Rachelle D. Alspaugh's Blog, page 6

November 6--A Day to Celebrate!

Today's date will forever be my personal reminder that God is always in control, no matter how bleak our circumstances may look. Unbeknownst to me, while I walked the streets of Buenos Aires, Argentina as an international college student learning Spanish, my oldest son made his entrance into the world in Bogotá, Colombia on November 6, 1997. It took almost eleven years before I even knew he existed, and his shared November birthday with David immediately drew him to me. It's a day my heart cherishes and celebrates, though for three years of my life, it was a day that held deep sadness, regret, and grief. 

His twelfth birthday in 2009 changed everything, bringing incredible sadness to know they told Juan David that we wouldn't be adopting him after all. Sadness to accept that he wasn't the son I so wanted him to be. Regret that perhaps we just screwed up in our paperwork or that we hadn't done enough to fix it. Regret that we'd given a little boy hope that wasn't in our place to give. Grief that we'd blindly followed a path that only led to a dead end. Grief that I'd never be able to tell him again that I loved him or hear him tell me he loved me back. Grief has a way of making us rehash all those "lasts" that we shared with our loved one. November 6th marked my last phone call to him, the last gift I got to send him, the last time I told him I loved him, the last time I heard him say it back. 

A day I always looked forward to being able to celebrate his life. Until November 6, 2009 marked the last time I got to hear his voice before they stopped letting me call. So when the date came around in 2010 and 2011, I grieved all over again. 

But God, in His perfect timing, surprisingly reopened our case and allowed me to celebrate my boy over the phone in 2012, and then finally at home in 2013. And today we celebrate his life together for the 11th time as he turns 26 years old. And in 2018, we even added his baptism to things to celebrate on this day. :)

It is beyond me that we are miles apart again, that God only gave us nine short years together, but I know I can trust Him to take care of him and guide him because of the way He brought him to us in the first place. Just when we thought all hope was lost, God was working out every detail, including a surprise relationship with his older brother, who now lives in and walks the same streets I walked in Buenos Aires, Argentina the day his little brother was born, giving us a very sweet connection. God knew all along.....

I don't know why God chose me to be his second mom or why it had to be such a painful road to bring him home. But He did, and I'm forever grateful to call him my son. I hope I never take this day for granted or all the redemption that it represents.

A day I didn’t know about

The first ten years you were alive

A day I longed to celebrate

A day that I could watch you thrive.

Yet the day soon filled with sadness

As clouds began to fill the sky.

A day filled with celebration

Became the day that made me cry.

A day that marked a beginning

Now marked the ending to our dream

A day I didn’t know that God

Still planned to fully redeem. 

Your birthday always reminds me

Of our God’s mysterious ways

The way He chose to unite us

Deserves all the glory and praise.

Not only do I celebrateThis day that you started to liveBut all that God chose to redeemAnd all that He still planned to give.

A few days of celebrating

Halloween looked a bit different this year, with the boys in Texas and me and Mike here for his 47th birthday. Last year I missed his birthday because I was in Texas with David, so Matt and Chrissy did a good job celebrating him and his mom and other brother, Mark, came to visit that next weekend. 

Mike is a die-hard Cowboy's fan, but he's also been an Indianapolis Colts fan his entire life. So Juan got him two tickets to a Colts game for Father's Day/his birthday. Then David, Juan, and I all pitched in together to get him a Colts jersey to wear to the game. His brother, Matt, went to the game with him, and they had a great time! 

So Mike and I went out for breakfast/brunch on Saturday morning at a cute little diner he heard about. Then he went to the game on Sunday with Matt. We all went to Matt's house and had pizza, cake, and ice cream with Matt, Chrissy, and their boys on Monday after work. I made him a white cake with chocolate chips and butterscotch chips mixed in.

He also requested a banana bread cake (banana bread with vanilla icing on it) for his birthday, so I saved that one for just us since it was kind-of an experiment. We both ended up loving it, especially when microwaved for a few seconds before eating it. I asked if he wanted to go out for dinner on his birthday or invite some friends for dinner, and he said he just wanted to stay home and chill--so that's what we did. :) I made some chili in the crockpot to come home to on a cold day. We doubted we'd get trick-or-treaters out where we live, but we got some of our favorite candy just in case. We guessed right--that no trick-or-treaters came out our way, so now we're happily munching on that candy. :)

I have a childhood friend who didn't make it to their 47th birthday this year, reminding me that every birthday we get to celebrate with the people we love is a gift. All of our lives are books filled with chapters for every year we're given--but none of us knows how many chapters our book will have. What matters is that we use each chapter to love and be loved by God and those He puts in our lives. 

