The Waiting and the Missing

Cooper and I are set to move to Phoenix in August (if you haven't heard the news yet). He got accepted to seminary and we are both in various stages of readiness for closing one chapter of our lives (Flagstaff...a very long chapter for me, not so long for Cooper), and beginning a new one.

Overall, I'm actually looking forward to the move. Not the act of moving that involves packing, heavy lifting, organizing, cleaning, and figuring out how to keep a cat happy for a 2 1/2 hour car drive, but I am looking forward to a winter of no snow, a bigger city with more job opportunities (and hopefully a much better one than I'm in now!), less expensive living, and I'm especially happy that Cooper seems excited about what he is about to embark on--a  seminary education with an eye towards youth ministry, in whatever way that ends up manifesting itself.

But I will miss Flagstaff, and as we are getting closer to the good-bye date, the things I will miss I'm starting to think about more and am even already feeling nostalgic about.

1. Family and friends. We're just so darn close. They are a huge support system for me and I'm not sure how I'll function with them a little farther away. But I know it will teach me to rely on Cooper more, which is good for our marriage.

2. The church. It'll be hard to find another body quite as wonderful as Flagstaff Christian Fellowship.

3. Perfect summer weather. It's a short season, but a good one.

4. Short driving distances and less traffic. I'm really going to have to hone my patience in the Valley.

5. Pizza slices from NiMarcos. Seriously. No pizza has topped it yet.

6. The relaxed atmosphere. This is a pretty chill place to live. Everyone is generally friendly and open. I'm worried that in the Valley I will be expected to be more...put together? Wear make-up on a daily basis? Have more stylish clothes? Maybe not. I'm just not sure.

This list will continue to grow I'm sure as I think about all the ways God has used this town to bless me and shape me as a person. But what's awesome is that while our location may change, God does not, and He is the same in Flagstaff, Phoenix, Timbuktu, wherever! And He will continue to show Himself faithful to us, no matter what. What a great promise!