Hurricanes And Life Change

Wow....

I do love a good storm. We were just hit by a decent one this past weekend. Hurricane Irene. Our area (Suffolk) wasn't hit too badly thankfully. Some areas were hit worse then others. (Yep...that's a tunnel cars are supposed to drive through)

For the most part power is back in our area with a few spots still without. Some people are complaining about how over-hyped the hurricane was and in some areas that's true. I don't think the peninsula was hit too bad. Out west (Williamsburg and New Kent County) was the hardest hit of the areas.

In non-hurricane news, God has opened the door a little to my pursuit at Crossroads. I'm both shocked and amazed that it's actually going forward, but not guaranteed as of yet. Basically, I am looking to be one of the church's keyboard players; a role that for years the many voices from within have reaffirmed a suspicion that I am probably not good enough. My most significant and life-changing role's in the church have always been tied to the praise and worship section of it.

The funny thing about that voice of condemnation is that it subtly suggests I'm not good enough. Quietly whispering right along side my own self-doubts. that is, until I pursue. Then the voice screams I'm not good enough. Directly contrary to 2 Timothy 1:7 for God gave us a spirit not of fear but of power and love and self-control.

In the process of the pursuit one of the things I had to tell myself was that the outcome of it is completely in God's control, not mine. If He wants me in this role I'll be there, or in another more suited to further His kingdom. As of now God has given the go-ahead, which is AWESOME because I have felt passionate about praise and worship for quite some time.

We will see where it goes!

All Things New

It's about time I took one of the many nonsensical whimsies of my mind that Blogger has labeled a draft and formed it into a comprehensible opinion!

Life has been pretty crazy so far this year. Our life is overflowing with a type of newness that I praise God's name for!

A New Car.
For those of you who have known me for quite some time, you might question my vehicle trend in life...I do. God has recently allowed me to have the Fiat 500. It's comparable to a smart car but bigger and slightly more powerful.

Fiat claims to rival the Cooper, and I am totally behind this claim for the following reason...

Yes. The Italian Job Claims the Cooper can carry 1 and a 1/2 times it's own weight in gold while still out-preforming its pursuer in true Jason Statham fashion. While I would possibly consider this car for a 2300lb gold heist, the fact that all of it's gauges are in the middle of the dash as opposed to above the wheel (talk about your sight-line deficiency) makes this vehicle inferior to the Fiat in every way.   

A New House.
THIS has been an interesting endeavor to say the least. I start by saying despite common belief, rarely do I ever rush into giant decisions. But we found a house by missing a turn on an interstate. (literally- saw the sign for the homes after missing a turn...lol)

After much deliberation and outside advice on the subject, we decided to move forward with the purchase. The entire process has been surprisingly smooth (maybe because we're buying directly from the builder) and straight-forward. The location is amazing and central to our lives, the price for what we are getting is very good...The consensus of me and Jen is that God has dropped this opportunity into our lap.

I originally did not want to buy a house for a couple of years, but the housing market suggests otherwise. With rates that allow for a monthly payment to be slightly higher then rent, we figure now is the time to buy.

A New Church.
We have recently decided to switch churches. We actually made the decision quite some time ago, but decided recently to actively look.

Church shopping makes it onto my top 50 hated activities of life. Scoring right along side cooking, decorating, dancing, and running into the person from my past who is really happy to see me, but for the first 5 seconds of our interaction I have no clue who they are.

I don't know about you, but I have never found a church on my own accord. Ever. I believe God is all about making it very clear that HE is the one who will supply the church in my life that is solely focused on Him and His word. Google, while great at finding many other things in life, has been severely lacking in the godly church department. It's not how I found Mclean, WEC, Crossroads (our current church- http://www.crcnorfolk.com/page/home) or any church that will significantly impact me spiritually. Nope. Our church was suggested to us by a good friend. (which is how God operates in this department)

There are two surprising factors about this church..

1. Its small. About 150 people. Me and Jen are used to the mega church scene. But in the church searching process I made myself a disclaimer that size, although a preferable trait, would not dissuade us from a decision. While our area is sort of known as being a spiritual desert, (eh...) Crossroads has stood out to me as being the only church I have visited in the area (out of many) that emphasizes God's word as being it's primary rudder and guiding light for direction.

2. It's only service is Sunday morning. And while getting up early also scores on the list of hated activities of life, I told myself that an evening service rates in the preferred but not required category. And God called me on it...:)

A New Marriage. 
Been getting alot of questions about how married life is going. My response has been that marriage so far has been one of the very few things in life that has exceeded my expectations of it. God has blessed this union immensely, and me with an amazing woman to go through life with. Sadly, we have gotten a few "well it's great NOW." responses. And maybe surprisingly, I would agree that marriage without any sort of conscious effort to combat my sinful nature to only focus on what I can get out of it- will indeed lead to an unpleasant place no couple WANTS or foresees themselves ever being, but sadly end up.

The frame of behavior that the bible teaches on marriage (and relationships) is that of a constant pouring out to your spouse. In return, God pours into you. Both through your spouse and other avenues. This is what was emphasized to us through premarriage counseling. The biggest and most tragic misinterpretations I have witnessed of marriage and the christian life is that both are motivated out of obligation...Nothing could be further from the truth!

It is for freedom that Christ has set us free. Stand firm, then, and do not let yourselves be burdened again by a yoke of slavery. (Gal 5:1)