Announcement.

I have a very exciting announcement to make! I've been sitting on it awhile and just recently started sharing it with friends and family. In January 2012 I will be moving to Columbia, SC. I suppose it's something I've been contemplating for months now as you've probably noted from previous posts. As I was sharing with a good friend last night, I so often struggle with aligning what I want with God's will and automatically assuming that because it's something I want, then it must not be right. I realize this is a skewed view of who our God is. I suppose I attribute this to so many broken dreams I've had along the way, dreams that I now look at and know that it was indeed God's best for me not to have them. I can't necessarily say what my life in Columbia will look like. I'm going on faith, knowing that I have a few good friends there who are thrilled I've made the decision to do life with them. I'll be transferring with my beloved Starbucks. I'm so thankful I work for a company who not only offers excellent health insurance but also provides partners the opportunity to transfer to stores all over the world. Talk about job security! We're also praying that God would open up some ministry opportunities there. Luke Syfert, one of my very best friends in the whole world, is on staff at a church in Columbia and has asked if I would consider doing ministry with him. It was a resounding YES! I couldn't think of a better person to partner with in ministry. Not to mention that I will get to be around his awesome wife, Lauren, and their two beautiful girls, Chloe and Josalin. There's also one other person that I'm looking forward to seeing on a regular basis. To protect his privacy, he'll remain nameless:-) I haven't shut the door on going back to school. I'm still very interested in finishing my Masters in Counseling...it's just not the right time. I'm so grateful for these past 5 years back in Ruston, specifically the time spent with my parents and my God-children. But I'm so excited about my future and what God has in store for me. My desire is to be faithful to Him and I know that He will provide for me in return.

These last 8 months have been truly transformational. When I lost my job at Trinity, I was weary and burned out on life and ministry. A month later I said a final goodbye to a friendship that had also been extremely draining and unhealthy for me, leaving me even more broken and battered. God faithfully met me in those places. He brought people into my life to speak truth, to sit with me, and to remind me that first and foremost I am HIS. This is the greatest reminder any of us can hear really. When we stop and think about the truth that we are HIS child and we are loved completely and unconditionally for who we are, it puts things in a whole new perspective. I pray that each of you will be reminded that you are first and foremost HIS and he couldn't be more proud to be your Father. May you embrace this truth today.