On coming home {a final update on my one word for 2013}

At the beginning of this year, I felt God putting a dream in the form of one word into my heart. That word was home. We had no idea what the future was going to hold for us after the Army, but in spite of the uncertainty I dared to dream that our future would be good.

I am full of so much hope…so many dreams. …I’m pushing away the demons that want to fill me with fear, and I’m daring to dream that life after the Army is not some sort of death-sentence, but can be even better than I could even try to imagine.

I’m dreaming of home.

I sat down in this space and wrote out my dreams for the future. Some were big, some small. Some God saw fit to make happen, and others didn’t – and that’s okay.

But here’s what God did do:

God gave my husband a new job. While it pays about half of what he used to make, it’s still a steady income, and we are making it work.

God moved us to North Carolina, where we now live near family.

God brought us to an amazing church. The first place we visited here in NC ended up being our home – a place of healing, of balance. The kind of church we didn’t think existed. Our church has Baptist distinctives without the drama of legalistic fundamentalism; blended yet conservatively styled worship music; relaxed dress standards; and small groups in the works. Through our church we have both made friends and started to be a part of a greater community. I am serving in the choir, Russ and I are working in a Sunday evening kid’s program, Ezra is (sporadically for now) involved in Awanas, and once a month I get to attend a Bible study just for moms!

God also put us in a town that has a lot of other groups for ladies and moms at other churches – which I attend during the week.

We did have to downsize into a 2-bedroom apartment (yup! I called that one!). While we are hoping to get into a better living situation come spring, even our little place has been a good place for us as we have made this transition – especially as it is located very ideally to work, church, shopping, and family.

Our town and the greater Triad area is so full of great resources. We have every shopping option under the sun, there are parks galore, I found an amazing chiropractor, and there’s a birth center only about an hour away (keeping my eye on that for the future)!

I’m so thankful to the amazing people I’ve met here so far through ROCC MOMS, MOPS, WOW, and our church. This community has embraced us with open arms and we are so blessed.

I can honestly say that I feel SO at home here! If it were up to me, I’d probably stay here indefinitely. I drive through town some days and feel like I’ve already been here a lifetime. Our time in the Army, our life in Kentucky – it all seems so long ago!

I would be lying if I said that the transition has been easy. In many way this has been a very hard, exhausting year and not completely what we had expected or hoped for. We are in desperate need of some rest. We are hopeful that the new year will bring some positive changes and much needed healing for us.

But God has definitely made this place our home.