Beautiful Baby!

I forgot to post the latest pics of Baby Girl.  I usually can't see anything but blobs on these ultrasounds, but this last time, I really could make out her little body.  I'm including a pretty profile shot as well as a picture of her cute little feet. :-)

In Spite of Myself

I changed my major 3 times in the first 6 months of college.  There was almost one more time during my junior year when I was going to switch out of elementary education into a broader communications major.  My reasoning?  The more I got into my education classes, the more I realized I didn't want to be a teacher, at least in the traditional sense of the word.  If I asked people about it, they were pretty quick to agree with me.  After all, if there's one major that you're supposed to know what you're going to do when you graduate, it's education.

The only thing that I couldn't shake was that when I prayed about it, I really felt like God was telling me to stay in education.  This meant that I would have to complete student teaching, go through the certification tests and everything else that came with it, all the while knowing that I didn't want to teach.  Even though it seemed like a crazy decision, I chose to obey the best that I could, trusting that God would work something out through the madness.

In the years since, I've been amazed at how God has used that training as a background to prepare me for so many opportunities that I couldn't have imagined.  I went into Student Ministry for 3 years, and used my training to write curriculum, teach lessons, and get some kind of preparation to understand the middle school psyche (although I don't know that you can ever be fully prepared for that).  The 3 years that I spent in Kidz Ministry further expanded my background, especially in understanding the "Early Childhood" realm of things.

And over these past few months, God's added another layer to "Aren't You Glad I Had You Major in El Ed?" as I've been working in a couple of the Detroit Public Schools through my job with Kaplan.  I'm helping to prepare high school juniors to take a state-wide test, the MME, in about a month, which includes taking the ACT (the college prep test that most mid-westerners use).  Initially, my greatest challenge was to try and remember geometric and trigonometry formulas, but in the months since, I've been stretched in an entirely new way.

My school assignments are very urban schools, in 2 different areas of the city.  For a girl who has spent most of her life in a very non-diverse, suburban neighborhood, it was a challenge that I wanted to do in theory, but when it came down to my first trip to the schools, I found myself nervous, scared, and terribly intimidated.  

After 2 months, I can honestly say again that this is yet another experience where I am truly thankful to see how God has blessed me in spite of myself.  I truly look forward to these times and have a genuine love for the kids and desire to see them succeed beyond their expectations.  My prayer has been that God would use it as an opportunity to speak life into their lives and show them gifts that they have that they may have never even known about.

I can't even begin to imagine how God will continue to use all the events of my past, but the older I get, the more I find that I am completely amazed at His masterful handiwork, often using a circuitous road to craft a wonderful journey.

Still Recovering

I'm pretty sure that my baby must've thought her world was collapsing in on itself last night.  I could feel my heart beating throughout the 4 hours of the game and I don't think the tension ever let up.  At the end of it all, though, it was definitely worth it as we got to witness one of the greatest Super Bowls ever!!!

Today I was definitely dragging (and I was terribly jealous of all the Pittsburgh schools who got 2 hour delays today), but whenever I thought of the lovely victory, I couldn't help but be happy.  And I'm pretty sure the baby was happy, too.  Even Brad wore a Polamalu jersey for the occasion.  Now if that isn't a picture of love . . .

Hope you're enjoying the happy times as much as we are!

Over the Hump!!!!

I distinctly remember when I was little and my mom would come to wake us up for school (alarm clocks never seemed to work so well), she would try and give us specific motivation for getting up on a particular day.  Wednesdays were "Over the Hump Day."  We were 1/2 way through the week.  We could soon sleep in during the weekend (except somehow it was never difficult to get up early for cartoons on Saturday).

Yesterday marked "Over the Hump Day" for this pregnancy!  Baby Girl Leach turned minus five months.  (I figure if she's zero when she's born, she would be in negative numbers now.  I keep trying to explain this to her.  It's never too early to learn about integers, I always say.) :-) In some ways it feels like, "I can't believe that I'm already 5 months pregnant!"  And, in a lot of ways it feels like, "I can't believe that I'm only 5 months pregnant!"  

Regardless, I'm really trying to enjoy this season for what it's worth instead of just wanting it to be over.  I certainly have my moments (and the more people bless me with Little Girl clothes the more I want her to be here right now!) but I really do appreciate this season that Brad and I have to pray for our little girl, dream about her, and prepare for the special day when she will join us.  

AND . . . for those of you back in Pittsburgh who have been asking for pictures of the tummy, I finally broke down and took some.  Looks like it was a literal "Over the Hump Day" as well. :-)

Whew!!!!

