Yet Another New Chapter

You may have noticed I haven't posted in awhile. The past 10 days have been a super-busy time of getting our new life figured out. Things are changing around our home. It goes beyond the adoption but is very related.

If you've been a reader of this blog very long, you know how passionate our family has become about our faith driving us to make a difference in the lives of those less fortunate than us. My first post sums up our heart pretty well.

It has become evident that God is moving us on to something new. We don't know the specific details yet. We do know that our future has something to do with directly ministering to the forgotten members of society. Wherever that road leads, we're officially on it!

Effective August 31, I've resigned my position as youth pastor at Oregon Nazarene Church after 8 1/2 absolutely wonderful years. This was a heartwrenching decision. There's not an ounce of bad blood between us and anyone in the church. In fact, our tenure with the church has been amazing. The teens in the youth group right now are among the best we've ever had. The youth workers are second to none. And the people of the church have loved us very well.

Which is all what made this decision so difficult.

Oregon Nazarene will be "sending" us (not in a get-out-of-here way, but in a you-have-our-blessing way). They've been very supportive in our decision, largely because they've seen the difference our faith has made in two little girl's lives. They see the connection.

There's one good friend, though, who every time he sees me says, "Have I ever told you I'm not happy with what you're doing?" (then smiles).

The next year is about providing stability for our family and preparing for whatever this is we're doing!

Meanwhile, for the past month or so I've been searching for a way to support my family financially. Nothing seems to fit. (It seems there's a shortage of copier salespeople in Toledo if anyone's interested). On August 4 I decided to go back to my roots. I'm a third-generation carpenter. There's a shortage of handymen in Toledo. I'm starting my own business.

Since that decision we've had day-after-day confirmation that it was the right choice. Last Thursday alone I was able to purchase a new (to me) pickup for half the bluebook value. On the way home I stumbled across a tool sale in a guy's garage. He probably had over $100,000 worth of tools in his shop. Retired and wanting to make space in his shop, I bought $3000 worth of tools for $400.

Nearly every day someone calls and asks me to work for them. Some I know. Some I don't. We haven't even advertised yet. I don't even have business cards printed. The website just went live a few hours ago. Yet I've already got more than a half-dozen jobs lined up and several more to look at.

This Sunday the church has planned something special for us. It's my last Sunday as a member of the paid staff.

2007 has been an adventurous year!