Going West

i put on my tu-tu and red heels today. both seemed appropriate to me.

most of you readers know i've been given the opportunity to embark on and adventure. one that will take me west--all the way to oregon. the alchemist is a teeny little publication in corvallis, oregon. but, it's got a big heart and some lofty goals. goals of competing with the only other news source in the town, goals of going from eight pages to twenty-four, goals of developing a non-profit side, and goals of getting it's collaborators out of jobs they hate doing.

corvallis is 2,168 miles from my current location. thus, making this decision a difficult one for me. do i want to take a chance on my career and move away from everything i've ever known to a place i never thought i'd go? can i leave the strong community i've become a part of and start over? a few months ago, i was more than ready to take this leap and go east to NYC. however, that's a place i've always thought i'd be. but alas, no job opportunities in NYC for me.

in my adult life, i have usually made decisions based on what i wanted to do, many without seeking the Lord. i've been trying to make this one a little differently and truly trying to seek His guidance. how many prayers do you pray before you can say, 'yeah, i've prayed about it'?

the way i see it, there's two ways to look at this. 

one: for some reason, in my head i've always thought that the things God wants me to do and the things i want to do usually aren't in alignment. so that makes me think because i want to go, then maybe i'm not supposed to go--writing that down now makes it appear to be a ludicrous thought because i do believe that God gives us the desires of our hearts.

two: a couple years ago i met a new friend at a writer's conference. he's the one who has connected me with the alchemist group. maybe we were introduced just to be friends, but what if there was a bigger purpose for our meeting? what if God has used our friendship to open the doors for this opportunity?

or maybe i'm over-spiritualizing this?

a good friend of mine gave me a nugget of wisdom the other day, she said to walk through the doors God opens--until, of course, He shuts them.

i just can't help but thinking how perfect this could be. a publication that would allow me to design and write. and, one that wants to produce a non-profit side to help with other local non-profits in the community. seems like everything i've ever wanted all rolled into one.

so, there it is. an open door.

i'm walking through it.