A Smith Family Update

Well-it’s time for a Smith family update. We have been so busy prepping our house to sell, I haven’t even had a chance to tell people our news. It has been a whirlwind. 

Dave accepted an executive pastor position at Church @ The Springs in Ocala, FL! This opportunity came our way and we prayed and talked and visited and prayed some more. The word that kept coming to mind was “gift.” 

“I think this is a gift,” I murmured to God. “This seems like a gift,” I cautiously said to Dave. “It feels like a gift,” I processed with my long hauler friends. 

When Dave resigned from his position as Willow, we didn’t know where we were going. Now we know we are headed to summer! Pray that my ankles don’t swell every live long day there. Ocala is a little north of Orlando. We will be 40 minutes or so from Dave’s parents. And my parents are thinking of moving to Florida as well. We have never lived close to family before. This is part of the gift that we now get to.

Another part of the gift is the founding pastors of the church. They are a dynamic, fun, strong, and loving couple. We are excited to get to know them and work with them.

And the rest of the staff we had an opportunity to meet is yet another facet of the gift. We came home from a visit and thought, “man, it feels like we’ve known them longer than a few days.” 

We haven’t yet had a chance to meet congregants yet, but if our realtor is any indication we are in for more gifts. She has started the process for us down there. We looked around at houses with her a little after Disney. She is amazing. 

We are looking forward to this next chapter and thankful for God’s leading and provision. 

However, that doesn’t mean we still don’t carry sadness and grief with us. Crystal Lake became our home. We love our neighbors and the rest of our friends here. We have had lots of goodbyes in the last year or so, and now there will be more. Saying goodbye is never easy. 

We carry both joy and sadness as we put our house on the market. Please pray with us we find a buyer. I am praying for a family who will love our house like we love it. It was a gift to us. We are so thankful for it. And please pray that we the find a house in Ocala. The market is hot there as well and a little pricier as well.  

Before we got married, we committed our lives and vocation to God. God so moved in us that we wanted to give our lives toward helping people know and experience Jesus’ love. And beyond that, to share that love with others in tangible ways. This often means moving around the country. So what began in Ohio, moved west, and is now moving south. If you ever have any questions about faith or Jesus or church, feel free to reach out anytime. Not that we have all the answers. For sure, we do not. But we love the conversations and the questions and you. And we truly believe God loves each and every person on planet earth. It’s what we are here for, exploring the mystery and weight of that together.