Moving to a new blog site!

For anyone who may stumble across this blog site, or who may have read my blog in the past who still frequents this site, you may have noticed I haven't posted here in a while.  There are several reasons for this, but to summarize it all in one neat little sentence... 2017 was a crazy, hectic year for me.  To say that it was not my favorite year is an understatement.  It seemed to be one emergency after another, and I do believe I added to my ever growing abundance of gray hairs more this past year than any other so far.  Let's just say I was more than happy to close the door of 2017 and have eagerly opened the door to 2018 with great expectations and the promise of new mercy, new grace, and a clean slate.  Even though there were many things out of my control I believe I can personally do better this year.  I am believing for bigger and better things and have given myself 14 personal goals to carry with me into the new year, some of which I will share with you by the end of this post.

One thing I am looking forward to in the new year is trying to squeeze in more time for writing, which happens to be a passion I share with my husband.  He has started a brand new website this year called Treach the Word (which is a word play on our last name, and the fact that he's a preacher/teacher) and I have decided to take him up on his offer for a joint effort in out writing pursuits.  It is with that new chapter of writing that I will be closing this one.  I have enjoyed my amateur attempts at blogging with this site, which has mainly been just a few of the colorful ramblings of my mind brought to life in simple sentences.  I look back on these posts (which have very little to do with the exact happenings around me at those times) and can immediately recall that particular season of my life.  I learned so many lessons those few years, and went through some of the most tumultuous storms of my life.  But the main thing is, I came through them in the end.  I'm still standing, I'm still me, and I'm still writing.  (just not as often)

So... what do I want to take with me into 2018?  Peace.  I want and crave peace.  That's a pretty broad term, and it covers oh so much, but I have a deep, burning desire for this coming year to be peaceful.  Again, some things are within my control, other things aren't, but whatever may come this year I hope and pray that I claim it with elegance, with the right attitude, and with grace.  God may see fit to throw my way some of the hardest tests of my life this year, I have no idea.  But if He thinks I can handle it, then so be it.  I just want to be able to overcome it all in a way that is most pleasing to Him.

I mentioned that I jotted down a few ideas to take with me into the new year.  I'll leave you with some of them.

1. Do what you know you need to do.
2. Start the day right and end it right.
3. Don't be afraid to be who you are.  It's ok to be you.
4. Pray more, yell less.
5. Never leave a room empty handed.
6. Forgive yourself.
7. Be the friend you wish you had.
8. Make your smiles contagious.
9. Keep the soil of your heart tilled and turned. Bitterness is a root, dig deep.

It's been a pleasure having you read my blog.  I pray that I somehow left you with a smile on your face, a thought in your head, and a hope in your heart.  God bless and keep you always.  Please, come and visit me at Treach the Word sometime.

Your friend,

Jennifer

Topsy Turvy

It's so amazing to me how fast things can change.

Just about the time life seems to fall into a predictable routine something can suddenly derail and completely reroute your present course, oftentimes requiring a paradigm shift in your way of thinking.  Sometimes these changes happen gradually, in slow steps that you can see and prepare for in advance.  Other times it's seemingly overnight with no warning at all.  And then there are those weird times that it's a little bit of both... things changing slowly right in front of you giving you a sense of something to come but then that something arrives much faster than anticipated leaving you breathless and anxious with an overall sense of chaos and confusion.

Well, such has been my life over the past several months.  I saw something coming, wasn't sure of the details exactly, but definitely something coming that would bring about change, but when it hit it happened so fast it left my head spinning.  This change is right, timely, and in God's will for our lives.  Just because it happened fast doesn't mean it happened in a hasty, thrown together decision at the last minute.

After much prayer and careful consideration, my family and I have resigned this past October from the work at Greater Faith Tabernacle in Greenville, MS where my husband has been Pastor for the past two years.  This has been one of the most difficult decisions of our lives.  We dearly love each and every member and will miss them greatly.  

When you give your life over to God and place everything in His hands in complete surrender, and pray daily that He would order your steps and lead you in His will, it's not that shocking to be seemingly uprooted from one situation only to be planted in another.  Such is the life of ministry... this I well know.  All of my life, from the very day I was born, I have lived in the home of a minister.  Being raised in the Truth and watching my parents prayerfully respond to callings and burdens throughout my life, I have come to understand concept of change.  I married a minister, who was also raised in the home of a minister, so both my husband and I have a hold on the importance of following the will of God for our lives.  Sometimes that will can lead you through doors you were fully anticipating walking through, sometimes it doesn't.  The important thing is knowing the voice of God, and correctly responding to it.

