My camera is on the blink!!! and I took so many fun pictures of our weekend and can’t show you any of them. Instead, you have a picture of some his/hers pillow cases I stitched and I’ll throw in a couple of little boy onesies down at the bottom–since that’s all I have on file that you haven’t seen :). I wanted to write about our Saturday. It was perfection. BUT that will have to wait until I take care of my camera I suppose.
In the meantime, I’ve been wanting to ask all of you a question. You know we are going to Seattle in a year, for a year. Then….we don’t know. We’ve always said we wanted to go back to Dothan, Alabama–the town we both grew up in. The town where both sets of grandparents live. The town where our roots and friendships run deep, for generations. The town that would allow Jeremiah to practice medicine with his Dad…There are a few of the main reasons we wanted to go back, but lately we’ve been allowing ourselves to question it.
Gordon said, “No matter where you live, you are going to fall on hard days. Days that make you question where you live and why the heck you live there. I think it’s important for you to Make. A. Decision. to go back to Dothan and not just fall into it because it’s where you’ve always assumed you would end up. Choose it, don’t let IT choose you. That way, in the future, you diminish the possibility that you resent the reasons (or people) that drew you back there.”
That may sound simple to all of you, but I truly never even questioned if we would go back there or not. Not seriously at least. It has been sort of ground shaking to truly open up to the possibility that we can live anywhere we want to. So I am asking, WHERE WOULD YOU GO? A lot of you live in different places across the US (and world), and I’d love to know why you live where you do. Or where you’d live if you had the opportunity to pick up and move? Jeremiah asked me at lunch the other day what state I would live in if I were to pick. To my surprise, I realized that I have a favorite state and even reasons why it is my favorite. I am not going to tell you what it is until I hear what you say, but I’ll come back in a couple of days and tell you.
So, where would you live?
Paris! It's beautiful and I loved living there for a summer! I joke with Sam that I wish we could pick up and move there on the days we're everything seems so routine, and boring. But, I know it's really far away. As a fellow dothanite, I love that small town atmosphere, and it's definitely a great place to raise a family. But, one thing I been thinking about lately is moving somewhere where we aren't so "comfortable" in everything we do, because in my own experience, the places where I was the most unfamiliar have been where I'm leaned most on the Lord. Maybe that shouldn't be reserved just for those times, but I think it's exciting in many ways to venture to those places. But, there are sacrifices to that to, like seeing family, and that might very well be what Seattle is like. I hope you get some good ideas though!
Abby, I am not going into all the tooooo many places I have lived…I will tell you IF I had MY way…I would head right back to Dothan, AL. I wasn't raised there…but thank GOD I moved there after two yrs. living in France. I have lived in FL. GA. S.C. V.A. OH. MO. N.J. and of course…AL. My kids grew up in Dothan. It was the best place ever to raise kids back in the late 70's… My daughter lived in Seattle, WA. for three yrs. I spent a lot of time visiting them for months at a time. She lived in TX. and KS. Now Hawaii. She loves it because…IT reminds her of home…meaning…the beach and heat of course! My son moved to the midwest and refuses to ever leave the South again. He ended up in Atlanta and loves it. I guess you have to go where your heart directs you. I wish mine would direct me back to GOOD OLE' Dothan, AL…Someday! Good luck. You will get to see first hand how great AL. truly is. Can't explain it..It's just so. Love, Gail
I am so excited that you guys are coming up here to the Northwest! I think you will love it! Dan and I live in Moses Lake, WA, which is only 2 1/2 hours away! I would definitely stay in the Northwest. Life up here is very laid back and casual. People are, for the most part, pretty friendly. For me personally I would pick OR, WA or MT. I would love to live in the mountains on a lake…possibly Cour d'Alene. It's so beautiful there and the weather is pretty mild. Leaving family behind is very hard though. I am find that even though we have been away from MT for 3 1/2 years I miss family terribly sometimes. However, there are times when I am glad that it enables us to cherish the time we do have with family when we are with them. What an exciting time in your lives! God will bless you no matter where you go as long as you always put Him first! 🙂
How is it that your stitching looks just like your handwriting? That is crazy! I don't know where I'd live. Family is #1 so I won't be venturing too far from the South! Plus I'm embarassed to speak in front of non-Southerners b/c of my accent!
First off I have to tell you that the Spinach Lasagna was divine! The hubby like it, but I don't think it was manly enough for him. I am serving it for my pledge class reunion trip this weekend. That said, I wouldn't live anywhere other than where I am ….Auburn! I've lived two place in my entire life, Dothan and Auburn. I have visited many, many places, but Auburn is home. I'm not too far from my parents, or "home" as my mother prefers I call it. It's laid back and a wonderful community to raise kids. We won't live anywhere else…given the choice!
I would choose wherever home is. That my friend, is where you make it. There is no writing on the wall-God is not confined by a city. As believers, we trust His will and plan for our lives; meaning, He is working in and through us and we don't have to make sure we "figure" it out perfectly. As we seek Him, He guides us. However, there often isn't that AH-Ha moment of clarity. So what do we do in those situations? Are we not in line with God's will if we don't guess the right box? No, sweet sister-He is not confined. He knows your desire and Jeremiah's desire to be in line and conformed to His will. Trust Jeremiah's leadership-whatever that may be. Pray for peace for both of you and know that He already knows where you all will live.
We went through a very difficult time a year and a half ago. I had no idea where home would be-we had no home. We had sold ours and through a crazy turn of events we didn't know what city/state we were going to live in.
