So, wow!  It has been near insane this month.  Rick was installed.  We had a blast of a party for the Fisher Family.  All of our service personnel from Parkview returned from a 6 month deployment.  We threw a party celebrating their return.  We had a huge goodbye service for the Fishers that was followed by a potluck with our sister Spanish church, Iglesia Restauracion.  And the Fishers have been staying with us in our townhouse for the past week.

Anyway, all that's good and well, but now that Ron and Amie are actually leaving the area for Texas it seems like things are "supposed" to speed up for us and really "turn on".  Here's the thing, I'm already worn out!  So, I'm going to caluculatingly weigh the precious time God has given me.  Rick and I really want to do things that are kingdom-minded.  We don't want to do just to do because we want things to do.  We want to plan with intention and purpose for the greater of glory of God...in all areas of life...spiritual, marriage, parenting, friendships, ministry, worship, writing, etc., etc., etc.

For example, we can read stories that tell the story of God through the lives of others to our children instead of sitting them in front of Little Einsteins.  Or Rick and I can go somewhere where we can talk and enjoy each other's company when we go out instead of mind-numbing ourselves in front of media.  Or we could go on family outings with our friends to maximize all of our time.  At church, we could only have potlucks that reach out to the unchurched and the community or to build unity with a sister church instead of just to feed ourselves and "fellowship".  We must plan worship services that create freedom and deeper intimacy with the Lord instead of just doing what is Sunday tradition.  I can write songs for the church and not just myself.

All of this is said not to sound arrogant or like those other things are wrong.  This is just a true awakening to the fact that choices can be made that result in rich hours of our days.  Choices that maximize, invest, energize, and most importantly progress onward and upwards ourselves and others.  These choices will take some serious discpline though, which is hard.  So, in the words of Michael W. Smith, "Pray for me and I'll pray for you.  Pray that we will keep the common ground."  That ground is God.  Stand on Him in every step you take today in your life (and tomorrow too)!

a new, unsure, and anticipatingly-searching pastor's wife,

Melissa