Greenville Month 1: Noah

After about a month in Greenville, I wanted to chronicle the adventures of Noah.  Who wouldn't enjoy that? :)

Let me start by saying what an absolute privilege and joy it is to be "Mommy" to this kid!  Is he perfect?  No.  Does he have crank attacks.  Yes.  Is he spitefully disobedient at times?  You bet!  He's a little sinner, right Rach? :)  But I consider it such a joy to walk alongside him and be a part of shaping his life; of sharing and showing him how life functions best under God's order; to point him to Christ - his Rescuer.  As life has seemed to slow down considerably in the last month, I can't tell you how grateful I am that the vast majority of my day is spent loving and investing in Noah.

So what's been happening in Noah's world?  If Noah could articulate his thoughts, here's what I believe he would share as his top five highlights about life in Greenville.

1. New House.  New Room.  Noah has enjoyed getting accustomed to our new house.  It comes with some special perks for him.  The house is one story, so he can cover a lot of ground quickly without having to worry about stairs.  Also, the food pantry door doesn't have a "knob handle" so he can just help himself to food whenever his little heart and tummy please.  We are working on this one; trying to reason that chips before breakfast is not a wise decision is tough when he's got the bag in hand.  We have done a lot of food reorganizing, so that most of the food he likes is out of reach.

New house means new room for Noah.  It's been an adjustment getting used to one story in that 1. the whole house has hard wood floors, 2. his room is the first bedroom off of the living room, and 3.  it's right across from the main bathroom, which Ron uses to get ready in the morning.  We have become a lot more conscious of the noise we make.  Noah's new room looks and feels a lot like his old room, which I love.  He has adjusted well to it and hasn't had a lot of difficulty sleeping (apart from getting used to new sounds of Ron getting ready, walking right outside his door, etc.).  It's really fun to see him wander into his room and entertain himself with his toys and books.  Next step for Noah's room: TODDLER BED!  

2. Preschool.  Noah is in week 3 of preschool.  We had an unfortunate mix-up with his initial preschool where his first day was his last day because they overlooked his age and said he was actually too young for the class.  Fortunately he was able to enroll the very next week at Memorial Baptist Preschool.  He attends their half day Tuesday/Thursday program.  I love Noah being in preschool for several reasons: 1. His teacher, Mrs. Turner, is great and is from Winston-Salem.  2. I found out on his first day that he has the cutest twin boys in his class whose mother happens to be an old friend from Winston-Salem (small world!).  3. I love the social interaction and creative play he gets at school.  Noah has been slightly delayed in several areas (gross motor and language).  We were optimistic that preschool would help narrow the gap.  We are seeing great progress!

Side note: You'll be happy to know that this past Tuesday was his first day of confidently going to his class without even a hint of tears or a lip quiver.  That's my boy!

3. Kindermusik.  Noah loves music.  He sings, claps, and plays music all the time.  He even has some dance moves he'll bust out on special occasions.  We were excited to get him invovled in a Kindermusik class where he can learn about music in an age appropriate and fun way.  I get to participate with him, which has been a blast for us both.

4. Parks.  This kid loves to be outside!  He melts down almost EVERY TIME we come home, and I make him walk directly inside instead of playing.  We are working on that too. :)  I've tried to be intentional in exploring the parks in Greenville.  I've been so impressed with the Department of Recreation and Parks here.  There are so many parks to visit, and they have a wide variety of programming for the community.  Noah is too young for many of the programs, but we look forward to plugging into their classes and sports once he's old enough.  Until then, we are very content to play on their playgrounds.

5. Play dates.  God's timing is funny sometimes.  He's brought two friends into my life so far; one old, one new.  I had coffee with both of them back-to-back one glorious morning several weeks back.  And then it just so happened that I had a play date with both of their kids on the same day this week.  The picture on the left below is a pretty accurate summary of both play dates: A LOT OF ACTION!  

In between these two play dates was Kindermusik, so Noah had a FULL day.  This is what happened when we got home and were making dinner:

Ha!  I'm thrilled that Noah's having so much fun that he's tuckered out by the end of the day.  It's been a great gift to watch him develop particularly over the last month.  He is quite the social butterfly making friends quickly at the park and his other activities.  He likes to give hugs - even to strangers.  I look forward to seeing his personality continue to take shape and see his interests and gifts develop.  What a WONDERFUL little boy!

Greenville Month 1: Finding a New Faith Family

A significant part of moving to a new city for us is finding a new church family.  This is exciting and overwhelming all at the same time.  On one hand, we have been refreshed by the new congregations we have visited and eagerly anticipate finding community and ministry opportunities once we land at a church.  On the other hand, Calvary has been home for so long.  Being a congregant for 20+ years and on staff for 8, I was spoiled by the familiarity and deep friendships that were part of this body. There have been so many pivotal spiritual and personal milestones that have been part of my connection to Calvary.  For all of this and how God has used Calvary in Ron's life too, I am eternally grateful.

