Moving Days

On May 30,

we packed up the contents of our first little home.

Hubby and I worked for about 4 hours and then some dear friends brought lunch.

The lunch was Taco Salad, Watermelon, and sweet tea ...

perfect for the hot day that we chose to pack on.

After lunch,

our friends helped with the last big items -

washer, dryer, and hide-a-bed sofa.

That left us with just a few cleaning supplies and toiletries to pack that evening and the next morning.

On June 4, we arrived in Albany, OR.

Our move in date was June 5, so we got a room for the night.

When we contacted the landlord, she let us see the place that evening

(since we had signed the lease without physically seeing the place).

Our first impressions are a story for another day.

On June 5, we dropped off the car carrier and took the "beast" to our new home.

(remember it was 26 feet instead of 22 feet)

We started unloading at about 9 am and by noon we were done.

We were so thankful for the large garage that we could just fill with boxes and deal with at our own pace.

God provided a great location and great place for us to start in OR - even if it is only for one lease period.

Our plans as of the middle of May were to move into hubby's mom's 5th wheel trailer and look for a place from there.

That meant unloading the truck into storage,

living in a 5th wheel for 1-3 months,

and then reloading and unloading a truck when we found a place.

We thank God for lessening that burden in the midst of all the stressors of moving.

Just a direct shot into our new home.

We also thank God for the strength and health he gives to load and unload.

We are thankful for the friends who helped in NC and all those who prayed us safely across the country!
I am thankful that hubby had once had a CDL and was a "pro" at maneuvering the "beast" wherever we needed it to go.

From Sea to Shining Sea

Well, on May 31st we started across the county.

This has been our 3rd cross country move.

Yes, we went from the Albany, NY area to the Seattle, WA area.

We moved from Seattle to North Carolina.

Our most recent trek took us from North Carolina to Oregon.

The trek from NY to WA became a sight seeing adventure.

The Navy was covering the move.

The movers would take 2 weeks (which became 3 weeks),

so we mosied across the country seeing ...

Mackinac Island and Tacquamenon falls in the U.P. of Michigan,

the mall of the Americas,

The St. Louis Zoo,

Mount Rushmore,

...

The trip from Washington to North Carolina was a little less lackadaisacal.

We still had time because of separation leave, but we were eager to get settled in a new place.

On this trip, we only stopped to see family.

And on the most recent trip - 

3000 miles

600 per day

Only one planned stop for family.

This trip was rather painful ... literally.

We ordered a 22 foot Penske because hubby wanted the increased power that a diesel would afford over the gas powered 16-foot rental.

On day 2 or 3, we realized that they had 'upgraded' us to a 26 foot in addition to the car trailer.

This translated to being the length of a SEMI!

 We were limited as to where we could stop.

There were no fast restroom breaks (when you have to park a rig like that).

Oh.  And the seats were oh so uncomfortable!

Despite the discomforts,

the hours were also filled with plans,

with edifying sermons,

with thought-provoking books and ebooks,

with special together time.

A DD gift card that had to be used before we got to OR.
No DD's there!

And we made it to Albany, OR about 2 weeks ago.

Our great country is so vast and different in its climates and its topography.

We left the green and mountains of NC.

We crossed the plains,

we crossed the buttes, tumbleweeds and sagebrush,

I found these views so sad - everything looked so lonely.

and finally, we saw the snow-capped mountains of the west coast...

what a welcomed sight!

DeJaVu - 10 years in coming

Well, the winds of change have been blowing since the last post.

God has led and we are heading west again - this time to Oregon.

It was 10 1/2 years ago (October 2008) that we left the Pacific Northwest 

and figured that it wouldn't be long until we were back "home."

In the process of time, "home" has been relocated to NC.

God had us stay in NC 7 years longer than anticipated.

There was so much that we had to learn - 

about ministry, about relationships, about serving ...

But now we will head back ...

in much the same way we came ...

A Penske moving truck pulling a Focus on a car trailer.

There wasn't much to say goodbye to when we left WA so many years ago.

We had struggled to find a good church.

Many of the friends we made had left with or before us.

We had the excitement of no more deployments before us.

This goodbye is much harder.

We bought our first home here and are saying goodbye to it.

We have made friends who have treated us like family when we were far from our own.

We have a church family that has helped us through some tough times and loved us back to health.

But God's grace provides and sustains.

He sold our trailer quickly,

He provided a new job quickly,

As of last Friday, He provided a rental home that meets needs and eases us back into rental life.

And we rest knowing that He would not lead without providing a church and church family,

and so we anticipate finding our new place of ministry.

The trailer is more than half boxed and is looking less and less like home.

By the end of the day, there will be even more boxed up and ready to go.

The truck will be loaded on Thursday.

We head out on Friday morning and hope to be in Oregon in the middle of next week.

So that's the update.

I anticipate that with the move,

the blogs will be a little more regular for a while.

It is always hard to start over and it takes time to find my place of service and ministry

and those things that will keep me busy again.