We are now living in Oxford, MS and working with Pastor Glen Williams at Christ the Rock Apostolic Church.  My husband has been installed as Youth Pastor (and Pastor's Assistant).  This church holds a very special place in my heart, as it was founded by my Dad when I was a teenager.  I couldn't be happier about this change, being much closer to friends and family, as well as the school my children were based out of while we were homeschooling in Greenville.  (The school, Oxford Christian Academy, is an extension of the ministry of the church we now attend.). We lived with my parents for the first 4 months until the dust settled and we could get our feet back under us.  I honestly felt sorry for them!  It was a crowded, crazy few months but it was wonderful being with them so much.  I had missed them more than words could say.  In February of this year (Valentine's Day, to be exact!) the Lord blessed us with a beautiful home.  I was amazed at how it all just fell into place.  It was only another confirmation of what we already knew, we were right where we were supposed to be.  Things are still in boxes in the garage and everything is not exactly like we want it, but we feel so at home here.  

Another major change in my life has occurred, one I would have never seen coming.  I'm now learning the family business at The Denture Lab, working for my father-in-law.   This nurse is no longer a nurse, but instead a dental technician in training!  Ha!  Who'd have ever thought I'd learn to make dentures.  :)  I honestly love it.  

The days and weeks quickly turned into months.  It feels as though time has been let loose, like a child who's finally been told they can unwrap their Christmas presents.  It's difficult to describe, but it feels as though I'm sitting back watching my life change before my eyes but not really participating in it.  "Dreamlike" is the best word I can think of to describe it.  I've been having to remind myself that this is really happening.  Every day we've been back home has gone by in a flurried whirlwind of activity.  From moving day till now, the days have just ran together for me.  There's been something major going on just about every time I find a minute to sit down and catch my breath.  November birthdays, Christmas, and the New Year have all zoomed before my eyes.  I've seen winter hit with a fury that has finally let go, and now Spring is all around us.  I am utterly amazed at how quickly time has flown by.  The girls have grown so much since leaving Greenville.  All three of them are in new shoe and dress sizes.  I can't keep up!

With life seemingly flipped all topsy turvy, I'm reminded of something I used to enjoy doing as a child.  I'd lay on the couch with my head dangling off the side and look at everything around me upside down.  Things took on a new appearance when viewed from a different perspective.  For just a moment I was out of the rut of the everyday norm.  With my blond wisps of hair flopped around my ears, my cheeks turning pink, and my head starting to feel dizzy and heavy, I'd take in the room around me.  The light fixture turned into a weird looking table.  The ceiling became a bumpy floor.  Chairs and tables suddenly defied gravity.  It was so cool!  (there wasn't much to occupy my time as an only child.  I did what I could.)  :)  But now I kind of see life that way.  Our world can be turned upside down and things still be positive, especially when we live in faith by putting our trust in the One who created it in the first place.  The next time you get thrown a curveball in life and you start to feel the pressures of change, go flip your head upside down somewhere and find a cool table like I did.  It will make you feel better, I promise!  Take another look from a different perspective.

Not to sound cliche', but the saying is really true; the more things change, the more they stay the same.  We may not see some things coming ahead of time, or we may actually be prepared for it and watch it happen without shock.  We may feel a sense of change without knowing the full reason.  Whatever the situation, whatever my past or present course, whatever mysteries may lie ahead around the next bend, I rest in the knowledge that my God's got this.  Whoever said the following knew what they were talking about, "I may not know what tomorrow holds, but I'm glad I know who holds tomorrow."

As Time Goes By...

Time.

What an amazing concept.  When you stop and really think about it, time is by far one of the most incomprehensible phenomenons known to mankind.  Throughout my years of teaching Sunday School to children of all ages, from pre-schoolers to college and career students, there has only been one way I have been able to describe time.  It's the very same way my Daddy explained it to me as a child.  He drew a circle on a piece of paper and said that before the beginning of anything there was God, and there was no such thing as time.  Then he drew a simple line in the top part of the circle.  He explained how God simply stepped in and "drew" a line in the circle, creating time, which from that point on everything had a beginning and an ending.

Because of that line, our brains have a difficult time understanding the concept of eternity.  It is quite amazing to think how one of these days God will step in once again... and simply erase the line.  The short amount of time that we have been given as individuals to decide where we will be when that line is erased is by far the most precious gift we have ever or will ever be given.

