Fall is officially here

Fall, or autumn as it is properly called amongst my British friends, has jumped upon us here in the mid-west. Ritual leaf-raking, garden hoeing, turning on the furnace, putting away the summer clothes and bringing out the fall sweaters, and planning for all the upcoming holidays fill our days. Stores are already full of Christmas decorations (I'm wondering what happened to Thanksgiving?), and the push is on to get our economy jump-started with lots of sales everywhere.

This fall is full of peaks and valleys for me. One peak that is also a valley: our church is in major transition which is a good thing, but in the process, there has been some pain and misunderstanding. Thankfully, we all love Jesus enough to obey Him and love each other and forgive and bless. Growth is on the horizon!

Another peak and valley all at the same time is Paul doing his student-teaching. Four weeks from now, he will be FINISHED...let me repeat...FINISHED with his Masters in Elementary Education! HALLELUJAH! Student-teaching is simply not the best time in a teachers' life. Yes, he is learning a lot; yes, he is enjoying the kids for the most part; but the time he must spend on that plus his seminars and finishing his portfolio to orally defend on December 7th is just overwhelming at times, for him and for me. Praise God for Holy Spirit who keeps us both focused on Himself so that we don't lose sight of what all this is unto. In the midst of it, I am experiencing all kinds of flash-backs to my student teaching days 24 years ago! Watching Paul is a great reminder of just how far God brought me in this wonderful field of education. Hearing the stories of our young ones in the public school system here in the U.S., however, is rather disheartening. And the systems are so "odd" (trying to find the kindest word possible) in some areas that its a wonder any educating is happening at all. However, the most frightening aspect in my opinion is the number of kids coming from broken homes, bringing their brokenness into a room full of other kids carrying their own brokenness. Somehow, things seem more "broken" today than when I was in school, or even when I was doing my student-teaching. So much for the theory of evolution...ha ha ha, just had to throw in that plug for my friend Gal Bence in Hungary! :-)

Sorry, I digress...another peak and valley is the departure of our precious friends, Scott and Marcie Adams and their three children. I know that I know that I know that God had them stay in Kansas City these two extra years so that Marcie and I could be reunited after nearly 20 years! We first met in Hungary and then never kept in contact. Lo and behold, I move to Kansas City and they live just around the corner from me. What a precious gift they have been to me and to us, now, in countless ways! I'm so excited for what the Lord has in store for them in this next season as they embark in an Abrahamic quest, while carrying a profound sadness at the departure of one of my closest friends ever. You will be SORELY missed in these here parts, Adams family! ;-)

Of course a huge peak is celebrating six months with my wonderful, godly husband Paul, and as we approach our engagement anniversary, we are experiencing all the joys, challenges, delights and realities of married life, especially as 40+ folks never having walked on these waters before! (Purposefully used there as it takes a lot of faith to embark on such a journey after a life-time of singleness for both of us!)

More peaks involve wonderful ministry opportunities through Theophostic Prayer Ministry, watching God set people free from the past lies they have believed and which have influenced their lives for decades! In addition, being involved with Deeper Waters Ministries and recognizing that adoration of the Lord is the place to live has been transformative in my life and in the lives of many! (You can visit www.bobhartley.org )

Another peak is starting a new business...while I'm just on the ground level, and have a lot of work to do, I believe this has the potential to take off! If any of you out there are interested in YUMMY, NUTRITIONAL FOOD, or even becoming your own consultant, then contact me about you too getting involved. Check out my website here and then contact me with any questions!

So, autumn, with all of its changes, is good...full, rich and a time of great transition. No wonder there are mornings like this one when the overcast sky invites me to sit by the fire with my journal and ponder the goodness of everything!