Whirlwind Week

This has been a crazy time in the Judkins house.  A week ago Thursday, we packed up the big Penske truck with the help of some great friends.  A week ago today we drove about 150 miles to our new home here in Edmond/Oklahoma City.  Last Sunday was Charge Conference at my two churches.  That’s right, Charge Conference a week before my move!!  I’m not complaining because I have a new saying.  If we pastors spent as much time working on Charge Conference as we spend griping about it, we’d be finished in no time!

Monday I spent packing up my office.  Tuesday, my brother and I moved my kids swingset.  Wednesday, I went to our Wednesday after-school program and then had a farewell dinner at one of my churches.  It was really special, and they made us this incredible scrapbook of my time there.  Many of the kids we minister to each week wrote personal notes to me.  That was really cool.  We came up here that night since all I had left to do for work this week was writing my final sermon for Sunday.  It’s coming along, but may be the hardest message I’ve written in all of my time as a pastor.  I want a good balance of closure, appreciation, encouragement, and preparation for a great future.  I’ve had some really good advice from friends, so that has been helpful.  However, it’s still been a real challenge.

We’re slowly getting unpacked, but my wife is incredible at turning a house quickly into a home.  Emma had her first day at Warm World, the kindergarten at my new Church.  We asked her if she had a good day and she said, “Uh yeah…the best day EVER.”  That’s a great sign, I think!

This afternoon after we ate, we walked around the new neighborhood and met a bunch of our neighbors.  There are tons of kids, some cool dogs, and some really nice people here, which makes it feel like it will be a great place to live.  Our neighbors across the street have a cat that left us a dead mouse on the steps too.  Talk about feeling welcome!

Now I’m watching the Tampa Bay Rays play the Red Sox and admiring Joe Madden’s cool black glasses.  I’m not a big fan of expansion teams in baseball, and I’m not really a fan of the American league either, so I don’t care who wins this series.  I guess I’m rooting for the Phillies to win it all.  Since Oklahoma doesn’t have a MLB team, I sort of root for players and Jimmy Rollins is one of my favorite players still playing.

OK, I think that’s it for now.  Take care and God bless!