Our Trip - Unpacked

I was reading back over my posts about our trip. They are a snapshot of what happened - a verbal scrapbook, with a few pictures put in. However, I didn't really elaborate on many thoughts or feelings about the trip.So, in a what I hope to be a shorter post, I'll share a little of my true heart.

Here is what I remember about -

THE PAST: When we went to Norman to visit in 2007, my dear hubby and I both fell in love with this charming town. The college-feel, the friendly people, the weather (yes, even the tornadoes!), and the land.
Both my hubby and I can recall a very vivid moment that we had inside the Oklahoma City airport from that first visit. We were sitting and reflecting on that first visit getting ready to fly back to Phoenix. We both looked out over the expanse of land and sky there in the giant windows of the airport, and together prayed that God would show us whether or not He wanted us to move to Norman. We came home from that first trip, and through MUCH prayer, believed that God told us "Not yet". We both believed that He wanted us to accept the offer to help our friends as they started a new church plant. So, we said, "Not now" to Norman, and "Yes" to God and our friends.
As it turns out, my sis and her dear hubby decided to move away from Norman. I decided that God must have changed His answer to a "No", and in my heart silently bid a farewell to Oklahoma.

Here is what I know about -

THE PRESENT: Fast foward to today. The church plant will celebrate the anniversary of our first service in just two short weeks. My dear hubby has led worship for this great little church, and I have grown incredible amounts in my own faith as it relates to obedience to Christ. My parents have been "waiting" around the Phoenix area, hoping that we might want to move with them....somwhere close to them so that they can continue to have their special, close relationships with their grandkids. My parents have been looking at the East Texas area, most espcially because my Meemaw (and other family) are there - and my Meemaw may need assistance as she gets older. However, my dear hubby had never been to East Texas, and I hadn't been in at least ten years. So, we planned a trip that would double as a vacation and scouting mission to see if East Texas is a place we'd consider moving to. The plane tickets were bought, and we sat down with a map of Texas. However, as we kept talking and praying, God seemed to bring Norman back to our minds and hearts. "That's silly.." we told ourselves. However, again and again both my hubby and myself felt it laid on our hearts that we were to return there.
Many a night we prayed, "Lord, what in the world are we supposed to do once we get there? Drive around? Jump up and down? Say 'Hey-howdy-hey' to Joe Brown?" (okay, so maybe our prayers didn't all rhyme quite like that... :)
So one night we just said, "Yes". And even though we still had NO idea what to do when we got to Norman, we both had immediate peace that we were being obedient.
We worked Norman into the plan, called my sis and her hubby to help us find a place to stay, and mapped out our route from Dallas on up to Oklahoma.
If you want to read (or re-read about) what we actually did there in Oklahoma - head back to Day 1 or Day 2 of the trip. Our time in Okalahoma was very God-centered. We both wanted to stay, although we knew that we needed to head to our visits in Texas. And driving dwon from Oklahoma to Texas, both my hubby and I believed that God just might be up to something in Norman, Oklahoma that involved us.We returned from the trip, and sat down one evening for a candid conversation with my parents. They surprised ME by saying that they still thought that Norman was a wonderful place, and they were still thinking of moving there themselves.
Hmm....

What I am praying about -

THE FUTURE: So where does that leave us? I don't like saying this, but I still don't altogther know. It hasn't been easy to think about leaving Phoenix. In many ways I am very comfortable here - I have the best friends of my life, and my hubby's family are all around. The housing market stinks in Phoenix right now, and selling our house (not to mention making any kind of profit) seems rather unlikely. My sis and her hubby are not wanting to make a return to Norman for many reasons, and although she is supportive of whatever we decide, she's dissapointed (as am I) that we might not be a close together in miles as we would have wanted (although I AM praying about Austin, just like I said I would!)
Most of my hubby's family are upset of the thought of us leaving, and many of my friends can't understand anyone's draw to a place that regularly hosts tornadoes.

I can only tell you this - it would be by God, for God, and about God if we moved.

My job is to commit myself into God's hands, and to draw near to Him.

We are activley asking God about what's next for the Smiths, and praying about a possible move within the next year.

God knows what the future holds.

So, for now, that's enough for me.