What a week!  It's hard to even comprehend all the amazing gifts that God's blessed me with this week.  A quick recap:

• 1 Year Anniversary - Brad planned a surprise getaway to Chicago right after church on Sunday.  He planned out all the little details (i.e. staying in a Hyatt b/c that's where we stayed on our honeymoon), fun presents, and made sure that we left in enough time so that we could still watch the Steeler game on Sunday night.  I felt so loved, honored, special and undeserving of the man God has given to me as my husband.  I would have found it hard to imagine how I could love him more now than I did on January 19, 2008, but somehow, it's true!
• One For the Other Thumb? - The Steelers won.  Do I even need to say more?  Somehow, though, it seems like people in Detroit think that it's more important to cover a new President's inauguration rather than pre-Superbowl coverage.  Crazy Detroiters.
  
• New Teaching Position - I have the opportunity through my job as an instructor with Kaplan, to work in one of the Detroit Public High Schools through the end of February to help prepare their students to take the ACT.  I didn't realize until this week that it would be 8 hrs. a day, 3 days a week, so it's been somewhat of a mind-shift to get back into that schedule in addition to the other teaching jobs I've been doing.  I really enjoy the challenge and opportunity, but find myself exhausted (and obviously behind on my blogging).  And, after the first day, I remembered why teachers don't often wear heels to school. :-)
• Boppli's a SHE!!! - Early Thursday morning, Brad and I got to go and see some of the most recent pictures of little Boppli.  What an incredible experience and what an incredible surprise when we discovered she's a girl!!!!  For some reason, we were both pretty certain that Boppli was a boy.  The last few days have been filled with such delight as I imagine holding our baby girl in a few months and I even got our first little baby girl clothes last night.  So cute!  You can read Brad's thoughts here.
• So rich . . . - Last night, we ended our exciting week with such a special and memorable time of celebration.  Brad had planned a night to bring back the members of our wedding party and ask them for wisdom, advice, and accountability as we journey into Year 2 of our marriage and larger family. :-) We enjoyed a time of prayer, worship, and beautiful insights as each person had something unique and special to share that God had given to them.  I truly felt so rich as I sat there last night surrounded by such tangible examples of God's faithfulness.  It's almost too much to comprehend.

So sorry for the delayed post to those of you who have been waiting to hear the Boppli news.  I'm going to try and scan some of her pictures and get them up soon!  She's beautiful. :-)

Sophomore Year

I've been catching up on a lot of blogs and have found so many great insights as January seems to be the natural time for reflection on the previous year and dreaming about the next.  I confess that I have been doing a lot of the same.

One of the somewhat obvious realities that I acknowledged was just how much much life changed in the short timeframe of about 12-18 months.  I had realized this before, certainly, but what I didn't take time to recognize were some of the more subtle changes that have occurred.

Clearly external things like my schedule, my job, my name, my city, my church, my home, and my family have changed, and what wonderful changes they were!  What I realized, however, were the effects of these changes that influenced even some of my very simple "likes" and "dislikes."  Things like my choice of reading material (used to be 95% non-fiction and this year has been almost 100% fiction), my desire to write (even journaling has felt more like a chore over this past year), and other preferences have evolved without me quite understanding why.  (A post-graduate burn-out, perhaps?)

I suppose God gave me some perspective during my prayer times, looking back on other seasons of transition . . . going to high school, college, coming out of college, starting grad school.  Each time, that first year was a roller coaster of emotions and physical, mental, and spiritual changes.  I began to see this year as entering a "sophomore year" of sorts, and praying about how God would continue to meld both new and old dreams as I settle into this season of "new normal."

And yes, I realize that I'll be entering an entirely new "freshman year" in a few months when little Boppli decides to grace us with his/her presence, but in the meantime, I really want to press into all that God has for me in this season and enjoy new discoveries as a sophomore.

Homesick

I love my new home.  Really.  Detroit is a great place and I have enjoyed getting acquainted with my new city.  But there are a few moments when I find myself longing for some time in my city of old, and this is definitely one of those seasons.

I confess that when I was living in Pittsburgh, even I could get weary of the constant Steelers-mania that would pervade every aspect of life.  It would take a few weeks, but even I realized that it was a sickness at a certain point.

But living here, would you believe that when they have their news broadcasts, that they don't take 17  out of 26 minutes to talk about the Steelers?!? They talk about things like Auto Shows and Presidential Inaugurations and other incidental world events that may be happening around the Steeler play-off.  They never even mention stories like this one about Pittsburgh's Mayor, Luke Ravenstahl, which really captures the full sickness of Steelers mania in one brilliant story.

