change

friends...

i'm so sorry that i've been quiet. There actually has been so much going on this past month with sickness and about our future in this vocational area of our life that to write you would be a daily occurrence. it felt too overwhelming to write/blog. seriously, just when i think the day is done, something else will bring forth new information and prayer (last night at 11:15p to be exact!). this past week and evening provided more info and prayer than i think ever in our life (or at least in my most recent memory).

last update: we were considering santa maria (the harbor church), tujunga (sunland neigboorhood church) and apu (PhD program). in and amongst this all was also the strong consideration of leaving biola this year after 9 years of serving the students of hart hall. here are some decisions that have been made so far and a small insight into that choice. again, i'll try to summarize (if you want all the juicy details let's do coffee, i'd love to tell you!)

last week we made the decision to say no to APU. after several significant conversations with wise counsel, the lord and just observing what was in front of us (the choice between higher ed or the church), ry felt called to the church, not the classroom. (again, a nutshell) we emailed apu and feel such a peace about this choice.

as well as saying no to APU, we also said no in our hearts to staying here another year at biola. after a week long prayer in this decision, asking for movement to stay, we both are one in the decision to leave hart this year after nine years of living amongst college students. this is a huge leap. last year we felt like we were going to go (heck, for a few years we felt like we wanted to go! but the Lord kept us, which in staying showed us the 'why' God kept us here for so long), but in deciding to stay, the Lord made is sooooo apparent-in making the choice to now leave, we feel confirmed by so many others in our life, as well as just in our own prayer time together. we are going to take the leap to go. we both feel so 'one' in this decision and we are at peace even though the reality of saying this out loud today is hitting us, we both still feel one. thank you lord. (if you wanna help us move in june, let us know! we'll need it!)

santa maria is a no. after further talks, prayer and discernment, we are saying no to santa maria. they want a youth pastor and a worship director. no matter how much they want to change the position, this is what they need. it would not be a good move for our family even though they are wonderful people, it's not a good fit (financially, theologically, philosophically...etc...)

so the 'yes's' in our life-

i still have a job (although part time) that I LOVE here at isf/talbot. that (as far as i know) won't change unless we move far away.

we thought we were going to keep william in preschool but after many meetings with teachers and school psychologists, we are moving him onto kindergarten!! i can't believe i'll have a kindergartener and a 1st grader!!! i'm soooo proud of them!!

ryan wants to be a senior pastor. after taking some time to dream, pray, journal and pray some more, and gathering wisdom from others in life, this feels like such a great fit for him. we doubted this last year, but that doubt took him on a journey into fears and anxiety that the Lord really brought the truth of himself into. i think now, in all honesty, the fear is "lord, now that we've made these decisions, will you bridge the gap and move us on" we trust his provision (there is soooo much to look back on and trust in this!) and therefore move forward looking for senior pastor positions.

sunland has brought another offer to the table and we are seriously considering it. it's an assoc. pastor position, but the senior pastor is part time and ry would really be acting in much of a senior pastor roll-just not teaching week in and week out. we are one of two folks they are looking at. we LOVE the senior pastor and feel like he and ry would get along so well. we have a meeting in which we both will be going to april 19th to meet the board as a couple, and dinner with Duke sometime in between then as well.

some checks of continued prayer and discernment that we are praying about (and ask for your wisdom and if you feel so led, a response):

do we feel called to minister in LA? can we see growing our family here? do we need to open our hearts (although i feel as though they are open to where the Lord leads) more? we LOVE duke (the pastor) and the men who are elders and serve along side Duke, but do we love this church? Sunday night brought a HUGE conversation into this area that we are weighing/discerning/praying etc...about. please ask questions, please offer wisdom...we are in the info gathering stage and covet your voice in our life. we don't want to take the job because it's the only thing out there if we leave biola. BUT, we don't want to be irresponsible. but is taking the leap to say no to sunland the leap of faith we need to take to see what the lord has for us?

there is much much more, but short of writing 10 pages, i'll end here. there is a dream out there that we are laying before the lord and we are praying that he'll open the doors to this...but in the meantime, we wait patiently upon the lord as he hears our cries (ps 40!) and watch expectantly each day as he continues to show us how is our foundation, our rock and our provider.

i love you all...thanks for hanging in there with our job updates...
aly

go away....

my attempt to make a dress, then em said "i like it how it is" so then i added another panel of the pink lotus flower to make it a bit longer so it's more boheimian (like the skirts i saw at target!) so now that i figured out how to do it, i have a TON of random fabric that i'm sure matches in some way to make some more flowie skirts for her since shorts are not her favorite. (sounds like someone else i know...that's MY girl!)

the skirt i always make b/c its easy and i seriously can make it in less than a hour...i do need to branch out, but it's too easy and it looks great on

remember the dress i repurposed below for myself? this is the left over fabric that i made a dress /jumper for emily. i added little rosettes at the straps to hide my stitching on of the straps. it'd be cute with just a tank for summer, or leggings/jeans and a long sleeve shirt for winter...hopefully when she's well she can wear it!

