Salt and Light

Lots of my non-seminary friends have asked me what it is like to pick up your family and leave for a three year period. What is it like to start your life again once you've been established in a place professionally and personally? What will it be like when your spouse is 'done' with seminary? Where will you be in five years? The answer to those things have changed over the past year. At times life was super awesome. Other times, it was really rough going. I've loved and missed. I've laughed until my sides hurt. I've cried until there were no more tears. It's been messy and beautiful. It's been one foot in and one foot out. It's been a growing edge and it's been content.

As we pass the one year mark today I think some reflection is always a good thing. This past year I've been so fortunate to have support from afar. I've always had people who I could text late at night (that time change comes into handy sometimes) and tell my woes to. I've had friends here who became framily. They made this transition bearable. We've struggled to find a church home. To find what we had so abundantly in Reno. We've succeeded and we haven't. The VIT and I have had many opportunities to explore this new challenge together. It's been good.

Along with reflection it's always good to set out some objectives for the coming year and beyond. This year I hope we continue to build our community here. We continue to show radical hospitality. That we continue to nurture and cherish our framily near and far. And that we continue to grow into our future. On the tough days that we remember we have an ocean of love waiting for us and to give to others. On the good days that we remember that those are the ones worth living for. And to remember that change is the only constant. And to remember that in all things, to be grateful. Give thanks for all that is.

10 years and counting

Monday will mark 10 years of being in relationship with the VIT (yes, we've been married for 8 but together for longer). This decade of my life has been one of the most messy and beautiful as yet. We've been through a lot and it has been a journey, each day, each night. We first met in my apartment in Las Vegas on a sweltering day in May. Over the course of the next 3 months we never went more than 3 weeks without seeing one another and since August 2008 we have never gone more than a few days without each other. We both have said that we are each other's best friend. We are committed to being in on this journey for as long as we can. I've often said that our family was completed the day we were married but really it was on July 9th 2008. We made the conscious choice to be in relationship on that day. 

As we continue into this new decade may our days and nights together increase. May we continue to be blessed and grateful for all the things that will come along. May we find joy in each other's company and may we always end our day with understanding. I love you more than I ever imagined I could love anyone or anything. You are a blessing and I cannot imagine spending my life with anyone else. Someday when our home is empty, may we revel in the quiet and then jump on the couch. I love you to the moon around all of the stars and back. 

Dr. Mrs. Vicarage <3