Winter Thoughts and Reflections

How can one be more self-sufficient? It’s a question that I’ve been mulling ever since our pastor in Oregon preached, “Get out of Babylon.” A question that has since commanded many of my actions and decisions.

We are no longer a military family and moving from place to place doesn’t loom on the horizon in four year increments. And while it was fun to discover new places and people, the past few years had set in a sense of urgency to get out of Babylon. Our goal is to eventually live remotely off the grid. The perpetual state of impermanence of military life had prevented us from pursuing a such projects that get us closer to that goal. And this dream of a sustainable homestead takes time, care, and attention - characteristics completely at odds with military life.

But at long last, Florida marks the final chapter in our nomadic lifestyle. A new season of life is within grasp and we couldn’t be more excited. It’s certainly a strange thought to know that we can choose any state we want, any city we want, and no one is there to tell us otherwise. While Florida is beautiful, it’s not where my heart lies. Whether north or south, east or west, I do not yet know. But prayerfully out west with dry summers, genuine seasons, and snow.

Thank you for following this journey. I hope to share with you the things I learn along the way. Supporting my work means more than you know. 

Looking Back

I remember when we first arrived in Oregon. We reached the forest as we headed toward the coast. I rolled down my window and as the wind whipped past I could smell the sweetness in the air. The forest set off an aroma that I will never be able to describe, but one I’ll never forget. I miss Oregon. I miss the west coast. Our time spent there was cut short. Through short-sighted and bad policy God led us a different direction. I'll be forever proud of the stance we took. And while my goal is to head back west, I will be enjoying the manna as it comes.

Amongst the Floridian Foliage

If you’ve been following along on instagram, we recently moved to Florida. We’ve been in central Florida for about two short months. I’m particularly fond of botanical gardens so they’ve been a lot of fun to explore while the weather is perfect. Florida is home to quite a few and we’ve chosen to spend a few long lazy days exploring them. While I’ve been grieving our move across the country, there is beauty in all things and I am looking forward to what God does for us here.