Because life wasn’t busy enough writing books and editing books and celebrating anniversaries and going on cruises I thought you should know . . . WE’VE MOVED!
We = hubby and me. And our lemon tree. (We don’t have pets.) Oh, and this happened yesterday. That’s . . . just . . . *dies*. We’re not stressed at all. NOT AT ALL!
Truly, though, we’re not stressed (even though my eye has been twitching for the past four days.) We are focused because we know we are following God’s direction. In fact, the moment He said, “Time to move,” He threw every single door open. This has all happened over the past three months.
Where are we?
You might be wondering . . .
Hubby and I moved to Missouri. No big deal, just an 1,100 mile move. ? (By the way, I totally read The Fellowship of the Ring aloud to hubby on the drive. It was epic.) We packed up our lives, sold the remains of our pack-rat childhoods, and now find ourselves in the humid midwest surrounded by cicada sounds and more family. This is the home state of hubby’s family and, coincidentally, where we met. Despite its melting summers and bug armies, I have many fond memories here and I’m excited to create new ones. Particularly because:
- So many authors live around here!! Now that I’m here, I’m learning how many of my author friends live nearby! Coffee dates! Writing talk! Fellowship! AWESOME GEEKNESS! *hyperventilates*
- God has made it clearer than crystal (forgive the cliche) that He wants us to be here. That means awesome things are going to happen.
- Hubby is working his dream job. A wife couldn’t ask for anything more.
But I’d be lying if I didn’t admit that leaving our Idaho community and family was about as easy as shredding my heart on a cheese grater. We plan for many visits and phone calls. 
What a blessing to have eternity with our fellow brothers and sisters in Christ. 🙂
What are we doing?
Hubby will be working with college students in a campus ministry and I’ll be write-write-writing and edit-edit-editing like I always am. In fact, Missouri is where the whole Out of Time Series began. I started writing A Time to Die one month after moving here for graduate school and even placed Parvin’s hometown in the same state. I studied the nature here and the weather, adding in details and little pricks to our senses. As we drove up, I felt the familiar writing inspiration hit me.
Tomorrow may very well be a writing day. (Or maybe a day of unpacking, but still…)
Moving is a big deal.
Change can be hard for anyone. (Especially when it involves hauling a piano into a little U-haul trailer.) We’ve spent the majority of our marriage living in Idaho, so it’s quite the upheave to come back to Missouri. We have some ideas of how or lives will change, and we have hopes for a specific type of community we hope to find. But most of all, I’ve been dwelling on one of my favorite sections of scripture:
For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope. Then you will call upon me and come and pray to me, and I will hear you. [Jer 29:11-12]
If you have a signed copy of my book, A Time to Die, you might see this Scripture reference in there. It’s because poor Parvin had her life upheaved almost right from the start, and yet she found comfort in seeking out God’s purpose — God’s shalom.
I am the Lord; I have called you in righteousness; I will take you by the hand and keep you; I will give you as a covenant for the people, a light for the nations, to open the eyes that are blind, to bring out the prisoners from the dungeon, from the prison those who sit in darkness. [Isaiah 42:6-7]
Change can be hard, but God designed hubby and me to thrive off of it. We like change and growth and discovering new things. (We’re adventurers, remember?) But we thrive off of change mostly when we’re in God’s will and it’s completely soaked in prayer. And that’s what this move is. 😀
It’s a short blog post today because I’m busy trying to figure out how to work while settling in to our new town, awaiting our new little rental house to open up for us. But I thought I’d update my precious readers and friends. So here you have it. In short:
- We’ve moved to Missouri
- I plan to write all this month
- We miss our Idaho community
- We are ecstatic for the growth God has in store for us.
- I’m totally obsessing over the lightning bugs here.
Your turn!
How do you do with change?
How many times have you moved in your life?
Congrats on the move! I’ve honestly never seen a lightning bug… my life has been sadly deprived. 😀
I didn’t know they were even real until I moved to Missouri the first time! Ha! Come visit! 😉
Congratulations on the move!!
Actually, we’re currently moving right now! It’s only an hour away … but still. Six kids, two dogs (and some giant fish and a turtle!) seems a little stressful. 🙂 Especially since my mom will be in Brazil when we “officially” sell our house, and move. Yay.
Anyways, again, congrats! And now you are only THREE states away from me!! 😀
Moving, no matter how far, is quite the undertaking. Especially if you have a pet turtle. 😉 😉
Yay for being closer!!
Praying for you and your hubby during this move! Missouri is a beautiful state, and you’re making me want to visit again. 😉
You know, I know of a place you could stay if you came and visited. 😉 (Seriously, we need major writerly sit-down-and-chat-over-tea time.)
I’ve moved three times, but two of those were in the same city and one I don’t remember at all (I was two), so there’s only one that really “counts.” That was from North Carolina to Florida and it changed almost my entire life. Sadly, I moved away from the lightning bugs, not to them. :/ I always love going back up to North Carolina in the summer for camp and getting to see the lightning bugs again!