Next up is Juan David's 26th birthday in just two more days!

Fall Break Blessings 2023

Fall break carries a lot of emotion and memories, as well as that reminder to not hold too closely to your plans. A year ago today, I spent the day preparing a prayer walk for a group of moms coming for a one day retreat on our beautiful New Song property. The trees displayed such a beautiful variety of colors, a Fall I had not experienced in many years since moving to Texas. I just soaked it all in and took so many pictures of what those moms would be coming to experience with us that weekend. I pre-walked through each station on their walk and prayed the verses they would be praying to God, their Shepherd. I so looked forward to co-leading that retreat with my teammate, to connecting with those moms, and to helping them connect more closely with God. The retreat had been on my calendar for awhile, and I had several other events written on my calendar for the next month. 

Events I didn't get to participate in, just like the rest of Fall I did not get to experience my first year back in Indiana. God had an entirely different agenda planned for me as I rushed back to Texas the morning after the retreat to figure out a plan to care for my son while he recovered from a pretty serious biking accident. My calendar held a Fall Fest at my new church, a family weekend to celebrate my husband's Halloween birthday, a membership class at church, finishing up a four-week women's Bible study, and "celebrating" the success of our first Mom's retreat at New Song Mission. God's calendar for me held time with close friends back in Texas that I didn't get the chance to say goodbye to in the summer, time with family, an impromptu coffee date on a school day with my bestie from Texas, the chance to celebrate with both of my boys on their milestone birthdays (21 and 25), and a lot of extra time to bond with my "baby boy". 

So, I learned to find a different relationship with the calendar, and though I like to fill it up with plans, I know that God may have different plans for me. Needless to say, I struggled to write any solid plans on my calendar for Fall break this year. That could be why I'm such a last minute planner these days. Sometimes that works out for me, sometimes it doesn't. But God blessed me over the last week with reminders that He is working out something beautiful in my life and doesn't overlook a single detail. He truly does order all our steps and puts us in just the right place at just the right time. 

Friday night I went out for a walk, and just as I got to the stop sign to turn around, a car turned the corner and then slowed down. The driver rolled down the window to wave hello, and I realized it was two of my coworkers driving back home after a dinner out. Perfect timing!

As I walked back, I walked past a church sign that the neighbors had put out in their yard, along with garage sale signs I had seen all week advertising a sale over the weekend. I was happy to find out that my neighbors attended a Bible-believing church, and I noticed that it said at the bottom, Hablamos español. I read it out loud and realized how much I missed speaking in Spanish all day every day and working with bilingual students and families. I teach a Spanish class at New Song, but it's just not the same. I know God called me to New Song, and I know my Spanish-speaking ability will be useful to them in the future, but I've really found myself longing to find more Spanish-speaking connections here in Columbus. I attended a Fiesta Latina in town the other week with a friend because they did a big focus on Colombia, and being there just lit up my heart.

The next morning, I went into town to get my groceries, and I got back much later than anticipated. I really wanted to go to the neighbor's garage sale, especially when I saw that it said Multi-family because I thought maybe I could meet a few more neighbors. So I quickly unloaded all my groceries, put them away, scrounged for some change so I could buy something if I wanted to, and then I took off on my walk toward their house at the end of the street. When I walked up to the sale, I found a neighbor that I had met once already while walking by her mailbox right when she was getting her mail. She introduced me to her daughter, who is also a neighbor. As I rummaged through the sale, I overheard them talking about that Spanish service on the church sign and their involvement in the Hispanic ministry. Before I left, I had a lengthy conversation with one of them in Spanish, have new friends on my street who are bilingual, and I found out that there are more Spanish speakers on my road that I have yet to meet. 

(My purchase at the sale)

On Sunday, I was invited to join the Biblical Counseling team's monthly meeting at church for the first time since I'm so close to finishing up my certification. I loved hearing how they just get together once every month or so to encourage each other and support each other, knowing that every counselor needs a counselor. :) Then we had lunch with Matt and Chrissy at her dad's house. It was a very uplifting way to start the week. 

