2011 was a year of many changes for me. It was also the first full year of learning how to put pictures on “Reinventing the We’ll.” Let’s see what happened shall we?
In January I moved back to my childhood home.
You may remember my fight with the black berries at Muddy’s house. in the spring.
And the building of the “Pseudo-Elizabethan” garden. I learned that reclaiming and rebuilding territory is not a quick process.
In June I was relieved of my duties as interim youth pastor by one of my students who was newly credentialed and married. I am so blessed to have Pastor Brad and his wife Cassie on board!
I got a great gift out of the deal and a name that has served me well since! I learned God wastes nothing, not even a good joke.
All three kids came home for a brief visit this summer. They still call this home but more and more their lives seem to be elsewhere.
I got to visit my brother-in-law and sister-in-law at their home in Maine…my first alone vacation. Weird! Yet in the midst of all the changes I learned that family will always be family.
These lessons all came between the wild storms of course!
I have wondered often about the clouds this year. What do they speak about our future? I can only say that change is definitely in the wind!
That notion of course was totally borne out by the fact that Christmas came at Halloween both outside and in.
We had to celebrate early! After all Duddy was moving to Amsterdam to begin her career as a missionary.
So lots of changes in 2011. Virtually nothing went untouched. Some of the changes I am barely ready to look at…others I have embraced and walked into; Most I am still on the fence about. Truthfully though how I feel about ’em doesn’t really matter. I can take the snapshot and freeze forever the memory of the moment but in the end the picture is not life. No… life is that thing that draws us on into the unknown. It’s the thing we haven’t seen or photographed yet. Life makes us stand on the precious resources of memory and experience so that we may reach the hopes and possibilities it holds out to us.
As I look at the year in pictures I see a year I never could have predicted. I guess I have learned to better hold my breath because prophet that I am I have no idea what adventure lies around the next corner.
Reinventing the We'll 
God bless you and all that He has planned for you, Pastor J. Thank you for your ministry to us even while you were in the midst of storms. That takes a very special heart for Him to do that.
Thanks Deb for your words! We all of us are heading into the storm aren’t we? I thank God that Jesus is in the boat with me!
So true, the picture is not life. Yes. Life is life. With eye contact and laughter and tears and even, awkwardness. thanks for the reminder.
And thanks for stopping by! I hope you will read on and find many blessings in these pages!
Thank you Lord, for leading us through the storms we are in and for the ones that are coming. Help us Lord to dance with you in the storm while we wait for the warmth of your Light to shine through the storm clouds. Thank you Pastor J, for encouraging me with your blogs even when you were in your own storms and yet you chose to help others. You are such a blessing to so many of us. God bless you.
Thanks Deb! And likewise you have been a great blessing as you walk with patience the road set before you. We all have our adventures to come. May they bring us deeper into the love of Jesus!
Love you my brother!!! And I miss you!
Love you too little sis! As God ordains we shall see each other soon!
Thanks for sharing, Pastor J
He has taken you on quite a journey – and it ain’t over yet! Thanks for taking us along with you. Pictures second time around are just as great 🙂
I don’t know what’s around the corner either …. I guess that’s one good reason to trust His hand.
Blessings,
ann
Indeed we must trust His hand. He alone has been this way before! 🙂 Be blessed Ann!
It is a blessing to review our walk with the Lord – to see times when He undertook, when He challenged and enabled us to do the seemingly impossible – to see, with regret, how we at times were slow to respond to His promptings – to take notice of the many, many, many times He provided our needs, encouraged us and enabled us. It is also good to allow Him to reveal ‘unfinished’ work – that person I need to talk with again – that person to whom I gave a copy of The Word – that person who suffered a great loss last year . . .
So true! In the review we gain a greater view of ourselves and compassion for those who the road along with us.