8 Months

Eight months is a long time to be silent. Does anyone ever visit here any more? Well, the name has changed again. Now it's "Life Lessons From the Egg Basket". We have moved...again. We are now in a small town near Warsaw, Indiana called Mentone. It claims the title "Egg Basket of the Midwest". And right in the middle of town, what do you suppose they have? That's right, a giant egg!! Not giant like ostrich giant. Giant like Godzilla passed through and laid an egg giant. (Is Godzilla a male or female?)
At any rate.We've had quite the adventure(s). I told you that we moved. That's only partially accurate. We've actually moved twice since the last time I posted. No, we are not running from the law (that I know of). We moved Eshell and the children from Michigan to a house in NW Ohio (rental) as I anticipated another job offer. Once the offer came in, I realized that the company I would soon be working for had received grant money from the state of Indiana, with the stipulation that the owner pull employees from Indiana or to Indiana from other places. How delighted I was that we would be moving again!
We were in Michigan for only about two years. It's a beautiful place to live in the summer and fall. Winters...not so much. The company I was working for was growing steadily and was a great place to work. Why did we move you ask? We wanted to get closer to family. A good friend of mine had started a business and he wanted me to work for him; and I wanted to work for him. We didn't seem to fit into the more progressive (liberal) culture of the area (college town...hippies running rampant).
We had a lot of trials in Michigan. Some we fared better than others. We struggled a lot. I struggled a lot. Although we made a lot of friends up there, we just didn't jive. I believe I suffered some spiritual blows, personally. And it's all in the way that I dealt with some of the trials. I tried to work through many issues on my own. I now realize (I always really knew) that I can't always fix things on my own; in my own strength. And I was neglecting my time with the Lord. We went through phases, but I feel that I returned home drained. I now need a refill. Lord, refill me!
He truly met our needs when we lost the baby in Michigan. God strengthened us and He had us in a church full of great people that helped us a ton. We endured drunk, stoned, adulterous neighbors. We even had to hike up and down the hill we lived on because our vehicles didn't always make it up the hill in the winter time. Some things we look back at and laugh. Some things still sting to think about. We'll make a trip back to Michigan in September to see for the first time Isaiah's headstone. It will have been two years. I don't know if I'm ready for that.
And now we're back to looking for a church in our area. No luck so-far. I know God wouldn't bring us back here to keep us in our drought. He has something for us, and I'm excited to see what it is. Almost giddy. So we press on.
We (Eshell and I) have been going through a time of restructuring. We need to make some changes in our lives and in our family. Now it's just trying to keep things balanced and in perspective, while maintaining focus on the LORD. He is teaching us things; bringing us to knew revelations (old revelations for some more spiritual then us). And He is good. And He is faithful. And He will bring us through.
I also brought back baggage from Michigan that I know need to dump. Coffee became a staple while in Michigan. When it snows for nine months straight, you need something to warm you up. Well, now that we're back in the South, I still have the habit (addiction). I've tried to cut back. Two weeks ago, I did pretty good. My boss was out of town (he usually supplies the coffee at work), but last week I was like a junkie looking for a fix. Just when I think I'm doing good (in my own strength), it hits me. And I know what will happen. When I do kick it, they'll introduce bacon flavored coffee. How could a man resist anything bacon-flavored? I'll be hooked again. Pray for me. Pray that Folgers will never introduce bacon-flavored coffee.
I know that some stuff seems petty. But I do struggle with some petty things.
And lastly, I have reluctantly joined the masses and entered into the world of Facebook (against my better judgment). I only have two friends, so get on over there and be my friend!! Just search for my name and look for the guy holding the pig. You can't miss him!!
That's all. But seriously, pray for my family as we work through changes. And more changes to come.