Winter Chill

This past week was one of those weeks where reality really sets in. First of all, it dumped snow for a day or two. When I lived in Albuquerque, snow was exciting. It meant no school. It meant sledding and playing and hot chocolate. Snow generates a totally different feeling when you have to drive through rush hour in Chicago in it to get to work. Not so much excitement, but rather concern for my lack of snow driving practice and general knowledge of how to survive in the tundra. Secondly, work was hard this week. I am coming to the realization that this job at Children's is going to be harder than my old job. And I have a lot to learn about how to keep up with the acuity of the patients on our floor. So, the week culminated with a baby throwing up right as I was about to leave on Thursday morning, and then both the driver's and the passenger's door being frozen shut when I got to my car IN the parking garage, and having to resort to climbing through the trunk to get in. I don't think anyone saw my barrel roll over the back seat that was rather ungraceful.

All these things made me think "Why are we here? Why do I want a hard job far from where we live? Why am I on the night shift?" If Andrew and I are here for our comfort, it's going to be a long winter.

I have been reading Numbers, and as I read this morning, I noticed my grumbling sounded strikingly similar to that of the nation of Israel in the wilderness. God had saved them out of slavery, parted a sea, and promised them a land of their own. And they start to miss the food and the "comfort" of Egypt. God brought them out of Egypt to be His people. He provided them with what they needed: manna, and Himself. He did not promise them every desire of their hearts. Actually, he told them to turn away from what their heart's desires and obey Him. But the wilderness was uncomfortable. And Egypt had more things that made them temporarily comfortable. Mind you, they also were slaves there, but selective memory kind of pushes that detail aside. The bottom line is: God didn't call them to be comfortable. He called them to obedience, and He provided for them. Had they remembered this, and had they been thankful for freedom, for bread, for the Lord, they may not have grumbled against God and incited Him to anger again and again.

Andrew and I didn't move here for the job I have, or the weather. We didn't move here for comfort. But when I believe that we did, I easily grumble and complain against God. How merciful that my sin in this was atoned for in Christ, lest I be killed for my complaint again a Holy Lord who has given us so many good things. I have a job. I have a car that doesn't slide on the ice. I have great snow boots that keep my feet so very warm. And I am not to expect my every comfort to be met. In fact, the winter chill reminds me that this world will not provide what I truly need. So praise God for the cold. It keeps me from getting too comfortable here.

Updates

Quick updates on the Stravitzs in Chicago:

Andrew is hard at work for school. He has lots of papers to be completed by the end of the semester, so he will be quite busy. He signed up for classes next semester, and is trying to figure out how many credit hours will be the right amount. He is looking forward to some of the classes he will be taking in the Spring.

I will be starting my first night shift tomorrow night. The orientation so far has been great, very detailed and plenty of time for me to settle in at the hospital. My first preceptor was awesome!

We will be heading to both Albuquerque and Phoenix during Christmas! We will be in Abq from the 23rd to the 26th, and I will be in AZ from the 26th to the 30th. Andrew will be staying longer for a wedding, and we're not sure when he will be coming back to Il.

Kingdom thinking

As I have been reading through the Bible looking at the Missio Dei, it has encouraged me greatly to be thinking about the kingdom of God. As the Lord works in the books of Genesis and Exodus, He gathers His people, establishes them, and forms them into a nation. From one family, to a few families, to the growing people of Israel, God brings them together to rule them and show Himself through them. He gives them His law to establish obedience and faith, which defeat sin. These people are poor, they are weak, and they are faithless often. But the Lord graciously gives of Himself, heals them, leads them, and uses them to display His power.

I am weak, and faithless. Starting a new job was novel for about a day. Going into the city, to work at a large hospital made me feel small. Like I am just another body in the crowded city, daily getting up, going to work, and then going home. What about what I am doing makes it all worth while? Why do I want to go into the city? Why do I want to work well, at a difficult job? What am I doing?

God sends out His people, His ambassadors of His kingdom, into a broken and fallen world. And He is moving in the world, establishing His power over sin and death. His kingdom is on the move. In the days when Israel was a nation, it was easy for the people to see the kingdom, the nation to which they belonged, and how the Lord was leading that nation. In the world now, His kingdom is all over, but it is a more subtle community. The subjects of that kingdom are sent into the kingdoms of the world with a mission, to represent and establish the reign of the Lord. To know that even in a big city like Chicago, my steps, my interactions, my comings and my goings are directed by my King. I belong to something greater than myself, and I am subject to my gracious Lord, who has given me more that I could ever have asked.

I am eager to see how the Lord will use me as his sent one for His kingdom. And it is exciting to venture into the city at the leading of my Lord to see what He will do there.

Where the Wild Things Are

Andrew and I went to see the Wild Things movie this weekend. I had been really excited to see it since it came out. I had heard that it was not a kids movie a while ago, but still had high expectations.

The movie dealt with some intense questions. I can only really explain it by summing up the plot:

Max, the kid, gets mad at his sister and his mother, and runs away to where the Wild Things are. The wild things want a king who can keep them together, and keep the loneliness away, which Max says he can do. He tries, but the wild things end up disagreeing, angry, and back where they started. Max then sails home and his mom gives him dinner, and falls asleep.

The movie has lots of intense emotional conflict, with anger, fear, and sadness. Kids, as well as adults, have to deal with the issues of separation, loneliness, change, and even death. The wild things want a king who will deal with those things. One of the characters eventually says "I don't think there's really a king who can do all that stuff anyway."

At that point, I thought, "but there is!" A King did come to deal with the root of all of those problems, and He has given His people true hope. Praise God He has not left men to deal with sin on their own.

The movie was really honest about the seriousness and intensity of these questions. And it made me grateful to know the One True King, who saves His people from their wildness and destruction. While I'm not sure I would recommend this movie, it sharply portrayed the human condition apart from the Lord, and how little men can do to fix themselves.

Work Update

I started my job at Children's Memorial Hospital last week with lost of orientation classes. So far, the hospital seems to be great, and have a really comprehensive orientation. My preceptor, Monica, is very sweet, very helpful, and really easy for me to work with. Praise God! I have spent a lot of time down at the hospital, which may have been frustrating, but so far it has been really good. The Lord has been gracious to give me the eagerness to learn and to become a better nurse at this hospital. And the environment at the hospital seems to promote those very things. So, I am looking forward to becoming a part of this hospital and its community!

