Catching My Breath

When I said Tuesday, I meant this Tuesday, apparently. I've missed the blogosphere but haven't had a single second to stop and upload pictures, share stories, and generally reflect for the two of you that bother to read.

So tonight will be a night of many posts in an effort to reclaim some of the last month of my life for the blogging community.

Let's begin with Sabbath time.

I spent a week away from the office. From Christmas eve to January 1, I was out of Paducah. I try to get away for that week most years, just to take some time to decompress, reflect, enjoy the holidays, and spend some much-needed time restoring myself in preparation for the new year.

This year I needed that even more because of the fire. I talked about it a lot. Old friends, new friends, and family all wanted to know how we were doing. I shared stories of fumes and progress, of losses and our hopes for a new beginning. Little did I know that my heart was stirring in so many different ways as I shared those stories. Some of it I will tell you in posts tonight; some of it is still brewing and not ready to be shared.

But the fire changed me and I needed the time to catch my breath. I'm so grateful to my Immanuel family for providing that time for me. I know the end of this year was intense and busy and full of to-do lists, and having staff members out at this time can be a challenge.

For your grace and your love, I am so very grateful. It feels good to be able to breathe again.