The Waiting Game

Most games I enjoy, but I have never liked the waiting game. I want to know now what I will be doing ten years from now. But it is funny how God rarely seems to work that way. In fact, he seems to tell us information mostly on a need to know basis. He says turn, and the exit is upon us as we jerk the wheel to the right in order to make the off ramp. God gives us enough bread for today.

In case you don't know, I am (we are) in the market for a job. I finish up with the residency part of my doctorate program on May 31, 2009, and I have no clue where we will end up on June 1. Part of the unknown is fun and exciting, but not as much as it used to be now that I have two other ladies in my life to provide for...and reality really sets in when you look at the little lady in your life and realize she is totally dependent upon Mom and myself for her sustenance. Scary thought for this relatively new Dad. So here are the action steps I have taken thus far.

1. Pray - is there really anything better we could be doing?
2. Network - I am connecting up with anyone and everyone who can help keep their eyes peeled for me.
3. Web Surf - I find myself on denominational websites quite often these days looking for openings.

Here is the funny part of this process. Every job I have ever received in my life has been because someone knew me and referred my name to the powers that be. I hope that occurs again, but you never know. So I find myself reworking the resume and writing a cover letter praying a great opportunity comes along.

What type of job am I looking for now? Lead pastor, campus pastor, etc. I am really open to whatever God has for me/us. I just want to be obedient to His voice, wherever and whenever He calls.

So if you have any more steps for me, please let me know. Also, keep your eyes peeled for me. I just know there is a ministry, school, etc. out there who can use my gifts and abilities...I must just wait for God to open that door. So we are back to where we started...playing that waiting game again! :)

Self-Assessment

Ok it's time to be honest. How many of us really take time to self assess? How many of us really stop our busy lives, take time away, and re-evaluate who we are and what we are doing with our lives. We have to go deeper than simply looking at our external selves in the mirror. I am thanking God almost every day as I walk over to my study carrel, classes, etc. that I am doing this year away from ministry. Today, I had a professional development meeting with psychologist on campus. Well, let's just call it what it was...a glorified counseling session. Sure he gave me some great ideas about my ministry and vocation, but at least what I took away from the hour I had with him was some new and refreshing ideas regarding my philosophy of life, if you will. Here are some of the lessons I learned this morning.
1. Life is more about time spent with the Father than the busyness that we often surround ourselves with. Therefore, we need to ask ourselves, "Are we running our schedule or is our schedule running us?" A good question for most extroverts with a penchant for pleasing.
2. What are your boundaries? I do not like saying no. For some of us, we need to say yes more. But for me, no is good word!
3. Self-management involves more than just time management. It really deals with your physical life, spiritual life, emotions, etc. How are you doing in this area? Are you healthy in one or 2 of these areas, but not overall?
4. There are evidences of deeper issues in everyday life, if you stop and take time to self-evaluate. For example, highlighted this morning was my bent to breadth and not depth in my relationships. This bubbles over into my ministry and personal life as well. How am I feeding my soul and going deeper with my family, friends, and even my church where I am ministering?
Well this is a good start for me, but what about you? Take time today to stop and get away and look again at what you are doing and why you are doing it. Become more self-aware, because then you can determine next steps in life!

Relational Leadership

This is the latest regarding my dissertation topic. I have brainstormed around 10 topics, but I do believe this one will stick (fingers crossed). I have actually finished chapter one, thanks to my class last week taught by Dr. Verna Lowe. She was amazing and really shoved us and challenged us to write, write, write. At times I wondered if I was going to drowned, but she assured us that would not be the case, and it wasn't. Finally, I landed the plane on the topic of relational leadership. I learned that this is who I am. I lead out of relationships. I cannot be any other way because of who I am and the way God made me. Thus, chapter 2 of our dissertation is all about reviewing pertinent literature that has to do with our topic. So Dr. Tumblin put me on to the book here at the right. It's an easy read and a great book...would recommend to anyone. However, the author never really defines relational leadership in specific terminology. Thus, I am going to do that for him in my dissertation. I am quite excited about the topic, especially as it relates to church health and zeroing in on pastoral staff health in regards to relational leadership. If you have any info on this subject for me, let me know please. I will read it and need to read it.

