Life seems to be careening ahead at a rapid pace. It's as though my mind can't wrap itself around the days that are slipping by. Days filled with so much that they're hard to hold onto. There's a lot of newness and oldness combined that it's hard to remember what we haven't chronicled here. And as much it's been hard to put down, I want to chronicle it because it's one of the only places that, apart from my Moleskin, holds pieces of this crazy, wonderful, swiftly moving life we live.
So this post is more for me than you. But for anyone who's been wondering how we are - how we really are - these days... here you go.
Home
Yes, all of the work was done on our home just in time for the flooding I alluded to in the last update. The damage that has been done in communities around here is unfathomable, but it's real - and we feel incredibly fortunate to have walked out of all of this with only six inches of water in the crawlspace and some leaking in the roof (in a room that it hardly matters it happened there). The damage would have been far worse had we not had all of those drainage and remediation projects going on in March and April, and it's just another example, we believe, of God's perfect timing.
Speaking of timing... though it doesn't quite count as home, I don't want to give "Car" its own category... I got in an accident with the new car two months to the date of the deer incident and we finally got the car in the shop on Monday (just shy of a month since the accident). I was cut off in traffic in Cool Springs (errrrr) and hit in the same exact spot as the deer. So that was fun (not so much, at the time), but just proof that life happens and you can't live your life bracing for it - you just have to be prepared to move on afterwards.
Work
Things are great on both sides of our working coins. Cliff amazes me everyday with his ability to do his job with such excellence, such patience, and such determination to not must make money but help his ELPs. This determination has carried us through my first couple of months of full-time self-employment which never, unfortunately, goes entirely to plan. But because of that, it's right where it needs to be. Growing not because I can necessarily make it do so like some magic trick, but because I have the conviction of trusting the Lord with the direction and the opportunities and acting when those are revealed. The last couple of weeks have been a lesson in asking - truly asking - and gratefully receiving.
And though this doesn't exactly count as work, Cliff's been doing something pretty cool with himself these last few weeks being a part of the Franklin Citizen's Fire Academy. With his interest in joining the Williamson County Volunteer Rescue Squad, the CFA is giving him a lot of first-hand, hand's-on experience with fire and rescue work done by Franklin Firefighters. Once a week he spends a couple of hours in lectures and live demonstrations of all sorts of things, and just this week he's starting his ride-alongs with our friend Jamie who is a firefighter with Franklin.
Church
I realize it's been months since we've started our time at Fellowship Bible Church and not once have I shared this part of our journey. After being at The People's Church for five years and experiencing a lot of personal change, as well as change in the church and our communities there, we started to feel a tug in a different direction. Not knowing exactly what direction, late last summer we began visiting just a few churches in the area. After several months of visiting different places, it became really clear that our hearts felt most at peace and excited and encouraged and everything they should feel when God is prompting you to do something... when we were at Fellowship.
And so with the beginning of this new year, we went through their Discovery Class series to learn more about the church and its mission and became members in mid-February. We have so enjoyed our time there already, from services on Sunday (or Saturday!), to looking for new places to serve, to playing soccer on Mondays, and now to...
Germany
Yep, that's right. Wir fahren nach Deutschland! With a team of fifteen other folks from Fellowship - including one of our Community Pastors, our Children's Minister, and other leaders, we'll be heading out to Potsdam, Germany the day after our third anniversary this summer. We'll be the first mission team to visit with one of our church's strategic partners, working specifically with the church in their children's outreach and church planting efforts. You can read more specifically about the partnership here, as we get many questions like "So, uh... why Germany?"
We're looking forward to going on our first mission trip abroad together - a unique way to celebrate our anniversary, I think - and immersing ourselves in the German culture for about two weeks. I've been itching to get over there for upwards of twelve years now since I first started studying the language and the opportunity to do so now while being with Cliff, being a part of important work, and spending time with children is just about as exciting as it can get. Stay tuned as we get closer to that trip to hear more!
Travel
Here lately we've traveled a bit to visit with family, which was nothing short of wonderful. There's nothing like a good roadtrip and long days spent just hanging out with your family when you're used to those quick visits weekends and working afford you. That's just one beautiful part of my now flexible schedule and Lampo's generous time-off offerings. Later this month, we'll be heading out to Colorado (my first time setting foot outside of the airport) for Memorial Day weekend to enjoy a three day weekend in the cool mountains, blooming alpine flowers, and more.
This trip had the makings of our spontaneous trip out to Wyoming in '08 when we were just weeks away from a holiday weekend with little idea of what to do. So, Cliff says "What about Colorado?" and I say "Let's see." And as fate would have it, fares (yeah, no driving this time) were low, as are camping fees and having an ELP-friend to stay with in Denver for one night. And so we're going to CO, with likely a stop at the Coors brewery, and the most of the rest of our time playing in Rocky Mountain National Park (you didn't think we'd go somewhere like Colorado and NOT visit a NP did you?!)
Speaking of National Parks... we've just gotten word that we've been approved for a permit to hike the Grand Canyon on Labor Day Weekend this year. Incredible. We've been hoping to do this for years and finally got the gumption to, along with seven friends, apply for a permit for a four day hike in and out of the Canyon. So with the trip to Germany and now our Memorial Day and Labor Day plans, this summer is turning out to be... busy, travel-wise. Whew. But we're not complaining!
