an introduction: why call it dwelling place?

One of my favorite chapters in the Bible is Psalm 27, and I have come back to the fourth verse often. Psalm 27:4 says, "One thing I ask of the Lord, this only do I seek, that I may dwell in the house of the Lord all the days of my life, to gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and to seek Him in His temple."

When I began contemplating starting a blog almost 6 months ago, I was trying to come up with what to title it and what the emphasis would be. Psalm 27:4 kept coming to mind and specifically the word dwell. When I looked up "dwell" other synonyms could be "abide" or "reside". All these words called to mind a sense of home, a peace and contentedness that is found in the familiar. But I recently embarked on a journey that has taken me far out of the familiar and somewhat upended my idea of home.

And honestly, I have spent a large portion of my life chasing things that feel unfamiliar. Since 2017 I have visited 12 different countries and jumped at every opportunity that was presented to get on a plane and leave my familiar.

May 2017: Romania and Moldova

May 2018: Spain, Portugal, Morocco

June 2019: Canada

February 2020: Dominican Republic

October 2021: Iceland

March 2022: Israel

November 2022: Thailand

February 2023: Canada

May 2023: Guatemala

October 2023: Ireland

(See past travels section for favorite pictures from these trips)

Looking back at this list, I smile at all the memories that come to mind. I love the unfamiliar of exploring new areas while traveling.

During those years there was also a lot of personal change. I graduated nursing school, passed my NCLEX, got my first job as a nurse, quit my first job as a nurse, became a travel nurse, and officially stepped away from bedside nursing. It seems like my life has been an ongoing series of leaving my familiar. Which led me to the questions: What is my familiar? What am I dwelling in?

Psalm 27:4 came to mind again. In that verse David is requesting that he dwell. Where? In the house of the Lord forever. I realized that my deepest desire in the midst of my largest leap out of the familiar to date (moving to Germany) was to remain rooted in Christ through it all. I want to dwell in the house of the Lord even if my sense of "home" or my current setting changes.

Enter Dwelling Place.

I wanted to title my blog off of Psalm 27:4 to call to mind that my dwelling must be, and is in, the Lord.

I'm excited to share about what life here in Germany looks like. I'm excited to share travel tips of places in Europe that I get to visit. I'm excited to share insights into school nursing and what being a missionary looks like to me. But most of all I'm excited to share how my dwelling place remains in the house of the Lord all the days of my life. May I gaze upon the beauty of the Lord and settle into His safety and His familiarity.

Love,

Cayla