Perspective . . .

Our lives have been somewhat of a whirlwind for the last week. Last Sunday, after dealing with rain day after day, we were finally able to finish moving out of our apartment in Melrose Hall. It felt good to wrap things up at Jewell . . . long good-byes are hard and having the moving process hanging over our heads was draining. One task accomplished.

For those of you who are not up to date on the saga that is our lives, the Fergusons are not moving to Milwaukee. Long story short, our hearts are here in Kansas City close to family and friends, so we decided to stay. We had too little going our way in Milwaukee and too much going our way here. Staying in Liberty feels right in so many ways. I have decided to pursue a degree in Special Education. As I thought about the reasons I was pursuing the theology degree I realized that it was because I desire to have a job about which I am passionate. Since there is not a good theology program in Kansas City for me to pursue, I began to think about other things about which I am passionate. Our experiences with Grant and some of the wonderful educators who have worked with our family have given me a passion for special education. I think I would like to teach for a while and then eventually go into administration or advocacy work. Again, it feels right.

Back to the whirlwind . . . all of our belongings are currently living in a storage unit in Liberty. Travis and I are fortunate to have wonderful parents who are giving us a place to stay while we get our housing situation in Liberty worked out. While living out of suitcases is rough (particularly with two little kids), quality time with grandparents definitely makes it easier.

The housing situation . . . we have a contract on a house. Very exciting. It is a wonderful little house in one of our favorite neighborhoods in Liberty. If all goes well we will be living about two blocks from one of my closest friends, three blocks from a nice park with walking trails, and a few more blocks from the school that Grant and Sophia will eventually attend. The family that currently owns the house has done a great job decorating and just installed new windows and a new roof, so there isn't much that we will need to do as we move in. One of my favorite aspects of the house is the nice back yard with a six foot privacy fence. After years of apartment living, I am eager to sit on our deck with Travis while we watch the kids run around the back yard. We are set to close on July 27--until then we keep our fingers crossed hoping and praying that all goes according to plan.

The job front . . . things are happening. I have secured a part time job with Hillcrest Transitional Housing, an organization that helps families transition from homelessness to self-sustained living by helping the parents with housing, jobs, food, and life skills classes. I am excited about this opportunity as Hillcrest is an organization that I have respected for some time and it will offer me quite a bit of flexibility in my work schedule. Travis is still looking. He has decided to pursue special education as well, although he will work with high schoolers while I desire to work with much younger kids. Travis is in the process of getting certified in special education and has found a number of good contacts for finding a job.

Travis and I have a tendency to do everything at once. It seems that when there is one stressful element in our lives, there are 15 others. So it is now. Moving or not moving? Quitting jobs and looking for jobs. Moving out of an apartment and buying a house . . . the list seems to go on and on. While we feel like we have made more major decisions in the last six months than is healthy to do, we are in good spirits. We are fortunate to have supportive families who are willing to help us out in stressful times. We are also fortunate to have a hopeful perspective. We really believe that it was God's will for us to remain in Liberty. Up until this point, we have always had our needs met, so we have no reason to worry that our needs will not be met now. We have made a lot of huge decisions lately, but we have also felt God's direction through the encouragement and words of wisdom from family and friends and through doors opened and closed. Sure, we have our moments of anxiety and panic, but overall we are hopeful and excited about our future. Stressful or exciting . . . maybe it's all a matter of perspective.