I just received a face peel. I know—vain of me—but I’m working on it. What is a face peel? It’s a chemical treatment applied to the skin to remove the top layer. Why? Because over the next few days, the treated skin begins to flake and peel off. New skin cells rise to the surface, essentially speeding up your skin’s natural renewal process and leaving you with a healthier, more radiant complexion.
I wish that’s how it worked with our growth in the Lord, don’t you? That we could just go to church, have the pastor pray over us, and—just like that—our old way of life would be gone. I would love to instantly have wisdom and prudence, to discern when to act and when to wait, to be so firmly planted in my faith that nothing could shake me.
Nine months ago, we took a huge leap of faith. We uprooted our family and moved to South Carolina for what we thought would be three months. I would homeschool my son while continuing to work with my marketing clients online, and my husband Scott would oversee a major project for the company he works for.
I’m a planner, and I don’t like surprises—especially big ones. Becoming a mom has only magnified that. No one could have prepared me for the “yes” decision I had just made. All I could do was lean on the Lord.
At first, I wanted to blog about the excitement and adventure of it all. But honestly, I couldn’t articulate my experience with acceptance for a long time. Nothing went as I envisioned. I did prepare and plan, but there’s only so much you can do. Thankfully, we found a wonderful homeschool community, and I was blessed to meet so many families and kids during Bradey and my five-month homeschool adventure. I’ll never forget it. It was all the feels, and I’m so proud of both of us for making it through.
Those three months turned into two years. We said another yes—we signed a lease here in South Carolina and sold our home in Ohio. We shed a lot. We didn’t bring much with us, and we left our dogs in Ohio with Hayden, my stepson. Later, they joined us here. At first, I thought Huck, our Doberman, wasn’t going to survive all the change—poor baby. That’s when I realized how much of motherhood is wrapped up in memories. The pressure to make the right decisions, to provide the best schools (even for Kindergarten!), to buy all the right things—it all hit me. The fear of not being enough for such a big change weighed heavy.
But I had to shed my vision of what I thought this move should be and accept what God was shaping it into for us and for others. I keep moving forward, stepping into uncomfortable opportunities, trusting God knows what He is doing. I’m grateful for this time to grow closer to Him.
Blessings Along the Way
Here are just Bradey’s blessings from this journey nine months in:
- He learned to ride his bike without training wheels.
- He made several friends.
- He can read, write, and do math equations.
- He has bonded deeply with his dad.
- He’s watched his dad go to church consistently for the first time (something I’ve prayed for—praise God!).
- He’s gone to beaches, historical sites, and a few Airbnbs.
- He’s had countless days at home with Mom (not always a blessing, but still 😉).
- He’s gone swimming, had adventures, and still thinks his parents are the coolest.
- He’s treated his 4-year-old neighbor like a little brother.
- He’s become a Minecraft wizard, playing with friends over FaceTime—which, to my surprise, brought him so much joy.
So all my fears about Bradey and this move—God took my mustard seed of faith and grew it into so much more, just as He always does.
Bradey was the one I worried about most, and now he’s thriving. He’s in public school at Knightsville Elementary and loves his first-grade teacher.
Shedding Fear, Growing Faith
For me, shedding fear takes time—baby steps. I have to take action to build my relationship with God and learn His ways. His ways are always better than mine. Though I keep thinking I know best, I don’t. I know nothing.
Just yesterday, I went to a Bible study with women I didn’t know. We studied the passage about new wine in old wineskins:
📖 “Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins. If they do, the skins will burst; the wine will run out and the wineskins will be ruined. No, they pour new wine into new wineskins, and both are preserved.”
— Matthew 9:17, Mark 2:22, Luke 5:37–38
Wine expands as it ferments. Old skins can’t stretch anymore—they burst. Spiritually, Jesus was saying His new covenant couldn’t be forced into the rigid traditions of the old religious system.
My old way of thinking—my rigid understanding—can’t hold God’s ways unless I surrender.
Even my marriage teaches me this. Scott is my challenger. He shows me so much about myself because he is consistent and always present. If I soften and laugh, it’s a game changer. If I get rigid—well, it depends on the day, but often it leads to bickering.
The Spirit’s work in us requires hearts that are renewed, stretched, and changed. My role is to keep preparing myself, letting God strip away the old layers, so He can do His transforming work.
