Circumstances lay heavy in the moments of life on this earth.  Yet, I can close my eyes and worship my Creator.  In those moments, the weights are lifted and I gain perspective.  These burdens will not follow me to my final destination.  All will be left behind and I will stand complete in my Father's presence.  I can give these concerns to Him now.  I can dwell in His presence now.  I have hope of the future and I have hope in the now. 

Before Now

This is an update letter went sent to friends last summer, 2007.

"R" RIDE

Last time we visited our traveling friends the Richardsons.....

....they were dealing with Ham's unexpected layoff, a new baby, and torrents of rain as they packed their life belongings to leave California. It was Alabama or bust. Ham's words were, "Our trip was wild with 6 kids, a dog, a cat, a guinea pig, 2 fish, 2 vans (one towing a car), and 2 tired parents." God carried us across country with very few problems, friendly, comfortable places to stay, and miraculous sources of gas money. And the ride isn't over....

Now, after nearly a year, they reappear.

During these past months, we have lived with Milissa's parents. The eight of us shared the upstairs with three bedrooms and one bathroom, made meals without a kitchen due to construction, and made adjustments to living in the country and with parents.

Six months after we left, Ham's parents also moved to Alabama to be closer to the family.

In the meantime, Hamilton was trained by a kind gentleman in our new church (Journey Community Church) to paint houses while looking for work in his field. We went through the gamut of emotions as month after month no new doors opened and finances dwindled.

Now....
FINALLY...
there are changes.

In January of this year, the painting company Ham was working for folded. It was a Friday. That very same day, American Family Association offered Hamilton a position. Monday he accepted the job.

Hamilton is now a writer and radio producer for American Family Radio in Tupelo, Mississippi. They are a Christian, nonprofit organization affiliated with the American Family Association. You may hear his voice some day soon on the air as he is doing voice work for radio spots and is one of the hosts for a daily program called "Today's Issues". He is also writing and editing news stories for onenewsnow.com and doing movie reviews for AFA Journal and soon, for our local Prattville newspaper. To supplement our income, he is constantly looking for freelance opportunities. The biggest downside is that he is only able to come home on the weekends due to the three hour drive.

Because of all the uprooting the kids have gone through and Ham's parents relocating, we chose to stay in Alabama. Of course, the family is praying another position will become available nearby soon or that Ham might be able to telecommute. Until then, we make the best of the situation and wait eagerly for his return.

After a year of having our things in storage, we are FINALLY moving into a place of our own and thanking God for His faithfulness and provision. God seems to be blessing "the bunch" in threes- our new house has three bathrooms, three water heaters, and three fireplaces. And, the rent is cheaper than our old house in San Diego!

After leaving every major and minor appliance behind, God is graciously replacing things little by little with the generous help of family and local bargains. The house was previously an artist's home and is filled with stain glass windows. The yard reminds us of La Mesa with its hills and tropical foliage. It was neglected for a long time so we have our work cut out for us with repairs and yard work, but we have a home none the less! We have been blessed with an abundance of ticks, poison oak, mosquitoes, and kudzu (look it up if you're not from the South).

While Ham is away, Milissa is unpacking what remains of our belongings after they were soaked and mildewed by the San Diego rains, eaten by needy Alabama mice, and covered in sawdust (they were stored in Milissa's father's cabinet-making business). It's kind of a joke for us now. It is a reminder to us of Matthew 6:19....

"Do not store up for yourselves treasure on earth, where moth and rust (a.k.a. mildew, mice and sawdust) destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. But store up for yourselves treasures in Heaven... for where your treasure is, there your heart will be also".

Before we left SD, Milissa went through a variety of medical tests and is suspected to have an autoimmune disorder. There is no cure, but it does explain many of the frustrating symptoms of pain and fatigue she has been experiencing the last several years. We are still learning more about it and how it is best managed. Each day is a mystery and a challenge and yet, a gift. Milissa is convinced that her steady diet of Southern sweet tea, tomatoes, catfish, and boiled peanuts are therapeutic. :)

Ben is the proud owner of an Alabama driver license, looking into Christian colleges with art degrees, working at Goody's (a clothing store) and seeking to make an impact in his public high school and youth group. He played on the Marbury High School soccer team last year and is playing on an indoor team this summer. Next year, he will also be the team's chaplain. He is also involved in a youth leadership mentoring program at our church. The adjustment to the South has probably been the greatest for him. He was considered a "freak" by many of the local kids but is now well accepted. At the same time, his self esteem was boosted (to say the least) when he discovered Southern girls really dig California boys. :) For now, he is attempting to buy his first car and anticipating a great year as a senior.

James and Matthew are enjoying having their cousin Kacy (age 10) close by to play with. They have been an incredible help to mom during the move and extremely patient with the home school interruptions. They have enjoyed the benefits of living in the south by swimming in the local creek, riding four wheelers with neighbors, and plan to go squirrel hunting this Fall. They are also looking forward to going to summer camp in July in Georgia for a week.

Molly and Camille love the abundant flowers and wildlife that abound in Alabama. They are out daily collecting flowers, frogs, lightening bugs and caterpillars and watching the beautiful red Cardinals. Mom, however, is not so thrilled about their red clay mud pies. They miss their old playmates dearly and are praying for new ones.

Josiah turned two in June and is FULL of vigor. His first word was "cow", of course. God's timing was perfect, as usual, to have us travel across country before he became so mobile. He is constantly moving and loves nothing better than to play with anything related to cars or wheels. His latest accomplishment is jumping the rail of his pack-n-play. Nap times and bed times have become very challenging.