Each year, we celebrate the date that marks the beginning of our own beginning.  We call it a birthday.  Just yesterday, I turned another year older.  One more drop in the countdown of my personal timeline, the time that I have been given to determine how I will spend eternity.  It's a sobering thought, but not one of dread or worry for me, because in the words of one of my favorite childhood Christian music bands, "I've got time on my side".  You see, when this life is over for me, that's when my true life will begin...a life that will never end.

Another thought to ponder... there is more to time than just a beginning and an ending.  There are beautiful periods of time within time itself called seasons.  I'm not just referring to the four seasons of each year (which Autumn is my favorite by far!).  There are seasons in our own lives.  Ecclesiastes chapter 3 says it so well, I wanted to include it in this post.  I know we've all heard it so many times before, but sometimes I like to read these verses again and see them through the "glasses" of a personal perspective.

 ^"To every thing there is a season, and a time to every purpose under the heaven:
 A time to be born, and a time to die; a time to plant, and a time to pluck up that which is planted;
 A time to kill, and a time to heal; a time to break down, and a time to build up;
 A time to weep, and a time to laugh; a time to mourn, and a time to dance;
 A time to cast away stones, and a time to gather stones together; a time to embrace, and a time to refrain from embracing;
 A time to get, and a time to lose; a time to keep, and a time to cast away;
 A time to rend, and a time to sew; a time to keep silence, and a time to speak;
 A time to love, and a time to hate; a time of war, and a time of peace.
 What profit hath he that worketh in that wherein he laboureth?
 I have seen the travail, which God hath given to the sons of men to be exercised in it.
 He hath made every thing beautiful in his time: also he hath set the world in their heart, so that no man can find out the work that God maketh from the beginning to the end."

          Ecclesiastes 3:1-11

Seasons are needed.  Seasons have purpose.  Seasons are vital to our very existence.  Without the changing of seasons in our lives, there would be no growth.  Things would always stay the same, whether good or bad.  Nichole Nordeman sings a beautiful song called Every Season (see video below), which captures the heart of my thoughts on recognizing God in each season of our lives.

 

My personal desire is to  always remember that time is a precious gift, that time brings seasons, that seasons bring needed change, and that change brings new growth.  As I look back over the past 33 years of my life, and try to look at the unknown years ahead, I want these thoughts to be etched into my heart and mind.  I pray that whatever time I am given, be it one day or 50 more years, that it will be time well spent in the light of eternity.  Just as a breath is breathed in and out again, so is the beginning and ending of this earthly life bound by the laws of time... only to be forever released to the eternal.  To believe in life after death only to realize you were wrong, you've lost nothing.  To not believe now only to awaken in the light of eternity, you've lost everything.   Be sure you know where you stand when your own line is erased.

A look back... a step forward.

Wow. What a year. It feels more like a lifetime instead of 12 months. By far, this year has been the most significant of my life. I wish that I could say that because of all my wonderful achievements, goals met, or improvements made. But no, it's just been a year of significant change. It's been a year of self reflection. It's been a year of lives turned completely upside down and inside out. It's been 2011. So, if you care to take a trip with me through last year, then walk with me for a bit. I'll share a few highlights.


This time last year, my family and I were living in Ecru, MS. I specifically remember January for all the snow we had in one month, which was quite unusual for northeast MS. It was the first time we all went outside and built a snowman... or snow woman, not really sure which, seeing as how ours had a big yellow plastic sunflower stuck in the top of the head next to the striped maroon toboggan. The girls also learned how to build a snow fort, which was really pretty cool if you ask me. Jordan got her wish of making a snow angel. I can still see her face as she plunged into a pile of snow and furiously waved her arms and legs. I spent that month doing a lot of thinking, a lot of soul searching, a lot of worry over dear friends going through difficult times, a lot of dreaming, a lot of debating, and I did it all classic Jennifer style... all very quietly and inwardly without really speaking of any of it to much of anyone.

February. Just thinking of that month brings innumerable emotions back to the surface. Moving along.

March. My 10 year anniversary trip to Saint Simons Island, GA. (thanks for the idea, Brittany!!) My husband and I enjoyed a few days on the Georgia coast, including our first tour of a lighthouse (all the way to the top!), incredible food, and a beachfront hotel suite. Who knew that you could have your own little piece of paradise only one day's drive away from MS?

April and May kind of run together in my mind. The biggest thing that happened for us during this time was Rachel graduating from Kindergarten. She had her own special day with just mommy, she got to choose where she wanted to eat lunch (Chili's) with mommy and daddy, she got to go shopping, and then that night was filled with family, fun, and lots of smiles and pictures. Yes, I cried. Twice.

