Our New home: Part 3--The Duck Pond

There is a duck pond in Narrows, VA.  

For Abby, this is heaven on earth!  On our first visit, we got to spend two days in Narrows and she insisted that we visit the duck pond each day.  The first day, we just stopped by and watched the ducks swim and play.  The second day, Abby insisted that we stop and get some bread so that she could feed them.  She fed them an entire loaf of bread in about 5 minutes!  She is such an animal lover.  

When we go to return to Narrows about a month later, she could not wait to show Anna the duck pond!  

I can't emphasize it enough that Abby LOVES the duck pond.  

Our New Home: Part 2--the schools

We have had the opportunity to visit Narrows twice this spring.  Abby went with us the first time and both girls were able to go the second time.  The schools are divided up a little differently than we are used to and that has created a little bit of anxiety for the girls, but I would be shocked if there was not some anxiety about changing schools, etc.

Abby's school will be a combination elementary/middle school comprising of grades K-7.  Anna's school will be a high school with grades 8-12.  I believe that the size of the school will be the thing that will require the biggest adjustment on all of our parts!  Anna's graduating class (did I really just right that????)  will have about 70 students in it.  After a few years of a pretty big middle school, I am looking forward to the more intimate atmosphere.  Hoping to actually be able to speak to a teacher when needed!!

The schools have co-ed sports...even FOOTBALL.  Aaron is struggling a lot a bit with the thought of Abby playing football...she is loving the idea!  We will see who wins this battle.  Their colors are green and yellow and they will be the Mighty Green Wave.

Here are a few pictures of the schools:

This is the first time that Abby will go to a school where her
sister has not been a student!

We think this is the middle school wing.

Anna wasn't with me to get a picture with her school sign...bummer!

The  High School

Can't wait to the fall!  Love me some football games!!

Emotions of a Pastor's Family

As a family, we keep moving toward Aaron's graduation and the BIG move.  I can't help but be a bit reflective at times and my emotions are like a roller coaster.  I bounce between excitement, sadness, anxiousness....

I have always said that being in ministry is all about building relationships for it is within those relationships that one can truly share the love of Christ.  When moves loom, those relationships can cause heartache.  We have said goodbye to congregations and friends before and I wish I could say it get easier, but it doesn't.  I guess we would not be living out our faith if it did.

Perhaps the hardest part of this move is watching our girls deal with their emotions while trying to managing our own!!  They are just really starting to understand the depth of the love that God has for them and struggling with why in the midst of that love He would ask them to leave that which they find comfortable.  There are lots of tears and lots of stress involved in trying to wrestle with these things.  Pastor families struggle with the same issues as other families.  It is just a reminder that emotions are fragile

Sorry for the rambling...I warned you though in an earlier post that I may be rambling about our upcoming move.  Don't get me wrong, we know that God has called us to this new place (hoping to be able to reveal soon!) and we are excited about it, but transitions even if good ones are difficult.  Please pray for all families dealing with being called to a new place.  

Preacher Kids....snacking on communion

Last night was homework night at our house.  We all had homework that needed to get done.  Anna had two tests, Abby had one test and I have more work to do than I even care to write about.  Aaron was in class so he missed the Atchley family homework hour(s).

While the house was quiet and everyone was dutifully studying (a  major minor miracle in itself), I looked up to see this:

If you can't tell what she is doing, she is snacking while studying.  If you look very closely, you will see that she is dipping bread into grape juice and eating it.  I chuckled when I realized what she was doing.  She said that she was "snacking on communion."  Abby was bounding down the stair about that time and raced over to get in on the action.

Now, don't go all theological on me and post comments and send me e-mails about how this goes against United Methodist practices and such...just enjoy it for what it is:  Two preacher's kids who used to play baptism in the bathtub have moved on to snacking on "communion".   

I will have to admit that in an evening full of stress and pressure, the thought of God's grace being available to anyone at any time was comforting.  They may have been snacking and not thinking about the significance of the sacrament of communion, but it made me stop for a second and just rest in the fact that I am saved by faith alone and that nothing I can do will add to that or subtract to that.  I needed that!