Colorado Springs

Well, if everything continues to proceed okay, we should be living in Colorado Springs by the middle of May. After a couple of months of being up in the air and not being sure whether we should move, we made the jump to do it. We really wanted to be in Denver to be closer to family but after some time looking there, we just couldn't afford the housing prices there. Steve and I could have probably found a condo to be content with but there was nothing for my mother and father, and we are moving them as well. So when we discovered Colorado Springs was so much cheaper, we decided an hour away was alot better than the 14 hours we are now. We were able to find us a nice house and my parents a nice condo and things have fallen into place so far for us to sign contracts on those, and to sell our places here as well.
Now the fun begins as I have to begin deciding what goes and what stays. Since the new house is about 500 square feet smaller, I will definitely need to downsize. Also, I have pretty much had the same decorations for 20 years, so I think it is time to envision something new. But what?? And the truth of the matter is after all the moving expenses there won't be a lot left over for decorating.

I wish God had made all of this a little clearer for us. It seemed that everywhere we turned we hit an obstacle and we were beginning to think that His answer was "no", but then things worked out. I hope that wasn't us ignoring all the signs and just wanting our way?? But then there were parts that were just too good to be true, like having 2 cash buyers for our place and my mom's who are buying our places as is. Then when the bank pre-approved my mom for a loan, it just seemed it was meant to be.

It is kind of scary thinking about moving to where we don't know anyone, but have done it many times before and God has always been good to provide great friends wherever I have gone, so I am trusting Him to do it again. Colorado Springs isn't really what I had in mind in retiring to "small town America", but it is a pretty city. I really love that all day long wherever you drive you can see the mountains. Pikes Peak is really pretty. There are four churches within 10 minutes of every direction so we will see where the Lord will be able to use us the most.

I think Steve is going to love the fact that there is a plethora of aircraft in the skies at all times. With two Airforce bases there, he will have a ball. A program at one of the churches is "adopt a cadet". That would be fun.

So thought I would post some pictures of the new house, because I doubt I will have any more time to blog before we move.


Yes that is a view of the mountains from my patio :-)

Conversations Cafe

This past weekend we had another R.E. Ladies Retreat, which we called Conversation’s Café. We decorated in a café style and had our speakers talk around that theme with
“Conversations with the owner”, “Conversations with each other” and “Conversations With the World”. This is my third Ladies Retreat to be the chairman of the committee and it is always such a fun process to see how God brings a plan together and blesses it.
You start off at that first meeting just brain storming ideas and praying and as the weeks and months progress, He just gives you such clarity. He always brings together the perfect team with the diversity of gifts that are needed. Imagine if everyone’s gift were the same how all the different pieces would get accomplished? Then He brings together the perfect gathering of women. We never worry about “how many” women register, because we totally trust God to bring the women He wants to be there. This year once again God did not disappoint and blessed this retreat in definite Ephesians 3:20 ways!
Thank you God! We are so grateful for Your blessing and Your presence!! I have been going to retreats for more than 30 years and I can honestly say I don’t ever remember coming home from one and wishing I had not gone. But I will confess the thing I have missed on the last 3 retreats is having time to just hang with friends. When you are on the committee, you are so busy with all the logistics, that you don’t get as much time to just visit. I was looking back through some pictures someone sent today and thought “I didn’t get to visit with her, or her, or her”. One blessing I do think a lot of women miss out on at retreats is meeting new people and getting to know them. I guess just by human nature we tend to “hang” with the people we know best and even though we spend most of our time with those people already, at a retreat we want to spend more time with them. You try to build in some times where groups are mixed up and people get to know others a little better, but still for me it never seems to be enough. I tend to eat with a different group every meal, and sit by a different person each session and this seems like the right thing to do. Yet when I come home I just don’t feel like I had good “friend time”. Guess that has been because for several years now I don’t just have one good friend or what many would call a “bff”. But I do have a lot of different women I love talking to, just not so much to “hang” with.
Okay…that was totally off the topic of what I thought I was blogging about which was the way God blessed this retreat. More than some retreats of the past, this retreat had a lot of laughter. Laughter is such good medicine. I learned something new about Angela Tooley and that is she is a comedian, she was a great Julia Childs!

We did a skit about “Rejected Retreat Themes” such as “News Extra: It’s Not All About Me”, “I Will Survive/God’s Plan for Disco”, “Is God in your Wigwam”, “Yodeling for Yahweh” and “Hope: One day Madonna Will Sag Too.” We had props or costumes for each, and that was good for some laughs as well.

All in all it was a perfect mix of good times, spiritual renewal and lots of great food. Robin Kelly provided some awesome meals and a scrumptious dessert menu.
Look at this feast:

So not just physical but spiritual. Thank you God for showing up and conversing with us all in such a special way.