June. My chubby ray of sunshine, my Ellie-Belle, turned one year old. Unreal. Her party was Strawberry Shortcake themed with pinks, greens, blues, and yellows. I'll never forget walking through Walmart battling 10 helium filled balloons, causing all kinds of unwanted attention. Ugh.

July. Ever heard of the phrase "at a fork in the road"? Always makes me think of Kermit and Fozzie singing that song in the Muppet Movie where they come to a literal, huge fork in the road...ha. Anyway, that was me. And, much like the song, "movin' right along".

August. This is where it all got interesting. My husband accepted the call to pastor a small congregation in Greenville, MS at Greater Faith Tabernacle. If you missed reading about this time in our lives, go back to "A new chapter" and "The first week of a new life" in my blog. This month is also when Rachel was filled with the Holy Ghost and was baptized! We packed up our belongings, with the help of Del's parents, without whom we'd NEVER have gotten moved (THANK YOU!!!), we said our goodbyes as best we could manage, and off we went. During this time, the girls were able to start the school year off at Oxford Christian Academy (Jordan's first day!) while everything went underway with the move. I'm ever so thankful for this school and I'm so glad the girls can still be a part of it through fun field trips and activities.

September and October are flurried memories of unpacking, beginning the adventure of homeschooling my girls, starting a new job as a private duty nurse for a 4 year old special little boy with SMA, and of course, starting a brand new role as a pastor's wife. What a whirlwind! It's all just a blur. But I do specifically remember one thing, and it's hilarious in light of all the change in my life. I hung curtains for the first time ever. Haha!

November. I turned 32, Jordan turned 5, Rachel turned 7, and my Mother remained her beautiful, young age of 29. :) I was treated to a delicious dinner at my new favorite restaurant here in the Delta, Posecais. My husband and I also packed up the girls and drove a total of 6 hours in one day to vote on Proposition 26. Oh, and on a side note, I received 110 birthday wishes on Facebook! Wow. In comparison to my 15 the year before, that's quite a difference.

December. We put up our Christmas tree with the girls, and they delighted in hanging pretty ornaments in the oddest places, most of which were clumped together along the bottom. I discovered online shopping!! For those of you who truly know me, you can appreciate that small fact, seeing as how I LOATHE shopping of any kind. But this year, I didn't fight the first crowd or stand in the first line. I simply clicked a mouse. Beautiful. And the girls had a wonderful Christmas, probably the best ever.  Amazing things happened at Christmas this year, most of which are personal and private victories. In fact, the biggest events that happened in my life this year are things I will remain silent about.

We ended this year in a special way. We took a quick trip to North Little Rock, AR. Just an overnight, post-holidays getaway. It was fun and relaxing. We brought in the new year in a quiet house, just the two of us. (the girls were on their own vacation with grandparents) It was the most special new year's eve I've ever had. If there was any way I'd want to start a new year, it's not in a crowded room filled with loud, drunk people. It's not even with a small group of family and friends with games and fun conversation. There is no better way to bring in a new year and turn over a new leaf than in the arms of someone you love, that same someone who loves you back. That's the way it should be. That's the way I hope to bring in each new year to come.

I will not make any new resolutions, because, let's face it... who really meets those goals anyway? I will not set myself up for disappointment by making a list of things I can't accomplish. Instead, I'll list a few things I actually DID accomplished this past year, things that were good.

• I started a blog! Yay! A hobby!

• I lost weight, quite a bit, actually. Yes, I gained a few pounds of it back, but that's to be expected. Overall, I have maintained my weight loss very well. I'm quite proud of myself for it.

• I talked my Dad into starting Facebook. Haha!!

• I learned the value of friendship. True friendship.

• I closed a few doors that needed to be closed. Closure is a wonderful thing. It hurts, yes. But it really does help.

• I opened doors.

Here's to a new year. A new beginning. Let's move forward, shall we?

The first week of a new life

Well, we've made it through our first week after the move. I knew it would fly by, and boy, has it ever! I know one thing is for sure, there's no way this first week could have gone as smoothly as it has without the help of some wonderful people.

Before I even got here last weekend, Del had already been here the previous week working on the house. Some of the ladies from the church came and helped clean and unpack to lessen the load once I got here. There were people trimming the hedges outside, helping Del move things inside, so much activity went on that helped us out so much. We couldn't say thank you enough, we appreciate it more than you'll ever know. By the time I arrived last Saturday with the girls, Del insisted that I try to rest as much as possible. We were able to relax and watch the girls become familiar with their new surroundings. Thank you, Del. I so appreciate all your hard work during the time we were apart so that things could be ready sooner by the time we arrived. Thank you for encouraging rest once I got here. Del's mother (Mamoo to the girls) came and stayed several days helping out. I could write an entire paragraph on all the things she has done for us during this move. I can't thank you enough, Mom. We love you so much.

