Judgement. Eyes. Off Me.
Two Thousand Seventeen. I'm having a hard time processing all the things that means:
1. Cole & I have been together for TWENTY years. I feel like I'm barely 20 years old...
2. My firstborn baby is a decade old. What?
3. I graduated high school 17 years ago. I seem to recall only being slightly older than that when I graduated, so...
4. My baby child started Kindergarten. Rude.
5. After 3 years, Moberly has become home. We are Spartans... and we love it!
This year finally felt settled. Nothing particularly new or exciting, different or challenging, and you all know how I love that.
- I finished my first year teaching at MMS and started my second. I found another workplace that feels like home and have coworkers that feel like family. And I've confirmed that kids are kids, and middle schoolers are crazy, no matter where you live.
- We wrapped up our (almost) third year as small business owners. Cole figured out how to run the shop without me; and he does the business of a small army with just 2 guys. He's amazing like that! And for 5 months he took on the challenge of not only running a business, but also operating a Daddy Daycare... and made it look easy peasy.
- Javik started his last year of school before middle school! He's loving 5th grade. He's a genius of course, doing math at an almost high school level and reading college-level texts. He amazes me with his ability to learn and remember everything... selectively of course. Somehow remembering to put his laundry in the hamper that is 3 feet from his room is still a challenge some days. 😉
- Zailey Belle started Kindergarten! The first half of her year was spent at "Nolan Belle Motors Pre-School" with Cole. She learned so much she probably could have skipped Kindergarten! But alas... she marched right into that school like she knew what she was doing. In her first semester she has gotten all great marks, great behavior reports, and was given the Character Award for kindness by her teacher & principal. #proudmomalert AND, she's a reader! #gamechanger
So basically, just life as usual. Both kids played soccer and I think Javik finally found a sport that he loves! He's become a great Defender and is even thinking of trying to get on the local travelling team. Zailey has great plans for this coming year including gymnastics, softball, soccer, and piano. She clearly doesn't understand how busy works.
Oh! And in September we doubled the size of our household when our great friends moved to Moberly to jump into church planting with us, and they moved in to our house while they're looking for the perfect home in the Magic City! If you've read any of my other posts (I'm looking at you, Mom...) you'll remember that I've been praying for a "tribe". Low and behold, God moved a tribe member right into my house for me. #Heanswersmyprayersveryspecifically
People keep asking me how it's going... I think they assume it must be chaos. I'm sure there are a lot of people that I could NOT live with, and God knows that! Praise Jesus that the Vandalls are not those people! We're all pretty laid back and it just works! In fact, I feel like we got the better deal out of it! It's basically getting to hang out with your good friends 24/7, plus my kids got 2 extra parents & a big brother and sister! We could not be more excited about doing life with them, and while we'll be excited for them when they find a house nearby 😉😉, we'll actually be really sad when they move out.
People keep asking me how it's going... I think they assume it must be chaos. I'm sure there are a lot of people that I could NOT live with, and God knows that! Praise Jesus that the Vandalls are not those people! We're all pretty laid back and it just works! In fact, I feel like we got the better deal out of it! It's basically getting to hang out with your good friends 24/7, plus my kids got 2 extra parents & a big brother and sister! We could not be more excited about doing life with them, and while we'll be excited for them when they find a house nearby 😉😉, we'll actually be really sad when they move out.
So 2018...
The biggest thing on the horizon for us is the launch of Redeemer Church Moberly! We've prayed for a long time about how this new church plant would look. It has been very clear for the past few years that the Lord was telling us to wait. Waiting for what, we weren't sure. But we have known that this church is HIS church, and if any success will be to HIS glory, then the timing would have to be HIS as well.
Cole's heart all along has been to do ministry for free. Having been on staff at a church since he was 17, the last 3 years have shown us the freedom that comes with doing ministry just because you want to serve the Lord, and not because you're dependent on a church's paycheck. So... to do ministry for free means that you have to also work somewhere else. Because life takes money. We certainly cannot be those "off the grid" type people. I don't even like camping.
So clearly Nolan Belle Motors has to keep paying the bills if this is going to work. And as I mentioned earlier, Cole's pretty much maxed out there. So our prayers have been that God would send us people... ministers of the gospel... other Jesus-lovers who would come alongside us and join us in this work. And guess what? He totally did! Without us (or them) even realizing it, He was preparing the hearts of His followers to begin this new thing in Moberly. He has used this Core Team to breathe life into this church and we are so humbled / excited / eager / scared / ready! We are anxious to see this church full of people who love Jesus, and are believing God that He can and will use Redeemer Church to redeem this sweet city.
As for the rest of our time, we're certainly not going to be bored. We'll be working and playing, the kids' teams and clubs, a family vacay to NYC... maybe even a trip to the beach if I can convince the Mister.
This year I want to be a vessel. I want to work on some renovation to my temple, if you know what I mean. I want to devote my heart to His word and be more faithful to spend time in it at the beginning of each day. I want to be present each day with my sweet family. I want to look at my phone less and read more. I want to learn something new and do something I've never done before. I want to make new friends and keep in touch with old ones.
I want a lot of things. I know it's presumptuous that I would get any of them accomplished, but new years always give me a sense of hope! So here's to this new year! I have great expectations for what 2018 will bring!
CH out.
CH out.
