Still processing but now I can share :)

Those who know me well know that I don't always handle change very well :) And I've had a lot of change in my life in the last 3 months. The Lord is faithful. He will not give me more than I can handle. That is the pep talk that I give myself most days. Some days it works well and some days it doesn't. Thus, the emotional roller coaster I mentioned earlier.

In February, my dad and stepmom applied and interviewed for a missionary position to a children's home in Arizona. Two weeks ago they found out they were accepted. They will be house parents to kids who live at the children's home. My sister leaves in a week and a half with her grandma so that she can start school in Arizona. The rest of the family will go as soon as they get everything settled here, which mostly depends on the sale of their house.

I am excited for them as they follow the Lord's leading and leave the comfort of where they have been for 10 years and embark on a new adventure that will stretch them in ways they cannot imagine.

Right now I am grieving the loss of having my family 10 minutes away. I moved to Illinois, and Peoria specifically, so that I could be close to my dad. I wanted to be around to watch Daynah and Josh grow up. I assumed that if anyone would move away, it would be me. I am sad that I will miss being close to Daynah for her last two years of high school and being close to Josh as he enters into his teenage years.

Here are the things I am trying to remind myself:
1. This is the Lord's will.
2. Planes travel to Arizona all the time.
3. People keep telling me it's a great place to go in the winter (I tend to disagree, only because I will probably visit at Christmas, and I don't really want to be in 70 degree weather for Christmas)
4. I have done this (been away from my family) for all but four years of my life. And for 3 1/2 of those years I was in a state where none of my family lived.
5. God has graced me with an amazing church family. They are not moving away :). I will need to rely on them in different ways and I look forward to learning the meaning of the body of Christ in a whole new way.

Many have asked me, "So, what are you going to do?" Some of that I have already answered above. But my first answer is that I'm not going to follow them to Arizona. I have no immediate plans to move anywhere. I have a job I enjoy and a church family I love. My mom is 3 hours away. For the time being, I will trust that this is where God wants me, with or without my family. And I will (this is partially a pep talk :)!) enjoy the journey!