Well it's been awhile since I have made a post. Sometimes we just get busy and thus has been the case. Lots has transpired since my last blog. About 2 years ago , I cleary got a message from the Lord that simply said " SIMPLIFY", so 2 years later I sold "BIG HOUSE" to another who can enjoy it as I once did. Selling big house also means that Chase no longer owns my soul, yay God. For me downsizing wasn't that hard. I have 60% less room than I once did, which is still ok. No pool to clean, no more chlorine smell burning a hole in my sinus cavities. I only have one yard to cut. One home insurance to pay, one water bill, one gas bill. Less house = less upkeep. Less cleaning means more time too do something else like ministry, which leads me to yet another LIFE CHANGE.
At least for the short term, I find myself on the outside. Outside of being "IN" a church or student type ministry. It feels strange to actually have time to do "mortal things" like cut grass, ride my motorcycle, clean the storage garage, grille and every now and then, I just sit outside and swing and BY MYSELF I may add. Waaaaaaaay different from what I am used to. My cell phone has gone 80% silent due to the huge drop-off from the constant birage of student text messages I got for many years and at all hours of the day and night. Sometimes, people just need a change. Being at the same church for 30+ years has it's advantages but it also has it's drawbacks. Sometimes our way of doings things is not somebody else's way of trying to accomplish the same thing. I could write for days about that subject alone, but will leave that for my book I will write some day. Nothing juicy, just thoughts from the heart.
So for now, I have gone the opposite direction from MY LONG TIME baptist based church denomination, to a non-denomination type environment and it feels pretty good. In fact it's actually refreshing in it's own way. No Sunday School lesson to prepare. No message to write and teardown and rewrite over 4 times. Speaking of Sunday School, why do we even call it that. I didn't like school 40 years ago and don't like it now. So those two words are being removed from the right side of my brian to nenevr be uttered or written again.
I know God has other plans for me. The BIGGEST down to this lifestyle change is not seeing those truly amazing students that I have grown so fond of. We have shared life's ups & downs so much it's scarey. Through death and divorce, and through birth to baptism, we have had quite a journey. I think for the most part a very solid foundation has been left for them to rest on. Still, not getting that weekly "run and jump hug" will be seriously missed. Some may never see or will ever understand what having a strong relationship with students is all about. We each have our priorities and mine is being real and open and transparent and following the pattern of Jesus. Before Jesus ever made sense to his disciples had formed a close bond with them and slowly but surely they were getting the picture.
So as for me, it's a time to refresh and soak it up. But I know God has something up his sleeve.
Hmmm does that mean God wears shirts. Well, That's another topic all together.
till next time
peace
tc
Romans 5:1
