Austin, TX--Why?

In exactly thirty days from today I am moving to a big city to make my dreams come true! A lot of people ask, "Why would you move from the Rocky Mountains to Texas?"
So I am going to answer that question. To sum it up in it's simplest form, it is not my choice to go to Austin, TX. It is God's choice for me to go.


It all started Spring Break my Freshman year of high school when I first went to visit Austin. I went to New Life church here in Colorado Springs 7th grade - 9th grade. During my 8th grade year a pastor from New Life, Ross Parsely announced that God had called him to Austin to plant a church. My brother also went to New Life at this time and many friends of ours heard from God that they were called to go with Ross on his ministry adventure to Texas. So a little less than a year after the church had been planted my brother, my mom, two of our friends and myself took a road trip to the wonderful city of Austin!
 It was during this time that a beautiful dream was planted in my heart.
I remember all the specifics of the moment God gave me his dream for myself.
I was sitting in front of the church's (the church is named One Chapel) office on the patio. (To the right is a small portion of the view from that patio) It was the time right before the sun starts setting, and is at it's brightest. I was reading my Bible and writing songs that day and as I sat there, a desire to live in the beautiful city I was gazing out at swelled within my heart. I had no idea what was to come the next 2 and 1/2 years that would time and time again confirm that this dream was from God.
Immediately after my return from Austin I began having dreams almost every single night that I lived in Austin. During this time I had no idea that the desire in my heart to move there was from God, I thought I had just simply fallen in love with a truly beautiful city. Even with all these dreams of living in Austin I was still very skeptical about whether or not it was a calling from God. For about a year I pretty much blew off the thought of wanting to move there, I figured I was too young to be wanting to move anywhere. What was I going to do, say "Bye Mom and Dad, I am going to enroll myself in high school in Texas!"? No, of course not. That summer I was on a road trip in Alabama. I was having some devotional time in the car one night and began to send up my requests to God. I told God I had no idea what his plans and dreams were for me, but I told Him I hoped my calling would be to move to Austin. During this prayer my head was in my hands, when I finished I looked up and a car with a Texas licenses plate drove right by. Again I was in denial though, I was too young to be called to move somewhere anytime soon.
Now, if you have read my testimony blog you know that during the beginning of my sophomore year I completely walked away from my relationship with Jesus and stopped going to church. I didn't consider myself a Christian again until July before my Junior year after going to Desperation Conference at New Life church. That was the most emotional Desperation I have been to. I had just came back home to my Savior and was in awe that God still loved me and wanted me. The even more amazing part was during worship when God revealed to me I still had a strong desire to move to Austin one day! Even after a year away from God, the dream he had once planted in my heart was still alive and flourishing.

One of the first things I did after I reclaimed my salvation, forgave myself for walking away and realized I still wanted to move to Austin one day was buy a plane ticket to visit Austin in December. I went out in December and fell in love with the city all over again.

May of my Junior year I counted up my credits for school and realized I could graduate a semester early. I decided I would do that because then I could take a semester off from school before college. Shortly after I made this decision I realized that if I took a semester off I would have no obligations that whole time and the possibilities could be endless. I began to pray about what to do with my semester off. I heard God loud and clear tell me I should move to Austin! So I bought a plane ticket for July and went for a visit and to scope out the possibility of living there in just 6 months.
That was this past July; July 2013. Since then I have been counting down the months and saving my money like crazy to move. Also, since I got back in July I have seen at least one Texas license plate every day!God's timing is amazing. He orchestrates everything perfectly so that every little piece falls into place. He is also so faithful. He put a dream inside a young 14 year old girl's heart and now three years later a 17 year girl is chasing hard to make her dream come true. I fit weren't for God I would have given up so many times. i would have thought it was too hard, too expensive, too risky, too stressful--anything! But when we our weak God's perfect strength is revealed through us. As my comforter, savior, and provider. He has lead me the whole way through this crazy journey and I can't wait to see what jounreys he takes me on in Austin!