It’s been 2 years.

2 years since moving to Arizona.

2 years of ministry and life that changed the way we do ministry and life.

2 years of blood, sweat, and tears poured out so that Christ would be proclaimed and hearts would be ignited by the power of the gospel.

2 years of struggle, disappointment, disillusionment, and the kind of heartache that leaves you sobbing on the floor crying out for mercy.

Honestly, I have never experienced the fullness of God’s grace the way I have here. God has shown Himself strong on my behalf an innumerable amount of times, and in ways that only He is able.

2 years of laughter, joy, excitement, and resurgence while I watched God move in unimaginable ways.

My heart has overflowed with happiness, excitement, and joy unspeakable! I have been challenged, tested, broken, and in a word, transformed.

It’s been 2 years of discovering who I am in Christ and realizing we are all just recipients of great grace, privileged to be a part of God’s work no matter where it takes us. 

I can’t believe it’s only been 2 years.

2 years is just a breath. For this season, it’s been a lifetime.

After 2 years living in Arizona, our time here is ending… our family is going home.

It’s really exciting, and a little scary, but we are transitioning from Chandler back to our hometown in Albuquerque, NM.

This is a bittersweet transition.

We are excited.

Of course we are excited. We love Pastor Skip and Lenya and have remained connected to Calvary of Albuquerque during our time here. Our hearts beat in sync with them and we are just excited about all the crazy adventures up ahead. This is a homecoming. And we look forward to living and serving with our family again. 

But we are leaving a family here too. And it’s hard… really hard. The worst actually.

We can’t even begin to express the depth of gratitude for the people we have served with here in Arizona. They are truly some of the finest, most loving, sacrificing, faith-filled, and loyal people we have ever known. It was a display of grace that we were able to know them, never mind serve alongside them. They protected Nick and I from darts of criticism, held our hands while we wept, and lifted our eyes to point us to Christ. They watched our kids… a lot, joined us for meals, and filled our home with laughter and dancing… you know we danced! Nick and I marvel that we were able to be part of such a creative, passionate, and distinguished community. Seriously… you guys are the bomb. We will miss this place, this team, and the people here.

It’s funny how life’s course can change so unexpectedly. My husband preached an awesome message yesterday that is definitely worth your time listening (here). In it, he made this point:

The puzzle pieces of our lives don’t always seem to fit into our plan. But God is masterfully connecting each piece to make you look more like Jesus.

After 2 years, I am confident in this: 

In all things God works for the good of those who love Him, who have been called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

 

Thank you for your support, love, and encouragement. Excited for a new chapter.