goodbye fam.

Formally realizing how I'll be leaving my small group soon.

I didn't think it was that big a deal, till I realized that this group had, in many ways, become my friend circle in Houston. They were my community and church family - a family that so warmly invited me in when I first arrived here.

So why am I leaving?

I felt it would be good for me to document these thoughts. 1) Because I forget things and 2) I wanted to share.

Some people found it strange when I first came to Houston, that I didn't join Isaac at his church. But it was a thoughtful decision on our part - I would build my own community in Houston, and on the off chance that Isaac and I broke up, I would still have a good community and group of people I could call 'my own'. It was a new city for me, and I didn't know many people. So this gave me the chance to find my friends.

It was meant to be temporary. I would eventually leave this community to join his - because that's where he felt called to serve, and I wanted to serve with him. And since I knew I was leaving this church, I didn't serve in my first year in Houston.

A year has passed. In my wrestling with complacency vs. contentment, I was beginning to realize that to stay at my church meant settling into complacency. Attending church on Sundays and small group on Wednesdays, but nothing more than that. No obligations or commitments to meet up with people, to arrive early or stay late, to use my time to serve others. And it was easy for sure, and it was great as I spent the whole year "adjusting" to adult life and life in Houston.

But now it's time to go.
I'm feeling both excited to be able to serve with Isaac and to spend more time with him and his church family, but sad to leave this one. Leaving HCC means leaving eloquently and wonderfully taught Sunday schools and worship services, and leaving an incredible group of people I've really grown to love. But I'm excited to see how God will mightily use me in this next chapter to serve and grow his kingdom.

(Much prayers needed.)

P.S. I hope I don't sound that melodramatic. I'm still living at the same place for the next year. And I'll be around if anyone ever wants to come up from the med center....
P.P.S. Fam is the name of my HCC small group.

the end.
06.25.18