A leap of faith – but we’re not going anywhere

I already wrote about learning to trust here, but I shared a snippet of it with my newspaper readers this week. 

I'm looking forward to letting you all know what the next step is for us, but right now we're waiting. Waiting and praying and living in the moment. It helps to have an adorable toddler at home to focus on:

Until then, we sincerely appreciate your prayers and words of support and encouragement. I'm storing them in my heart as the treasures they are.

If you ever meet someone who looks a lot like me, let me know: You might have found my long-lost twin sister.

When I was born, the scuttlebutt around Waco (current population 236) was that I had been delivered via C-section and that I had a twin sister named Alice who somehow hadn’t made it home from the hospital with the rest of us.

The only true part of that news was that I had, indeed, been born (breech — and yes, that means posterior-first; let the “pain in the rear” jokes begin).

So ever since day one, I’ve been familiar with how news spreads in small towns.

I bring up this anecdote to let readers know that, despite what you may have heard, we’re not moving. It’s true that Jim won’t be teaching at Zion St. John Lutheran School next year, but our intention is to remain in the community that has become our home over the past four years.

Zion St. John has provided quality education for Cuming County students for the past 50-plus years, and we’ve been honored to be part of that tradition.

But it’s time to see what’s next — and that is in God’s hands.

When we moved here in July 2008, it was abundantly clear that this is where we were meant to be.

In the space of a month, we went from living in a flooded apartment in Oklahoma where only one of us was employed, somewhat miserably, to living in a cozy home in my beautiful Nebraska, where we both could pursue careers in our chosen fields.

Even before moving to Wisner, it’s apparent that our lives have been guided by Someone wiser.

Jim and I met on my first day of college, a brief encounter that led to friendship, then flirtation, and finally to a soul-deep understanding that we had met the person with whom we would spend the rest of our lives. (I can hear my sisters gagging right now, but it’s true.)

Getting married at 21 is not the norm these days, but there is no doubt in my mind that it was the right decision.

And while it hasn’t been champagne and roses all the time, each year that passes affirms my belief that the work a solid marriage takes is completely worth it.

In other words, taking a leap of faith is not new to my family. I won’t say that it’s easy; the uncertainty is difficult to handle and I have my moments of doubt.

But God has provided for us in the past, and I have no reason to believe that He will not continue to do so in the future.

On the Lighter Side

Published April 25, 2012

Outstanding people in an outstanding community

So ... remember when I wrote about our state newspaper contest a few weeks ago? The banquet was a week and a half ago and I *finally* made it there. (You can read why that's a big deal in just a minute.) I love being around other newsy people, and community weekly journalists are a specific breed. We're not as high-strung as our brothers and sisters who work with daily publications, but that doesn't mean we're less committed to journalistic ideals. 

One of the highlights of attending the NPA convention was getting to see my dear friend, Gerri Osborn Peterson, who is deserving of an entire post of her own. Right out of college, she purchased her hometown newspaper, the Hooker County Tribune in Mullen, Neb., and runs it single-handedly. I don't know how she does it, but she does an amazing job — with a smile on her face! Since she lives in the Sandhills and I'm in the northeast corner of the state, we don't get to see each other often. But when we do, it's like we're right back in the basement of Jesse, working on the Sower and imagining what life as a "real" reporter would be like. 

With Gerri at the awards luncheon.
(This is a newspaper-related post —
the photo had to be in black and white!)

(By the way, Gerri was named the Outstanding Young Journalist at the National Newspaper Contest last year, so I have it on good authority that she's awesome!)

Anyway ... here's what I wrote in my newspaper about the event:

There is a nearly universal truth in community journalism: Kids love to have their photo taken; adults hate it with a burning passion.

If I take your picture sometime down the road and you’re not exactly thrilled about it, I will understand completely — because I hate being in front of the lens, too.