The Mission of God

Andrew's anniversary gift to me was a journaling Bible. I am to pick a "lens" with which to view scripture as I read through it and write about how I see this hermeneutic playing out. I picked "The Mission of God"

Andrew and I had discussed this concept a while back. The discussion revolved around the phrase "Missio Dei", which is latin for the mission of God. Does God have a specific purpose that He is pursuing? What is God doing in the pages of scripture? Most importantly, if God does indeed have a mission, and intention with the world, shouldn't that be the mission of Christians? Shouldn't I be about what God is about? And so, I wanted to look for what God doing in scripture, so to be able to align myself with Him.

How am I defining Missio Dei? At first, I had pretty little direction. I just listened to four lectures by Dr. Mark Young, who gave a series at DTS called "Turning Theology Inside Out: Missio Dei". The thrust of his lectures was around a biblical theology of mission. That is, looking at how the idea and theme of mission unfolds throughout scripture. And mission, needs to be defined, not simply as the sending out of people from one locality to another, but as the very characteristic of being a sent-one of God, and imager of the Lord.

I have a few ideas that have been developing around this concept. For the sake of clarity I will write about them separately.

But here is my working definition of Missio Dei:

God glorifying Himself through the merciful salvation sinners restoring them to be His image bearers unto the ends of the Earth.

Preaching

I gave my sermon for the Preaching for Partners class on the 10th of October. I was really nervous, mostly due to the fact that my outline did not come together until the night before. I prayed a lot for help to deliver the Word of God to the women in my class in a way that would encourage and edify them. And all in all, things went well, by God's grace. There are certainly things to work on. And there are ways I can grow, but it was really sweet to try out putting together an expositional talk. Why? Because, by the spirit, we can preach a passage, that was written in a certain time and place, and conform to it's structure and it's intention for the church today, for the sake of the edification of the body and the proclamation of the gospel. This exercise has made me think more and more about the meta-narrative of scripture, which I will be blogging about soon. Praise God for the faithful men who proclaim the truth for the world to hear!

Our First Anniversary!

Andrew and I celebrated one year of marriage on October 3rd!

Andrew plans great surprises. Quite often, I inadvertently ruin them. However, he successfully managed to make 70% of his plans for the day a surprise.

The day before, Andrew had checked out a book for me from the library. We got home from school, and he decided to take a nap. Innocently, I opened his backpack to try and locate the book, and found 2 journaling Bibles inside. Andrew, foiled again! I still didn't know where we were going or what we were doing on Saturday, that is until Andrew plainly told the lady at Pay-Less Shoes, "Tomorrow is our first anniversary, and we're doing what all couples do one their first anniversary. We're going to Wisconsin." Right in front of me. By Accident. Priceless.

Knowing we were going to Wisconsin didn't help me much, because I don't know much about Wisconsin. On Saturday, we drove to Milwaukee, and our first stop was Lakefront Brewery. They have an "Infamous Brewery Tour" we had heard about. Sweet! We walked in, only to see a "TOUR SOLD OUT" sign. Bad news. Andrew goes up to talk to the lady, plays the first anniversary card and everything. No dice. We decide to stay and have a beer anyway, and the lady at the front has some pity on us and gives us free tickets to the tour another day with specific instructions to get there early. Sweet!

Our next stop was the Third Ward District in Milwaukee. We strolled around, and conveniently (and by that I mean Andrew planned it) ended up at a bakery with some great desserts. Sweet! (Literally). We bought some for later, and then continued on to the dinner stop. We ate dinner at Fratellos, a restaurant right on the river. The food was great. We got some yummy soup, Ahi Tuna Lollipops, Andrew had curry crusted tuna for dinner, and I had gnocchi, which I love. And, our server brought is a chocolate cupcake with a flame-shooting sparkler on top! Sweet!

The first anniversary is supposed to be the paper one. I had already gotten Andrew a new Greek New Testament as a gift when school started. I also made a scrapbook of our first year. (Did anyone else know that scrabooking requires a decent amount of time to do well?) The journaling Bibles were gifted, and then explained. Andrew's idea is for us to read through the Bible together, and journal in them for each other for a year. We are going to pick a "lens" or theme of scripture to be looking for in particular, and journal about it, and then give each other the Bibles next year. Really sweet.

We also had some great conversation about what we would like to see happen in our next year of marriage. Ways the we want to see God work in us and grow us that we can point to next year and praise Him for. I think we were most excited about this idea.

After we got home, there were roses waiting, and a movie. I praise God for a sweet year of marriage. One that hasn't been easy or comfortable, but one that was pretty great too. I praise God for my husband, who I enjoy SO much, who surprises me, and who loves me well. And I praise God for holding our marriage together, for working in both of our lives, and for authoring the sanctifying institution of marriage.

There is such a thing as the fall!

Living in a place with an abundance of deciduous tress, Andrew and I are going to get to enjoy a real and true fall season! As the cold begins to come, we get a time of transition and preparation. I remember during Halloween in Albuquerque, diving into the large piles of leaves in people's yards and dragging my feet through the gutters to kick clumps of leaves every which way and make a terrible racket of crunching and scraping. It's coming here in Illinois! Yay!

I am getting a time of transition and preparation before I start my new job. One thing that I am getting to take part in is a Preaching for Partners class, taught by one of the professors at Trinity. The class is designed to give wives a taste of what their husband will be doing in their preaching class, and also equip them to be able to structure and expositional talk should they be asked to give one for the women in their church. The professor is going through the whole process with us, and having us give a talk/sermon to our class. Since I have an abundance of time to prepare, I volunteered to go on October 10th. Already, I have been challenged by the theology of preaching. That we ask men to expound the word of God with a view towards it's application for the church today is really interesting. I told Andrew that there is a distinct difference between studying a passage and telling people "this is what I think it means" verses "here's what it means, and what you should do with it." Pretty weighty of a task. I have skimmed some of Andrew's books on the subject, and am learning about the structure that is appropriate and helpful for an auditory presentation, how to illustrate, how to apply, and how to exegete in a way that remains faithful to the text but still generates application and response for the people you are preaching to. I praise God for Grace Bible church, where the preaching is so very faithful to, reverent of, and defined by to the Word of God. After all, that's where the power of preaching lies. I am sure I will blog about the class again, and how the talk goes. I am really excited for it though!

Andrew is learning about various eschatological views, and how they have changed over time often in ways that are tied to the world events, and the overall tone of the times. I confess I still don't have all the categories straight, but I love it when Andrew is interested to learn about and explain to me these theological issues. The stance that pastors have on these things will influence the way that they read and interpret scripture. And those things are a lot more subtle than I thought they were.