But now we have the unique opportunity to start afresh and experience being the person who is completely unknown and churches that are entirely unfamiliar.  Having been in Greenville for a month, we've attended a handful of churches, and it's been really interesting to be the visitor.  Here are several observations I've made as a visitor.

1. Being Known (if even for or perhaps because of being new) Matters.  This is one of our basic human desires: to be recognized, to be known, for someone to call us by name, for people to remember our birthday, etc.  Two weeks into our move to Greenville, I ran into a woman at Noah's preschool who said, "you look familiar."  She might as well have said you won a million dollars!  I wanted to wrap my arms tightly around her friendly little neck and burst into tears. [You'll be happy to note that I held it together, did not forever scare this kind person away, and have rekindled an old high school friendship.]  But it was such a joy to be familiar to someone.  In this broken world far too many people and their plights are anonymous.  And yet this is where the church should be different.  We should be proactive in seeking out those who are unknown.  And if they walk in our doors, we should absolutely recognize their presence.  If we think of our gatherings (in part) as welcoming the stranger into the home of our faith family, then it would be strange for a new person to enter into our living room and no one to acknowledge their presence or personally welcome them.  

One church we visited had a visitors area in the parking lot where they could connect with us and capture our contact info.  If we had skipped this area, there were several other touch points for them to capture our info as first time guests.  It was clear to me that they wanted to know who was new in their midst.

Leaders and Laity: How do you recognize and connect with visitors in your midst?

2. Environment Matters.  The environment of the church either helps or hinders the function of the church.  This may be a teeny, weeny soapbox for me, but I think it's an important point.  If we want our services to be communion around the holiness of God, the depravity of man, and glory of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ, then the content and environments in and surrounding our services matter.  Some thoughts to consider (we can disagree and still be best friends, promise!): how does lighting distract because of flashiness or diminish the ability to see and engage people?  How does the volume of music encourage or discourage participation?  How does bringing food and drink into the service set the stage for a casual gathering or a spectator posture?  These are several of many examples that help us consider how the environment of the service impacts the experience and understanding of those in attendance. 

Leadership: How does your environment help or hinder what you believe to be the mission of the church (gathered)?

3. Friendliness Matters.  Ron and I are moderately confident people.  It would be hard to dissuade us from attending (a) church simply because no one initially speaks to us.  We are determined to plug into a local church, because we recognize that our spiritual health and personal health depend on it.  But I imagine there are a lot of visitors who are very tentative about being new or what church is about. To come to a new place and not have anyone approach you or talk to you could be very disheartening.  

At the end of one church we visited, the kindest man approached us.  He wasn't a pastor or staff person; simply a lay person who approached us to ask if we were new.  He proceeded to engage us for about five minutes asking about our lives and being genuinely friendly.  This made a huge impression on us.  I couldn't help but think, "If this church is made up of people like this guy, then this is a place I want to be."  The guy was kind and friendly, and it made a difference!  At another congregation, I had a friend contact me on a Saturday night asking if I was planning to attend and wanted to sit with her.  Again it made a significant difference to have someone reach out to me and to experience the congregation, in part, through her lens.  

Lay person: How are you as a member of a faith family intentionally looking for unfamiliar faces to warmly greet and welcome into a deeper relationship with your congregation?

4. Follow Up Matters.  Whether formally or informally, follow up is important.  I have been intentional to follow what I understand to be "visitor protocol" in all the churches we have visited partly because I want more information and partly because I'm curious if churches will follow up with us.  It has been meaningful for us to receive emails, phone calls, and even Starbucks gift cards from congregations we have visited.  The email of one congregation led us to the most enjoyable and informative meeting with their pastor.  On the other hand, there have been congregations that we did not hear from.  We have wondered if they lost our information or if they simply do not have a system set up to connect with folks who visit their church.

Leadership: How does your church follow up with visitors?

Overwhelmingly we have been encouraged by the congregations we have visited!  We are praying about where to land, but are grateful for several wonderful options.

Greenville Month 1: Our Home

Monday will mark four weeks that we have called Greenville home.  Most of our time in Greenville thus far has revolved around getting our new house cleaned, unpacked, and organized.  Right now we still have a house (READ: MORTGAGE) in Winston-Salem.  We are also brand new to Greenville and have no clue where we would want to buy a house.  So for now, we are renting a great home in a central neighborhood.  Here's what she looks like:

Our home is a significant place to us: it's where we share time with each other, it's where we nurture and train our child (soon to be children), it's where we find rest, it's where we fellowship with neighbors and friends.  It was important to Ron and me that we work hard to make our house a home as quickly as possible so we could settle in and enjoy the richness of family and friends.

