The Stars are Shining Brightly

The week of Thanksgiving, after five years of church planting and pastoring, we moved out of Manhattan to Clarksville, TN. You can read a little more about our transition here. God is good and his gifts to us in this season have been many. I'm excited to be working in a temporary role in my home church - First Baptist Church of Clarksville, Tennessee. These people are precious to Susan and me. I'm looking forward to collaborating with their pastor, Larry Riley on a number of evangelism and ministry ideas. I'll also be reflecting and writing about our experiences of the past five years. Perhaps something special will emerge in my writing that will be a blessing to others.

A dear friend asked the other night what we'd miss most about the city. It is difficult to put a simple response into words. The masses and diversity of people in the New York Metro area is simply unparalleled. Living among so many people that God loves, amidst so much darkness and brokenness, yet so much beauty and culture is difficult to describe. To live in NYC is as much a fight as it is an adventure that brings solidarity to all who have called the Big Apple home. To live in New York City with small children, several small children is well....impossible for me to describe in a blog post. So say a prayer for me as I write about our journey during these days. We will miss New York City in countless ways and will forever be changed having lived in the capital of the world.

We've laughed often as our kids have begun to experience what they call the "country." Yes, this town of 150,000 people is the country to kids from Manhattan.

• They know very well how to walk the sidewalks of Manhattan without running into the street but have no idea what to do with the parking lot of Kroger here.
• "What number is our school" The twins are in a preschool and can't understand why it doesn't have a number since every public school in NYC had a number. They went to PS40. 
• "Why are we putting trash in the car?" All they've ever known is putting it down a garbage shoot. 
• "Why are we driving to school?" They've only walked to school before now. 
• Fun conversations explaining what a mall is and how it is different than a grocery store
• They can't quick looking at and commenting on the stars. 

We had a great Thanksgiving and Christmas with family. Our kids have loved being with their cousins.

Pray with us as we discern God's direction to our next long term post of ministry. We know something special awaits. In the meantime, we are grateful for this precious time with family and dear friends.