Three Halloweens.

I have to admit, I haven't really even thought about my blog in more than a month. It's been hard finding time to write down thoughts, let alone think them! Hopefully I'll be able to spend more time here in the next few weeks as 2009 winds down. I'm sure at least one new post will be a reflection on this past year and how crazy it has been. On Halloween, I thought about the last three October 31sts and how different each one was:

10/31/07 - On the very day of Halloween, I had sent out my resignation letter to the elders and staff of the church I was working at in Springboro to let them know that I had accepted an opportunity to plant a church in my home state of Colorado. I remember I was a little nervous about going trick or treating in a certain neighborhood because I wasn't sure if I was going to run into one of the staff or elders and didn't know if they received the letter or not. I didn't really want to have one of those awkward conversations while my daughter was wanting to get more candy from other houses. Thankfully it didn't happen. I remember being very excited about the chance to return "home," if you will. I had regretted leaving Colorado when we did in 2000, and I thought this was a chance to stay in Colorado for the rest of my life. Little did I know that on...

10/31/08 - I was planning on moving back to Ohio. 2008 was even wackier than this year was. We moved back to Colorado and the entire year we were there, we never felt any stability or reassurance that we were supposed to be there. By the time Halloween had rolled around, we had decided to move back. Our house had never sold, my position at the church plant had been reduced to part time, and to be honest we were discouraged because we wrongly assumed that we would be welcomed back to Colorado with open arms. We wrongly assumed that the people whose lives we had touched and impacted over the years we served at my home church in Colorado would be interested in us being back and would want to help support us - if not financially, at least by encouraging us. That did not happen for the most part. And yes, I am still bitter and trying to let that go. The night of Halloween I was with my brother because my family was already back in Ohio, so we ended up going to a U2 tribute band concert, which took my mind off what I had been struggling with during the time (besides the bitterness I just mentioned). I was moving back without knowing what I was going to be doing. I was getting burned out on ministry and churches, so I wasn't sure if that's what I wanted to continue doing. I was angry and confused.

10/31/09 - A year later, I can look back and see God's plan, at least part of it. I still don't fully understand why we moved away from Ohio, but we have seen God bring us through this year with much blessing and we are thankful to be back where we are supposed to be, in Ohio. We got to move back into the house we love. Our family got to be back together again (we were apart for 5 months in late 2007/2008). We found a great church to do ministry in again. We were able to reconnect with many of our friends we had developed relationships with in Ohio. Through generous people here in Ohio, as well as a family member, we survived not having a job for four months relatively unscathed (although we are still feeling the financial effects of paying for most of our ministry expenses in Colorado with our own credit card and then only getting reimbursed for a fourth of it, which was not what was promised).

Three Halloweens. Three entirely different situations. We have learned our lesson and are growing roots where God has planted us - here in Ohio. We look forward to another year of stability and growth.