New season

"It's just a season"

"This is a season. This too shall pass."

"Enjoy this season. It goes by too quickly."

I'm not talking about just summer, fall, and winter. Just seasons of life. School. Singlehood. Early marriage. Parenting young children. You know what I mean.

We have been through and are still going through a really rough season. It basically began 4 years ago when DaHubby returned to school to better himself and to better our financial odds in this recently awful economy. We've been through the wringer...full time work while full time schooling; another miscarriage; one Viking starting school, then another; family injuries, illnesses, and challenges; DaHubby being laid off; being on food stamps & welfare with no health insurance, living two states apart for half a year; marital stress; moving across two states, being the new kids/parents in a strange place; new and unexpected work pressures, changes, and disappointments for DaHubby; and the kids struggling academically, socially, and personally with all of this.

We've learned what's really important and how little with which we can get along. We've learned to be creative and frugal without it stealing our joy.  And, we've also learned we have amazing friends, family, and church families who look out for and pray for us regularly.

As we've hit various obstacles, we've continued to circle the proverbial wagons around the four of us tighter and tighter in a circle of protection. Things have gotten through to us but our instincts still are to draw closer together when under attack.

It's not over yet. There are multiple issues at DaHubby's work to be settled. There's a chance of a second move in our future. The school issues with the Vikings' were not resolved in a satisfactory (for us) way.

But, we know this is still just a season. And, we continue to hope for what God's got planned in our future.

As the kids finished their last full day of school yesterday, there came a sweet sense of peace. They're home now. With me. With us. Full time. And, it feels good. We're cleaning the house and clearing the slates for a fresh new start for this new summer season.

But, it's more than that. Change is in the air again. We all can feel it. And, Momma (normally) don't do change well. However, I've learned how far I can truly bend. I've learned to have faith in the blind turns. While I don't live in the present as much as I wished I did, I'm still looking forward toward the goal God's set out in front of us.

And, as a distraction when I get discouraged, I look down and watch my feet. As long as they are still moving forward, we're good.

My kids are being shaped by this, by this life we've tried to create. And, we feel we owe them better than what they've been getting lately.

So, again, this season is a new start. Looking out. Looking up. Keeping our heads up and walking this path.

May God be praised and glorified.