So, our house has a new piece of jewelry...

it's true, we are officially supposed to be cleaning.



Billy is talking dumpster. I'm thinking about those big rubbermaid boxes. Both of us are knowing that this needs to be done before we leave for our cross cultural training school. Both of us are wondering why it's taken us this long to get drastic. It's not always easy living in this transition-land. I mean, honestly. In late November, Billy and I were challenged to set a departure date. No more "someday" but to pray and ask God for an actual date. It was an odd exercise, knowing that we aren't at all ready financially and knowing that once Billy quits his job, we are fully at the mercy and generosity of you guys... the people in our community. But we recognized the wisdom in the voice that was speaking to us and Billy and I began to pray. Both of us, separately, came back to the table with the month of May in our hearts. Random but true. So, we set forth making plans for May... knowing we had only begun to begin receiving our monthly support pledges...but also knowing that we couldn't wait until all of it was promised before we'd truly believe we were moving. We are moving. I often say that this wasn't our idea and we wrestled our way into this... and are absolutely certain of our calling and our God who is doing the asking. There is no other way I'd even dream of this. Moving to South Africa. ha. But ... you already know the story... it came to the point where we knew exactly what God was asking and we had to choose to either jump in with both feet or to say "no thanks" to God...



Even now we are only at 20% of our monthly funding needs. That's not even close. So, with the knowledge that we only have 20% spoken for...and May is coming soon... we do what? Do we sit here in limbo waiting? Do we re-enroll our kids in school for next year? Do we buy snowboots for everyone or suitcases? Do we proceed as if we are going in May? Do we get discouraged and give up? Do we wait in anticipation to see what God is going to do? Do we sign up for swim lessons? Do we pack the swimsuits away?


I know what we've been doing... we pray a lot and try to figure out what is the next right thing to be doing. Long ago we asked God to not scare us with the big picture but to just give us glimpses of the "next right thing" and He has been beautiful and honored us with that... sometimes getting what we want is frustrating too. You know, it might be nice to have a little more of a plan.

But for now... we continue with what we know an wait for God to change our circumstances or our hearts so we can know what the next right thing is. For now, it seems that the next right thing is giving our house a new piece of jewelry... a beautiful sign in the front lawn... and come this upcoming week, she will get a good scrubbing (perhaps a bit of a deep cleaning spa treatment as well). So the house, we weren't planning on selling it. We we hoping to rent so we'd have something to come home to... but sometimes the path shifts and you find that the only good step wasn't the one you had envisioned. Selling seems to very much be our next right thing at this juncture... we're not sure why... but we are confident. About the selling, not about the cleaning it up to get ready to show .. but I have a couple days before I need to dive in to that one. ..


first, I have to continue down here in the digital darkroom, finishing all the fabulous portraits I took this weekend in our third (can you believe it... THIRD) portrait weekend... with 21 families in attendance! What started out as a one of has turned into a THIRD... I can't show you my favorites from the sessions... because the families haven't even seen them yet... but I will show you my favorite assistant... who can test lights with me like nobody's business and can make ANY baby smile! And who is so beautiful she doesn't even need to know she is posing to take an amazing portrait.

This evening she says to me...
"what do you think it would be like if David Crowder and David Bowie were brothers?? .... and if they were my uncles.... wouldn't that be cool?"

can you even imagine?

Now THAT family gathering is something to think about. true.