Moving to Dayton

So much has happened. July 2010 we moved to Dayton with our 3 month old. Wow. Moving was a nightmare. Not really thrilled about moving and leaving my friends didn't make the process of packing any easier on me. And yes I say "me", with no family close by and a husband who worked and went to school full time, it had to all be on me. Praise the Lord for some ladies in the church who helped me, although they were sad to see me go, as was I sad to leave them. I do miss our two little bedroom condo with colorful paint in everyroom. With a patio door for the dog to run outside and where the baby and I could sit and relax as we watched neighbors walk back and forth to the pool. Yes I miss that little place. But God had another plan for us. Now looking back I am still not sure what our time in Dayton was. See, we live, we loved, and then ...................we left. Which this is making it very difficult for me to formulate close friends here in Kentucky. I keep looking back on Dayton and saying..........hey, that was the time of my life............I was so loved there and had so much going on that it would take something major to happen to top that. Now, I have made friends, but I have been keeping my distance. I feel I am robbing myself of ministry and friendships for fear we will move again and that it won't be like what I had before. Yet, until I let go of the past, even though it was good, I can't really move forward. Our time in Dayton was meaningful, it was encouraging and uplifting. A time for healing and releasing. Definitely a time for spiritual growth and building confidence. See everytime we move I gain insight and confidence. I become more secure in who I am in Christ and rely less and less on what others have to say. I heard or read somewhere to be "dead to praise and criticism". We all need encouragement, but if I depend on others for my daily dose I am putting my trust in man. Which by the way, is a great way to get your heart broken and your self-esteem smashed. The less and less I depend on others, and the more I know HIM, the more peace reigns in my life. It doesn't really matter what others think of me. We should do our best to be humble and lead a blamless life. Amen. That was a good sermon even if I am mostly preaching to myself. Like I said, a time for growing means looking at what I have been through and learning from it. I don't have it all together, not by a longshot. I keep praying like Solomon did......and continue to ask for wisdom. What are you looking back at? Where are you putting your trust?How can you become dead to praise and criticism? Lord, I pray that you will continue to rule my heart and give me the confidence to know who I am and depend less and less on what others think of me.