Cook's Current Events

Life has taken an unexpected turn for the Cook's the last month.  I believe the last post I wrote was putting this blog to rest for a season so I could focus on the people in my life.  We were finally building relationships in Bham and starting to experience the community that we desperately long for.  It was becoming home.  But God has different plans for us.  In November, we found out that the company he was contracting for did not have another contract to place him on.  So with a one week notice we were jobless.  So we started planning - our plan was to move back to Denver.  There is a large flash/flex community (the programming languages John works with) in Denver and we were sure there would be a spot open for him.  But again, this was not God's plan for us.  After a few weeks, he did not have a single interview for a job in Denver.  So again we had to ask "God what are you doing?"

Options were coming to the table in places like Manhattan, Rochester New York and Saudi Arabia.  Then he had a really cool interview with ESPN but well they wanted to pay him pennies for his work.  So he turned down several opportunities and we waited.  We did this asking God for some specific request regarding his job but I will confess it was scary to tell potential jobs that we weren't interested.  But with a knot in our guts we waited.  And then it happened - from start to finish within 24 hours.  A GREAT job with a GREAT company.  The only catch is well in the words of my friend "it is about as far away from Birmingham as you can get without going to Saudi Arabia"  We are headed to Seattle for at least the year of 2011. 

This company does about 90% of their jobs remote (working from home) which is opposite of his previous company - thus his traveling about 50% 2010.  However, this particular contract is slated to last the entire year and required John to travel 3 weeks out of a month. We decided that it was not worth our family being together for only 16 weeks this year.  So the company is providing us with a furnished apartment rather than paying for John to travel for 3 weeks a month.  So Seattle - here we come. 

Stay tuned for more as we start this journey in the Pacific Northwest :)

Putting it to Rest

I am putting my blog to rest.  I hope to revive it again someday because writing is good for me.  But the truth is my capacity is limited right now and there are actually real live people in my life.  We are actually beginning to taste the fruits of community both with our faith family and with our neighbors who we hope to one day join us in our faith family.  I am not sure John and I have been here since we left staff almost 8 years ago.  We have had relationships sprinkled throughout but not community. 
I am really focusing on some healing in my life - physically, emotionally and spiritually that is requiring a lot of my time during my days.  I have 2 hearts at home that need mama to shepard them and love them with my time.  I have an amazing husband who is absent alot in this season which leaves me to go it alone.  I have for the first time in many years a desire to put forth effort to put down roots.  We believe we are here and we NEED to be here.  So here we are and I need and want to learn how to live my life not in survival mode.  This blog steals my thoughts more than it should so for now I am trading it in for the real live people in my space.  Thanks to those of you who have encouraged me through these last few years of struggle and learning. 

Roll Tide

Alabama Homecoming has become a Cook Family Tradition.  I use to dread it because you have to get up sooo early and drag little ones along that don't really appreciate it.  But this year the kids had a blast.  I admit I still dreaded it because I am a homebody these days.  But once we got there it was really fun.  Our neighbors joined us this year and made it even more fun. 

This is how all three of the boys looked at the end of the day.  It took 4 washcloths to get JUST brady clean.  They had a blast and it was sooo worth the clean up. 

An Ideal Day

As I begin to make stride in re-engaging my life after my depression I am constantly finding myself on my face.  I don't mind it too much because one of the many things I have learned this year with strong conviction is that when I am weak my God is strong.  I am different in many ways.  But yet I find myself still battling that same dreadful old self - hence the falling on my face.

Yesterday, I had one of those moments on my face asking God to order my days.  I wanted ideal days - I know you know what I mean - those days that everything goes as planned.  The days that you check things off your to do list but you also love your kids really well.  Those days that it comes easy to not have to chose people over task but that they somehow get done in unison.  

And then this idea came to my mind:

"Most of us find it very difficult to want “Heaven” at all – except in so far as “Heaven” means meeting again our friends who have died. One reason for this difficulty is that we have not been trained: our whole education tends to fix our minds on this world. Another reason is that when the real want for Heaven is present in us, we do not recognize it. Most people, if they had really learned to look into their own hearts, would know that they do want, and want acutely, something that cannot be had in this world. There are all sorts of things in this world that offer to give it to you, but they never quite keep their promise.” ~ C.S. Lewis

My perfect IDEAL day are precious gems from God.  But yesterday God helped me to recognize that they are glimpses of Heaven and can't be so every day in this fallen world no matter how many success strategies, effective planning and implementing of systems I use. 

So I guess now the prayer is "Lord teach this fallen daughter to live well in this fallen world."

To Encourage You...

Take 2 minutes, read and be encouraged :)

http://www.passionatehomemaking.com/2010/10/let-your-work-be-your-worship.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+PassionateHomemaking+%28Passionate+Homemaking%29&utm_content=Google+Feedfetcher

Change in the Making

The Good Kind of Busy

I feel like God has brought me to a sweet place. Yes I am still dealing with health issues.  But I am hopeful.  I have completely weened myself off of my depression meds and I feel good in that department.  My days are slowly becoming more intentional again, being filled with sheparding little hearts, loving on my neighbor, and building a couple good friendships (and reconnected with an old one).  After a year of darkness I feel life being breathed back into my weary soul and it is a good place to be.  So as you have noticed my postings are scarce these days.  I am busy again living life and loving people.  I will be back once I relearn how to do all these things and keep house. I am glad I am busy again but it is the good kind of busy.