overwhelming enthusiasm each time one passes by that he wouldn't sleep here.  But he actually sleeps here very well and he really enjoys playing outside in the neighborhood. One little girl up the road named Anna has kind of adopted him and I love answering her  sweet little knock and seeing her little face turned up and asking, "Can Caleb play?"  His favorite activity on his own is to run up and down the sidewalk pushing his grocery cart or lawn mower but if he can get mommy to take him on a bike ride, he is never happier.

And that's basically it.  Throw in my runs with a friend in the morning, trips to the grocery store, lots of biking and walking, and some good old family time and you've got a pretty good snapshot of our lives here in, as one of my friends called it, the "bubble of Wilmore."  I heard so many people describe it as Mayberry and I can see why.  The sense of community and belonging, of sharing lives and meals and hopes and disappointments, and the understanding and empathy the families share with one another is truly unique and special.  I don't anticipate ever really finding a place like this again.  So as we have been encouraged time and time again, we are going to do our best to embrace this life here, live it to the fullest and "be all here."

We'd LOVE for you to come see us.  If you live in Wilmore and read this, know that our door is always open.  We truly enjoy your company and look forward to many friendships through the years.  If you live elsewhere, like IN or PA, know that our door is always open!!  We look forward to your visits (girls are counting down the hours to see Nanna and Mim this weekend) and we love and miss your hugs.  

Okay, bread is ready to come out of the oven and I still have time to read a little bit before the bus arrives, Caleb wakes up, and our life bustles on!  Have a beautiful day friends and "wherever you are, be all there!"

Second Sunrise

I'm hijacking my own blog.  I can't help it.  I'm on vacation with my Indiana family and, as usual, I have had some amazing times with God on the beach and while this blog is supposed to be about our faith-filled four years at Asbury Seminary, I feel compelled to interrupt myself with this important announcement.

In the past at the beach God has taught me many things like how much He loves broken shells, how consistent and dependable He is, how His love fills a deeper space than the oceans could ever fill and how He is always there; always, always, always.  This year He has showed me that not only is He all this, He is also the God of second sunrises.  Let me explain.

Every year, I get up early to go for a walk/run with God in the morning before the swimming/beaching/hot-tubbing day begins.  It is not unusual to start running into more people on the beach as we get closer to sunrise.  The beach begins to fill with bleary-eyed coffee-drinkers, children who appear to have been up for hours, romantic couples snuggling under blankets and entire families out for the perfect photo op.  Sometimes the sun doesn't disappoint.  In a magnificent display of splendor and newness, it breaks over the horizon, bathing everything in its beautiful light and delighting the viewers who threw off the covers to see the break of a new day.

Sometimes, actually many times, that Hollywood-scripted scene just doesn't happen.  Many times there are clouds, sometimes thick and gray blocking all the sun, but most often low-lying clouds that hug the horizon and create a layer of fog and gray that obscures the rising of the sun from the waiting crowd.  Instead of that bright orb of light breaking the horizon and causing everyone to snap pictures and hug a little closer, the horizon just starts to turn a lighter pink color as the sky brightens to blue.  Snugglers move a little farther away from each other and children start crying, running, shouting, and jumping as sheer boredom sets in.  The family perfectly lined up for their photo on the beach start milling about and walking away as grandma tries desperately to keep them together and convinced that the sun is coming and we have to get this picture of all the fun we're having!!  Inevitably, some begin to walk away.  The sun didn't come.  That's what they were there for.  That's what they gave up precious sleep for.  What's the point of hanging out?

If only they knew.  If only they knew in a few short moments, the hot sun would continue to creep higher and in the process, those low clouds would diminish.  If only they knew, that in merely minutes, that sunrise they wanted so bad was going to happen, maybe just not the way or the time or the place they expected.  But I can tell you from experience, that "second sunrise" is just as beautiful as the first, maybe even moreso because its beauty is unexpected, its timing is a surprise, and its placement allows for even more light to bathe the shore and start the day.

So by now, you've probably made the connection but in case you haven't, let me fill in the blanks.  We so often go to God expecting something for our lives.  We've got it all laid out; after all, He called us so surely the vision we have is one from Him, right?  We sacrifice to make it happen.  We wait expectantly for the dawn of His calling  to fill our lives.   We are waiting for that perfect moment.  And we truly think we are waiting for the Son... but are we really?  Yes, that is why we are there but when the Son doesn't appear as we thought He should or would, are we quick to get bored?  Are we easily distracted?  Do we get tired of waiting and decide it would be best if we just walked away?

Oh, the temptation to do that!  Last year, I was there.  I was tired of waiting.  My plan hadn't worked.  It wasn't perfect.  It was frustrating.  "Where is the sun?" I wondered.  My heart wrestled with walking away and giving up on the calling I knew God had for our family and my husband.  And then in March, it happened.  The Son broke through.  The light bathed our path.  All the prayers began to be answered and the sky began to brighten.  The second sunrise.

