Rachelle D. Alspaugh's Blog, page 7
June 14, 2023
Summer Check-in
School's been out for two, almost three weeks now, and they've been very productively restful (if that makes any sense). Restful in that they've been pleasantly simple and recharging for this introvert that thrives on alone time or one-on-one time with people, productive in that I've been able to dive deep into my Biblical Counseling course, write a few papers, and make a lot of headway on a writing project I'm working on for ABH. I'm really excited to see where God is taking me in this season.
My writing project for ABH is a book about 8 different names of God and personal stories of people who have experienced God by that name. They asked me to interview several people to add a variety of stories and life circumstances to the book, in addition to the original Biblical story around each name. I've been working here and there with the editors on the Biblical part, but I put the personal interviews to the side when I moved. Now that I'm ready to pick it all back up and work on it, God has very strategically used this project as a way for me to get to know a lot more people in a deeper way and to build new friendships with people. Once again, I stand in awe of Him and the way He weaves all things together for good.
New Song Adventure Camp #1 is currently going on at New Song Mission this week, with three more camps to follow this summer. There will be a week off in between each camp. I've been helping out over there for a big chunk of my days this week and will work through the second camp, as well. I will probably help out on at least the first day of the third camp so I can meet all the campers because several of them may be full-time students for the coming school year. I am super thankful I came in July last year so I had the chance to help out with one of the camps because the very first child I met that week ended up coming back as a full-time student.
We have new girls' houseparents that just moved in last week and jumped right into camp this week, hosting a full house of girls. The way God drew them to New Song is a really neat story and evidence of how God orchestrates every detail to bring a mission together. New Song hired a videographer to make a video interview with our boys' houseparents to recruit another couple to join the team as a second set of houseparents. That videographer had no idea when he started the video interview that he was recruiting himself--and his wife! We're so excited to have them on our team, to get to know them, to support them in their new role, and to finally have some girls back on campus!
David is here for the summer working alongside his dad and his uncle Matt, getting his hands dirty, strengthening his arms back up after a long recovery from surgery, and he's continuing to learn a lot of new skills in the construction and handy-man business. He jumped in the day after he got here and hasn't had a day off yet. He's also taking an online class, will leave early August to take another class before his fall semester of his senior year starts. I can't believe we're already looking at a college graduation! Time will tell what kind of job offers or living situation/location he'll be looking at next summer after graduation, so just in case he doesn't head this way, I'm savoring and cherishing every bit of time with him here this summer. And I'm trying not to live life so budgeted and tight with money so we don't miss out on any fun, meaningful experiences together.
With David's extra hands, Mike has been able to tackle a few more projects around the house, the main one being the kitchen! After a long fiasco with getting our propane tank moved and hooked up, all of our appliances are now working correctly. We got the backsplash up and they started on the flooring. It's not done yet, but what has gotten done really changes the entire feel of the whole house and just feels so good! There's still a bit of work that needs to go into the kitchen that will like take place over time, but it already looks and feels so much better. The last people would be amazed if they walked in and saw the kitchen now. The bright red, yellow, and green mess has now taken on a more modern farmhouse look with whites, grays, browns, and light blue.
We just turned the page on the calendar yesterday to celebrate ten full years with Juan David. July 11th will be 10 years since his official adoption into our family, but June 13th is the day God gave him back to us by giving us custody of him and the day that I treasure in my heart. I sure do miss him. I don't post often about him, but he's doing well, learning more and more at his job as a pool technician, and slowly filling his apartment with the decor of his choice. He spends a lot of time with his girlfriend or with his two buddies that he grew up with in Colombia who visit him often or he visits them in Austin. He's flying up here in July to join us for a family camping trip to Michigan, and I am so excited to see him and show him where we live and work.
God's done a lot of work on my heart lately, and the main change has been my growing awe of seasons and how every season has a purpose.. I've been walking close to two miles a day, and the changes I see in the plants, trees, and flowers each month never cease to amaze me. Just when I get used to walking past a certain wildflower or color blooming on the trees, it withers, dies, and disappears with a different one just about to bloom. What a great reminder that even the flowers yield to their specific season in life. Every season has a different purpose.
As I sat outside one morning out on my mini-deck once again, missing my beautiful covered porch back in Texas, wishing I had a big deck or patio already to display all my nice patio furniture and host friends for lunch or tea or coffee, God stopped me right in the middle of my thoughts and said, "Look around you! Watch the wildflowers bloom, the deer run out of the woods into your yard, the birds fly from tree to tree, the hawks overhead looking for their next meal, the sunset to the right, the sunrise to the left. Listen to the sounds of nature all around you. You used to sit on a nice, covered front porch to look at houses boxed in all around you, cars driving past at all hours, flowers that had to be planted and constantly manicured, and birds that would fly between the two or three trees that went with each house. You could barely catch the sunrise out back and the sunset had to compete with all the houses right in front of you. You had to ride your bike several miles just to take a short ride through a nature trail when now you are surrounded by a huge nature trail every direction you look. Take it in. So you don't have a big deck or all your fancy furniture displayed, but instead you have all of this!"
Speechless. How do I respond to that? I close my mouth and open my eyes to capture the wonder of God's creation all around me. I'm so thankful for that change of perspective.
