New Year...New Slate!

I am not sure what it is about a new year but, although nothing in our lives or circumstances may have changed, it still feels like a fresh start and a clean slate.

In our case, this new year brings with it HUGE changes and a brand-new start. By now I am sure you know Tim is the new lead pastor of The Oasis Church in Loganville, GA and I am the "first lady"! ;O) While I am excited about this new opportunity, the year has not started without much emotion bubbling to the surface.

I guess the best way to describe it is this...I feel like we are laying aside a book with 21 chapters that represent the 21 years with UPI and are picking up a new book with empty pages and we are about to begin to pen "Chapter #1". Laying aside the old book, though, is like saying good-bye to treasured friends and memories. Of course the friendships will not die and the memories will live on in our hearts and minds, but it will be different.

Everything to do with the change is being handled differently by different people. Some are embracing it as God's assignment for Tim (including Tim, which is good ;O) ), some are mourning it (like me) and some are acting like nothing is happening and appear to have just moved on. Different people, different emotions and different ways of coping.

The people at the OC have been incredibly kind and welcoming and we are so thankful for their willingness to embrace us wholeheartedly. It sure helps make the transition easier.

So we begin these first few days of 2011 with new responsibilities, new expectations (some spoken and some unspoken ;O) ) and new opportunities for Papa to show Himself faithful! It's exciting and scary all at the same time and if you can't find me...I'll be in the bed with the covers over my head!