This past weekend was the annual Nebraska Press Association conference in Lincoln. Twice in the past three years I’ve tried — and failed — to attend the conference. The first year, there was a conflict with the spring musical I was performing in at the West Point Community Theatre. The second year, I developed a fairly debilitating ear infection the night before leaving for the conference. So this year, with just six weeks to go before my second child’s due date, I was pretty convinced I would go into labor at some point prior to Friday.

But the third time’s a charm, and I was in the ballroom of the Holiday Inn Downtown on Friday afternoon to accept the Outstanding Young Nebraska Journalist in Weekly Newspapers runner up award. And though I was “that” person, making Elaine take my photo a couple of times — it’s hard to feel photogenic when you have the approximate gravitational pull of Saturn — it was definitely an honor I won’t forget.

Essentially, being under 30 and employed at a Nebraska newspaper made me eligible for the award. What made it happen, though, is the fact that I love what I do and I work with amazing people who, unsolicited, nominated me for the honor.

So when I look at the etched glass plaque on my desk at work (let’s be real: I have a toddler at home — it would remain unbroken for precisely 1.7 minutes in our house), what I see is not so much myself as outstanding, but that I work in an outstanding community, with outstanding people.

The rest of the Wisner News-Chronicle was well-represented in additional awards presentations throughout the weekend.

Jeff Recker won the Best Photograph of 2011 with his shot of the greased pig contest from last year’s Livestock Show. Jamie Parker and Marilyn Raabe took honors in the advertising category. Our 2011 spring agriculture special section and career technical education pages also placed in the competition.

Being one of the smallest newspapers in our judging division, we felt like we held our own quite well.

But a contest only reflects the opinion of one judge, considering single entries just one time. What really counts are the opinions of the people who read the Wisner News-Chronicle every week.

That’s why the most important take away from the NPA conference wasn’t the hardware, but the information shared at workshops about how to make our product better and more engaging for our subscribers.

The goal of our newspaper is to inform you, the readers, of what’s happening in the community and to do so in an effective, clear and attractive way.

If that means including your photo in an issue, I sympathize with your reticence — but just know your image helps make the complete picture award-winning.

On the Lighter Side

Published April 18, 2012

I know Lent is over ...

... but here's a cute little fishy face for your Friday enjoyment:

Photo courtesy of Krista Giese

On the farm or in town, Nebraska values are the same

Although I grew up on a hog farm, I can’t claim to be a true farm girl. 

Not exactly the kind of outfit you'd wear to load hogs ...

 I didn’t enter livestock in the county fair as a 4-H’er or participate in FFA in high school. My father quickly learned that asking me to walk beans would be met with weeping and gnashing of teeth. 

I couldn’t tell you how to know when the best time for planting or harvesting is and I have only the tiniest understanding of what a farrowing shed is. 

No, I’m not a farm girl. Agriculture, at least directly, is not my calling in life. 

But even so, I am saddened by the thought that my children won’t have the same experiences on the farm I did.

This hit home to me over Easter weekend when my family visited Gayle and Kathy Giese’s farm for a hay rack ride to see Fern Moeller’s two day old baby goats. 

It was the first time Evangeline had explored a farm and I could tell she loved it. After an afternoon in the sun, jeans bearing the evidence of playing hard, she was so not ready for a nap. Being on the farm had energized her in a way that would have made her Grandpa Ray so proud.

And as happy as I was to see her enjoying herself, I felt a bit remorseful that visiting a farm, for her, will be a treat and not a daily experience.

Windblown and loving it! (Photo courtesy of Krista Giese, photographer extraordinaire)

When I was growing up, anytime we visited aunts or uncles who lived in town, Mom had to remind my sisters and me to use our “quiet” voices. 

“We have to be respectful of their neighbors,” she’d say. 

It was an unprecedented thought for a girl who was used to being at least 80 acres away from the nearest neighbor. 

My first driving experience was on a tractor, and when I finally graduated to a car, I learned how to navigate it on a gravel road

Our playhouses were myriad, with tea sets (old margarine tubs) and furniture (discarded milk crates) scattered among the many barns on our place. 

