HOME, SWEET HOME!!!!!!!!!!

We found it!!!!

OK, OK, I know I need to back up.

So...my latest housing update was a little less than cheery, though hopeful.

After finding out that Panda wasn't going to be able to make the great trek north, I was rather disheartened, but knew that there was something else in store for my next year here...sadly, it just wouldn't involve my little brother adventuring with me.

A couple days later I was presented with an opportunity to get a place with two of my friends: Megan and Justin.  After considering that option and weighing the pros and cons of having roommates again, I decided that the pros far outweighed the cons.

Some of the big pluses:
1) CHEAPER RENT!!
2) Option to have a nicer/more spacious place...with still cheaper rent
3) More outside space for Jakers (a huge deciding factor for me)!

Some of the bummers:
1) Sharing my living space (I have loved this year of just having to worry about me and my critters)
2) Sharing my living space
3) Sharing my living space...

Yeah...I really couldn't say no.

So!  We embarked on the adventure of finding "the perfect place" that satisfied the desires/needs of all 3 of us.  Well...after less than a week of searching, we pretty much found it!  Justin really gets the raw end of the deal - he's farther away from his campus and core group of friends he's been within walking distance of for the last 4yrs...that will be an adjustment, for him, but Meg and I are willing to cart him over to the East Bank from time to time.

We are all super stoked about making this place "home" for at least the next year.  Meg will most likely be finishing her degree in the next year and a half or so, so we aren't quite sure how long this living arrangement will last.  Either way, this next year will be a fun one.

Meg and I already have visions of dinner parties galore...  It's going to be awesome.

It's a 3 story house that has been converted into a duplex, and we get the top two floors - baller.  There are so many nooks and crannies in this place...not to mention a few Narnia closets (as I like to call them - Meg and Justin are now referring to them as such as well...it's a beautiful thing)!

Our official move-in date is September 1, but our lovely landlady said it will be no problem to start moving things in a little early.  Yay!

I can't wait to take lots of pictures of the pre-move-in unit and then show y'all what we do with it to make it "ours."  Meg and I have lots of ideas...lots  :)

SO!  The Lord is so good!  He provided above and beyond, as usual.  How fleeting faith can be in the midst of uncertainty.  This is something He's been trying to teach me about for a long time now: He is in control and He will never leave me hanging, even when a solution seems impossible...even when it seems impossible.

Praying this post finds you all well and immensely blessed.

Much love!

Shalom,
~MW

P.S. - No, it is not snowing here, but it certainly feels like summer is fleeting (high of 72F today, what is this?!)  :(  The picture of the house is the one posted in the ad...happened to have been taken during the winter.

Thoughts on Memorial Day {late}

Happy Sunday, all.

As I mentioned in my post recounting my adventures in Texas I wanted to share some thoughts on Memorial Day with you...even if it is a bit late.

Days like Memorial Day are always important to me for a number of reasons:

1) Whether I agree with a given war or US presence in other countries or not, the men and women who leave their families, homes, and the safety of our borders are making incredible sacrifices not only for their own families, but for yours and mine...even though they may never know us face to face.

2) I truly love our country.  While our nation is far from perfect, I think we often forget how good we have it here in the States.  We are truly blessed with the freedoms and privileges generation after generation of our fellow Americans have so valiantly fought to preserve.

3) I know soldiers.  I know families of soldiers.  I know friends of soldiers.  While I will never ask those who have served what they have experienced during their time of service (but will always listen if they want/need to share), it is often written on their faces: the trouble they have seen and the heartache they have experienced...whether it be locked away in memories or visible to everyone in wounds they suffered.  But no matter what it is they have gone through, I always see humility, courage, and pride in our country and what they have/are fighting for.

On my flight leaving Austin this Tuesday, I had the honor and privilege of sitting next to a tall, quiet soldier. 

This man had been home on leave for 15 days to spend time with his family before returning to his tour.  The pain he was experiencing in leaving his family, yet again, was clear as he sat with his head in his hands, elbows resting on his knees, or resting his head on the back of his seat, eyes closed, hands clasped together with thumbs rolling.  It was evident to me that he believes in what he does for our country, but that doesn't wash away the fact that he was again leaving his family and that the possibility of not returning was again very real.

We didn't talk much...  I would have loved to have had more conversation with him, but with his mind so obviously processing what was happening, I kept my silence for the short flight to DFW and allowed him his solitude.  Once we landed we had to sit on the landing strip for a bit before we could proceed to the gate - this afforded me the opportunity to thank him for his sacrifice and service.

When I looked into this soldier's eyes as I thanked him, I saw incredible gratitude mixed with the sadness of leaving.  DFW is where they ship out from, he told me.  In that moment I saw a hint of tears welling in his eyes.  I wanted to ask him about his family, if he and his wife had children, and so much more.  But decided to spare him.  This leg of his tour will be for 6 months, he told me.  6 months is a long time to be away from the comforts of home and the love of family, but he was grateful for the shortness of this time away from home.

As we parted ways in the terminal I thanked him again, told him to be safe, and sent him with the Lord's blessing.  The awe in his face was heart-wrenching and I had to work hard to hold my own tears back.  He thanked me and told me to be sure to take care of myself.  I spent the remainder of my day and much of this week praying for this man and his fellow soldiers. 

How easy it is to go-on with our day-to-day life and not think twice about the men and women who make this life possible.

How easy it is for us to forget the ones who leave home so that we don't have to. 
...So that we don't have to live in fear. 
...So that we can freely worship our God.

Don't forget them. 
Don't forget the ones who have served before we were even a thought in our mothers' minds. 
Don't forget the ones who have served while we have grown up in comfort and safety. 
Don't forget the ones who are serving now to preserve that comfort and safety we have grown so accustomed to. 
Don't forget the ones who have given their lives for ours. 
Don't forget the families who sacrifice their sons and daughters so that we don't have to.

Remember how and why our country exists and persists.

I am certain that I will never forget this soldier.  The short time I spent sitting next to him has impacted me in a way I will never forget. 

I have sometimes forgotten what it was like to have my cousin serving so far away and in harms way, now that he is home and safe, though still serving our country...though still in harms way.  Somehow it is less frightening knowing that he is in America where we have excellent doctors and facilities that could help save him, should the unthinkable happen.  But, he is still serving and putting his life on the line for the safety of others.

It's easy to forget.  This is one of the reasons days like Memorial Day are so important - they force us to remember and recognize what we have and why we have it.

I cannot fully express the gratitude I have for the sacrifice of those serving in our armed forces, but I do thank you and your friends and families for their sacrifice.

Remember.

Shalom,
~MW