For a couple of months I waited and asked-Where?
We tried to plan and configure every little detail, but the time came when it was simply time for my husband, leader, guide, and protector to decide. I had given my input, but wanted to be cautious not to persuade him since we were currently in my hometown.
When he simply decided, then came the peace. Like rain.
You guys are wise to evaluate it and seek the Lord, but like I said, He is not confined and you don't have to "choose/guess" correctly. As you walk with Him and seek His will, would He not desire to keep you in line with Him? Of course. He doesn't want to deceive you, He wants you to abide with Him. He is going to stretch you friend, whether you be in Dothan, Australia, or San Juan (for example). I will be praying for each of you to have wisdom. You, to know how to support and encourage him. Him, to know your needs as a homemaker and a helper to him, and for his clarity. Together- to be filled with joy and a deep desire to lean on Him, wherever that may be.
I will leave you with the verse I have on my page. I got this reference from a friend whose daughter had a brain tumor.
"The Lord said, "Go out and stand on the mountain in the presence of the Lord, for the Lord is about to pass by." Then a great and powerful wind tore the mountains apart and shattered the rocks before the Lord, but the Lord was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the Lord was not in the earthquake. After the earthquake came a fire, but the Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire came a gentle whisper." I Kings 19:11-12
May His Spirit guide and direct your family to the very place that He will use you each to minister for His glory, that others may come to know Him.
Wherever Aubrie is? Cheesy I know, but I feel at home with her by my side. Hence, why it has been tough, so thank you again to you and Jeremiah for taking My Girl under your sweet wings.
there are many places that appeal to me more than Birmingham to live but because our families are here, this is home for me.
on a side note – don't you just love Gordon! we love going to him!
Gosh- I loved reading Andi's response.
You know we are in the same boat. Two more years of residency and then where? We have no clue. Mississippi is a possibility (my hometown)- but we want to look at other places, too. I love, love, love Birmingham… but I have no idea where we will end up.
One of my favorite places on earth is Sun Valley/Ketchum, Idaho. I love it. But it's so far away from our parents… I just don't know.
Great post, Abby!
North Carolina
But home is the state your family lives in. Especially if you have children. Home is where family is.
I'd have to answer Dothan since it's where I am now. I can't imagine living any where else right now. We've done our fair share of moving… 6 times before our 7th anniversary. It's a miracle we're still married! 🙂 Anyway, looking back it's so encouraging to see the Lord meet us wherever we were. I went to Anniston kicking and screaming and He met me there and I loved it. Don't feel too burdened by making a decision… the Lord promises to meet you wherever you go. I don't think there will be a right or wrong… and wherever you go He'll follow you and you will love it! And if you get there and decide once again to move… he'll meet you there too! And if you just so happen to decide on Dothan I'd be real happy 'bout that! But don't let me persuade you! 🙂
Sorry I've been MIA around here.. trying to limit blog time while on vaca! 🙂 Thanks for entertaining Justin last weekend!
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I have grown up in Dothan my whole life, and no matter what I say on my bad days about the good ole' circle city, I can't imagine living anywhere else for a prolonged period of time! I'm 20 years old, and still go to my grandparents house on a daily basis when I'm home from college! I have some of the best memories ever at their house and with them, and I am already dreading going back off to school! So with that said, I wouldnt change anything about being in Dothan my whole life, because I have realized that there is nothing better than being 5 miles away from the greatest people you will EVER know! I realize im a little biased 🙂
If I could take my community, family & church I would live in London. Definitely London. The most wonderful place in the world! And since I am taking you all with me, think about how close we'd be to the English countryside…Yum.
Love those Gordon thoughts. Keep sharing!
We live in Colorado Springs, CO but I grew up in Aspen and my husband grew up in Boulder. We hope to move to Boulder one of these days but it is expensive and the housing market isn't exactly favorable right now for us to try to sell.
I've been to 44 wonderful states in this country and if I had to choose a place other than Colorado, I'd choose Boston or San Francisco. Both full of culture, full of history, full of interesting people, access to amazing schools and hospitals but close to "getaways" for when you need to escape the city.
With that said, I've never been to Alabama for more than a couple of days and I've always imagined it being one of the most welcoming places in the U.S.
Good question though! Interesting to read people's responses!
We need a really good orthopaedic (is that how to spell that?) surgeon out here at Reynold's Plantation. Plus, you could hang out with Ross and his wife! and hang out on the lake. (and I would babysit) and there's a really good private school. Oh! and we're getting a new hospital. There are a lot of old people here so I'm sure there are a lot of hip and knee replacements to be done…..oh, and then you're really close to Atlanta.
I think that if Kyle and I had no family, if it were just the two of us, we would live either just north of San Diego or in the Napa Valley. I would probably lean toward southern CA because the weather there is just so perfect. I do love the people in Alabama, but oh the humidity! I'm such a sweaty person. Maybe we will retire there…
I think Dothan is wonderful…such a great place to start a family, but our parents are all in Northeast AL, about 4 hours away. I will say that you should try not to be in a rush to decide where you are going. Looking back, we really should have just stayed in Tuscaloosa for a while until we figured out a good plan. Don't misunderstand me, we love it in Dothan, but it is hard for me to be so far away from family (AKA babysitters). I wish we could take out all the land between our parents and Birmingham (I love Birmingham, too) and between B'ham and Dothan and just squish it all together. Then we would stay here forever, I think. Not that we won't anyway, but we're just not sure right now…