For the next week and a half:
Nashville on business and to visit brother
Chattanooga on business and visit B & M
Atlanta for a family reunion and to visit various covenant friends
Home for two days with the parents for their first visit to Memphis
New Orleans on business
"Whether God come to his children with a rod or crown,
if he come himself with it, it is well.
Welcome, welcome Jesus, what way soever thou come,
if we can get a sight of thee. And sure I am, it is better to be sick,
providing Christ come to the bed-side, and draw aside the
curtains, and say 'Courage, I am thy salvation,' than to
enjoy health, being lusty and strong, and never to be
visited of God."
~ Samuel Rutherford: June 26, 1630
For the first time in several years, I find myself in an adult Sunday School class at my new church - Riveroaks Reformed PCA. For the past three years, I taught the same three kids at my home church. They started out to be 3 & 4 and when I left they had all just turned 7.
One aspect that I did not realize that I would miss so much when I moved was to be with them every Sunday for an hour. When I started teaching their Sunday School, none of them liked to pray out loud and now they fight over who is going to pray before we start. We had great times together every Sunday: teaching the lesson, praying for the church and specific requests, crafts, laughing together and just becoming a great little family.
I realize that they taught me so much in the past three years: having a child like faith for everything, praying without ceasing, and being faithful in our prayer requests. We had wonderful times together.
We also experienced a lot of sadness in our small church this year. One of our members, a father and husband, passed away after being sick in the hospital for nine months. This was the time that I saw my kids grow in their faith. They each prayed for Mike every Sunday morning. The Sunday after the funeral, I was worried walking into chuch and hoped that they did not think that their prayers were not answered. But, once again, a sweet lesson from our covenant children; when I asked how they felt about Mike dying, each of them had a huge smile on their face and praised God that Mike was home ~ heaven.
As I sit in the pastor's class, my mind often drifts to those three children and all they have meant to me.
Life has been extremely different in the past few months. I have moved nineteen hours away from my family to Memphis, TN (otherwise known as the bankruptcy capital of the United States). I love Tennessee, but I am still not sure what I think of Memphis.
A few points worth mentioning:
Graceland
Close to the birth place of Tina Turner (according to Jeep)
Close to my brother before he goes to Iraq to teach
No state income tax!!
Chaper cost of living then Maryland
Overall, the Lord has given much grace and peace as I moved away from my family to a city where I knew no one, started a new job, and trying to become part of a new church family. I do not know how these chapters will end or continue, but I look forward to see what will happen.