After 3 months of not being in ministry, I finally decided it might be time to start jotting down some things in my blog again. Wow, has our life been a whole whirlwind of changes. It is no fun to uproot from everything you know and are so accustomed to, but Ashley and I felt that it was time for us to move on. In December we found a really nice place to live in Fort Wayne (most important a garage for the motorcycle :) ) and moved out of Berne basically by the end of the year. First and foremost, I must put my marriage first and after three months of being out of the ministry, even with all the hours of praying and trying to make sure that we could swing this jump, I am positive that we are doing the right thing and God has given us so many confirmations along the way that have been such a blessing. I am so excited for the future the Lord has for Ashley and I. Right now, I know that I am being molded and shaped into who I am supposed to be. Sometimes you look back at where you were just a short period ago and can't believe where you were. God is shaping me into the man that he made me to be first with His relationship with Him, and second as a husband to Ashley, my wife. I have recently started working at Sears in the Lawn & Garden department and really do love the change of pace. Yes, I loved working in the church, especially with the teens in our youth group, but right now, I am loving being able to minister at Sears. I am making some awesome friendships and having a blast learning how to make commission. :) Did I ever imagine that I would be out of the ministry once I started, not really, but I am so thankful every DAY that I am not the one making the plans. God has a course charted for us and do I know where we will be in a year, or 5 years, no, and I'm so glad! Faith is not knowing where you are going. Faith is confidence that there is someone else leading you with the best plan! How true this passage is: "The Lord says, 'I will guide you along the best pathway for your life. I will advise you and watch over you. (ps. 32.8)"
In this time, Ashley and I are just falling more in love with each other. We are learning to rely on each other and learning to put our God first, and our marriage second, and finally everything else after that. It is so hard to explain when you are working in a church how easy it is to become that church. Everything becomes about the church, the meetings, the people, the crisis', and it's so easy to stop putting your priorities in the right place. God has given us the perfect place to build a strong foundation. I miss working in the church terribly, but I know that this period can be as long or short as I want it to, and when we are ready, God will place us where we need to be! So, as for now, Ashley will be working at Parkview Hospital and I at sears, and God is growing us both. We all need healing, even those who are not sick. I am putting all of my trust, all of my faith, into the God Almighty. During this time I know, because the process has already started, that God is making me a better man and I am thankful for the life that He has given me. We have been attending a church close to our house, Pine Hills Church. Thank you Ben and Kara for introducing it to us. We need a church family right now. God is providing for us. He is truly an amazing God.