Yesterday Luke's classes started. As I talked to him last night, he kept saying, "I just can't believe I'm here.  I am so blessed to be here.  I feel privileged just to be with these other believers.  I just can't believe it."  Our God is so faithful.  He said it - In this world you WILL have trouble (clouds), but I (the sun) have overcome the world."  The clouds are a vapor.  They do not last.  They come and go.  The sun is, as my brother-in-law just exclaimed, "The sun is definitely out today!"  The sun is here to stay.  The Son will never leave.

If you happen to be in a cloudy place, doubting the Son and wondering where that sunrise is, may I encourage you to wait a little longer?  He is THERE.  I promise you He is and His plan will amaze you.  It may take longer than you expected.  It may not happen the way you pictured.  But He is not done writing your story and He is THERE.

Enjoy the sunrise.

We now return to our regularly scheduled blog. :)

Transition Talk

Ever since we arrived on campus a month ago (a month?!?), people have been asking us, "Are you going to Marilyn's transition talk?"  Of course, we were new to all things Asbury so we were like, "What transition talk and who is Marilyn and why is everyone asking us this?"  New Student Orientation rolls around and lo, and behold, there it is in black and white - Marilyn Elliot, Transition Talk, Thursday at 9:30 am.  As it turns out Marilyn is the Vice President of Community Formation for the seminary and the transition talk was... a talk about transition.

"It's a great talk!"  "It will cut to your heart!"  "We're actually going back to hear it again because it was so good."  I had heard so much.  I was prepared.  I was prepped to hear about transition; the good, the bad and the ugly.  And I wasn't going to cry (all of you who know me can stop laughing now).

What nobody told me about was Dr. Stamps.  There it was on the same printed piece of paper.  Breakfast with a devotional by Dr. Bob Stamps.  No one said, "Hey you might not want to drink two cups of coffee because Dr. Stamps is going to give the best welcome you've ever heard and you are not going to want to have to stand up and walk to the bathroom in the middle of it."  No one said, "You'll want to  bring your own tissues because the napkins in the cafeteria slice like sandpaper when you wipe them on your face."  No one warned me that the prelude to the transition talk (which WAS fantastic) would speak right to my soul and dissolve me into a goopy mess in 5 minutes flat.

So, now you are all probably asking, "Who is this Dr. Stamps and what was so great about his devotional?"  Well, let me tell you.  Dr. Stamps is the Dean of Chapel for the seminary and he and his wife Ellen live in Kalas Village and act as chaplains, mentors, babysitters, welcomers and all around friends of the families who live here.  As an older couple, they have so much to give to the young married couples and families that fill most of the Kalas homes and they serve with overt enthusiasm and pleasure in their role.  Ellen spent 9 years of her life traveling as the personal aide to Corrie Ten Boom, one of my heroes, and Bob has served in ministry almost his whole life.  They contain a treasure trove of experience, advice and laughter that they willingly share with all of us.

This morning Luke and I had the pleasure of eating breakfast with them before Dr. Stamps spoke.  He was still working on his talk as he sat down and read us a few quotes he was thinking of using and ask our opinion before he left us to "go work the cocktail party."  As he stood to speak, I settled back in my chair next to his wife, ready for an uplifting and jovial word of welcome and encouragement.  Instead Dr. Stamps preached a sermon, not just a sermon, a cut-to-the-quick, don't-pull-any-punches, gut-wrenching sermon that had me in tears within five minutes while his wife Ellen smiled knowingly at me as I grabbed an awful sandpaper napkin to dry my tears.

I cannot do his words justice.  He spoke of God's will, of God's call, of our obedience and our call to worship.  He warned us of accumulating too much knowledge and then warned us of leaning too much on experiences.  He encouraged us to remember that all the work we do in seminary has a name - the names of the lives and the churches we will touch after we leave.  He spoke to us of loneliness and purposelessness and of redemption and our awesome God.  In that cafeteria as he walked around and spoke to each of us as his little flock who he loves as a pastor with the love of Christ, God used him to address every doubt and fear I had bottled up in my heart and to encourage every dream and call I have heard God whisper in my ear.  He went over by 15 minutes.  I didn't want him to stop but those two cups of coffee I did not have the foresight to forego sent me skittering away.

The transition talk was wonderful.  For me, it was icing on a well-baked cake.  It addressed the specifics of transitioning, the feelings and emotions and the behaviors and the adjustments.  I shed a few tears there as well and was blessed to speak with Marilyn afterwards (she's kinda my boss... she's the boss of the person who is the boss of the person who is the boss of me - follow that?).  But I feel especially blessed today by Dr. Stamps and his words of encouragement, hope, warning and love.  I feel it even more knowing that it won't be much longer that he and his wife serve here (they are getting older and probably close to retirement) and I won't be able to go up to future classes and say, "Make sure you are there for breakfast with Dr. Stamps."  But this year, for this class and maybe even for this person, God used him and I am grateful.

