Yeehaw!

The Shipp family is headed to Texas this fall. Stephen will begin PhD study at the University of Dallas. I'll be working on my tan and riding horses most days...Right. Stephen taught Nora a new word this week -"yeehaw." She says it very enthusiastically. It's so cute.

I'm excited about the warmer climate, if not the landscape, of Texas. Stephen tells me I have no idea what I'm saying. Do I know what over 100F degree temperatures feels like? As I sat in the sun today, temps in the 60s, neither too hot or too cold, I did begin to wonder if I'll be able to endure Texas summers. Still, I look forward to something new even as I savor more all the great things we have here.

First, let me say that I'm grateful to the Lord for His continued faithfulness to our family. In His timing, once again, He has guided us. It's wonderful to have more concrete direction for the next step. When we were in the midst of the decision, there were times when as I lay in bed at night, I would begin to feel an irrational anxiety. God, in His grace, would give peace. I don't know how people who don't have that "peace that passes all understanding" make decisions. Without it, I'm sure I would be unable to function for worry.

With that said, I don't look at Dallas as the promised land. I am preparing myself, at least trying to, for a hard season. Stephen will be entering an intense academic program -much more demanding than St. Andrews as far as the time it will require. In addition to some part-time work, that adds up to less family time overall. Part of the reason we decided to "go for it" now is that we still feel called as a couple to minister to college students in the class room and in our home, and we realize that there will never be an easier time to get through this next phase. So, we're gearing up and buckling down for all that grad school with a young family will involve. Even now, Stephen is studying longer hours and on Saturdays. But that has to do more with the other decision we made.

Within days of deciding to go to Dallas, we decided to also return to the States earlier than planned. I'll be heading back in mid-June at 33.5 weeks pregnant on an airline that does not allow women more than 34 weeks pregnant to travel (talk about the Lord working out timing!). Stephen will finish (Lord willing) his master's thesis more than a month early and meet me in Tennessee by mid-July. As crazy as this sounds, we are more at peace about this than we were at having the baby end of July/ early August and then settling in Dallas by the end of August having obtained a passport for the baby and moved all our things from Tennessee. So, yes, this way, even with a separation of almost a month, Stephen and I will have much more time to relax as a family before starting in Dallas thanks to the Lord opening up this new possibility.

Well, that's our update in a nutshell or a nut U-haul. I see that the post is getting quite long. I could say a lot more though, believe me, with all the time we've put into planning and praying and getting counsel. And I really am so excited because I see God's hand so clearly in working out the details to this point. I could go on and on, but will close instead with another praise to our gracious Heavenly Father for His mercy on His people.