We finally have the details of the move more or less finalized. After a couple of frustrating days and calls to the movers, we have our move date nailed down for Monday, August 2nd. Before, we had been told anything from August 2nd-4th, and then even as late as Friday the 6th. Having the date set finally allowed us to make reservations at the hotels along the way. While this may seem like a rather small detail, it does provide some comfort for me, being very type A when it comes to planning trips.
This does however, throw our packing into full gear. The house is starting to empty out, but that hasn't stopped us from enjoying some time with the people we love most. Last night for instance, we had our "last" game night with the youth. It was great, despite the empty voids in the room, to spend quality time with them. It is nights like these that will always stay in my mind as we stayed up till 1:30 am playing the Wii, singing random songs at the top of our lungs, having Hillary, Suzanne and Brandi play dress-up, and other various activities.
Tonight, we will continue to spend time with our friends and family. Right now, as I write this, Emily and Mrs. Temple are in the floor with Megan packing all of our dishes... I'm out of the room for obvious reasons because the dishes would be broken if left for me to pack. (Whether or not some might be broken intentionally or not is another discussion...) Haley just arrived to lend a hand as well and my parents will be getting here in an hour or so to move some of our stuff to their house.
I have been constantly reminded in a time like this who really means the most to us. They all, whether friend or family, have been here for us throughout the entire process. I can only hope that once we get to California, that we can find a way to bridge the geographical gap and still have access to this wonderful web of support.
P.S.-- For anyone interested, we started a Skype account to hopefully be able to talk with people once we get out to California. Our Skype ID is chrisandmeganbrown
Thursday, July 29, 2010
Tuesday, July 27, 2010
Traditions
It has been a long couple of weeks...
Our yard sale was a pretty good success. For as hot as it was, we were able to sell most of our stuff, and have made around $450 so far for our trip. We still have a few things left to try and sell, but that will help cover some of the costs of our journey.
Last week, we ventured up to Lynchburg, Virgina for the Mission Connections Celebrations camp with our "youth family". This has been one of the annual trips we take with our youth, and an awesome place to see God at work. It was a tiring week, but one filled with many good times, laughter, memorable quotes, and even some tears.
When we returned, the next night we had our last game night with the youth. Who knew you could have so much fun just sitting around playing the Wii until 1:30 in the morning. Then, yesterday, the youth threw Megan and I a "surprise" going away party.
The past three to four years have been filled with countless events such as these, yet each are different and special in there own way. The thing about many of these events is that they have become traditions in our family of youth.
Today, Megan and I somehow got into a discussion about dumb traditions vs. good traditions. It seemed very fitting that we had that discussion, because so many of the tradititons in our lives will come to an end, for at least some years. Thinking simply about the youth, there are so many traditions that have developed. Here is a list of just a few....
Whenever you try to follow God's will for your life, it never will be easy. Too often I think we feel entitled as Christians to have the easiest path possible. I mean, if we are doing what God wants us to, why should it be difficult, but we are never promised that. All that we are guaranteed, is that God will never leave us.
On the ride back from Lynchburg, I was listening to a sermon series by Andy Stanley. Something he said really stuck out. Stanley said, "Even though God may be silent, doesn't mean that God is absent." Think about that for a second... How many times do we automatically assume if we don't get an answer automatically that God must have left us.
This trip to California will not be easy. There will be many trials, tribulations once we arrive. Still, regardless of what happens when we get there, one of the most difficult tasks through this whole ordeal is leaving the lives we have here. There are amazing kids in our lives here... all the students that have touched my life at Chesnee High School mean the world. I could not have asked for a better first school to teach at. However, the kids that I love the most are my youth family at New Pleasant. They can never be replaced, and I know they will always have a piece of our hearts.
Traditions serve a purpose in all of our lives... they help us remember the past, and keep the memories of the ones we love the most dear to our heart. Traditions always seem to come to an end, and new traditions will be made, but that doesn't mean we can't miss the old traditions and the people they involved.
Our yard sale was a pretty good success. For as hot as it was, we were able to sell most of our stuff, and have made around $450 so far for our trip. We still have a few things left to try and sell, but that will help cover some of the costs of our journey.
