California dreaming. A dream to live in year 'round warmth. To live in a place where beaches are only hours away and near perfect temperatures last from sunrise to sunset. I've been living that dream for the past two years but change is knocking on our front door. We are moving from California to Upstate New York. Our west coast adventure has come to an end and it has left me feeling as if I’m mourning a dream.

If I'm being totally honest though, my love for California is mostly tied to the weather. Right now I live in a place where my feet dance 365 days of the year. The first year I lived here I wore flip-flops every single day - sunshine and rain, come what may - flip-flops were the only things on my feet. It felt like freedom. The Californian sun does something mysterious to me. I could be having a lousy old day but as soon as I walk outside and feel that sun heat up my skin, I’m at ease. It feels like sweet silky honey running from my head to my toes. The yearly warmth does something to my heart; it makes my skin tingle and my heart sing. Worries seem to fade under the sun & my fears melt away. It reminds me of the pursuit that God has for our hearts. He sent me endless winks and butterfly kisses through it's warmth. Oh, the beautiful sun rays. The sun and it's warmth has and always will be a source of calm to me. So with that in mind - as most people can imagine - moving from California to Upstate New York will be quite a change for my newly adapted Californian heart. It's not all bad though; we are moving to a place that has a city, promised connections, and family no longer a plane ride away. And let's be honest, it's safer. New York carries endless hope for our future. I can honestly feel God cracking something open for us in this move. Something perfect, beautiful and new. Something that has His promises and goodness written all over it. I'm anticipating His hugs and heavenly songs on this new adventure of ours. But there is something about the warm California sun that has me sighing. It's something that I feel I’m going to be mourning for some time. And that's okay. So, what do we do when God calls us to a place that sends slight chills down our spine? Or one that sends a whole bunch of question marks up into space? Or one that has us questioning why we have to mourn something that we've felt so alive in for some time now?

Will He fulfill that same feeling for me in Upstate New York? That feeling that makes my heart skip a beat and melts my soul into a mushy happy puddle of thankfulness? YES. It’s quite simple actually. Yes. Yes and yes again. Because He is good. He is always good to me.

He has always been kind to me.

He always has my best intentions in mind.

If that's the case, then how could God ask me to lay down a dream of mine? Simple. It’s trust. I believe that when God asks me to put dreams of mine down to rest, He has better plans in mind on how He will bring it back to life again. With that in mind, I think it's time for me to focus on another dream; one that I may not even realize I have. How can I move forward if I settle and stay in one place for one little dream? And it's probably a small dream compared to what God has in store for me. As a Father, He gave us the ultimate sacrifice, so how could I not lay it all down for Him in return? It’s hard to give up control and surrender our understanding. But It's perfect. It's not complicated. He asks us for our full trust - promising the birth of new things - while at the same time sitting with us as our hearts cry in mourning. He's asking me to trust Him, and He always has my yes.

Trust Him with your dreams. He is good and faithful.

He is kind and generous. Your dreams are safe with Him.

I lay to rest the sun.

California dreaming, I hope to see you again.

But for now, step aside, the King has something greater in mind.