May 29, 2023
Celebrating my 20th year of teaching
How do I even begin to recount or describe my 20th year of teaching?
Overwhelming is the word that comes to mind.
It's been overwhelmingly personal. God has met me in very deep, personal ways over the last year, showing me that He sees me and knows me on a very intimate level. He knows the desires of my heart, as well as the fears and struggles I face daily. He constantly shows me He's with me, weaving everything together perfectly. Specifically by leading me to a church where I can pursue becoming a certified Biblical counselor much more quickly than I thought, and where I got to be part of a women's retreat/gathering specifically over the very theme I've been writing a book about. He's given me new friends to do life with who reach out and touch my heart in tender ways, showing me that I'm not as invisible as I feel sometimes. He's grown and challenged me in ways I didn't even know I needed to grow, and I'm thankful. He's given me new relationships with coworkers that have changed me for the better and have added a richness to my life that I didn't know was missing. Living pretty much on a nature trail and going to work on a beautiful campus surrounded by nature has helped me appreciate the seasons of life in a new way.
It's also been overwhelmingly unexpected. Teaching in a place like New Song Leadership Academy was obviously nowhere on my radar. I still have to pinch myself occasionally to make sure it's real. I really do teach here. I really do live here. I really am connected with these people and these students, and they all feel like family. No matter how unsettled I have felt in my new (unfinished) home, New Song has felt like home since the moment I arrived. The more relationships and friendships that come into my life here, the more I think about how God planned far in advance to put these people into my life--and to put me into their lives, without me having even the slightest clue that such a change was even on the horizon.
It's been overwhelmingly emotional. I left my family and close friends behind. I've had to watch from afar as they've all replaced their time with me now with other people or activities. I left a precious friend in her deepest time of need and then couldn't be present with her as her needs became greater still in the months that followed. I left a son who only had 9 years with us and never expected his family to move so far away. I left another son who needed and wanted the independence, only to find himself in greater need this year than he'd ever been in his life. I left a mom who left her own life behind to finally live close to me, and then God took me away, not far from where she used to live. And to see her hurt over my absence leaves me with a daunting sense of guilt, even though I can't deny God's very clear call to move here. I left the comfort and familiarity of both a church and a job that I'd been going to day after day, week after week for 19 years. People that knew me, my personality, my gifts and strengths, my weaknesses, and they knew my story. I had to start completely over to rebuild that sense of familiarity in a new church and a new job. It has definitely been heart-warming, though, to see Mike reconnect and enjoy the family that he left behind 20 years ago when we moved to Texas. And I am really thankful for the chance to get to develop real relationships with my mother-in-law, brothers-in-law, sister-in-law, my nephews, and my niece here.
It's been overwhelmingly different. First, I lived in an RV right on the beautiful campus where I worked. Then when the AC broke in the heat of the summer, I lived temporarily in the upstairs part of the house right above the room where we set up the classroom. For the first few weeks of school, all I had to do was go downstairs to get to work each day. But due to staffing issues, we started the year with out any kids on campus. So I logged on to a zoom call to start each day with my one virtual student, hoping we'd be fully staffed and would have several students on campus after the first nine weeks. Those were nine very quiet weeks, precious weeks to get to know my teammate really well and to work hard on developing Leadership and Spanish classes to teach once our classroom filled. Precious time to read a book aloud on a zoom call all about Jesus' life and ministry, an autobiography by Tim Tebow about his faith and the ministry God gave to him through football, and a child's version of Pilgrim's Progress. Though at times it felt very disappointing to only have one student and to have to teach virtually, I knew God had a very special purpose for me to be investing in this one particular child that he would move me so far away and quiet my schedule in such a powerful way. At the end of those nine weeks, I got to be part of a Mom's Spiritual retreat and then pour into that student's mom in a special way. In the middle of the retreat, my own son was in a biking accident that took me back to Texas in an emergency, and those moms left the retreat in prayer for me and my son. By the time I came back from Texas three weeks later, God had resolved our staffing issue and new houseparents were on the way. My one virtual student would soon be on campus with several other boys that I'd met at camp the week after I arrived in Indiana. Second semester held a whole new learning level as I learned to share my classroom with a teammate and with everyone on campus who helped in the classroom on a rotation schedule. I had to shift to a whole new way of thinking about teaching from my class, my kids, my way to our class, our kids, our way. We do life on life with these kids, and we all play different roles that work together for each child's academic, spiritual, and emotional growth. We go on walks to the bridge every day for our screen break and experience God's creation together. We talk about life while sitting on the swings together every day before lunch. We have cookouts, dessert nights, campfires, and game time together during the week. We began the year with dinner together at the boys' home, and we ended the year with a cookout together at the boys' home. Definitely challenging in many ways, but also incredibly rewarding. And so different than anything I've ever done before.
