Bittersweet

This word keeps coming to mind these days.

Bittersweet.

If you haven't already heard it through the grapevine I'd like to be able to share with you...

We are moving.

Brandon and I have felt the Lord pressing on our hearts for a while now to shift in our ministry mindset. It has been almost audible at times for both of us. The change is to shift from being focused on traditional youth ministry to one focused on families of students. To teach parents how to disciple their own children rather than relying on the "church" to do the job they as parents are called by scripture to do. To help the parents be the "A team" while the church is the "B team".

The move has come about through the opportunity to be apart of starting a new ministry in a church very dear to our hearts. It's the church we grew up being apart of. Yes, we'll be moving back home to Fairfield. Brandon will be the Young Life Discipleship Pastor, pastor of families and students from K-12th grade.

We are thrilled! The things we foresee God doing there are great and mighty as we partner with parents to help them disciple and train their children. When we went in view of a call, we loved seeing some familiar faces along with some we were seeing for the first time. They seem excited and ready to embark on this new territory, eager to see Christ be the center of every home. My friends, that is the "sweet" part.

The "bitter" part is that we love the people here. We have built some of the strongest relationships we've ever had here over the past few years. I ache when I think about leaving them behind. I know that as Christ Followers we will never have to say goodbye. For I know we will meet again. And not just in heaven, we're not moving that far away! But the truth is, we won't get to live in close community with them anymore. Yes, this is bitter indeed.

I have been so blessed. I love my friends deeply.

This has definitely been one of those un-blog-able things I mentioned a while back. But now, it's here. It is no longer just a possibility. It is real. It is happening. The reality has settled in just long enough to be recognized, packed up and moved.

My emotional status changes by the minute as we get ready to make this transition. In getting our house ready to sell, I had to paint over my bright walls to make them "neutral". This was not easy or fun. I think I'll post before and after pictures sometime and show you what I'm talking about.

Our house is on the market. It's uncomfortably clean (in case we get a call from the realtor saying she wants to show it). We have some boxes packed in the garage and many more waiting to be packed. Thankfully we will not have to wait on our house to sell to be able to move. The church is allowing us to live in their mission house while we are in transition and selling our house. This was a HUGE, Praise the LORD! He is so good. I am thankful He is a God of details.

Brandon is currently in Mexico building a house (the trip had been on the calendar long before all of this was final). It is his last trip with our church family here. He told me he couldn't have picked a better trip to wrap up his time here.

When he returns Sunday afternoon, I hope to have a lot of packing done. That is... if I don't spend all of my time blogging like I'm doing now when I should be packing something. And just in case you think my husband has left me to do it all alone, He hasn't! I have had so many friends offer to come help pack or to watch the boys while I pack. I am taking a few up on their offers. They have all been tremendous help already!

Our church family here is throwing us a going away party this coming Sunday evening. I am looking forward to loving on them and being loved on by them. I am not looking forward to the tears, I know they will surely come.

I need to wrap this up and get back to packing. Moving truck will be here on Wednesday. That's 5 days. Crazy.

Yes, bittersweet says it all.