So this post is more for me than you. But for anyone who's been wondering how we are - how we really are - these days... here you go.
Home
Yes, all of the work was done on our home just in time for the flooding I alluded to in the last update. The damage that has been done in communities around here is unfathomable, but it's real - and we feel incredibly fortunate to have walked out of all of this with only six inches of water in the crawlspace and some leaking in the roof (in a room that it hardly matters it happened there). The damage would have been far worse had we not had all of those drainage and remediation projects going on in March and April, and it's just another example, we believe, of God's perfect timing.
Speaking of timing... though it doesn't quite count as home, I don't want to give "Car" its own category... I got in an accident with the new car two months to the date of the deer incident and we finally got the car in the shop on Monday (just shy of a month since the accident). I was cut off in traffic in Cool Springs (errrrr) and hit in the same exact spot as the deer. So that was fun (not so much, at the time), but just proof that life happens and you can't live your life bracing for it - you just have to be prepared to move on afterwards.
Work
Things are great on both sides of our working coins. Cliff amazes me everyday with his ability to do his job with such excellence, such patience, and such determination to not must make money but help his ELPs. This determination has carried us through my first couple of months of full-time self-employment which never, unfortunately, goes entirely to plan. But because of that, it's right where it needs to be. Growing not because I can necessarily make it do so like some magic trick, but because I have the conviction of trusting the Lord with the direction and the opportunities and acting when those are revealed. The last couple of weeks have been a lesson in asking - truly asking - and gratefully receiving.
And though this doesn't exactly count as work, Cliff's been doing something pretty cool with himself these last few weeks being a part of the Franklin Citizen's Fire Academy. With his interest in joining the Williamson County Volunteer Rescue Squad, the CFA is giving him a lot of first-hand, hand's-on experience with fire and rescue work done by Franklin Firefighters. Once a week he spends a couple of hours in lectures and live demonstrations of all sorts of things, and just this week he's starting his ride-alongs with our friend Jamie who is a firefighter with Franklin.
Church
I realize it's been months since we've started our time at Fellowship Bible Church and not once have I shared this part of our journey. After being at The People's Church for five years and experiencing a lot of personal change, as well as change in the church and our communities there, we started to feel a tug in a different direction. Not knowing exactly what direction, late last summer we began visiting just a few churches in the area. After several months of visiting different places, it became really clear that our hearts felt most at peace and excited and encouraged and everything they should feel when God is prompting you to do something... when we were at Fellowship.
And so with the beginning of this new year, we went through their Discovery Class series to learn more about the church and its mission and became members in mid-February. We have so enjoyed our time there already, from services on Sunday (or Saturday!), to looking for new places to serve, to playing soccer on Mondays, and now to...
Germany
Yep, that's right. Wir fahren nach Deutschland! With a team of fifteen other folks from Fellowship - including one of our Community Pastors, our Children's Minister, and other leaders, we'll be heading out to Potsdam, Germany the day after our third anniversary this summer. We'll be the first mission team to visit with one of our church's strategic partners, working specifically with the church in their children's outreach and church planting efforts. You can read more specifically about the partnership here, as we get many questions like "So, uh... why Germany?"
We're looking forward to going on our first mission trip abroad together - a unique way to celebrate our anniversary, I think - and immersing ourselves in the German culture for about two weeks. I've been itching to get over there for upwards of twelve years now since I first started studying the language and the opportunity to do so now while being with Cliff, being a part of important work, and spending time with children is just about as exciting as it can get. Stay tuned as we get closer to that trip to hear more!
Travel
Here lately we've traveled a bit to visit with family, which was nothing short of wonderful. There's nothing like a good roadtrip and long days spent just hanging out with your family when you're used to those quick visits weekends and working afford you. That's just one beautiful part of my now flexible schedule and Lampo's generous time-off offerings. Later this month, we'll be heading out to Colorado (my first time setting foot outside of the airport) for Memorial Day weekend to enjoy a three day weekend in the cool mountains, blooming alpine flowers, and more.
This trip had the makings of our spontaneous trip out to Wyoming in '08 when we were just weeks away from a holiday weekend with little idea of what to do. So, Cliff says "What about Colorado?" and I say "Let's see." And as fate would have it, fares (yeah, no driving this time) were low, as are camping fees and having an ELP-friend to stay with in Denver for one night. And so we're going to CO, with likely a stop at the Coors brewery, and the most of the rest of our time playing in Rocky Mountain National Park (you didn't think we'd go somewhere like Colorado and NOT visit a NP did you?!)
Speaking of National Parks... we've just gotten word that we've been approved for a permit to hike the Grand Canyon on Labor Day Weekend this year. Incredible. We've been hoping to do this for years and finally got the gumption to, along with seven friends, apply for a permit for a four day hike in and out of the Canyon. So with the trip to Germany and now our Memorial Day and Labor Day plans, this summer is turning out to be... busy, travel-wise. Whew. But we're not complaining!
3 comments:
Goodness... I can't believe you got in another accident- that stinks, big time! Your trips sound like so much fun! I can't wait to read details about each individual trip. Be safe, have fun and take lots of pictures for those of us stuck at home! :)
OK, just had to comment and tell you congrats on booking your grand canyon pass! I went with a group of friends during spring break our senior year, and it was unbelievable. Tough, but unbelievable. You'll get the greatest photos. Enjoy it!! So excited for you!
i love your swiftly moving life :)
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