It's been overwhelmingly hard just trying to settle in and start over. We bought a house that needed/needs a lot of renovation (but that has definitely come a LONG way). Like, there were and still are parts of the house that are unlivable, though it has a lot of potential that will just take time to bring out. Restoration takes time, and I am seeing that as a theme God is weaving into this learning process. It's dirty and dusty, and muddy, and there are projects going on all around the house at all times, inside and outside. There are plans for a nice big deck, a new master bath and closet, a renovated kitchen, and a cute little cabin outside for guests. But for now I have an incomplete kitchen, a mini-deck big enough for my egg chair, a closed off log-wall room with uneven floors and no insulation or drywall, and tools all over the place. Mike loves the project of it all. Me, not so much. I just want to bring all my stuff out of storage, unpack, set up, put all my pictures on the walls, and spend all my time out on a pretty deck to enjoy the nature all around me. I hate the feeling of being so unsettled. So why did we buy such a house? Well, we bought more than a house. We bought a lot of land, and most of all, we bought a location that my husband just couldn't pass up. We bought a location almost right in the middle of my work and town, on a peaceful road with only about ten houses spread out over about a mile or so. There's only one house on one side of the road, with two horses, and all the rest of the road is filled with native grasses, trees, and wildflowers. And a creek. It's beautiful and incredibly peaceful out here. Definitely a writer's haven. It's been hard, overwhelmingly hard, but it will be worth it.
This school year has been overwhelmingly unique. New Song Mission is just unique in everything it does. Its very existence is evidence that God puts a vision on people's hearts and then brings all the details, plans, and people together. And it's overwhelmingly humbling to have been chosen and led by God to join the team and the mission here.
It's overwhelmingly inspiring. And it's overwhelmingly obvious that I'm exactly where God intended for me to be. Working with people that were always meant to be part of my life. Building friendships with a new church family that I was always supposed to be a part of.
It has me looking back at how my teaching career even began. I went to college at Taylor University Fort Wayne to become a Spanish teacher, with the hope of teaching overseas as a missionary. Then I quickly realized that an education major didn't interest me much at all. I loved my Bible and ministry classes so much more, so I switched my major and my minor around. I ended up transferring to Grace College where I majored in Christian Ministries with an educational focus and minored in Spanish. My Spanish minor took me to Argentina for a semester while my Christian Ministry major took me to Mexico for a summer, and a few missing credits in Spanish from my transfer between colleges led to an independent study working with Hispanic children in the local public school system. What God did with my life through that independent study because of those missing credits will never cease to amaze me.
After working with Hispanic children and adults for about five years in the very school system I graduated from, I moved to Texas to teach Bilingual Education in the public school system for the next nineteen years. And over those nineteen years, I taught students and worked with coworkers from all over Central and South America, adopted a "child" from South America, and personally experienced more of Mexico, Colombia, Guatemala, and Spain. I led countless Bible studies with women from all ages and walks of life, and I became a blogger and a published author.
Isn't it like God to bring it all together for my 20th year? Getting me out of the pressure of scores and excessive testing in Texas public schools and giving me the chance to teach what matters more than anything--to follow Christ with our whole heart. I ended the year taking my students on virtual travels all over Central and South America (and even to Europe and Africa) for Spanish class, and I got to read missionary stories for Leadership class, inspiring at least one student to make a decision to follow Christ. And instead of diving in to complete coursework for a mandatory Reading Academy this year (a requirement this year in Texas), I'm diving in to complete coursework for the Association of Biblical Counseling. Sometimes God just does so much more than we can ever ask or imagine.
Where we sit and talk about life every day before lunch
My temporary, but very cute, mini-deck so I at least have a place to sit outside.
One early spring morning that captured the sunlight reflecting off the trees. 
All the beautiful colors of early spring. 
Our daily walk to the bridge and back.
Beautiful flowers I found blooming in my yard. Bleeding hearts and peonies. 
My students came over and explored our land.
End of the year Awards Luncheon with our students and their entire families.
All ready for the Awards Luncheon. We had a full house show up to celebrate our kids. 
A last day gift from our administrators. :) An adorable photo book of just a few of the many memorable moments.
As I was out on my daily walk, the sunlight shone just right over the trees to really make their beauty stand out. I felt like God was saying, "See. THIS is what you bought when you bought that house."
So today I start my first day of summer break before I embark on Year 21, which will have both boys and girls in my classroom, and will bring two new team members as the girls' houseparents. But first, summer camp starts in two weeks. No need to go on a mission trip this year. It's all right here. There's always an opportunity to serve at New Song Mission.
May 25, 2023
Intro to Spanish at New Song
When I got hired to be part of the New Song team to be the lead teacher at New Song Leadership Academy, I heard that I'd get to teach the kids an elective class in the afternoons. I've taught IN Spanish for the last 19 years, but I've never had the opportunity to teach Spanish as a class. So I looked forward to doing that and designing the class in a unique way for such a unique teaching experience. I thought about how I could make it an experiential learning class that would really stick with the students and whet their appetite to learn another language.
So Mondays we got out our red Spanish journals and learned a lot of useful phrases and vocabulary that they helped brainstorm with me. Phrases such as: I am, I feel, I like, I don't like, I want, I see, I play, I have, I have to, I'm going to, etc. We also played a lot of "I spy" using shape, color, and number words.
On Wednesdays, we took out our world maps and our passports and went on virtual trips to the 21 Spanish speaking countries of the world, coloring in the countries on our maps and "stamping" the flags of those countries on our passports. I enjoyed showing them pictures of many of the countries I've visited or pictures of friends that I have from those countries. I also got to show them items that came from many of those places. We even had friends visit from Colombia on the week we studied Colombia, so that made for a very rich experience of a country so precious to my heart.
