Heart Ache Continued

My brother sent me a link for John Paul Jackon's 'Coffee Talk' a few weeks ago. He is doing a series on transition, which is totally what we're going through right now. He says there are 3 phases to transition; desire, discipline, and delight. As I read part one on desire I felt the Holy Spirit touching me, encouraging me and comforting me. This article pin-pointed exactly what Drew and I have been going through and experiencing in the last few months. To read it in words was very liberating for me! 'Transition' has been very difficult and even confusing because you're feeling two very opposite emotions at once.

I'd like to share the article with you. I hope it'll encourage anyone else going through transition right now or just give you better understanding of what we're going through right now. I'm looking forward to reading the next two parts on discipline and delight! Here's the link......http://blog.streamsministries.com/2008/06/09/three-phases-of-transition/

As the years have passed in my life and ministry I have gone through several times of “transition” I have noticed three distinct phases to transition, Desire, Discipline, and Delight. I’ll address the first, Desire, below and the other two in the next posts.

DESIRE
The first phase, Desire requires a very intense time of mental and spiritual reorientation. Here you experience one of two types of deep felt emotion, either elation or sorrow, as the reorientation becomes more defined.

Some, at first, experience elation only and with it a false sense of euphoria. I say “false” because at this time you sense the excitement of the future and seldom consider that hardship will eventually be mixed with destiny. You just want to get there - now - and like a bad penny, you cast any flickering thought that there might be a coming cost to your newfound destiny aside.

Some will experience sorrow because you are being directed to leave a place you have come to love. Others will have sorrow with the leaving of family. This might mean cutting the strings they have to you and/or you have to them. That cutting is often emotional and painful, but you cannot become a leader if strings of control are attached to you. In addition, you cannot follow the wind of the Holy Spirit if you are anchored to your friends or your family.

At this juncture in transition, it is as if God is taking you away from the desire of your heart and that departure often creates a spiritual quandary. So the Lord begins the process of making you uncomfortable where you are. Some might say, “He stirs the nest.”


Sometimes one feels both sets of emotions within minutes of each other as your desire for the location, job, or career to another location, job, or career.

One thing you can count on - when God orders you to go through a time of transition, regardless which emotion you have, God is bound to make you restless and uncomfortable to insure you become willing to leave where you are so you can become what He has created you to be. He is simply waiting for our “yes” to His direction and for our desire to become His desire. It is here that He gives us the “desires of our heart.”

Blessings,John Paul Jackson

On that note here are some more of our dear family that we will miss.

The Aunties:

Auntie AJ


Auntie Crystal


Auntie Julie

Auntie Arlene

The Uncles:

Farmer Mike

Uncle Chris

Uncle Joel

The Grandparents:

Papa

Grandma

Nana

backyardigan fun

I had little H all to myself yesterday....well for part of the day and then I had to share him with Bill and Jester. I think H's favorite part was the gum and freezies I gave him (sorry AJ). My favorite part of the day was savoring every minute with little H.

It's hard to tell who is who since they're all wearing identical hats. H is the small guy, Jester is the chubby guy, and Bill is the tallest guy.

H enjoying freezie number 2.

Bill cooling off.

You could tell who is who, but the tallest guy is sitting down and the chubby guy looks all blurred and the little guy looks the biggest because he's closest to the camera.

Jester was in his happy place.

Bill.....wuzzz up.

The Heart Ache Begins.

These are all the wee ones we're going to miss....a lot.

Gideon will be 2 years old when we see him next.

Ruby will be 2 1/2 years old when we see her next.

Hezekiah will be 4 years old when we see him next.

Madi will be 6 1/2 years oldwhen we see her next.

Isaiah will be 4 years old when we see him next.

Noah & Ari will be 4 years old when we see them next.

Justin will be 5 1/2 years old when we see him next

Samara will be 3 1/2 years old when we see her next.

2 years doesn't sound like a long time, but when you measure it by how much growing a child does it suddenly seems like a long time.....like a very long time. I'm sad we're going to miss those growing years, but look forward to seeing how you all change and grow while we're away.

to be continued......

another round of Dandy.

I wanted to try the dandilion shot again when the sun was a little lower in the sky. Unfortunately, I discovered a woodtick on my knee cap when I got home. And I'll admit I got a little hysterical and ran around the coffee table several times, then proceeded to jump up and doing a laugh-cry-scream combo. Drew tried to calm me down long enough to pull it off, but had no luck. My dear mother got out of bed (I probably woke her up) to see what was going on. Well, it takes a mother's touch. She pulled it off my knee and flushed it down the toilet....where it belongs.

Cast your vote....do you like #1(top) or #2(bottom) better? I'm just curious.

All things Andrew.

Today is a fitting day to brag about my husband. "Blaze your own trail" is the motto he lives by. That's actually the reason I was attracted to him when I first got to know him. He's never afraid to take a risk. He doesn't care what anyone thinks. Nothing will stop him. He's not someone who lets life slip by without living out his dreams. That's what I want to be like.

"Blaze your own trail" is something I hope my boys will live by as well....something they will learn from their father. Chances are good that they will with a father like Andrew. Our boys will be world changers, not world watchers. The example Andrew lives out is the best gift he could give our boys.

Words that describe Andrew.......determined, leader, strong, manly (that's what his name means!) integral, loyal, generous, passionate, honest, courageous. I dearly love all these things about him.

Happy Father's Day, Andrew! We love you just the way you are. I wouldn't want to be on this journey with anyone else.....and you make my journey that much more exciting!

Just Dandy.

making the most of it....

We've had a lot of rain this week. Bill & Jester have made the most of it. In fact, Bill ' just wuvs' the rain.

R is for.....

Ruby! The next ANTM. She didn't even cry when we lay her on the cold, rough cement. You rock, girl. Way to work the camera.

still trying.....

Making a prayer card is harder than you think. Getting four VBergs to look at the camera at the same time (and smile) is harder than you think. Drew is the best at it. Bill is a close second. Me and Jes? We're working on it (at least I'm smiling).

a whole new world....

I got my new lens today....had to be interogated at the border to get it, but it was worth it. Here is my first attempt at macro photography.

Flyin' High @ the F.G.

We had our annual Loewen gathering on Sunday. The 'Air Hog' was a highlight. Here is Ari and a bunch of legs preparing the Hog for flight.

The Italian Stallion is the guy for the job every time, hey Heath?

Thanks to our own Italian Stallion that Hog took off like a rocket and almost shmucked an innocent bystander. It was truly something special to watch.

Those mini Italian Stallion's loved it.

this is my family.....and I love them.

We Got 'Em

Manly Jester.

The pink boots are gone.....pink is the new black, but let's get real. Should men really wear pink? Maybe I'm just old fashioned, but I say no. I bought Jester the manliest boots I could find. I needed to make up for all those times he had to wear those bright pink boots. I figured I should swallow my pride, spend the $10 and get my boy a proper pair of boots. Those mean lookin' teeth just scream manly. Oh, and by the way, Jester's middle name is Andrew which actually means manly. Jester, you're ALL MAN. This is my official apology, in front of the watching world, for making you wear pink boots. I'm sorry.

"Wook! A BIRD! A BIRD!"

Farm Boys

Farmer Mike looks like he's wiping sweat of his brow....but he's really just thinking.