The latest on our Big Move:

Looks like we’ll be moving to Norwood, Ohio (Cincinnati) after living with my parents for about 3 weeks. We’ll be moving in with the folks at Vineyard Central, where we’ll be starting a 6 month (or so) practicum/internship. Details are fuzzy and I need to give Kevin a call to figure them out, but looks like that is direction we’re headed!

We’re really excited and very much feel that this is the direction that God is leading us. Lots of confirmation both internally and externally. I’m looking forward to all that God has for us there, it’s going to be fun! Though, at the same time, there is some grieving – we had expected to be living a little closer to our KY families (i.e. Lexington), but we’re only an hour and a half away and it certainly closer than California!

Here’s our tentative schedule so far:

Dec. 11 – pick up the truck

Dec. 12 – turn final papers in!

Dec. 13 – Sarah, Cloe, Missy, Anna fly to KY

Dec. 14 – Brad, Dad, and I pull out with our stuff

Dec. 16 – arrive in KY

Dec. 17 – Lord of the Rings: Return of the King

Jan. 1 – Christmas with extended Klinefelter clan in Berea, KY

Jan. 4 – move-in to the Community House

Jan. 9-10 – Not Alone

“The place God calls you to is where your deep gladness and the world’s deep hunger meet.”

~Frederick Buechner

“A person needs new experiences, they draw something deep inside, allowing you to grow. Without change, something sleeps inside us.” ~ Duke Leto Atreides, from Dune

I’m sick. Felt kinda weird yesterday evening, then last night at 1:30 AM I got the shakes. They were bad. That had never happened before. I was SO cold and I couldn’t stop shaking for 45 minutes or so. Ugh. Not fun. Guess I had a bit of a fever. I’ve laid low today and that has helped, but I haven’t been able to hold Cloe and that’s been a bummer. It’s been rough on Sarah too, now she’s had two people to take care of and I couldn’t help with Cloe.

I’ve been worried about her. She’s (both of us really) has been really overwhelmed lately. She’s breastfeeding, so Cloe demands her attention 24-7. Feeding about every 2-3 hours. I think she’s feeling kinda trapped – not in a bad, “I want out” sorta way, rather in a “this is so overwhelming and tiring and I don’t know how I can keep on” way.

I’m hopeful that once we’ve moved and are living with my parents that things will be easier. We’ll have lots of folks to help take care of the Little Sprout, but we still have 3 weeks till then and it may be a rough 3 weeks. Not to mention the fact that we’re still trying to decide where to live and where to work and all that! I’m not sure we’re capable of making good decisions at this point. That worries me.

In some ways I think I feel a sense of “call” to Cincinnati. Not sure why exactly… It’s just that so many things that I’ve always dreamed about being part of are there. At the same time we had originally thought that we’d be in Lexington, closer to our immediate families. I just don’t know which direction God is leading – or if he is saying either option is fine.

Lord, help us see.

I’m not sure what just happened but I lost a post…. ugh.

As I was saying…. I’m feeling very overwhelmed and overloaded today. Too many loose ends. We move in 3 weeks and I don’t have a job, we don’t know where we’ll live after Dec. (we’re staying with my parents until then), and I’m still waiting to hear whether or not I’ll be able to do a practicum in Cincinnati or not. I am so excited for life to get to a new normal and things to settle down. I’m looking forward to pouring myself into a community, a church, a new job, and my family.

Lord, Have Mercy!

I broke down and signed-up for various Instant Messengers (again). Wanna chat? Here’s my 411:

Yahoo

aaron_klinefelter

Email: aaron_klinefelter@yahoo.com

MSN

aaronklinefelter

Email: aaronklinefelter@hotmail.com

AIM

aaronklinefelter

We had our first pediatrician appointment today for Cloe. It went well. She still has a bit of jaundice, but the Doc. didn’t seem overly concerned. She did a great job and wasn’t very fussy during the endeavor. It wore Sarah out pretty good though! She was pooped by the time we got home!

Some good dialogue going on in some of the comments below – check ‘em out.

I’m looking forward to tomorrow – we’re headed to the Santa Anita mall to get Sarah out of the house and walk a bit without worries of the weather. I don’t generally like malls – I always feel so materialistic and greedy after I leave one… “look at all the stuff I could/should/want to buy, buy, buy….”, but it will be good to be out of the house for Sarah and the Christmas deco. should be up and that may be fun.

Christianity Today Matrix articles:

Exegeting The Matrix

Desert of the Real?

Looking for God in The Matrix

The Dick Staub Interview: Why We Are Drawn to The Matrix

I’m finding it hard to keep up the blog with Cloe entering into our world. Life is good and full and uncertain and tenuous all at the same time – that makes it hard to find time to reflect and blog. But here I am at work and I thought I’d take a couple minutes to blog.

I haven’t found many reviews of the Matrix that really talk about its meaning. Here’s one. Anybody know of others? In the same site I found an online finger labyrinth. Pretty cool.

Can’t say much now, but I think we’re starting to get a sense of what/where God is leading us during this transition. We’ve really not doubted that God is/would lead us, but he sure takes his sweet old time about telling us! This is such an uncertain time for us – new baby, moving across the country, no job (still looking), new everything! We really feel the need for some stability in the midst of all this. It has been particularly hard on Sarah. Our goal is that we will make this move and then, during the next year, find a home and settle down! Not in the settling for something less than God’s will/desires/mission, but in the sense of longevity (a value that is disregarded by much of American culture), deep community, and nurturing faith formation. Gardens grow best after years of cultivating, turning in compost, and fiddling – so do people – so do communities of faith.

Whew! What a week! I don’t even know where to begin, but I figured I ought to blog before life completely swallowed me hole!

Cloe is just amazing and adorable! If you’ve seen the pics you know what I mean. The adjustment to parenthood has been mostly smooth thus far. Having Joann Letherer was here quite literally a God-send. We couldn’t have made it without her. We’re flying solo this weekend and so far, so good. Right now Sarah is taking pics of Cloe’s feet (I’m sure you’ll be seeing these online soon).

This whole experience is just too new to have really sunken in yet, but so far I can say that this is a “different-making” experience. Everything is suddenly different and/or becoming different. I see things differently and feel different. My whole world is different, from the core to the extremities.

In other news (if there is any really),

I’m still on the job hunt. Looking at Cincinnati/Northern KY now. Anybody have any leads/jobs out there?!?!?

I saw Matrix: Revolutions this week. I enjoyed it. It was entertaining and still thought-provoking. The ending was great. I won’t say anymore so as not to spoil it for anyone. What did you think of it?