On Monday I had lunch out at Chick Fil-A by myself and then coffee with a new friend from church who has Colombian connections in her family and who teaches in the only Dual Language school here in Columbus, a two-way Spanish immersion experience. She and I connected very quickly over our teaching experiences in Spanish, our church connection, and our Colombian connections. I got to see her school, see the program in action, and use my Spanish again briefly. 

On Tuesday I spent the morning with two good friends on the Women's Ministry team and got to tour a possible location for our next women's retreat. On Tuesday night, I had dinner with my closest friend here from church and spent the evening with her and her two boys while our husbands met together for a men's Bible study/discipleship group. 

On Thursday I had the two mom houseparents from New Song over for coffee and banana bread and really feel like I connected better and deeper with both of them. It really helps to know more of their role and the burdens they carry for our students so I can support them more. It also helps to know how to work with the kids better, too, when I know how things are going at the home. I also got to know them more personally, and that makes all the difference when we work together. 

I spent some time reading, planning a few things in advance for school, and working on some writing projects. I made and froze a bunch of banana bread so I have it on hand, experimented with some apple desserts, and made a fun craft that I've been wanting to make for a long time and didn't realize I had the materials right outside in my backyard. 

Tomorrow I look forward to ending my Fall break by watching my beautiful teammate get married and then ending the night with an outdoor dinner fellowship with many new friends from church. In my Bible study notebook, God reminded me that there is joy in the community of believers, and I am so thankful for the community God has given me here in all aspects of my life, including my need to be part of a Spanish-speaking community. I have my days where I am incredibly homesick and miss my family, especially my boys, but God always reminds me that He has me here for a purpose. Many purposes, I am finding. At New Song, at Terrace Lake Church, with the Alspaugh family, and even on the street I live on. Even if I can only see a small glimpse of what those purposes may be some days, He shows me that He's got every detail covered, down to the very minute I get to the stop sign on my walk so a certain car will pass me or the very minute I walk into a garage sale so I hear just the conversation I was supposed to hear to make the connection I was supposed to make. 

Passing through seasons

Passing through Seasons

As the leaves change their colors

And the cooler air blows in

I look forward to the change

ushered in by a new season. 

Yet at the same time I grieve

for the summer days now past

for the warmth of the sun

and the late sunlight that won't last.

I watch the flowers shrivel up

and mourn their loss in the months ahead

I breathe the crisp cool air

Thankful the sticky heat has fled. 

I long for carefree summer time

As I settle back into the workday

Just as I savor moments snuggled by a fire

Before the winter ice melts away. 

We live through the cycle of seasons

Each one carrying loss along with hope

Each season holds both a treasure

And a hardship with which we must cope

Yet each one has a purpose

A time to cherish what we see

A time to reflect on what was

And to imagine what will be.

Without the cycle of change

we fall into a monotonous rut

forgetting to cherish and savor the moments

before the curtain closes each season shut.

No season should be wasted

simply longing for comfort from before

or enduring through to the end,

always wanting something more. 

The past is the past

Those seasons are gone.

To miss the joy of today's season

Seems so utterly wrong. 

So savor winter fires

While breathing in the scent of spring

Soak up the late summer nights

And all the colors fall will bring.

Cherish your memories

Made in your seasons gone by

Embrace the purpose of the present

before another season draws nigh. 

Living in Texas for 19 years can easily make you forget God's beautiful transition between seasons. I grew up with all four very distinct seasons until my son was born, and then the warm Texas sun spread summer out longer and stole those magical moments that defined all four seasons in unique ways. Coming back to Indiana and now living and working out in nature, I'm mesmerized by the beauty that each season holds. And I'm reminded that each season holds loss, treasure, and hope. Each season starts with all things lost from the previous season, and we make a mental note to cherish all those things a little bit more next time around. Each one also holds treasure, something special that God does that's different from his activity in other seasons. And it also promises hope for life or pleasure in the upcoming season. They all remind us of the reality of life, the way it happens in seasons, each one holding purpose. Many times we spend our energy and emotion either trying too hard to hold on to a season beyond its allotted time, trying to speed up an uncomfortable season so we can leave it prematurely, or looking back at seasons gone by, thinking the present season can't possibly hold the same value. In doing so, we forget that they're just seasons, each with an intended purpose and time. 