Andrew and I are closer to deciding on a church. Andrew meets with the pastor of Grace Presbyterian Church next week. It's certainly a different crowd than we had expected. But we will see what the Lord does!

Employment!

I got the job at Children's Memorial! Praise God!

I am so thankful for each day, even each hour of waiting. Really. Just last night I was listening to a sermon that Piper preached a while back about "Why a Recession" and how God uses it to root our joy in His worth, not our wealth. Am I more joyful today because I got the job that I wanted? Would I be less joyful today if I had not gotten the job? This time of waiting, for what it was, really helped me to see where my joy was located, in part, and where it needed to be rooted, and grounded. Only when my joy is rooted in God is it secure. And the times of plenty or times of less will not touch that joy. I know I will needed to be reminded of this lesson over and over, but I praise God that I can say my affection for Him grew just as much or even more while waiting on Him than when all was provided for us.

I am SO excited to see what is in store at Children's Memorial!

The best is yet to come

I listened to a Piper sermon toady about the book of Ruth. At the conclusion, he talks about how the blessings of a kinsman redeemer, a baby, of taking care of a mother in law are enfolded in the cosmic plan of God for the salvation of his people. These seemingly small mercies of God play into the lineage of Christ himself. He said:

"God wants us to know that when we follow him, our lives always mean more than we think they do. For the Christian there is always a connection between the ordinary events of life and the stupendous work of God in history. Everything we do in obedience to God, no matter how small, is significant. It is part of a cosmic mosaic which God is painting to display the greatness of his power and wisdom to the world and to the principalities and powers in the heavenly places (Ephesians 3:10). The deep satisfaction of the Christian life is that it is not given over to trifles."

To me, a seminary wife who does not have a job yet, whose days have been more calm, and seemingly trivial as of late, this was fantastically encouraging. God is displaying his power in my life as I learn to wait well, as I fight sin in my life, as I do the dishes and clean the floors to honor my husband. God is glorified in the smallest acts of my obedience, and thus they are not trivial at all. May God make me more faithful in the little things, so that He might accomplish His will on earth!

Therefore I will wait for Him

I interviewed for a job last Wednesday. At the interview, the manager told me that she would get back to me "by the end of the week." I'm certain that she did not realize that it was already Wednesday. So, come Friday, I waited in great anticipation for a call. I knew there was the possibility that I would not hear anything Friday, but I had such reason to hope. Andrew and I fasted and prayed Thursday about the job. Friday passed by, and no call came. At 5:00 PM on Friday, I was faced with a battle for my thoughts. Did God not answer our prayers? Did He not want me to rejoice that day at getting a job? Why must I wait longer? Oh but what a God I serve! "I say to myself, 'The Lord is my portion, therefore I will wait for Him.'" Lamentation 3:24. The Lord is indeed my portion, not having a job. And it is good to wait on the Lord. I though to myself, "Lord, I'm flattered that you think I can wait through the weekend and on to hear back about this job. Really. But I don't want to wait." At 5:00 pm on Friday, I ran into Claire, a friend at Trinity, who prayed with me, and I got to talk to Theresa, a dear friend in Arizona. And I got to wait on the Lord, because that is what he deemed best. And he answered our prayers with more waiting, more learning to trust him and have faith in His promises, and have joy in these circumstances since they are from the Lord. I have yet to hear anything, and continue to battle my own sad or hopeless thoughts with truth, and by grace, since the Lord is working out my sanctification. And my hope is in Him.

An interview

I had an interview today at Children's Memorial Hospital in Chicago. It was an interesting experience, and I blog about it so that those who prayed for me would know how it went!

I left super early to be able to spend time at a coffee shop across the street call The Bourgeois Pig :) before the interview. The last thing I wanted was to end up anxious about being lost and late. So I left, and got into the Downtown Chicago traffic. Even at 9:30 AM there was traffic, that was not moving at points. Sheesh! Once I got to the intersection where the hospital was, I was super confused because 3 streets cross and I went down the wrong one. All these city people know were they are going, and honk at you if you don't. I turned right on the first street I could past the hospital, only to notice all the cars parked on the street facing the opposite direction, and a car coming directly at me. Oops. Three point turn it back to the main road, and find a street I can turn on. Ok, try again to get back, turn right. Nope, back up, it's another one way. Oops.

Finally I find the parking garage. I see all these cars in line behind the cars that are actually parked in spaces, and get in line. *Honk honk*, not a line, these are parked cars! Oops. Move along, and find out that they park cars behind other parked cars, and move them by 3 to the roof. What? Never seen that before.

Make my way to the coffee shop, order a pot of tea and a scone. Downstairs it was crowded, so I grab a table tucked in a cramped corner. I manage to block out the noise with music, and manage to almost spill my pot of tea on my nice pants (oops). As I am about to leave the busy, noisy shop I venture upstairs to see what's there. Oh look! I beautiful, quite, airy floor of tranquility up here. Good to know. Sigh.

I start walking in the direction I think the HR office is in. I get to another 3 way intersection where one street is labeled, and the other two are a mystery. Great. I go in the Starbucks on the corner, and ask for some help. Praise God there were two nurses in there who knew exactly where I needed to go. And I find out that they work on the floor that I am applying to!

I made it to the HR office, early (praise God) and interview with a polite woman named Jodi. She was nice, and explained the hiring process, which is pretty long and involved. She then walked me to the hospital, where I interviewed with the manager of the cardiac/surgical floor. This woman, at first, gave me the impression that she seriously questioned why I wanted to work there at all, and who in the world was I anyway? I had prayed that the Lord would give me confidence, and maturity, knowing that however I came off, He would be in control of the results. After the first few questions, the manager seemed to soften, and told me lots about the unit, the staff, and the type of patients that they get on the floor. She then gave me the tour. This hospital looks old from the outside, but was new on this floor, and had a fun looking staff and a great family room for the patients. I was told that I would hear back from the manager by the end of the week, which sounded good, but it's in the Lord's hands.

My car had been relocated to the roof of the parking garage, and as I wondered around to find it, I got to see a stunning view of the city. And that's really how I felt the whole day went. The Lord brought me down here, one step closer to the city, out of my element, but where there is an exciting view.

So thanks a lot if you prayed for me. After feeling lost most of the morning, I felt calm, collected, and at ease while the interview was going on. We will see what the Lord does, but I know that the peace and assurance of the Lord made this day an enjoyable one, not a stressful, all the eggs in one basket kind of day.

