Here we go....

Well, I guess it is safe to say that I am bad at being committed to doing this blog! Another month has gone by, and so many changes at hand. I want to at least add something every day, like some other terrific blogs I've read. Let's see if I can keep that early New Year resolution.

Isaac has epilepsy. Short, sweet, right to the point. We found out that a recent EEG came back abnormal. Next week, he goes into the hospital (Mommy, too!) for a 72 hour videotaped EEG so that Dr. Nagel, his neurologist, can begin to confirm how serious, or rather how involved this is. Am I upset? Of course. But here is a great quote from a pastor friend I know......If you can stand the pull, God will pull you through. God is here, ight here beside us, and He keeps proving that day after day, even when I have one of those days (you know what I mean) when I feel so alone that it is unbearable. He promised to be here, and He is. Plain and simple.

More changes: We are NOT going to Solid Rock Ministries now. Their finances and the attitudes of some of their people made the addition of Russ to their pastoral staff impossible, and practically painful. No one knew who we were, because no one wanted to tell the congregation that there was a new staff pastor (even if he was unpaid). The current pastors were concerned that people wouldn't understand bringing on anybody new since they were financially strapped, and beginning to lay off some staff members, including the senior pastor's wife. So the decision was an easy one to come to, and very mutual between us and the church. We at first decided to return to Dayspring. Now all that has changed, too.

We have been continuing to send info to a church in St. Marys who is in need of a senior pastor. We needed a tape of one of Russ' sermons. So...we contacted an old friend, Pastor Larry Grow, in Defiance (only a half hour away). A couple of weeks ago, we went and ministered to them on a Wednesday night, and it was great. Pastor Larry taped it, and we sent the tape on to New Community Church. We haven't heard a thing from them. But the more Russ and I prayed about it, the more we felt led to call Pastor Larry, and ask if we could help in the ministry there at First Assembly. He was thrilled, to say the least, and so were we when he said to "come on over!". He is talking to his board (a great bunch of guys) about giving us a gas allowance. The family there in Defiance is leaving their building (an old UCC church, landlocked and HIGHLY unaccessible) as of Christmas Eve. We will be going to the YMCA after that. In about a year, the church will begin to look for land to build. Until then, it is "church plant city" for all of us! Russ and I love that kind of situation! Outreach, local mission, getting the Word out to the people of the Defiance area......let's go!

We had our first Sunday there yesterday. We are POOPED today! It makes for a long day, but we can do this. We'll see how God leads as far as us moving closer to them. I already feel that pull. Russ is a little slower to getting that connection, but give him time! The opportunity for ministry is great, the acceptance of our family is even greater...we love First Assembly in Defiance! I started the ball rolling to get our memberships transferred from Dayspring this morning. We had already come to the decision that our time at Dayspring was ending. Recent "treatment" of Isaac was making that decision a clear one, unfortunately. We just needed God's leading elsewhere. A simple phone call on Saturday (just two days ago) illuminated that path for the Ewing Family.

Do we still feel any call toward St. Marys? I really cannot say one way or another right now, and that is sad. I do know that we have a lot of trepidation about going back to my home area. We were burned so badly before. But God is in the "God Thing" business, and our lives have been full of that lately. I know He will lead us on....no matter what that means!

I'm also thinking about starting another blog...a recipe one, maybe. I'm finding some great stuff lately. I'm also thinking of doing one with devotional stuff. I need to combine this blog and my computer journal, though. I hate repeating myself. But I do love blogging, and I've seen some folks with more than one......why not me? Scary thought, though.....I'm bad enough as it is with ONE blog!

More later....