Hitting our Stride...

Hello Again everyone,

I'd like to first invite us all to say a quick prayer for the arrival of Spring; I'm not sure I've ever felt so ready for it to come! (For those of you who aren't in Iowa or the upper midwest, we've had one of the longest, coldest, snowiest winters on record.) :)

Beyond that, it's good to finally be writing again. The last two months have been really significant, and it feels like life is just starting to "normalize" again (somewhat anyway!)

About a month ago, we finally moved into our new home on the outskirts of Pella. Most of January was spent painting, laying flooring, installing cabinets, moving, etc., so we are glad to be in and settled. (Another thank you to all of you who helped us with your time and efforts; they were an incredible blessing!) We are loving the simplicity and efficiency of the new place (everything is close together and very usable), and are looking forward to the thaw so we can start turning our yard from a mud-pit into an actual lawn.

In terms of ministry, I've been walking with eight staff applicants through the process of completing the application, interviewing, and now placement. I've been struck by what a pleasure it is to be present with such incredible folks at a "crossroads" of their lives, and additionally, how "weighty" the decision-making process feels to me. I thoroughly enjoy thinking strategically for the campuses of Iowa, but the significance of hiring and placement decisions for new, transferring, and current staff consistently feels like too much for me to bear. These decisions shape not only the lives of the individuals I'm charged to care for and steward, but also the lives of entire chapters and hundreds of students. I've found the process to be both humbling and exhilarating (usually in that order!), and I am so genuinely excited about how things are shaping up for next year (more on this next time after things are finalized!)

Internally, I'm continuing to work at being present to Jesus and his work in my life during this "season." I'm working to walk the balance of "being present to the immediate" context of my life, but at the same time making space for the "emerging vision" I find percolating in my heart.

Last night, I was babysitting Elijah and snuck back to his room to peak in on him while he played (unaware of my presence). I was brought to tears by my love for him in that moment, but also by the "lifelong" context of that love. Watching him joyfully move beads from one end of a wire to the other was a sacred moment intensified by imagining him as a one-day teenager sorting through his own life.

It is this "now and not yet" tension that has proven rich to me over the last months. Jesus is present now, as I hang cabinets, pray for my unborn daughter, toss Elijah in the air, and enjoy a night out with Steph, but he is also present then as we dream of what our lives will become, as I pray to catch a glimpse of God's dreams for the campuses of Iowa, and as we seek to build missional-incarnational communities on campus.

So, may we all come to a fuller knowledge of the one who was, is, and is to come as we walk through the "now and then" of our lives!

With joy for the journey,
Jon