A year ago today we loaded up our cars, Jamey and Lillian, my mom and dad, and Winston and Anna Murdock and took the 422 mile trek from our home in Smyrna, Georgia to our new home Louisville, Kentucky. It was a long day of driving, but we made it with all people's sanity in tact. Thinking about a year ago, Jamey was not quite a year and a half in a rear facing car seat trying to put words with things and just getting good on his feet. Lillian was barely two months old in an infant carrier, solely breastfeeding and sleeping most of the time. Jim and I had just celebrated 6 years of marriage and were ready to conquer the world. We could not wait to see what life held in store for us in this new place.
Right away we connected with some great people. Our RAs Dennis and Betsy greeted us warmly and told us where some places to eat and shop were. Saturday morning our downstairs neighbors Ali and Asmaa brought us a pizza and welcomed us to the community. This, has sparked a beautiful friendship. Mandy and her gang came by to bring muffins and welcome us to Louisville. We were, and still are, very grateful to know someone here as well as to have a church body to immediately plug into. Sojourn has been an experience and we are so thankful to have such a church that challenges us in many ways. We were also able to plug into a
community group right away with Wes and Beth, Paul and Sharon, Josh and Deirdre, and Chris and Amy. It was great connecting with local believers immediately. There were a few families that moved into the area around the same time as us, most with kids around our age. The Daughertys, the Linnemans, and the Powells to name a couple. It was crazy living around and going to a church with many children the same age as ours. It has been amazing watching our kids grow together.
Our Great Provider gave Jim a job not long after we moved here in the NICU at Norton Suburban 2 miles from our apartment. They have been great to him and worked with him on scheduling so that we can have time together as a family and be involved in church.
Jim has completed a year of seminary classes including: Systematic Theology I & II, Spiritual Disciplines, Cultural Anthropology, Cultural Communication and New Testament I. When we first started discussing seminary (5 years ago) I had planned to study as well. With 2 children that plan changed, but I have enjoyed learning what he is learning as he brings his knowledge home and shares it. It is all very fascinating and I am thankful to be a part of this great time of learning for him.
I have also learned a lot. A lot about God, a lot about the Bible, a lot about faith, a lot about being a wife, a mother and my calling as a homemaker. I have learned a lot about many other things as well and it would take me a lifetime to write them all. I have really begun to feel the strong urge to write again and I hope to take many of these things and put them into writing and if the Lord wills it, for some of it to be published, whether in fiction or non-fiction form. I will say that everyday is a struggle discovering what it is that God wants me to do and figuring out how I can best give Him glory. But everyday is also a learning opportunity and growing closer to the Lord.
And our kids. Jamey is now 2 years old, in a front facing car seat. He is talking in sentences, picking up words for so many things, talking about anything and everything. He now runs and jumps and climbs, tries to flip. He is such a big boy. Lillian is now 15 months and in a big girl car seat, though still rear facing. She eats everything now! She is starting to talk and says thank you, this, sometimes please, and uses baby signs for other things. She is a champion army crawler and starting to regularly pull up and try to take a few steps while holding hands or a walker. I cannot believe how much she has grown.
And after being here almost 6 months we found out we will be adding number 3 to our ever growing family near the end of August! God's timing in perfect, though sometime we don't understand it.
The most important thing I have learned in the past year is that we are exactly
where God wants us at this time and that is the greatest thing. I have heard Pastor Steve say many times "There is no safer place to be than in the center of God's will." There are good days and bad. Nothing is ever perfect. But even on the days I want to quit, I know that God has put me here for such a time as this. I can't wait to see what the next year holds for us.
Our family today.
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