FINALLY made my friend's daughter her playhouse bedding (her birthday was back in january! the comforter turned out more like a pot holder! (sorry michele!) but, they could use it as an area rug!!

the skirt i made for ellie with left over adorable fabric...that could fit her thigh! it's way too small...so my dear friend katrina will get it for her newborn little girl. katrina, i still owe you diaper cloths and a nursing hider...do you still need those?

em, will and ryan have all had bronchitis the past couple weeks (em got it friday). em has had a fever on and off since friday and FINALLY last night at yet another luke warm bath with tylenol in her body to attack that fever...i think it finally (knock on wood) finally broke. we'll see...the cough remains...

so...what does a mother do when her kids and husby are sick? well...all weekend i cleaned, laundered, disinfected, washed, mopped every surface in sight (all but the couch, need to take the slipcover off and do that...jessica-the gift of this couch is unbelievable!!! this seriously was my dream couch while kids were in the house and my good dear friend jessica gave hers to me!! THANK YOU!! what would i do w/o slipcovers?!?!?) and then yesterday i sewed some new clothes for em...she needed a pick me up (and so did i!) i'm still figuring out how to sew, but at least they are wearable : ) i had purchased for christmas a box of random yardage of amy butler print fabric on ebay and am STILL making clothes with all of the fabric! i'm going to attempt an apron at some point this week...

anyway...are you all well?

update on job stuff...

We just had an awesome weekend (however, Ry now has bronchitis...bummer!) up in Santa Maria. The church had us all go up and check out the church and we were apart of several meals, meet and greets and Ryan was interviewed by the search committee. To say that the central coast is beautiful is an understatement. What an awesome gift from God to have clear blue skies, wonderful tour guides (THANK YOU RAES!) and a small taste of what it could look like to live up there and experience the community of The Harbor church. We loved the people and town. We are prayerfully considering, as they are too, if this is a good fit for us/them. We have a lot of variables to pray and consider. We are also meeting with another church up in the LA area. Ry meets with them next week and we visit the church this Sunday. Please keep us in your prayers as we discern what the next steps are, what the best fit for our family and Ryan is. We have not been offered a job by either church, so we are still here at Biola and committed to the awesome community here until the Lord moves us on. Pray that we are able to stay present to them in the process. We really enjoyed being up north, but again, staying open to the Lord in this process.

I have to be honest...it is sort of nerve wracking...BUT...I can't tell you how covered in prayer we feel and are so blessed by our community-thank you. I am also pretty excited each day to watch the Lord at work and what in the world he is up to. So i'm soooo expectant. We'll keep ya posted.

new camera

i got a new camera for christmas!!!!!!!! a nikon d5000. i'd learning still...but here is a pictoral glance at our month...

During the storm the past few weeks, we finally let the kids out and let them puddle jump it up...they had sooo much fun!!

The girl cousins all got GC to Disney 365, this store at downtown disney, and got their hair all done and had suuuch a blast getting their hair and makeup done. sooooo fun!!! can they be this big already??!?!

One of the other christmas gifts was a pass to a rock climbing gym. The kids LOVE it.

Our little one lost her first front tooth!!

I turned this dress (below) that I never wore, into the dress (above) courtesy of this awesome website!!

two dear dear dear friends got hitched!! Todd and Beth Tabor. YEAH!!!

Ry got his rock star on at our annual new years eve bash at our church. All of downtown fullerton's streets close down and are filled with bands, bounce houses and food for the community to come and have a safe new years celebration at. Our church opens the gym up and has a band made up of folks from the congregation play cover tunes. This is when Ryan is singing (can't recall the song, maybe dead or alive by bon jovi?)

What has your month looked like?

job updates...

so...there has been quite a stirring this past month with job hunt and ideas....thus the reason i've been a bit quite. there is quite a lot to sift and pray through and even as i type i think of conversations that were had just yesterday that still tell me, i'm not in charge-the lord is. no matter what ducks i try to put in a row, he is the one who knows the journey to our story and i just need to sit, watch him work and abide. here is the latest that we could use your prayers in:

We have a few things that are before us that we could use clarity on, and just a covering from you dear ones as we sift through where it is we are being led...here is a bit of background and update on some things that Ryan wrote to his peeps, which encouraged me to send it off to you all for prayer as well. Below are both of our hearts right now.