This season

Andrew and I had a great conversation yesterday. Things haven't gone the way either of us expected here in Illinois. Nothing huge has happened that would indicate to us that the Lord does not want us here, but we also haven't just clicked into place. We haven't found a church home yet, and the churches we want to be a part of are too far away to really be in fellowship with them. I don't have a job yet, though I have applied to a number of hospitals. The nanny job hasn't really worked out yet. And I don't have an official Illinois nursing license due to a few hang-ups in the process. We have met some other couples where God has provided for them so very richly, in their financial support, in their church support. Things still feel a bit off for us.

Andrew told me that CS Lewis wanted to be a poet, but never really got there. However, he wrote many rich, instructive, beautiful works that have blessed God's people richly. What is God doing with us in this time where things aren't what we thought they would be? We certainly are growing, because it has been difficult at times. I have learned much about worry and anxiety, and how to trust the Lord and rest in His providence and care. And Andrew is learning how to work hard at something, even when he's not exactly sure what the Lord is going to do with it in the end. We both have learned a lot about fighting discouragement with truth. But I'll be honest, it's been hard.

This time has also made me think of missionaries, who go into new situations not knowing exactly what to expect and what the situation will be like. A lot of times there is not fruit or relationships that happen right away, and perseverance is required to continue on faithfully for the sake of the gospel.

I thought that if you go to seminary you know what God is doing with your life, and He paves the way. Not so, self. It's just like the rest of life. Walking by faith, serving the Lord, and submitting to his will humbly. There's uncertainty, there's long days of waiting on the Lord. And all to the end of being more like Christ for His glory.

This used to be my day

I used to be Stacy Labor, and always considered Labor day as something of my day. The privilege of such a last name. Ah well, no longer. I do like the fact that our country has days of the week where we all can agree not to go to work as normal and get to have an extended weekend. I mean, we willingly suspend the pace of the week for a few selected days of the year. That's pretty great.

Andrew is enjoying classes, working hard, and learning some great things. We DID get to eat lunch at D.A. Carson's house today. I had an interview at a Pediatric clinic last week, and won't hear anything for a while about that job. I am starting to nanny for a family that lives close by. I am excited to be able to spend time with the three girls that are in the family, and am looking forward to some good conversations with them about the gospel.

I have had a decent amount of time for reading, and enjoyed Shadow of the Almighty and Lords of the Earth. Andrew also suggested listening to a sermon by Steve Saint on suffering, sovereignty, and missions, which I definitely would recommend. All these things have impressed upon me the importance, and even necessity of suffering for the gospel, and how I cringe and avoid the thought of suffering, while it really is one of the primary tools the Lord uses to further His work on this Earth. Steve Saint talked about how suffering people want to be ministered to by those who suffer, and that the Lord uses suffering to open hearts for the gospel. We really must consider our view of suffering, and our aversion to it, and what that does to our message and ministry to a suffering world.

Options

For those who read this to stay up to date on the Stravitzs, here is a quick summary of life this past few weeks:

Greek Concluded, with much relief. Unfortunately, it turns out that no one is allowed to audit any language classes for free. We were told that I would be able to audit exegesis for free. So, we are looking into ways that I will be able to continue to study Greek.

Andrew started classes, and is busy with his work.

I have an interview with Children's Memorial Hospital in 2 weeks, though there is not currently a job opening. This would be so that if a job does open up, they would already have gone through the process of finding someone. I also got a call from a Pediatric doctor's office, and am waiting to hear from them again.

I am so glad for even getting calls! This is a tough job market, I am a baby nurse still, and the Lord is so gracious to take care of His people. That's about it for now.

Waiting on the Lord

My soul waits for the Lord more than the watchman for the morning; Indeed, more than the watchman for the morning. Psalm 130:6

I thought of this verse earlier last week, as the summer school Greek class ended and I began applying for a whole slew of jobs. I have yet to hear anything back about them. The application process for nurses has become an entirely impersonal affair, consisting of on-line applications, email responses, and a lot of silence.

And so I wait. But am I waiting on the Lord? The manner in which a watchman waits for the morning is with eager anticipation for the end of his duty. Once the morning comes, he will no longer have to keep his watch. So, is waiting for a job the same as waiting for the Lord? What I have been considering is that I was not put on this earth merely to hold a job. That may be a part of the Lord's plan for a time, but it is not the ultimate end to which I was created. So as I wait to see if I will work as a nurse out here, to truly wait on the Lord I should seek the duty that I was created to fulfill, to become more like Christ and to bring Him glory. I can do this unemployed or as a nurse. But as a child of God, I must seek to fulfill my duty of obedience and dedication to the Lord, until He returns. So I wait for a job, but this does not prevent me from being able to work toward that chief end of man, to glorify God and enjoy Him, in all circumstances.

It's only a kickball?

Just bear with me on this one.

I remember, quite vividly, in elementary school playing kickball in PE. You've got this large, bouncy red ball bowled to you, and then you get to kick it at the other kids. Pretty great idea for a game. Not too much skill required to kick that sucker, it was a big target. Being on the receiving end of the kick however, struck fear into my second grade heart. It's big, it's coming fast, and it's coming hard. Most girls in the field would either half-heartedly attempt to catch the ball with eyes closed and arms extended blindly, or simply flee the ball in general. I can remember our PE coach yelling, "It's just a kickball, stop being afraid it will hurt you!" And he was right. If I stopped to think, that big red ball was pretty squishy. What was the worst that could happen if I tried to catch it? I would get hit with a big squishy ball. It might hurt a little, but it sure wouldn't kill me. So man up, right? 

I told you to bear with me, so here's the relevance. Andrew and I are waiting to get our transmission to get fixed on the car we bought out here by the mechanic we bought it from who we really don't know all that well. And I have yet to find a job. I started to worry about the car, and what could go wrong next, and what would happen if something else breaks, or I take a while to find a job. What if, what if, what if? But really, if I stop to think about it, all that will happen is we decide to keep fixing it, or we get rid of it. Simple as that. And maybe it won't break at all. That's all up to the Lord, and if the car keeps running after this or not is up to Him. Do I believe He will care for us in this? So, it made me think of kickball, and how I was really afraid of that flying object that really couldn't do all that much damage. And who know, if I was not so afraid of it, maybe I would have enjoyed the game more.

Here's your sign

This is the plan:

Andrew goes to school, Stacy gets a nursing job and works. Pretty simple.

