new blog

A new blog for a new chapter of our lives:

http://westcoastgrace.blogspot.com/

a blog by any other name...

it's been a month and a few days since we drove the 12 or so hours from our home in Houston to our new/old home of Abbotsford.

for 12 hours or so we had the beautiful view of a 24 foot u-haul holding all possessions driving in front of us. Mike and I took this scene in, looked at each other and then wished ourselves a Happy Anniversary. the finish of year number four of our marriage and the start of year number five was celebrated with the start of another adventure... on the road again...

one thing that comes with moving from a house to an apartment is the realisation that you have way too much stuff. and I thought I dejunked before I moved. almost all of my books and a good portion of kitchen items are currently stashed at Mike's grandparents house. the temporary loss of my books is hard to take. sometimes a thought or a phrase comes to you and you need to read it in context. or you see something on a show or a discussion comes up and you want to verify facts (yes, I do go to books before I go to the net, call me old fashioned). but who knows if I'll miss the boxes of kitchen gadgets? we don't have a firm timeline for buying a house, so it could be six months or so before those things are unearthed.

August has come and gone in a whirlwind of activity with family and friends. siblings from out of town have come and gone, their presence making a week or two or three go by that much more quickly (sadly enough - why does time seem to move faster just at those moments when you want it to stand still or lag a bit and when you need it go slowly it takes its merry way with you and possibly your sanity) ...dinners, visits to the lake or waterslides, coffee in the afternoons, or just hanging out...

along with the move comes a new blog... the northern chapter of our lives is over... we have said goodbye to Houston and all of our dearly loved friends and church and family there... we knew we had to move there and we knew we had to move from there... but we will always carry a bit of the Bulkley Valley with us...

ready for the next adventure

Some people have adventure thrust upon them while others willingly (if not often willy-nilly) choose adventure. I would say I'm of the first group, getting dragged along behind M, who belongs to the latter.

Our house sold and we're moving down to the Fraser Valley. In 3 weeks. Do we know where we're going to live? No. Does M have a job yet? No. Does any of this matter because we know God is leading and calling us to do this? No.

It is ironic that someone who detests change and upheaval as much as I do wholeheartedly agreed to this next adventure. In some ways it's an even bigger deal than when we decided to move up to Houston in the first place. We knew we were supposed to come up here; we know we're supposed to move back. In some ways this accepting attitude is a reflection of how much I've changed in the past 2 1/2 years. Oh, I still worry and wonder about a million different issues and questions, like where to live, packing, and what about a job, packing, and the drive down... etc. etc. etc. But right behind or right in the middle of all those stresses comes the prayer and the reminder that God is in control and He's taking good care of us. This is what makes me ready for the next adventure - meeting it with faith - whatever it may bring.

Jagged Edges

It's a good thing we don't remember teething. Those sharp, jagged edges of hard enamel pushing through soft, tender gums... it's no wonder that Anneka is as miserable as she is... Although when she has been grumpy all morning and crying all afternoon as she was today, my patience (and sanity) wears a little thin... there's only so much Advil you can safely give a child.

But the end of my patience gets a new beginning when I recall how sharp those little teeth are when they chomp down on my unsuspecting finger as I try to pry whatever it is she put in her mouth out of it. I can't imagine what it feels like when they exert constant pressure on a sensitive area...

But this pain is all part of growing... what would life be like without teeth? I did for a moment and it wasn't pretty.

My devotional today was about life's jagged edges - how God uses suffering and sorrow to refine us and define us. How we grow by going through a period of constant pressure on a sensitive area - our soul, our spirit.

We come through those experiences not unscathed, but hopefully not unchanged. Perhaps a little wiser, with a little more faith or a little nearer to the Father.

And hopefully we become a little more sensitive and patient with those who come to us for help dealing with the painful, jagged edges of their lives.

100

For my 100th post I had planned on writing something exciting and profound about me, my life, or this blog... While doing devotions yesterday I found something better to write about.

From My Utmost for His Highest

We have the idea that God is going to do some exceptional thing - that He is preparing and equipping us for some extraordinary work in the future. But as we grow in His grace we find that God is glorifying Himself here and now, at this very moment. If we have God's assurance behind us, the most amazing strength becomes ours, and we learn to sing, glorifying Him even in the ordinary days and ways of life.

The point of giving your utmost for His highest is that you give it every day and every moment of your life... finding the delight of doing His will whether you are on the front lines fighting poverty or serving your family making dinner and changing diapers. What a lesson to learn! And one that God has been teaching me this past year.

Where God has placed us, that is where we are to serve Him... and He has promised to be there with us.

"He Himself has said, 'I will never leave you nor forsake you...'" Hebrews 13:5