The Chapter That Changed Everything

Fifteen years ago, I boarded my very first flight—a one-way ticket to Texas.

I left behind everything I knew, holding tight to the hope of a fresh start. I was running from turmoil, yes, but also running toward something I couldn’t yet name.

I arrived in a place where I knew just one person. That was it. A single connection and a suitcase full of uncertainty. But Texas became more than a place—it became home.

It’s where I grew up.
Where I learned to drive.
Where I held my first real job.
Where I found my voice.
Where I met Joshua.
Where I became a mom.

This land has seen my tears and my triumphs, my growing pains and my greatest joys.

As my days in Texas come to a close, I find myself growing sentimental. I want to visit a few places one last time—to etch them into my heart before I go.

The first apartment I lived in.
The coffee shops where I dreamed out loud.
The streets that hold so many pieces of who I’ve become.

If these walls could talk, they would tell the story of a girl who went from being afraid to step out and make a move to a woman unafraid to stare fear in the face—representing a faith deeper than she ever thought possible.

A faith in her God, her husband, and, most importantly, a deeper faith in herself.

It’s a faith that reminds her of the businesses she’s worked with, the changes she worked so hard for, the lives she’s impacted, and the vision and passion for others that still remains so vividly fierce in her eyes.

As we recently received notice as to where we are going, I’m slightly amused at God’s plan in our life. We will be returning to the state I left 15 years ago—but in a different city, and as a different Courtney.

I’m returning not as a scared young woman seeking escape, but as a wife, a mother, a woman rooted in purpose and identity.

Texas was the soil where so much of my growth took place, and now it’s time to transplant with intention—to carry what I’ve learned into the next chapter.

As our final days of this chapter come to a close, I am constantly reflecting on the people I have come so close to.

My closest five people in my life outside of my husband and daughter—oh, how I’m going to miss them with such a pain that only love can have. They have invested so much into me and love me unconditionally.

They have been my backbone and my strength over the last few years, and I can’t wait to see what God has for us with distance.

I’m reminded of all the mindsets I’ve overcome and the courage it takes to step out and leave the state I’ve come to love.

The Lord has shown himself faithful and loyal to me over and over throughout my time in Texas, and I have no doubt that He will continue to show himself the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.