i'm (aly) really praying, considering about possibly applying for PhD programs. Currently i'm looking at Fuller's PhD in Psych and Loma Linda's DMFT program (i'm open to others, this is just what i've look at so far) I'm just having little conversations here and there with folks who are in these programs and their thoughts on them. I'm also trying to really consider if this is something that our family can handle. How much of a PhD program can I handle while being a wife and mother.? What PhD program will let me take things at a slower pace? Are we nuts to think about this, we don't have money to pay for a PhD program! I've not taken math in over 15 years, and I have to take the GRE in order to get into a PhD program...sigh....anyway, I do know the Lord will provide the money and the intellect in order to pass if this is indeed the path he wants me to go. I have really come to love teaching and being with college/post college aged men and women. I'm so thankful for the opportunities i've had through ISF to teach. It's been challenging to say the least, but also there are moments of utter glee like this is just where i've been called to be. I'm just in a season of a lot of discernment and would love / covet you joining me / us in prayer. Ryan is also really considering this as well as he looks as positions...if this is the road for me to take now, or later...he's just so supportive, i'm so thankful. anyway...

Below are Ryan's requests:

Last year we met with a man named Dennis baker. He is basically a professional headhunter for the EV free denomination. This was such a cool meeting and made aly and i very hopeful. since then he went on sabbatical but now he is back. He has tossed our name to three churches. they are listed:

1) A church in san diego area- they dropped me when they found I didn't have an Mdiv
2) church in Santa Maria- the position is a half time worship; half time youth position. I met with them, they called all of my references. I'll talk more on them in a second
3) A church in Tujunga/Sunland; basically a senior pastor position without the teaching. I would be a pastor of the people and leading and developing teams.

so here's where the status is with these positions:
1. Santa maria- Is highly interested in me. But I told them I was out, did not want to be a youth pastor anymore. they told me how disappointed they were but appreciated my honesty. then they told me they were going to re-work the position and get back to me if they could find a situation that fits. Since they I spoke with a friend who had a long conversation with them... My friend told me he thinks they were going to hire me and in possibly 5-10 years, give me the senior pastor role. Crazy... i didn't hear back from them till today. they want to talk, they are willing to explore other options. I think this is a way of saying, we are willing to do some tailoring to make this position fit you... CRAZY!!! (update, ry spoke with them yesterday and man, they just seem like amazing people who really want to nurture ryan in this pastoral role and shepherd him as he learns to and shepherds others. the plan is to go up sometime in february to check out the church ourselves and meet with folks in person. we'll keep you posted)

2. Tujunga- I met with the senior pastor last week. Very cool chap. He's basically their teaching pastor. He lives 40 miles away and commutes in to teach and that's all. They need someone else, someone to be on premises and to lead from there. I really liked what I heard, i also liked his honesty, he seems like a good fit with me. they want me to go to the next step with them. (aly's addition: this church is also a few miles away from Fuller Seminary, which is one place i'm looking)

finally,
I just applied to a PhD program at APU. I will be waiting to hear back if I get in. If I do, it makes sense to hang out a couple more years, to be accessible to the college world. Or to look for jobs in another College setting, my preference is Christian.

three options that still need to be teased out. None may come to fruition. i have several prayer requests:

1) Clarity- Oh Lord help me understand the ways you have wired me and what is truly exciting to me!!
2) Please lead my heart
3) Can you show me the next step?
4) give me peace for RIGHT NOW! cuz I am here and here is the only place I am. I must lean into you God and be at peace that you are leading me.
I am grateful for your intercession.

Friends, thank you so much, we are so so very thankful you have taken the time to read this (sorry so long!) and to join us in prayer. we'll keep you posted on what transpires. Please feel free to ask questions, offer responses etc...etc...we value you and your voice in our life.

Love to you all
Alyssa

sick....

ah...i've been sick all week. all my plans of posting new photos and sharing what's going on is sort of on hold while i get better...
i have that poem in my head again "i cannot go to school today, said little peggy ann mckay"...
although i don't have a rash or purple bumps (thank GOD) i am congested, foggy, slow, sleepy, coughy and achy.
: ( boo...

the kids are fine. congested, but have energy and ry has been a HUGE help in a weekend when he usually can't be of much help. it's opening weekend for the spring term here at biola, so he is usually working out room mate conflicts and ironing out housing issues, but it's been a kinder process this weekend...i'm so thankful. and the kids have been great too. now, if the laundry could just do itself....

Musings...

Hey friends and family!

I have sort of 'resolved' (in the spirit of the new year) to blog a bit more over at water4thesoul. I have always wanted to post different devotional ideas and musings and so, I have!! go check it out :)

I also got a new camera for christmas so i'll be posting some new pics and video soon of the fam!!

Peace to you all
Alyssa