Ready for a New Season...

I am ready for somethings to change. Wearing the constant hats of Dad, Husband, and Pastor while trying to work two jobs and care for my kids is insane! I've never been afraid of hard work. In a weird way I've often sought after it, being drawn to the challenges. But despite my best efforts it just seems like the wheels are spinning with out producing forward motion.

More and more, autumn is becoming my favorite season. In a desert where our seasons are nice, nice, nice, and extremely hot!... autumn is the first relief from extremely hot. I am looking forward to this autumn as a season of change once again. Leah will be finishing school. I don't think either of us knew what a huge impact this would have on the rest of our lives. We are both older and adding one more thing has had a much bigger effect than it used to. Regardless, Leah has learned a lot, including recession resistant marketable skills. Come the fall she should have more flexibility with her schedule, a means of income, and greater capacity to run our house the way she'd like to.

We are going to be be placed as a CARES team with apartment life christian ministries. We are already approved and just waiting for the where question to be answered. We will serve like chaplains / activity directors for an apartment complex, and receive severely discounted rent in exchange. Moving into an apartment seems backwards, but I am convinced the American dream of owning a home and a dog is overrated. I am also really looking forward to this opportunity to reach the un churched and demonstrate the love of Jesus in an apartment community. The reduction in rent may allow me to cut back on my other work hours and/or allow us to get ahead a little bit on the debt and bills front. The time I spend as a CARES team will overlap some with what I do for the church, and those two roles should really compliment each other. I also recieved a call from the area director this week to talk about a certain apartment possibility...in the same neighborhood we live in right now. If this works out, it would mean very little adjustment for our kids as far as friends and school and also for our daily commutes.

Olivia is going to start kindergarden. Both her and Isaac will be in school. We just need to come up with a plan for Abi and I will have a real plan to get sleep. I have found watching three kids and sleeping is impossible. Inevitably one will not happen. All this to say... I am hopeful for what's a head.

Right now we are all okay. I am thankful for the various ways God has provided for us, and I don't want to miss all the oppurtunities that exist here and now. I'm just wondering how long this will last.

Cheers!

Today marks the 75th Anniversary of New Beer's Eve. A day in 1933 when many looked forward to having a weak watered down beer legally. The 18th amendment was not fully repealed till later that year, but Budweiser and others are using today to sell, sell, sell. I was once asked by a pastor's kid if drinking beer was a sin. I replied, "That's a pretty controversial issue, but I'm sure of one thing". "What's that?" he asked. "Drinking Cheap beer is a sin!" I said.

I'm pretty sure none of my spiritual ancestors were there celebrating that day. In fact, I'd bet my pentecostal forefathers would be pretty upset that I'm blogging about this... and even more upset that I just said "I bet." I think few people in the evangelical church today care too much about drinking alcohol in moderation, yet I am sympathetic to the prohibitionists who were concerned about the abuse and drunkenness that was affecting their communities. I see many similairities today with those who want to ban abortion or protect marriage. I am against abortion and I am for traditional marriage, but considering the grand success of the "noble experiment" called prohibition, I wonder if our efforts are still misplaced.

Why don't we love people better? Why don't we take better care of our traditional marriages? Why aren't more christians all about adoption? Why don't we engage people where they are at, and pray for His kingdom to come? That's sounds difficult, it'd be easier to go protest politics. Anybody want to drink to that?!? Enough ranting for today... Cheers.