I’ll admit, the distance from town started to chafe when I got to high school and I began to spend more time in the booming metropolis of Waco (population 250) than I did at home. 

As an adult, I enjoy living in town. In the winter, it’s awfully convenient to have someone else clear snow off the roads and I am a big fan being within walking distance of the grocery store. 

My kids will have a good childhood, regardless of whether the road leading to our house is paved or not. Living in town or in the country, I can teach them the things I cherish from my Nebraska childhood — self-sufficiency, creativity, hard work (whining about walking beans aside, I did learn how to do a good day’s work), valuing family (because when you’re miles away from any other kids, you really have to get along with your sisters) and respecting nature. 

Plus, there’s still hope they’ll have a chance to help out on the farm in the summers: Uncle Andrew is going to major in ag studies at UNL. 

In the meantime, we’ll enjoy the afternoons spent with friends, soaking in the sun and watching baby goats.

On the Lighter Side

Published April 11, 2012

Learning to trust

This morning as I measured out my decaf blend into the coffeepot, this verse popped in my mind. 

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart and do not lean on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make straight your path." 

Proverbs 3:5-6

It seems I am learning many life lessons this spring. In February, I learned to ask for help. In March, I learned to appreciate good health. In April, I am learning to trust.

So here's what's up with us: After four years, Jim resigned from his teaching position. That might not sound like a big deal; after all, people switch jobs all the time. But for us, it's life-changing. 

He's been struggling with this decision for the past year and a half. Together, we prayed and sought guidance from our parents, close friends and most importantly, God. To say there have been many tear-stained (me) and sleepless (Jim) nights in our house is a gross understatement. This decision has hung over us like a gloomy specter for a long time and it was not reached easily. 

But after watching my husband fade into a shadow of his former self, losing weight from stress, losing confidence in his teaching abilities, even questioning his value as a person, I know this is a Godly path. He does not give His children more than they can handle, but He also gives us the wisdom to know when He needs them elsewhere.

So what's in store for us next? Only God knows. 

I struggle with this tremendously, especially with the knowledge that our second child is due to join us in less than two months. I pray for a smooth transition  into a comparable teaching position for my husband. I pray for understanding from the members of our congregation and from the parents and students at the school. But what I pray for with trepidation, as my human fear and need for control asserts itself, is the faith to trust and wait for what God's will is for us.

I know it might not be the answer I want. I know our lives may change drastically. I know I will struggle with impatience while we wait. 

But I also know that God has provided for us in the past. 

My first job out of college was at a mid-size daily newspaper in Oklahoma. After six months and a flooded apartment, my homesickness for Nebraska could no longer be tolerated. Within a month of deciding to move back home, Jim was extended a call to teach at a rural Lutheran school in Northeast Nebraska. He traveled to our soon-to-be home to look for houses for rent. There weren't any available for rent, but one seller was willing to work out a rent-to-own deal with us. Within three weeks of moving, I had a job with the local newspaper. 

In two months, we went from one of us being gainfully (and miserably) employed in a state 700 miles away from our family, to both of us working in our chosen fields, in our soon-to-be purchased home, just two hours away from my hometown. 

If Jim had taken a call right out of college instead of helping me to build my resume, I wouldn't have had the experience to get the job I love today. Our home wouldn't have been on the market when we were looking for a place to live. We wouldn't have had the financial stability to make starting a family a (relatively) stress-free experience.

God provides and His timing is perfect.

As Jim pursues new teaching opportunities, please keep us in your prayers. Pray for doors to open, for opportunities to present themselves, for wisdom to know God's will and for patience to wait for His timing. 

(I would be remiss if I didn't acknowledge the tremendous amount of support and encouragement Jim has received from community members throughout his teaching career. His decision is not a reflection of the quality of the school or the dedication of its parents and students. The school has been a place for children to receive an excellent Christian education since the 1880s. I will always be an advocate for this school.)