I lost 20 lbs. since then...

Since October 14th I've lost 20 lbs!

It's been 7 years...

About 9 months ago I sat down to have a chat with one of our church leaders about the necessity of giving a portion of our church budget into our local community (in a few ways we had but it was always an excess of funds or some one's pet project).  I was trying to persuade him toward a large portion (20-30%) now and more in the future.  Nodded politely and added his thoughts here and there, but nothing much came of it at least not yet.  

Seven years ago I visited Mars Hill Bible Church for the first time.  I was a timid college freshman with little to do with anyone except my friend Jeff.  He was from the area and I was just floating from friend to friend on Sundays going to their churches (then three weeks later I would start over again).  He went to Mars Hill.  I had heard of it.  Not much though.  I heard they met in a mall and that it was pretty big.  I went.  I remember entering the main auditorium (former department store) thinking how drab it was, "I thought big churches were supposed to have fancy lighting systems and video screens," I asked Jeff.  He hardly ever answered direct questions.  The room and stage were set up in-the-round almost as to invite conversation.  I heard the most amazing sermon from the book of Leviticus that had ever graced my ears (I remember asking my dad to skip Leviticus in our family devotions because it was just really dry and boring - he did). The speaker had volunteers from the congregation dress in period clothing and carry with them (fake) dead animals, have make-up put on them of infectious diseases, and all sorts of other stuff that just made the passage so much more real.  It just wasn't a list of laws.    I remember on that day thinking that the bible has been made so much clearer now than every before.  

I loved my experience but hadn't been back since.

Shari and I drove up to Grand Rapids on Sunday Morning to meet a couple friends of ours who we hadn't seen in a while and to visit Mars again.  It didn't take long for me to notice the same drab room set up in the same conversation igniting round format.  The congregation was asked if there were any serious Lego builders among them - you know the engineering type.  Eight were selected to fashion what ever they could from the Legos on the stage - the more creative the better - during the sermon.  I have never felt more secure in my relationship with God knowing that Jesus take the pieces of our lives that we just don't know what to do with and makes a masterpiece out of us for himself.  

In seven years not much seemed to change but the buzz in the air seemed as though there was a lot that had changed and a lot of change was happening.  Talking with my friend I came to find that a large portion of the giving that comes into Mars is given back to the local and global community.  I just felt like we visited a community that was finally in but not of.  

Umm... Does this still work?

I just want to apologize to the 669 people who have come to the site in the last couple of months only to find that nothing has been posted.  I often find myself in large cycles of blogging and then not blogging.  

So much has been happening.  I wish that I had time to share it all with you.  We'll see how much we can fit in.  

Work, Work, Work...!

So Shari and I have felt convicted over our personal debt it isn't a great amount but enough in fact our new perspective has been that some is too much.  We decided that we would work as much as possible in order to pay off as much of our debt as we possibly can.  We reduced our monthly expenses and started paying down out debt and have paid a substantial amount off already.  But in order to do it we had to get some work - Shari started substitute teaching, working at Maurice's and doing some tutoring.  I started working full-time at OfficeMax, and part-time at Family Christian and Target and recently just found another job designing websites from home.

Searching for a Church.

We haven't put too much time into searching for a church lately.  Don't get me wrong we both fully believe that we need to be in full-time ministry (preferably together).  But it just hasn't been at the top of the priority list lately.  That being said between September 30 and October 16th I sent my resume to about 60 different churches, but not a many since.  Now from that initial 60 I am still in contact with a couple churches.  Please pray that God would lead in our lives.  

All in all life has been crazy that past few months, but honestly I feel it has been mentally and emotionally not to mention spiritually relaxing.