Yes, He cares!

On this "Thankful Thursday,"

I am thankful for my all-knowing God.

This weekend, we spent time with a converted Muslim from Iran.

He mentioned that Allah was not all-knowing.

Muslims have to pray in Arabic (even if it is not their native tongue).

Allah is not everywhere.

Muslims have to pray facing Mecca.

I am so glad that my God knows my mind and heart.

Last night, my offertory focused on a knowing and caring God.

Does Jesus care when my heart is pained

Too deeply for mirth or song,

As the burdens press, and the cares distress,

And the way grows weary and long?

Refrain:

Oh, yes, He cares, I know He cares,

His heart is touched with my grief;

When the days are weary, the long nights dreary,

I know my Savior cares.

Does Jesus care when my way is dark

With a nameless dread and fear?

As the daylight fades into deep night shades,

Does He care enough to be near?

Does Jesus care when I’ve tried and failed

To resist some temptation strong;

When for my deep grief there is no relief,

Though my tears flow all the night long?

Does Jesus care when I’ve said “goodbye”

To the dearest on earth to me,

And my sad heart aches till it nearly breaks—

Is it aught to Him? Does He see?

Word of the Year 2019: Interim

Interim

an intervening time;
interval

in or for the intervening period;
provisional or temporary

I mentioned yesterday the thought from a book I was listening to.

It really seemed to fit the coming year and some struggles that I am having.

I need to remember that God is still working on me.

I need to humbly accept His work in my life.

I need to give myself grace just as He does.

I need to remember that this life on earth is only temporal ... an interim.

Interim

I was introduced to a great app recently.
It is a book app - Libby.s
An app that allows me to borrow ebooks and audio-books - just like a library.

I am enjoying listening to audio books as I run errands
or as I work around the house.
It will be a great asset on long trips.

I was listening to a book last week and this quote struck me ...

Everything is interim.
Everything is a path or a preparation for the next thing,
and we never know what the next thing is.
Life is like that, of course, twisty and surprising.

We are always learning,

always being challenged.

When I remind myself that God is always working on me,

that I have "not arrived,"

that there are so many things that I need to allow God to change in me in order to be more usable,

it makes the waits, the challenges, the difficulties easier. 

It Must Be A Real Day

You all know that today is "Donut Day."

It is the commemoration of our first date ...

... a trip to Bella Napoli's with my brother, sister-in-law, and 3 kiddos.

Donuts or pastries all around.

Our day was a little busy today for the donut part,

but they wait in the freezer for Monday night.

We actually were out all day.

Sunday School,

Church,

Feed College Students,

Nursing Home Ministry,

Church,

Fellowship with a church family.

One of our sweet friends made cupcakes to help us celebrate

and they were delicious.

Guess what hubby found?

A balloon to commemorate the day.

So it must be a real day!

He actually brought it home on Valentine's Day,

but it sweetly celebrates our 17th donut date anniversary.

A Lot of Heart

The cards and packages all arrived ...

and early.

A quiet night in with hubby.

Valentine's Day!

A special day to specifically remember those we love.

I hope that you celebrate the love of those around you all of the time.

Hubby bought the balloon early in the week and stored it in the office at work.

I love its little reminder.

Shift of Focus

It's easy to complain, right?

I can't be the only one.

But it is also not that hard to stop it ...

it just takes a shift of focus.

A reminder in a different way.

There are people who would love to have the ability to do their own taxes.

There are people who would love to be able to do a workout in the morning.

There are people who would love to have so many options for meals that it is hard to decide what to have for dinner.

There are people who would love to have a home to tidy.

Just a little shift.

I get to do these things today,

because God has given me so much.

Feeling Satisfied at the End of the Day

Aahh!  The end of a Monday.

Monday is my cleaning day and at the end, I am tired.

Today was satisfying though.

I felt like I accomplished a lot more than I have in a while.

I am enjoying finally sitting down for the night.

The house and especially horizontal surfaces are cleaned and tidied.

Dishes done.

Laundry done.

Vanilla Cedar candle burning

as well a Campsite Coffee (Which smells like Dunkin Donuts).

I just took hubby's black bean brownies out of the oven

and have 7 minutes until the vegan gingerbread cookies are done.

The shifting, sliding piles of papers are gone.

It just feels good.

I listened to podcasts while I worked today

and each one ended with this quote ...

"You can't always change or control your circumstances,

but you can change and control your attitude."

A reminder of God's commands to be in control (or to let the Holy Spirit control) of my emotions.

 And let the peace of God rule in your hearts,

 to the which also ye are called in one body; 

and be ye thankful.

Ephesians 3:15

It also reminded me of a facet of one of yesterday's sermons that struck me.

"Charity envieth not ..."

It's been a struggle recently.

While it may be easy to rejoice with the good news of others,

it is not always easy to control the emotion of envy as well.

Tomorrow?

Well - taxes, closing the financial books on January and its bills 

and working on some Valentine's Day goodies.