When I look back at pictures or at memories on Facebook, I can wish for those days back or I can cherish them for the memories made in that specific season. When I experience life in the present, I can savor it either for the treasures it brings or for what I'm learning and how I'm growing through a hardship. When I look ahead to the future, I can be grateful and excited for new seasons, new learning opportunities, new relationships, and new perspective up ahead. God gave us seasons for a reason. There's just something magical that happens when the temperature changes, the leaves change color, today shrivels up and tomorrow emerges as something completely new and different. 

A complete year of seasons

Today marks one complete year since we closed on our 1938 house (click here for pics of a year ago) and moved onto our own Indiana property. A full year since I cried on the way to the closing because I absolutely hated everything about the house, got lost on the way because I entered the address wrong in the GPS, arrived late, and then walked across the street to "celebrate" over lunch with my husband at a local Mexican restaurant. He may have been a happy man to close on all this land and start a new life out in the country, but I was not a happy woman, for sure. All I saw was an ugly, old dump, while all the Alspaughs envisioned so much potential for life and happiness. 

What a year it has been since that day. I'm so glad we are a year's progress out from that day. The small basement/storage area has been completely dug out and rebuilt, and we're past all the months of wading through mud just to get from the car to the house. The ugly green, yellow, and red kitchen with orange flooring and a rotted out sink and nasty oven is now a white, gray, and beige (with a hint of blue) farmhouse style still cabinetless kitchen with a new stainless steel sink and stove/oven to match our stainless steel fridge. 

The dark paneled, ugly wall-papered closet "master" bedroom is now a creamy beige colored guest bedroom/office/craft-room/David's room with a remodeled open closet. 

The bright blue second small bedroom is now an expanded "master" bedroom painted in a calming blue color with a rustic ceiling fan and brand new window, with a still-covered opening that will open up into a nice master bath/master closet eventually. The pink paneled third bedroom currently sits closed off as a storage room with no real walls (except the log walls it was built with) or insulation yet and floors that need leveled. 

The bathroom has new shelves, but no renovation has started there yet besides a new door. It's not the prettiest place, but it's not bad, and the shower's big. 

The living room with dirty, stinky walls has fresh, almond/beige paint with a red wall behind, and it houses a beautiful wood stove that kept us warm all winter, despite having to scrounge for firewood that most people would have had stocked up by the end of summer.  This summer Mike invented and built a place to store firewood outside that also serves as a carport for me to park my car. It's pretty ingenious, I think, and quite impressive. 

The laundry still needs a lot of work, but for now it houses a nice washer/dryer set we got a steal on, and it's working as a large closet/storage space while we wait to turn the old pink room into a closet. 

The built-in gun cabinet (I think that's what it was for) is now a lighted built in china cabinet with my tea set and other sentimental decorations. 

The front of the house no longer has huge bushes covering all the windows, but instead a small deck holds my two favorite outdoor chairs where I can sit and wave at any neighbors walking by or just soak in all the peaceful sights and sounds of nature all around me. 

The muddy driveway is covered in stone, the mucky horse pasture has turned into a beautiful side yard, and many of the dead pine trees that their horses killed have been cut down and drug out, adding more and more yard to enhance the property. The small shed serves as storage, and the larger shed (that will one day become a cabin) is in the process of getting its roof fixed so we can bring over the rest of the things we still have in storage elsewhere, including all of Mike's tools. 

In the last year here, I've walked well over 200 miles up and down my road, which is basically a nature trail with houses spread way out, most up on a hill, and a beautiful meadow on the other side of the street where I've been able to observe its God-given treasures spread out over all four seasons. I've met almost all of my neighbors (from 8 out of 11 houses) just by going out walking. Everyone is super friendly, and the more I meet, the more I find out that they also had to do a ton of work to make their house livable after moving in. I guess the peaceful nature out here in the country called to them the same way it called to Mike. I've watched a family of deer hang out in my woods and come out to eat in my yard. I've watched all the leaves change into magical colors, then fall to the ground and expose the vast amount of land that we now own. We've hosted family here where there's plenty of room for them to park a camper behind the house and set up their own space. We've had plenty of late night campfires and roasted a lot of smores. We had our own fireworks show in the front yard, watched our neighbor's fireworks show through the trees, and Mike and David have both had friends over to shoot guns out back rather than having to go to a shooting range. 

