Change

Sometimes in life, we go through massive changes. Sometimes those are good. Sometimes those are bad. Sometimes they can be a combination of both. But when they are a combination of both I think it is just because moving out into the unknown, can be a bit scary. And the change away from the familiar, the leaving behind of those you’ve held close to your heart for years and years, can bring a sadness, an uncertainty, and a little bit of fear.

This is what we have done very recently.

We took a giant leap of faith into the wide open unknown.

And we moved.

To Fargo, North Dakota!

Since late July, when this first became a thought, life has been a whirlwind of activity to prepare and make ready, if the good Lord directed our path.

And He did.

And here we are, in Fargo, North Dakota.

There were numerous reasons this move made sense. One, my mom is just 55 minutes away and it really was clear that I made a mistake moving her so far away from us this past spring. I missed her. She missed me. And I needed to be closer to her. To move her back to WA and back into our tiny house was something I knew was not the answer. Two, the housing market was such that we could sell our home in a very high market and walk away with a nice down-payment in a place where the cost of living was a fraction of what it was in WA. Affording us a bigger house (six adults living there-in) and the ability to be nearly debt-free, which in turn would give us the freedom to help my mom more when the time came. Three…James is 100% remote and we could live anywhere.

The hardest part of this move was leaving behind a church family we have grown to love and cherish, a family we were very much deeply rooted in. But we knew that if God was in the center of our decision, the center of our hearts, and our true focus in our decision, He would direct our paths and make the unknown a little less scary.

On October 1st we loaded our moving truck, as well as three cars, and started our new adventure. It had been 16 years almost to the day, since we had moved into that little house in Poulsbo, WA.

We drove away from where we raised our children in the woods, on a cute little “farm”. (The featured photo at the top is our last night in our home, gathered around the firepit reminiscing.) The place where James became a deacon, where Kelsey became a choir director (10 years ago), where we gave all we had to that beautiful church “family”. The place where I truly learned to love the scriptures, the hymns, and discovered true joy in all He has for me. Christ is risen!! Every day!

No, this decision was not an easy one to make. But I also know that no matter where I am on this globe, He, Who holds the whole world in His hands, will be with me. I will learn even more, true joy, the beauty of hymns & scriptures, and find a new place to serve Him well. My only true desire.

We drove half-way across the country and arrived in Fargo, ND and to our new home 3 days later.

God has truly blessed us. We are grateful beyond words for this new adventure, for new opportunities to serve Him, to make new friends, to welcome old friends into our new home (*hint, hint*), for the new landscape canvas to create from, and to see what He has in store for us.

I’m excited to send these cute little cards out with our new address. You know me & snail mail! If you would like our new address but you don’t get one of these in the mail within the next week or so, please feel free to reach out and I’ll get one in the mail to you.

Happy Monday to you all!!!!

Susan