I suppose it's healthy to recognize that there's more important things in the world than Steeler football, but it would be nice to indulge in the sickness just a little bit more. :-)

Baby Steeler!

You know that passage in Luke that talks about John the Baptist leaping in Elizabeth's womb when Mary came into her house?  

I'm pretty sure that's what was happening last night during the Steelers game.

No, I didn't officially feel my baby yet, but I know my baby and I know that Boppli was leaping and cheering for the Steelers.

Brad says that I'm exploiting an unfair advantage over this child and to be quite honest, I won't try and argue that point.  I'm trying to persuade Boppli, however, that this child can cheer for both teams.  They only play each other maybe once every 3 years or so, and cheering for both teams will really help Boppli to be well-rounded, learning what it's like to be a good winner and what it might feel like if another team perhaps loses every once in a while.

If ever there was a hope for a Lions fan, it's gotta be the Arizona Cardinals.  And, I'd also like to claim Steelers victory for that team thanks to the leadership of Ken Wisenhut.  It always comes back to the Steelers. :-)

Good Things Come in Small Packages

Brad sent me this video in an e-mail a few weeks ago and I continue to think it is one of the most astounding things I've ever seen.  I can't imagine what kind of mind, patience, and personality that you have to be able to pursue this line of art as your life's work.  I still chuckle just about every time I hear him talk about Alice in Wonderland.

As astounded as I am thinking about a Charlie Chaplain sculpture on the end of an eyelash, however, I have found myself even more astounded recently learning about the life and growth of little Boppli. 

Today is Friday and every Friday I receive an e-mail from Babycenter.com and they tell me what is happening with our little baby and how big Boppli is each week.  Last week, (Boppli's minus 6 month birthday (calculating back from age zero when the baby is born)) Boppli was the size of an avocado and was growing toenails (which ordinarily I would find repulsive, but I can't help but think they're kind of cute).  I'm still waiting on what week 17 will bring.

It's interesting to me to read each week that the baby is growing lungs or fingers or kidneys and yes even toenails, but somehow, my head pictures it all happening like it looks on a newborn baby, when they are 7-9 pounds and a good 18-20 inches long.  When I stop and realize all this is happening when the baby is the size of a shrimp or olive or even a little poppyseed (way back at the beginning), I have an entirely new appreciation for the greatest Artist I have ever known.  God's creativity and genius is simply beyond comprehension and I find myself "pondering all these things in my heart" even more often now.

I thank God for this little masterpiece that He has taken the time to uniquely create and pray that somehow the awe of it all remains even when "new normal" has become "normal."  

The Disney World Phenomenon

I love Disney World.  I grew up in a family that loves Disney World.  And one of the most compelling reasons why, is because it literally is a world within a world.  They so effectively create a land of 7-foot characters and princess castles and $10 chicken fingers that when you are there, it doesn't take long to forget that another world exists, one that has some decisions slightly bigger than, "At which park are we going to eat tonight?" or "Where do you want to use our Fast Pass next?"  

The only problem with doing that so effectively, is that in forgetting that there is another world out there, sometimes, in the midst of the trip, I can forget to truly appreciate the joy of Disney World.  I become so busy in thinking about the next ride, the next meal, the next day, that I miss truly enjoying the thrills of the Rockin' Rollercoaster or the simple nostalgia of walking down a Main Street from long ago.  I forget to do so at least until I get home and remember that Disney World was a pretty special treat, and think, "Why didn't I appreciate that more?" as I wake up and prepare for the normal tasks of everyday living.

And so why could I possibly be writing about Disney World before dawn on this glorious Christmas morning?  On the drive back to Pittsburgh last night, I was struck with the realization that all too often, I am living in the fog of this "Disney World Phenomenon," going through the steps of each day without really stopping to realize the beauty in each moment.  

I'm preparing for the next meal, the next program, the next major life-event coming up, and if I'm not careful, the ride goes on and on and I forget that this is the ride.  I forget that this is a greater joy, a most incredible opportunity that we've been given by our Heavenly Father to enjoy the gifts of this world for such a brief moment, and to actually be able to be used to make a significant life-impact for other people by His grace alone.  And while life on this Earth, I'm sure, cannot hold a candle to eternity with Him, it's still a pretty amazing place to be.

