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Career Community family

The Problem With Moving On

When we feel led to move onto a new adventure, it can feel exciting. The adrenaline flows as we negotiate all the tasks and plans. But there are complications. The problem with moving on is that there are always the great relationships we leave behind.

retro cab toy placed on concrete fence
Photo by Maddy Freddie on Pexels.com

My wife and I have moved on to a new adventue. Ministry is taking us to someplace new. While we will be joining some family at our destination, we will be leaving a majority of them a bit in Indiana and Ohio.

In addition, we got reaquainted with old friends when we came back, and made new ones. Our lives were richer for it.

So another problem with moving on is the trunkload of mixed emotions. We know we are heading in the right direction. Yet, we can’t help glancing one more time in the rearview mirror as we set out on a new trek.

There will be challenges and uncertainty in our new assignment. Then again, we fool ourselves into believing if we stay put, there is certainty. If 2020 taught us anything, it’s that there is much more that is out of our control than any of us would like to admit.


We are under no allusions that the next place will be perfect. We will face new challenges along with familiar ones. After all, we take our old selves to the new place.

There are problems with going and problems with staying. But if I could, I’d take all my friends and loved ones along with us.

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children's ministry CHOG News Christianity Community Mother's Day Newsletters

Baby Dedication and Mother’s Day

This year, I got to write an article about baby and child dedication in my church tradition. Tomorrow, in many churches, there will be a connection between baby dedication and Mother’s Day.

Baby Dedication and the Heart of a Mother via CHOGNews.org
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Community

Fairs and Community

Last week, I got to go to The Great Darke County Fair in Greenville, Ohio. This year was the 160th running. I began going over twenty-five years ago when I began dating my wife. I learned very early on this was an event everyone in the county looked forward to each year.

As I was pondering what made the fair great, I observed the Italian sausage, elephant ear and walking taco stands. I listened to a barker exclaiming how easy it was to win a giant stuffed bear for my sweetheart. I sniffed the scents of each animal barn. Nothing much had changed over the years. While they sights, sounds and smells were fine, they weren’t great. What was it?