Monday, August 31, 2015
Phase 1
Phase 1 of the big move has begun. Bob left here about 10:00 this morning to drive my car to Houston. We packed up his car with boxes, a suitcase, some snacks for the road, and all his electronic gadgets. If all goes well, he should arrive in Houston just in time for Charles’ birthday on Wednesday. Please pray for safe travels for him as he heads out on this long journey.
Sunday, August 30, 2015
New Beginnings
“For I know the plans I have for you, says the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.” (Jer. 29:11)
This week has been party week for us: two farewell parties with family and two with church friends. I was very blessed by the outpouring of support from everyone, even though most of them don’t want us to leave.
The reality of leaving this town and my family and friends hasn’t really sunk in yet. I expect that it will hit me hard next week when Paul and I head out for that long drive to Texas. I plan to keep in touch with people through my blogs and through Facebook, e-mail, and snail mail, but that’s not the same as having a face-to-face conversation with someone.
One of the hardest things to leave is our parish here at St. John’s and our parish “family.” When we first decided to move to Pennsylvania from Maryland over seventeen years ago, the first thing we did was look for a good Catholic church and a house nearby, preferably within walking distance of the church.
We couldn’t have made a better choice. We felt welcomed here from the very first moment we entered the church. Over the years St. John’s has been a real “home” for us, where our faith has been nourished and our lives enriched.
As we began to plan our move to Temple several months ago, my first priority was to find an active Catholic parish with many opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and service. My research led me to St. Luke Catholic Church, which is less than two miles from our apartment in Temple.
St. Luke’s offers many Bible studies and has an active women’s group and young adult group. Also, the parish has joined with the two other Catholic parishes in Temple to run an outreach center which serves the poor of the community. Paul and I hope to get involved with charitable works once we move, and I’m hoping that this outreach center will be the perfect place to start. We also hope to continue our study of the Bible, so I have already signed up for a study on the Acts of the Apostles.
When we moved up here in 1998, we left behind a parish that we loved, and it was just as hard to leave then as it is now. Knowing how much God blessed us in our last move gives me confidence that He will do the same this time as well, in our new parish. I’m trying to keep in mind these verses from one of my favorite psalms (Psalm 139:7-10):
“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.”
Wherever I go, God’s Spirit goes with me, and that is all that really matters. I just need to trust in God that, if I listen, his Spirit will lead me wherever I need to go and will show me what I need to do.
This week has been party week for us: two farewell parties with family and two with church friends. I was very blessed by the outpouring of support from everyone, even though most of them don’t want us to leave.
The reality of leaving this town and my family and friends hasn’t really sunk in yet. I expect that it will hit me hard next week when Paul and I head out for that long drive to Texas. I plan to keep in touch with people through my blogs and through Facebook, e-mail, and snail mail, but that’s not the same as having a face-to-face conversation with someone.
One of the hardest things to leave is our parish here at St. John’s and our parish “family.” When we first decided to move to Pennsylvania from Maryland over seventeen years ago, the first thing we did was look for a good Catholic church and a house nearby, preferably within walking distance of the church.
We couldn’t have made a better choice. We felt welcomed here from the very first moment we entered the church. Over the years St. John’s has been a real “home” for us, where our faith has been nourished and our lives enriched.
As we began to plan our move to Temple several months ago, my first priority was to find an active Catholic parish with many opportunities for spiritual growth, fellowship, and service. My research led me to St. Luke Catholic Church, which is less than two miles from our apartment in Temple.
St. Luke’s offers many Bible studies and has an active women’s group and young adult group. Also, the parish has joined with the two other Catholic parishes in Temple to run an outreach center which serves the poor of the community. Paul and I hope to get involved with charitable works once we move, and I’m hoping that this outreach center will be the perfect place to start. We also hope to continue our study of the Bible, so I have already signed up for a study on the Acts of the Apostles.
When we moved up here in 1998, we left behind a parish that we loved, and it was just as hard to leave then as it is now. Knowing how much God blessed us in our last move gives me confidence that He will do the same this time as well, in our new parish. I’m trying to keep in mind these verses from one of my favorite psalms (Psalm 139:7-10):
“Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend to heaven, thou art there!
If I make my bed in Sheol, thou art there!
If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
even there thy hand shall lead me,
and thy right hand shall hold me.”
Wherever I go, God’s Spirit goes with me, and that is all that really matters. I just need to trust in God that, if I listen, his Spirit will lead me wherever I need to go and will show me what I need to do.
Tuesday, August 25, 2015
Taking the next step
With our move to Texas becoming a reality, over the next few weeks I expect to experience a roller coaster of emotions, ranging from excitement to panic. I hope, though, that in the midst of the chaos my overall attitude will be one of faith and thanksgiving.
When we first started seriously planning our move many months ago, I was beginning to wonder if we were making the right decision. We were preparing to leave our home of 17 years, our family, and many friends, to move to a city we had never even seen. Were we crazy, I wondered. I asked God to give me direction, and he was very quick to answer my prayer.
A few days later I was reading my daily meditation in The Word Among Us, and one section of the meditation really touched me. The Mass reading for that day was the story of Tobiah and Sarah from the book of Tobit. The reflection focused on marriage and the trust in God that married couples need to “move forward into the future.”
The meditation ended with this exhortation: “If you feel God nudging you down a certain path, know that he will be traveling down that path with you as well. So go ahead, and take that next step. Remember all the past times that you’ve seen the Spirit move in your life, and know that he will grant you joy as you step into the future he has planned for you.”
The answer couldn’t have been clearer. I had no doubt that this exhortation was meant for me, with regard to our move. I felt certain that God was saying, “Yes, this is my will for you. I’m asking you to trust me, and I will be with you.”
Over the past few months, when things have gotten crazy and the doubts and fears have started to creep back in, I have gone back to these words many times. I have also tried to remember God’s faithfulness in the past, especially the last time we made a big move.
Please pray for us as we “take that next step.” Pray that we can stay focused on God and that we remain open to whatever he is calling us to in our new home.
When we first started seriously planning our move many months ago, I was beginning to wonder if we were making the right decision. We were preparing to leave our home of 17 years, our family, and many friends, to move to a city we had never even seen. Were we crazy, I wondered. I asked God to give me direction, and he was very quick to answer my prayer.
A few days later I was reading my daily meditation in The Word Among Us, and one section of the meditation really touched me. The Mass reading for that day was the story of Tobiah and Sarah from the book of Tobit. The reflection focused on marriage and the trust in God that married couples need to “move forward into the future.”
The meditation ended with this exhortation: “If you feel God nudging you down a certain path, know that he will be traveling down that path with you as well. So go ahead, and take that next step. Remember all the past times that you’ve seen the Spirit move in your life, and know that he will grant you joy as you step into the future he has planned for you.”
The answer couldn’t have been clearer. I had no doubt that this exhortation was meant for me, with regard to our move. I felt certain that God was saying, “Yes, this is my will for you. I’m asking you to trust me, and I will be with you.”
Over the past few months, when things have gotten crazy and the doubts and fears have started to creep back in, I have gone back to these words many times. I have also tried to remember God’s faithfulness in the past, especially the last time we made a big move.
Please pray for us as we “take that next step.” Pray that we can stay focused on God and that we remain open to whatever he is calling us to in our new home.
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