movin'

Well, the news is out. It's been hard to keep it quiet the past couple weeks. We are moving! After three years in Jesup at Epworth UMC, the bishop and his cabinet have told us we are going to a new church.

On June 15 we will be heading to Sandersville, Georgia. For the many of you that might not know where that is, here is a map. It's about 2 1/2 hours from Savannah and 2 1/2 hours from Atlanta. A lot of people we know drive right through on the way to Athens. We'll be closer to friends in Augusta, Greensboro, and Atlanta and are very excited about that.

For those of you that are in the dark on how the Methodist Church works, let me explain. {This process was totally new to me. I was not Methodist until I got married. I was baptized Episcopalian, my mom is Lutheran, I grew up in Catholic schools and became Catholic, and I was involved in a Methodist youth group. Joe lovingly calls me an "ecumenical mut".} There is an appointment process every year in the spring. Ordained elders (like Joe) are not guaranteed more than a year at any particular church. In January the pastor (as well as the church) fills out a form and declares whether they want to stay at their present appointment, leave, or if they are open to a move. This year Joe checked "the middle box" - open to a move. We were happy to stay at Epworth if that's where they (the cabinet) wanted us to be. Appointments are generally made in March. We get a phone call and that's that. It's excitement, alright.

So, while we aren't surprised to be moving this year, it will be hard to say goodbye. It always is. There are the people that are really good to you, the people that are loyal and supportive. And we will miss them. There are people that you come to love like family. Two of those are John and Karen Swingle, our Jesup mom and dad. They took us in from the very beginning. Over the past few years we have spent a lot of time together and shared wonderful memories. They are two of the best people I've ever known. After Hannah was born we asked them to be her Godparents. They eagerly accepted and since then have become more than Mama and Daddy Swingle, but Aunt Karen and Uncle John. One very good thing about the location of Sandersville is that it is right on their way to see their grandbabies in Athens. We know we will still get to see them regularly. Thank God.

This is a great opportunity for us as a family, and for Joe as a pastor. The church there is really excited about us coming and we have friends who are members. I am over-the-moon excited with the fact that the church has a mother's morning out AND a preschool. I can put Hannah in the preschool, and be able to be a sane stay-at-home mom with Joseph. As for the parsonage, there will be a post about that I can assure you, after we've seen it. But it sounds good from what we hear. My friend, Kate, even took pictures of the outside and emailed them to me. As you can imagine, I am eager to see our new home and start laying everything out in my head. As an interior designer, this is the hard part. {I have that song in my head now...the waiting is the hardest part.}

Our new church: Sandersville United Methodist