I'm thankful that Ron had the foresight to move to Greenville two weeks before he started his new job.  It was a blessing to spend that time with him and to work together in getting the house set up.  I'm happy to report that we are almost entirely unpacked and settled.

With that being said, allow me to share some of my favorite spaces in our new home:

Kitchen.  I love the kitchen for a number of reasons.  Practically speaking, it's the brightest room in the house, which is medicine for the soul in and of itself.  It's also beautiful!  I think it's safe to say that this is the nicest kitchen we will ever have in our lifetime.  Even though we are renting, I plan to enjoy it while we are here.  I love preparing meals for our family and anticipating our time talking at the counter or sitting together at the table.  I'm grateful for this sweet kitchen.

Dining Room.  First, it's nice to have a dining room.  Our last house had a "dining nook," but not a formal dining room, so it's great to have space specifically for a full table and chairs.  Second, meals are one of the few times where we stop and are all together to enjoy food and each other.  That time is precious.  Also, the dining room is filled with many of my favorite pieces of pottery and art, which makes me happy.

"Library."  I use that term very loosely.  I really mean a space where we can keep all of our books in one location.  Being that Ron and I have taken on the titles of "life long students," we have amassed a lot of books through school.  But we have many others that represent our interests.  Some are biographical, some are historical, many are spiritual, all are meaningful and paint a picture of our journey as individuals and as a couple.  I also love the glass lamp that illuminates the book shelves.  The lamp was a commissioned gift from my mom, and is one of my most treasured items.

Fire place.  This may just be my absolute favorite part of our new home.  Fire places are just cozy, aren't they?  And above the fire place hangs an extremely meaningful picture to me.  My dad was an art appraiser for many years.  Art was not only his vocation, but his passion.  This picture was one that he always displayed prominently in our home when I was growing up.  Before he passed away, he told me that I could have it.  When my mom moved to Florida, she officially gave it to me.  What a beloved gift that I so proudly display in our new home!  Also the shelves that flank the fire place are filled with precious items: pictures of loved ones, a shelf of items that Ron and I have collected from past mission trips, Mangum pottery and other art pieces, a "love Winston-Salem" piece that I bought at a SOS auction, a commissioned metal disk of "Crucified Christ" from my dad.  So many intimate reminders of God's goodness and grace in our lives.

Nursery.  There is so much anticipation when expecting a child, but especially your first.  Part of the process I loved when expecting Noah was preparing his nursery and anticipating all the activities that would happen in that space: watching Noah sleep, rocking him, reading to him, playing with him, praying over him.  That anticipation has birthed so many precious memories in his first nursery in Winston-Salem.  I'm grateful for Noah's new room and how similar it looks and feels to his old nursery.  I look forward to many more memories and welcoming our second little boy in January.

John Miller Collection.  I wouldn't go as far as to say that I'm an official art collector, but I do have a number of Mangum Pottery pieces and John Miller prints.  John Miller has been a special artist to me since high school.  He was a long time friend of my dad, painted many landscapes of Cornwall (a special vacation spot while my family lived in England), and was a deeply spiritual man.  I had the privilege of meeting John at his home/studio in England while I was in high school, and he had a deep impact on my life.  After we met, he sent me several prayers and pictures as gifts.  It is special to fill our bedroom with all of the prints I've collected through the years.

So this is a glimpse of some special spaces in our new home.  If you're in our neck of the woods, stop by and visit.  We'd love to see you!

Gaskins . Greenville . Grace

A new blog for the Gaskins family?  

Yes!  

Why so?  Why now?  

Our family has gone through a significant transition over the past several months.  In August Ron accepted a position with Community Care of North Carolina and Vidant Health to oversee "Access East," which is one of 14 networks that manages the healthcare for Medicaid recipients and the uninsured in 27 eastern counties.  Ron's new job is based out of Greenville, NC, and so on September 22nd we moved our little family from Winston-Salem to Greenville.  We are starting anew.  For me it has meant a transition from working, being a student, and enjoying a strong social network in a very familiar city to staying at home with Noah, being done with school, and having no social network in a brand new city.  Each is a blessing in it's own right, and I look forward to seeing how God works in each of these arenas.

This blog is an attempt to use this new season with its new routine to chronicle what's happening in our family's life and to chronicle how we are glimpsing God's grace as we begin a new chapter in Greenville.  I know it will be personally sweet to have a record of how God is at work in and through our family's life.  I also hope it will help us stay connected to family and friends in Winston-Salem and beyond.

So here's to blogging being part of this new season!