A Long Night

Last night was a very long night. At around 7:30pm, Halle tripped over a book and fell headlong into the corner of an open dresser drawer. She fell right on the corner of the drawer and received a deep cut above her right eyebrow. Needless to say, we were freaking out. Shan started crying and I ran looking for anything to stop the bleeding. Finally, we decided to drive over to the Welch's and have Sarah-Marie look at her. Being a nurse, she recommended we go in for stitches. AH! So sad! We headed out then for Central Baptist Hospital and the ER. Upon arrival, we saw the ER full of patients already. Finally they took us back and gave her 2 stitches. This was the hardest of all because Shan and I had to help in holding her down while the PA sewed up her wound. Thus, Mom started crying again. I am thoroughly convinced that an incident of this nature is harder on the parents than it is on the child. Halle pain is external; ours is internal. All said, we finally got in bed around midnight. Now our prayer is for her total recovery and as little scarring as possible.
Ah...and to think we have only been in Wilmore, KY for a little over a week. Let's hope there are no more incidents the next 10.5 months.

Leaving the WU...It's gonna be hard to do!

I am just now really starting to realize that in a little over two months, we will no longer be residents of Marion, Indiana. I never thought I would say this, but that will be a sad day. I mean, not that I don't have great memories of Marion from college, but moving here was not my first choice due to the natural beauty of South Marion! :) However, after being here 2 years, I have come to truly love the people and the town and the 2 colleges that are in the areas, being IWU and TU.

This picture of myself, Halle, and Lindsey Wachter at an IWU men's basketball game this year really epitomizes what I love about college ministry. Here is a success story in Lindsey. She comes from a non-Christian home and was in my youth group for 3 years. I prayed that she would attend a great Christian school like IWU so she could keep growing in her faith...and she did! Now she will be entering her junior year of college and wow! I am getting old. I have former youth group kids getting ready to graduate college. What is the world coming to? In fact, there are 6 alone that attend IWU. YaY God! That alone is a success in my opinion. Oh well, I do love this place, my ministry, and these kids. I can only pray God will take care of them and continue to grow them long after I am gone physically out of their lives.

It's Official!

I can't believe this is happening, but I am going back to school. I found out right before Christmas that I was accepted into Asbury Theological Seminary's Beeson Pastor Program. This means that I can obtain my Doctor of Ministry degree beginning this summer. Thus, you guessed it, I will be leaving my job as the College and Young Adult Pastor at College Wesleyan Church on June 1, 2007.
The only adjective I can think of to describe this time in my life and the life of my family is "bittersweet." I feel as though it is bitter because we have such a great thing going right now. We love our church. I love my job. We love our little house and even Marion! :) We love the students we work with and the young adults we do life with. Especially with me and 747 and the college ministry, it is hard for me to think of leaving. I compare it to having a kid, and then leaving them at 2 years old in the hands of someone else. Someone will continue to grow this child I have birthed, for lack of a better analogy! :) We have gone from nothing last September to now we are averaging over 150-160 students per week in our service on Sunday nights. We have 25 students on our leadership team for 747. We have 18 students going on a spring break missions trip to NYC. God is blessing what is happening here at CWC! Therefore, it is bitter to think of leaving at this time.
However, learning that I was accepted into a doctorate program is also sweet. Sweet because I applied two years ago to 3 doctorate programs and one master's program...and was rejected to all of them. I couldn't understand what was happening to me. Why all this rejection? Now I know. The cool thing about this program I got accepted into is that they pay for everything. All my books, tuition, travel expenses, housing, utilities, etc. are paid for during next year! I even get a free laptop computer! I simply cannot ask for anything better. And this has been a dream of mine now for years, and it is coming true!
So yes, it is official. As of June 1st, I will be moving on/back to Wilmore, Kentucky. And then who knows are that.
If time, check out the program at www.asburyseminary.edu/beeson