New Beginnings

Don't you love fresh starts? Especially when you feel like you wiped out the last try and don't have to do much to go in an upward direction? That is what tomorrow feels like to me. Tomorrow is my 34Th birthday. I can't BELIEVE I will be 34, it doesn't seem possible. It's funny, sometimes I feel much younger than that, sometimes much older....

I tend to make "New Year's Resolutions" on my birthday, it just makes more sense to me. I ask myself questions about what I want "34" to be like. What do I want to do differently than 33? I like to make goals and objectives and write out lists and really dig into them for a while (like a week...)and then I try to be more realistic and rewrite my goals and objectives into things I can actually accomplish in a years' time. I also tend to NOT share this list with anyone so that I am only held accountable to God and myself. Thus, if you ask John about my goals and objectives made on my birthday he will answer with a confused "say what?".

My goal and objective areas tend to be about these subjects:
1. My walk with the Lord and ministry.
2. My life as a wife.
3. My life as a mother.
4. My health.
5. My family and friendships

These are also my "Top Five", the five things I work on throughout the year and that I filter through whether I should get involved in something. If someone asks me to do something that I know will take time away from my family I ask myself if it will help or hinder the top five areas of my life. I have MUCH work to do in ALL areas of my top five, but I have a feeling that I will feel like that until the day I die... that sounded depressing - what I meant is that I hope I never feel like I "arrived", like I've figured it all out and have nothing else to do. Where then would be the mystery and excitement of life?

If you look back in my blog (way back) at one point I decided that I would be in the best shape of my life by 35. Well, thank you JESUS that I have another year to go! I am in worse shape now than I was then! So, another year and my birthday gift of "Zumba" from my parents should get me closer to that goal!

I'm still working through the goals for these areas, and I'll think about sharing them when I'm done. But, like I said, I usually keep them between me and the Lord.....it's too much pressure to share with you!

All that to say, I like birthdays. Not for the same reasons I used to when I was a kid - presents and parties - but because it gives me a reason to pause. To think. To consider. To evaluate. And then to act.

Fort Smith

SO much has happened since my last post (thank God, considering that last post was fairly awful) that I know an update is in order. I know that you, my blogging public, have been wringing your hands wondering what is going on with the Schaffner family. I'm sorry that I have interrupted your sleep at night by NOT letting you in on what is going on in our lives!

After an uncertain move to Camden that turned out (spiritually, emotionally, mentally, maritally, but NOT financially...hehe) to be the best move we ever made, we have (seven months and several missiles built later) moved to Fort Smith, Arkansas! After searching for our way for several months, questioning if we should even BE in ministry, God has led us here. John started his first week last Monday as the BCM director at the University of Arkansas Fort Smith. We could not be more excited. John not only gets the chance to again do what he loves and is gifted to do, but he gets to work for a man that was already a mentor. From day one of this process we have LOVED the Arkansas Baptist Convention and it's been an experience that I have thanked God for many times.

We've been in Fort Smith two weeks and we are loving it! I have to admit, I NEVER thought I would want to live in Arkansas, and was reluctant to move to Camden (only for that reason), but have really loved our new city. We found a house that is just what we like (old house that needs work, but someone ELSE did it for us!), in an older neighborhood near the campus. It's an "iffy" neighborhood that we're still not certain about, but I've really been praying that God would open doors with my neighbors. Not only spiritually, but literally. This neighborhood must have been amazing in the years these houses were built, beautiful houses with huge front porches, but I've noticed I seem to be the only one sitting on mine. I've met several neighbors and am praying for relationships.

We say we're not sure about the neighborhood because we've only been there two weeks and I've already witnessed a crime and been questioned by police! The house next door to us was abandoned when we were looking at rental places and it was one of the only reasons we were on the fence about our house. But God is AWESOME and a nice couple bought it the same time we rented ours and they are renovating it to move in! Eric (our neighbor) is there every minute he can be doing demo, and when he's not there during the day he has several different men working on it for him. SO last week when I was doing dishes and watching the men I assumed he had paid to come haul off all the scrap metal, I was actually witnessing two men steal everything from him. I've never witnessed a crime before, I always assumed you would KNOW the people were shady - that they would ACT like they were doing something wrong. These guys were good, they looked like they were supposed to be there. Welcome to the neighborhood.

When we were looking at this house there was always this man in overhauls sitting on the corner of the block. John and I kept referring to him as Creepy-Guy. Well, Creepy-Guy has now become my chat-buddy after he discovered that I like to sit on my porch in the morning to do my quiet time. I was praying to meet neighbors and now I've gotten to know Ronnie-Creepy-Guy who is not so creepy, just different and lonely. Ronnie has lived on this block for 14 years and has quietly observed it from the corner side-walk all this time. He knows everything about everyone and I'm really hoping he is an exaggerator (is that a word?). It's funny how Satan knows exactly what we worry about and then pushes those buttons - like a paper cut that hurts but you can't stop touching it....anyway. One of the first things Mr. Ronnie said to us was "I don't know what it is about that house you live in, but no one seems to stay there long..". Gulp. Thanks ALOT Ronnie. But, I do have the knowledge that the bills in this house were extremely high before because of old gas appliances that were leaky, and now we have brand new central heat/air, new fridge, new stove, etc. My head tells me this, my worrying heart keeps saying "but Mr. Ronnie said...". Thanks Satan.

We've also finally decided on continuing our home schooling for Sadie (and Jack eventually). We went back and forth for a while, but God settled it in our hearts for us. I'm really excited about it and Sadie seems to be, too. I've been doing a lot of research on home-schooling in the area and on curriculum and have settled on putting together my own. All of the kindergarten curriculum I've looked at seem to be things Sadie already knows, so I don't want to pay for something that will be behind us already, and I don't want to skip to first grade for fear of being past Sadie and frustrating her. So, we will go in-between somewhere. I continue to read, research, study and pray I don't screw up my child. I'm excited about home-schooling in a town with so many resources and things to do. We've found lots of free awesome things to do with our kids, and the best library I've ever been to is 3 minutes from our house. Yes, I timed it.

So, there you go. We still don't have reliable Internet at our house, so I can't promise I will update this anytime soon. Maybe I'll make friends with the neighbor next door and she'll share her wireless password....or maybe we'll just pay like good citizens do! It's insane how much Internet is if you don't want cable tv or a home phone! Anyway, you should definately comment, you know people only update for the comments - to feed our egos that people are interested in our lives.....