Winds of Change

Ok. My life has been zooming by so fast lately that i've really not caught my breath in a bit! Bryce and I have felt the Lord calling us back to the mid west for a long time now, for certain since February but we knew it would not be until this summer. So much has happened since that time- we were convinced at one point that we made that all up and there's no way God would move us when we had so much great stuff happening here. During that time we decided to visit Kansas because we were just certain we'd not move and hadn't been back in a year. So in July we flew out and even on the plane i just KNEW we would be moving there, but the Lord had to open both of our eyes together and thus it took a little talking to, but Bryce and i finally agreed that yes we were to move and yes it would need to be soon. I suppose that brings us to now. We leave here, the beautiful Oregon coast, for Kansas in less than two weeks! It is absolutely a shock to my system still but so beautiful in many ways. My family has been nothing BUT support- and we'eve each dealt with the emotions of separation as they've come. I've come to know my very deepest friends here, though luckily they reside within my own family as my two sister in laws! My mom and i have also been very close since i graduated high school(we may have been too alike to enjoy each other before that ;))but we both agree that as it is good it has also kept us from learning and welcoming other friendships into our lives. Each of us has always been called into different types of ministry for different seasons and thus being together just can't really work! I never thought we'd have moved back to my hometown, but now having been back five years I can see how it was a season to establish our family and reunite our family after my brother was in the Airforce for six years. It's been an incredible time of growth, healing, and learning together as each of us has been iron sharpening iron, as the bible says. While telling people about this move, we have generally had great responses though some have been very sad for my family missing out on the growth of our three little girls. But something has struck me so strongly that I cannot be shaken from this decision- even if nothing else were fitting into place (which it all is)I know that our story is like that found in Matthew 25:14 in the Parable of the Talents. The Lord has given us much, and we are just sitting on the gifts we have for the world out of fear and possibly laziness. To whom is given much, much is to be expected. Thus the Lord has given us a calling and in order to live a life worthy of the calling that we have received (Eph. 4:1) we had better get off our behinds and get moving! We only have a short life to multiply what the Lord has given us to do and so far we've just slipped into comfort. The Lord didn't call us to be comfortable or tell us that it would be easy, just that we needed to do it. SO... Here we go! 12 days until we leave! My house is a complete disaster, I'm surprised that i've been able to put enough cognitive thoughts together to even write this, and there is SO much more to do! We would love your prayers during this time if you're the praying sort- if not support goes a long way as well! We are excited to break out of this cycle and spread our wings a little, we're ready to have Bryce be in a more positive, less taxing job and we're ready to see what awaits us on the other side. I cry thinking about every piece of this puzzle, my entire family, extended and immediate are almost all here in this area. But i adore Bryce's family as well, they have become as true as blood and I am thrilled to get some good growing time with them. There's a sermon out there by a guy named Brian with Hillsong church that is called "living in your own grace" and when i heard it i just could not believe how excited i was about it! My in law's certainly know their grace zone, their undeserved God given talent and are living in it! I know that we are called to come along side them and get rolling on some really great stuff, so stay tuned if you'd like to hear where we end up and how it's going over there! Also, if you need anything we might be getting rid of (pretty much EVERYTHING) we're having a Moving sale this saturday from 9am-3pm! Love you all, thanks for caring enough to read this mumbojumbo