How do you end a blog? (a little overdue)

How do you end a blog?  What's the proper way to bring a chapter of life to a close?  (while knowing the pages of that chapter will forever impact and be intertwined with all the remaining chapters of your life...)

How do you end a blog that feels like it should've been ended months ago?

How do you write something that you really don't want to write but feels necessary to bring closure?(but that you actually want to write because you're not a fan of dangling loose ends...)

I guess you just do it.  

Leaving the m/v Africa Mercy and resettling in Georgia was as tough as they said it would be.  I didn't want it to be tough...but it was is...  It has had its ups and downs - and truth be told, we're still in the process.  Maybe we always will be.  I don't even fully know how to put into words why it was tough - I'll leave that to the transition experts.

Here are a few things that we found challenging...

• We underestimated the amount of sheer effort it would take to re-establish life back home again after years overseas.  Cell phones. Home Repairs. Internet Service. Car buying/maintenance. More Home Repairs. And on and on the list goes. Honestly, we got used to things being complicated in Africa (yet comparatively simple on the ship) - it was understood that nothing was ever as simple as "just run to the store and pick something up." But we didn't expect complicated in America...when in reality it's just as complicated (which makes it all the more frustrating).

• Not being able to move into our house when we thought we would be able to was challenging (at least it was for me!)(unmet expectations are from the devil).  And it was challenging to try and be content/thankful for what we did have rather than longing for what was coming (though it's good to be excited about the gifts that are coming)(see the conundrum?!).  Yes, we were "home"...but we weren't "home"...really feeling like we've been able to settle has just come in the last month as we've moved into our house and unpacked the few boxes that we had.

• Spending money.  I miss the days of scanning my badge...  I miss the days of $18 worth of stuff in the ship shop feeling like a big splurge!  Life here is just more expensive than it feels like it should be or needs to be...

• Trying to walk ourselves through this time as well as our children - in particular, the youngest member of the Cash Family.  She straight-up misses the ship - the ship is the only life she's ever known.  The tears have felt endless at times (hers and mine!).  We're still walking with her through this... and praying it only proves to make her (and all of us) stronger and rely more fully on the faithfulness of God.

And a few things that have made transition absolutely wonderful!

• Faithful friends and family who have welcomed us back.
• Matt's generosity to put together the wish-list of items that have essentially furnished our home.
• Access to Chick-fil-a, Cherry Coke, Krystal, Cracker Barrell, Five Guys...
• Ship Friends who have come to visit (and the ones planning to visit!)
• Being able to see what God is continuing to do on and through Mercy Ships
• Being a part of a healthy & vibrant church community (Christ Community Church)
• Knowing we are where God has asked us to be.  Nothing beats that.  Nothing.

If you're interested in keeping up with us, here's our info:

Physical address:
Cash Family
10311 Whitesville Road
Fortson, GA 31808

(you are most welcome to come visit anytime - seriously!)

e-mail addresses
diannacash@yahoo.com
nickcashra@yahoo.com

blogs/social media
like trees planted (Nick posts incredibly thoughtful and helpful content as he has the time to do so)
 obsequium fidei (I post thankful lists weekly and other random thoughts sporadically - very sporadically!)

I'm also on Instagram (but not so much Facebook): lifeasacash

So for now...at least for the foreseeable future, this is it for "the Cash Crew serving with Mercy Ships" blog.  Feels like we should sign off with "Cash Crew out."  But we're not out.  We're still the Cash Crew... we're still serving God... we're still trying to love others... we're just as much in "missions" and "ministry" as we've ever been (though we just call it life with Him)  (and as amazed as ever that He would allow us live our lives with Him).