New Beginnings

Christ is alive, and goes before us
to show and share what love can do.
This a day of new beginnings;
our God is making all things new.
- vs. 4, This Is a Day of New Beginnings, lyrics by Brian Wren

I share this hymn verse with you because this is a day of new beginnings for me in my journey. I have some exciting news to share you today. I have accepted a new position as the Family Services Coordinator with TriState Habitat for Humanity in Cincinnati, Ohio. I will begin my new duties on November 30. I found out last week but wanted to wait to share this with the world wide web once the news had been shared with my fellow staff members at Habitat for Humanity of Anderson County Tennessee which it was this morning at our weekly staff meeting.
I must admit that when I applied for the position, I didn't think I had much of a chance at being hired. It was truly a God thing that I even applied for the position. A friend encouraged me to check out the Habitat for Humanity International website and I happened to see in the job listings a Family Services Coordinator position in Cincinnati. This got my attention because my sister Stacey lives in Cincinnati. I clicked on the listing, read the position description and felt compelled to apply. I did not expect to hear back from them. I figured there were many more qualified people out there and my application would be one among many. However, almost right away I received a phone call and scheduled an interview.
I will be the very first paid staff person in this position. It has been handled in the past by volunteers. I feel that I will bring good experiences and practices to my work there from what I have learned in Anderson County. While I want to be good at listening to what has already been done, I think that I can bring some positive experience and new ideas to this affiliate.
I am truly inspired by the forward-looking perspective of the leadership of TriState Habitat for Humanity. They currently build about ten houses per year and are looking to expand and grow in their work. The affiliate works in eight counties that surround Cincinnati in Ohio, Kentucky, and Indiana. When I heard this, I was excited by the challenge of this large service area and the opportunities that await me.
The reason that my parents and I went up to Cincinnati this past weekend, was to take the first load of my stuff up to my sister Stacey and brother-in-law Rob's home. They are graciously allowing me to stay with them until I find an apartment. I am also using this time to purge and get rid of more stuff. I want to start fresh and leave some stuff behind that I've been hanging onto for far too long.
While I will really miss the friends I've made in Tennessee and wish I could be a bit closer to my sister Shelly and nephews Paul and Michael, I am glad that I will be able to be a part of my nephew Cameron's life in a bigger way. I also know that God is already preparing new friends for me to meet in Cincinnati. I am also very grateful that I will be a little closer to my friends in Northern Indiana. I am hoping that we will be able to connect more often.
Cincinnati is a wonderful city with many things to do and see. I am anxious to explore my new home. I am also grateful that I will be back in the land of Meijer stores. I have really missed them. In fact, I will be about a mile away from a Meijer store when I live with Rob and Stacey. I also am really grateful that I will be one exit north on the Interstate from Ikea.
I am really looking forward to this new stage in my life. I ask for your prayers as I pack and move and begin a new job. I also ask for your prayers and I say goodbye to friends and my church home that I have enjoyed so much in Knoxville. While I know that God has a new church waiting for me in Cincinnati, it is going to be hard to let my current church go.
There's one more thing I invite you to pray about. Nearly three years ago before I set out on this amazing journey, I started this blog and named it Smoky Mountain Hoosier in honor of my Indiana heritage and my adopted home. Well, I feel like I need to create a new blog with a new name. I would very much appreciate your suggestions for a new blog name. I have been racking my brain and I just can't think of what to call my new blog. Feel free to make a comment with your suggestions for a name. I am open to all opinions.
Well, that's my good news. God continues to be faithful to me. While I don't know what the future holds, I know Who holds the future and I am so grateful for God's presence in my life and heart. I am so grateful for the opportunity that I have had and will have to work to end poverty housing in the world. I am grateful for the ministry of Habitat for Humanity. I am honored to be a part of it. I am also most grateful that whether I'm in Oak Ridge or Cincinnati, you are a part of my amazing journey!