Our daughter, Emberly Grace, was born on May 8th and what a miracle she is. I am overwhelmed with how surreal it is to be holding her. She is such a joy.
The next day, May 9th, I checked my voice mail and learned that I am receiving a scholarship to seminary. I had been accepted for 5 years, but because of finances, this is the first time that the door has opened for us. Needless to say, we are excited and humbled that God has made a way.
So, after an exciting year of teaching Bible in Texas, we are packing up to move back to Illinois. We do not have a job or a place to live yet. It is an act of faith that I would not have been capable of a year ago. But after going through unemployment, I am able to trust that God will provide a way.
Our prayer is that God will allow me to lead worship at a church in Illinois or southeast Wisconsin. God has sparked a flame within me, and I am hoping to share my passion for worship with others. If you hear of a church that needs help with worship leading, graphic/web design, small groups, young adults, youth, children, etc., please let me know.
Lastly, I must mention what a fun year it was in Texas. I would be crazy not to mention all of the highlights of the past 9 months. And yes, even though it is hard to believe, I enjoy these wild memories:
- * breaking down in Joplin, MO for 3 days
- * driving a 22-foot Penske moving truck
- * getting all of my hair cuts for a year while driving through Joplin, MO
- * living in a hotel room for 7 days
- * losing my shoelace on the first day of school
- * leading the school drumline for a few practices
- * leading worship for 400 high school students every week
- * going to the ER for a random case of pneumediastinum
- * enjoying a 2000-mile Christmas road trip to Chicago
- * watching a 1/4 inch of snowfall in a Texas McDonald’s (a beautiful night!)
- * my wife getting in a car accident while pregnant — totaling the car at 5 MPH
- * my wife breaking her foot while pregnant (do you sense a pattern here?)
- * discovering Caden’s incredible soccer talent
- * visiting 7 churches in the D/FW area
- * recording songs for a new worship EP
- * hanging out with Terri, my aunt from Dallas
- * tasting beef brisket (BBQ), Chicken Express, and falling in love with southern cooking
- * seeing Caden become a real cowboy
- * watching my first ever season of American Idol (Apparently, I am 6 years behind the rest of society)
- * watching Star Wars Episode 6 for the first time (Yes, again I am behind the times, but I’ve seen the other episodes many times!)
- * witnessing my daughter’s entrance into the world!
Texas was a great experience. To balance things out, though, here were the downsides:
- * Seeing my dad board a train to Chicago was tough. I had to do that twice, and I have never been so homesick. Thankfully, his train got delayed both times, which bought me some extra time.
- * Missing 3 weddings: my brother’s, Bruce’s, and Geoffrey’s. I planned to attend several of those, but various health conditions prevented me from doing so.
- * Not as much seasonal change. We missed seeing more of the Fall and Winter.
- * Wishing I had a greater impact on the lives of students. I know that God brought me here for a purpose, and I pray that some seeds will flourish when I’m gone.
In a few days, we start trip #1 to Chicago to catch a wedding. Hopefully we’ll make it in time. Not long after, I’ll come back to Texas and make another trip. It will be 3000+ miles, but I am looking forward to the adventure.
God isn’t safe, but He sure is good.