Experiencing technical difficulties...

So on Sunday, Andrea and I like to have the laptop in the living room so we can check scores for our fantasy football teams (I own "Harry Caray's Green Cheese Ribs" and Dree owns "Muppets with Fury"). As we were enjoying ourselves Noelle knocked the laptop to the floor, thus ripping the power cord apart. So for the first part of this week we have been computer-less, and have been catching up yesterday and today. Sorry this post has taken so long.

We are in communication with three "churches of interest" right now. The church in Wichita Falls, TX has invited me to come for a visit. My schedule doesn't match up with the pastor's schedule until late October, however. He's going to be out of town a lot and Noelle's birthday is the 20th and I don't want to miss that.

We haven't heard anything from the church in Frisco since last week. It still seems to be the best fit for us as a family, for me as a person, and for me as a minister.

Another church has shown a lot of interest this week. It's a big church in Monterey, CA that needs a junior high minister. It sounds like a neat place. They have been very interested to know my ministry philosophy and organization. Good thing I had those things thought out beforehand!

Please be praying for my health. To make a long story short, I have a sleeping disorder and the medicine I have been taking for it hasn't been very effective lately but I'm doing okay. I just would like to have a full night's sleep.

Thanks so much. Grace and peace to you all.

This Thursday

There are a couple of things I could use prayer for right now. First, I have a cold and would like to feel better soon. Second, I received a call tonight from the church in Frisco, TX that I have mentioned before. They are meeting on Thursday and will be discussing whom they want to do telephone intereviews with. Please be praying that they will want to speak with me and that I could connect with them on a personal level throughout that process.

Oh, and now there's a third request. As I was typing this I received a phone call from a church in Wichita Falls, TX. The conversation went very well and they asked me to come down for an on site interview and teaching session with their students. I need to find tickets and a time to visit.

Thanks for all your prayers. I believe I am winning favor with these churches because of them. Grace and peace to all of you.

Chris

Hurry up and wait.....

Well, I thought I had posted something last week but apparently it didn't make the arduous journey through cyberspace. We have had some good things happening lately.

I have spent the past few weeks at home trying to make contact with every church I can find that is in need of a student pastor. I have been able to speak with several pastors or search committee heads. Over the past weekend I spoke with churches in Jacksonville, FL and Wichita Falls, TX. The conversations went well but it is all trying my patience. I'm sure you all know how hard it can be to sit around and wait for churches to meet and call, and meet, and call, and so on, and so on.

It's all good, though. Andrea and I are continuing to hope in God, not in any situation. Over the past weeks it's been nice to stand on the Rock of His Word. In knowing that He is taking care of us and we're just to do what He has taught us to do and what He leads us to do.

Andrea is getting used to her job. She feels like she is able to help people more so that makes it more satisfying. A few people have asked the boss to keep her at all costs.

The big prayer request right now is that I would be pursued by a couple of churches who are meeting tomorrow. Please pray that I would have favor with them and that I would be on their minds as they pray about the opening at their church.

The position that keeps coming up in my mind is one in Frisco, TX. It is the one that I want so I want to bring it before God as much as possible, knowing that He is sovereign and might have something better planned. There are several reasons I like it; it's closer to home, there are some good friends already there, it's close to Southwestern Theological Seminary, and the biggest is that I like the pastor there. I enjoyed speaking with him very much and he seems to be the type of person that I want teaching me how to be a minister.

Please pray for that position in particular. It seems like a great place to be, but the greatest place to be is where God is. It's such a peaceful feeling knowing that He is in control. Grace and peace to you all.

Labor Day

There is a bit of a role reversal at our house these days. Andrea has been working for a week and a half now, and I am Mr. Mom. It's a lot of fun to be with the girls. I didn't expect that the girls and I would get this much closer. I also didn't expect an organized part of me to surface, but it has. In fact, Andrea says I'm a great housekeeper. I'm not sure if that's my life's ambition but I'm glad to be doing a good job of it while I'm here.

I have been sending out resumes and have even spoken with a couple of senior pastors in the past week. Right now I am waiting for committees to meet and decide with whom they'll do phone interviews.

The best leads I have right now are in Frisco, TX and Bixby, OK. There's also a church in Dexter, MI that I've been speaking to. Please be praying that I, and my resume, would have favor with the committee members and that they'll want to contact me.

I really appreciate all of you keeping up with this and praying for me and my family. Grace and peace to you all.