change is good

I feel like I have a lot to share.

I have my book club starting in about 30 minutes.  The kids are both finally in bed.  Jeremy is working in the other room on the computer.  I am sitting down to catch my breath after a day that has felt very long!  The weekend was very tiring.  Going to Lifepoint again was a good experience.  I enjoyed playing with the team, Shea had fun, all the people were very nice again, and most seemed pretty positive about us coming to the church.  I was talking with one lady who had been a long-time attender, and she said, "I hope you come back - the music sounded so good and it was so nice to sing songs we know!".  So, we left feeling pretty happy about the whole thing.  We visited with my sister for lunch, and then went up to my brother's house in Kirkland after that.  We drove around on the way home and after leaving at 6:40 that morning didn't get home until after 8PM.  I was beat!  I didn't get much sleep that night either.  Hailey has been teething and she was getting over being sick, and it seems like there is always some problem that keeps her up at night, so I have been at a loss of how to get sleep.  Until two nights ago.  I was so exhausted, I went to bed at 8:30, and I did it again last night.

Of course, Shea has been getting up at 6 for some weird reason lately, so my days have been starting early, too!  He goes back to bed, but then he wakes up Hailey, so there's really not much use in trying to stay in bed for too long after that.

Anyway, I have a lot more to share, but the Pastor called me today, and looks like we will not be moving!  I'm so happy to finally have this whole process be over though, and I'm really fine with it.  I could tell he did not want to tell me the news.  Apparently he had a board meeting on Monday night, and it was not a unanimous vote to hire me.  Although he could still hire me (he said, "they were being nice and said I could still hire you"), he didn't want to do that when everyone wasn't agreed (smart man).  He said it had nothing to do with my talent/worship leading gifts...actually, he said "I'm not totally sure what the reason is that they were against", and he was very encouraging in affirming what he believed was a calling on my life.  Honestly, when I think about it, if I was on that board, I don't know if I would hire me!  I mean, they HAVE this guy who is volunteering and possibly lacking in a few areas, but I don't know that I bring that much more to the table, or that what I do bring is worth paying me for.  Either way, I am excited and happy.

Jeremy and I have really been seeing a lot of change in ourselves since we started this process.  We finally feel in a lot of ways like we are finding WHO we are and making choices based off of that (as opposed to who our families are, other people expect us to be, etc.) and it is exciting!  Now that I know we are supposed to be in Indianola for a while, I finally feel like I can start focusing in on the things that will make life work here and embrace it as our home for a while yet.  Some day, I believe we are called to something else, but in the meantime God will get us by.  I have some plans on bringing in some more income for us, and Jeremy's work has been picking up little by little lately, so I know we will be fine.  I've been able to find a lot of ways to save money and we can still enjoy our summers by the beach.  God is good.  Life is good. And although we were excited about moving back over there, I know there is a reason we are here.

I better go get the tea water on!  Goodnight, wonderful friends!