Drabilene was icy!

So, we got back from Abilene yesterday evening. We went up on Saturday morning and watched the thermometer on the van go from around 36 degrees in Austin to 21 degrees in Abilene. There was a little bit of freezing rain on the way, but not too bad. There were actually some snowflakes in Abilene, but not much of substance. It was mainly just cold and windy. We got to eat at Taco Bueno and the new Rosa's restaurant near ACU. Both were very good. We got to see my niece, Becky, and see her Freshman Class win their Sing Song competition on Saturday evening.

We spent the night with Dina's sister and brother-in-law and then went to Highland Church of Christ for church. We got to see several old friends from my college days, like Kyle Dickson, Brandon Scott Thomas, Reg Cox, and John Scott Davis. It was good to reconnect with them all. After that, we went to Dina's parent's house for lunch and to visit with them. From there, we drove home and got back around 6:00 yesterday evening.

We got the kids in bed early and enjoyed a few hours of peace and quiet. We watched Super Size Me on DVD and then went to bed. No more McDonald's for me for a while!

So, tomorrow morning, I'm going to try to reconnect with the Journey Bible Fellowship men's group at 6:00am. We're also going to try to visit a home group this week. We're also planning on meeting with some of our friends that have also left our old church home for a bowling night next Sunday.

Well, I have to administer the TAKS test at school tomorrow, so that will also be a new interesting experience. Just another good thing to put on the old resumé as I pursue the possiblility of becoming a teacher. So, tomorrow will be a long day.

Valentine's Day

So, today I found out that the Educational Assistant position may not open up to full-time after all. However, the lead teacher is working on it for me and she is trying to make some things happen. So, again, time will tell. A year ago, this would have really affected my emotions, but one thing God has helped me with during this time is to trust Him in all things. I know that He is working things out for my good, so I no longer quickly label things as "blessings" or "curses". I just say "time will tell." This reminds me of a cool parable that I read in a Max Lucado book years ago, but I can't remember it too well. I'll have to go back to see if I can find it.

Today is Valentine's Day and we aren't doing too much. Dina was awesome and made me a great dinner, even after a long day of hauling all four kids around a museum today. Money has been tight, so we can't really afford to buy things or go to dinner. But, I have been, as usual, trying to show her how much I love her over the last several weeks (our anniversary, her birthday, etc.), so I'm almost a little out of creativity. I know she knows that I love her, but I don't know if she really knows how deeply that love goes and how much I want to be with her all the time. She is truly a part of me and I can't imagine life without her.

Our cohort meeting is this weekend, but we will be in Abilene. So, I had to cancel the meeting. We've had an influx of new members since our mention in the Emergent Village newsletter, so I hope we'll all get to meet the new folks at our March meeting.

I'm also learning a lot about stepping out of my religious "comfort zone" and embracing people and ideas that my upbringing has told me to shun. I just can't get behind any system of belief that automatically counts someone out if they don't live up to a certain standard. In my reading of the Bible, I find that Jesus first loved those he came into contact with (both sinners and the self-labeled "righteous"). It was only after loving them, accepting them, and meeting their needs that he then called them to a higher standard of walking. I was ingrained in a system that demands that people quit sinning (as if anyone could do that anyway) and walk at a higher level before they could be loved and accepted. To me, that just isn't walking as Jesus would walk (I John 2:6).

What?? An update?

Well, here I am again. Life happens. I'm trying to make blogging happen more, too.

Let's see, a lot has happened lately. I am currently in a long-term substitute teaching position at Westview Middle School in Pflugerville ISD. It is a special education position working with emotionally troubled kids. The position is scheduled to last for 5 weeks and rumor has it that they may offer me the position full-time. It is an Educational Assistant position, so I don't need to be certified to teach. It doesn't pay that much, but it would be guaranteed income at a higher rate than substitute teaching. So, we are excited to see what turns out there.

Earlier this year, I began mulling over the possibility of "recareering" - changing the direction of my life midstream. I have begun to pursue the idea of getting certified to become a full-time teacher. My long-term goal would actually to become a football coach. I love working with kids and I am looking at how my life can have a deeper impact on kids in the world that need to know that Jesus and others care about them. My buddy, Gerald, always says that the ultimate youth ministry is to be a teacher in the public schools. In looking to maximize my efforts to be a true representative of Jesus in the marketplace, I am beginning to get a vision of how that may look as a teacher. So, I am pursuing investigations into an alternate certification program with Region 13 ESC that starts this summer. This current EA position would carry us through to the summer when that program would start. I'll keep you updated on how this search goes.

We have begun semi-formally attending a new church here, too. I can't say that we've fully decided to settle here, but we have been attending for the last 4-5 weeks and I really like the ethos of the church and the leadership. It is called The Journey Bible Fellowship and they meet at Vista Ridge High School in Cedar Park. I've visited their men's weekly breakfast and Dina has started attending a women's Bible study. We hope to check out a small group or two in the next week or so, as well.

As for the Austin Emergent Cohort, we have been meeting once every two weeks for the past couple of months. Interest has grown in the group as we were mentioned in the Emergent Village weekly email newsletter a couple of weeks ago. We have grown from just two of us to now 31 members registered in the last couple of months. The most that we have seen at a gathering has been 16, but we are averaging between 10-15 each time. We hope to start reading a book together soon, but which one is still up for grabs. A couple of weeks ago, we watched a movie from a DVD called 36 Parables. It was really well done and I heartily recommend the DVD. The makers of the series are attempting to use the arts and today's technology to "re-tell" the parables of Jesus in ways that 21st-century humans can easily understand. Check it out if you get a chance.