A Time to be Bold!

The Bible speaks of a time to every purpose under heaven.  I think for me, in this time of my life, my purpose is to step out in faith and be bold in all that I do.  It started when hubby and I stepped out boldly with the job change and has continued throughout the process of the move. 

About a week and a half ago I bravely took Tigger to the very large airport and sent her on her way through security so that she could fly back to the old stomping grounds for winter formal.  I'm not sure what part of that trip was the most difficult...watching her walk through security by herself, fly on an airplane by herself, or agonize over her safety and well being while she was there, or worse yet, be fearful that she wouldn't want to come back.  The later is a very real fear, especially since she gave up her friends and school during the middle of her junior year (yep, right at Christmas time) to move with her parents and little brother 12 hours northeast of what she called home fror 9 years.

Needless to say, I didn't sleep well while she was gone.  The best part of stepping out in faith on that decision was when we arrived at the airport to pick up our girl!  She met us at the luggage claim with a smile and lots of stories.  The best story though was the one that she told us about how excited she was to come home.  She told us she misses her friends, but was glad that she had made the decision to move with us.  Such a relief!  I slept soundly that night knowing that our prayers had been answered and that we had done the right thing. 

Along with more boxes being unpacked and more pictures up on the walls, Tigger and I discovered the salon of choice and a wonderful stylist named Rayanne.  She was not only good at her ability to cut and style hair, she had a kindness that surpassed any expectations that we had.  She made both of us feel like a million bucks from the inside out!

My Mighty Warrior has adjusted well to his new preschool.  He and I stepped out of our comfort zone this week too and went to my first ever MOPS meeting.  It was good.  We were both exposed to somethng new and we met new people.  Most interesting though, I met a woman for the next town over from the last place that we lived.  Even more interesting, her aunt and I are friends.  How crazy is that!

One afternoon this week, the kids and I drove to a nearby town and met with grandma and had lunch.  This was another bold move on my part whereas I had never driven without hubby out of town around here.  I was very proud of myself.

The final "big step" that we took this weekend as a family was to attend 2 different church services.  One was held at the church that hosts MOPS on Saturday night, the other was at a church on Sunday morning closer to downtown that we had attended the first weekend that we were here house hunting.  I can comfortably say that the later church service felt very exciting and like that of what we were hoping for.  We are looking forward to seeing how we can serve in this new venue.

15 years ago, I would have never taken as many bold steps as I have this past week, (did I mention that not only did I get my hair cut, but I also got red highlights?).  Some of it I think comes with maturity, some of it comes from a deep down feeling of happiness and some of it is just learning to be bold.  Bold isn't bad, it is a process though and right now, boldness is a blessing!

Peace From the Inside

There is a light breeze outside and a few snowflakes being tossed around.  The sky is overcast and as my Mighty Warrior has pointed out, it is a perfect afternoon for hot chocolate.  Looking through the kitchen window, down towards the lake with a steamy mug of chocolate love in my hands, I feel a warmth on the inside that comes not only from tasty sips of cocoa, but from peace.  There is a quietness and a feeling of being content that I can't ignore.  Everything may not be right with the world, within the neighborhood, or even in the house, but there is a peace within my heart that passes all understanding.  If I could wish one thing for my kids right now in this moment, it would be that I wish them peace.  I hope they will find a minute in their day just to take a deep breath, be grateful for all that they have been blessed with and remember that their mom loves them!

Maybe they will even be motivated to make some homemade hot cocoa for themselves too!

Hot Cocoa

• 1 C. Powdered Coffee Creamer
• 1 C. Powdered Sugar
• 1 C. Powdered Milk
• 1/3 C. Cocoa

Mix ingredients together and store in an air-tight container.  To use, add 2-3 tablespoons of mixture to a coffee mug and add about 6oz-8oz of boiling water, stir well, and enjoy!

Settling In

I wish that all of the boxes were unpacked and everything in its proper place.  I wish that I could say with confidence that I know where everything is and even more so, that I "liked" where everything was placed.  I wish the house felt like my favorite pair of slippers; you know the ones that you put on that are not only cozy to the toesies but cute too!  The fact of the matter is I have to keep reminding myself that our house is a work in progress.  It takes time because I want it to feel right.  Just like my slippers, I want the house to be a place where people come in and feel comfortable, warmly welcomed and at home.  It will get there just a few more boxes...