The girls have amazed me. Children are so resilient! They have gone through some of the most drastic changes in their lives, and yet they have continued to be happy. They were so excited about the move, the new house, the church, all before we ever arrived. But I was expecting their enthusiasm to fade once reality and finality set in. Being away from their best friends (their grandparents) for the first time in their lives, they have been real troopers. The move in and of itself is a major change, but on top of that, we started homeschooling the girls this week. In the midst of unpacking, cleaning, and adjusting, I have taken on the role of their teacher. I must say that it has gone very, very well this first week. I am highly encouraged.

I have never been a fan of change. Fear of the unknown, worry over the girls adjusting, my husband's new role as Pastor, looking for a part-time job (after leaving a job I loved more than any in my 11 year nursing career), saying goodbye to all of my friends and family, and basically starting a brand new life has brought on mostly sleepless nights for me this week. But I guess that's to be expected. I hope that once we settle into a new routine, so will my circadian rhythm. But I have no doubt whatsoever that this move was the right thing for my family. In the midst of the turmoil of change, I have such a peace in knowing I am in the will of God. I have never, ever taken lightly the phrase "in the will of God". This is the first time I've ever felt quite like this, actually. And it's that feeling that has carried me through the past month, and most definitely this past week.

To all my friends who have prayed for me, I thank you from the bottom of my heart. I ask that you continue to remember us in your prayers. I couldn't have made it this far without you. You know who you are, and you are priceless treasures to me. There's nothing on this earth greater than a friend who will stand for you... on their knees.

So... thus begins my new adventure. I am excited, terrified, exhausted, sad and happy all at the same time. But in the midst of this complete change, I'm still smiling. To quote one of my favorite authors, "Don't cry because it's over. Smile because it happened.” -Dr. Suess

A new chapter

I love to read.  I always have.  As a small child, my idea of fun was being taken to the local library, picking out at least 10 books, finding a comfy spot in the kids corner and reading away.  Then I would take those books home with me and read them at least 3 times each all over again before they were due back.  Some of my most cherished memories are of me and Daddy in our reading chair.  He would read to me ALL the time, even as a toddler.  I would sit quietly and still (wow) in his lap and listen to his voice and the various sounds it made as he "talked" for each of the different characters.  As a teen, I always had a book on my bedside table that I was reading.  Books became my friends, and I would visit my favorite characters over and over again.  There are some books in my small collection that I have read quite literally 10 or more times each.  Well, now a mommy of three, my reading pretty much involves revisiting characters such as Sam I Am and his plate of green eggs and ham.  Reading anything remotely above 5th grade level is a luxury for me.  I still have books on my bedside table, but they remain unopened with a thin line of dust on the pages.  (who has time to dust??) 

But, with my love of books and reading, indulge me as I compare my life to a book.  If my life were in written form, it would probably be quite dull compared to some.  But it would most definitely be a book full of change.  My life has been anything but monotonous routine.  As a minister's daughter who went on the evangelist field for two years and moved with her parents as they pastored three different churches, I never became very settled in one particular area.  So, I'm pretty used to change by now.  In fact, if things start settling into anything routine, I begin to worry.  :)

Well, another page is about to be turned, a new chapter has begun.  I would love to skip ahead a read future chapters to see how it all turns out.  But, unfortunately, I would only see blank pages, as it is only written line by line, day by day.

After much prayerful consideration, my husband is now the pastor of Greater Faith Tabernacle in Greenville, MS.  I am 200% behind him in this decision, and believe with all my heart this is indeed the will of God for our lives at this time.  In fact, I can honestly say without a doubt that this is the first time in my life something has felt so right.

The church family is precious, and we have already come to love each and every one of the members.  They have an amazing outreach Sunday School ministry in full swing, which we greatly anticipate being involved in.  My husband has already baptized three students!  We are so looking forward to being a part of what God has in store for this church and community, and fervently pray that we can help make a difference.

The next few months are going to be quite hectic.  Transition is rarely an easy process.  I am ready for the dust to settle, however the only dust settling right now is the dust we're stirring up packing and moving boxes.  It will come, though.

This is sure to be an exciting time in our lives, and no, we're not expecting only roses and rainbows. We know that life is learning, growing, making mistakes and trying again, disappointing and sometimes downright painful.  But we also know the One holding the pen, and as He writes the following pages He will also guide our every step and never forsake us.  He is indeed the author and finisher of our faith.