Take Heart, Be Strong, and Wait on the Lord...

Have you ever wondered if you were where God really wanted you? I have many times in the past four years. Shortly after adopting Spicy Girl, our world changed as we knew it. I had resigned my teaching position to stay at home with S.G. D.S. was the Children's Pastor/Business Administrator for our church. Many changes suddenly took place in our church, and we knew God was ready to move us on.....but where? D.S. resigned, making plans to work a "secular" job and finish his business degree. Everything was set. We stepped out of the full time church position onto a new path. D.S. started his new job, and four weeks later, he was laid off. Can you imagine what went through our head at this point? "Were we wrong in leaving the church? Did we miss God? What are we going to do now?"

The next day was Memorial Day festivities. We had family coming over for a barbecue, but we weren't ready to announce our news. As family began arriving, the phone rang. It was a pastor friend whom we've known for many years. He and D.S. had known each other since they were boys. He was calling to ask how D.S.'s new job was. He was calling because he wanted D.S. to come be the Children's Pastor at his church in the Dallas area. Now, mind you, I'm freaking out at this point. D.S. was running some errands, so I told this pastor friend to call back in a bit, and that I would let D.S. explain our current situation.

We went up to Dallas to interview and meet the staff. During that time, D.S. got another call from our denomination District Offices with a great job offer. Here we were, just a few days after D.S.'s lay off, with two job offers. We prayed, and we prayed and we prayed for God to show us which one to take. The district job paid quite a bit more, but you know how ministry is. You don't necessarily go for the money offer....you go where God wants you. And we knew he was not finished with us in Children's ministry.

So, we knew God was moving us out of our former church, but unsure of where. In the mean time God provided a 4 week job until the next church was ready for us. We packed our bags, took quite a big loss on our house, and continued the path in Children's Ministry.

Three and a half years later, this pastor friend created a new position. It was great. As they were growing so quickly and opening new campuses, D.S. would become the Launch Pastor at each new campus. We would spend a year there, help to get it "up and running" and move on to the next campus. We started this position last October. A new Children's Pastor was hired, and life moved on. This was not an easy move for us, as we loved our job, but we prayed and felt it was a new road/challenge for us. In January, due to hundreds of thousands of dollars that had to be cut out of the budget, we were laid off. What could they do? Another Children's Pastor was hired and ours was one of the newest positions. Talk about wondering if we were where God wanted us......

It's been over two months. No "next day" phone call with another job offer. No leads to be followed up on. Nothing.

But I will tell you this....D.S. is getting the chance to finally finish his business degree; the one he's been working on for many years now. He is taking 24 hours. God has shown him such favor during this time. He has made A's on papers and tests he was "sure" he failed. He has had professors email him and tell him how much they enjoyed reading his paper and how they see he's really understanding the material when so many others are not. He's earned extra points on exams for extra credit essays he's written. When a professor was trying to let the class down easy by explaining to them that so many had failed her last exam, D.S. found that he had made a 98.

The only doors that God has truly opened for us, is school for D.S. Thank you Lord!!

At this point, we have prayed and decided to step out of full time ministry....for now. We will ALWAYS be in ministry. We will serve God for the rest of our lives. He has not shown us a specific direction, so unless He changes our path, we will continue the only way we know. He continues to speak to hearts saying, "Take this time to spend with me. Enjoy my presence. Take heart, be strong and wait on the Lord." We continue to wait and trust.

I leave you with a picture of my dear husband in his studies. Press on my handsome scholar!!