LOGAN...Our oldest is in the middle of his third year in college. He's living in Florida where he attend school majoring in business marketing. He's doing great. He is enjoying living on his own while juggling the responsibilities of school, working, and managing his life. But, it hasn't been easy. Just two weeks after moving to Florida, we was rear ended at a red light. The accident left him without transportation for a couple of weeks. When he learned that his car was a total loss, he had to find a new car that fit into his budget. He did all of this on his own; as we were hundreds of miles away and unable to walk alongside of him through the ordeal. Nonetheless, he learned a ton and has come out of the situation wiser. He has a great mind for business and is looking forward to a possible summer internship (if you know of one, let us know).
NATE...Our second oldest has decided to take some time away from school. At the beginning of 2019, he released his creative side and started painting shoes. Over the last year, Bmore Customz has amassed quite a following. He has painted and sold over 100 shoes and has new clients lining up for a piece of his custom artwork. It wasn't easy to hear that he wanted to leave school, but we have always believed and said, that college wasn't and isn't for everyone. Yes, it was hard when as a parent you want to see your child go and complete a four-year program somewhere. But it's true, college isn't right for everyone and so we made space for him to return home again. But we're thrilled to say that he has a full-time job and is learning what it looks like to become a responsible adult. And guess what, it isn't easy. He has had to overcome some adversity, learning from some difficult situations. But we are proud of him. He is working hard and we believe he will accomplish great things. And the shoe painting business? He has a website in the works, so for now check out his projects on the following social media channels. Instagram.com/bmorecustomz TikTok: n8thegreat
AIDEN...Number three will turn 17 in just a few weeks. A junior in high school, he's now learning the importance of decision making as he considers what his next steps will be. He is crazy-talented with a camera and longs for the opportunity to travel and photograph the amazing beauty found in God's creation. This year he has had the opportunity to photograph a number of events, locations, and even people. The photos...breathtaking. He really does have an eye for beauty. We will release his website in just a few weeks. In the meantime, check out his Instagram account at Higham.Studios. Like other 17 year olds, he wants his freedom and the chance to earn some money so he can get going with his life. Will he end up at college? We're not sure yet. Will God do some amazing with his talent? We're confident He will.
ASHER...Number four continues to excel in school. With our move the opportunity opened for him to attend a local private school. The school has an excellent reputation for academics and success, with a real commitment to help students learn how to be learners. We have heard from multiple teachers and staff members who have said how pleased and impressed they are with his work ethic and accomplishments. He is being challenged and we love that he loves his new school. But it's not just about the academics. Asher hit the football field for the first time. He had a great first season with a number of great tackles, a few interceptions, and his first touchdown. He has also returned to the basketball court, his true love, and is already killing it with his team. We can't wait to see what this next year will look like for him.
BREYA...The princess is 11 going on 16. She juggles the little girl and the little lady quite well. She is mature and confident, and we have to remind ourselves and others, that she is still only a little girl. Almost as tall as mom, she is sharing shoes and clothes, learning how to properly apply makeup, learning how to avoid the drama of 5th grade, and show that she can be a leader just like her brothers. She has handled the move with grace. She has become someone for others to look up to; not just because of her height, but because she strives to love others well. She has been able to join a couple school clubs including a peer to peer group that takes older students and teaches them how to mentor and coach younger students. She loves dance and music, crafting, caring for little ones, and all things girl.
THE PARENTS...And we parents? Well, Jay loves his new role and church. Over the last couple of years, he has felt God leading him into a role that focuses on leading leaders; mentoring and coaching, while still being able to cast a vision and sort through the programatic details of ministry. In his role, he will be able to build a number of volunteer teams who will serve the children, teens, college students, and families of the church. He is also looking forward to stretching his wings as he does some coaching, consulting and encouraging with youth workers and family ministry directors. Along with overseeing the Controlled Chaos.com, a Middle School Blog, Jay has launched a resource to youth workers called, The Youth Worker Daily, a resource that hopes to encourage youth workers with tools, tips, resources, and helps so they thrive in their ministry. Amy is currently working part-time as YoungLife Capernaum Director of our area. Capernaum is an extension of YoungLife that seeks to reach teenagers and young adults with special needs. She is super excited to be back in ministry again and is looking forward to see how God will use her in the coming year. She is hoping to see her role turn into a full-time position as the program grows. Along with Capernaum, Amy is helping Jay with some of his roles passing along her wisdom as a mom, teacher, and child-care provider (wisdom that is greatly appreciated), and helping moms by offering babysitting and child-care during the week.
