It's been an untypical fall here in the Portland area so far this year and I am soaking up every minute of it. It's only rained a few times since I arrived, when usually it would have rained most every day. It's been beautiful sunny blue sky's, low to mid 70's, with perfectly chilly nights. The pups are also thankful as they don't love walking in the rain, but I think they will soon find Houston rain and Portland rain are quite different.
My brother Andy can get out of the house for a few hours about every other day and then he needs a day to recoup. This weekend we went with our brother and sister-in-love, their 2 girls and our dad to a cute lil pumpkin patch plus in our home town of Canby and it was such a fun time, I'll post a few pics. We have plans with family every other day this week to give him both a chance to get out and some time to rest. I'm really looking forward to this week and weekend.
Sunday I went to the church I grew up in where my parents and sister Anca still go, as the recent team to Uganda was reporting about their trip and I wanted to go see my sister share. It was a fun morning seeing people I have known forever and being in a familiar cozy place.
I ended up getting an almost-flat tire and knew I was due for 4 new ones, especially with the rainy weather to come, so yesterday I got new tires and Costco and remembered hearing that it got rated one of the best places to work by employee's, so I decided to apply. It's funny that I am desiring jobs like that right now, but I continue to feel it's most important to find a job that allows me more time to spend with Andy and a job that I go do, and then leave there as I go. We'll see though, I am still looking around every where and really need to turn my looking to applying.
Hope you are doing GREAT!! Continued thanks for your prayers for Andy!
From left to right: Shelia (Our cousin Elijah's girlfriend that we randomly ran into, my brother Dan, Andy, Danette (Dan's fiancee in green) and my nieces Malia and Kaylee, me and my dad.
Pic below: Andy and Malia and Kaylee
It's been a mix of emotions this week and for a variety of reasons.
I can only think of one other time in life that I didn't work for this amount of time, which hasn't even been 3 weeks yet. I had a month off at Christmas a few years ago right after my divorce (pause for a sad moment). I love working, always have, probably always will, so to not be working yet is just a weird feeling. So much of my life has been based on my work, so that adjustment alone has caused a mix of emotions this week. At the very same time, I am slightly fearful of going to work full-time right now as I really want to be available to my brother. It may be that I don't really start working until after the holidays so I decided to turn any anxiety or fear in that area to a moment of thanking God for this extra time to spend with my brother and family and to thank him for providing (as I trust he will continue to do so).
I have mixed emotions too as I see my brother make the best of a tough situation and then learn that he is in a lot more pain and discomfort than I really realized. He goes in to meet with his Oncologist tomorrow about chemo options, and he is not sure he wants to go that route. Please pray for him as he makes some decisions about all that and just for a healing!!
I have mixed emotions as I miss the routine of my life in Houston more than I thought I would. I have always been someone who can adapt well to new situations, and I do believe that is happening now, but I have realized that I also so loved always going to the same places and seeing the same people and building great friendships.
Even during these mixed emotions, I find so many reasons to be happy and thank God for this new chapter. There is just something I love about the pace of life here in Oregon and the constant beautiful scenery is just so refreshing to my soul. I love discovering new places and running into old friends when I least expect it and excited as I remember that I now live around people I've known my whole life.
Through it all, I find great peace as I'm reminded that Jesus really is enough and no place on earth is my final destination.
Thank you for your continued prayers for me and this transition and most of all, the prayers for my brother Andy!
Attached is a pic of Andy and his beautiful daughter Riley when we went out to dinner Tuesday night and one of Anca and I today on our coffee/lunch date.
So I have now been in Oregon for one week and one day and all has gone well! I literally feel like I am on vacation and not here to live and have yet to do some normal things that you do when you live some place like cook, grocery shop, etc. I am giving myself a little time to transition and just enjoy family and friends and to try and be free to give Andy company and help as he needs.
Andy is doing surprisingly well although the poor thing remains in a lot of pain and sleeps a lot. I try and find things for us to do to get out of the house and get him moving some, but he's over-done it a little around his house, so today was recouping from the yard work he did yesterday when I wasn't home to stop him. The doctors want him mostly resting, but definitely up walking and moving from time to time. He won't be able to receive any treatment for the cancer until he's more healed from his surgery. Continued prayers for him!!
I went to Lake Grove Presbyterian Church just a mile and a half from my new home this past Sunday and really enjoyed it! It was nice to hear familiar things while there, as it was World Communion Sunday and they were collecting their offering for a ministry partner that we also support. They even call their Sunday bulletin "Church Alive" like we did at FPC Houston. It's the little things that count! :-)
Tonight I got to see my little sister Anca for the first time as she's been in Uganda on a ministry trip with the same ministry I go to Uganda with (ARM - Africa Renewal Ministries), so it was fun to meet her and the team at the airport and we are having a sister date tomorrow!
I'm still seeking the Lord as to what to do on the job front. I obviously will need to do something, but not sure if that means part-time, full-time, a job I really want to invest into or just something provisional. I check different job sites and look around at places that I think I would like to work, and just pray the Lord will lead me to the right thing at the right time.
Hope YOU are doing great too and I will write more soon! Below is a pic of Anca and I tonight from the airport!
Hello friends!
I decided to write on my blog again. Many of you have wanted updates on how things are going with my brother Andy and with me - so I will use this blog to do those updates and as a personal journal as I journey through this new season of life.
I headed out of Houston last Friday and I arrived to Oregon this past Monday - a day earlier that I had thought I would and I continue to thank God for a seamless trip from Houston to Portland by myself, other than my pups :-) and pulling a trailer. It was 4 days of great worship, reflection, beautiful scenery and wondering and day dreaming about what the future may hold.
While I am definitely sad to have left Houston, FPC and all my friends there and will miss my life there desperately - I have also turned a corner some emotionally and feel excited for what God has for me here. God has even lined up some things here that grow out of my time in Houston - more on those soon.
I've already got to spend some good time with my family and tonight I get to meet up with one of my best girl friends here, LeAnn! I have wanted to give myself a week or two to settle in and see how God may lead on the job front and before making too many plans, but I've found some neat possibilities and will more forward on more of that next week. Please pray that I can clearly see where God is leading me.
Andy's in good spirits but continues to be in a lot of pain. He's actually at the doctor right now and I am anxious to hear more about that when he gets home. Please inquire about him either on the private message portion of FB, text, email, etc. to protect his privacy. I'm an open book about my life, but need to be careful to not be so open with his without his permission. YOU know me - I talk too much! :-)
Hope you are doing great - more soon!!
Joyfully,
Stephanie
