2012 To Date In Review
Wow! Has it really been almost a year since my last post? Well let's see if I can sum up the last 9 months.
- In March we sold our house and moved in with the in-laws in hopes of building a country home
- In Jun-ish our land agreement fell through and so we were homeless in the worst buyer market in the country
- In July we continued praying for patience and the Lord's will to be revealed and tossed the idea of moving around
- In July we also grew spiritually by leaps and bounds as we felt the call to plant a church in Odessa (thanking the Lord the whole time that He was not calling us to move, especially because this whole time Aubin was pregnant with our seventh child!)
- In July we landed a house that by God's grace and humor was actually across the street and two doors down from the one we sold in March
- In August we survived another move into the new house, a complete renovation, done by yours truly and friends (we're talking wallpaper so thick you couldn't find the light switches), breaking the news of the church plant call to the church I served at, and the birth of Obadiah Valor Stroope (another cute boot to add to the Stroope Troop)
- In September we began the settling process as all renovation was paused and the middle of the night feedings began. I began planning for the church planting process and we began the exit process from the church we were serving at, which by the way is a very hard process on the spirit and emotions even when done in a loving, friendly and supportive way.
- In October we started having small services in our home with about 35 men, women and children and I began to see God's providence in allowing us to move back to a home in the city, a home that was larger than the last so we could have services and home that was next to neighbors that we had already been witnesses and ministers too in the last four years. October was a month of many firsts. The first time that my family and I have "missed" a month of services in an established church building in exchange for a church meeting in our home. The first time that we have had Sunday night service with no Sunday morning service. The first time that I have preached on a weekly basis instead of once a quarter and on holidays. The first time that we have included our family of nine in the service instead of utilizing a nursery or Sunday School. The first time that I have worked from home and known the joy of being close to the family all day everyday. The first time that the kids have seen me work from home creating the need to define work time from play time.
That brings us to November. As I write the words it is hard to believe that the year is almost over and that so much has happened to change our lives in such a short amount of time while those changes will probably cause so much more to happen in the next year of our life that I cannot imagine it all. Through it all we are learning that God is sovereign, He is providential, and He is king over everything that comes our way and is in control over everything that is taken away. We are in what I would call the strangest, most blessed, most uncomfortable, most sanctifying time of our lives and while it looks nothing like what I had planned for my life 10 years ago (thank you Lord) it is the most undeservedly blessed life that I could ever imagine and I wouldn't change a thing. I hope to start writing more often and daily if the time allows and I hope that my friends who receive this blog directly will be encouraged and blessed by all of my news and musing.
Until the next dip in the well....
- In March we sold our house and moved in with the in-laws in hopes of building a country home
- In Jun-ish our land agreement fell through and so we were homeless in the worst buyer market in the country
- In July we continued praying for patience and the Lord's will to be revealed and tossed the idea of moving around
- In July we also grew spiritually by leaps and bounds as we felt the call to plant a church in Odessa (thanking the Lord the whole time that He was not calling us to move, especially because this whole time Aubin was pregnant with our seventh child!)
- In July we landed a house that by God's grace and humor was actually across the street and two doors down from the one we sold in March
- In August we survived another move into the new house, a complete renovation, done by yours truly and friends (we're talking wallpaper so thick you couldn't find the light switches), breaking the news of the church plant call to the church I served at, and the birth of Obadiah Valor Stroope (another cute boot to add to the Stroope Troop)
- In September we began the settling process as all renovation was paused and the middle of the night feedings began. I began planning for the church planting process and we began the exit process from the church we were serving at, which by the way is a very hard process on the spirit and emotions even when done in a loving, friendly and supportive way.
- In October we started having small services in our home with about 35 men, women and children and I began to see God's providence in allowing us to move back to a home in the city, a home that was larger than the last so we could have services and home that was next to neighbors that we had already been witnesses and ministers too in the last four years. October was a month of many firsts. The first time that my family and I have "missed" a month of services in an established church building in exchange for a church meeting in our home. The first time that we have had Sunday night service with no Sunday morning service. The first time that I have preached on a weekly basis instead of once a quarter and on holidays. The first time that we have included our family of nine in the service instead of utilizing a nursery or Sunday School. The first time that I have worked from home and known the joy of being close to the family all day everyday. The first time that the kids have seen me work from home creating the need to define work time from play time.
That brings us to November. As I write the words it is hard to believe that the year is almost over and that so much has happened to change our lives in such a short amount of time while those changes will probably cause so much more to happen in the next year of our life that I cannot imagine it all. Through it all we are learning that God is sovereign, He is providential, and He is king over everything that comes our way and is in control over everything that is taken away. We are in what I would call the strangest, most blessed, most uncomfortable, most sanctifying time of our lives and while it looks nothing like what I had planned for my life 10 years ago (thank you Lord) it is the most undeservedly blessed life that I could ever imagine and I wouldn't change a thing. I hope to start writing more often and daily if the time allows and I hope that my friends who receive this blog directly will be encouraged and blessed by all of my news and musing.
Until the next dip in the well....
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