LIFE IN THE HIGHAM HOUSE...So what about Life in the Higham House? Well, as with life IN the Higham house, change is coming. The blog, Life in the Higham House, isn't going anywhere. We are learning that in both our new roles in ministry and our roles as parents, there is still much to learn and much to share. So, we plan on sharing what we learn here on the blog. We will continue to post stories, lessons, and parenting/marriage helps, along with resources, tools, tips, and ideas. Later this month we hope to launch, FamilyTalk, a podcast that talks about family "stuff". We want to sit down with other parents in various stages of parenting, to hear their stories, learn from their experiences, and see how God has shown up in big ways. As for Life in the Higham House, our vlog channel on YouTube, we have decided to take a step back from regular or daily vlogging and instead, we're going to focus on our web show we call, KidsTalk. With the boys getting older and investing their time into school, sports, and part-time jobs, the Princess is the only one who still wants to keep the channel active. So she and Jay are looking to host KidsTalk on a more regular basis, creating safe, fun, and useful entertainment for families and their kids. We don't have much of a following just yet, but please come and check us out! And don't forget to subscribe!  2020. It's here. And while we still don't have flying cars nor are we living on the moon or Mars, the new year looks to be one filled with wonderful possibilities. God has been tremendously faithful throughout 2019, but we believe He is going to do even greater things in 2020! So come along for the ride! Be a part of our adventure! And let's watch, together, just how good and great our God really is! Cool? - the higham family 
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We stopped for dinner in Somerset, at a restaurant that we seldom ever visited when we lived there. As we were being seated, we saw some friends, a pastor and his wife having dinner with another couple. They saw us, we saw them, and we greeted each other with hand shakes and hugs. Then the pastor said to me (Jay), 'Hey, give me a call in a couple of days. I've been thinking about you and want to talk.' We wondered what it might be about. Now, here's what only a some few knew. Earlier in 2018, we had become talking with a church about a new position. They were moving slow, but we had just met with the search committee and it looked like something was going to happen. Now, it's was January 1st, and another pastor says, hey, I want to talk to you. Well, I made the call and as you might guess, he wanted to talk to me about a possible position at his church. It was now February, I was in discussions with two churches and I was about to be introduced to a third. I was scheduled to speak at a Winter Retreat. At the retreat I met a pastor looking to hire a new staff member. To make what's becoming a long story, a bit shorter, by June 1st. we were starting a new adventure. The months that followed were filled with ups and downs, as we fully stepped into a season of transition for the entire family. Now, why do I share all of this? Because 365 days ago, as we were driving back to Western PA, dreaming of the new year, never did we imagine that today, Tuesday, December 31st, we would be in a new home, in a new city, in a new state, serving in a new role at a new church. This past Sunday, Pastor Tim preached about God's faithfulness, reminding us that it's good for us to look back as we move forward. We see God's faithfulness as He used Moses to lead the Hebrews out of Egypt to the promised land. When the time came, He used Joshua to continue the Hebrews journey to the promise land with the promise, "As I was with Moses, so I will be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you." (Joshua 1:5b NIV) God follows that promise with this statement, "Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." (Joshua 1:6 NIV) I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them. I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them.Sounds to me like a great statement to march into 2020 with. In fact, that's exactly what we're going to do. You see, God has proven himself to be faithful, time and time again. Not just with Moses and Joshua, but with David, Solomon, the prophets, Peter, John, Paul, Timothy, and everyone other person who placed their faith in Jesus. Amy and I have been married for 23 years. We have 5 amazing kids. We have moved ten times. We have served in 5 churches and 2 camps. We have made life-long friends, shared milestone moments and made memories that will last a life-time. We have had our highs (which have been great highs) and we have had our lows (devastating lows). We have laughed. We have cried. We have argued. We have cheered. We have prayed. And we have seen God's faithfulness over and over again. Now as we get ready to step into 2020, we find ourselves with a number of questions. What does 2020 hold for us? There is plenty that is without answers, and there is plenty that we are concerned about. We excited, but we're scared. We can't wait to get 2020 started, but we're anxious about the unknowns. 365 days ago, driving home from Philly, dreaming about 2019. Now we're hours away from 2020.... Before you take that step, take a minute... How have you seen God's faithfulness in 2019? What great adventure did he take you on? What were the highs and lows, and how did he show up? Before we step forward, look back and remember. God said to Joshua, "I will be with you. Be strong and courageous, because you will lead these people to inherit the land I swore to their ancestors to give them." Happy New Year! - the higham family 
FamilyLife Today, created the Adornaments resource to help families prepare for Christmas. There are twelve ornaments with readings, each one highlighting a name of Jesus along with a devotional book. Amy maps out 12 locations and one by one, she and the kids travel to each one pausing to have one of the kids read through the devotional. And of course if there's a treat associated with the location, the kids enjoy a snack. The Scavenger Hunt is a fun way to celebrate the day before Christmas. I don't think FamilyLife Today is still selling the Adornament resources, at least I couldn't find it on their website anywhere. I have found a few Adornament kits on Amazon, but they can be expensive.
Amy led the kids on a scavenger hunt when we lived in Somerset. At the time, Aiden and Asher were still very little. Breya was still an infant. It seems like such a long time ago. It felt right, and timely that we do the scavenger hunt again. And the Monday before Christmas Eve was the perfect day to go! Being in a new area left us having to come up with a few new locations for the hunt. Fortunately we still live in an area that leans more rural as opposed to being in a city or the suburbs. While we can get to stores like Starbucks relatively quickly, we are also close to creeks, streams, farms, and large parks. That made matching the locations a lot easier. 
 Planning the hunt is pretty easy. Take the names of Jesus and try to think of locations that match the names. Then plan a course that makes it easy to drive from location to location without having to double back. Also make sure you have some cash on hand to pick up the little treats a long the way. Those little treats actual become a special part of the scavenger hunt. Each one will help to solidify the memory and will associate the snack or product with the location and the name. With the plan in place, cash in your pocket, it time to head out. You can start by sharing the first name of Jesus and asking where they think they might receive the next location. When you get to each location, read the devotional from the card. You can also read the information that you find for each day while still in the car. And, don''t forget to take pictures or videos as you go. Those pictures and videos will be a great memory for future years. Your kids will love looking back and reliving the fun family activity. In the meantime, think about adding the Names of Jesus Scavenger Hunt to your Christmas calendar for next year! It will be a great event to host while the kids are home from school. - the higham family  |
Thanks for taking the time to read The Higham Family Blog. Each week we try to share new content about something we are learning, something we love, or something to offer encouragement to the family. We love to hear from our readers, so please share your thought in the comment section of each post.
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