Change is hard...but good!

Well my friends...and anyone else who may have just stumbled on this site.....

This is most likely the last post on this site for a year....or so....as I am doing all my posting over on my other site that's documenting my journey to Mozambique and all the cool things God's doing in my life at the moment. No tears really....you still get to hear from me....just not on this site....oh i know. there's a different background, font, ect....change is hard....i know this well.....one more for you: a new bookmark at.....

www.emptyhandedbutalive.blogspot.com

see you there!

My God is SO BIG...

So STRONG and so MIGHTY there's nothing my God cannot do!

That's right...i'm singing a childhood song. Ignore me.....wait, actually don't! I know it's a stupid kid song, but the last few days have been filled with moments where the only thing I could do was sing this song in my head (and occasionally out loud as well). Let me explain: I have been blessed with some amazing weather and opportunities to see beautiful parts of the country I wouldn't have otherwise, if He had not placed me here. They are so magnificent and overwhelming that the only thing my entire soul knew to do was praise Him. I am going through strong moments currently where I'm doubting everything regarding my future and the plans He has laid out for me. They are fleeting, so don't get worried....it's just the devil's way of getting to me and making me feel inadequate. I just have those times where i think...there's no way this is really going to happen....am i really going to be in africa in less than 3 months, where I'm entirely in charge of 40 children's medical care, and i don't even speak the language? Is it really possible, or even plausable? There is no way i have had enough experience....and especially all the tots out of infancy. and a 3rd world country? and all the support i have yet to raise.....and all the things i have to do b4 leaving. i have been having frequent freak-out sessions inside my head. These are the times, when i HAVE to be reminded that I am wholly His: called, guarded, and sealed for His service. He will not let me fail because He will be doing it all. He is the one that has carefully orchestrated the heavens, each star, each blade of grass, each one of these breathtaking scenes, and each magnificent sunset. And I can't even orchestrate or coordinate my steps in a straight line without bumping into things on my best day. Oh how I feel blessed to allow Him to orchestrate my steps. If He can do ALL these things, surely He can handle me!

"Blessed is the man...his delights are in the instruction of the Lord, and on his law he meditates day & night. He is like a tree planted by streams of water that yield ITS fruit in ITS season, and its leaf DOES NOT wither. In ALL that he does, he PROSPERS!" -Psalm 1:1-3

Travel across the US in pics....

Here's where I share my trek across the US from Nashville to Phoenix in pics...ok and words too. Me and my mom 5 days, 4 nights, 24hrs worth of driving.....good times. you missed out :)

Our first stop was Tulsa, Oklahoma. We had dinner at a cute little local Italian restaurant right outside of Little Rock, Arkansas and then crashed after an 8hr drive to Tulsa. We got up the next day and froze to death as I took fun pics from the pedestrian bridge at a big park in the city.

We made mosaics at a pottery place in town and then had lunch at a local restaurant in their cute arts district. Then we headed out of town towards Texas.
We made a quick stop in Oklahoma City and visited the Memorial. It was really quite pretty....but note: FREEZING. did i forget to mention we were travelling during the whole winter storm across the west wk???? We pretty much saw snow our entire drive out.

Oh yes!!! Amarillo, Texas. You can't really say no to the Big Texan. I mean they have a giant cow and everything! and inside all the workers were dressed in traditional cowboy fare. a cute quartet of old men serenaded each table and you ate family style at long tables. In the middle of the room was a big table set up on a platform with a spotlight and a giant clock set to 1 hr. They have a game where if you can eat a 72oz steak in 1 hr it's free......tempting huh??? It was hysterical, really, and so much fun!!! i know you don't believe me....but i speak the truth.

We got up the next morning....it had snowed, again! and we moved on to New Mexico: Albuquerque. Apparently, New Mexico is the state of enchantment....i know, i thought it too...and if only i had a t-shirt. Better yet, we stopped in this small "village" where the visitors center, rest area, firestation, law enforcement, town hall, ect were all in the same bldg and I noticed this sign: "Where the best begins".....hmmmm....I'm going to need more convincing.

When we finally got to Alba-quirky, we visited the National Petroglyph Monument where there are drawings on rocks from over a 1ooo years ago...i know i'm a dork. here's one with a picture of aliens attacking the earth....perhaps Roswell wasn't a hoax after all.....

Then we went up to the Sandia Peak Tramway. It's a 2 mile cable car ride straight up. It was gorgeous and in the teens at the top where you could ski. We got to watch the sunset on the way back to the base where we ate at a cute Mexican restaurant overlooking the city.

