No farm, no garden; just 6 acres of magnificent towering old Doug Firs and Broad Leaf Maples. We're perched on the top of a steep hill with a view of the Washougal river basin and Silver Star Mountain in the distance. The river is just down the hill from us. We have a zip line and a giant rope swing for the kids. And plans to build a treefort soon. We get lots of fog, but on clear days, the forest and the distant views provide rest for the soul.
When we left Portland, we were pretty drained from the pace of life and no longer up for the daily urban battles. We had left our beloved community and church Springwater, the year previous. The trajectory of the church had changed, or we had changed, or new things were coming to the surface that were there all along.. or all of the above. But through prayer and discernment, it was clear that it was time to exit the fellowship. We still have much love and admiration for our Springwater friends in our hearts, even from a distance, and despite our differences. Some days we miss them fiercely. The loving bonds we developed with them through adversity and challenge, and kingdom harvesting, went deep, and endure through the years.
Perhaps, I'll blog about the specifics of our disagreements another time. But the point here is that we were weary. Weary of conflict, weary of the urban life, weary of traffic and competing values; missing the forests and the acreage. After spending time with the church, there was consensus that it was time for a change. Time to "get away and rest a while."
The forest and the fresh, and wood stove have been healing to me. The trees, the green moss, the fresh air, these have been my sanctuary. A place to rest and to pray. A plac
e to build things and "muck about" the property.
We have been living an even more secluded life since March (9 months ago). And this has created it's own challenges and a few benefits. But that's another blog :-) .