There are days I long for this place to still be much further along than it is (oh, how much I miss a bathtub!), but I see now what the rest of the Alspaugh's saw when they "celebrated" our closing on this dumpy, old house. If we accomplished this much in one year with some pretty major hardships to deal with (like the caved-in basement, the extensive muddy season, 9 months without a working stove/oven to cook with, a cold winter with little firewood reserve, and then a temporarily handicapped son for 3+ months, plus the financial set-back of that accident), I can only imagine what this place will be like another year from now. 

Officially starting year 21 of teaching

At 7:00 tonight, ten students will arrive at New Song Mission to begin the 2023-24 school year. Five boys (three returning) will move into the Boys' Home with Jacob, Nicky, and their 3 little boys, while five girls will move into the Girls' Home with Jeremy and Maddie. All ten of these students came for camp this summer and are already familiar with the home they'll be living in and the houseparents that will be caring for them. Tomorrow morning they'll show up in the classroom to begin a new school year together. These students encompass grades 1-8 and include several sibling pairs and other familial relationships. This will be the most students we've ever had at New Song at one time. 

Please be in prayer for all ten students, a first grader, two third graders, two fourth graders, a fifth grader, three sixth graders, and an 8th grader. They will stay at New Song all week, return home on Friday, and will then come back again the following Sunday to repeat the cycle. They will all go through many different emotions ranging from excitement, nervousness, separation anxiety, and grief. Mondays are usually a hard transition day after leaving home on Sundays, and Fridays are just as emotional as they are very anxious about going back home. Sometimes that's a good anxiety, sometimes it's a really hard anxiety. Sometimes they can't wait to get home, while sometimes they hate leaving the safety and security that they find at New Song. 

Please be in prayer for Jacob and Nicky, who are starting their second school year as houseparents at New Song. They did a phenomenal job with the boys and are excited to welcome three of them back, along with two new students. Please also be in prayer for Jeremy and Maddie, who are going to be houseparents for the first time. They both come with tender hearts for the Lord and a deep compassion for children. Jeremy also has a fun sense of humor that can lighten the mood in any situation. They will be welcoming five girls into their home coming from a wide age range. Pray for their patience with the kids, with themselves, with our team, and with each other. Being houseparents wasn't anywhere on their radar, but it's been so clearly evident that God had this planned for them to do this year. We are more than grateful to God for bringing them and for Him opening the door to having girls back on campus. 

Please also be in prayer for me and Julie, their teachers, as we attempt to guide these kids to grow academically in a room full for so many different grade levels, amidst many different voices of helpers rotating in and out of the classroom. It's definitely a big learning curve for me to not only have so many grade levels together, but also to not be the only one in charge. 

Please keep our New Song founders, Bob and Lisa, in your prayers to have constant wisdom and discernment about decisions needing to be made, good relationships and communication with donors and our surrounding community, and filling in any gaps that happen on a daily basis. Pray for Bob as he takes the students back home every Friday and then picks them up again on Sundays. Pray for Lisa as she temporarily fills in for our vacant office manager position, and pray for God to bring the right person to fill that position quickly. 

My chosen classroom decoration this year is a butterfly, with the theme verse being Romans 12:2 about being transformed by the renewing of our minds (transformed coming from the same word as the metamorphosis/complete change that a butterfly goes through). At New Song, our focus is heart transformation through Biblical discipleship rather than behavior modification. The butterfly is the symbol for the Biblical Counseling course I've been going through, so that's why it inspired my classroom decor for the year. 

