Summer...

...time.

The long awaited date for graduation has arrived... I have received my Master's degree and fist pumped my way off the stage of the Pritzker Pavilion in Millineum Park. I will be honest, I never thought I would ever get a Master's as a child, I wonder why? 

So here I am, with all the time in the world. Making big decisions about moving to Dallas, away from Chicago, and looking for an art therapy job. 2 weeks ago I was freaking out... should I stay in Chicago, or move away, and if I move, should I go back to Dallas or Oklahoma, or try somewhere new with people I love, like Denver or New York?

I thought I would pray and then I would know the answer to this question. Turns out that kind of worked, but it wasn't until I really started seeking God and really knocking, that doors would begin to open for me. Preston told me a story one day when I was talking about my decision, it goes something like, but not even close to this:

There was a poor man who asked God everyday to win the lottery. He said all he needed was to win the lottery, and so he prayed and prayed to win.
Then one day, God appeared from the sky in a major bolt of thunder (or from a stone on the ground, or the sea?)... anyways, the man asked God, everyday I prayed and prayed to You to win the lottery, but you give me nothing, not even a penny.
And God said back to him, "Throw me a freakin' bone here and at least buy a lottery ticket."

Isn't it funny when weird stories really hit you!? This one did. I decided all I needed was to start buying tickets. (by the way, I love it when people encourage me through hilarious parables!) So I bought tickets all week, I emailed art therapists all over Dallas. I emailed people here in Chicago asking about jobs and even applied for one. I emailed an art therapist in Denver. I bought tickets.

Turns out, buying tickets helps you make decisions. All of the art therapists in Dallas emailed me back, and even forwarded my email to other art therapists in the city. And none of the Chicago jobs came through...

The whole week before I had been saying, I will just stay in Chicago for one year, and I will get my art therapy supervised hours, and I will be successful, and then I will move back to Oklahoma or Texas. (Maybe the "I will be successful" was only said in my head, but just being honest, I thought it... I'm the worst!)

... so my decision was becoming more and more clear, along with other major factors in my decision making, such as family and friends. Thursday I was 90% sure Dallas was the right decision for me.

I read James 4:13-16 :

Now listen, you who say, "Today or tomorrow we will go to this or that city, spend a year there, carry on business and make money." Why, you do not even know what will happen tomorrow. What is your life? You are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead, you ought to say, "If it is the Lord's will, we will live and do this or that."As it is, you boast and brag. All such boasting is evil.


So I read that, and thought how weird, this sounds exactly like what I have been saying... Okay Lord, I'm starting to listen. That one was a bit obvious.!?

So my friend Stephanie comes in town...

... who also happens to live in Dallas...

And we go to a cubs game, and while I am there I get an email from an art therapist I had met with in the Dallas area, asking me for an interview. My answer was totally confirmed. Cool, huh? Weird, yes. 

So my week was challenging, but God was faithful. I have been memorizing Psalm 139, and verse 25says, I go before you and I follow you, I place my hand of blessing on your head.

God went before me, was with me while I made the decision to move, and followed me with the interview. Faithful. 

I wasn't planning on writing this to be honest. Sometimes I have a hard time committing. Sometimes I want to take my decision back. Come to think of it, my head is spinning as I write this right now... But then again, 2 days after the Cubs game, I read James 5:12, let your "yes" be yes. and your "no" be no.

Done and done. Hands clean, decision made. I'm not turning back. 

Amen. Grace and Peace.