Steps necessary to execute plan:

- Stacy gets endorsement of nursing license to be able to work in the state of Illinois

- Stacy finds job

So, I'm on the first step, of getting the endorsement of my license. And this means that Arizona has to mail a paper that says I indeed have a legit license to work as a nurse. I spoke with a secretary at the Arizona Board of Nursing last week, who informed me that this paper will be mailed to the Illinois Board, not to me. 

Ok, so today an envelope shows up from the Arizona State Board of Nursing. Curious, wasn't expecting anything, open envelope while looking at the FRONT. Uh, this paper has the official state seal on it. And is not a copy. Very curious indeed. Turn envelope over (see picture above). Oh no. Call Arizona State Board of Nursing, and yes (here's your sign) the three blatant stamps on the back of the envelope DID in fact mean  not to open it. Please mail it back to us so we can seal it up again (insert tone of slight exasperation)

Um, Lord, really? So now we will need to wait for this paper to make it to Arizona and back before I can work? This is not the plan.

How do I hope in the Lord in this, very small, situation? By NOT hoping in the plan, or a paper, or a job. Hope in the Lord! He is the solution to the question of how to pay for school, and a broken car, and food, and everything else. My trust has been in getting a job. Well, Stac, here's your sign that the Lord has His own plan, His own timing, His own means, and He is faithful!

The saga continues...

Oh how many lessons that the Lord is going to teach me here in Illinois!

As Andrew and I were driving home from Chicago last Saturday, our car magically shifted itself out of 5th gear while on the highway. Hum, that's odd. Put car back in gear, keep driving, right? Oh, there it goes again, just jumping into neutral, on the highway. That's not normal. Uh, now there's awesome grinding noises coming from the car. Sweet, better flip the hazards on, and move over. We make it to our exit, and stop at a light. Oh, wait, car now refusing to engage in 1st gear at all. Lord, please make the gears engage to get us home. Car goes into first! Still making lovely grinding noises. Lord please don't let us have to stop at a light again. We get closer to home, and the odometer says we're going 0 mph when we are certainly moving. Lord, please hold the transmission onto the car, please don't let it fall off in the road. We it to our street, praise God, we can see the house, and then: grind, sputter, lurch, car totally stops. We try to get it into neutral, and it won't budge an inch. Can't push it home. So, we end up calling AAA to get a tow truck to tow it 100 yards to the house. 

The good news: We didn't break down on the highway! And, some friends from trinity had a car they are letting us borrow. And, the guy we got it from is going to fix it for a relatively cheap price.

We are going to have to pay to fix it. And pay for school, and books, and rent, and I am finishing class and not working. But the Lord has provided for us so richly. In 1 Timothy 6, Paul says: We brought nothing into the world, and we will take nothing out of it. ... If we have food and clothing, with these we will be content. 

We do have food and clothing, and we are so cared for by our brothers and sisters. So, the Lord is teaching me to hold loosely things like a car, because my hope is in the One who provides for me more abundantly than I could imagine. And I can be content with clothes to wear and food to eat. Contentment is a wonderful thing.

Sometimes not knowing is better

Andrew thought it would be a good idea for me to take summer school Greek with him at Trinity. I thought it would be a good idea too, since I have wanted to learn Biblical Greek to be able to read the New Testament in it's original language. English translations are excellent, no question. But my husband has rubbed off on me and made me appreciate being able to look at the original text. So I go and sign up to take summer school Greek. Did anyone else know that some people refer to this class as suicide Greek? Did I stop at any point to think that I am going to do about a year worth of learning in 5 weeks? Oh no. I just sauntered right into it. Well, I am through the first week, and all I can say is that for the past 5 days I have done nothing but study, study, study, and study. Maybe eat and sleep too, but mostly study. So, for anyone wondering about what it is like to take a summer Greek class, I can say for a fact that it is intense. Really. But the rewards in the end will be SO sweet. To see the richness in the language God revealed Himself in! And He used Koine Greek, the common, widespread language of the first century. I often thought of Greek as this elite, lofty language to know to be able to understand the New Testament. But it turns out, Koine Greek was used to write grocery lists, and letters to friends, and on scraps of pottery as notes. It was common, to be understood by common people. It was approachable. God's word wasn't for the very wise or very cultured, but for the people. And His word speaks in a living and active way to them.

The story of our new/old car

Getting our to Illinois was such blessing. Andrew and I drove a moving truck the whole way. We sold one car in Phoenix, and left the other one to be sold there as well. So, arriving in Glenview, we started looking for a car ASAP. The day before our Greek class started (Sunday), we found a 99 Subaru Forester that looked great. Being that it was Sunday, we had to wait for Monday to get the money for the car. Come Monday, we bought the car! On Tuesday morning at 7:30 AM we discovered that the keys were locked in the car overnight, which also happened to be parked on the street which must be clear from 8am to 10am. We left the car, praying we would not receive a ticket since Greek started at 8:30am. Diane, whose basement we occupy, discovered that the keys were locked in the car, and notified the police why the car was not moved off the street. Once class was over and we got home, we called AAA to get them to come unlock the car. Unfortunately, there weren't plates on it yet, and, logically, AAA will not unlock a car with no way to identify that it is in fact, your car. Diane once again saved the day, and called the police to have them unlock the car. So we did NOT have to pay for a locksmith. Car now open, turns out the keys were in the "on" position in the ignition, and the battery was dead. Great, now we get to buy a battery. But praise God, after getting the car jumped, the battery has enough charge to start the car! Throughout the whole day I was seriously considering the fact that I do not have a job yet and did pay to be in a summer Greek course. But the Lord really confirmed that He will provide for us, and He desires not only for Andrew to be in school, but myself as well for the time.

Hit the ground running

Praise the Lord! We made it out to Illinois safe and sound.

Our trip was so full of blessings. All our stuff got packed by other people, which made the packing so quick! We then got to stay with a family from our church, the McCoys, who were such gracious hosts, even though we asked if we could stay there only a few hours before we arrived at the door. They truly were an example of hospitality.

We drove to Albuquerque on the 6th, had a barbecue with my family and some friends, and my parents put us up for the night.

The next day we drove 14 hours to Paola Kansas, and were warmly welcomed by Sherri and Matt Jones. Sherri made us dinner, told us about what the Lord is doing in her family, and gave us a place to sleep. She got up early to make us breakfast too!

We made it to Glenview Ill the third day. Our landlords (?) the Holms had dinner ready, and had our fridge filled with food! Will helped Andrew moved some of the big stuff into the basement that night.