Empty Nest Take 3

I've watched my boy go back to Dallas three times now since I moved here a year ago. Words cannot describe how much I cherish every moment with this kid, especially knowing this was his last summer break as a student. I'm so thankful he chose to spend it with us here in Columbus, working with his dad and uncle. So many incredible memories made. In one week's time, he was able to see 16 out of his 18 cousins, missing the two oldest. I love how all the little ones look up to him and how the older ones respect him. I love how dedicated he is to family and how open and flexible he is to jump from place to place, group to group, family to family. I love how a simple deck of cards can lead to hours of fun together as a family. Most of all, I love the depth and richness of conversation I can have with him when a situation calls for it. There's nothing fake about that kid, and there's no need to beat around the bush. Only God knows where life will steer after graduation this coming year, so I definitely treasure all these summer memories in my heart. 
Here are some cherished moments with my sweet boy, in no particular order. 
First ever Mom/Son road trip to Pennsylvania, over 1200 miles in a Mustang together
Lunch in West Virginia
Hanging out with both Texas and Pennsylvania cousins

The "every 6 years or so" traditional picture of David and his cousin Shawnee
PA and Texas cousins pic
Handling chickens for the first time
Getting fresh lemonade at the Green Dragon (my favorite place to hang out on a Friday in Lancaster County, PA)
Getting some fresh whoopie pies
Experiencing the culture of Lancaster County
Driving through the tunnels on the Pennsylvania Turnpike

and making a lot of noise!

Such a pretty drive through all the mountains in Pennsylvania
Cousin time in Michigan. They always pulled David along for the ride when they wanted to be brave.
Helping Dad get his truck ready for the dunes. 
Driving one truck while Dad drove the other. 
Always the one to take the selfies I begged for
I love how my two adult sons so eagerly jumped in the back of the truck for a family road trip and vacay in Michigan.
Jumping in to serve at church with Mom and Dad (we serve on the hospitality team once a month to clean up the coffee bar)

Playing games all summer long
We thoroughly enjoyed having one of his friends visit
Family dinners and get togethers at Matt and Chrissy's house
Joining us at a Community Group social, after spending two days there with his dad to help clean up after a tornado and fix some boards on their deck
Fourth of July fun!


Fun at the county fair
Going on rides with the little cousins

Talking to the goats
Enjoying the view from the deck he had just built with his dad


Fishing with dad and the cousins


More county fairsFirst time eating elephant ears!

More goats
Just a random trip to Walmart
Working on the kitchen, making Mom happy.

A little mini-golf course we found


State Street Taco Tour, trying out all the taquerias in town, getting to know our new Community Group friends





Grandma and Uncle Mark came for a visit!

A day in Nashville, visiting all the cute little shops and then ending with eating our Subway sandwiches out on the tailgate
Going to the races in Bloomington
Though I'm super excited for him to start his senior year, I sure wish that pretty car didn't have to drive so far away to get there. 
 

First Texas Visitor!

I tried to post this a while ago, but the pics wouldn't update, so I had to wait. But here they are. We finally had our first Texas visitor this month when David's friend Garrett made a completely impromptu visit, meaning at 2:00 in the afternoon, he didn't have any plans for the night, but he flew into Louisville, Kentucky around 11:00 that same night. It was a real treat to have him, so we made sure to take him out to one of our favorite restaurants in town. He stayed for two days and then flew out early the next morning. 

We enjoyed playing card games together. 
Sitting around the fire making smores (and then I went to bed to give them guy time). 

And they got out the guns to shoot, a luxury of living out in the country now. 
It was a really nice visit with him, and I love how he made the time to come out to see David. He's one of the friends that showed up immediately at the hospital right after David's accident and stayed through the whole surgery, then he also came to visit a few times during his recovery in the weeks that followed. That's a true friend. :)
 

A year ago today....tomorrow...and the next day, July 8th ,9th, and 10th

A year ago today, July 8th (the day I started this post)
We planned to move on July 5th after closing on the sale of our house. Then the sale fell through, and my closest friend's husband passed away. Instead of leaving on the 5th, we stayed through the 7th for my friend's husband's funeral. We hoped to have the truck packed and the house cleaned out in order to leave the next morning on July 8th.
I left the funeral so sad for my friend and her children, and I purposely slipped out early because I didn't want to force her to go through another goodbye on such a hard day. 
I woke up on July 8th to a text from my friend asking if she could come visit and hug my neck before I left. She brought me this beautiful mug that meant more to me than she'll ever know. I treasure it and pray for her when I drink out of it every morning. Today as I poured my coffee, my thoughts swirled right back to that morning a year ago today. 

