I have never just loved the city of Muncie, but I do love some people that are here. We live a full days drive from any family members, so we have a family here. With having Cadence I have met several wonderful "new" moms, I have had an amazing mentor/accountability friend and I have of course had the people at the Campus House. Recently as a couple we have had a small group that has cared for us and I have had MOPS the last two years. So lots of "family". So in this post I want to just write a good-bye and thank you note to all the people of Muncie that I call family!
Dear Muncie friends,
Thank you for helping us move three plus times, that is a lot of stairs and warm days. Thank you for meals, games and just a lot of laughs. Thank you for the many play dates. So many I met at library story time or at MOPS, you embraced me as a new mom and encouraged me. Thank you for allowing my child to have you and your kids as friends. Thank you for your counseling, your wisdom and a shoulder to cry on. Josh and I have had our rough moments but you kept us together, prayed for us and taught us new things about marriage. I love you all and hope you keep in contact. God bless you and your family.
Sincerely,
Mikala
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Tuesday, May 21, 2013
Thank you House
Josh and I have been married for five years and we have lived in five different places. That is a lot of boxes, moving trucks and good-byes. We are two weeks from our sixth move and even harder good-byes. The good-bye post will come later!
Throughout the years I have slowly become less and less attached to stuff, but there is one thing that is different this time. Our house. We bought our first house in Muncie. We brought a baby to this house. We cried, we fought, and watched our baby become a toddler. We opened our home to many dinners and late night movies and games. We have had "Hobbit" day. We have thrown 30th birthday surprises and well many other surprises. This house has seen heartache and joy with lots of laughter in the mix. This is the Casey house.
Josh told me the other day that he understood why I was going to miss the house and asked if he could help in any way with the process. Just so you know this was a big deal for me to hear. Unfortunately there isn't anything physically he can do, I have to be able to just remember the good and bad times. To cling to my memories and make new ones. So though I still have two weeks I want to say a goodbye to this house.
Throughout the years I have slowly become less and less attached to stuff, but there is one thing that is different this time. Our house. We bought our first house in Muncie. We brought a baby to this house. We cried, we fought, and watched our baby become a toddler. We opened our home to many dinners and late night movies and games. We have had "Hobbit" day. We have thrown 30th birthday surprises and well many other surprises. This house has seen heartache and joy with lots of laughter in the mix. This is the Casey house.
Josh told me the other day that he understood why I was going to miss the house and asked if he could help in any way with the process. Just so you know this was a big deal for me to hear. Unfortunately there isn't anything physically he can do, I have to be able to just remember the good and bad times. To cling to my memories and make new ones. So though I still have two weeks I want to say a goodbye to this house.
House on Berkley Avenue thank you! Thank you for being our first house. Thank you for being a flipped house so we didn't have to do any work! Thank you for letting me paint my babies room. House you have heard and seen a lot and lets just keep it between us! Thank you for being a house that we could make people comfortable in. House you have truly been a memorable time in our lives, you will always be our first house that we bought on our own. I have prayed many times that you would be a blessing for another loving family. Continue to be a safe haven for others. Thank you House for being you!
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
All in God's timing
A year ago Josh and I were at the ACM's Campus Ministers Retreat in southern Indiana. We look forward to it following the end of every school year. A chance to be with others in campus ministry and just unwind as a family. Anyways, during this retreat Josh met another pastor and found his ministry was looking to hire someone in the same type of position he was in. During this conversation they talked about the way the ministry is run, how the staff works very well together as a team, and how they were specifically wanting to hire a family for the job. Basically, anything Josh and I had ever talked about or hoped for in ministry this guy was saying it. That night, Josh told me the entire conversation, then we got on their website and dreamed. I honestly pushed Josh to ask more questions and think about applying, but we had just decided to stay at least one more year in Muncie, so he was unwilling to begin looking for something that would obviously be filled by the time we were ready. Through the summer we talked a lot about this new and exciting ministry and envied the person who got the position.
Fast forward six months and we are officially without a job. We have a mortgage, no paycheck and no direction. After several weeks applying at various ministries, Josh got an interview with a church plant... which obviously didn't pan out! Really confused and frustrated, we decided to look back into campus ministry. I have no idea what Josh was thinking, but I was a little scared. Campus ministers are a relatively tight-knit bunch – everyone knows everyone. We weren't completely sure what had been said and if other ministries would want us after hearing our story. But when Josh realized this ministry was still looking, he sent his resume in... all the way to the Christian Campus House at the University of Central Missouri.
The ministry's director, Brad, replied back with lots of questions and out came our story. There was no point in hiding it, I mean some of the bitterness and anger had gone away, but at times it was still hard to hide. I remember Josh answering these questions and telling me that he had to tell Brad the whole story from the very beginning. After all, what was one more person judging us? Yet there was NO judging!!! Instead we got several phone calls and Skype meetings and got asked to go on their Spring Break retreat with them in March.
So... is it weird to fall in love with another couple?? Well we did. Brad and Cailyn have been wonderful through this long (4+ month) process of getting hired. They have kept us going when we thought it just wouldn't happen. They made raising part of our salary sound like an adventure and very possible. They have loved us from the beginning... including and honestly, because of the baggage (not in spite-of). Brad and Josh are like two peas in a pod, brothers separated at birth. Cailyn and I just laugh at the way they get along. It's refreshing to see that Josh is going to have a co-worker who respects him and his opinion and experience... sees him as an equal.
As of Tuesday, May 7 around 5pm we were officially asked to come on staff and start June1st (yes that is two weeks away!) To see the relief and joy in my husbands eyes took my breath away.
We are getting a second chance. We get to stay in ministry with college students. This is what we are good at, what we're called for! So, University of Central Missouri here we come and we are sooooooo excited!
Fast forward six months and we are officially without a job. We have a mortgage, no paycheck and no direction. After several weeks applying at various ministries, Josh got an interview with a church plant... which obviously didn't pan out! Really confused and frustrated, we decided to look back into campus ministry. I have no idea what Josh was thinking, but I was a little scared. Campus ministers are a relatively tight-knit bunch – everyone knows everyone. We weren't completely sure what had been said and if other ministries would want us after hearing our story. But when Josh realized this ministry was still looking, he sent his resume in... all the way to the Christian Campus House at the University of Central Missouri.
The ministry's director, Brad, replied back with lots of questions and out came our story. There was no point in hiding it, I mean some of the bitterness and anger had gone away, but at times it was still hard to hide. I remember Josh answering these questions and telling me that he had to tell Brad the whole story from the very beginning. After all, what was one more person judging us? Yet there was NO judging!!! Instead we got several phone calls and Skype meetings and got asked to go on their Spring Break retreat with them in March.
So... is it weird to fall in love with another couple?? Well we did. Brad and Cailyn have been wonderful through this long (4+ month) process of getting hired. They have kept us going when we thought it just wouldn't happen. They made raising part of our salary sound like an adventure and very possible. They have loved us from the beginning... including and honestly, because of the baggage (not in spite-of). Brad and Josh are like two peas in a pod, brothers separated at birth. Cailyn and I just laugh at the way they get along. It's refreshing to see that Josh is going to have a co-worker who respects him and his opinion and experience... sees him as an equal.
As of Tuesday, May 7 around 5pm we were officially asked to come on staff and start June1st (yes that is two weeks away!) To see the relief and joy in my husbands eyes took my breath away.
We are getting a second chance. We get to stay in ministry with college students. This is what we are good at, what we're called for! So, University of Central Missouri here we come and we are sooooooo excited!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)