The next day my parents arrived early in the morning to help us unpack, arrange, assemble, and adjust. We got all the big stuff in palce by the end of Thursday.

All this to say, Praise God! He made our trip so smooth and blessed us with hospitality from the church the whole way through. How sweet to feel the Father's care and provision through His people!

My parents took us to a Cubs game on Friday! Go Cubbies! Unfortunately, we lost.

So, we are now looking for a car and getting around on our bikes in the beautiful summer weather. We will start summer school Monday, and I will start my job search then as well (Lord willing). There are still many things for us to trust the Lord with, and to allow Him to lead and provide. Thanks to everyone who prayed for us, and please continue to do so. Also feel free to email or skype us if you would like to!

Boxes

A brigade of guys showed up at our apartment this morning. And in a manner of a few hours all that we own is now in a big yellow truck. Just like that. It went so fast, and towards the end I felt like saying, "Slow down! Once we're done, that's it. We'll really be going. We'll have no choice." But the Lord was being so good to me in this. Because all these men who lugged shelves and a huge bed and so many boxes down to the truck are our friends. And even in our leaving they are caring for us in as many ways as they can think of. They made the packing so fast, that now it's done. Like giving us a good push to get us rolling. Because I sure need a good push every now and then. It's pretty astounding that your life can totally up and relocate with a few boxes.

12 days and counting

Yikes. 12 days, and I have yet to put anything in a box.

The Lord was so good to provide a different, and significantly cheaper living arrangement for us! Andrew was hanging out with Colin, and another friend from Camelback, Eric, happened to be there helping out. It just so happens (by the providence of God) that Eric's parents live 20 minutes away from Trinity, and have a basement with a kitchen in it. Eric talked to his parents, and they decided to let us live in their basement! Praise God! And Zac Cann, who also is going to Trinity in the fall, is going to be living with friends of the Holms a few blocks away!

The home health agency I applied to has called me to check in, and will be calling me once we get to Illinois. Yay for job possibilities.

Andrew and I are both going to be taking Greek classes in summer school once we arrive. Yes, both of us. Andrew is taking the classes as a refresher, and I am going to attempt to learn Greek at light speed. Lucky for me I live with a great teacher. So we're diving right in once we arrive.

We will be driving a moving truck out to Illinois, so please pray for a safe trip for us. It's so SOON! The farewells are beginning. There are so many people here that we love and will miss. But we trust in the leading of the Lord in this.

Resolved Reflections

Andrew and I went to Palm Springs for the Resolved conference June 12-15. The theme of the conference this year was "Sin". This makes it all the more amazing that 4000 people showed up to listen to multiple sermons a day on the subject.

By the end of the conference this light bulb came on in my head. The Lord used a combination of sermons by Steve Lawson and John Piper to lead me to a truth I knew in part, but had never seen in it's fulness. Lawson was explaining the "purity" means to be singular, to be refined towards one aim, one goal, one standard. So when sinners are being purified, being made like Christ, we have the sin that taints that purity stripped away. When I think of my sin being pointed out to me, it gives me such comfort to know that the purpose is to strip it away in the aim of purity. But the fullness of what God revealed was through John Piper's messages. The introduction to one of his messages was a summation of the end to which men are created: To be made into the image of Christ to reflect His glory. Sinners are slowly taken from rebellion to the greater good of obedience to Christ making Him look great in His superiority over sin and death. As Christians we are to be "little Christs" to make Him look great, to magnify His grace and His love. So, in my daily life, I'm not trying to adhere to a set of rules for the sake of the rules, I'm not trying to conform to these vague concepts of love and mercy. Rather, I am being conformed to the image of Jesus, in whom the FULLNESS of God was pleased to dwell. And this process makes Christ look great. God is ordering all things to the end of His glory, including my life. I am a part of how this creation will sing in praise of its creator. By walking according to the Savior. How sweet is that?

The Mission of God

"In Him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of trespasses, according to the riches of his grace, which he lavished upon us, in all wisdom and insight making known to us the mystery of his will, according to his purpose, which he set forth in Christ, as a plan for the fullness of time, to unite all things in him, things in heaven and things on earth." Ephesians 1:7-10

Our small group just finished Ephesians as part of our through-the-whole-Bible-outline-each-book study. I was blessed to sit under the teaching of my husband, who has studied the book before. And how could I not be rocked by it when Andrew was standing in the kitchen explaining that God's eternal purpose for His glory was to raise Christ up from the death of this world and give Him victory over the powers of evil and rule over the Church which he raised up with Himself from the death she is trapped in? And what do the members of the church do in light of this cosmic victory they live in? They are patient, they speak kind words, they serve each other. 

Paul says, "When you read this, you can perceive my insight into the mystery of Christ , which was not made known to the sons of men in other generations as it has now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit. This mystery is that the Gentiles are fellow heirs, members of the same body, and partakers of the promise in Christ Jesus through the Gospel." Eph. 3:4-6

Basically, the mystery of God's plan that we didn't know for a long time has been revealed in this book! God's mission is this: To save sinners, and not just Israel, for His glory, through Christ. 

And what's even more challenging is the the response that Paul calls for in light of this truth. To live like Christ. To imitate Him as I am a wife, an employee, a sister, a friend. Live a changed life in this age in this world. And love what God loves.

Smedly just preached a series of sermons on what Grace Bible Church believes missions should include. There were four distinctives that missions should be:

- Doxological (about God's glory)

- Christological (about Christ)

- Eccesological (about the church)

- Global (to the ends of the earth)

Sound strikingly similar to a certain book in the Bible that contains the plan of God established before the foundation of the earth?

The mission of God, Ephesians, Grace Bible's missions vision, and me being a wife and a nurse in Tempe Arizona. It's like one of those shots in a movie where you zoom in from a view of planet Earth all the way down to my apartment. But the way I live in this apartment, sitting on this couch are a response to and a part of the very mission that God has for this creation. (Zoom back out)

I get to be a part of a mission of God. I get to align myself with His divine intentions. How? Love His glory. Love His gospel. Love the salvation of sinners. And live those things out.

Sometimes I have a difficult time wanting to go in to work, wanting to seek reconciliation with Andrew quickly, wanting to invest in other people. Sometime these things seem pretty small, and inconsequential. Praise God, each little thing is a part of a really huge thing, that defines what I am doing here in this life. Seeing the big-ness of the little parts of my life helps me to praise God for them and take them head on, for the sake of the mission of God.

