In 2017, my family and I lived in 3 different houses. Yep, 3.

We prepped our first house in the Denver area to sell in the summer of 2016, but it didn’t sell until January of 2017. We then made a move in February to another house in the area after much scraping of wallpaper and painting to make the new house a home. Then, right before Christmas time, our family packed up a Penske truck, a little blue Chevy, and my SUV and moved to the Western Slope of Colorado. Another house became a home, and a new adventure started as we 5 Trujillo’s just kept putting one foot in front of the other:).

From the description above, the journey through those moments sounds pretty seamless and easy. But within those sentences, I can find moments of both excitement and restlessness, days and nights spent in prayer, early mornings filled with lists of things to get done before each move, and late nights filled with tears as we got ready to say, “see you later” to many friends, family members, and familiar places.

This first post in our new series isn’t going to be about the why of our big move to another city; it’s going to be about the who...

Those who selflessly and sacrificially showed up to pack boxes, load trucks, and drive hundreds of miles with us,

Those who sent and still send cards and letters and little dinosaurs and bracelets in the mail reminding us of sweet friendship,

Those who brought meals, who brought copious amounts of coffee and donuts,

Those who prayed with us over coffee, those who prayed over us at farewell parties, those who blessed us at final services at church,

Those who helped unload trucks and cars, those who filled our fridge, and brought over dollies and tool boxes, and who unpacked boxes so we could feel settled,

Those who welcomed us with open arms, with invites for coffee (ya’ll know me so well), or invites to lunch,

Those who befriended my kiddos-those who opened their classrooms to my kids when they needed a place to go for lunch, those who made their transition easier with smiles and hugs and sleep-overs and fun outings,

Those who messaged and said, “Hey! We are coming for a visit!”, and those who message or call us still to remind us of continued thoughts and prayers…you don’t even know how much those visits and messages have meant to us.

Thank You…to all of you:).

You see, I’m a huge believer in sharing life with others. Mostly in part because everywhere we have lived, we haven’t lived in the same town as family (until now:). So since our early days of living in South Carolina, we’ve really tried to build up our circle of friends; a support system to surround us and that we could surround. Our hope is to also teach our children to foster the friendships they are blessed with. Timeless friendship is what we call it; no matter how far away in miles we may be, or how many years go by between visits, our hope is that all of our friends know that we will pick right up where we left off.

I can’t begin to tell you how much more I’ve come to value and appreciate friends and family. The ones who walk with you in the deep waters and pray for you, and encourage you in the difficult times of uncertainty. The people who are excited for your journey, even when it involves the reality of not being able to share everyday life together on the regular. It’s like having cheerleaders who pump you up for the next big game and cheer you on as you live each moment, whether on the sidelines or in the heat of the game. They put smiles on your faces and shout loud so you know that you have their support.

That’s what it feels like to be 6 months into this new journey.

That’s what it should feel like to live in true community with others.

Friend, as we dive into this new series of Transitions, we are going to talk about all kinds of subjects, the funny and the gut-wrenching. Why? Because that is real life. We won’t shy away from the truth of what each moment has felt like at every point in the journey. I hope you’ll join us.  I want you to know that if you are currently making some life changes or in the middle of a big transition, you are not adventuring alone. I’m so thankful that you are part of my journey and I’m honored to share this time with you:).

Let’s Pray:

Dear Heavenly Father, as we begin to discuss this topic of transition, be our guide and our focus. We want to live lives that direct attention to You- Our Great and Mighty God. We are so thankful for the assignments that you have given each and every one of us, and we want to do our best to walk hand in hand with You as we learn to listen for Your voice and Your leading in our lives. Lord, with each week, help us to walk in gratitude because You promised to be with us. Help us to remember that You’ve placed supportive friends and family around us, be it few or many, but You have surrounded us with love and support for the tasks at hand. And even in the times of uncertainty that may lie before us, help us to continue to trust You, and to find You in those quiet times of prayer. Thank You Lord for Your great love towards us and for Your plans filled with purpose for our lives. May all that we do and say be a pleasing in Your sight and may we live loving, serving, and supporting others along the way. Amen.

peace-liz

Go The Extra Mile: Check out these songs by 2 of my favorite groups! NEEDTOBREATHE is phenomenal in concert, and I was blown away by the precision of Kingdom Choir under the directorship of Karen Gibson. Plus, the words of each song are so powerful when it comes to relationships.

 

True Story: In the first few weeks living on the Western Slope, I made an entire shopping list for a store that isn’t even in a 100 mile radius to my current home! I didn’t realize I wasn’t near this particular store because I was still getting used to be here! Yes, these things still happen to me and yes, you will hear some more funny stories with each new post in this new series.-liz