where we've been, where we're going.

 It's been almost two years since I started this blog. I will be the very first to say that it hasn't been very consistent in regards to time between updates or content or... anything. I started it mostly as a way to update friends and family about our whereabouts/plans without resorting to obnoxiously long Facebook posts.

I hope I'll continue to blog [and get better at it, too] in the future, as I enjoy writing and sharing things on this kind of platform. But today as I'm enjoying a lazy Sunday afternoon and writing my first real post since March [oops], I'm thinking about the past. More specifically, about the journey of the last two years of our lives and Drew's ordination process, and the end that is in sight for this particular time in our lives.

Two years ago I wrote about a significant change in our plans that included moving to South Carolina and bringing ordination a year closer.  I wrote about my thankfulness for our community, even as I wrote about home and missing my family. We finished our time in Durham, saying goodbye to that place and those fabulous people as we said hello to a new state, new school and a new community.

Our first five months in Columbia included me working in 4 different offices and Drew being approved for ordination. February brought snow, but more importantly, regional and synodical assignment, and thus finding out where God and the Church was calling us to serve.

And now, it's August again, and that "inevitably sweltering summer day" of packing a truck that seemed so far away in February is on the immediate horizon, because the whole first-call thing that we've been talking about for so long is no longer a thing of the future, but a thing of the present.

Post by Drew Tucker.

So, we are packing for our third move in three years and are incredibly excited about the new place and people we have been called to. And though we're reaching one finish line, there are many new adventures beginning as we become first time home owners [yikes!] in addition to starting full-time ministry at a new church and on a new college campus. You know. Nbd.

[x]

And so, we pray.

This time last week we were counting down the hours until we would receive our regional assignment. Drew was in Texas when he got the call, and I was at work, so this is how I found out:

So that's it, folks. Looks like the Tuckers are gonna be southerners for a few more years :)

And with that question answered, there are a million more to ask. But last night we gathered with Drew's fellow seniors and worshipped and prayed together as we marked this important step in a process which, though at times has seemed never-ending, is in fact drawing to a close. And it was another beautiful reminder of this fantastic community that we have found ourselves so graciously welcomed into this year.  I can so vividly remember the anxiety that plagued me when our plans suddenly changed to include a year here in Columbia, but I am so grateful for the time we've had here.

And so, with that unnecessary but at the same time very necessary reminder that God is in fact taking care of us in every way, it's incredibly exciting to pray for Drew and his classmates, and to dream about the months to come and everything they will bring.

So, go ahead of us, Lord, as winter turns into spring, as midterms turn into finals, as the to-do lists are marked off and syllabi are completed. Because despite how much is still left to be done, this semester will end and a new adventure awaits.

Give us patience, Spirit, when we would rather wish away the days and weeks, ready to be done with everything that comes with being a student. Because education, let alone an advanced degree, is a privilege denied to many, and there will not often be the opportunity to learn at this level once this time is over.

Watch over us, Father, in conversations with Bishops and Synod Offices, in phone calls with call committees, in the nerves that come with interviews and the uncertainty in decision making. Because the process can be stressful, the responsibility daunting, and on our own we can't possibly hope to know what to do.

Thank you, God, for synod staff who look out for us, for families and friends praying for us, for peers who can celebrate and commiserate with us. Because it is within the Body of Christ that we see, hear and know You in new and exciting ways.

Be with us always, Jesus, and especially now. As we close this chapter and begin a new one. In the final all-nighters of studying and days in the classroom. In shared meals and time with friends that have become dear. As paperwork is distributed and calls are extended. As boxes are packed and moving trucks rented. As we say goodbye to this place, and hello to something new.

For peace when there is anxiety, focus when things just need to get done, wisdom in conversation, discernment in the process, joy in the moment, love in community, and a cool breeze on the inevitably sweltering summer day when we once again pack our life into a truck trailer and drive away, we pray.

And You hear our prayer.

Seven

Coming to the end of my second snow day of 2014.
And I have another one tomorrow.
Yep. Snow day. From work. In South Carolina.

The world is a crazy place.

The blog has once again been forsaken the past month due to life happening outside of the world wide web. But two snow days in a row means I have some free time! So, since I'm sure you're wondering what's been on my mind for the past month, it's mostly been this:

Regional Assignment is in 7 days. 7 DAYS PEOPLE!

The beginning of the end. It seems like we've been waiting forever for this ordination process to come to completion, but now that the end is upon us, it's almost startling.  Regional assignment first, then we'll get a synod placement, and then (Lord willing) at some point this summer, we'll find a call and Drew will be ordained.

Ordination

Ok, probably [hopefully] not, but it's still funny :P

In light of this impending [life-altering yet completely out of our control] decision, we've been thinking a lot about where we'll be in 6 months. It seems that our two most likely options are either back in Ohio, or in the Carolinas. In general, we've been pretty back and forth about where we would like to end up. Ohio would mean being closer to both our families. But, we have fallen in love with the Carolinas. Plus, the temperatures in Ohio the past month have been consistently in the negatives. Which is gross. So this is definitely not a time of the year that I want to think about being back up there. But alas, it is not up to us. And we are excited for whatever comes wherever we end up being assigned.

So, yeah. 7 days.