Finally on Fridays we went upstairs to the kitchen and cooked a treat from the country we visited together. (I honestly don't enjoy cooking much, but this turned out to be one of my favorite adventures while teaching at New Song this year.) We had a big chart up in the classroom that we added to every week with the country name, flag, and the food we cooked. We had two countries left for this last week of school, so we combined them both and enjoyed a drink from one and a treat from the other.
We had a lot of fun, and I hope the boys' awareness of the Spanish language will inspire them to keep learning more Spanish and to be adventurous world travelers in the future. It definitely reignited in me a gratitude to God for all the travel experiences He's given me, as well as the many people He has placed in my life from all over the world.
May 21, 2023
Above All Names--2023 Shine Gathering
Leaving my church in Texas was so hard. I love LakePointe Church and all the ministries offered within the church. Ministries both to meet your need where you are in life and to give you multiple opportunities to serve others where they are in life. I'll always be thankful for a church home with a thriving Adoption and Foster Care Ministry, a powerful Marriage Ministry, a Financial Fitness Ministry, a Counseling Ministry, a Christian Writer's Group, a weekly Lifegroup Ministry, a huge emphasis on Missions all over the world and also in our own community, a Prayer Team, and a Women's Bible Study Ministry. Each one of those ministries connected me with people I could do life with in every season and with people that mentored me or that I could mentor. I loved being part of a big church with people from all walks of life that I grew close to by traveling together, studying Scripture together, having dinners together, praying together, putting on large conferences together, or just sitting around a table sharing our writing with each other and giving constructive critique.
I miss those people and those groups dearly. As well as a Saturday night service.
Church is family, and relationships that grow within a church body are essential and irreplaceable. Finding a new church home kind-of overwhelmed me. Especially because I was back in a small town with much smaller churches than I'd gotten used to and that only met on Sundays. I didn't expect to find all the different ministry groups I left behind, but I at least hoped to find a church with a thriving women's ministry that I could get involved in.
We tried one church and felt welcome, but it seemed like several critical parts were missing. We tried another, felt welcome, but something still didn't feel right. We knew people at both, so we almost felt "guilty" for not going back. Then a coworker told me all about her church, and it sounded a lot like the church we left behind. So we visited once and immediately knew we were home. And every month we're there, God just keeps confirming that decision to us in so many little ways.
We love the worship style, the preacher does a phenomenal job communicating Scripture so clearly, and we found a community group to join. We started meeting with smaller discipleship groups, and we volunteered to serve in the coffee ministry once a month. I found an amazing Biblical counseling team, and Mike and his brother volunteered to help out with maintenance needs that arise at the church. I've also already met at least four writers within the church, and I've heard there's more! Sure would love to see us form a writer's group someday.
I reached out right away to the women's ministry leader, attended two women's events, and went to both the fall and spring Bible study. When I expressed interest in helping out more with the ministry, I got to help make Scriptural encouragement cards to make available at the yearly retreat/gathering or other women's events. I signed up for the women's big annual gathering in May, and to my surprise, they asked me if I'd like to lead a table group. I had no idea what that meant or entailed, but I jumped at the chance. I didn't find out until the night before that it meant I'd facilitate the table discussion after each speaker. That's one good way to get to know a few more people, I thought.
The night of the gathering came, and I walked in still very awkwardly as I still don't know that many people. But I sure am glad I signed up and went. The women's ministry at this church is truly thriving, and the hearts of these women just blew me away. All five of the speakers were from the church, and they all spoke very tenderly about a specific struggle God brought them through and spoke with an incredible passion to know God in an intimate way. The theme was all based on knowing God personally through his many names, a theme I've spent a LOT of time studying and researching over the last few years. A topic I'm deep in the middle of writing about for a book for undereducated ministry workers in third world countries. Just another confirmation from God that He's the one who guided us to this church.
My dear friend, Hannah, who moved here just a few months before I did, and who led a table group at the gathering, too. We met in a breakout session in our community group and just clicked. We're in totally different stages of life right now, but realized we both longed for the same thing--deep friendship. Love her.
My new friend and fellow adoptive mom, Terri, that I met in my table group
A few more new friends from my table group, including another Rachel, who is also a fellow adoptive mom
Leah sharing about her struggle through infertility, realizing that Jehovah Jireh provided that experience to draw her closer to Him. 
Our weekend program, along with cute journals we decorated. 
My fellow Texas friend who came 20 years ago to help plant this church, sharing so many great truths about clinging to God through great loss.
An incredible time of worship together. 
The prayer team, praying over the gathering before it started.
Our table decorations
My table
My sweet friend, Bek, also a fellow adoptive mom, testing out the sound system
The "take what you need" board, with a lot of the cards I got to help make
They offered to let us take home a decoration or two. When almost everyone left and I noticed how many were still there, I took a few extra. This is what I did with them. I love how they turned out! Great visuals to have in my "office" area where I write. May 13, 2023
Birthday and Teacher Appreciation Week 2023
But, oh, was I wrong. I felt celebrated this week in a much more personal and meaningful way than in all my nineteen years of teaching in public school.