Last week, we ventured up to Lynchburg, Virgina for the Mission Connections Celebrations camp with our "youth family". This has been one of the annual trips we take with our youth, and an awesome place to see God at work. It was a tiring week, but one filled with many good times, laughter, memorable quotes, and even some tears.
When we returned, the next night we had our last game night with the youth. Who knew you could have so much fun just sitting around playing the Wii until 1:30 in the morning. Then, yesterday, the youth threw Megan and I a "surprise" going away party.
The past three to four years have been filled with countless events such as these, yet each are different and special in there own way. The thing about many of these events is that they have become traditions in our family of youth.
Today, Megan and I somehow got into a discussion about dumb traditions vs. good traditions. It seemed very fitting that we had that discussion, because so many of the tradititons in our lives will come to an end, for at least some years. Thinking simply about the youth, there are so many traditions that have developed. Here is a list of just a few....
- Christmas shopping for needy families
- Switcheroo dinner and crazy water on New Years (not to mention staying until 1 or 2 to watch whatever crazy stunt is on ESPN that year)
- game nights
- blitz weeks
- graduation dinners at Fatz
- Mission nights
- Harbor of Hope on Thanksgiving
- MC2 camp
Whenever you try to follow God's will for your life, it never will be easy. Too often I think we feel entitled as Christians to have the easiest path possible. I mean, if we are doing what God wants us to, why should it be difficult, but we are never promised that. All that we are guaranteed, is that God will never leave us.
On the ride back from Lynchburg, I was listening to a sermon series by Andy Stanley. Something he said really stuck out. Stanley said, "Even though God may be silent, doesn't mean that God is absent." Think about that for a second... How many times do we automatically assume if we don't get an answer automatically that God must have left us.
This trip to California will not be easy. There will be many trials, tribulations once we arrive. Still, regardless of what happens when we get there, one of the most difficult tasks through this whole ordeal is leaving the lives we have here. There are amazing kids in our lives here... all the students that have touched my life at Chesnee High School mean the world. I could not have asked for a better first school to teach at. However, the kids that I love the most are my youth family at New Pleasant. They can never be replaced, and I know they will always have a piece of our hearts.
Traditions serve a purpose in all of our lives... they help us remember the past, and keep the memories of the ones we love the most dear to our heart. Traditions always seem to come to an end, and new traditions will be made, but that doesn't mean we can't miss the old traditions and the people they involved.
Friday, July 16, 2010
Fitting Your Life in a Box
We've started the daunting task of starting to pack. I never realized it would be so hard to pack everything that we've accumulated over the last three years into boxes. By the way, I didn't realize that we had accumulated that much stuff. I guess living in a free, huge parsonage has allowed us the space to acquire so much of this stuff, which has made it much more difficult trying to decide what we will take, what we will try and leave with someone, and what we will sell/get rid of. There are a lot of things that have meaning of some sort that we are having to part with. It is difficult, but we have to keep it in perspective that they are just material things. The memories will still be there. Possessions can always be replaced. So the bigger question is what do we do with all the extra stuff...
YARD SALE!
We are having a moving sale bright and early in the morning. Should be interesting. I'm always fascinated by the "professional" yard salers. However, I'm not going to question them, as long as they show up to ours. I will let you know how we made out later...
YARD SALE!
We are having a moving sale bright and early in the morning. Should be interesting. I'm always fascinated by the "professional" yard salers. However, I'm not going to question them, as long as they show up to ours. I will let you know how we made out later...
Thursday, July 15, 2010
Recreating Plan B in 30 Seconds
Something we had been planning and preparing for almost disappeared in an instant...with a phone call...from financial aid. Now, anyone who has attended college most likely has their own financial aid horror story, (not sure why this department at colleges around the world always have the most problems...but we'll save this for another day) but this call completely put us into panic mode.
Megan had called, at first just seeking information. When the phone call was returned, she was told that she was not eligible for not just a scholarship, but also for federal loans. The whole premise of us even being able to go is based on the half-tuition scholarship she received. So needless to say, she panicked.
