Moving In Moments

Its been a whilrwind of a week.  This time a week ago we were still packing up to get ready for the move.  We moved into the parsonage on Tuesday and I just thought I would share some moving moments: 

-Driving the 26' U-Haul (I felt powerful...I even nodded to another trucker on the way).

-Driving by the church and seeing a welcome message for me and my family on the marquee of Catawba UMC.

-Pulling up to the parsonage and seeing a group of people on the steps ready and eager to help unload.   

-Having a delicious vegetarian (yes, I just called a vegetarian dinner delicious) dinner brought to us our first night in the parsonage.

-Trying to sleep the first couple of nights.

-The girls' first night sleeping in their new rooms (they were so relieved to see their same furniture and decorations).

-Figuring out the light switches and locks.

-Finding the best travelling routes and taking many detours.

-Watching TV for the first time in the "Man Cave."

-The help and thoughfulness of great people involved at Catawba UMC.

Moved In

We have packed, loaded and moved into our new home.  We will spend the first night in it tonight and we all look forward to it.  We've set up the girls' rooms with the same decorations they were used too and surprised them with some new bathroom decorations. 

Its still surreal, but its gradually becoming real.  Moving really is a lot like grief. 

Here are some memories of the house we are leaving:

-It was the first house we bought as a married couple
-It was the first house I installed a dishwasher, new faucets and a counter top in
-It was the first house I had to fix a flooding toilet in
-It was the first house we decorated together
-It was the first house we that had an entire room that flooded in
-It was the first house our children came home to (which means its the first house they ate in, crawled in, walked in and spent their formative years in).
-It was the first house I had to tear down a shed and build a new one
-It was the first house we held birthday parties and other celebrations in

With all those things, we are still excited about what the future holds, because a new home just means new memories to establish together.

Packing, Packing and more Packing

Ever done something that seemed never ending.  If you've ever packed an entire house to move, you have!  We have packed all day and still aren't done.  We even had a friend come over and play with the kid so we could focus on packing.  Its amazing how much is left to do.

Its not fun, but it is necessary for what God is calling us to.  It will be nice to get there and get the necessities unpacked and then take our time on the non-essential stuff.  We don't have that kind of time on this side of the move though, we have the U-Haul truck one day and our stuff has to be ready to move that day.  I guess some things are urgent on one side and less so on the other.

It reminds me of life on this earth and life in the new earth.  With our lives on this earth we are to be people about God's kingdom which means that there's an urgency to direct others to His kingdom, but once we are living life on the new earth, we will be in a state of blissful chillness while we enjoy God's presence. 

Who new that our move could connect so well to the biblical call for evangelism on the part of God's people.

Tell Me a Story

We say the Bible is God's story.  And it is.  But what about your life.  You can choose what your life is about.  And simply put, your life will either be God's story or some other story.  Some other story could be a good one, but would it be an eternal one?  Would it be a dynamic one?  Would it be a risky one?  Would it be a purposeful one?  Would it be a Holy Spirit led one?

What does it mean for your life to be God's story?  It means you live the kind of life that is all about loving Him and loving others.  What does that look like?  It looks like forgiving even when forgiving is hard.  I looks like refusing to gossip, even when gossipping is easy.  It looks like being generous with your resources (not just your money) even in a risky economy.  It looks like choosing to love your spouse, even when you don't feel loving towards them.  It looks like holding your tongue even when you have the ultimate cut down.  It looks like sacrificing your time to help someone else.  It looks like deciding not to drink when you know everytime you do it goes too far.  It looks like choosing to stay sexually pure for your future spouse even though you get laughed at.  It looksl like these and more.  Ultimately, it means unashamedly (but not annoyingly) believing in and abiding in Jesus Christ.

Living God's story is just as much about what we do as it is about what we don't do.

So, tell me a story...will it be God's or something else?

Sinkhole

I can't stop looking at this pitcture. Its of the sinkhole that occured in Guatemala on May 30th. Geologists

still aren't sure what caused it. It swallowed a three story building and a house. It killed one person and you can read more about it here.

Its a good reminder of Jesus' parable in Matthew 7:24-27. Jesus talks about two men, one who builds his house on a rock and the other who builds his house on sand. Those who hear his words and does them are like the man who built his house on the rock, those who do not are like the man who built his house on sand.  When a storm comes, the house on the rock stands. This picture is a good illustration of what happens to houses built on sand.

May you listen and do Christ's words so that you are like the man who built his house on the rock.

Man Cave

I hoped for it, but I did not expect it, I'm getting a "man cave" in the new house.  It was my wife's idea (I love her) and I've been thrilled about it.

I know, it seems silly, but I really look forward to it.  I enjoy Panthers football, video games and movies and now I will have a space to enjoy them specifically designed for me!  I think I'm even going to be able to get a new TV, afterall, I need a TV in the man cave and right now we only have one to put in the living room.  And of course, if I'm going to get a TV, I'm not going to buy old technology!  You know what that means...that's right, Hi-Def for me!

I'm tempted to include some sort of spiritual/biblical spin on this post, but I'm just going to let it be what it is...my excitement about getting a man cave.

Emotional Busyness

These last few weeks have been normal professionally.  I have still done my visits and performed my pastoral duties as the pastor of Congregational Care at Good Shepherd.  However, I have felt busier than ever in my life.  We are moving in a few weeks and we've gotten our house ready to sale (anyone interested in a small ranch house in Rock Hill, SC?).  I have also thought a lot about what it will be like as the lead pastor.

It has taken an emotional toll.  I have felt busy because my mind has been racing about what we are leaving and where we are going.  Questions abound:

-What will it be like?
-Am I ready?
-What should I focus on first?
-How do I set healthy boundaries?
-How will the move effect me and my family?

More than ever in my life, I've learned that emotional busyness drains a person quickly.  Its like I can't turn my mind off. It feels like grief.  I've decided that I may not be able to keep my mind from racing and asking questions, however, I can decide what kind of attitude to have about the whole thing.  And I've decided to be positive and to expect God to do great things.

So may you choose to trust God the next time your mind takes you on an emotional roller coaster.