something new

Phew.  We got through a busy week last week with end of year events and lots of fun times with friends.  I did two photo sessions this week which both turned out to be a blast and the pictures turned out beautifully.  I have some more coming up this month and  I am especially excited about one that will be taking place in about a month or two - I am doing the pictures of the new birth center coming to Poulsbo of their facility for their website!  I am slowly building up connections with people in the area and becoming known as a birth photographer, and this will be another great and natural connection.

Amber! I am so happy you got to go on that trip to DC, I truly smiled so big as I looked at the pictures of you during the cake fight! ha!

We have something kind of life changing and interesting that came up recently though.  We haven't told many people at all - only family, basically, and not everyone. I am sure you remember when we we applied for the church plant position for Federal Way area with Church of God about a year and a half ago.  Well, when we weren't chosen for that position, Lloyd (the director for the PNW), told us that he wanted us to consider applying for the next church plant opportunity that would be coming up in 6 months or so.  It came up (about a year later) last November.  At that point, both Jeremy and I decided that we were not going to apply.  It was for Coeur D'alene, Idaho and we didn't feel strongly enough about moving there to uproot our family.  I told Jeremy that the only way we would consider applying was if Lloyd emailed us directly asking us to.

He never did.  Jeremy has continued to get a LOT of raises this year at work and has been offered basically partnership in the business he works for.  I have been slowly building up my clientele, meeting tons of people in our community lately, and have been enjoying our life here SO MUCH, I can't even tell you how much it breaks my heart to think about leaving.

April 15th we received an email from Lloyd about the church plant.  Apparently they have a lot more resources for this one and were looking to hire two people for it.  They picked the lead back in January, but they didn't want to go forward with any of the other candidates until he saw what we were up to.

Since he emailed us, we figured we better go ahead and apply and see what happens.

We didn't hear back again until this week.  Partly because we told him we couldn't travel to Idaho until after May, since I was on call for a birth and couldn't travel.

It is funny though, because one reason we didn't want to apply back in November is that we just weren't emotionally ready to go through another long waiting process.  Last time we felt like we couldn't live in the present and felt disconnected from everything around us, sort of numb.  Jeremy's mom said something that really helped me this time though, that we needed to live fully where we were, even if we end up being called somewhere else.  I have been able to just keep investing in relationships and plan like we will be here for now.  We have had a lot of time to process moving or staying and what each would look like and what would be a big enough motivator to make us move.

For so long, we have tried to go somewhere else...this is the one time that we feel so rooted and at home that it makes it a very difficult decision.  But, I had said just about a week before we received the email that I felt like something was about to change in our lives.

So, long story short, we haven't made any decision yet.  Our family is going to Idaho the second weekend of July to stay with the family they already hired and basically see how we feel about them and learn more about the specific vision for this community and church. I know I have moved a lot of times, but as a family, we have never moved so far away from our support network of family and friends.

It feels REALLY CRAZY.  I am excited about the possibilities and the training and experience we will receive. I think it will be really good for both of us (especially Jeremy) to get away from his parents and their church.  But I have also spent a good deal of time grieving the possibility of leaving this place.  There is a pang in my heart when I think about it.  I love our beach and community.  I love the life my children have here.  I am so looking forward to the school Shea would be entering in the fall and the support it will have.  There are people who have asked me to photograph their births and I SO want to be there for that, but I have had to put their requests on hold for now.

It might not happen.  We have tried to fight it and say we would say "no" no matter what, but it feels imminent.  So dear friends, please pray that we know what in the world to choose.  I know just because we are blessed here does not mean we won't be even more blessed there.  The call is strong and there is something about being sought out like this to be a part of something that could impact so many lives.  But we also know that just because we may be "picked" by the district for this position does not mean it is our calling.