Not freaking out. Not freaking out. Maybe freaking out a little.

May 2

There is good reason to be terrified about today. May 2 means I have 6.5 days to finish packing up my apartment, because in 10.5 days there will be a moving truck to fill and drive down to Columbia. There are also many reasons to be excited about today. May 2 means that tonight I get to see RelientK LIVE for the first time ever. Tomorrow is Friday, and we're having a birthday party for Drew in the evening. Probably seeing Iron Man 3 at some point this weekend (because... duh. Marvel). Monday is Drew's birthday! And then one week from today I'll be flying to NY and then spending the weekend celebrating Tom's graduation and his and Cait's pending nuptials. All those aside, though, I'm mostly excited about today because it marks 5 years since Drew asked me to be his girlfriend, and 4 years since he asked me to be his wife :)

Right before we started dating...

Engagement :)

Married!

October 2012

The past 5 years have brought us through graduations, surgery, new jobs, many miles on the interstate system, a dozen+ weddings, one great 4-legged addition to our family, many laughs and many sorrows. Now as we're about to move and start a new adventure, I can't wait to see what the next 5 years will bring :)

[Home]

Angela, one of my [many] cousins, is getting married next weekend, which means Drew and I will be spending a couple days in Fredonia. The last time we were in WNY together was New Years. I spent about 48 hours there this summer for another wedding, but that's it.

To say I'm excited would be an understatement.

Don't get me wrong, I love the home that Drew and I have made in Durham, and I will be very sad when it comes time to move. But there's just something about being in the place you grew up. The familiarity, the comfort, the sights, sounds and smells. And that's just the physical place. Add into the mix my ridiculously large family who still reside in Fredonia, and it gets even better :)

Being in the family house on the family farm is something I love. It's a bonus that it's the beginning of fall! The grapes will be ripe, the chestnut trees will smell amazing, and hopefully it'll still be warm enough to sit out on the porch and enjoy the scenery. Angela conveniently chose a wedding date that coincides with my Dad's birthday, and I'm pumped to be able to be with him on his actual birthday for the first time in I don't know how long. Dad's not a huge "celebrate me" person, but it'll be nice to have the whole family together, even if we're just talking on the couch or playing cards.

I mean, who wouldn't want to see these beautiful people?? For all the cool things 2012 has been, it has also been the year that I have seen my family (immediate and otherwise) the least in my entire life. Mom, Dad and Tom came down here for Drew's graduation, and then I saw Mom and Dad again in Ohio for Drew's grandma's funeral, but that's it. I know that's what happens when you grow up, but it's still lame. I also know that distance isn't all a bad thing. We're all different and independent people, and probably would drive each other crazy if we all lived under the same roof 365 days a year. But going 10 months with less than a week of facetime with the ones who I have spent most of my life with is crazy. I'm not sure it'll get better over the next couple years, so I'm going to enjoy every second I get to spend with these dear ones.

PLUS as if a regular reunion weren't enough excitement, Tom and Cait are now ENGAGED! I can't wait to give my brother a congratulatory hug, gush over the ring, and talk with my soon-to-be sister about wedding plans.

So here's hoping the next week goes fast, that this lingering cough goes away, and that travel goes smoothly. Because I can't wait to pull up that long stone driveway, let Stanley out of the car and watch him run around the home that I grew up in, to pick a few grapes to eat, to hug my parents, to ride around on the 4-wheeler with Drew, to marvel at how big my little cousins are getting, to eat spaghetti, and to watch my beautiful cousin walk down the aisle.

Song of the day

First things first: my baby brother got engaged last night. Aah!!
So incredibly excited for them. I've been freaking out ever since Tom told me he was ring shopping earlier in the summer, so now that it's official I can barely contain myself.


So other than that excitement, today I realized that I haven't listened to music as much in the past six months for some reason. I'm thinking that needs to change, though, because I've been remembering some gems in the past few days, and it makes me want to have headphones on 24/7.

Today's obsession: 24 by Switchfoot.
[lyrics here]

So much goodness held in this song, but my favorite lyrics are towards the end.

I want to see miracles, see the world change
Wrestled the angel, for more than a name
For more than a feeling
For more than a cause
I'm singing Spirit take me up in arms with You
And You're raising the dead in me

It's the Jacob imagery that gets me. In Genesis 32, Jacob is preparing to meet with his brother Esau for the first time since Jacob stole Esau's blessing. Jacob's a bit afraid to see his brother (and, giving him the benefit of the doubt, I'm hoping feeling a little guilt for his wrongdoings), and so after he sends his entire camp over ahead of him, verse 24 says "a man wrestled him until daybreak." Jacob continues struggling with the man, not letting go even after serious injury, unwilling to surrender until the man blessed him.  It is here that Jacob becomes Israel. His persistence and struggle allow him to realize his purpose and to receive the blessing that is rightfully his.

Good song. Good images. I'm digging it. And when I get into a song, it generally means that I listen to it about 50 times in a two day period, just to make sure I soak up all the goodness ;)

Well, I'm pretty exhausted. Had a Duke Lutheran event with a couple other campus ministries and served food to about 400 freshmen. It was awesome, but I'm ready to drop, so I think I'll turn in early tonight.