Sycamore

This house.

This is the house where our oldest son learned to walk, talk and feed himself. I remember one night we came home after a long car ride (from vacation, I believe) and he just ran up and down the same stretch of hallway for about an hour as he had recently discovered running. He also fell down the stairs in a superhero costume for the first time in this house.

He was potty trained in this house. Had his first nightmare in this house. Prayed for many people and welcomed many guests in this house--friends, family, people who were homeless.

This is house is where dear friends realized dreams come true and were able to adopt their baby and bring him to our home from the hospital for a few weeks.

This house is where we attempted a cook out with about 40 of Andy's closest officer friends (sessionmates).

This house is where many have been prayed for, cried with, feasted around the table and more.

This house is where a dear friend facetimed with me while I was having contractions with our youngest baby to watch my mommy take her last breath.

This house is where we brought our baby home to from the hospital--where he learned to crawl and speak his first words and express his personality.

This house is where an 18 year old girl was fostered, cared for and loved for a year. This house was there when she graduated high school and left for college.

This house was our home. It was good to us and we have tried to be good to it.

This house held our sorrows and our joys. The rockers on the porch participated in Elijah seeing sunrises, listening to rain storms, and listening to the birds sing.

This house was a refuge in times of deep trial.

This back yard was here countless hours of play was spent imagining, dreaming and having fun. This backyard even hosted a "castle," a "fishing boat," and a "water amusement park." This back yard hosted lots of cookouts with good company and my first ever garden attempt where we picked our vegetables together as a family and ate them.

This house was refuge for our teenagers--a safe place with legit wifi.

This house hosted strategic planning sessions for advancing the Army mission forward, prayer meetings, CEP meetings, discipleship classes and even DIY Home League nights.

This was a good home. I will miss it. I pray the family moving in loves it as much as we did and makes many happy memories here.

Thank you, 1323 Sycamore.

The "almost, not yet" time

"Do you know that there's a halfway world between each ending and each new beginning? It's called the hurting time, Jean Perdu. It's a bog; it's where your dreams and worries and forgotten plans gather. Your steps are heavier during that time. Don't underestimate the transition, Jeanno, between farewell and new departure. Give yourself the time you need. Some thresholds are too wide to be taken in one stride." -The Little Paris Bookshop by Nina George.

Leaving Murfreesboro, TN. A hard appointment that we have loved well. Heading to Roanoke, VA. A hard appointment that we will love well. Thank you to so many in this sweet community who have warred with us.
~~~~~

My Covenant
Called by God
to proclaim the Gospel of our LORD and Saviour Jesus Christ as an officer in The Salvation Army.

I bind myself to this solemn covenant

to love and serve Him supremely all of my days,

to live to win souls and make their salvation the first purpose of my life,

to care for the poor, feed the hungry, clothe the naked, love the unlovable, and befriend those who have no friends,

to maintain the doctrines and principles of The Salvation Army, and, by God's grace to prove myself a worthy officer.

Done in the strength of my LORD and Saviour, and in the presence of the Territorial Commander, training college officers and fellow cadets.