J Crew: December 2014

2014. Two-thousand-fourteen. What.a.year...tra la la. My blog notes that I haven't written a blog since July-twenty-fourth-two-thousand-fourteen, but the truth is, I've written a few blogs in-between and have left them unpublished. It's been awhile, but I went back tonight to re-read them. They're good. At the time that I wrote them, I think they felt too raw to share, but perhaps I will share them in the nearer future. I'm a word girl. You all know that. I experience God in w-o-r-d-s. So, here are a few words for you to recap the year! Consider this Kyle and Molly's digital Christmas letter that saves the earth.

In order to review two-thousand-fourteen, that would require me to begin somewhere and I'm not even sure where to begin. How about March? In March, I received a phone call that my *dream* job was coming open at Southwestern College in Kansas. To make a really long story short, I applied for the job, interviewed for it and was offered the position in June. Kyle and I said good-bye to our beloved Wilmore, Asbury Seminary and wonderful friends in July and moved our booties back to Kansas. This was one of the most difficult experiences of my life. I'm tearing up like a baby even thinking about it now...not because I didn't know that we would leave Wilmore one day, but because we left Wilmore earlier than we had planned. I'm not done with seminary, folks (although I've slashed through an additional 15 hours since we talked last...PRAISE THE LORD ABOVE *insert praise emoticon here*). Kyle, while sad to leave, was rather ecstatic to return home. That part of our journey has been a blessing this year! It was difficult to leave Kentucky, but what made it easy to leave were the people back at home. We've spent just about all of our waking hours with family. I think we've seen our families more in the last few months than we have in the last two years. That's been really fun! We're grateful. Despite missing Kentucky, we're grateful for the boundaries of God's love that have led us back to Kansas. We feel very confident that this is the direction that God called us. Never have we doubted that.

When we moved, Kyle was still job searching. It was hard for him to leave his job at The Providence School in Wilmore. He loved working there and he really loved his colleagues. Thankfully, right before school started here, Kyle found a job as a math tutor with the Intermediate School in town. He's been enjoying his job. Turns out that he does a smorgasbord of things, the man teaches art, practically runs chess club and then, oh yeah, he tutors students in math. His school has snow cones after school on Tuesdays and Thursdays and he stays late to play dodge ball with the students on Fridays. Precious boy. He lays in bed every Thursday telling me he can't wait for dodge ball the next day.

My job is going well at Southwestern! One of the things that I love is that I get to both pastor and teach. And my students, well, they're fantastic. I couldn't have made them up! This past week, I had a meeting for ordination with my district committee on ministry and they asked me what I've learned so far this semester...I told them a lot of things, but one of my interviewers said it well when we were wrapping up, she noted: "It sounds like you're learning who Molly Just is in ministry." I think that's right. I'm learning who I am as a pastor and leader, but also as an image bearer of God that is called vocationally. That's been a good adventure.

Other than work, Kyle and I have enjoyed adjusting to this different life. We've enjoyed getting to know people around the area and are grateful for connections we've made. Transition has the potential to be lonely, but God has provided wonderful friends in Winfield! We're grateful. We've enjoyed being back in the land of good Mexican food and we absolutely ADORE our house. I can't believe I haven't given you a virtual tour yet. I'll fix that today with some added photos. We've enjoyed having students in this space. It's PERFECT for such a need. Gosh, we've had some great times here already.

All in all, we're grateful for God's sweet, sweet Spirit that constantly leads and guides us...we know He guides you all, too. We pray blessings over you, dear reader, especially this Christmas season. May the true gift of the incarnation be realized in your life and heart (as Dr. Tennent has said in Asbury's alumni Christmas card). And I think that's a wrap for this year. For the past few years, as I've written Christmas letters, I've always wondered to myself, "Where will we be next year?" I never thought 2014 would lead us back to Kansas, but it has! So, I end this letter with wonder...where will we be next year? I'll look forward to answering that question again in a year, but until then, we look forward to the year ahead and trust that God is with us on this journey that we call life.

They were out of the "O Joy!" falalalala signs at Target. But you know what? Myquillin Smith says that "It doesn't have to be perfect to be beautiful." The nester against Joy Cho. I don't know who wins, but I saved $4.