After the Boxes Are Unpacked: Moving On After Moving In
1995, 2016 by Susan Miller
A Focus on the Family book published by Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188
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Unless otherwise indicated, all Scripture quotations are taken from the New American Standard Bible, copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked KJV are taken from the Holy Bible, King James Version.
Scripture quotations marked NLT are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations marked NLV are taken from the H OLY B IBLE , New Life Version. Copyright 19692003 by Christian Literature International, P. O. Box 777, Canby, OR 97013. Used by permission.
Scripture quotations marked TLB are taken from The Living Bible, copyright 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Some stories presented in this book are composites based on the authors experience and interaction with hundreds of women who have been uprooted by a move. Any resemblance to actual persons is coincidental.
Some peoples names and certain details of their stories have been changed to protect the privacy of the individuals involved. However, the facts of what happened and the underlying principles have been conveyed as accurately as possible.
The use of material from or references to various websites does not imply endorsement of those sites in their entirety. Availability of websites and pages is subject to change without notice.
Editor: Liz Duckworth
Cover design by Beth Sparkman
Cover illustration by Ruth Pizzi. Copyright Tyndale House Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data for this title can be found at www.loc.gov.
ISBN 978-1-58997-849-2
ISBN 978-1-62405-646-8 (ePub); ISBN 978-1-62405-647-5 (Kindle); ISBN 978-1-62405-645-1 (Apple)
Build: 2016-02-25 09:20:56
In memory of Bill
Twenty years ago I dedicated the first edition of this book to my beloved husband with the words, Id follow you to the ends of the earth. One day, Ill follow you to our eternal home, and we will be together again.
Praise for After the Boxes Are Unpacked
Theres a reason why moving to a new area is ranked on stress tests at the same level as the death of a spouse. Its an emotional hot zoneeven if youre moving to a place and opportunity youre excited about. It often takes years for a new address to provide the kind of sanctuary our hearts long for. In the meantime, the pressure on everyone in the family picture can feel enormous. Fortunately, someone has stepped forward with a plan that takes the sting out of moving and accelerates the time it takes to turn a new location into an emotional and relational haven. Youre going to feel much more at home after youve read Susan Millers book After the Boxes Are Unpacked.
DR. TIM KIMMEL
Author , Grace Based Parenting and Grace Filled Marriage
We moved eighteen times in twenty-three years, and to say it was a challenge is a gross understatement. After I discovered Susan Millers book After the Boxes Are Unpacked, it made the rest of those moves smoother. In this new edition of her book, Susan not only shares new strategies available to those who move, but she also addresses the psychological aspect of making those moves. This is the most comprehensive and definitive book about moving and making that move more effectively.
Susan helps the reader journey from the sadness and loss of a move into a mind-set of enthusiasm and hope. If you want to be the most content you can be when it comes to your next move, then read this book.
ELLIE KAY
Americas Family Financial Expert and bestselling author of Heroes at Home
Sometimes moving can leave you feeling as empty as the corrugated boxes youve tossed away, but Susan Millers book After the Boxes Are Unpacked gives you hope! From finding a new doctor to making new friends, Susan Miller shares encouraging, heartwarming stories of women whove been there and felt that when moving. She provides practical action steps that help you move forward in your new surroundings. This is a must-read for every woman who finds herself relocating to a new community.
SHARON JAYNES
Author, The Power of a Womans Words
As our song proclaims, The Army goes rolling along, and so do the spouse, the kids, the pets, and all the emotions with the news of another PCS. As a chaplain, I have had the privilege of using Susans book After the Boxes Are Unpacked for families across the globe. Susan has been our conference speaker in Korea, Hawaii, and Germany. Everyone should experience a move and read After the Boxes Are Unpacked, and see what God will do in his or her life. Dont PCS without it!
US ARMY CHAPLAIN LT. COL. KENT WALKER AND SHAWNA WALKER
Foreword
F OR MANY COUPLES, their major goal in moving is to stay married! For singles, the need is to maintain their sanityand to find that special friend with a truck! Moving isnt easy. As someone who has packed too many haul-it-yourself trucks in his time, I know that moving can rank right up there with wallpapering, root canals, pet-sitting a pit bull, and having your six-month-old triplets all start to teethe at the same time. But it isnt just the physical exhaustion thats the real challenge in moving. Its emotionally unpacking that can hurt long after the sore muscles have healed.
The real help you need after the boxes show up at your new place is what this book is so incredible at providing. Here, in this revised and updated edition of whats become a family classic, youll learn how to close loops and start anew. How to help your children do more than just mope around, how you can find and be a new friend, and how you can move forward as a person, spouse, and family. Reading Susans book is like having a world-class coach show up at your door the day you found out you were really moving. She brings her wisdom and encouragement to take the pain out of having to pack, the smarting out of having to uproot the kids, and the sting out of leaving family and friends. And once you get to your new destination, like a personalized welcome service, Susan Miller will provide biblical advice and clearheaded counsel to guide you through the many adjustments still to come, months after everything is on the shelf.