Easter 2022

I started this Easter morning sitting outside on my front porch before I saw even a hint of sunrise. It's my favorite way to celebrate the day we remember the greatest event in history, the day that changed everything. When my mother-in-law sent me an early morning greeting saying Happy Easter, I told her I was sitting outside waiting for sunrise. She let me know that she was NOT sitting outside in Indiana, where it was only 30 degrees outside. A good reminder to soak up Texas weather while I still can. My first winter back in Indiana sure is going to sting a bit! Thankfully it's a bit warmer in Columbus than in Warsaw, where she is.

If you find me a bit distant lately, it may be that my thoughts are quite jumbled and it takes a lot more mental energy to keep things compartmentalized. I'm in the midst of starting to pack up what I can, purge what I can, and start to get some sort of organized plan of how this move will take place. At the same time, I'm very focused on making sure the time I spend with people here is very meaningful and connected, focusing on quality time rather than thinking about the quantity of time I have left here in Texas. I think COVID helped me adopt that mentality, too. We forget to live life meaningfully until we suddenly can't. I want to spend my days finding the good in people, appreciating them for who they are and the time we can spend together. Because, honestly, we're not ever promised a tomorrow to soak in today. 

There are many things and people in Texas that I will miss, but at the same time, I'm really looking forward to this new adventure on the horizon. A chance to connect and grow close to the Alspaugh side of the family. A chance to see my husband work alongside his brother and be back in an environment where he can breathe and feel comfortable. A chance to live and work in a more natural environment, watching all four seasons play out God's incredible design in this earth. A chance to not just teach students, but invest in each one of them spiritually, inside and outside of the classroom. A chance to work on a smaller team in a smaller environment where my introverted self doesn't get swallowed up in the crowd. A chance to have a fresh start with Mike, living life on mission together, stepping out in faith to see what God has in store for our life and marriage. 

I'm also thankful that God is giving me permission to leave public education and giving Mike a chance to leave the world of retail and being confined to ever-changing, inconsistent schedules. Both have taken a toll on us physically, mentally, and relationally in the last few years. 

When I asked Mike about his recent thoughts about this move, he said he feels like we're preparing to go on a mission trip. But this mission trip is only one way with no return planned. To me, it feels a lot like pursuing Juan David's adoption. We had no guarantee of how it would turn out, either time. It didn't make a lot of sense financially, it meant a lot of sacrifice in every way, and we knew it would change everything about our lives--but we knew without a doubt that God called us to follow in obedience. I hate going so far away from both of my boys more than anything, but I also know that sometimes that distance at their ages really helps them mature, establish their own identify, and step up in responsibility. (At least that's what I'm hoping. Lol.) I'm thankful for how they both are on board and supportive with this unexpected change in our lives. 

I talked with the previous teacher from the school, a young lady who reminded me a lot of younger me at her age, with a heart for missions and a sense of living life on adventure with God. She absolutely did not want to leave New Song and struggled immensely with the decision, but she knew she had to follow God into the next chapter. She's been praying for the next teacher to come, and I'm so humbled to know she's been praying for me. She was so excited to hear from me and thanked me for answering the call to go. The more she talked about everything she did there as a teacher inside and outside of the classroom, investing in the kids and bonding with them, taking them on trips, going to coffee shops, arranging shopping trips or fun activities, inviting them to her home, having dinner together for Together Tuesdays, etc--it just stirred my heart and excited me even more to know that God chose me to follow in her footsteps. It reminded me a lot of my ESL "teaching" days in Warsaw, IN before I ever had a teaching license or even considered getting one. I had a grand plan for "the mission field" back then, a nice script all written of what that would look like. But God has made it so evidently clear over the last 20 or so years that His script looked different than mine. He's kept me consistently on mission, constantly weaving together every part of my life to prepare me for the next chapter. Now here He is again, using the beginning of my unexpected teaching career to show me how He has prepared me and my heart for this phase ahead. It ALL works together. 

We've still been pretty quiet, only telling the people closest to us, more out of respect/caution with our jobs. I look forward to the day that I can share on social media about New Song and raise more awareness about the incredible faith that founded the mission. But not yet. Probably not until we're very close to moving--which, really, isn't that far away. I better get back to my to-do list so I don't get overwhelmed. Here's my new motto that I have to keep coming back to, reminding me that God's got every detail covered. I found it on an old LakePointe shirt as I was starting to go through clothes that I want to keep or not. I think I'm going to wear this one often now. 

First things first, to hop on my bike while my family is scattered for at least the morning. Here's a pic of all of us together for the Easter service yesterday.