Today is sort of bittersweet. For those of you that love reading, then you know how easy it is to get caught up in a book and get somewhat attached to fictional characters. Several years ago, I began reading books by Karen Kingsbury. I began the Redemption series then, and read those five books. Then she did 2 other spin-off series. There are a total of 14 books, and I finished the last of them last night. I know it seems so silly, but I have been through a lot with these charactersa nd so it is sort of hard to see them go. I feel like it is an end of an era. I have laughed with them, cried with them, been mad at them, etc. I have actually learned a lot from these characters about the love of God and the redemptive power He alone has. I’ve learned through them to trust Him more and know that He really does have good plans for our lives. I guess you would just have to read the books, but I love and appreciate the way she showcases each character’s relationship with God, the way they interact with Him. It has challenged me greatly. I’m just so thankful for literature and all we can learn from it, even fiction.

On a different note, Jon and I finally found a place to live that will be closer to his new job and not too far from my school. We are really excited about it. It is a nice place and we begin moving in on Saturday. Woohoo!

Well, this last weekend was awesome! Not only did I find out that I was accepted to grad school, but we also had the blessing of being in Florida and worshiping and visiting with old friends. This weekend is always special. In fact, it is how I began my experience at UT with the CSC and where Jon and I began our friendship three years ago. This past weekend was one of the best times yet. I felt as though God were speaking directly into my life. The messages seemed to be exactly what I needed to hear. I will not recap the entire weekend, but will tell you a bit of what I learned. I think the takeaway messages are as follows:

1. God loves us abundantly; one of the greatest challenges in life is to simply let God love us and rest in that, and that be enough

2. When we have a relationship with God, if we are allowing Him to love us like He desires, then we will experience true joy and have hope

3. God can use us right where we are; He can do the impossible. We are the ones that try to put limits on His power.

4. If we simply surrender to God, let His love fill our lives, He will do great things through us

5. He will never ever ever let us go

I think that’s about it. Maybe I got it all wrong, but that is what I learned/was reminded of this weekend. I feel renewed. I am seeing more clearly now how God wants to use me. I’m excited! Praise Him for an amazing weekend!

And now I want to leave you with the words of one of my favorite hymns. They pretty much sum up the final message of the weekend from GCG. I hope you are blessed.

“Oh Love that Will Not Let Me Go”

Words by George Matheson

O Love that wilt not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in thee,
I give thee back the life I owe,
That in thine ocean depths its flow
May richer, fuller be.

O light that followest all my way,
I yield my flickering torch to thee,
My heart restores its borrowed ray,
That in thy sunshine’s blaze its day
May brighter, fairer be.

O Joy that seekest me through pain,
I cannot close my heart to thee,
I trace the rainbow through the rain,
And feel the promise is not vain,
That morn shall tearless be.

O Cross that liftest up my head,
I dare not ask to fly from thee,
I lay in dust life’s glory dead,
And from the ground there blossoms red
Life that shall endless be.

Well, things are clearing up for Jon and I. A month ago, things were so uncertain. Jon and I moved to Nashville on faith, hoping that things would work out, but not really sure what God had planned for us. Jon was offered the position that he had been wanting, so that was one prayer answered. Then, today I received the answer to my school situation. The verdict was……I was accepted!!!!!! I have been struggling all afternoon to believe that I really got in. I feel incredibly blessed. God has just given us so much to be grateful for. I am certain now that we are exactly where God intends for us to be. I am really looking forward to school and all that it will entail. I will do my best to keep everyone updated as I begin this new journey.

Well, last week I had my interview with Trevecca’s Physician’s Assistant program. I think the interview went well. It was not quite as intimidating as I thought it would be. However, I found out that I was in the last group to interview. This sucks because the numbers went something like this: 400+ people applied, 144 got interviews, and they only choose 40. By the time I had my interview, 26 people had already been offered and accepted a spot. This means that out of the 60-70 people that interviewed with me, only 14 will get offers. Now, I’m not great with statistics, but I don’t think it is in my favor to get in. Never fear though, I have a backup plan. I’m looking for jobs already, and plan to just work for a year and get more experience and then apply again. No big deal. I just wish I would get the letter before Jon and I go to Gulf Coast Getaway. That way, I will not have to spend all weekend wondering about the results. I’m am pumped about GCG though. I know this weekend will be awesome. Maybe Jon and I will come back with a clearer vision of what God wants for us.

In other news, Jon and I have been debating about whether or not to buy a house or continue to rent for a while. This decision rests largely on whether or not I get into school and of course whether or not we can find something decent in our price range in the location that we need to live in. Complicated for sure. The task of finding a house seems so daunting, and expensive. We have almost decided to rent. We found the perfect apartments, with an exception. Their pet policy says that they will only accept dogs whose full grown weight is less than 30 pounds. I weighed Pogo the other night and he wieghed about 35 Wish I knew what to do.

Part of our reason we moved to the Mid. Tn area is that I had applied for another position within TVA.  This position is very similar to what I currently do, the major differences being that I don’t have to travel anymore and that I will be on a 5day work schedule rather than the current 4 day work schedule. 

Today, I was offered the job in Columbia, TN and I accepted.  The news doesn’t change our current living situation much right now. We are still awaiting to find out about Heather’s school situation, before we start making any decisions.  Thanks for all of your prayer and encouragement!

Heather and I have been in Nashville already for almost a month. Prior to our move, we both knew that finding a congregation that is the most fitting for us is important.  With that in mind, we decided to make a list and to visit each and every congregation on that list once if not twice before narrowing it down to a few congregations in which we will make our final selection.  We are  trying to make an educated decision and find the right fit.

Thus far, we have visited 4 different congregations and plan on visiting several more.  It seems like we might be visiting around for awhile.

I guess I took for granted the church home we had in Knoxville and wished I was more encouraging to visitors.  It can be an intimidating experience.

Pray for us while we continue our search and can find the right fit.

Have a great week!

It has been a long time since I have written a blog entry. Jon and I have both struggled with what to write. However, I want to make a better effort to blog. I have been inspired by some of our friends and hope to make this more than just an update of our lives. I guess that is how I will start off though. Jon and I are currently living in the Nashville area, but most of our stuff is still in storage. For the time being, we are living with family. We are awaiting word from TVA concerning a new position for Jon. Should he get this, we will have to move again in order to be close to his job. I am also waiting to see what happens with school. I have an interview with Trevecca next week. I hope that it goes well. If so, then I will be returning to school in May. There is a lot of uncertainty in our lives right now. But in a way, I welcome this change. Every day is sort of an adventure. I guess I have always enjoyed moving around in a way. It is always a fresh start, a chance to remake yourself. I feel like 2009 is going to be a great year for Jon and I.