Our New Life

We have arrived in our new life!

We packed everything up and left the Big City behind, and are so thankful to be here.  A week later, our house is still in complete disarray, but we're thankful nonetheless.  You might have expected this to be the post when i unveil pictures of our new house, but unfortunately you're going to have to keep waiting for that.

The moving experience was long and hard, but fortunately we had no major events.  U-Haul, being who they are, almost didn't give us a truck, but in the end they came to their senses.  Apparently we're rough on movers.  We had hired a team of 4 guys to move us out of our old place and into the truck, but one guy must have heard about our heavy armoire and the 3 flights of stairs, because he decided not to show up.  When we got here, we hired 2 guys to move everything from the truck into our new place, and about an hour into it, one of the guys injured his ankle.  That meant it was just one guy plus Mark moving all our stuff (and we have an unneccessary amount of stuff).

My sister flew up from Atlanta to help me transport the BabyGirl and our two cats.  I never would have survived without her.  I am just in total awe of how loving, how giving, and how hard-working she was.  It is so incredibly humbling to be given a gift that you can never repay.  I'll never forget her kindness.

We also had some huge help on Moving Day from Blake and Emily.  Emily worked like a dog to clean my kitchen, and she was so dang speedy!  She really set an example that i've been trying to live up to.  Multiple times over the past week as i've been doing task after task, i tell myself, "Be fast like Emily!" 

One thing that is so very sad is that we missed David's birthday.  He is the BabyGirl's bff (whether she realizes it or not), and we have treasured our "stare dates" over the past year, and i very much wanted to be able to celebrate him being #1.

Once we arrived here, we began our search for a new church home.  We looked on the internet and selected a candidate.  As we were getting ready on Sunday morning, The Professor joked that it was like going on a first date.  You feel excited and hopeful, but recognize there's a slim chance that it will work out, and most likely you'll have to go on numerous first dates before you find something that sticks.  The church we picked for our first round was called "New Life Community Church."  It's so meaningful on a number of levels.  There is the obvious biblical meaning, that we have new life in Jesus.  But it's significant for The Professor and I because we are here starting a new life.  On the church's website it said, "A place for new beginnings", which fits our situation perfectly!

When the service began and everyone stood up for the singing, i saw that a couple of people in front of us were wearing the church's t-shirt, which had the verse Revelation 21:5 on the back:

And He who sits on the throne said,
"Behold, I am making all things new."

I very nearly started sobbing right then and there.  It felt like a message directly from God to my heart.  All the trials, and suffering, and difficulties, and frustration of the past 1.5 years are over!  The demands of my job, the violating bus ride, the heavy loads up 3 flights of stairs, the night noises on the street that keep you from sleeping - it's all behind me.  He is making all things new.  Yes, life is hard no matter where you are, but a great many of my hardships are no more.

I've thoroughly enjoyed watching ABC's new show Expedition Impossible.  I don't have tv, so i watch it online while i pack, or wash dishes, etc.  It's very inspiring.  One thing i love is that for each and every team that crosses the finish line, the Host Man says to them, "Congratulations!  You made it!  Come in and get some rest."

That is completely what i hear in my soul:  "Congratulations!  You made it!  You were sifted like wheat and you lived to tell about it.  I am making all things new; come and get some rest."