Moving, Ice Cream, and Welfare...

We've been in Western Colorado for just over a week and have managed to treat ourselves to ice cream several times already. Because ice cream helps in any big move or change.

I thought I would start writing a little more of my own thoughts of (our family and the church) planting in, moving into, and engaging with the community. I thought it would be appropriate to name this blog "A Junction of Grand(ish) Thoughts". Well, because after all this is Grand Junction and my thoughts are always a little scatter-brained and feel like they come together at a Junction in my mind (most of the time). As far as "Grand", well that's left to be determined...

What does it mean to really move into, plant in, and engage with the community? That's really what has been on my heart as the Lord led us to Grand Junction, CO. In the short time we have been here, I have prayed that God would truly give me a love for our community, and more specifically the people in it. I am not going to lie, it has been tough to move a family of 6 across the country. Whether we are talking about the practicality of moving with 6 or the emotional side of moving (which is probably the hardest part), we have had our fair share of doubts, fears, anxiety and tears (probably more from the adults than the kids). But with that I have been clinging to the verses in Jeremiah 29. The Israelites were in exile in Babylon and could have very well lost all hope and forgotten their identity. The Lord, through the prophet, Jeremiah, tells them to do something that is very simple, very practical, very ordinary. He tells them to "build houses and live in them, plant gardens and eat their produce...to multiply as families". In verse 7 he says to "seek the welfare of the city where I have sent you...and pray to the Lord on its behalf, for in its welfare you will find your welfare". (Side note: my family was not exiled to Colorado.) So as we live as followers of Christ, sometimes feeling alone on an island or exiles in this world, may we seek the welfare of Grand Junction or whatever city you are in, never losing our identity in Christ, but practicing the ordinary things of life for the purpose of bringing the joy and peace of Christ to those around you.

So join us in prayer and practice as we build a home, plant gardens (or visit the local farmer who actually knows what he is doing), grow our families and point people to the Kingdom of God, oh and get ice cream just down the street (I'm pretty sure ice cream is biblical).