Sassy...Ohioan?

I've had a phrase that I've been saying lately:

"The Lord is weird, but he is so good."

That basically sums up the "mini-journey" that I have been on since September of last year, and boyyy do I have some news for you all.

You are looking at the newest year-round resident of Cedarville, Ohio.

How did I get to this point, you may ask?

The Lord is weird, but he is so good. 😉

It was during September 2018 that the Lord began stirring my heart to stay in Cedarville permanently over the next year. That was humorous to me because it had been just mere months ago that I had sworn off Cedarville. However, at that time, obviously I was worried about being away from Nana and Papa for that long amount of time, and I had no clue about how it would all work out. So I began praying about it.

By October it was feeling right, but still I had no real direction, so I decided to shoot my dad a long email about how I was feeling and letting him know that I most likely would not return home the next summer. I physically cringed hitting "send" because I was afraid I was either going to get a call where he laughed at me, or yelled at me. It was neither- he sent me back an email saying he understood and would support my decision. That was a definite "God moment" and into November and December, God was just confirming and confirming my decision.

The only other two obstacles were going to be trying to find a job here over the summer, and to find housing. If those were not provided, I knew that this was not what God wanted for me over the summer. But to the glory of God, I was asked to help rent out the house my friend Hannah will be living in over the next year (and for a reasonable price, may I add!), and I have my first job interview on Wednesday. I have back-up positions I am going for if I do not get this one, but I am no longer worried about the possibility of NOT getting a job, it is more of a worry about getting a job with enough hours to keep me afloat over the summer.

So there you have it! 

I'll be honest, I'll miss my Maine summer. This will be my first summer where I do not spend any time at camp...ever, seriously. And obviously I'll miss my family and the pets, but there is no doubt in my mind that this will be a summer of great growth and stretching, and that this is where God wants me. I've got my church, and my ever-expanding Ohio family as a fantastic support system.

And a surprise little add-in: 

I will be graduating next spring! 

Okay, okay...this is not completely confirmed because Tom Mach and I need to have a little heart-to-heart before I make the final decision, but there really is no reason for me to NOT graduate next spring. So now I get to start thinking about my GRE, and grad school applications...just so much fun!

I will admit that everything going on right now is a tad bit overwhelming, but it is mostly all blessings. I have had to make SO many giant leaps of faith over the past year, and I do not regret any of them because the Lord has been faithful.

I am still going to leave my blog title as it is, because I'll always be a Mainer at heart and even though it is not in my immediate plans to return, who knows if someday I'll end up back there.

I do have some things that everyone could be praying for, though:

1. That my summer job is secured, and I can get enough hours to feed myself and still have a little money to have some fun. (I have enough money saved up for rent, already.
2. I either have to take 12 credits over the summer (while working) or 21 in the fall to graduate next spring- so prayers for perseverance.
3. That I can find an affordable apartment or house in Cedarville to sub-lease with people for the fall. It would probably be cheaper in the long-run for me to live off of campus for my senior year, and honestly I would prefer that, so if you guys could pray that if it be God's will, I find somewhere to live that is close-by.
4. Pray about my GRE/grad school decisions that will come up in the fall. I am not quite sure if I am ready for this transition or not- but it is coming up quickly whether I am ready or not!

I appreciate the prayers in advance, I cannot wait for you guys to all follow along with me on this next adventure!

Much love,

Laura xx