sorry for a long silence

I really am sorry for the long silence. We have been working our way into a routine for the boys, but have yet to work out a routine for Dave and I that gives me some time with both the computer and internet access. I have had time and ideas for blogs while Dave was off with the computer at school (the advantages of being grounded without a car), but otherwise I have either been without the computer or haven't been able to find the time. It has been great being able to visit with so many familiar faces and making some new friends along the way. We are so blessed by our extended family that is the FM church. Ben summed it up so well yesterday when we were in Brantford when he said "I could live here. These people have known me a whole lot longer and better than my friends at school and I really like them." Thanks for welcoming us back to Canada and loving us inspite of our worts! We praise God for the opportunity to know you and work with you. This week we are hoping to get some of the results from our medical tests that we have been going through since we got back. We would appreciate your prayers for that. Please know pastors that you and your families have been in my thoughts and prayers these last few weeks, may you sense God's nearness.

Labour Day or New Year's Day

I heard a reporter this week say that Labour Day was like another New Year’s Eve in many ways. It is especially true for those that are teachers or students because a new school year provides the opportunity for a fresh start. One of the things that I enjoyed the most about teaching was the new opportunities that each year brings. It was like you could make up for past mistakes or choices and try new things and make a difference. There are things that are the same and familiar, but just enough is different to make you feel like you get another chance. That is also what is amazing about the Christian faith, you get offered an opportunity to walk away from your mistakes and start fresh. Your circumstance may not look any different but your attitude and response to those circumstances is totally transformed. Instead of a list of New Year’s resolutions that you hope to put in place you receive a relationship with God that helps you to become even more than you ever imagined. Yesterday was the boys first day in a new school. It is a real blessing for us that they are both able to be in the same school this year. They thought that it was kind of neat that they got to go to a school that their mother had gone to many years before. Thanks for everyone that was praying for them, their first day seemed to go pretty well (I am not so sure about the second based on all the things that I have found left behind that they were supposed to take with them). Cole grew at least 4 inches over this summer, so keeping him in clothes this year could be a real challenge. There are real advantages to living in Niger, where the boys can wear shorts year round. Shorts just don’t seem to get too short as fast as pants, oh well! This week also marks the beginning of our travels as we head to Wallaceburg to visit friends at the Charlemont F.M. church. Please pray for us as we prepare for the trip and try to get everything in place. I still have suitcases to go through and unpack/repack and I feel like I lose things as fast as I find them these days. We have had so much change over the last few months that it seems hard to find a routine or to establish systems that will help things work better. Praying that you will receive the fresh start that you need whether you are going back to school or just back to the same old routine.