I walked in to my classroom on Monday morning to a pot of flowers and a gift bag full of classroom goodies, including my favorites--a journal and fancy colored pens. I found a very touching card and note of appreciation along with the gift bag from Bob and Lisa, the people who founded and are the directors of New Song Mission. My teammate, Julie, found the same surprise waiting for her on her desk, too. Just a few moments after I walked in, Lisa came downstairs to tell me in person how much she appreciated me and was thankful to God for bringing me to the team. My heart swelled with gratitude for the opportunity to work in such a unique place with such an amazing team.
But that wasn't it. The surprises kept coming all week. On Tuesday morning, the boys walked in to the classroom with sweet notes and treats for both me and my teammate that their houseparents had taken them to purchase for us (and prompted them to make for us).
An adorable cup/glass mug, a gift card to Dunkin Donuts for coffee, and Hershey's Special Dark, the perfect treat to enjoy after lunch. My birthday came next, and I honestly felt very little excitement about my special day this year. My boys and my family are far away and unable to celebrate with me, and I'd already been out two nights in the week after a very full weekend that had me quite "peopled" out. I was tired and didn't want to do anything extra that evening besides go out to eat.
The boys (my students) had already made comments about bringing me a birthday cake, so I knew they had something planned. I came in that morning to find pretty pink flowers, birthday decorations, and a birthday pin to wear for the day. After lunch, they all arranged the sweetest celebration upstairs in the kitchen to celebrate me on my birthday. It was precious and such a special time to all be together. One of the students asked if they could go around the table and each say what they were thankful for about me. Then all of the adults around the table took time to pray over me. We had cake, ice cream, and presents. One of the houseparents' children (going into first grade) said he wanted to say a poem for me, and he wanted that to be the last gift. So after I opened all the gifts, he spoke a poem over me. It was precious. He almost froze half way through, but then he recovered and finished. :)
My mom happened to send my gift with me when I came home from Texas at the end of April, so I got to start the day opening that gift from her (and sending her a video of me opening it). She called me later in the day as I was on my way to Chili's to have dinner with Mike.
A nice box with a verse from my mom, along with ornaments on the Names of Jesus. 
Sitting on my desk to greet me on my birthday.
We just "happened" to arrange Furry Friends Day (for Spirit Thursdays) on my birthday, so Boots got to go to school with me for the day!
And my students brought their (stuffed) furry friends to class, as well. 
They really enjoyed having him at school!
A gift from one of the students, who said it was just right for his teacher from Texas, who happens to love pink!
I wore it the rest of the day. 
The sweet gifts they all gave me. A really soft, fuzzy blanket, a pink cup, two small coffee mugs, a collection of teas and honey sticks, handmade wash cloths, and really sweet cards and notes. 
And in keeping with tradition for the Alspaugh's, we had dinner at Chili's. Now that it's all the way across town, I don't get to eat there near as often as I used to when it was just around the corner. 
One of my closest friends sent me a card in the mail, David sent me a sweet message at 12:01 am, and Juan posted a really nice message to me on Facebook. Plus many, many friends posted messages on my timeline on Facebook. I got a video message early in the morning from my new friend at church, who tonight gave me a really pretty journal with a priceless note written on the first page. It filled my heart and made me want to cry.
All in all, despite not being able to see my boys, I had a really good birthday this year.
May 11, 2023
1,000 Gifts
Years ago I read Ann Voskamp's book, 1,000 Gifts, and I took the challenge. I started my daily gratitude list with the goal of getting to a thousand. Starting every day with gratitude, and then living life with your eyes wide open to finding God's gifts all around you, will change your life. It definitely changed mine. In fact, when I reached a thousand, I kept going. And I don't ever plan to stop. I did stop numbering, but I never stopped looking and recording daily the gifts that God gives me.
Every day we rise, we have another day to enjoy God and all of his gifts. All the varieties of animals, birds, plants, flowers, songs, Scriptures, and people that he puts in our lives. Another day to enjoy a hope, a dream, or a memory. A feeling of success. To taste delicious foods and thank God for our sense of taste and the variety of flavors available to us. Here are just a few things we can always find to be thankful for:
Gifts from God that we can always be thankful for:
Relationships
Food
Health or healing
Employment
Home
Education
Achievements/breakthroughs
Reliable utilities (power, heat, lights, clean water)
Natural beauty
Spiritual gifts or growth
God’s strength, peace, or provision
My 5 senses
Opportunities or experiences
Technology
Good surprises
Talents/skills
So around late January or early February, I decided to challenge my new students to create a new list of 1,000 gifts with me. These are nine and eleven-year-olds. The task seemed a little daunting to them, but I told them that between all of us, I believed we could do it.
Today they reached 1,000. I was so proud of them. And you know what? We just kept on going. I typed them all out for them so they can take their list home with them for the summer, and I hope that the daily practice instilled a habit in them of always looking for signs of God's love for us, signs that I reminded them today just point to HIM. Signs that remind them how much God does to show us that He loves us because He wants a relationship with us.
A Thousand Hallelujah's
(A song that complements their accomplishment well)
I'm missing a pic of the 700's here.
April 30, 2023
A little too quick for comfort
I had it all planned out. Get David through college. Get the house paid off within a year or two after that. Pursue a Master's Degree in Biblical counseling. Retire from teaching and see where God takes my counseling ministry.
God must have looked at me and chuckled to himself because, as always, His plans didn't look like mine. You'd think I'd learn by now that when I think I have something figured out, I should brace myself for that unexpected curve ball.
