Cleveland

Per request =), I should blog a little about a recent decision that I made...

Yes, the rumors are true lol. I am moving back to Cleveland. Around January 15th to be exact. =)
After much prayer and receiving of opinions from my wise counsel of friends, I believe it would be good for me and within God's will. My motivation is different this time and I am more at peace because of that...
In the beginning of the year, I wanted to go back to Cleveland because I wanted to run from the suffering and the trials and tribulations I was experiencing at home and in Knoxville. I longed for those "good ol' days" of comfort, friends, and school. In short, I was drastically uprooted and transferred and I struggled this whole year with that event. It wasn't until August that I really started to come to terms with it..to really grow...and to really begin a healing process. I definitely had unfinished business in Knoxville...stuff with my home church, with my parents, with friends that lived in Knoxville (or used to), and within myself that I had to deal with. Knoxville was a sad place for me. It held lots of sad memories. But it doesn't anymore. If God would have me stay longer, I would. I would move out of my parent's house, but I would stay in Knoxville if He would have me stay. I say that without feeling doubt, anger, or frustration on my part...which, to me, is an amazing feeling. It's a taste of heaven and of freedom =).

Cleveland is not an escape for me anymore...it's not necessarily home either as I once considered it to be. It's just the next exciting and wonderful step in this journey of mine...I'm extremely lucky and blessed that my journey of faith allows me to cross paths with my friends and with IV once again. I'm very excited on one hand, but on the other, I approach this with a bit of trepidation...because I want to prepare myself...because I know that in this next stage of my journey, there will be more obstacles without a doubt. It's never easy...bearing my cross and following Christ was never easy and will never be. I don't want to be caught lulled into a false sense of security or having been caught underestimating my opponent...I guess you could say that I'm working with a sword in one hand and a tool in the other like in Nehemiah...I've still got my full armor on and am anticipating that there will be little rest for this soldier...