I know.  Heavy thoughts to think about at 6 AM on Christmas morning.  Maybe it's the fact that I came back home last night, back to the Christmas decorations that have been here since I was a kid, the duck gravy bowl that signified that a fancy dinner was coming.  My dad even made chocolates just like we used to have at the old candy factory.  I actually started to tear up when I ate one.  Maybe it's the fact that this is my last official Christmas as a "kid," as a new kid will be with me enjoying Christmas next year.  Maybe it's the fact that Boppli is already waking me up before dawn on Christmas morning even though I can't see him/her yet.

Whatever the reason, I'm kind of glad for the little splash of cold water on my face.  Glad for the opportunity to soak in the joys of the next few days.  To soak up the delights of childhood memories and family and friends and to be truly thankful for the new things that God has done and is doing in my life.  To thank God for a husband and new family that is a dream come true and realize that this ride is a Good one, all of it, even the twists and turns that sometimes make me wish I could somehow get off.  

Everyone will be up soon.  Okay, maybe not too soon.  We seem to not be as early-risers as our younger years.  Regardless, may you soak in this Christmas and ALL the gifts that God has placed under your tree, both tangible and intangible.  May you live in the joys of the dreams He has already given to you and with the hope of the ones not yet realized.  And may you enjoy the ride, remembering the past hills and thrills and relishing each and every moment of the ride right now.  Merry Christmas!

Official Detroiter

I think I have mentioned before that I grew up in a family that was in the chocolate business.  I know.  Too bad I didn't truly realize how cool that was until I was older.  Anyway, I distinctly remember going to help out at the retail stores during the Christmas or Easter holidays, and even as a little girl, my dad taught me proper rules and etiquette of customer service.  Treat the customer with respect.  Welcome them, but don't hover about them.  Help them without pestering them.  Greet them with a smile.  Basic things, but simple things that can make a big difference.

Perhaps it was from these early lessons, but in the years since, I have become a customer service junkie.  Whenever I meet a company or business or associate that shows exemplary skills, I will be their biggest cheerleader and tell everyone I can about it.  Thanks to an AT&T associate named, Quiana, I am now a raving fan of AT&T's service.

On Monday, she spent about an hour with me, helping me activate an iPhone for Brad and gave me a temporary number for it so I could give it to him for Christmas.  I think she was almost as excited as me. 

Monday night, I lost my phone.  When I realized it wasn't coming back, I went back on Wednesday, and she immediately remembered my name, situation, and was concerned something happened with the surprise.  When I told her about the phone, she spent about another 45 minutes with me helping me look at possible plans and phone options.

I gave Brad his phone last night (I think I have a better idea of what a cute little boy he must've been when he received "Snake Eyes" for Christmas.  The man has a new toy and he is happy) and we went back to the store where Quiana again spent 1.5 hours with us (even staying after the store closed) to make sure we were completely set up and pleased with our choices.  We are even Facebook friends now.

All that to say, I am now a very happy AT&T customer, with a new phone (an LG Vu - I'm thinking of calling it Barbara after another "View" star) and a new Detroit phone number.  I guess it's now official that I am a Detroiter.

The Best of Times . . . The Worst of Times

Ok, so maybe the "worst of times" is a bit hyperbolic, but anyone who has misplaced their cell phone knows how "worst of times" it can really be.  Seriously, if I try really hard, I can remember a time without cell phones, but I don't know how we functioned!  I continue to pray that it will show up, but I fear that my dear Samsung Alias may be lost forever.

On the best of times side of things . . . this morning, Brad and I got to hear little Boppli's heartbeat!  It was pretty amazing (no hyperbole used) . . . a really fast "swoosh swoosh" rather than the traditional "lub dub" that fully grown hearts seem to beat.  Doctor said that everything sounded great so we continue to thank Jesus for the gift of little Boppli and trust him/her in His care.

AND . . . as if the day couldn't get better after the heartbeat, I went to my e-mail and saw that what I thought to be my impossible dream has come true.  One of my all-time favorite stores, Bed, Bath, and Beyond (see prior post here), has indeed branched out to baby land and is opening a store not too far from me!  BuyBuy Baby is coming to Canton, MI, right by another Top 10 store, Ikea!  How happy is Leah.  And Boppli too.  Boppli told me so.

Never Too Early

So my friend, Kim, sent Brad and I a very helpful e-mail yesterday that she read on another friend's blog.  It's some very helpful reminders about how to best care for Baby when little Boppli comes along.  I've read it several times and it never ceases to make me giggle.  You can never start preparing for these things too early!

