Things have changed

2014 brought a great deal of change.

January of 2014 I had no idea the directions I would go.

It was the year I took a chance and chose to follow my dream of writing. It’s the year we celebrated 7 years cancer free in my daughter’s life and faced a cancer scare in my own. It’s the year I stepped out in faith and left work for the quietness of unemployment.

Change and Character Building

Every good story has conflict and resolution, heroes and villains, failures and success. This year has been full of character building and plot twists.

In May, I revamped a blog I hadn’t touched in over two years, invested some cash, and committed to writing. In July, I left my position as the Ministry Director of a small church and began an unpaid “sabbatical” to focus on my health, my writing, and my family. To sum it up, I was lost and needed direction. I had burned out long ago and needed to refocus. My hours filled with family, television, books and writing. I became somewhat of a recluse. I found therapy in Doctor Who and The Rev. I enjoyed my quiet mornings on the back porch watching the sun rise with my coffee and Bible.

In August, two of my short stories were published. I started guest blogging and submitting manuscripts. I was reaching out for goals I had set for myself in the 90s, goals I had waited too long to attempt. My family started attending a new church that stretched my beliefs, made me ask hard whys, and challenged me. By October, I was beginning to feel the tug of ministry again.

It’s hard to walk away from a calling. It’s nearly impossible. Just ask Jonah.

Plot Twists

I thought I was done with church. I was tired of the pettiness, of the bickering over pancakes and mopped floors. I wanted to discuss Christ, to ask the hard questions, to seek social justice, to see change in people’s lives as they struggled with who they are versus who God has called them to be.

I am now the Director of Family Ministries at First Presbyterian Church of El Paso, PC(USA). My sabbatical has come to an end.

Joining a PC(USA) Church did not come without long discussions, sleepless nights, and hours of prayer. I wrestled with this decision. My conservative upbringing and my educational background fought this opportunity. After much struggle, I can honestly say, I have never been more excited about pursuing ministry. I am excited to be a part of a community that allows everyone at the table to discuss and seek God’s will in their lives. I am excited to be amongst believers who hunger to be more Christ-like. And I am challenged in my understanding of Scriptures to dig deep, to know why and what I am defending, and to pursue God’s calling on my own life wherever that may lead.

Just as I did not know all that was in store for me in 2014, I do not know what 2015 holds. As a military spouse and the mother of a cancer survivor, I am well aware that all can change overnight. I do know that I am going to hold on tight and soak in every moment I have to grow in this community.

What to Expect from Here

So with all of these personal changes what will you find here at www.HopeNGriffin.com in 2015?

I will continue to write about our life in the military, our time at St Jude (though we are now at once a year visits so they will not be as often), book reviews, and personal stories of our family. In addition, you may see my own struggle with portions of Scripture as I reread them through a new lens, my coming to terms with my own beliefs and theology, as well as new ministry opportunities for you to get involved in. To start the New Year I am reading the Bible in Chronological order and already have a few posts scheduled about the women in Genesis.

I look forward to seeing what 2015 brings for all of us. May the plot thicken, the characters develop, and the villains be few.

What is one of your highlights from 2014 and one of your goals for 2015?