And here I am. Sitting on a ten acre plot of land, in Indiana, with a new mortgage that will stretch a few extra years beyond my "plan", with a son still in college back in Texas, lots of medical bills, a house in the middle of renovation, and working in full-time ministry as a teacher (with Biblical discipleship as the main goal.) And yet, God opened an opportunity for me to join a Biblical counseling team at my church and start the certification process that will have me certified as a Biblical counselor right as David should be graduating a year from now. And I can put every bit I learn to use in my job every single day as I'm learning.
A reminder that He puts the desires in our hearts because He already has a plan.
When I recently found out that my new church had a Biblical counseling team and ministry that I could be involved in, they casually mentioned that maybe I could go to an upcoming conference (Called to Counsel) with them at the end of April. The only catch was that it was going to be in Fort Worth, Texas, so I'd have to pay for airfare. (The person telling me about it had no clue that my son went to school 30 minutes from the conference location.) At first, I jumped at the chance, (and I had the full support of my boss because it goes hand in hand with my job), but then the cost started to overwhelm me, and I almost backed out. But when the lady in charge of the counseling ministry offered to let me room with her, I knew this was something God was pushing me to do. So I looked carefully at the schedule and booked tickets that would also allow me to briefly visit with my family.
David agreed to pick me up at the airport for the first day and then to pick me up after the conference ended on the third day to take me to see Juan and to stay the night with my parents. David still goes to LakePointe Church every Saturday, so he mentioned that we could go together. I love that he still goes and I really looked forward to going with him. After seeing how much our LakePointe family showed up and supported us through his biking accident, we both saw just how integral it is to be engaged with a church family and we both have a deep gratitude for those relationships. I hoped I'd get to see and hug a few of those friends if we happened to see them at church.
I didn't tell anyone else I would even be in town because I'd barely have time to go out to eat with Juan and his girlfriend (I intentionally planned time with just them so that it would be quality time), make it to church with David, and have any time left with my parents. I had hoped to swing by and see one friend to say hi and give her a hug, but I would have to leave that up to God to work out. I felt bad that I couldn't see my brother and his family at all in this short visit.
God really blessed my time at the conference and really whet my appetite to dive into the Biblical counseling ministry and the certification process. I love that there's a team and that they've all gone through the same certification so I can lean on their support, experience, and encouragement. I love that I found more of my "people" here in Columbus, and it was such a strange feeling to be in Texas with them. My roommate and I really connected in a deep way, and I am so thankful for that new friendship and ministry partner. I look forward to learning so much from her, as I already have in just a few days.
After the conference ended on Saturday, David picked me up in Fort Worth and drove me to drop my things off at my parents' house, then took me to meet Juan and his girlfriend for a midafternoon lunch at 3:00. When we got done eating together, we walked to a coffee shop and sat outside and talked for another hour. at 5:30, Juan and his girlfriend left and David and I headed to church. Oh, how I loved being back. It will always feel like home there, especially when David is there with me. I wasn't expecting to see my friend, Martha, who David and I stayed with after his accident, because she was supposed to be out of town, but she ended up being there. :) I also saw other Life Group friends for a few minutes, and I even got to see my old coworker from Bullock Elementary who taught in bilingual ed. with me for 19 years. Such a gift to see those friends ever so briefly and to snap a picture with them. After church, we stopped by to see my closest friend, Amy, and then we made it to my parents' house at 8:30. We were able to sit and talk for the next two hours until we all got too tired. I got up at six to shower and had breakfast with my mom. Then due to an unexpected mishap with my ride to the airport, my brother came to my rescue and got me to the airport--which was actually a very meaningful time to me that "wasn't in the plan".
Yeah, I'll admit, that's a lot of fit into a day, and it all feels like a blur right now. But I'm thankful for a few new pictures to let me know it all really did happen. At the same time, I found myself in tears once I got to the airport because the time was just too short.
(Due to limited wifi, my pics are not available yet, so I'll add them as soon as I can.)
April 8, 2023
Falling into place
We've been here for about nine months now. Nine long, fast months. Hard, challenging, inspiring, and exciting months. Nine of the most unexpected months that I still can't believe I'm living when I really think about it. Not a single bit of my life now was on my radar or something I ever envisioned on my timeline. But, alas, here I am, living it. And I'll have to say that a lot of the pieces are beginning to fall into place.
I'm at the point where I can't imagine NOT living this life. I can't imagine not being part of New Song Mission and not working day in and out with Bob, Lisa, Jacob, Nicky, Julie, and Olivia. I can't imagine not teaching Jaylen, Kayden, and Zayden and not having known Jayden and Carter for the short time I had them both in class, as well. I can't imagine not seeing Mike and Matt work together, not growing closer to Chrissy, not being within driving distance of Peggy, and not having the chance I've had recently to get to know Reese in a really special way.
I can't imagine not becoming a part of the Terrace Lake Church family, not meeting people here that know our people there, not becoming fast friends with Jessica, Hannah, and Renee, not slowly finding my way into the women's ministry, and not quickly joining the Biblical counseling team so I can be a certified Biblical counselor alongside them.