How quickly the time passes.

As we unpack these well traveled boxes, we revisit those last days, as you in CA and many far away, kept us in prayer and encouraged us. We want you to know we miss you all very, very much. It has been a long, uncertain time with many lonely moments. It has not been a smooth ride, but it is "r" ride.

Please forgive the silence... we waited to have some good news to share. Your love and prayers have sustained us through it all. We believe that God wants to accomplish greater internal and eternal changes through these lessons in life.... and that is the better journey. Recently, we saw a billboard that said, "It is during a drought, that the depths of our roots are tested." Good stuff.

We still appreciate your prayers as we attempt to rebuild our home, finances, vehicles (all three are in need of repair), emotional and physical health, community connections, ministry, friendships and daily routines. It is all new territory. It goes without saying, we are tired, but grateful for the new start. Please feel free to come and visit for a week to help with the work or entertain the children.

We hope this update finds you well and we look forward to being reconnected. Perhaps we can have a house warming party via the Internet. We will work on some pictures for you.

Sincerely,

Hamilton, Milissa,

Benjamin, James, Matthew,

Molly, Camille, and Josiah

Richardson

PS. Some one in San Diego send us fish tacos quick!

R Journey

It seems a little bit late in the game, but I know I need to record the events of the last few years. It has been an incredible journey and the fight of our lives. Now, I know when you put it into perspective of someone fighting cancer or some other terminal challenge, our situation is nothing. But the lessons that have been taught and grasped by our family should not be forgotten. This journey is not without purpose, if not many, and it is all a part of God's plan. His miracles should not be forgotten.

What I Read and Why

I find lately that I'm hungry to read. It comes in waves like my actual appetite. I have to have a craving for a good book. I'm not like some book lovers who are reading all the time. It comes, I read, I finish, and then I wait for the next inkling.

On rare occasions, I want fiction... something I can just get lost in, but the last few years have been filled with crisis that push me forward to wanting understanding and/or self improvement. 

Right now I am reading Longing for a Homeland by Lynn Anderson. It was a great steal at a local coffee shop, but its subject hit "home". After yearning to leave the west coast for nearly 25 years, I am sitting in the South and questioning, "Is this home?". The grass is greener here, but it isn't. I'm feeling displaced.

The other book I am reading (I switch off depending on my location or mood...) is The Mom I Want to Be by T.Suzanne Eller. This book was a gift from some one who knows my struggles better than any one. This is all about overcoming one's past and not repeating a family cycle of dysfunction... The story of my life. I'm eager to digest the whole thing.

During our trip across country, I found another book in a discount store that was a surprising treasure. It is called Lord Meet Me in the Laundry Room by Barbara Curtis. It was written by a recovering hippie who became a follower of Christ. Her submission to God caused her to turn from a life of destruction to become a blessed mother of 12 children (three adopted with Downs). What an awesome calling. She writes in simple, honest terms about her struggles... just my kind of gal. She was a good companion during our travels. She impacted me so much that I wrote her and told her so.

My fourth book in the stack is What Happens When Women Walk in Faith by Lysa TerKeurst. I started it right after Lord Meet Me... I finished one and slid right into the next. I sort of stole it. Well, lets just say I borrowed it, but I'm not sure when I'll give it back. My mother bought it for a relative and I asked to read it before she sent it. I think my mother forgot about it and I am a slow reader... or at least I take my time finishing books.

Mrs. TerKerust relates much of her book to the walk of the Israelites to the Promiseland as I did to our move across country. I struggled not to whine and doubt as they did, so I was curious to read her thoughts. I am in that very moment of my life practicing and being challenged in what it means to walk by faith... in the dark... without certainty... in the worst of circumstances... trusting God for my every need... really walking the talk. It is one thing to walk in the light and another thing to walk in the dark holding the hand of someone you've yet to meet face to face....and yet, 
He promises not to lead me to harm.

I value the wisdom of those who have gone before me. I am encouraged by their words and insights. That is why I read and it is a good thing. For now, these authors are my mentors, my friends, and my support group. I hope I will glean from their experiences and lessons learned and be able to encourage other women in their walks. 

When they too find themselves searching...
like that hunger in the night... that search in the fridge of life... with just a small beam of light...for that snack that hits the right spot... fills that need or answers that question... 
and gives a push toward a new day... hope for tomorrow... and allows them, you, me,...us 
to rest well knowing that we are not alone.  For there are many of us.... 
that read.

Joe on Joe

Some thing clicked in my little toddler's brain yesterday. At the same time his verbal and analytical skills jumped to the next level, so did his energy. It was scary. He now could connect that he did not want to go night-night and that he did not want to stay in his bed, and, even better, that he had the ability to throw his leg over the rail and get out of his bedroom now known to him as prison. No big deal. It was a simple decision... one that his mother did not see coming nor liked.

After a half a dozen attempts to change his mind, we played the game... when will Joey go to sleep. Now, his energy level may have been enhanced by "soba" (Josiah's word for soda). His brothers later confessed to giving him the evil substance, but by 4:30 am, we all doubted that any one could continue a caffeine buzz for that long.

No, Joe was enjoying his new found freedom and ultimate control of that freedom. Mom on the other hand was losing any small amount of control or freedom she ever thought she had...
very, very quickly.

Perhaps, tomorrow, I should try pouring a little water over his head and drink the end results and see if it gives me any kind of a pick me up. It just might work!

It's a good thing I really love the boy. :)