Alabama

A few days ago Dad stood outside by what I like to call his "Elder Car" as one by one each of his children took turns hugging him goodbye. Dad, being in the service of the ministry, has hugged us goodbye many a times before as he prepares to head out to a special meeting, or to fill in for another minister on Sunday. This time however the hugs lasted much longer and the goodbyes lingered. You see, Dad was saying goodbye to us because he was moving to Alabama to start training for his new job. He won't be gone for the weekend, no he wouldn't need all of his belongings and his entire suit collection for that.

Let me start here.
After many months, days, and hours spent praying that the Lord would open a door, Dad has been blessed with a very promising job offer in our old home state of Alabama. While Dad will continue his service in the ministry,  this job offer is a grand blessing from the Lord and we are all so thankful for it! Dad was required to start work this October, yet we all still live here in Florida and have a house to sell. So Dad moved, and the rest of the gang stayed behind to start preparing the house for the market.

That was a hard goodbye, the true definition of bittersweet right there. So happy to know that the Lord has once again provided for us, yet very sad to know that for a time Dad will have to be separated from the family. Makes me realize how incredibly blessed I am to have a Dad who has been so involved and so present in my life. The void is certainly felt and we are all practicing our stiff upper lips and adjusting as best we can!

We will be moving. again.
God has been good,once again.

This will be our fifth time moving, and I've come to the realization that all the moves before I have had a overwhelming sense of excitement and curiosity. This time around I almost feel split right down the middle. I've had to think a lot more about it, and realize that I have begun to set down roots here in Florida these past five years and it's going to be not so easy  uprooting them. It's not so much the location of where I live, but the people who I've come to love. I'm going to have to really prepare myself this time.

But oh what a blessing moving to Alabama will be for my family! Alabama is home to us. Dad has a job there now ( and soon we will be with him again!), my parents were both born and raised there, we will be near our only living grandparent, and we will be living in a familiar place surrounded by family and church family we haven't seen in a long time.

I'm still attempting to wrap my head around it all and face the many different emotions the want to creep up on me.Sometimes this is where being a girl ain't my cup of tea.

I have no idea when we will move, it all depends on how fast our house sells. It  could be 6 months or a few years!

I do know however,  that I feel like God has blessed me with a great sense of peace for what is to come. Everything will be alright. It isn't  always going to be easy, but it will be alright.

Hope you all had a wonderful weekend!