Embracing an Abundant Life During Seasons of Transformation

Hello, friends. This space has been quiet, though life has been anything but quiet. We are truly in a season of change as a family. I wanted to catch you up on a few of the changes we’ve experienced together and share one word that keeps coming to mind through it all: abundance.

Everything in a big family is abundant. The noise, the schedules, the food, the people, the prayers, the needs. There are a lot of us and with that comes multiplied joy so much so that it’s hard to even understand God’s amazing grace to all of us.

As many of you know, we’ve had an abundance of tears with the passing of my grandmother this past fall. It has been an incredible loss as she was such an amazing woman. We had our first Thanksgiving and Christmas without her. We each tried to fill her shoes in a small way, making the magic cookie squares, making cranberry sauce, and wearing our silver pins like Gram would. I found myself spending time making little handmade things because she loved them so much. All feeble attempts. Life is not the same without her. Gram had a quiet strength, was always appropriate, and never complained, not even during the hardest time of her life…her death. I am overwhelmed with thankfulness that she was my Gram. I can’t wait to see her again someday!

Many of you also know that Peter began a new full-time job in January. ( I wrote a family update about it on my IG account.) After 21 years in full-time ministry, and though we were not looking for a change, God dropped a job offer into his lap unsolicited, and after seeking some counsel, we both felt confident that God wanted us to step out in faith into this new role. So we did. With that new job came a different schedule and we are adjusting to the demands of that job while making sure to keep the essential things the same. This looks like later dinners, packing lunches, prioritizing family nights on the weekends, and learning to help him by keeping things going here at home. (I used a hand saw to fix a bed last week. A first!)

My schedule is overflowing, and finds me homeschooling Brayden, teaching weekly watercolor classes between two different local homeschooling coops, and enjoying having most of my children and their spouses within 15 minutes of us! (Hope is away at school.) We have so much fun shopping and scouring FB Marketplace for new things for all the houses, doing family meals, celebrating birthdays (18 just in our immediate family!) having the grandkids over, and just doing life together in a close-knit way. We also drink lots of tea and talk around the table for hours.

Peter and I are also experiencing an abundance of the sweetest grandchildren, and we aren’t mad about it. (HAHA) We now have six wonderful grandkids and each one is amazing.

We are still leading the youth ministry and doing our other regular ministries at our church. I still write to encourage women in the faith (here, IG, Club 31 Women: here, here, here, here, here). I speak at women’s events several times a year as my schedule allows, and I enjoy discussing Christian life with friends on podcasts with topics like long-term ministry in a small church context, recovering from overwhelm, and how to change your attitude when you are responding sinfully.

Life is full! And we are thankful.

I want to share a few truths for those who are also in a season of change. These truths from Colossians have been such an encouragement to me personally.

First, go read Colossians. Why? Because the whole book is such a blessing. A few foundational thoughts:

Paul reminds the Colossian church that they are in Christ right off the bat. Their physical location may be Colossae (and may change) but they are in Christ and that will never change. Wherever you find yourself today, no matter what your situation, your greatest reality is that you are permanently in Christ. 

In every season of life, the truest thing about you is that you are In Christ.

This gospel hope changes how we view life and interact with others. It informs how we perform our duties, how we react to trials, and enables us to walk worthy. Paul says that the Colossian’s faith and love were well known, so much so that word got back to him about their spiritual successes. If you are loving God and others as the Bible commands, you are spiritually successful. If you are not loving others, no matter how much “ministry” you involve yourself in, it’s all wood, hay, and stubble. Why were the Colossians loving? Paul tells us. He connects their love with their hope. —> “because of the hope laid up for you in heaven.” Col. 1:5. When we seek things that are above where Christ is, it shifts our focus and priorities and ultimately our actions and reactions to tell the greater story of redemption with our lives. Our lives will tell where our hope ultimately lies.

Christian, your hope laid up for you in heaven transforms the way you care for screaming toddlers, interact with annoying neighbors, or deal with a medical crisis. We are in Him. This is not the end. There is more to the story.

Col. 3. 1-4 “If then you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your mind on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with him in glory.”

So we are in Him and Christ is in you, the hope of glory. (Col. 1:27)

Why does this matter? Because our “in Him-ness” is a reminder that this world is not our final destination. Our in Him-ness trumps all the hard things here. No matter what happens here, MY LIFE IS IN CHRIST. I am expectant of an eternal reality that already is secure in heaven right now today. (Col. 3:3) Christ is your real life (Col. 3:4).

That realization, that amazing reality, has been a great stabilizer during this time of change.

 “Christ in you, the hope of glory. He is the one we proclaim, admonishing and teaching everyone with all wisdom, so that we may present everyone fully mature in Christ. ” Col. 1: 27

He is our life. He is the Source of all things. In Him and through Him we have not just life, but abundant life, and it’s all good because He is good. We are so thankful.