Change

Hello Friends

It’s been a wee while since I have blogged but we just literally moved house 6 days ago.  Not only did we move house but we also moved state. We now live in Maine!! I can’t actually believe we live here. My husband was offered a job here, so he took them up on their offer and here we are. The beach is literally only a few miles down the road from where we live. You know how much I love the beach right? That is a whole other blog post though.

When I saw this stamp on the Unity website I knew I had to have it. You can find it here Change is Never Easy. This sentiment spoke to where I am at in my life. Do you ever see a stamp that speaks to you? I do!  I made this card the night before we moved house. I know what you are thinking. Like I had nothing better to do but make cards ha! I was packing away my craft stuff and just had the urge to make something with this stamp. I  don’t really consider myself a creature of habit. I usually embrace change and don’t really like to do the same things twice. I like adventure but recently I was finding it difficult and I have totally been wrestling with it.

Over the last few years My husband and I have been wanting  to move. It has just never really been the right time though.  My husband has had various job offers around the country but none of them have ever felt right to pick up our lives and move.  I would always get very homesick in New York. I was brought up close to the sea so living so far away from it was always a real struggle for me. We tried to move back to Scotland last year but things were just not coming together. So I just kind of gave up my hope of moving and resigned myself to staying put. In the midst of all of this I had become weary. I let fear take over my faith. I had a lot of self doubt and questioned myself and my abilities. I was losing myself a little as I was feeling so stuck. Thankfully my crafting kept me sane during a lot if this time.

I have really struggled with these changes and the lack of change I wanted. I kind of threw up my hands and shouted at God not so long ago and had a bit of a melt down. I must admit it felt good to have my catharsis and just to get it all out.  There was a lot tears and snot involved you get the general idea.  Then the very next week we found ourselves in Maine house hunting. Like really I went from such a dark place to utopia all in the same week. Do you know how uncomfortable it is to be thrown out of your comfort zone when you are not ready. It was not in my plan to move so suddenly. So many changes and all at once aghhhh!

 

I am starting to see a pattern in my life. When I surrender something completely and just give it up. That is when God takes that very thing I struggled with and makes it flourish in my life. I will admit I can be so stubborn sometimes so surrendering does not come easy to me. I like to feel in control.  Sometimes though we need to break down and let things go before we have a break through. Surrender whatever it is you are holding on to. When it is time for something to happen then nothing will stand it’s way.  

 My husband and I literally had  less than three weeks to find a place to live and move here.  Things fell into place really fast and we packed up and moved. We left our jobs,  gave away most of our stuff and came here with just a car load of belongings. Now that is change!!! Everything went so smoothly though It could not have went better if we planned it this way.  Yes it is totally scary moving to a brand new state where we know no one. It is a lot of change all at once and it is overwhelming but it is also very exciting.

I have learned a lot in these last few months. That God really does have a plan for us and that his timing is perfect.  I also learned that Faith & Fear cannot live together side by side. It’s ok to be scared but fear is something that you need to feel, embrace it and do it anyway. Lastly I have learned that when you completely let go of something. That is when you give that something room to breathe. It will either wither and die as it’s not meant to be or bloom before your very eyes.

  Sometimes we are like the caterpillar in the chrysalis going through changes, fighting our old self to become the new. I love what is says about the chrysalis cycle of a butterfly '' The insect undergoes lots of changes during this stage. Although on the outside, there is almost no physical activity. ''  It takes work and it takes patience but if we don't give up change happens in the darkest of places and butterflies are born. We just don't always see or feel the progress but things are at work even when we don't always see it. 

 So I encourage you today, be brave and embrace change and all that it brings with it.

We have been in Maine for less that a week and it feels like home already. When I open my front door I can smell the sea :)

Mandi xox