Rick Nier...Woo!

Like so many people, I end each year thinking about the year that was, and perhaps even resolving how I want the new year to go. But I guarantee you, no matter how much time I put into thinking last December, I never could have guessed how 2017 was going to go . For starters, here's a couple of sentences I never thought I would speak. I’m dropping the kids off at youth group.  I’m ok being without a job for a few months.  Both sentences go together, because as many of you know, I told the church I had youth pastored at for 15 years that God was telling me it was time to go. Now I know that when someone invokes the voice of God into a decision, it can sound like they're passing the blame onto the Deity. After all, who's going to argue with the voice of the Lord? I imagine people largely fall into 2 categories on this matter. Group #1 imagines the youth pastor just wants a change, but doesn't want people to dislike him for making the choice to leave. Group

Are there any other readers out there like me? Do you like to dog-ear pages and underline the quotes that move you? Or, if you're reading with tech, highlight and bookmark the pages that cause you to think? There have been certain books I've read, where I have more page corners flipped over than not. Don't get me started on what I do with all those highlighted passages and underlined quotes. I'm working on a system, but it's kind of like taking sermon notes. I can always go back, plus I pay better attention when I'm intentionally listening for stuff to jot down. If you read like me, and are a fan of Henri Nouwen, there is a book where you can leave all the pages pristine, because every page is like a highlighted quote. Gabrielle Earnshaw has compiled and edited quotes from all of Nouwen's classics, giving us You Are The Beloved; Daily Meditations for Spiritual Living . In the introduction she notes, "Henri had a lifelong struggle with lonelines

Awhile ago I posted news about a new job my wife had attained, one which I never saw coming. My wife works at a church we had known about for years. She is loving it and, I'm told, they are loving her. I still struggle to find a word better than perfect  to describe my wife in this Children's Ministry role. Not long after, I admitted I still had questions . Now that I knew we would not be moving (a prayer, by the way, my children all admitted praying) and I realized I could look for something local and long-term, the question was simple. What would I find to do? My search continued. My prayers continued to fill God's ears. That God was listening, I have no doubt. I filled my time as a substitute teacher . I found myself in many different schools, meeting many different people. As much fun as it was, and it was (most of the time), I knew substitute teaching could not be a long-term answer for the needs of my family. Although it was nice to see checks coming with my na