Such a bittersweet day. Leaving so many people that I loved dearly in order to reunite Mike with a family I very regretfully barely even knew after over 20 years of marriage. and to follow a call to a ministry I had no idea was missing from my life. Leaving one side of the family to reconnect and grow with the other side, leaving one church family to join and connect with another, leaving one familiar workplace to walk into my role in a new one. I had no idea that I was the missing piece to a life that awaited me from afar because I was far too busy holding on so tightly to the life in front of me, unable to even fathom God asking me to let it go. 

There are times and situations that you know are going to require significant sacrifice, but the call to follow is undeniable. When you surrender to a call in ministry, you have to be ready to go when God says go, stay when God says stay, and jump when God says jump (or take that leap of faith). The call to move back to Indiana was just as clear as the call to pursue Juan David's adoption twice, even when neither call was anywhere on our radar. 

A day has passed since I started this post, and now it's July 9th, a year from the day we floated out in no-man's land, as we drove the entire day between Texas and Indiana. We didn't end up pulling out of our house in Texas until the evening of the 8th, and we made it as far as Hope, Arkansas when we blew our first tire on the trailer. We woke up early on the 9th, fixed the tire, and continued our drive North. With a three, technically four, vehicle caravan including a very heavy moving truck, let's just say we didn't make good time for the drive. 

Ironically on our one year anniversary of moving, we spent the evening with our New Song family, celebrating a birthday for one of our staff. I had no idea that Bob and Lisa, Jacob and Nicky (and their three amazing little boys, my favorite "littles" as we call them), Jeremy and Maddie, and Julie and Olivia were missing from my life. But I can't imagine not knowing and loving all of them now. 

Today on our one year anniversary of no longer living in Texas, we are about to spend the evening with our new church family, having a cookout with our new Community Group (which we called our Life Group back in Texas).  And the hosts of the evening just happen to probably be the closest friendships we've found and begun to grow with, another couple who left her family to live closer to his family and bought a house built in the 1900's, just like we did. Hannah and I clicked at one of our first C-group meetings and have continued to grow closer ever since. I can't imagine life without her in it, and I'm so thankful for how God orchestrated the details for us to connect. 

Both of these social events are reminders that God wants us to live in community with other believers, giving us extra built-in family wherever we go. We build each other up, help each other out, counsel each other, and spur each other on to keep becoming more and more like Jesus. 

And now today, June 10th, as I finish up this post, I'm reflecting on the new friends I made last night at our Community Group social and the stories we shared of how God orchestrated the details in our lives to land us all in Columbus, IN. People from the East Coast to the West Coast, from other areas in the Midwest, other semi-surrounding states, and even all the way from India and Dubai. We all shared the loneliness of the first year away from family and close friends and then the realization of how that first lonely year yielded to a greater dependence on and intimacy with God. I am thankful to be on this journey, and I'm thankful that we persevered through the hard and just kept showing up. It's definitely a challenge to be the new girl in a small town, and it's hard to break into a small group in a small church. But every time you show up, hard or not, God blesses your effort and keeps bringing new people, opportunities, and experiences into your life that you didn't know were missing.

Now on to year 2 of settling in and putting some roots down. And off to a third week of New Song Adventure Camp just down the road. Pray for our 13 new campers coming and for whomever God is drawing to us as students for the next year. 

The business side of things

 When Mike sent me some pics the other day of a job he and David have been working on all week, I realized a post about the business side of things would probably help a lot of you see what Mike's been up to since we moved here. I mean, considering working with his brother was the initial draw here and that New Song Mission was God's way of pushing me this direction. 

Mike's brother, Matt, started his own company almost five years ago that has grown and continues to do very well. It's called Tipton Home Services, and he does pretty much about anything when it comes to home improvement services, including remodeling bathrooms and kitchens, painting interior and exterior walls and ceilings, installing new floors, building decks, etc. This spring and summer they've worked on quite a few decks, including one for some friends at church. Earlier in the year, they even did a lot of work inside a local church that just happened to be my new teammate's church. They haven't done much advertising at all, but the quality of their work and their customer service sells itself pretty well, and word of mouth gets their name around. David came this summer with the agreement to work part-time with his uncle and dad, but he hasn't had a day off yet and hasn't complained one bit (other than being pretty sore and exhausted when he started out).

Here are a few pics of some projects they've done over the year. They do a whole lot more, but these are the ones he's sent me pictures of.