Journeys

Sitting by the campground pool, feeling heavy of heart. This is the time to start counting blessings. This is a long journey, with many questions, and some answers. How do I have hope for the future when I'm not sure what I'm aiming for? 

"And we know that in all things God works for the good of those who love him, who have been called according to his purpose." -Romans 8:28

I'm sure I'm too wrapped up in temporary things right now.  I know The Lord is after His glory in me.  He is working out the details of my life so I may see His goodness. Contentment. A feeling of calm satisfaction. But more. Satisfaction in the unseen work of the Holy Spirit. Okay with the here and now because I know the One who holds me. 

So the house contract is dissolved and our RV must remain our primary home. We're continuing our search in this area but we are looking in the next county north as well. The boys have adjusted well to their schools, so starting over in new ones isn't our preference, but houses don't appraise well in Palm Coast. People are more apt to purchase a foreclosure. The town is growing on me, though. So the thought of leaving is sad too. 

So today I sit in the shade and ocean breezes by a comfy pool and try to see the good. It's here, all around me. 

Boys close. 

Sunshine. 

Sunday gatherings. 

New beginnings. 

No water bills. 

And so on. 

But mostly 

Secure.  -Psalm 16

Purge, Purge, Purge

It is funny how writing takes on rituals.  As I have been embarking on a new creative venture, distractions abound.  I find that as I am preparing to write that, all of a sudden, menial tasks demand my attention.  Emptying the dishwasher becomes imperative.  The inescapable urge to run the vacuum captures me and I succumb to the pressure.  But then again, this season is also different than most.  Part of the defragging of brain busyness is productive work, too.

The Campagna household has been dialoging about some serious decisions on the table.  This home has been a huge blessing to our family.  It has housed multiple families at multiple times.  It has stayed open all night for friends, and has kept visiting pets.  It has hosted foreign students and transplant couples.  But with the necessary retirement of my husband, this house is becoming too much to handle.   We don’t want the 4700 square feet of family bliss to turn into burden.  So before we find ourselves in a desperate place, we are prepping for change.  

This prepping has created the medium by which I warm up to writing each day. I evaluate possessions.  I find myself thinking about a 1200 square foot home.  If I had to choose, what would I take with me?  Downsizing and eliminating clutter around me and in my mind is good for the soul.  Space is opening up.  The huddled home and muddled mind is beginning to respire.  Oxygen enters.  Those sets of fine china, used what, six times?  They were a fantasy, not practical, not necessary, not even fashionable- four cubic feet of space.  The books that are not pretty or practical enough to be out on display and I won’t read in the next 10 years- 10 cubic feet.  The heart shaped quilt rack- yea.  You get the idea.  This is beginning to hook me.  It’s rewarding.  A stack of boxes is filling up a back room and in a matter of time, it will vanish. It’s freeing to let go…and exciting to know I’ll be ready for whatever decision we make regarding our future. The horizon is foreshadowing a new dawn, a new day, and a new chapter.    

These boys

  Soaked through several layers of clothing, these boys know how to play.  When we get a day to just goof off at home, I get a moment to take a look at them, and I realize they are growing fast!  There's no turning back,  these middle school kids are only getting older.  Love 'em.

Snowside at the Campagnas

 When it snows in Georgia, everyone stops.  There is not nearly enough equipment to clear roads and make them safe, so the run on the grocery store is real.  Today, we managed to get up the driveway, but couldn't get out of our neighborhood, so we made a day of it on our own street.

A morning hike with Joseph and Nico

Ice, ice, ice

Home, note the white dots across the 2nd floor... that would be snowball bombs.

We decided to teach our Korean boys how to skitch.  I think we went through most of their (and our) clothes!