If you have never been awakened with a phone call that your home caught on fire, I hope you never have that experience. I’ve now had it twice in my life, and that’s three times too many.

(By the way, in case you didn’t know, my parents’ home where I grew up caught on fire in 2004. Again, the damage was miraculously small.)

Jill called me on Thursday morning, and I knew I needed to wake up fast when she said, “I need to tell you something.” In my experience, that phrase has never preceded good news.

She told me that on Wednesday night the wood around the stove pipe finally got hot enough to ignite. Lucas smelled the smoke and did exactly what he should have done. He called 9-1-1 and then sprayed the wall with the fire extinguisher. The fire was inside the wall upstairs, between a storage closet and a wall of books.

Now for the good news:

1. The fire department arrived almost immediately because they just happened to have finished at another call close by.
2. Before I moved out, we had cleaned out the closet where the fire was. All of Stephanie’s stuff was safely stored in her old room. And we’d donated a big pile of sheets and towels.
3. All of the stuff - and I mean every single item - that I was worried about has been found safe.
4. The insurance company has been helpful. And the clean-up and renovation company works with them, so there shouldn’t be any issues about repairs or costs.
5. Even though they can’t move back in until the repairs are complete, Jill and Luke have had at least nine offers of a place to stay.

So a heartfelt thank you (should there be any other kind?) to all of you who have e-mailed your support, prayed for us, offered to house Jill and Luke, sorted through insulation and mess to find our treasures. And, even though I’m sure they will never read my blog, I would like to thank the firemen who responded so promptly and took such care with my possessions. You have my vote for any taxes to support you.

If the first week holds true, this whole year is going to feel like one long string of Saturdays and Sundays. I really need a schedule, and an office. I’ve discovered that I have a very difficult time getting myself going in the morning when I’m all alone, and I’ve found the QVC channel (who knew?!), and no one is counting on my being anywhere before 1 p.m.

But, for all of you who have asked: I’M OK. We made it here safely, despite dire weather predictions. All the highways were clear, and most were even dry for the whole trip.

Church is at 10 a.m. on Sundays, and last Sunday’s service was definitely the best way to start. My first welcome was a an enthusiastic hug from Jeff Alexander, Chi Alpha pastor at Ohio State and another member of the church advisory council. He’s a generally-enthusiastic sort of fellow, which I can absolutely appreciate. He told me that he had already asked three other women “ARE YOU BETH?!” before he found me that morning.

After the general welcome to the service, Adam announced that I had finally arrived. As he invited me up to the platform he said to the church, “Let’s all give Beth a ‘Royal James River Welcome’!” And yes, the whole room jumped to their feet cheering and whistling and clapping. It was utterly fantastic. I was laughing (and I think clapping too - force of habit). Adam told me later that they had no idea what they were doing, beyond the fact that he told them I would really appreciate it. And they had practiced it for two weeks before I arrived! Now THAT’S what I call a welcome!

Monday morning, Jill and Luke and I got a pretty late start in terms of getting them on the road. … And that’s all I have to say about that. We’re OK.

Overall, it has been a productive week. I can now find my way to my new Curves club, several choice coffee houses, Target, the grocery store, the awesome-stand-alone-Chick-Fil-A, the library, and the post office. That should get me by for a while.

Mailing Address:
PO Box 8069
Columbus OH 43201

My e-mail and cell phone numbers haven’t changed, but it’s really not a good idea to publish those on the internet!

For those of you who have already contributed financially to my adventure with Continuum Church, you have my deepest gratitude. I literally would not be here without your generosity.

If you would like to contribute once or on a regular basis, here is the information:

By directing support through the Assemblies of God Ohio District, your gift will be tax-deductible as allowed by law.

Checks payable to The Assemblies of God - Ohio. Please include “Continuum Church Support” in the memo line.

Mail to Ohio District Council, 8405 Pulsar Place, Columbus OH 43240

Thank you so very much to everyone who has been so wonderful to me during these last several months, and especially in the last week. Despite a terrible weather forecast, I arrived safely and am getting settled. But I think that without all of your love and encouragement and support, I couldn’t have done it.

So thanks for letting me go. Thanks for praying and giving. Thanks for believing in me.

“When Joy shows up at the party, Fear has to exit by the back door.” - Rob Bell

I have a lot of fears. I’m afraid of walking anywhere at night. I’m afraid of noises in the house. I’m afraid of knocking on the doors of strangers’ homes, even if I have a good reason to be there. I’m afraid of something not working right when I’m using the self-checkout lane at the grocery store. Sometimes I’m even afraid of making phone calls. I like to follow the rules. I have no need for adventure. And getting lost by myself is horrifying. I think that basically I’m afraid of The Unknown.

But this whole transition is The Unknown. Everything is new; I have no idea what’s going to happen next. And sometimes is scares me a lot and makes me feel alone. But …

It’s the strangest sensation to be crying out of sadness, but knowing, somewhere deeper than the sadness, that it’s going to be, not just OK, but the best thing that’s ever happened to you. That is joy, and it comes from the depth of your soul, the place where you know things. And I know for certain that this is right.

So I remind myself that “perfect love drives out fear,” (1 John 4:18). And it’s Perfect Love that has led me here.