Up again......we drove to Arizona, stopped in Holbrook for a bite to eat at this authentic Mexican restaurant tucked away in town with amazing sopapias....mmmmm......and we saw the cute little hotel that the movie Cars used as the cone motel....cept it was with teepees...but it was exactly, exactly the same. We then stopped in Flagstaff for the night. Before heading off to bed we made a trip up to the Grand Canyon in time for a gorgeous sunset. Then it was back to flagstaff for a late night bite at a quaint little dinner off Route 66.

We got up and found more snow...imagine that. We headed down a scenic route toward my fav city: Sedona, Arizona and took in a couple of pretty cool sights, had lunch at a local deli and then headed to my new home for the next 3 months: Phoenix, Arizona. How i LOVE the desert and cacti. :) We met up with Courtney and Katie, moved all my stuff in...headed out to Glendale for the best part....the Chocolate Festival. They were showing Willy Wonka in the outdoor theatre, giving free tours of the factory, and then there were tons of local vendors around the city square giving out free chocolate samples.....mmmmmm! Then we slept.......for a long time!!! The End!!

The votes have been tallied.....

.....and the verdict is in!

So now that it's decided....I'm headed to Phoenix, Arizona for 13 wks...starting 2/4. I'll get to hang out with 3 of my friends from Nashville that will be on assignment with me as well. How much more fun can one get?? Oh and I got a brand new amazing camera for Christmas which means you will see lots of pictures coming up soon. In case you needed more enticing to come out and visit me (And for all of you nashvillans...it's a SW hub so cheap direct flights are available with a giant in flight snack box served :) ) ...here's a list of things I'm excited to do in and around Phoenix (some for the first time, some are repeaters, but are too good to not do again):

• Sedona, Arizona 2 hrs north of the city-home to gorgeous redrock structures (i think it's better than the next attraction)


• the Grand Canyon and Flagstaff, Arizona, with hiking, camping, horseback riding,and rafting 3.5 hrs north of the city


• tons of hiking including Camelback Mtn and the largest city park in the US (South Mtn Park) with lots of biking, hiking, horseback riding and running trails...with the amazing weather i'll be spending lots of time outdoors


• Las Vegas is less than 5 hours away


• the best pizza in the nation at Pizzeria Bianco


• the Painted Desert in the Petrified National Forrest is about 3.5 hrs northeast of the city


• Lake Powell in Page, Arizona is 4 hrs in the heart of the canyon country


• lots of sporting events to take in


• there's first fridays with lots of art museums free downtown on the 1st friday of the month and i LOVE making fun of supposed art :)


• Phoenix Zoo voted top 5 for kids...and well, I'm a kid anyway so....plus I heart zoos of any kind


• and of course live music...cause you know I will find it :)

Ok, so i'm just getting started with this list...feel free to add on if you have suggestions....i'm open to them....especially things actually IN Phoenix

THE END.

recap: I have 2 days left of work. as of 12/21 i will be unemployed. And by the end of the first week in 2008 i will be homeless as well. Why is this not scaring me more?? I mean it has its moments. But mostly i have no plan and yet, i'm just fine with that. Does anyone remember old erin, cause i think i'm going insane. Someone call the crazy people moderators cause i think they need to find me a nice cushy cell. I mean i was the person with all the details always planned out. No corner unturned. Every thing scrutinized and examined from each possible angle. Never end something before you have the next chapter at least sketched out in a rough draft. Nope. At this moment in time, i don't have movers, i don't have a storage cell, no job, no prospective home, and best of all no plans.

I do have to say that i will miss nashville and all the people in it. there is only 2 degrees of separation in this small town and well, i will be leaving many friends. But it's time. Maybe even a little past time. It IS home to me and will always have a very special place in my heart (see "I'm in love" post from 3/30/07). These last 3.5 yrs have been wonderful and I have a lot of memories. I hope that we cross paths again one day, cause i'd like another go at this place. For now though, i feel pulled in a million different directions, but none holding me here. Funny how much i tried to plant roots here. I feel like all i'm coming up with is sand. And that's ok, i'm sure at least a few little seedlings took. At the end of the day, i know in my heart that they were just surface roots. not the kind that goes so far in the earth, you could never uproot it. Guess, it took God pulling up the "welcome" mat and replacing it with of those cheesy ones that says LEAVE on it for me to get the hint. That's my stubbornness shining through. Now, all i pray for is clarity and continued peace as I decide where He's leading me and leaning on His timing instead of my own impatience and indecidedness. guess it's THE END to another chapter.....