11 days from now, we’ll be making our journey from Newport Beach, California back to Shawnee, Kansas.

It’s not just us leaving, either…

Two of our best friends said goodbye this morning, too. After 3 years in California, they’re heading back to where they’re originally from—the searing state of Arizona.

Jordan and I agree: this was one of the hardest “see ya laters” we’ve ever had to make. 

Nico and Madelyn were our very first “couple” friends in Southern California. We jokingly call them our adult roommates because somehow—out of the DOZENS of apartment complexes in Newport Beach—we ended up at the same one.

When we first met back in 2022, they were 24 and we were 26…just two newly married couples navigating the roller coaster ride of our 20s together: stepping into new jobs, starting side hustles, yearning for a community to do life with, trying to figure out how the heck we’ll ever buy a house in Califonia, watching friends get pregnant and bring new life into this world, getting pregnant yourself (Madelyn, not me!), and of course, stressing about money.

We’ve grown up a lot in these two years of knowing them. And now they’re off to be near family, and to start their own. 

Needless to say, many tears have been shed over the past 24 hours…

Emotions are high—anxiety, overwhelm, lingering sadness, deep gratitude, childlike excitement, eagerness for what’s ahead…

Whenever I’m feeling this particular set of emotions (anxious, overwhelmed, or sad), I do two things: 1) pray and 2) meditate on a quote or Bible verse.

So, amidst this big life change, I wanted to take some time to compile a list of quotes and Bible verses to comfort my soul as we head into these next 10 days (and next few months) of change. 

If you’re going through your own season of change right now, I pray these offer a little extra peace, perspective, and faith.

Enjoy :)

15 Scriptures & Quotes for a Soul Navigating Change

May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace as you trust in him, so that you may overflow with hope by the power of the Holy Spirit.

—Romans 15:13

This is the prayer I’m meditating on during this season of life.

Although I have no idea what the future holds, I pray that I may feel God’s joy and peace through it all—and that I may have hope through it all.

His Plan > Mine

"Any change, even a change for the better, is always accompanied by discomforts." 

—Arnold Bennett

Let’s be real. Not everything about change is great. Oftentimes it’s HARD. In my case, I’m leaving behind a community of people I love; a church that I love; some of my all-time favorite places; and the first apartment that my husband and I moved into after getting married.

Rejoice always, pray continually, give thanks in all circumstances; for this is God’s will for you in Christ Jesus.

—1 Thessalonians 5:16-18

This is basically my checklist for life. Rejoice, pray, give thanks. Do those three things, and the hard stuff becomes more bearable.

“I would love to live like a river flows, carried by the surprise of its own unfolding.”

—John O’Donohue

Rivers are wise. So here’s to taking on the grace and fluidity of a river.

“Rest in an open awareness of what is here now: Your body, your breath, all the sensations coming and going—without story, without judgment.”

—Olivia Otten

I use the Open meditation app, and the gal who led one of my meditations last week said this quote. I pressed pause and immediately wrote it down.

For me, it’s a gentle reminder to take notice of where I’m at at a certain moment in time. Take right now for instance…How are you breathing? What does your body feel like? What’s around you? What sounds do you hear?

Observe and acknowledge those things—with a gentle, loving awareness and without judgment.

But seek first His kingdom and His righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well. Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own.

—Matthew 6:33-34

In a world where worry takes the throne of so many people’s lives, this should be plastered on every billboard across every highway. Friends, when you wake up in the morning, go into the day with this mindset: His Kingdom > My Worries.

Truly I tell you, if you have faith as small as a mustard seed, you can say to this mountain, ‘Move from here to there,’ and it will move. Nothing will be impossible for you.

—Matthew 17:20

This is a Bible verse I’ve gone back to time and time again this year. Perhaps the most encouraging thing about it is that we only need a tiny bit of faith for our God to move mountains. We don’t need faith the size of a sequoia tree—just the size of a mustard seed. I think I can muster that.

Peace be with you! As the Father has sent me, I am sending you. 

—John 20:21 

I firmly believe that the Holy Spirit is calling us back to Kansas, so I thought this Bible verse was fitting. Here’s to being sent, and having the courage to be sent.

“Act without expectation.” 

—Lao-Tzu

I think we put a lot of expectation on how things are *supposed* to go…

So I pose this question: What would it look like if we acted without expectation?

“The trail is the thing, not the end of the trail. Travel too fast, and you miss all you are traveling for.” 

—Louis L’Amour

The life you’re living right now—today—is the thing to be present in.

Not what happened or didn’t happen in the past. Not what may or may not happen in the future.

So slow down, take a centering breath, and be here while it lasts.

“Maybe the journey isn’t so much about becoming anything. Maybe it’s about unbecoming everything that isn’t really you, so you can be who you were meant to be in the first place.” 

—Paulo Coelho

If you’re going through a big life change right now, maybe you’re unbecoming everything that isn’t really you in the first place.

For me and my husband, we know that living in California “isn’t us” anymore. We want space, peace, land, and the freedom to pay off our debt. Kansas is a way for us to do all of those things. Right now, Kansas “is us.”

“Nothing is permanent.”

—My Husband

Three years ago, Jordan and I moved to Newport Beach and into our first apartment as newlyweds. And you know what I told him? I said I’d be happy living in this apartment for DECADES. Now here we are…3 years later…moving to Kansas. 

All that said, nothing is permanent.

This is something that my husband wisely reminds me of whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed with something. And let me tell you—it gives me an immense amount of comfort.

If you’re considering a move across the country like us but aren’t sure if you want to pull the trigger, know this: Nothing is permanent. You can move, live there for a year, decide you hate it, and move right back to where you came from—or somewhere else. It’s that simple.

Easy? Maybe not. But simple? Yes.

“What would it look like if it were easy?”

—Tim Ferriss

This is one of my all-time favorite quotes.

It can change your entire outlook in mere seconds.

So whenever I’m feeling overwhelmed by something—whether it’s work-related, a passion project, or in this case, moving…I always ask: What would it look like if it were easy?

“Good.”

—Jocko Willink

This is another quote that can change your mood in a split second.

Jocko Willink, a retired U.S. Navy officer, lives by this.

You’re moving across the country?

Good. You have an opportunity to start fresh.

You’re sad about leaving your community behind?

Good. Count yourself lucky to have friends that make saying goodbye so hard.

You’re moving back into your parent’s house at 27?

Good. You can pay off student loans faster and start saving for a house.

Nine times out of ten, there’s a flip side to a situation. Find the flip side. Find the good.

“I have learned to be content whatever the circumstances. I know what it is to be in need, and I know what it is to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want. I can do all this through him who gives me strength.”

—Philippians 4:11-13

One thing’s for sure: if we rely on our circumstances to make us happy, less anxious, or calm…we will never be happy, less anxious, or calm. Our circumstances are always changing. Therefore, they aren’t something we can put our hope in.

So whether you’re in a season of change or not, know that Christ is who can get you through it.

Are there any quotes or Bible verses that you find comfort in during seasons of change?

If so, I’d love to hear them. I need all the peace, perspective, and wisdom I can get. 

Your fellow sister & friend,

Caroline