Fall Fun!

A couple months ago some friends of ours invited us to go to a corn maze with them. So on the chilly morning of October 23 Jessie, Bernice, Nick, Jessica, and "Grandma" Susie show up bright and early. It was a beautiful day to take in the scenery during the hour long ride. Our first stop was Cracker Barrel. There aren't any close by where we live, so that was a real treat. Mom always loved that place. I "had" to eat a pancake for her. By the time we arrived the temperatures were rising and it was the perfect day for outdoors. They had a rope ladder there that Hunter has always wanted to do at Six Flags or a carnival. We never let him do it at $5 a try, but here it was included in his admission price. It took him several tries, but he finally made it. The corn maze was actually lame, but we went through it none the less. The teenagers beat the adults, but not by much. A hayride around the property followed. Probably the most fun was rolling in the pipe. Two would get in and the others would roll them around. It was then time to come home, as Hunter was scheduled to bag groceries at the commissary for a Boy Scout fundraiser.

Back at Last

Well, here it goes . . . after 10 months of silence, I logged back on. There are several reasons I haven't posted in a while. Quite honestly this move was harder on us than I thought it would be. My attitude hasn't always been the best, and I really didn't want to spread around a sour heart. But God's grace continues to be sufficient - actually more than sufficient. He has sustained us through the rough road we have been down. He is continuing to guide us into an unknown future and we trust Him. It would be nearly impossible to completely update you on what all has transpired so far in 2010. I'll do my best to go back and highlight the big things, but no guarantee on how quickly. I hope to focus on the here and now, getting this site up to date when I can.
Today is the 2 year anniversary of Jerri's home going. How happy we are for her, how sad we are for us. Sometimes it doesn't seem like time heals. These last 2 years have been rough on our family with the loss of Jerri, Papa, and recently my Mom. Again, God's grace is sufficient. He has given us Christ-colored glasses to see the big picture, reminding us that we're only here for a short time. We will spend eternity together in the presence of our Lord. Awesome!

Childbirth and Moving

As I’ve talked to a couple of my pregnant friends over the last couple of days, I’ve contemplated about how similar childbirth is to moving. While it’s been 8 years since I’ve had the opportunity to experience the birth of one of our children, some things just do not leave your mind too easily.
Labor usually begins with stronger, regular contractions. The pain level is moderate, but there are breaks in between. For us, this began when Tim left back in June to begin his new job. Being without a husband, daddy, or in his case, the family can bring emotional pain. Thankfully there were times of rest as he was able to come home quite often and we were able to go and visit him.
Just recently we have entered the time of transition. In labor, this is a most intense time where focus on the task at hand is crucial and the pain can be extreme. Sometimes a woman can come to a point where she thinks she just can’t take it any more. In terms of our transition, moving my mom to Ohio after Christmas was the beginning of transition. After living with us for over 8 years, I confess to it being difficult handing her care over to my cousin. Not much later we begin having to tell people that we won’t see them again for a while. We think of leaving a house we love, friends we so deeply care about. The pain is at a 10. At some point in this transition, the water has broken. Tears are flowing freely. We’ve had our days of wanting to bail out.
Finally after hard work, a beautiful baby emerges and a new life held in the arms of his mother is the reward of the pain. I’m not sure how the end will turn out in our allegory. I know we still have several more difficult days or possibly weeks or months before it’s all said and done. I would hope to say that the obedience of this move will bring new life in Christ for someone living in Virginia. While we don’t know what our future holds, we do know Who holds the future.