Changes

Author Paulo Coelho once wrote, "When we least expect it, life sends us a challenge to test our courage and willingness to change; at such a moment, there is no point in pretending that nothing has happened or in saying that we are not yet ready. The challenge will not wait. Life does not look back." My goodness, how I can relate to that statement!! At the start of a new year, it is impossible not to look back to see how life has changed. How you have changed. How the people around you have changed. I can say with all honesty that the year of 2018 was one of the biggest years of change for me.

At the start of 2018, I was content with life. I was working at a job I loved. Kody was still adjusting to our new home, but doing well. I was single, independent, and happy to stay that way. I thought I had the rest of my life planned out. I would stay in Panhandle, keep working at the same clinic, and raise Kody by myself. Life was really good. God had blessed me in every way. But true to what the Bible tells us, His plans for us are greater than our own. Throughout the rest of the year, God brought me the love of my life. Our relationship wasn't always easy. We had struggles to work through, but always kept Jesus at the center and wound up stronger and better for it. Now that man is my fiance, and we will get to say "I do" in just a few short months! Kody has grown in ways I could have never imagined!! He is confident, kind, strong, intelligent, and bold. I have loved seeing his growth. It is a blessing to be able to look at your child and say, "I did what God called me to do and He kept His promise to me to bless and protect my child." I made friendships that I will treasure. Friends that became family and helped me raise Kody.

So many other amazing changes happened, but there are two more changes that are the reason I am writing this blog. I am writing to all of my sweet friends and clients that have been so welcoming and become a special part of my life. But before I tell you these things, I need to explain the change behind these decisions. God has softened my heart this year. He has shown me where I have been selfish. He has shown me where I was complacent. He showed me where I made decisions to please others. So through the clarity He brought me, my priorities changed. My priorities are no longer about my career or myself. They are all about my family. Because my family now brings me my safety and my happiness. They are what drive me and push me to be the absolute best version of myself. So with my new priority, I have prayed ardently and made the decision to move to Amarillo and take a new job there. January will be my last month in Panhandle. This move will give me more time with my family and give us freedoms we have never gotten to experience. God has given me such peace about this move, but a part of my heart is sad.

I can't explain how much I will miss this town. The welcoming spirit, the cheers from the football stadium in the fall, the way you can't turn a corner without seeing a friendly face. I will miss it all. So I want to take a moment to say thank you to all of the special people in this town. It is a scary thing to move across the state with your son to a new town to start a new life. But there was never a day since I moved here that I felt alone. Not only did you welcome me and my son as members of your town, but you helped me become the doctor I always wanted to be. You let me learn how to love your pets like my own. You let me mourn with you at times and celebrate the happy times. You gave me the confidence to step into my calling. There is no way that I will ever be able to express my gratitude and love for you all. You have played an irreplaceable role in my life. Thank you, from the bottom of my heart.

God has blessed me in ways last year I didn't know were possible. The future is exciting, and I can't wait to see where He takes me and my family this year! But please know that I will always hold you all close to my heart!