Man, this one is a hard one to write and I’m not quite sure why.
Maybe because somehow blogging about it makes it feel more real? Maybe because I know it will provoke questions I am not ready to answer? Maybe because I know some of your reading this should have heard it directly from me not via computer screen but across the table with a steaming cup of coffee or as we gently rock back and forth on a porch swing at Arrington Vineyards? Or maybe because there is a solitude in writing that stirs emotions that I all too conveniently tuck away?
So I’m just going to get it out fast. Pull the proverbial band-aid off quickly.
I am moving to Austin.
There I said it. Not so bad.
And here come the inevitable questions…
When are you moving? I am not sure. Probably end of June, beginning of July, who knows it could be September {Get on your knees right now and pray it is not September I don’t think I can handle that kind of long drawn out transition.}. There are still several things that need to fall into place (Read: Sell house, hire movers, load up life, and all the other ghastly parts of moving. Bleh.}.
Why move…again? Why Austin? This IF:Gathering thing that I’ve been doing on the side as a “passion project” is growing faster than anyone could have ever imagined and I want to be there, in Austin, with Jennie and the IF team dreaming, building and championing it. I feel like I was made for this and that IF:Gathering is where God has called me to serve, maybe for a lifetime, but at least for this season.
Thankfully, I’m no stranger to Austin. My dad grew up in Austin and just three hours from my hometown, it served as a sort of beloved home away from home. I have friends from just about every season of life who are there keeping Austin weird. And it is planted conveniently in the middle of the country, smack dab in the heart of my favorite time zone {God bless the central time zone}, just a quick plane ride from Nashville, and is home to the best food in the country, maybe the world.
So, you are leaving Feed The Children? Nope. That’s the best part. I will get to continue working with Ben, Crystal, Troy and the team at Feed The Children. I will get to continue being a part of an organization that is actively fighting poverty both down the street and around the world. And I will get to continue to mobilize others to bring hope and resources to those without.
This was absolutely essential for me. A committed “loyalist” on the enneagram, I have a really hard time leaving things behind. {A really really really hard time leaving things behind}. Especially since I L-O-V-E what I do with Feed The Children, and most importantly who I get to do it with. What a blessing that they are willing to give me the freedom and the flexibility to devote more time to IF while continuing to help them build a world-class Artist Program.
How are you feeling as you gear up for another transition? First and foremost, I feel peaceful. I really believe that this is the right thing for right now. Beyond that I feel so many conflicting emotions…sad, excited, hopeful, scared, overwhelmed, sad, excited, hopeful, scared, overwhelmed. Did I mention sad, excited, hopeful, scared, overwhelmed?!?
What are your hopes as you embark on a new season? I am hoping and praying for roots. I want this move to be my last one, at least for awhile, a long while. This Texas girl never dreamt that pursuing her dreams would bring her back…but truth be known it sure sounds nice.
What am I missing here? What other questions do you have for me?
As always thank you for your love, support and willingness to follow me on this unpredictable journey.
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