We are transitioning well.  We have our moments.  Some days are fine and life feels "normal".  Some days are hard and life feels uncomfortable.  Sometimes I just want to wrap my arms around something familiar and sometimes I enjoy the idea of something new.  I know our friends and family back home are transitioning too and our new friends who just moved here are going through the same thing (I was not the only one crying this morning!)  I also know this, the same God who called us is the same God who leads us and the same God who fills us.  Today, I was graciously reminded of this truth.  Maybe you need a "Dr. Stamps" talk in your life too.  I'll pray it will come to you as unexpectedly as it came to me and you will know again the surety of God's foundation and the reality of His great love.  I'll also pray that there are tissues with lotion in them nearby!

We are here

"I was a lawyer... a realtor... an insurance agent... a banker"
And then
"We heard the call... God was leading us more and more to ministry... it became clear we were called to full-time ministry...apparently, God wanted us in ministry."
And then
"We talked to our pastor... our friends... our family... prayed a lot"
And then
"We visited Asbury... we loved the community here... we had other offers but God led us here... we accepted the scholarship"
And then
"God worked so many miracles... He sold our house at the last minute... He made provision where we couldn't see any possibility of making it... God moved mightily"
And finally
"And now we are here... WE are here... We ARE here..  We are HERE."

For those of you who have followed our blog since the start, or better yet, lived it with us, you may have mistaken the stories above, minus the banker/realtor/insurance part, as being our story.  But the truth is, these are the stories of the families that now share our little village in the city of Wilmore.  Yes it actually is considered a city but it would take some serious convincing of all of us that it could ever be labeled that.

Since we moved here, we have had the great pleasure of meeting new friends and neighbors from all over the world.  Inevitably, conversations begin with "Where are you from?" and "What brought you here?"  While the answers to the first question vary tremendously from Singapore and South Korea to Ohio and Texas, the answers to the second most often bear a surreal resemblance to one another.  They basically go like this:  We were there.  God called us to ministry.  It took some time but we finally answered the call.  He worked a bunch of crazy miracles to confirm and affirm us.  Now we are here."

I used to think our story was unique and miraculous, and while it is to us, it is certainly not out of the ordinary here.  God sold your house at the price you needed?  Yeah, been there, done that.  You got a scholarship out of the blue that covered your full tuition?  Not surprising.  You left everything behind so that you could answer the call to ministry?  Right there with you.  You are excited, scared, nervous, and exhilarated all at once?  Sure, I know the feeling.  You serve a a crazy big God with crazy big plans and the grace and power to lead you, provide for you, and even wow you with His goodness on a daily basis?  Yeah, me too.

The experience of being here as new family after new family move in and their stories echo yours and their visions for God's kingdom affirm yours and their excitement of what God is going to do over the next four years fuel yours is not one I can accurately put into words.  Last night after Caleb was in bed and the girls were watching a show before bed, Luke and I snuck out for a walk around our neighborhood.  As we walked we were greeted by so many people of so many backgrounds and so many stories but one common purpose; we are here.  And we are not here by some random chance or because it looks good on a resume or because it was the next thing "to do".  No, the people we talked to and the stories we've heard lead to one conclusion; we are here because we believe God has called us here in order to send us out.

There are a lot of bad things happening all over the world.  It can be disheartening.  We can see darkness and we sometimes wonder, "Is there light left?"  In the few short weeks, my heart has been buoyed by this fact; we are not alone.  Many others share our burden.  The kingdom of God has some very willing soldiers lining up for training to advance His purposes and share His life with future generations.  Like Elijah who cried out in the desert, "God, I am the only one left who seeks You" and God replied, "I have 7.000 who have not bowed their knee to idols" I have been blessed to see a tiny microcosm of the vast kingdom of brothers and sisters all over the world, fueled by the same Spirit and refusing to bow their knees.

No one here is perfect.  We (they) will be the first to admit it.  No one here feels special or gifted or particularly talented in terms of "being a Christian."  Rather, in the stories I've heard, there is a deep sense of humility, reverence and gratitude that we would even be able to participate in such a profound way in the continuation of sharing the truth of God's Word for generations to come.  

Next week we will have our New Student Orientation.  I'm sure we will meet more new families from all over the globe.  We will get picked on for being Yankees and we will pick on others for their sweet tea which is actual a thick syrup more appropriate for pancakes than thirst quenching.  We will talk about our kids and our families "back home", our plans and our future hopes, but one thing will inevitably be the same:  We were there.  God called us to ministry.  God did amazing things.  Now we are here.  And our unique story will be repeated over and over again as people nod and smile at the familiarity of it.  For indeed, WE are here.