It's Been A While...

 Hi to all.  It's been a long while.  My last post was about CHANGE.  And through the last several years, there has been a great deal of that.  It's been 4 years, and I have been working in Youth Service at our High School for that time.  It's been rewarding, and challenging and exhausting, but there has been an opportunity to do good work and show teenagers the love of God. That alone is one thing many of them do not see at home. I am feeling I need a change in life again, and here I am waiting for that change - but having complete trust that God will guide my steps.

We have been through a pandemic, who would have ever thought?  I think Caleb would have won the award for "adapting best" during all that, but I'm sure glad he didn't have to go through all the things he would have with testing and protocols just to deal with all his other health issues. I miss him every day.  

 Wherever you are in life, I just wanted to take a moment to encourage you to pray, and know that God will direct you when you have faith in Him. His path for us, his WILL for us is to be in Heaven with Him in the end.  Whatever path he leads me down, I know it is the right one, every time. He knows best, and He wants us to be in the places to be able to do the most good for Him and His Kingdom.  Know that. He has you, just lean on His understanding when we don't understand ourselves the "why's" that eat at us sometimes. 

I leave for a Mission trip tomorrow to New Mexico to help with Manuelito Children's Home.  They are doing great work and caring for precious kids and I am thankful for the opportunity.  Look for ways to do good and look for the good in all - it's always there.  

Blessings, (and a promise to write more often)

Beth

Change

Change is not my favorite thing.  But life is change from the very beginning.  The most trouble I have with change is with our kids.  They are growing up so quickly.  We even have a beautiful granddaughter now, Lucy, who is a busy little bee and such a joy!  Her mama, Cheyenne, does a great job with her and is getting ready for that transition from baby to little girl!  Our Peyton is finishing her Junior year at Freed Hardeman University, and is going to be an amazing Elementary school teacher.  She has wanted to be a teacher as long as I can remember, and does a great job at Bible teaching too!  Her love and understanding for special needs kids is so needed in an inclusive classroom, and I'm sure she will find that change from college student to teacher a very quick one!  Our Camille is studying Psychology at WKCTC, and is finishing her Freshman year.  She is very studious and although this last year has been a difficult one for her with her health, she is strong and resilient and making great grades! Chad, my husband has taken on a new job, and we really love it, he travels but is home much more than any of his previous jobs, and it's a blessing. 

Change is tough when the house is empty.  It's tough when things that were once a common day occasion are now the rarity, i.e. a family meal with everyone here!  But with that change, there are opportunities for things that can be more meaningful as we age.  I miss the day to day running, getting kids to school, therapies, activities, school extracurriculars.  That was certainly an age of meeting myself coming while I was going!! Now, things are much more purposeful.  A visit from my kids is much more special, a weekend where all are home together is planned well in advance.  How to spend my day is much more specific, more planned, much slower paced. 

So what do you do when things have changed so much?  What do you spend your time in?  It is a blessing to me to be able to study the Bible more.  I am involved in the Digging Deep Bible Study by Cindy Colley, it is a true challenge to be in the Word each month. If you don't participate in it, you should!  Also, preparing for VBS and our regular Ladies Bible Class study, and other extra reading that goes along with the sermon series at our congregation, it keeps me busy and in the Bible regularly.  It's a good change, to have more time to devote to that. 

When you are a mama with little ones, just being a worship alone is a great feat.  But it's enough, your children understand the value of worship, they know God is more important than a school activity or a ball game, or a TV show, because you stopped everything, and dressed them, and wiped their faces clean and took them to sing and pray and give and listen to His Word.  That in this day in time is an admirable mama.  Things will change, but when you've grounded them in the truth, they will grow to appreciate those times to worship.  Wednesday nights are a break for the soul from this world, and you will see your babies grow into teens that can sit there, and be refreshed by their teachers, and by participating in worship.  Its good. 

And when they grow up, and your time away from them grows bigger and they sit next to you in worship and sing with you and you see them love God...the change is all worth it.  The growth they have in the Lord is awesome.  You will draw strength from them, yes the same ones you had to feed cheerios to non-stop to keep them quiet.  They will remind you of the importance you placed in worshiping God, by the words they choose to encourage, by their meeting you there at worship, by their strength in difficult times, and those babies will be your Sisters in Christ who are helping you on your journey. 

I am blessed with my girls and my husband, and by having more time to study.  Change can be very good. In the years to come, I hope my time in the Word can help them through difficult times, and I know there will be great times too.  It's all part of being the older helping the younger, all through life's journey.  Titus 2:3-5. God is Good.