I can't imagine not living in such a peaceful area with nature surrounding me on all sides, with no sounds on my walks beside the birds singing and the squirrels scampering in the leaves. I can't imagine not living by the nicest of neighbors who all wave from their house up on the hill, cross the street to introduce themselves if they see me out walking, yell up at us from the bottom of our driveway if we're outside for any reason, offer firewood from their property, or just say hi when I walk by if they're out. Neighbors who technically would have been at the other end of the street or even blocks away back in Texas because our houses are that spread apart here, neighbors who own between 5 and 25 acres of land. I can't imagine going back to a longer commute to school filled with traffic and stop lights, school zones, etc. now that I barely feel like I've gotten in the car before I arrive at school after driving along quiet, country roads, barely passing more than a few cars the whole way. I can't imagine going for walks around my neighborhood and riding ten miles a day on my bike in the summer to experience a nature trail when now I live on a two mile nature trail and know we'll eventually cut out our own nature trails right on our own property soon.
It's been a long road to get here, and I haven't always been patient in the process. I hated the house and the property and couldn't see the value in the location or of the land. I struggled being the new girl who nobody knew on a deep level, who felt like she had to prove herself at her job and who wondered how long she'd have to wait before anyone knew her story, her heart, and her passion to minister to other women. I'm still wondering how long this house is going to take, when I'll have a cozy bathtub to soak my feet in, or when I can actually use my new stove and oven and stop cooking everything two hours too long in a crockpot or meals that can't feed more than two in a tiny toaster oven. New cabinet doors are on the horizon, as well as a new custom-built pantry, but when or how long from now, I do not know. As much as Mike absolutely loves this wide-open project, he's not a linear thinker like I am, and he just kinda "goes with the wind", depending on the day, the amount of help available, and the resources available at the moment. Or how tired he is from whatever job he worked on during the day with Matt. If he's been out in the cold building a deck all day, he's not going to want to do much of anything at home that night. He's always working on something, though. This weekend it was securing firewood to get us through the rest of the cold season and to start preparing for the next. Today it was borrowing his brother's John Deere tractor for the first mow of the spring. Friday we went out of town for the night for our anniversary, and earlier in the week he met up with several guys in his small group from church. When there's unexpected nice weather, he'll go outside to rake through some dirt behind the house and end up in the woods attacking vines that have grown out of control.
So here are a few highlights of the last few/next few months of this very unexpected life here:
A field trip to the Children's Museum (March)A field trip to a Mexican restaurant/grocery store for a cultural experienceLots of cross-cultural treats as we've been virtually traveling to the 21 Spanish-speaking countries of the world for Spanish class
At least one more field trip for the yearHosting parents in the classroom and on campus for "A Day in the Life of your Child"Weekly Together Tuesday gatherings where we all operate as a team in one location with the kids
Coffee get-togethers at my house (yes, at my very unfinished house)Our Community Group piloting a Soul Care Ministry that has helped us make a lot of connectionsGrowing deeper connections and friendships with our new discipleship groupsAn invite from new friends for dinnerAn invite to a Colombia mission trip (that I can't go on due to timing)An invite to a Biblical Counseling conference with other church staff and lay people in Fort Worth, Texas (meaning I'll have about 8 hours when it's over to spend with my boys and very briefly see my family)Starting to share about my books/my story with people at churchWorking on Scripture/encouragement cards for the women's ministry gathering this May
Getting to run a table for the women's ministry gathering this MayNear daily nature walks
Meeting really nice neighborsA sweet friend/coworker's bridal shower and upcoming weddingNew Song hosting a first ever Foster Parent retreatNew Song Adventure Camps! (that will likely bring new students for next year, so keep praying for God to bring just the right couple to houseparent girls so we can add some girls to our classroom next year.)
March 19, 2023
First spring break in the empty nest
A year ago this week, I came home from spring break having just accepted a new job offer to work as a teacher in a very unique type of ministry on a 100 acre hidden paradise, 1000 miles from home. It was a no-brainer that God called us, while also a hard decision emotionally.
And now here I am, a year later, having lived here in Columbus eight full months, here in my house for six full months. What a year it's been. When I first moved here, I'd hoped that I could go back and visit over spring break, but David's accident kinda changed all my best-laid mental and financial plans. He didn't get to come to Indiana for his spring break either because he needed to take an extra class in his attempts to catch up and make up for the time he lost at school due to his accident and long recovery period. Juan hates the country life, so I already knew it would be a battle to get him to come this way, but he at least has an interest in seeing our house when it's done. Here's to hoping we'll see him this summer.
So as this spring break approached with no plans other than family visiting last weekend from Warsaw, I really didn't know how to anticipate the break. In my community group last week, we ended in small groups, and the two ladies with me asked how they could be praying for me. I asked that I would use my time wisely over my first break as an empty nester because I didn't want to just let the break slip away. I'd say that God answered that prayer for me by giving me opportunities to form deeper connections with the people around me, including those two ladies! My niece and I continue to form a really neat bond that started with a couple visits here and now is growing by sweet text messages she and I sent back and forth on her birthday this week. A new friend from church (who also moved here about a year ago) invited us over for dinner to the farmhouse they are living in and renovating that was built in 1900 (38 years BEFORE my house). Oh, did it feel good to see someone else living so similarly--and to know that it didn't stop her from opening her home. I then opened my own home the next morning to have coffee (actually chai) with someone I work with that I have not had a chance to get to know more personally. God really, really blessed that time we spent together and gave us a much deeper respect for one another. I also successfully made banana bread and muffins in my toaster oven! I can't begin to tell you how happy that made me.
