Changes

Jeremy turns 28 this week, really hard for me to believe. In two years (in case you can't count), he'll be 30. In two years we will have been married for 10 years. Amazing and really wonderful. At the end of this month we celebrate our 8th anniversary. Eight years and we are still very much in love and even though now I look back and wonder how our parents let us get married so young (ok, not that they had much of a choice... we would have gotten married no matter what!), it was and is still the right thing for us. For all of you that knew us then and today, thanks for supporting us and loving us, you are all very special and important to us.

We had a wonderful family vacation July 16th-25th. Our plans kept us in Houston most of the time to enjoy many of the things this city has to offer. It was great to spend all that time with the girls and just hanging out as a family. We did fun things including visiting the retired Battleship Texas (lots of climbing, lots of heat, lots of fun), Old MacDonalds Farm (pony rides, large petting zoo of farm animals), Blue Bell Ice Cream Creamery, Miller Outdoor Theatre (wonderful production of Big River), Mommy and Daddy date day (no kids for an afternoon and evening!), Movie Theater, Galveston Beach for a couple of days, and a canoe trip with the two older girls. We had such a wonderful time, bery relaxing. Monday the 25th saw us back in the office but then I had the chance to go to Chicago for a few days. I left Tuesday evening and stayed until Friday, the 30th. It was wonderful. Chicago is still home in our hearts, was even when we were living in Kankakee, we were there so often (can you say commute?) and we still hope to someday move back and live in the city. I went with Karen Zapata and her daughter Maria. Karen was there for work but Maria was there to experience the city. A budding amature photographer, she got some great shots in that wonderful city and I got to be her guide to some of the best spots I knew of. I got to see millinium park for the first time (it was completed just this year, four years late and several million over budget...)and get to some of our old haunts. For me it was a bit like a trip down memory lane and I wished Jeremy had been there. I got to see places such as where we had our first kiss, where we ate lunch on our wedding day (Penny's Noddle Shop!), where we met (Moody Bridal, er, uh, Bible Institute...)and the first church we worked in among other very special places to us. The best part of my trip was getting to seee some very special people! I wish I had had more time there, I would have loved to have gotten down to Kankakee and see so many more people. Since it was such short notice that I was going to be there and for such a short time, I only got to see a handful of people. Thom and Rhonda Showers, our best friends, picked Maria and I up at O'Hare airport and we enjoyed a long (really long, we went a little out of our way to get to the hotel!)ride and dinner at Baker's Square (oh how we've missed the French Silk Pie!). I got to see Rhonda and she brought along Soleil on Wednesday for some shopping at our favorite thrift store in Chicago Heights (go AMVETS!)and then dinner at Giordano's for some wonderful Chicago style stuffed pizza. Thursday I was able to hook up with Phil and La Engle for lunch at Big Bowl on Rush street. Good food and even better company. On Friday I was able to see Harry and Athen Raftis from our Lincoln Park days. It was so good to see them and I got to tell Harry that he was right about what Jeremy and I are called by God to do. He was so happy to hear that we are in full time ministry, he just "knew" that he was right about us! When I told him that I'm going back to school to pursue God's calling eveng farther, he got tears in his eyes. It was good to see them, great to be in the city and now it's nice to be home. I may not be a big fan of Houston, but my family is better than any city I can think of.

This is already a long post, I hope it was at least entertaining. I do have some news I want to share with all of you, after a lot of prayer and searching for God's direction in our lives, we believe that God has called me to be a pastor. I'm going back to school (just one class this semester, easing my way back into it) to get my bachelor's and then hopefully on to seminary. We know it's going to be a long and hard road, but we believe this is God's will and we will get through on His strength, crazy as it may all seem. Once again, Jeremy knew and recognized the direction that God is leading us before I did. He is more than supportive of me going back to school and we still view ourselves as a close team meant to be in ministry together. We are very excited and ask that you keep us in your prayers. If you would like to know what specifics we need prayed over, please email me and I would be happy to share with you the prayers we are lifting before the Lord as we explore this new adventure in our faith and ministry journeys.

My next post will be all about the new school year and the girls. They are doing great and I hope soon to have some pictures posted of the girls and my trip to Chicago. Please keep us updated as to where you are and what you have going on in your lives as well.

Peace and blessings in Christ,

Jessica