Oh changes....

Once again life is crazy with a long periods of waiting.... Last Sunday I received a phone call from Prairie Hills Covenant Church in Sioux Falls South Dakota. The church voted to ask me to come and be their associate pastor of Youth Ministry. Gladly we accepted their offer. So now that we know what we will be doing and where we will be living next year we can hurry up and wait until it's time to move again.... On the other hand as we wait for the next step in life my belly continues to grow as the little one becomes more human like and cute and snuggely. Saturday... Oct. 31 we will find out who's been taking residence in me these past 20 weeks... as long as the baby corporates!
Since I haven't been working and my sister decided to have a baby, I took advantage of the time I had and drove to NE to kiss sweet little bristol, and spend some time with my family. Then I decided that I should go check out this new boy in my Erin's life... So far he hasn't given me any reason not to like him, but I still have a few questions left to ask! So tomorrow I will make the long trip back to Chicago from KS. It will be nice to be home, but not so nice to begin the process of packing again... Plus I will get to see my puppy again! Oh, and my husband!
Be Blessed my friends and thanks for listening to my story!

summer

This summer has not been everything that I have expected. Not all bad, but defiantly different. I started this summer doing a chaplaincy at Lutheran General Hospital. The experience was priceless, but very difficult. I started the program well, and ended tired, and drained.

We had many changes this summer. For the first time in 4 years I worked a 40+ hour week, with out being in classes. We got a new car, moved to Elgin, got a dog, found out I am pregnant, interviewed for a youth pastor position in South Dakota, lost my grandpa, and I'm still trying to figure out how to process all of it... the good and the hard.

The Car, the house and the dog are all good. we are excited about becoming new parents, and we are still trying to discern if moving to South Dakota is what God has in store for us. So if you have a second, pray for the Craig family as we do our best to listen and trust God in this process.

Life is crazy...

It has been awhile sense I posted, I have no excuses except that I have just had a hard time keeping up with life. A few highlights of the past couple weeks in the Craig home is... Daa, daa, DAA... We have a new apartment. We will be moving to Elgin in less then a month. We found a 2 bedroom apartment with amenities like a work out room and pool and dishwasher. The only thing that made the deal sweeter is that because of the sucky economy the company that owns the apartments lowered the price on the apartments, so we got a bigger bang for our buck!

The second big thing is that Blake and I replaced my car. after adding over 100,000 miles to it in the time that the Hanson's owned it, we decided that it was time to let it go. So we a Suzuki Forenza... so here's a pic of it. Two major pieces in our lives figured out, one more to go. I have a phone interview with a church from South Dakota this coming Tuesday. I am also waiting to hear from a church in Batavia if they would like to continue conversation with me about a youth position there. So please keep praying that God will direct us to the church that He has for us.

Prayer Please!

Hey all!

I have a prayer request to send your way. Tonight I had a phone interview with a church in Batavia IL. I am super stoked about the possibilities and the chance to be a youth pastor at a great church. So my request, in my childish way, is that I get the position. My adult request is that God be in the process and that he brings the person that he has in mind to the position.

So the interview went well, and I will keep you all posted as to what happens!

Firsts

This summer I am participating in a program called CPE-- Clinical Pastoral Experience. We just spent two weeks being orientated to the hospital and each other. Last night 5PM-12:30AM Me and a partner shadowed a Staff Chaplin. It was quite a ride. We experienced a trauma, 2 elderly patient deaths, I saw for the first time a dead infant, being held as his family said good bye... clinging to any memory of their little one that they could. I saw many teeny tiny babies in NCIU fighting for their lives. I grieved inwardly as we told a sweet little old lady that her husband was in the ER, then isn't doing well, then died. My heart broke to learn that they had no one else in the world, only each other. I caught a glimpse of what long-lasting love is as I watched her through herself and his body and cry.

I was quite amazed as I visited her this morning and how well she was doing-- thanks to a nursing staff that shows great love and compassion. I ended my night shift waiting as parents shorted through their theology as to when would be an appropriate time to let their little one, who is brain dead, go.

Now, and I sit here at nine o'clock at night I begin to anticipate what the wee morning hours will bring as I anticipating stepping back into the world of critical care in 3 short hours and finding my identity as a pastor there.

Peanut Butter and Apples

There are times in one's life when things are smooth and easy sailing, then there are times when life is so full of up and downs that your stress level doesn't know what to do. This past weeks has been one of those weeks. Last week I started my final chapter of my Seminary Career... CPE. Clinical Pastoral Experience... a time of stretching, learning, and growing.... A time of stress, anxiety and doubt of ones pastoral ability. It is a season of learning to love and listen to strangers who you will only see once. It is a season of comforting those who have lost a love one. It is a season of offering hope to someone who is physically in pain and sees no end to it. It is also a season of rejection from patients who do not want to visited by a Chaplin.

During this season of my life (a short season--ending Aug 22) I would covet your prayer for courage, words, strength, and peace as I learn to depend on God in difficult circumstances...

Round 2

Today was round two of good byes for me... in two ways actually. After 3 years, potty training, crazy statements, days at the park, museum, play McDonald's and yes, even Starbucks... I said goodbye to my little Rory. My last day watching her was last Friday, but today Blake and I had lunch with her and her family. It was fun to go out with them, and I only cried a little when we parted ways.

It's hard to say good bye to someone who has been a constant in one's life for three years... to a little one who makes you laugh and is the topic of most of my conversations and stories... I mean, she was pretty much my best friend in Chicago...

I know that 'good-bye' isn't forever, and I know that I will see her again soon (For her birthday in July), But it's a change, and change is hard... and it's another ending to this chapter of my life....