Nine months

Alot can happen in nine months.

A family can grow.

In numbers and strength.

It's been exactly nine months since we left behind our "old" life for our crazy Alaskan adventure and we have grown.

Not in numbers (I can't say that we ever will but I can't say that we never will either) but definitely in strength.

Awhile back my friend Nicci asked me to post what God has been teaching us since our move. She said "I know He has a reason for your Alaska life and I want to know how He has been moving."

Well, Nicci, here is how God is moving.

We are learning how to live and be together as a family, not that we didn't do that before, we just didn't do it well. It took the removal of all the distractions of suburban life to show us that we really weren't thriving, just surviving. We are discovering that we still have things to do, people to know and a few places to go, but we are also discovering that those things don't own us or define us.

Our boys still play sports; there has been softball and basketball so far, and ice hockey starts soon. There is no tryouts or practice or team parties or trophies or running from field to field. It's just sports, the way sports used to be. The boys are also learning how to be boys; to play in the woods, shoot a bow and arrow, build forts and ride on snowmachines. We no longer schedule their every waking minute with activities. Of course there is still school and we have been blessed with an awesome AWANA club here in Dillingham, but most days we come home, do homework and then they usually head out to play. We don't schedule playdates anymore. If they want to play with neighbor kids then they just go outside eventually other kids will show up. If no one shows up to play, well they still have each other and they are slowly learning to be each others best friend.

I can't speak for my husband as to what he is learning through this adventure, but the one thing that I see is that he has realized it's okay to take a risk, to step out into the unkown, to leap in faith. Because that is what he did for us. Moving our family away from Vancouver was a BIG step for Dave, but he did it in faith and I am certain that there is no regret on his part.

My growth has come in the form of learning to live in the moment, not worrying about what the future holds (but still having to remember that if I need something not available here, I must plan ahead because shipping things takes time!). Without a doubt, although sometimes I do, I know that we are exactly where God wants us to be. Even in Dillingham, a town that has been much harder for me to embrace than Kotzebue was. Most of the time I don't even question the reason why we are here. To me it is simple, and it is the same reason God places anyone anywhere. Our reason for being is to bring glory to God, to show others the love of Christ in a real and tangible way, and to love others the way that Jesus loved in order that they may come to know Him. That's it. It's simple. Yet, sometimes I forget. Sometimes I find myself wallowing in pity. Poor me, I live in the Alaskan bush, I don't have fast internet, or starbucks, or Target. Poor me, butI forget to look at what I do have; a husband who loves us enough to take a giant leap of faith, boys who are learning and experiencing more in their lifetime than most ever will, and a God who has given me more than I ever deserve and who has been everywhere he will ever take me.

I can't say that our life is perfect (just today I snarled at my husband as soon as he walked in the door) but I can say that it is perfect for us.

PS...2010 is our PFD qualifying year!!