Who Moves During the Holidays?

Christmas morning was me on my computer, listening to my husband snore. Our tiny tree was lit and illuminated the chaos of the upcoming move. We're sleeping in the living room while surrounded by boxes, lamps, a carpet cleaner and lots of stuff. Next came cinnamon rolls and coffee while we watched A Christmas Story. Then packing and cleaning. Amazing friends invited us to share in their Christmas tradition and we all ate Chinese food together, told stories, laughed and drank wine. It was wonderful.

Christmas is over and we're still moving. There are less boxes as well as furniture. I'm sitting in a camp chair as I write. I keep thinking about my comfy sofa that is already in our new house. I bet that he misses us. I sure do miss him. The carpet cleaner is next to the TV. Vehicles are packed and waiting for the final trip to our new home on Monday. I said my goodbyes at work. I am ready for change.

I am excited about the move, my new job, our new city and the 1950's home that my family will be moving into. I am thankful for the blessings in my life. For new opportunities and to be moving to such a beautiful area in Florida. God is so good.

I am worried about my dog. He's 16 years and 4 months old. Over the past few months he's become more and more blind. I think that he gets around by memory more than sight. I have no idea how he will make this transition and I am praying that he does well. Even though I am worried about him, I am also so thankful that he is still a part of our lives after such a long time. He's still happy, absolutely loves to eat and barks at people who walk past him as he sunbathes on our balcony. Floyd is an awesome old dog.

Christmas was different this year. I didn't see family. My husband and I did not buy any gifts for anyone. It's a Wonderful Life accidentally got packed so I couldn't watch my favorite Christmas movie. The day wasn't the coziest Christmas. It was just the way it was. The way it was supposed to be at this time in my life. God has big plans for my husband and I and we are following Him on His schedule (even during Christmas).

Merry Christmas

Embracing Change - the Good, the Bad and the Ugly

I have been searching for something new for a very long time. Be in a new place. Find my dream job. Embrace experiences that freak me out. I wanted:

 Change

There were months and months of searching, applying for jobs, interviews, prayer, moments of complete neurotic breakdowns, quiet reflection, tears and sleepless nights. Now, I am finally embarking upon a new:

 Journey

I am making an amazing career move and I am both excited and nervous. The organization that I will be working with has been serving children for over 100 years and I love their mission as well as their reputation around the country. I will be leading a team of professionals who are doing awesome work in the community and who are making a difference in children’s lives on a daily basis. I cannot wait to get there and practice:

 Creative Leadership

Since my new job is 100 miles from where I currently live, I will be moving. There are boxes in my living room (lots of them) and it looks like a tornado came through the bedroom. Usually, I cannot stand it when it is like this. I loathe clutter. It isn’t bothering me, though. I am focused on my new house, in my new neighborhood, in my new city. The chaos in my life is being overshadowed by a wonderful sense of:

 Peace

This journey has been long, stressful, exhausting and at times I felt as though I wouldn’t make it through. I became deflated on more occasions than I’d like to admit. Thankfully, my husband kept encouraging me to move forward. I have learned so much throughout this experience.

1. God is in control. For a control-freak, this was the most difficult lesson I learned. I had a plan and I put that plan into place. That was over a year ago. I finally realized that it was not God’s plan. Ah Ha moment. I had to learn how to let go and give everything to Him. This was not easy and it took me a while to fully understand how to do this. Things started clicking when I learned how to pray.
2. Pray authentically. A friend of mine offered some of the best advice I have ever received. When I mentioned to her that I felt guilty for praying for the perfect job when there were so many people in the world who desperately need work, she suggested that I open up to God about this. So, I did. I was driving to work and offered Him the most authentic prayer of my life. The very next day, I was presented with an interview. Within a couple of weeks, I had four different leads.
3. Have faith. The four leads turned into four interviews in a very short time. Suddenly, I was faced with having to make a decision between various job opportunities. I was so amazed at how God was showing me different paths that I just didn’t worry. I knew that He would show me which path to take. I prayed and I let go. I had faith in Him and His plan for my life.  
4. Be thankful. After I was offered my new job, I called my husband. I was sitting in my car in an elementary school parking lot. As soon as I hit the send key, I lost it. I cried so hard that I couldn’t talk. I was amazed at how God was working in my life. I was relieved to finally have been offered my dream job. I was so thankful that God presented me with such an amazing opportunity. He was listening. The tears were a release after so much searching and uncertainty. They were also tears of joy and thankfulness. It was one of the most cathartic experiences of my life.

 Now faith is confidence in what we hope for and assurance about what we don’t see.

 Hebrews 11:1