New Year brings New Home

Nick and I visited our new Church home this morning. Over the Christmas Holiday, within the span of about 7 days, Nick was offered a Youth Pastor position at a nearby church and he accepted. I compare my feelings of sitting in the pew this morning to the feelings I had when we did our first "walk through" in the house that we live in now. It just felt right. I looked at the structure of the sanctuary and the lighting. I closed my eyes and listened to the organ and the piano play. I smiled back at hundreds of welcoming faces and most importantly I received inspiration from the sermon and restoration through Communion. When we looked at our house, the same day we made the offer to buy, I walked into the back yard and all the way back to the fence. I wanted to see what our home looked like from a point of view that not many people would see. Yes, curb appeal is important, but for me I wanted to picture this house as my home by looking at it through the eyes of a girl expecting big things to happen at this home: nights spent on the porch with friends, reading a book while basking in the sun, playing ball with our little Ali Carrie, and chasing toddlers around with bare feet. Sitting in the front of the church I did a similar exercise. I wondered who I would see give testimonies. I pictured youth going through Confirmation under the leadership and guidance of Nick. I pictured that my own children would be called for the kids' minute in front of everyone before heading off to their own services during Children's Church. Big decisions need assuring moments and visions such as these to help us be at peace and have expectation for the upcoming journey.

I could not be happier for my husband as I know that he is excited and rejuvenated to serve in this area of ministry. Mentoring kids, particularly, junior and senior high school youth aged people is a big responsibility... a task that quite frankly I feel he could not be more "qualified" to do. I love that my husband loves his job. I love that he appreciates and savors every moment of his daily routine in the commute to work, the preparations and correspondences he conducts at his desk while sipping his coffee and listening to some Mr. Tony or other podcast no doubt, the contacts and relationships, the traveling for mission trips and retreats, as well as some of the challenges. I hope that I will be a useful partner to him in ministry... I wake up most mornings feeling like, "thank goodness I married him... where would I be had if not been for our swift dating period, engagement and marriage?" I shutter at the thought of whom else I could have settled for and my life without my children. I am also very thankful for the so much more than just "approval" that my family has for him. It has been such a blessing to see him grow as a person, husband, student, and youth pastor over the past 4 1/2 years. I cannot wait to see my expectations and visions for us and our future unfold. Congratulations my Love!