The New Challenge

On September 1, 2005, I started working as a sales and leasing professional at Dunning Toyota. What a great time of training this has been for me. Even though some of those pastoring and counseling skills can translate to this world, I find myself feeling lost in another world. This has been a good journey for me. I know that there are many more skills to gain from being in this place, so I'm welcoming the "lessons in the lab" that are yet to come. It has also been good to be a part of the journey of my customers as they look for a new vehicle. I know that this can be frustrating and even fearful, so I do my best to make this a great experience for them by being a friend and doing all I can to inform them of what fits them best. Even though I'm not making enough to live on at this time, I'm remaining optimistic that this is where God has me.

All Things Work Together for Good (or is it God)?

Yep, we often hear it and even quote it to all those that seem to be in crisis "all things work together for good to those who love God and are called according to his purpose." Romans 8:28 (I'm quoting it from memory). Have you ever noticed that when you are in a crisis, the Bible can be either a comfort or a club with some people. I can attest that I have been both comforted and victimized at this time in my own struggle. The other day, I had someone very close to me say, "so where is you're faith in all this?" I found myself offended, since I still believe that God has all of this in his care and hands and that hasn't changed. The statement came, because I told this person that I was depresseed and desparate!" The formula that was being assessed here was depression + desparation = lack of faith or unbelief. So I had to ask myself, "is faith something deeper than feeling okay?" I've been under the assumption that it is living in a cosmic sense of navigation when all things seem to take another course than what you desire. It is allowing yourself to be honest to God and say, "I don't like this, and I don't feel good about it, but I do know that somehow it serves eternity." It goes beyond denial and into those deep intermost places of our being that realizes there is another that I belong to, and I really don't own my life anymore. There may be screaming, crying, pain, desparation and maybe behavior that seems inappropriate for a "good Christian" to exude, but that's the point, faith is other than this, and dying is a hard thing for our Western mind to do. Faith also begs us to wait and watch the marvelous unfold into something that we cannot make happen ourselves! So when it all crashes in, we are not called to just make believe that it is all okay, but maybe we are being made period through the pain, stuggle, and screaming out! Maybe this is what the Jonah meant by writing "In my distress I called to the LORD...From the depths of the grave I called for help..." Jonah 2:2.

Drew and Dad

Drew has been really glad to have dad back. He seemed to be lost in a house full of females. Now he has dad, and we have had a great time playing baseball and riding taking motorcycle rides together (just in the backyard of course).

The BIG School

My travels in looking for God's next step for me has brought me to the University of Michigan's campus. Due to having a close friend who is in administration, I have been able to connect with some very powerful and influential people at the university. I have been very impressed with their quality and compassion as I have been connecting at their location. One hopeful sight that I had when I was talking to the Senior Associate Vice President for Student Affairs was a picture of a rainbow that he had on his wall. The amazing thing was that I had the same exact picture on my wall in my home office. The really amazing thing was that this picture was taken at the same time by two different people of the same rainbow. Is that God or what. A week before, I was driving home and saw a very beautiful rainbow spanning over an open corn field. God has used rainbows as a particular promise to me that he is working on my behalf.

Church Participation

I almost forgot what it is like to participate in church for a change. I don't get to do that very much, so I'm trying to enjoy it. We are attending The Ogden Church http://ogdenchurch.org, which is only around the corner from us. It is a very fast growing non-denominational congregation that has a very creative feel and active in the community. I sense God is blessing this congregation with new believers because of their heart to reach those who are lost and bring them to deeper places with Him. I also sense their blessing comes from the fact that they are really putting children as a priority of importance. We had an interesting church celebration today. There was a guest speaker who used the text "The heavens declare the glory of God; the skies proclaim the work of his hands. Day after day they pour forth speech; night after night they display knowledge...." As he spoke about how God shouts to us from the heavens a thunderstorm broke out. Not a bad touch on God's part, and it sure made the speaker look good too!

What is the Next Step Now?

Before I left California, one of my good friends Todd Oakley, prayed this verse over me:
"For I know the plans I have for you,” declares the LORD, “plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future." Sometimes that is all I have to cling to as I face the challenge of finding a place to work here in Michigan (the highest unemployment state in the country). It is going to take a miracle, but I know for sure that God sent me home and He is able to make the way for me. My days have been spent networking with old and new friends, and finding out people and places that they can point me towards to find employment in management or information technology.
Please pray that Jesus will continue to direct my steps to the place that he has set out for me. At some point, I would love to plant a church here in Adrian or in the surrounding area. For now, I feel that I need to find a place that will support my family financially. I have until mid-August, so time is getting shorter. Sometimes I wish faith building wasn't so hard, but I find that the hard times makes us into the people that God can use for greater purposes!

Home is Beautiful Too!

California had to be one of the most beautiful place I had ever been. But short after my arrival home, God gave me this beautiful scene to remind me that home is also a beautiful place. I'm reminded that He creates each pleace on earth with the splendor of his beauty and a reminder that he has given us each a home that we can appreciate.

Good to Be Home

On June 30th, I returned home from my California adventure. It is good to be home again. I am very thankful for the time spent in California. It was very obvious that God had me in his lab of learning and faith building. My kids have gotten older, and we have grown to appreciate the time we have as a family. At the same time, I miss the very dear relationships that I made in California, and grieve that great things that God is doing with the Westside Vineyard body.