Oh wow! From NC to FL is quite the move! And I’m glad you still get to enjoy the lightning bugs in the summer. 🙂
I have only moved once and I was chill with that because we were still in the same county and I was more attached to where we were going than where we were leaving. And I was little, so more fearless. Now, I can’t even imagine moving again. I think it would shred my heart. The only issue I have with Texas is that it’s too warm and humid. *shudder* I’m glad you’ve moved closer to me, though!! How exciting (if stressful) life upheavals are 😀
Change can be scary, but it’s always been during the major changes in my life that God surprised me with incredible things. 🙂 I’ve learned to be excited about change (even if it’s scary at first.) It’s taken me a while, though.
We moved from South Dakota to Florida the last week of April. Our lives are still getting settled but, like you, we know this is where God wants us. Congrats & have fun! (btw, this is our 5th time moving as a family & we aren’t even military – the moving process is something we truly dislike with a passion!)
Goodness! And that’s quite a move, too! Still, what a blessing to know you’re where God wants you. 🙂
I have moved 15 times, not counting the times I have moved houses in the same town. We have been in this town 18 years, and it is the longest I have lived anywhere in my life. I would hate to leave, but sometime we might need a one-story house. My husband and I are getting old. 🙂 BTW, this is the fourth house we have lived in here and I am very attached to it!
Moving is stressful, even when it is exciting and fun. Packing and unpacking are no fun–you have to touch everything you own twice!
We are working on some exciting changes that don’t involve moving and that is also stressful!
Go ahead and write and set up a few coffee breaks. You deserve it.
Yes, the packing is the hardest part! Wow 18 years? That would be hard to leave! I haven’t lived anywhere that long yet, but it’s been hardest to leave those places that feel like “staples” in my life.
*runs to set up coffee breaks per Cindy’s suggestion* 😉
Congrats on your move!!! Glad it’s over now, all you need to do is settle in. 🙂
We’re on the verge of moving ourselves, though we’re not completely sure just where. (Mo is an option, though! 😉 ) At this point, the tension is the worst part, since suspense kind of kills me.
Still, I’m trying to focus on preparing, because no matter what, that’s always a good thing to have done! 🙂 Packing, finishing projects… making sure my writing gets done, and the releases, co/projects are complete and out there… All important to have under our belt before a big disruption!
Enjoy those fireflies!!!
Elizabeth
Thank you! It’s nice to be settled in. I’m praying that your move goes smoothly (and if you end up in MO you must tell me! :D)
Okay, we’ll have to do that!!! 🙂
That’s crazy! I’ll be praying for you guys. And your lemon tree. But I still do love the West…
Thank you!! The Lemon tree made it so far! 😀
Wow, what a move! I’ve never moved further than an hour or so away and I don’t know what I’d do if I had to move halfway across the country. 🙁
But you are a bit closer to me now, which means actually meeting you isn’t quite as impossible. 😀
Yay! I hope we do meet!!
I’ve moved 23 times. And that’s only counting the ones I remember from the age of 3 or 4 and not counting the days/weeks living with friends or in temporary housing while waiting for the next place to be available. Moving to New Zealand fourteen years ago was the biggest move by far. Enjoy your new digs and have fun catching up with writer-ly friends!
O.o Twenty…three…times…? Wow. You are a superhero.
I only moved once when I was 4 so funnily enough don’t really remember it much, I dislike change, who does? But though I worry about stuff when there is change I try put it all in God’s hands, because he knows what he is dong. I hope you settle in well and make a heap of new friends.
You have a good attitude. 🙂 God will only move you on to greater things. 😀 Thank you, friend!
I’m so glad y’all are feeling good about moving to Missouri! Moves can be hard. :/ I’m a military kid, so I’ve moved about eight times in my life… and I’m moving again in less than two months. It gets harder as I get older, but I keep reminding myself that God has great plans for us wherever the Air Force assigns us to live. 🙂
Also, the place I’m moving to is Alabama, so we’ll be only a Tennessee apart. 😉
Oh yay! We’ll be even closer! I’m praying for you with your move. 🙂
So excited for you guys! Thank you for sharing with us. 🙂
I think we’ve moved 6 times. The biggest one was California to Montana! I was 11 and NOT happy. But things changed 😀 and now I’m ever so thankful we left CA.
We moved from Cali to Wyoming when I was 10, so I hear ya! And now that I’m older I, too, am so thankful we left CA!
We’ve moved 18 times, and I used to feel like a pro at it. Our biggest were to Poland and then to Lithuania because of the cultural and language differences, but MAN! Those were my favorites, too. And in each country, one city for language study, another to settle in. I love Psalm 84, because I’ve set my heart on pilgrimage. It doesn’t matter that I’ve lived longer where we are now than anywhere ever before–my heart is still a God-follower the world over. I just travel through my writing and mission trips now. I’ll be praying for you guys as you get settled and build new relationships. May it be more fun than hard work, and may your hearts thrill at exploring and finding new favorite places. 🙂