The last year has been a time of real shaking and stretching for the Pendleton family. Without going into all the details, we have moved from California to Texas, been employed and unemployed again, been challenged financially, in our health, in our relationships, in our identity and in many other ways. At the same time, it has been a time of great visitations of God’s spirit and significant learning for us.
While we are tested in almost every aspect of our lives, we are also seeing growth for ourselves and the family. Despite plans for all the kids, except Reilley, to go to public school this year, all decided that they would rather home school. It’s like a big school dormitory around here. Kids spread out everywhere studying this and that, meals together, trips out, you name it, we do it all as a family. And on the bright side of Steve's unemployment, he gets to share it with all of us.
Samantha turned sixteen and got her driving permit in November. In addition to school, she now works at the local coffee shop serving up lattes a few days a week. Recently she decided that her desire to go to medical school was not deep enough to sustain the commitment. What she really wanted instead is to sing opera. Surprised, but supportive of the journey, we consulted opera teachers and began a program designed to prepare her for this course of study when she reaches college. As a start, she and Lexi both have been taking piano lessons. They love them and are doing very well. Next semester Sam begins taking singing lessons. Sam’s flowering into womanhood has been visible for a few years, but the evidence has arrived more recently as we watch her navigate her own way through the shaking and challenges that we have encountered.
Alexis and Delaney go by the common name of “the girls”. While having quite different personalities and interests, they can normally be found together in their room, at home or in church. Alexis wants to be the next Disney sensation and Delaney can think of nothing better than hanging out in a barn with a bunch of horses. Alexis has begun to mature into womanhood, and school and most other things seem to come fairly easily for her. Delaney is more introverted, but her dormant creativity is apparent. Her dream is to become a fashion designer and live in Paris or Milan. To her credit, Alexis sent a picture to ProScout, a talent scouting agency a few months back. Despite the high odds, she was invited to attend a training school and weekend conference with agents from major modeling and talent agencies. God willing that’s on the agenda for next May.
Aaron and Reilley continue to grow. Aaron has the best hand-eye coordination I have ever seen. He can hit a baseball, golf ball or anything else a mile. While he continues to act younger than his seven years in some ways, his spiritual discernment and insight is stunning. He draws lines between circumstances and events in the natural realm with the spiritual realm more easily than most adult Christians I know. God definitely has a purpose for his life. Reilley, now 4, is determined not to be left behind in anything. She’s the most tenacious and independent of all our kids. We’ll have to wait to see what she sets her sights on, but once she does, we know that she will be successful.
Most of you know that we have relocated to Houston. We never intended to stay in California when we returned from England, but when no other place jumped out at us, we decided to stay there for a time. Towards the end of last year, as the real estate market continued to slide in southern California we knew that real estate sales, which we took up on our return from England, was not going to support us. By God’s hand we were delivered from that financial challenge when out of the blue an old friend asked Steve to manage a computer project for the City of San Jose. Beginning in January, Steve was commuting from southern California to San Jose every week. At the same time, the security of that contract encouraged us to relocate from SoCal to Houston.
This entire year has been filled with travels. From January to June, Steve was commuting to San Jose almost weekly. In June we began to travel as a family. In June, we were in Dallas for a Cindy Jacobs conference, in July in California to visit with Aslan’s Place ministries, in August we were in Colorado to visit with our mentors, the Baker’s, and old friends there. In October, Shelly and I spent a week in Argentina attending the annual meeting of the International Transformation Network. Finally, just a few weeks ago we returned to Dallas to attend the “Light the Night” conference sponsored by Generals International. The kids travelled too. Sam and Delaney travelled to Mexico on a trip to minister to the Indians of Mexico. Despite challenging conditions they walked with God and saw another side of life on earth.
For Shelly and I this has been a year of challenge and change. The challenges have come like machine gun fire, forcing us to rely on God’s wisdom and faithfulness to show us a path and sustain us through it all. In the midst of it, however, our time with God, and in each of our trips this year has resulted in new understanding about who we are and where we are going. The ITN conference in Argentina was a wonderful opportunity to meet Christians from all over the world who are committed to transforming government, religious, cultural, business and other systems to eliminate poverty and bring God’s Kingdom to earth. We still are not sure how we will be part of this movement, what we will do, but we are sure that that is where our passion rests and that we are destined to arrive there sometime in the future. So too, He continues to teach us how to pray. There’s no better incentive for prayer training than challenges!
Wherever you are, we wish you all a Merry Christmas, and pray that God is with you also this season and in the coming year. It is certain; He loves us and He is coming.
No comments:
Post a Comment