That night I was able to babysit some of my favorite little people, our houseparents' (from New Song) three young boys so they could go out on a much-needed date while they had a week of evenings free without the New Song boys. Mike joined me after the littles went to bed, and we got to have coffee together while we waited for them to get home. Then Friday Mike and I were able to enjoy a lunch date at a little Mexican restaurant, and in the evening, we met up with another friend from church and her husband to try some Irish-inspired drinks for St. Patrick's Day at a really cool coffee shop I hadn't been to yet. While there, we ran into two more friends from church, one from our Community Group and one I'd grown close to in the ladies' Bible study. I also went to storage and brought home pretty much my whole kitchen. I still don't have cabinet doors, but I got tired of not having my own stuff, so my open cabinet shelves are full now. :) And all my blue heart dishes are home with me.
One of Mike's aunts passed away early in the week, so we went up to Warsaw yesterday with his brother and sister-in-law to join the rest of the family for her funeral. The last time they had all gathered together like that was for Mike's dad's funeral just 15 months ago, the funeral I didn't make it to. Another one of his dad's siblings also passed away recently, but his Memorial service is still another month away. I'm thankful that we are close enough for Mike to be able to be with his family through a hard year of losses.
I can't believe we're down to 9 weeks of school left. I'm 3/4 of the way through the year with Jaylen, the student I had online the first semester, but for the other boys that started with me in January, we're only half way through! Definitely the most unique year ever. But I sure do love the life-on-life model that we have at New Song with these boys because of the relationships we can build with them. And I most certainly love teaching them daily about salvation and about life in the Spirit.
As soon as school lets out, New Song will stay busy every other week all summer long with a foster parent retreat and then four camps. And hopefully we'll see some girls' houseparents move in so we can add some girls to the mix next year. Praying for God to bring just the right couple to complete our amazing team.
March 17, 2023
Birthday parties and family visits
We thought my mother-in-law was coming to visit for the weekend, but at the last minute, she changed her plans and decided to come the following weekend with my brother-in-law and both of his kids. Our home isn't quite set up for more than one or two guests at a time just yet, but we managed. Two slept in the guest room, while two more slept out on the recliners. I sure do look forward to the day when I have a second, private bathroom to use on those occasions.
However, we made the best of it and enjoyed time with family.
I took my mother-in-law and niece out to my favorite tea shop in Nashville. We tried to go one other time they were here together, but we found out it closed early that day right before we got there. So I promised my niece that I'd take her the next time she came. This time she came right before her birthday, so I made sure to honor my promise to her to celebrate her birthday. I love the sweet relationship I've been able to build with her in the short time that I've been here (and few times I've been able to see her). I love her dearly and count it a privilege to be more involved in her life now. 
Mike had a lot of fun taking the boys on a little ride around the property. And then his mom! She's braver than me. Or maybe just more interested in outdoor fun. I prefer to walk or ride my bike.
We noticed an old swingset/playset literally buried in the vines and brush at the front of our property that we have just ignored until this last weekend. Since Mike and his brothers were already out and about with chainsaws and axes to clear trails and cut down trees, they started whacking away at all the vines and finally uncovered the whole thing. I had no idea how big it actually is, with a whole backside to it! Now I have something for kids to do at my house outside besides play with legos inside. We have a large amount of games, too, but most of them are still in storage. Plus I'm also starting to build up a resorvoir of indoor and outdoor toys, balls, etc. I still don't feel like my house is anywhere near hosting ready, but I'm finding out quickly that the Alspaugh's don't really care. They will plop down anywhere and make the most of it. An attitude I could probably learn from.
Reese and Jaxon and their dad. 
A last minute surprise party for Reese. 
And she was indeed surprised, despite the fact that she was in the store with us when her Grandma bought all of the party decorations!
I found out over Christmas that she likes arts and crafts a lot, so I made sure to bring home my craft bin with all of my supplies. Neither of us had any interest in the muddy, trucking, four-wheeling activities going on outside, so we went to the Dollar Tree and picked out some crafts to do together. Much to our surprise, her little brother, Jaxon, got into the crafting with us, too. 
We were completely floored at how well he did with the stencils on his canvas. 
Unfortunately the stencils didn't turn out very good with paints, so we improvised and painted over everything to make our own designs. 
Reese got super creative with colors. I just turned mine over and used colored pencils after I saw how well Jaxon's turned out with colored pencils. 
Then after they left, I painted over the other side and then used a marker with the stencils. 
Later that night, Reese and Jaxon got creative on the lego table and built two 2-car 2-story garages. I was pretty impressed. That lego table has sure come in handy whenever my niece and nephews come over!
Before they left on Sunday, we stopped over at Matt's house to meet the new baby goats that they got for 4-H this year. Aren't they precious?
Now, I won't get into the more unpleasant parts of the weekend like when a tree fell onto the power line and knocked out our power for the night. Or the inconvenience of trying to get up and ready for church in a one bathroom house, without power to make coffee, breakfast, etc., in a home that's already not set up well for guests yet. All I can say is thank goodness for donuts.
