Life in the Mitten State

We are here!  Officially Michiganders again.

The move went incredibly well.  We are all settling in and meeting up with old friends and family members we haven't seen very much these last four years.  All in all, this is the very best place for us to be.  Of course, it's not the ideal situation to move four little kids and two adults in with their parents but it has worked out so well, I just know that God's hand was in our moving here.  Jake's parents have been so accommodating and pretty much moved all of their furniture out so we could bombard them with our clothes and toys of every sort.

We have kept very busy already in just our first week here.  We had lots of meetings to get Cole signed up and ready for preschool (Monday is his first day!), we've attended football games and the fall carnival and Jake was in Ohio all day yesterday for a job interview.  The meeting went really well and they're already down to the job being between Jake and one other guy.  We should know next Monday if they're pursuing just him or not.  Of course, in the middle of his interview, another church in Three Rivers called him, wanting to take their interviewing process with him further too.  When it rains, it pours!  

Could you please pray for us to have clarity in all of these decisions?  I almost wrote to pray that the church in Ohio would work out (and, if I'm honest, this is what we really want) but I know that ultimately we want God's will.  We always tell our kids that God's will is better than anything we could want, even if it doesn't seem that attractive from the get-go.  I'm trying to keep that perspective now myself.  It's funny how it's easy to "teach" something and much harder to really learn it, isn't it?  So, any prayers for God's will in our lives are greatly appreciated and so coveted!

Also, if you could keep our kids in your prayers, I couldn't be more grateful.  Every once in a while, we notice how they're struggling with our move a bit.  Whether it's praying for our "old" blue house, asking for friends, or just acting out in general, it's obvious they're in a stage of adjustment.  I'm a bit leery of moving again for this very reason.  We're just getting them settled only to uproot them again?  I worry especially about Cole with all of the newness happening in his life...a new home, a new town, new friends, new school, new church...it's hard to watch him sometimes. 

I keep reminding myself that God is not just my God or just Jake's God.  My God is Father to all of us, including my children.  He loves them more than I could ever imagine to and He has a plan for them in all of this too.  The question isn't just, "Where is God leading Jake and Megan?" but "Where is God leading Cole, Maurah, Hayden and Laina too?"  After all, He knows who their friends will be, what school they'll attend, etc.  He's got it all under control!  I forget and tend to want to control those things myself for them.

We're on a journey, that's for certain.  It will be exciting to see just how God moves in all of this.  For now, we're treating this time as a sabbatical to just enjoy our family, make some good routines and habits and love on each other like we haven't really focused on doing in a very long time.  There's a certain kind of freedom we have now to do these things.  It's like a breath of fresh air.  I'm looking at this time as a time to treasure.  I don't know when/if I'll ever have days with Jake home all of the time again and, already, our full days at home with all of the kids are coming to an end.  God is using this season to bring something great out of it for our family, I just know it.  Thanks for being a part of our journey!