Progress and Provision

The Lord has been faithful to provide for us even before we begin to move to Illinois. We have a place to live on campus at Trinity, and I have heard back from a home health organization near by that said they would interview me once we are out there. Praise God! These were my main concerns when we first started to consider moving, and they are practically taken care of already!

We will be looking to sell both of our cars to get one that has all wheel drive. This will be necessary for the winter weather driving that neither Andrew or I have any experience dealing with. Other than that, we really just have to pack up and drive out there when the time comes. We will be trying to spend our time that remains in AZ well, with the people that God has used to grow us and bless us. I still have a month and a week or two left at work, and to work well. Praise God for His provision in my job at St. Joe's, that has already provided so much for us!

Elder Proposal

The link above (The title of this post, just click it) is for the written proposal we gave to our elders today.

To The North

We heard back from Carson, we found out that Andrew will get $1000 a year more scholarship at Trinity for doing a Masters of Divinity, and that this degree will take less time than the ones we were considering initially. So...

We're going to Trinity!

Both of us are hesitant to believe this is really happening, since it has taken a while to reach this point. But I'm going to tell my boss this week, I applied to some nursing jobs in the area, and we are looking for housing. 

Last night we told a few people in person that we will be going. And each time it was a little sad. Andrew pointed out to me that the sadness is actually sweet. It means that God has given us a family here in Arizona, at Grace Bible Church. We care a lot about the body that God has made us a part of, and they care for us. So it will be sad to leave for a while, but the sadness is a blessing.

Please pray for us! We know and trust that God will provide what we need as we follow His leading. I have been seeing anxiety grow in my heart in relation to all the details. Pray that I would remember who God is so clearly in this time. Because all things are from God, to God, and for God. He is sovereign, good, and He does all things for His glory. I have no reason to doubt His provision for us!

We will be talking to the elders tomorrow about our plans. I will try to post anything we are able to type up for that meeting. I also will be trying to devise a method to stay connected to friends and family well. Let me know if you have any suggestions! I will be posting on this subject more as we get closer to leaving.

P.S. Our target for leaving is July 6th at this time. :)

2 Corinthians and grad school

For small group we are in the book of 2 Corinthians. In this letter Paul, for the most part, is defending himself to the Corinthians. They have compared him to these "super apostles" who said all the right things, had great reputations, and had a steady income for their work. Paul on the other hand, wasn't always eloquent, wasn't an impressive man in person, was beat up, shipwrecked, poor, hungry, and spread thin by his ministry. And yet who did the Lord work through? Who was given wisdom and understanding of truth? Paul says, "For the sake of Christ I am content with weakness, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." (12:10). 

Paul is no different than the men that God has used throughout redemptive history to do His work. Moses was not an eloquent man, and yet God used him to bring His people out of captivity. Abraham and Sarah were old, and he used them to be the father and mother of His nation. Joseph was captured, made a slave, and then a criminal, before God placed him in a position to preserve an entire nation. God works like this, in seemingly impossible circumstances through weak, unassuming people to accomplish His ends. So that the surpassing power will be of God and not of ourselves. 

How sweet a reminder to have in this season. It seems more and more impossible each day that passes that we will be able to go to Trinity or even Dallas. There are so many details, and question after question keeps coming up. I don't see how we will find housing, work, and the means to pay for school in such a short time frame. But if God wants to do it, He will. And He is setting up circumstances where I will have no choice but to say that it was by God's power we will get where we are going. He alone could work out all the kinks in just the right time. So, if we make it to grad school in the fall, the glory will belong to God alone. And that's just as it should be. When I am weak, the earthen vessel that I am, then I am strong.

Still thinking

As far as grad schools go, Trinity is winning out over Dallas as of today. The professors are great, and so is the location. However, one of the men Andrew was looking forward to studying under, Vanhoozer, has just left Trinity to go to Wheaton, which happened to be one of our other choices early on. There's a hint that this might be due to financial strain at the school. We don't want to pack up and move out there only to see the faculty trickle away once we get there. So, my husband went straight to the top, and emailed Donny Carson himself to see what is happening. We also have been considering the value of staying in Phoenix for a year to focus on marriage and discipline before going anywhere. More questions, more thoughts, more time to wait. That's where we are today. That's where the Lord has us today, and that's where we will stay for now. We will see what the Lord does.

Coupons?

Well, the women of Grace Bible Church have opened up a whole new world to me. Especially in light of considering grad school, I wanted to learn as much as possible about stewardship, frugality, and how to be able to serve Andrew by keeping our budget as small as possible. Enter coupons, coupon web sites, coupon blogs, weekly ads, and budget planning tools. Slightly overwhelming for someone completely unfamiliar with the whole business. Luckily, there are many wise, sweet women who have gone before, learned the best strategy, and have lovingly made their resources known and available. So, to the benefit of anyone who, like me, desires to learn how to trim a budget, here are the web pages I have found most useful thus far:

www.moneysavingmom.com

This blog gives weekly summaries of deals at CVS, Walgreens, Rite Aide, and Target. Also posts freebies, tips on budget, cooking, and thrifty ideas. This lady has a sweet heart.

www.hiptosave.com

This one has similar information, with more frequent posts on freebies. She may also be posting grocery deals in the near future.

It has taken a considerable amount of time for me to start in on this business, but one I get the hang of it I'm excited to see how I can trim our budget. All for the goal of living simply to be able to use what the Lord has given for His glory.

Thanks to the ladies of Grace Bible who already know these things are are so willing to teach!

Walking behind

Being a wife has been such a learning process for me, and today brought a sweet lesson. Every time Andrew gets more information about schools, about scholarship, and about jobs I start thinking. I start trying to guess how these pieces of information will effect Andrew's decision. I start trying to anticipate what will happen, where we will go, and how I can plan for it. And then comes the anxiety, the frustration, the unrest. Andrew sat me down today and asked me to do a few things. First, to know and believe that he is trusting the Lord with this decision. Second, to respect him in believing that he will make a decision. And third, to give up the burden I keep trying to take on to make things happen. Andrew is my leader, and I must learn to be a good follower. Not one who keeps trying to anticipate his direction and get there first. Following well for me means to keep my eyes on Andrews steps, and come behind. Going where he goes, trusting the Lord to lead him as he leads us. And to walk humbly behind. It is the same way in following the Lord. That we must not try and anticipate the will of God or decide what we think he will do. But walk humbly as He leads. And there anxiety fades, burdens are lightened, the way is clear. Simply follow in faith, walking quietly behind.

