Saying Goodbye: The Process

"One and a half hours away isn't so far away."   "I'll be close enough to visit often."  "You can come by whenever you want."  "When I'm in town, we can catch up."  The reality is, I probably won't see a lot of the "new" people I have grown to love in the last six years and those who have been a part of my life for a long time.  I know there will be those that will come to visit and those who I will see when I come to town, but, we are grown folk now, we know the deal.  For that reason, I feel very stretched, in an emotional way.  I see myself stretching as far and as hard as I can to Baton Rouge with one hand and I see myself holding on for dear life, for as long as I can, to New Orleans in the other.

I'm not scared or worried about starting in a new area again. This isn't my first rodeo.  There are familiar faces in the BR area, I'm thankful to God for orchestrating my life so that it worked out that way.  A new church is in our future and thanks to West Point Church in Gretna, LA, I'm more mature, seasoned, whole, and am ready to get to work at our future church home. (Shout out to Mrs. Becky Smith, I can't even begin!  You are SO good to your girls and I'm proud to be called one.)

I'm excited that Reagan will be able to be on a softball team (or whatever she falls into) and begin to make lifelong friendships.  I'm excited that Riley will start to find her own little buddies to grow up with.  I'm excited that Mr. Hagge has a job that he absolutely loves. I'm excited that I have security, security of a great provider in my husband (and many other things), security in my sweet baby girls, security in God because even if we move again, He is guiding us and has our backs.

Finally, this about sums up where I am at right now...

Do Not Worry

25 “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? 26 Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? 27 Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life[a]?

28 “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. 29 Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. 30 If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? 31 So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ 32 For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. 33 But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. 34 Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own."

Matthew 6:25-34  NIV

Worrying is a choice.  I'm resting in His grace, which is enough for me.   He is enough for me.

Moving: Cat's Outta The Bag

It's officially official.  Mr. Hagge, the little ladies, and I are moving to Baton Rouge, LA at the end of January.  We've been living in New Orleans for the last, almost, 6 years.  Through a layoff, new job in a different city, and a deployment, we've been living in separate cities for almost 2 years.  It has been long and tough, but I have found God's grace to be thoroughly sufficient.  I've known since we've wed that our journey would be so very different than any other person I knew.  I've been okay with that and it has been so very different.  Now, it may look a little bit similar, although, I kinda hope not.  ;)

Our newest chapter in our journey will be home ownership.  For the first time, in our very nearly, 11 years of marriage, we are finally purchasing our first home.  After poor financial decisions (I'm okay with admitting mistakes, just gotta learn from them.) and a financial reboot, we're able to move forward with purchasing our own home with a peace of mind and not being house poor.  (Dave Ramsey was a help in getting us there.)  I truly cannot wait to share with y'all some of the projects I've been working on in preparation of moving.  I'm also excited to see what church God would have us settle down in and the new friendships that are going to begin.

Here's to a New Year and a very big new chapter in our lives.