...........
...and oh how the time flies. I still can't believe that I've been in Madison for a year now. What a year it's been at that - filled with lots of ups and down. Last year at about this time I took the biggest leap of faith that I have ever taken in my entire life. I quit my job, moved to a city where I knew absolutely nobody and did it all by my lonesome. I had never been apart from my husband for more than 3 days and was forced to step out in faith, hoping that it wouldn't take me long to find a job so that we didn't have to be apart for very long.
Had I known then what I know now, I'm not so sure I would have been up for the challenge.
Two and a half months later, jobless, with a new mortgage and still alone I remember feeling completely hopeless. Those were some of the most difficult few months of my life, but looking back I see how God was taking care of me and had given me so much grace to endure. I know that if it wasn't for God's help I would have literally gone crazy...not even from the lack of job or unstable financial situation, but even more from missing my husband so very much.
Obviously I eventually found a job and Steve was able to quite his job back in St. Louis and join me here in Madison, but then we had new hurdles to cross. No health insurance, no friends, a 7 month job search for Steve and to top it off the quite weird fact that we were planting a church in a new city and the pastor's hadn't even moved here yet. Talk about ackward conversations when people asked us about what our church was like!
Alas, here we are a year later. Both employed, soon to have health insurance and finally we have our pastors here! Our little church is moving locations this Sunday again. For good reasons though! We have already (in just 2 months) outgrown our current location and have practically doubled in size!
All of the puzzle pieces still haven't quite come together and although we feel settled and love our new city, we still feel like we're trying to settle into life with learning how to live on practically nothing, but yet be generous in all things at the same time. Pretty soon it will be just the two of us in our house (for a few months at least) for the first time since we've bought it, and we'll start a new chapter of unpacking boxes that we haven't seen since May of '08, while we give our little place some much needed TLC for the first time. It almost feels like we'll be moving all over again, and now that I'm so used to living with other people, having a house to ourselves for the first time in two years will seem really strange and I'm not sure what I'll do with all the space and silence.
September has always been more a "New Year" for me than January 1st is, and in September I often times find myself reflecting on what I've learned in the last year that I want to change for the upcoming year. This year I have a lot to ponder, a lot to change, but most of all a lot to be thankful for. As I look back on this last year of our lives I am so aware of God's goodness to us. He has been faithful and I see Him working through each step of the way - both the hard steps and the easy ones, and I'm grateful for it all. Hopefully this next year will be a little less hectic as we continue to try and get back on our feet here. Regardless of what the future holds though, I am thankful that I have a God that already has it all in control.
Had I known then what I know now, I'm not so sure I would have been up for the challenge.
Two and a half months later, jobless, with a new mortgage and still alone I remember feeling completely hopeless. Those were some of the most difficult few months of my life, but looking back I see how God was taking care of me and had given me so much grace to endure. I know that if it wasn't for God's help I would have literally gone crazy...not even from the lack of job or unstable financial situation, but even more from missing my husband so very much.
Obviously I eventually found a job and Steve was able to quite his job back in St. Louis and join me here in Madison, but then we had new hurdles to cross. No health insurance, no friends, a 7 month job search for Steve and to top it off the quite weird fact that we were planting a church in a new city and the pastor's hadn't even moved here yet. Talk about ackward conversations when people asked us about what our church was like!
Alas, here we are a year later. Both employed, soon to have health insurance and finally we have our pastors here! Our little church is moving locations this Sunday again. For good reasons though! We have already (in just 2 months) outgrown our current location and have practically doubled in size!
All of the puzzle pieces still haven't quite come together and although we feel settled and love our new city, we still feel like we're trying to settle into life with learning how to live on practically nothing, but yet be generous in all things at the same time. Pretty soon it will be just the two of us in our house (for a few months at least) for the first time since we've bought it, and we'll start a new chapter of unpacking boxes that we haven't seen since May of '08, while we give our little place some much needed TLC for the first time. It almost feels like we'll be moving all over again, and now that I'm so used to living with other people, having a house to ourselves for the first time in two years will seem really strange and I'm not sure what I'll do with all the space and silence.
September has always been more a "New Year" for me than January 1st is, and in September I often times find myself reflecting on what I've learned in the last year that I want to change for the upcoming year. This year I have a lot to ponder, a lot to change, but most of all a lot to be thankful for. As I look back on this last year of our lives I am so aware of God's goodness to us. He has been faithful and I see Him working through each step of the way - both the hard steps and the easy ones, and I'm grateful for it all. Hopefully this next year will be a little less hectic as we continue to try and get back on our feet here. Regardless of what the future holds though, I am thankful that I have a God that already has it all in control.
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