Moving.

In July, we are officially moving to Fairbanks, Alaska.

The week before we heard the news, I felt completely at peace about the impending move.  That was until Nate told me the Army had assigned us to Alaska.  After he told me, I thought to myself, why in the world did we rank Alaska so high? What were we thinking?

Alaska is such a big unknown for us.  Nate's family lived there for five years when his dad was stationed at Ft Wainwright, but that was almost 25 years ago. I'm sure a lot has changed. How would our family handle this drastic change? the cold? being far from family and friends?  the weeks of darkness? Had we really thought this through when we ranked Alaska number 3 of 8?

Putting my trust in God's ultimate plan was being tested.  After a very quiet dinner between Nate and I, we fired up our computer to check out the place we would soon be calling home.  The first picture that jumped up on our screen was this one:

Chugach Mountains Photo by Michael DeYoung. Credit

Ahhh. Yes, there's my peace. My heart skipped a beat and I fell in love.  There is something about nature that just makes me want to praise God.  Nate smiled and said, "It's probably one of the most beautiful places in the country."

Katmai National Park and Preserve, Photo by: Michael DeYoung. Credit.

Gates of the Arctic. Credit.

From the moment that Nate and I started thinking about where we would be living next, our prayer has been that we would be put in a place where we would grow closer to Him, closer as a couple and closer as a family.  The Army tells us where we are going to live.  We can, to some extent, request where we want to go but ultimately the Army decides.  But what's so cool about God is that HE is bigger than the Army.  He directs our paths and our purposes.  I ultimately believe that we are being placed in Alaska for a reason.

I am so thankful that I have a God who delights in the details of my life. Living in this knowledge that He has a plan gives me joy and peace.  It makes me feel nervous, excited, scared and delighted but it is still a great place to be.

Penn trying on his new fleece insulating layer for the snow.