Sweeter

Another week. A few more pieces of information, some confusion, and one large breakdown later, we're still here waiting. And sweetly so for a few reasons:

- One, we are in God's perfect will! And He leads the blind in the paths they do not know. (Is. 42:16) One step at a time we are following. One step at a time is the pace.

- Two, it's hard. More so for me. This particular situation opens the door wide for my propensity toward thinking. And thinking more often than not leads me to worry and anxiety. Quite the opposite of trusting the Lord. Day after day there arises the opportunity to trust the Lord with what I don't know, with what I would love to be able to plan, and with all of the little details that will need to fall into place when we know where we are going to end up.

- This uncertainty forces both Andrew and I to focus on what is before us. We must not neglect our church, our work, and our relationship in this season, because this is where we are.

The Lord clothes the lilies, and His eye is on the sparrow. He knows the details involved in going to grad school, and moving, and changing jobs. This is the first of many large steps that Andrew and I will take together. Now is the time we get to shepherd our hearts, coach our thoughts, and indulge in patience as we wait. And Lord willing we will learn this well, so that the waiting will only get sweeter as time goes on.

And so we wait

After finding out scholarship information, course requirements, and more about atmosphere at Trinity, we remain undecided. I function off of data and deadlines, as Andrew can attest to. And what the Lord graciously showed me this week is that He doesn't have to honor my time frames. We have examined all the angles of this decision, talked, researched, and analyzed what information we have. The thing we lack at this point is assurance. Andrew has not come to the point of being confident in one school, of having peace about choosing one school over the other. What are we waiting for? A critical point that will sway us in the favor of one school? Someone we respect telling us where to go? There is peace when one rests in the pursuit of God's will. And right now, we can't say that we know where we are being called to. And so now we pray to this end: That God will show us His will. And it probably won't be in a blatant sign like a huge scholarship or a sweet job. We wait for the quiet but resolved assurance that we are in pursuit of the ministry that the Lord is calling us to. We wait to see where the Lord wants to use us in these next years. It has certainly been difficult for me to wait for something that I can't really define. But I do know that to simply make a choice for the sake of a decision will result in a flimsy foundation to begin such a radical change of course. The Lord has given me the grace for today to not know where we will go, and to not know when we will choose, but to wait. And so we will wait and pray, and see what the Lord brings.

Total it up

So, the long-awaited scholarship package ended up being scanned and sent via email since it still has yet to arrive here. And, by God's sovereign will, we were not offered any more scholarship than we had initially thought. So now all that remains is to total it up. And based on the the information on the web that I could dig up, DTS and TEDS stack up as follows:

Tuition and fees per semester:

TEDS: 5975 (after scholarship)

DTS: 5005

Rent in student housing:

TEDS: 775/month for 1 bedroom, 570/month for efficiency

DTS: 597/month plus electricity

Total tuition and fees for Andrew's degree without rent:

DTS: 25,025

TEDS: 29,875 

So, basically, the tuition each both will cost relatively the same amount. There is a large degree of variability in the housing costs, which will affect the total cost significantly.

Please pray for us as we consider these things!

The choices

It's been a while since there was something I was eagerly expecting to come in the mail. And for over a week now Andrew and I have been waiting for scholarship information from Trinity to arrive. As Andrew accurately stated, "It makes 24 hours seem a lot longer." This anticipation is heightened, because the arrival of this information is, Lord willing, going to make the determination as to where we are going to go to grad school. To the benefit of those who will read this to see our process in making this decision, here is a briefing on the choices we have and their merits:

- Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

Location: Deerfield Illinois (an hour or so North of Chicago)

Degree: Andrew would get both a Masters of Old Testament and Masters of New Testament

Classes for Stacy: I can audit as many courses as Andrew is enrolled in or pay half tuition for a certificate

Professors: Great

Job potential: Some hospitals in the area, most likely home health would be easier to work around

Why we like it: Great degrees for Andrew. Cold climate. (a plus for Andrew more than for me) Great professors. Small town with less to distract from studies.

Stuff that's not so great: The distance from family and home church

- Dallas Theological Seminary

Location: Dallas, Texas

Degree: Masters of Biblical Languages and Applies Linguistics

Classes for Stacy: 3 audits for a nominal charge, or half tuition (?) for a certificate

Professors: Great. Some sweet men and women with hearts for church planting and Bible Translation

Job potential: Lots of hospitals in the Dallas area

Why we like it: Sweet degree that incorporates both the Biblical languages and principals of translation, and loads of opportunity for the practical application of studies in inner-city ministry. Closer to family and home church.

Stuff that's not so great: Humidity. It's Dallas. Neither of us can say we hoped and dreamed to live there one day.

And, in association with DTS,

- Graduate Institute of Applied Linguistics

Location: Dallas, Texas

Degree: Certificate of Applied Linguistics

Classes for Stacy: I would have to pay full price and take the whole program too

Professors: The best in the business for Bible translation

Why we like it: We want to be prepared for Bible translation if that is the work the Lord should call us to

Stuff to consider: This program could be completed apart from study at DTS with before or after attending grad school somewhere else.

- Wheaton College

Location: Wheaton, Illinois (an hour or so South of Chicago)

Degree: Masters in Biblical Exegesis

Classes for Stacy: Not sure, couldn't locate this information

Professors: Great

Why we like it: Possibly huge scholarship for pre-field missionaries. Climate. It's where Billy Graham and John Piper went to school. :)

Stuff that's not so great: Missed the deadline for the scholarship application, and not sure if we could get it this fall. Far from family and home church

So there's the line up. We have pretty much eliminated Gordon Conwell from the list at this point. So with much prayer and consideration, our goal is to make the call by the end of this week. The beauty of where God has us right now is that seemingly, the choices are almost equal. So wherever we end up we will get a great education from sweet evangelical professors who love the Lord. How can we go wrong?

Gettin Started

Andrew and I recently came to the conclusion that now, in this season of life that God has given us, we are poised to go to seminary. This has long been a desire of my husband, and now (seemingly) is the perfect time for us to pursue it. This opens the door for change to come in leaps and bounds. And since we may in fact be leaving the church family that we both know and love, now seems to be the ideal time to try and start in on the whole blogging business. Not that I profess to be proficient at writing, or knowledgeable of the intricacies of the whole thing, but what a sweet way to be able to keep in contact with all of my brothers and sisters. So, I will brave these unknown waters and attempt to make this blog a place where those who desire to be in prayer for the two of us can find out what we are up to, how the Lord is shaping our thoughts, passions, and desires, and where in the world we are going to end up. Here goes nothing...