Stress #1 Solved...Many more to come!

I love that we are writing again, but I also think what Mom said is true....that we are talking more and probably in better communication as life continues on. So many life changes have taken place for both Ryan and I (and all of you!) in the past few months.


First life change...Marriage. I tell you what--being newlyweds is the best thing in the world. I am thankful every single day for my HUSBAND. I am grateful that he works at understanding me, at loving me with grace and patience, and we just continue to grow together as we learn the best ways to love each other. Here is one example of Ryan's amazingnesss taken from an email he sent me earlier today regarding my job decision:


"As your husband, I am here to support your decisions, give you encouragement in those decisions and ultimately leave the decision up to you. I am so proud of you and in this case feel that you have taken the time to really think this one through. It is tough to leave a position and even tougher to leave a Boss that has treated you so well over the years. I don’t envy that at all. What I do envy is your strength and poise through this process and I am truly looking forward to where your new position will lead. You are an amazing woman, a great worker, and an even better wife! I love you dearly and will stand by you for as long as we live."


(Let's just say I was in tears after reading that!)


Which brings me to the second life change....Job. After four years at Young Life, I have decided to take another position. I am excited, nervous, and definitely feel out of my comfort zone. I have mulled this decision over and over in my head, but after talking to Joe (boss) today, it was an easy one. He told me I needed to take the job, that God's fingerprints are all over this, and that it will be such a better career move than staying with Young Life. I can't get a more direct answer than that. Although it will be sad leaving this place of comfort, I am more excited to use my degree, to enter a new realm where I will daily be reminded to have compassion and to love deeply.


As I was driving down to the office today, I was preparing myself with worship songs, prayer, and just asking God to give me a sense of what is right. This song by Sixpence None the Richer spoke directly to my heart. It is so beautiful the way God knows what we need to hear. Here are the lyrics:

You're a painting with symbols deep,
a symphony soft as it shifts from dark beneath
a poem that flows, caressing my skin
in all of these things You reside and I want You to flow from the pen, bow and brush
with paper and string, and canvas tight
with ink in the air, to dust Your light--from morning to the black of night

This is my call: I belong to You
This is my call: to sing the melodies of You
This is my call, I can do nothing else, I can do nothing else

You're the scent of an unfound bloom
a simple tune I only write variations to soothe the mood
a drink that will knock me down to the floor
a key that will unlock the door where I hear a voice sing familiar themes, then beckons me
as I weave notes in between a tap and a string, a tap and a glass
You pour me till the day has passed....

This is my call: I belong to You
This is my call; to sing the melodies of You
This is my call, I can do nothing else, I can do nothing else

Lyrics can't get more beautiful than that. This was such a reminder that no matter which job I chose, no matter what I decided to do, that my most basic call was to sing the melodies of Christ, to praise this life that He gave to us, and that at the end of the day, I belong to Him and can rest knowing that He will make the most out of anything I give to Him. Such a great moment of revelation and freedom.

Life is so rich right now. Spring has always been the start of new things...last year, an engagement, and this year, a new job and community in Denver. Pray for me in this transistion...that I latch on to new skills and duties and that I will grow in all ways. Another blessing: Erik (the best man in our wedding) and his wife, Lauren, will be moving to Denver this summer! He just landed a teaching job here and we are so excited to have them join our growing community of beloved friends. We are so blessed with new people in our lives...Jason, Kimberly and their baby Driggs; Caleb & Daron, Molly & Mike, Hannah & Jesse...and now Erik & Lauren.

Lastly, pray for Ryan as he interviewed last week with Baxa and is waiting to see what his future there looks like. Pray for direction as there may now be more than one opportunity within the company...and pray for a peace of mind regardless of what happens.

We love you all dearly and are so excited for April 1!
With overflowing love in our hearts,

Kristi (& Ryan)

While Courtney is in New York

Hey guys, it's Matt. Good to have mom's challenge to write again, so I had a few minutes, I thought I'd share what's on my mind.

First of all, I feel like exciting things are happening all over our family right now. I pray that God continues to lead and guide us. I like to think that mom and dad prepared us for an exciting year with our Christmas service and challenging us to think about Bible characters and Bible stories. I know that trying to let myself be led like Joseph was led has been challenging to me.

But I also think we'll have to pray for the stress levels of the family. Knowing that Kristine and Andrew are both looking for changes, especially with jobs, and Kristi and Ryan are looking at job changes too, and Courtney and I are expecting family changes (yeah Judah!) All of these things are good, I think, but I know they cause stress. After talking with Kristi on the phone Tuesday night, I thought about the difficult time it might be just changing jobs, getting out of the routine. It could be really good, but it is still hard. So I'm praying for all of us in our stress, that God will give us clarity and peace.

As for me, I'm without my wife for a couple of days. Gideon thinks that Mommy is in New York to get him a present and didn't understand why she wasn't home for dinner last night. We had a good night, but I know why single parenting is so hard. This is actually the first time I've had to parent Gideon alone for more than a day. So I could use prayer in that. And then I'll be seeing some of you this weekend, which will be great.

While your at reading blogs, you might want to check out my other blog, forgehosannahs.blogspot.com. It's just about how I see God in the everyday things of my life... picking a middle name for Judah, singing with Gideon, the shower... I won't feel offended if you don't though.

I love you all, and I am praying for you even as I type! Thanks for getting us started again Mom!

Matt.

Oh, it has been so long since any of us has written. I would like to think that it is because we are talking more, but is that true? All of us have many issues that need to be prayed for. All of us need prayers on direction and keeping our feet to the path that God has set before us. All of us know that that path is put before us and God promises to lead us. But to be lead we have to give up control. Sometimes I think that we equate contol with using our inteligence. And yet in not asking God for our path we sometimes show our selfishness. I think that all sin stems from a form of selfishnes. I am missing all of you tonight! It tends to make me reflective! Could I ask all of you to pray for Kristi tonight? She needs the Lord to lead her, or at the very least to use her where she is put! Andrew needs us. How will we as a family rise to the challenge of praying. I am sorry that I have been so caught in the day to day that I have not invested in the future of our family by writing. Let's make this a daily habit! I love you all!
Mom