While trying to straighten this out as quick as we could, we immediately began to see what we could piece together of our PLAN B... Could I still get my old job back? Would we still try to buy the house we were looking at? What about Megan's work? We've sacrificed so much to take this next step in our lives. It seemed extra cruel that it was suddenly, two weeks away from the big move, being ripped away from us.
Everything ended up working out. Megan was able to talk with one of her future professors, who assured her that she DID have the scholarship and it was simply an error on Financial Aid's part.
Why do we do this though? As soon as one thing changed, we panicked, instead of trusting God that whatever the outcome, His will would be done. We are taking a huge leap of faith in making this move, and yet, something as small as this, and we instantly try to feel like we have to step in and intervene.
It reminds me of the story of Jesus walking on the water. In the story, Peter wants to walk out to where his master is. I think too often that we interpret the story to say that Peter lost confidence in Jesus, and that is why he started to sink... but I don't think this is the case. I think Peter lost confidence in himself.
Over the next couple of weeks, and through the next few years, Megan and I are going to have to keep in mind and have the assurance that God is in control, and have the confidence in our faith to not doubt His will for our lives.
Megan had called, at first just seeking information. When the phone call was returned, she was told that she was not eligible for not just a scholarship, but also for federal loans. The whole premise of us even being able to go is based on the half-tuition scholarship she received. So needless to say, she panicked.
While trying to straighten this out as quick as we could, we immediately began to see what we could piece together of our PLAN B... Could I still get my old job back? Would we still try to buy the house we were looking at? What about Megan's work? We've sacrificed so much to take this next step in our lives. It seemed extra cruel that it was suddenly, two weeks away from the big move, being ripped away from us.
Everything ended up working out. Megan was able to talk with one of her future professors, who assured her that she DID have the scholarship and it was simply an error on Financial Aid's part.
Why do we do this though? As soon as one thing changed, we panicked, instead of trusting God that whatever the outcome, His will would be done. We are taking a huge leap of faith in making this move, and yet, something as small as this, and we instantly try to feel like we have to step in and intervene.
It reminds me of the story of Jesus walking on the water. In the story, Peter wants to walk out to where his master is. I think too often that we interpret the story to say that Peter lost confidence in Jesus, and that is why he started to sink... but I don't think this is the case. I think Peter lost confidence in himself.
Over the next couple of weeks, and through the next few years, Megan and I are going to have to keep in mind and have the assurance that God is in control, and have the confidence in our faith to not doubt His will for our lives.
Monday, July 12, 2010
The Reason for Our Genesis
Genesis... while for many, the first thing that comes to mind is the first book of the Bible, but what does the word really mean? Genesis means creation, new beginnings, or the start of something new. Which is why I have chosed the "Journey of Our Genesis" as the title of this blog. This is and will be the story of our new beginning.
In exactly three weeks, Megan and I will be packing all of our belongings and will begin our long journey from Gaffney, SC to somewhere in the Los Angeles, California area (exact location to be determined). While we don't know a lot of the details still, which is contributing to a little stress to say the least, we are comfortable in the fact that this is God's will for us.
This blog will hopefully shed some light on the process we went through to decide on making this move, the move itself, and the start of our new lives out in California. It will be much more than a physical relocation. I hope this will provide an insight into our minds, and also provide a way for our friends and family to have a better idea of what exactly we are up to.
So with this brief introduction, I invite you to come along for the ride and join us as we share this genesis in our lives with you. Let the journey begin!
In exactly three weeks, Megan and I will be packing all of our belongings and will begin our long journey from Gaffney, SC to somewhere in the Los Angeles, California area (exact location to be determined). While we don't know a lot of the details still, which is contributing to a little stress to say the least, we are comfortable in the fact that this is God's will for us.
This blog will hopefully shed some light on the process we went through to decide on making this move, the move itself, and the start of our new lives out in California. It will be much more than a physical relocation. I hope this will provide an insight into our minds, and also provide a way for our friends and family to have a better idea of what exactly we are up to.
So with this brief introduction, I invite you to come along for the ride and join us as we share this genesis in our lives with you. Let the journey begin!
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