Not Hijacked

A few weeks ago, my blog was hijacked by my oh-so-funny husband when he announced to the world that I was pregnant and what a great husband he was.  

I just wanted to start off by saying that this post is not hijacked, but I do want to reiterate again what an amazing husband I have. :-)  

My man has been serving this family like crazy, unpacking all of our luggage, helping with the Christmas decorations, cleaning the house and dishes, and even came home on Saturday with one of the first e-mails I sent him over 2 years ago with a recipe for Cranberry Chicken on it that he was going to make me for dinner (and then he even allowed the menu to be changed when he saw that it really wasn't sitting well with my stomach).  All of this in the middle of catching up from vacation and the busy weekend at church with a kick-off to the Christmas season!  What a guy.

Thanks, Brad, for being such a picture of Jesus to me.  I love you, Baby!

Mele Kalikimaka!

So we're back from an incredible Thanksgiving vacation with Brad's family.  And, as you can see from the title of this post, we enjoyed a wonderful Hawaiian kickoff to the Christmas season!  It was a little strange seeing Christmas trees and wreaths adorned with fake snow in the middle of an 85 degree sandy beach (Santa ditches his suit, sleigh and reindeer in Hawaii for a Hawaiian shirt and shorts, a red canoe, and a team of dolphins), but it was a happy time nonetheless.  I feel incredibly blessed to have such an amazing new family to add to my already great family.  No words to convey my gratitude.

I'll include a few pictures of the whole family (Brad's mom and dad, sister, Betsy, and brother-in-law, Rob, and nephew, Robert - who is now about 13 months).  

In other news, Boppli (the gender neutral name that we're calling our baby until we come up for something more appropriate) seemed to really enjoy Hawaii, even deciding not to make me sick while we were there and letting me sleep a little more.  Isn't that the most thoughtful baby ever?!? :-) Boppli also started encouraging me to have some more, um interesting, tastes in food (including cherry Twizzlers and A-1 steak sauce, which I ate on potato chips).  These were always fulfilled nearly on demand by my caring father-in-law.  

Today is re-entry day which is always hard, but it's lots of fun seeing friends and family again and to be able to decorate for Christmas for the first time in my own home!

Engaged . . . Kind of

So, like I mentioned in my last post, this was the way I wanted to go about discussing this new adventure.  I can't help but feel like I'm engaged once again, this time engaged to be a Mommy instead of a wife.

They both are one of the few, unique seasons in life that you know how when they will begin and end (roughly).  And, much of the time is spent wrapped up in preparations to get ready for the big event and finding oneself wishing it were just here already.

I remember making a conscious effort, however, when I was engaged, to really try and enjoy the season for what it was, recognizing that there wouldn't be another time in my life when I would be able to have that season.  I definitely had my moments during my engagement, but I can honestly say that it was a truly special time and I can see so much merit to how much Brad and I grew together as God prepared us for the next season in our lives.

And so now, I am once again trying to do the same.  It's a little bit harder to fully appreciate when you're experiencing "happy sickness" and sleepless nights, but I recognize that my sickness represents life.  And it's a not-so-subtle reminder to me that even though it seems like nothing is different on the outside, God is doing an amazing miracle on the inside, the fruit of which will soon be evident for others to see . . . literally. :-)

So, I happily continue in my mommy engagement (maybe I should get a new ring? :-) ) and ask God to form a new work in my life, inside and out.

Hijacked!

In case you couldn't tell, my blog was hijacked.  Hijacked by my husband.

I had this really cute title and post all ready to go to announce the exciting news.

And then what gets posted but "I Am Pregnant."

Cute?  Not so much.

But yes, it's true.  Guess I'll have to work my cute post in tomorrow.

In the meantime . . .

Yes, I am feeling kind of sick (but it's a happy sort of sickness). 

Yes, my husband is incredible.

But no, there will be no breakfast in bed tomorrow.  Sorry, Baby. :-)

I am Pregnant

It's true.

I've felt really sick.  But Brad has been INCREDIBLE.  He has been compassionate and empathetic.  I don't know what I would do without him.

In fact, tomorrow I think I will make him breakfast in bed.  And bring him lunch. 

And make his favorite meal for dinner.

I also think that I will buy him an i-phone.  Even if I have to cancel the Verizon contract, it is worth it to repay him for all he is doing for me. 

