Well... I finally finished my school work for the week, except for  a speech I have to give by 10PM tomorrow. I'm about to kick back for the night and thought I'd take a minute to update my blog. I've issued a new challenge to our teens in hopes that it will help them be more committed to attending church. We are down in number right now with only 25 members but my concern is less about the number of members and more about their faithfulness. Though all 25 of our members are active, we usually only have about 10 in service each week. This is because most will come a week or two and then take a month long vacation. This is frustrating for a pastor. And I don't think most of our teens realize that we have church on Sundays because we onl see them on Wednesday night. I am thankful to have them at all but I want to spark within them a desire to be in God's house every chance they get. So, last night we addressed the issue and have come up with some ideas on how to possibly encourage better attendance. If anyone has suggestions, I am certainly open to hearing them. I am expecting a good turnout in Sunday School this week if everyone who told me they would be there actually shows up. Breakfast will be served to everyone is Sis. Alma ans Sis. Jackie's class.
In other news, Dianne and I bought a new home about four months ago. We have still not been allowed to move in because it was a foreclosure and the lean holders are dragging their feet. The realtor told us he thinks it should be around the 15th... we'll see. I've heard that before. Anyway, I have been needing some supplemental income to help make the house payment and have been waiting on a part time job to come through to help out. The School Board called today and I have an interview to become a substitute teacher next week. That will help but it's just not regular enough. I applied at another job that would be ideal and stable and am praying it comes through for us. I would like to ask all of you to pray that it will.
I've only got one follower on here (thanks Travis), but many are reading and responding through facebook. I just want to thank all of you for your support and your prayers. Give me a shout and let me know who you are and that you're praying. That would be great encouragement. Talk to you all soon.

Update

So... I am 35 years old and have just begun my continued education. It's been 17 years since I've been in school so it has taken some real effort to get caught up. My Speech and Foundations of U.S. Education courses are only 8 wk classes but my English Comp. course is 16 wks. I have good grades in all 3 right now but it is definitley more work than I was prepared for. Essays and speeches and article reviews and quizes, wow. I took classes to obtain my License to preach but they were Bible classes and ministerial prep classes. These are a lot different. Surprisingly enough, I am enjoying them so far. So what made me go back to school after 17 years? Well, I love the ministry and plan to be involved in ministry for the rest of my life. After 10 years in full time youth ministry, I feel the call to become a senior pastor in the near future. The problem is, many churches do not offer benefits such as health insurance and retirement plans, although the eternal benefits are extraordinary. I have been without insurance for 10 years now and have accumulated quite a bit of debt in hospital bills. I have prayed long and hard about this decision and feel confident that I will not be out of God's will if I go bivocational. I enjoy mentoring teens and helping them to achieve both spiritual and life success. And what better way to be able to invest into the lives of young people than teaching? So, I have decided to work toward earning a degree to teach 7-12 grade History. I have always loved History, especially U.S. History. I love researching and reading about the patriotism and heroism that make up the foundation of our great nation. We, as Americans, have truly been blessed over the years. Great leaders and brave men and women have paved the way for us to have the freedoms we enjoy each and every day. If we are going to maintain these freedoms and continue to enjoy the blessing of God, we must train our future leaders to aim high and keep God first. I would count it an honor to be able to help guide and encourage these young minds. But my heart is definitely in ministering to God's people. My passion is certainly to win the lost, set the captive free and to give hope to the hopeless. I want to ask each of my friends and family who are believers in the power of God to hold me up in prayer as I embark on this journey. Pray that I will have wisdom and that God will give me knowledge and understanding to make the grades. And pray that He will place me where I can be most effective. I wish I had started this process years ago but if I had, I'm not sure I would be where I am today. So, though it seems I am 17 years late, I am actually right on schedule. Until next time, God bless you all.

What To Expect

So, I am not an avid blogger and am usually to busy to keep blogs current. The fact of the matter is I haven't blogged in so long that I forgot where my blog was and had to start a new one, lol. But I will try to keep everyone up to date on what is going on in my life as much as possible.
I started college this semester, 17 years after I graduated high school. I am working on a degree to teach 7-12 grade history. Why now? Well, I just got up the nerve to start. It hasn't been too awefully bad so far, just a lot of time and work. I'm sure I will be blogging about how much I hate certain things in the near future. In fact, I have two reports and a speech due this week so it is inevitable that before the week ends, you will be hearing from me.
I will try to update you on church and youth events as well as personal and collegiate events. And I will be sure to share some of my random thoughts and experiences with you. Thanks for your interest and your prayers.