Change

Happy Memorial Day, everyone! I hope you had a beautiful weekend! We sure did. How blessed are we to have so many brave men and women who have served and protected our country selflessly? So blessed. Thank you.

It's been awhile since I have had the opportunity to write, so I'll do a quick recap of our life!

Kevin had a meeting in the Cities last Friday, and we had a few graduation parties and friends to see in Marshall, so we decided to make a whole road-trip weekend out of it! Well. I decided I would tag along so we could spend more time together--it was so worth it! Spending 8+ hours in the car together is certainly something special.

As we pulled into Marshall last Friday night, Kevin took a deep breath and said, "I just love it here." I sighed and said, "Me, too." Marshall has been home to the both of us for the past 5+ years. We love it. 

We got to meet up with good friends, eat good food, and play good cards. We stopped at HyVee for five minutes to grab a few things and ran into at least ten friendly and familiar faces (and received lots of hugs!) It's seriously like Cheers! Sometimes you want to go where everybody knows your name, and they're always glad you came. Marshall is so familiar and so cozy.

We got to enjoy lots of good food and fellowship as we celebrated a number of graduates. We were filled to the absolute brim and were overflowing with love and joy from being with our Marshall family. Our weekend was so rich.

Sunday morning came and we headed to church--late. per usual. We walked into worship to our familiar seat and joined in song. BOOM. it hit me. I was sobbing. What the heck?! We just got there! I know that my emotions often move when the Lord is tugging at my heart or the Spirit is moving, but we hadn't even been there for three minutes! Tears. lots of them. streaming down my face. I started praying and questioning this radical/strange reaction, and then it came to me--this is home. this was home.

Victory Christian Church.

This is where I really grew in my faith. This is where I was broken. This is where I was built. This is where I was mentored. This is where I was loved. I had spent the past five years learning, seeking, discovering, receiving, and rejoicing in Jesus. This is where I really experienced freedom in Christ.

I was grieving.

The Lord so sweetly and so clearly spoke to my heart and said, "You have and you will experience freedom in me outside of these walls. Your identity in me does not exist solely at VCC. You are ready. You are going to live free, worship free, and serve free." (ironically the mission for our new church in SD)

--insert more crying here--

I don't want to leave Victory. I don't want to leave Marshall. but it's time. God has called Kevin and I away. Will we get to go back? maybe. maybe not. But we do know that we are called to be in Sioux Falls at this time, and we are so excited to be a part of the Lord's vision for this new season in our life. I needed that reaction/word on Sunday to confirm that we are in the right spot and doing the right thing.

We have been praying for a church, praying for fellowship, and praying for people who enjoy games just as much as we do, and the Lord has been blessed us with all of these things. (Praise God!)

We found a church. We found fellowship. And we found friends who really love games.

This past week we were able to connect with a beautiful group of people who have welcomed us with open arms. We got to know one another, play games, share stories, and laugh really hard. We found people who embrace us (like our friends in Marshall) and have already shown so much love towards us. 

I am literally giddy to see what the Lord has planned for this next season of our life. God has so cleverly and intentionally formed such specific relationships in our life right now. People who encourage us but challenge us. People who are radically seeking the calling that God has placed on their lives--and it's infectious. God is doing big things, and I want nothing more than to be a part of it! 

I don't know if you're in some sort of transitional period yourself or not, but I am praying for you and this new season whatever it may be. I pray that you would look deep within your soul and recognize every good and perfect gift that God has blessed you with. I pray that you would find your affirmation and self-worth in who God says you are and not who the world says you are. I pray that you would be encouraged to take a step of faith and surrender your fears, failures, and weaknesses and allow God to take control of them. Turn to the Lord, be still, and rest in the peace and steadfast love that He gives us. Allow him to give you freedom and then relish in it.