Garage Sale Treasure

Brad has been telling me about this particular podcast for a while: This American Life, produced by Chicago Public Radio.  I had my first opportunity to listen to it over these past few days and heard one of the most fascinating narratives of a man, Sudhir Alladi Venkatesh - a sociological professor at Columbia University, and Sudhir's friend, a man named Nellie who lived in the South side of Chicago.  

Nellie made a living, a very good living, illegally selling ammunitions in the neighborhoods where he lived.  It was the exorbitant amount of cash that Nellie received from his job that ended up creating more of a problem than he ever imagined.  He became racked with guilt in regard to his acquisition of the money and was ashamed to tell any of his family about it.  What's more, it started creating incredible paranoia and panic attacks as Nellie would fear that something would happen to it, as he had to resort to hiding the money in mattresses or large garbage bags that he would hide in his yard.  

Sudhir remembers the day that he went over to Nellie's house only to find him alone in his room, emotionally distraught, surrounded by crumpled up small bills totaling thousands of dollars.  He begged Sudhir to help him find a solution to his problem.  

"What do you people do when you have too much stuff?" Nellie asked Sudhir.  

"Well, whenever a lot of our possessions would accumulate, we would sometimes have a garage sale in our neighborhood," Sudhir explained.

Excitement and relief splashed across Nellie's face as he quickly began making preparations for his own yard sale, a very special yard sale.  Nellie began finding various appliances and pieces of furniture around the house.  A vacuum cleaner got a few hundred dollars shoved into its bag.  A television carried several hundred dollars in a back compartment.  Couch cushions and an older mattress had numerous bills stuffed into them.  And when the clandestine handiwork was completed, the items were taken outside to his front lawn where Nellie and Sudhir waited for some buyers.  

After being ordered several times by Nellie that he must not say ANYTHING about the secret stash, Sudhir relates his interactions with the various shoppers for the day.  A homeless man pushing a shopping cart came and bought the vacuum for $15, excited to sell it back to the Thrift Store for $30 later that day so he could make a quick profit.  A group of women coming from church wanted to buy the couch, but didn't want to keep the cushions as they looked kind of lumpy and smelled funny.  

And although Sudhir would try and persuade the people to look deeper in their purchases, the buyers would only look at him as if he were crazy.  You can't really blame them.  What would a homeless man do with a vacuum when he lives under a bridge?  And why would ladies want to keep lumpy old cushions?  Sudhir humorously relates his frustrations trying to convince people to look beyond what they could see or understand.

While I in no way condone money laundering or illegal selling of munitions, the story was an amazing illustration of people having no idea what kind of treasure was inside the most ordinary belongings.  It brought to mind the verse from 2 Corinthians 4.7, "But we have this treasure in jars of clay to show that this all-surpassing power is from God and not us."  As Paul notes, our outward, frail, and fallen bodies are the perfect vessel for God to hide His treasure in us, creating the most beautiful picture of redemption for even the most ordinary of His children.  And often, people think us crazy for putting so much value into those 

"ordinary vessels" that we see walking around.  It's the knowledge of the treasure that is inside them, however, that makes all the difference.  

May God give me His eyes to see His bright and beautiful treasure inside His "vacuum cleaners" and "couch cushions" and continue to hide His treasure inside this ordinary appliance to surprisingly bless the lives of those who meet me.

Irony of Change

This upcoming Sunday will mark our third Sunday in our new location at Southfield-Lathrup High School.  Brad posted some great pictures and updates of all the preparation & set-up, and first service.  Check it out if you'd like.  It's been a wonderful experience and I've been so proud of our teams, church family, and my husband, of course. :-)

Going through the preparation for the transition over these past few months has caused me to do some reflection about change.  I realized what I think is one of the most ironic parts of the seasons of change in our lives.  

Change is one of the most constant things in our world.  If there's one thing we can always count on, it's that things will change.  Our world was created to support it as evidenced by the four seasons and growth of all living things.  I would even venture to say that if a person thought about it rationally, they would never advocate that things always stay the same.  It wouldn't be a healthy or desirable option no matter how good things may seem at the present. 

And yet, knowing these elements of change doesn't seem to alter the fact that change always seems to take us by surprise.  We know in our heads that things will change, and yet when it does, our hearts can tend to fight against it wondering, "Why now?"

I consider myself to be a person that actually likes change, but even I have found in the midst of city changes, job changes, family changes, church changes, and friend changes, that there is part of me that longs for the perceived security and constancy of the way things were.  My prayer is that in the midst of our life changes that we would focus on that which cannot change (Mal. 3.6) and that He would give us wisdom and discernment as He orchestrates changes as He best sees fit (Dan. 2.21).