Things have been a bit busy...

 
Well, it's been over a month and a half since I've posted anything - let's just say things have been busy. The picture above (or to the left - I never know how these things will post) is of my office crew. We're all wearing our new coats purchased by Tim Uthmann my, now former, boss.

Tim got a jacket for all of us and our new director Ian Durias. The transition has been fairly smooth and I could also see the Lord's hand in the timing of it all. Tim and Rachel were scheduled to leave the first week of September for training in Chicago -- they are planning on serving in Italy with a refugee ministry. Rachel has done something similiar to this in Greece, but Italy is a more central location and in need leadership. Anyways, back to that timing thing.

Tim and Rachel were planning on leaving for training, but postponed their travel due to some significant challenges their church is now facing. The net result is that they are now both assistant pastors at The Pearl. Time, they otherwise would not have had, suddenly became available so they can minister to their church body-- it's exciting to see God's hand in that.

Multnomah has been rocked twice this semester from the dismissal of Steve Patty to the death of Nurse Ellen. It has not been an easy start, but it has been a binding one. I remember the administration gathering the staff and faculty together for a mid-summer meeting to announce our accreditation. It was said then that the road ahead would not be easy - no one obviously forsaw these circumstances arising, but the call to bind together in prayer for the school. Man, how truly necessary that has been.

In the midst of the rain, there is always at least one umbrella. Tre and I celebrated our six month anniversary. He drove his F150 truck all the way from Lincoln City to spend the afternoon with me. We started by getting a cell phones plan and new phones together. Currently he's the only one with my number, and Scott -who I've been warned might prank call me. Then we went to dinner, walked along the water front, and went and got desert. We exchanged gifts - he got me some cute silver bells -- literally that's what the description said and I got him a framed picture of a couple dancing. After desert Tre said he still had half of my present waiting. So we drove home and I waited inside my house while he set things up.

He came inside and then guided me to the backyard. Out on the concrete porch sat two crystal flutes and a mallot. To those of you who may be thinking, "What the heck?" Let me do some preemptive explaining. The crystal flutes in question have the "Stephanie Inn" emblazoned on the front - they were a gift from the hotel I stayed in on my honeymoon. They are also a reminder of what was - and what will never be. Throwing them away, which I'd thought about doing, was kind of like trying to forget what happened. Giving them away felt like I was passing the bad luck onto someone else. But smashing them, smashing them was the only course of action that just felt right.

And smashing them with Tre felt really right. In Jewish custom after the wedding vows are made an item is crushed beneath the heal of the groom- it represents a complete altering of what was, to what is. So, we smashed the hell out of those crystal flutes. And it felt good. (There was no wedding by the way, just in case you were wondering - it's just a metaphor :P ).

We feel good -- I mean Tre and I -- things are going along on their own merry little pace. Tre always says, "We're the best couple in the world," and it's times like breaking glass together that make me agree.