Decisions, Decisions
I've been going back and forth about whether I should post about this or not. I decided not to on Facebook, but since less than 5 people read my blog, I figured I'd share with you sweet few. Not to mention I have this journaled for me.
You know we have talked about moving off and on over the years.
Okay, let's back up.
Michael lived in/near the city (Cincinnati) until he was 16, then he moved to the country (WV) for just a few years until he went to college. Through college he ended up finding an internship in this area and ended up moving here for work (and maybe a little for me too).
As an Air Force brat, I lived all over the world. We lived in Japan, Greece, and England. But my dad was stationed here in Maryland twice - 84-89 and 93-97. Then he retired here because of the great job opportunities for him and for my sister and I. So, in my 34 years of life, I have lived here in this area of this state for 27 years. For all my moving around, that is a long time for me to be in one place.
(In case you don't know the story, Michael and I met at church. He and I worked at the same place too, but it is a very big place so we never ran into each other. I may have helped convince him to go to the same college I did too. :-) We got married while we were still in college and wouldn't change a thing about our story.)
Michael and I have lived in this area for 11 of the 12 years we have been married. Back in 2005, we wanted to move out of the hustle and bustle of this area, so we checked out Georgia and Alabama. We fell in love with both places, especially Alabama. We came home from our visit to those areas with a little Kara in my belly. We moved an hour away to a lovely, slower paced area, but the commute got to Michael. Well, he could have lived through it just fine. It was really my living away from my family during pregnancy (when I was very sick) and during the newborn months. It was hard on me. Did I mention Kara had colic? So, we moved back to this area to be near my parents/family.
Huntsville, Alabama never left our hearts though. 9 years later, we still talk about and dream about moving down there "one day."
Now my parents are very close to retiring to Florida. My sister is also talking about moving out of the area very soon. Our finances are such that we could move anywhere we wanted (thanks to Michael's highly sought after computer skills and flexibility of that kind of job). With my family gone and Michael's job being super flexible, we do not feel tied to this area at all.
We don't want to do anything that is not God's will. We don't. But we both really feel.....I think "called" is too strong of a word.....I'd say "pulled" to move. We feel particularly pulled into the direction of the Huntsville area.
This will probably be a long process. Probably a painful one. And God might horrify us and tell us to move somewhere else, or even worse to stay here.
Michael and I have committed to spend the fall going hard-core, knee deep into the Word and seeking God on this. The only way to hear the wonderfully perfect whisper of God is to seek Him with your whole heart and spend loads of time with Him in the Bible and in prayer.
Now, it's only been a few weeks (I know it's going to take A LOT longer), but this is what I've heard so far:
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)
This verse came up several times in one week. I need to make sure to keep my roots strong and planted near the stream so I can be secure in the Lord while tough times come. I will have no worries and will bear fruit when I abide in Him.
The Bible study I've started at church has us all over Hebrews and we have been encouraged to be strong, be a leader, grow up in your faith and work to know and understand God. Rest in faith. KNOW that you KNOW who God is, how capable He is, what He wants for your life, and how He feels.
And in church this Sunday the sermon was about believing through faith and it will happen. "“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 "Ask in prayer for things that are the will of God and believe that you have them before you see that you have them.
In the parable in Mark 11, we learn that fruitless trees and prayerless believers have one thing in common – they are dead though they look alive. "
While Kara is in Florida with my parents next month, Michael and I are going to fly down to Huntsville to get the lay of the land and to pray over possibly moving while we're actually there. (Yes, we are praying from here too.) :-)
I guess I'm asking, can you all pray for us? I have lived in different countries, but I've never lived in a different state. As I think about what the move will actually be like (yes, I'm weighing the pros and cons), I feel zero anxiety. I am completely calm. I trust that wherever God leads us will be the right place to be. After all, this isn't our decision. It's God's.
UPDATE: Michael just came home and said, "Guess where a new job opened up that I could easily transition into? Huntsville."
You know we have talked about moving off and on over the years.
Okay, let's back up.
Michael lived in/near the city (Cincinnati) until he was 16, then he moved to the country (WV) for just a few years until he went to college. Through college he ended up finding an internship in this area and ended up moving here for work (and maybe a little for me too).
As an Air Force brat, I lived all over the world. We lived in Japan, Greece, and England. But my dad was stationed here in Maryland twice - 84-89 and 93-97. Then he retired here because of the great job opportunities for him and for my sister and I. So, in my 34 years of life, I have lived here in this area of this state for 27 years. For all my moving around, that is a long time for me to be in one place.
(In case you don't know the story, Michael and I met at church. He and I worked at the same place too, but it is a very big place so we never ran into each other. I may have helped convince him to go to the same college I did too. :-) We got married while we were still in college and wouldn't change a thing about our story.)
Michael and I have lived in this area for 11 of the 12 years we have been married. Back in 2005, we wanted to move out of the hustle and bustle of this area, so we checked out Georgia and Alabama. We fell in love with both places, especially Alabama. We came home from our visit to those areas with a little Kara in my belly. We moved an hour away to a lovely, slower paced area, but the commute got to Michael. Well, he could have lived through it just fine. It was really my living away from my family during pregnancy (when I was very sick) and during the newborn months. It was hard on me. Did I mention Kara had colic? So, we moved back to this area to be near my parents/family.
Huntsville, Alabama never left our hearts though. 9 years later, we still talk about and dream about moving down there "one day."
Now my parents are very close to retiring to Florida. My sister is also talking about moving out of the area very soon. Our finances are such that we could move anywhere we wanted (thanks to Michael's highly sought after computer skills and flexibility of that kind of job). With my family gone and Michael's job being super flexible, we do not feel tied to this area at all.
We don't want to do anything that is not God's will. We don't. But we both really feel.....I think "called" is too strong of a word.....I'd say "pulled" to move. We feel particularly pulled into the direction of the Huntsville area.
This will probably be a long process. Probably a painful one. And God might horrify us and tell us to move somewhere else, or even worse to stay here.
Michael and I have committed to spend the fall going hard-core, knee deep into the Word and seeking God on this. The only way to hear the wonderfully perfect whisper of God is to seek Him with your whole heart and spend loads of time with Him in the Bible and in prayer.
Now, it's only been a few weeks (I know it's going to take A LOT longer), but this is what I've heard so far:
They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit. (Jeremiah 17:8)
This verse came up several times in one week. I need to make sure to keep my roots strong and planted near the stream so I can be secure in the Lord while tough times come. I will have no worries and will bear fruit when I abide in Him.
The Bible study I've started at church has us all over Hebrews and we have been encouraged to be strong, be a leader, grow up in your faith and work to know and understand God. Rest in faith. KNOW that you KNOW who God is, how capable He is, what He wants for your life, and how He feels.
And in church this Sunday the sermon was about believing through faith and it will happen. "“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24 "Ask in prayer for things that are the will of God and believe that you have them before you see that you have them.
In the parable in Mark 11, we learn that fruitless trees and prayerless believers have one thing in common – they are dead though they look alive. "
While Kara is in Florida with my parents next month, Michael and I are going to fly down to Huntsville to get the lay of the land and to pray over possibly moving while we're actually there. (Yes, we are praying from here too.) :-)
I guess I'm asking, can you all pray for us? I have lived in different countries, but I've never lived in a different state. As I think about what the move will actually be like (yes, I'm weighing the pros and cons), I feel zero anxiety. I am completely calm. I trust that wherever God leads us will be the right place to be. After all, this isn't our decision. It's God's.
UPDATE: Michael just came home and said, "Guess where a new job opened up that I could easily transition into? Huntsville."
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