A little life update!

I haven't written on here in a while, but life has been a little crazy lately, so I thought I'd give a little update on the store, my life, and maybe a few tangents in between because I wouldn't be me without some of those. 😉

First, you may have noticed a little addition to the shop: postcards! I started realizing quite a while ago that greeting cards from the store just didn't quite cut it anymore, particularly if you were looking for a more serious one. Even the Christian/religious department just contained so much health/wealth speak, "you deserve this" or "God made you perfect" type of cards that I just wanted to go back to the basics: a picture or artsy front with a Bible verse and a blank back where you can write from your heart instead of trying to find a card that is "close enough." They are available as individual cards or as a set of 24 (3 of each Bible verse) of each style of card. There are envelopes included as well.

(Fun fact: the floral versions I first created during Covid (I know, no one likes to hear that word...) when the trusty government decided we weren't allowed to go to church and the separation was getting the better of me. I made a set of cards and mailed them out to each of the families in my congregation. I've since kept the extras on hand and they come in clutch for me so often when I need a last-minute card for a birthday, an encouragement, an occasion, or a just because.)

Second, you may have noticed little hints on my social media, but perhaps the most dramatic change this year has been that I'm moving! This was not on my radar at all when 2026 started, but by the end of February, I had been offered, and I accepted, a full-time job out in Smithers, BC. Lord willing, I'll be heading out that way in early June.

First, let's talk practical: you may be wondering what this move means for The Potter's Mold?! I'm glad you asked! As it stands, the products will remain here in Alberta, and my mom will take care of the majority of the Alberta markets and things I've been a part of. My parents will be storing everything at their home close to Barrhead, so pick-up options will still be available; however, delivery will be less of an option now as it's a bit of a trek for her to get to Edmonton. I'm hoping to be able to get half of the product out with me to Smithers as well, but that will depend on a few practical factors—namely, what my living space will be like, the cost of storage, and other things like that. It is my goal to get some products out there with me so I can offer a pick-up location there and just continue keeping this project going, but all of that may take some time and, of course, is entirely Lord willing.

 It's a big move - somehow seeming even bigger than when I moved to Scotland. There was a lot that went into this decision. When I came back to Alberta from Scotland, I truly never thought I'd be leaving again. But you know what they say about best-laid plans! This job offer was the answer to a few different prayers, and the thought of not at least considering this job and taking the next step simply because it required me to move seemed not quite right. The Lord puts things in our path, and this was so obviously from Him in so many ways that I couldn't not take it up.

At the same time, it's been a struggle the last three years to fit in here again, and this job offer came at a time when I finally felt like I'd found my place here. The decision also meant coming to terms with the fact that it might mean needing to give up on a few dreams and plans, surrendering those things to God's faithful hands. His ways are higher, His timing is precise, in Him nothing is an accident. I rest in that.

People will often say that when God asks you to give something up, it's because He has something better for you. Now, that depends on whether you're talking from a physical or a spiritual standpoint. See, on paper, physically, Alberta is the better option for me - a lower cost of living, politically the most sane place in Canada, a place I'm comfortable, close to friends and family, all of those things. Leaving family and friends is hard, leaving a church family that really has become family is hard, leaving nieces and nephews, knowing the wonderful relationships I had here will inevitably change. It's all hard. But, on the other hand, I know my God. I know that even if this turns into the more difficult thing, He goes before me and He is beside me and He is working all things for my good - the good that comes from knowing Him more, serving His people better, dying to myself, and becoming more like Him. I know He loves me. I know He wants the best - HIS best - for me. I know His desire for me is to be faithful with what He's given me and to seek to glorify Him in all that I do. And I know He'll put me in situations where I need to rely on Him so that my growth will come to pass.

That is the essence of change. You lose things, but you gain things as well. I'm excited for this new job, to get to know a new church family, hopefully reconnect with old friends, and to settle into living in a small town in the mountains.

May is going to be an incredibly busy month - I have a friend visiting from Scotland for two weeks, and two days after she leaves, I'm going to a local home-school conference with my products (come visit me at AHEA in Red Deer May 29-30 if you're attending!), and a week after that, I move. I'm trying not to stress, but part of me thinks it's a bit inevitable. Even so, I'm very grateful for the help I have gotten so far for packing and storing my stuff and people willing to cart some of my things out to Smithers so we can hopefully avoid renting a trailer to get the rest up there. (I made a joke to my dad the other day that it feels like I'm just moving back home except I'm not there, they just get my stuff. Oops. 🫣) If you feel inclined, I would appreciate prayers that things will go smoothly, that I'll find a place to live that's within my budget, and that the job I've taken will be fruitful and God-glorifying.

Like so many things in life, this just reminds me that grief & joy, sadness & excitement, nerves & trust can co-exist. And in all of the changes this life can throw at us, we can trust in the steadfastness of our God, who doesn't change, who isn't surprised by any of these things, and whom we can trust with whatever may happen in our lives because He has a plan in all of it.

SDG.

C x