the blog

2009 has come and gone. I can remember when I used to think, “I’ll be 25 in the year 2000″ and it seemed so far away. Now it feels like yesterday.

When Jen and I have talked about the past year, we kind of joked that we couldn’t wait for it to be over because it was a tough year. After really thinking about it, it really was a tough year, but it was also an amazing year as God continued to meet our needs and bless us beyond what we expected or deserved. Here’s a recap.

A Big Decision
In January of 2009, Jen and I made the decision that I should resign my position of executive pastor at Life Church, where I had been for five years. This was one of the hardest and easiest decisions we had ever made. It was hard because we had poured our lives into that church and the people there. We had so many great relationships and memories – God did amazing things in our lives through that church. I learned so much and owe so much to the staff, leadership and people of Life Church. But it was an easy decision because we both knew our time there had come to an end and it was time to move on – even if we didn’t quite know where, or what God had planned for us. We said goodbye and entered the unknown, trying our best to trust that God would reveal what his plan was for our lives, for our family.

A Fateful Phone Call
One thing that I believe strongly in is establishing relationships and doing what I can to keep them and value them. Over the years I’ve tried to reach out to other leaders, pastors, worship leaders, designers, bloggers, musicians, etc., wherever I can. I learn so much from their input and ideas – it’s just good for the soul. Anyway, this really worked out well for the part of this story. Somehow another local pastor got word of my resignation & called me up to chat. What we talked about was a position that seemed like it was custom designed just for me (and my family). Two weeks later I accepted the position of “Pastor of Communications” for Rancho Community Church & Schools. As I write this, I still am amazed by how God worked in our lives, and I want to make sure that this story remains a “God Story” for others to see his faithfulness and compassion. Nothing we did was deserving of this, but because of his love and mercy on our lives, we were able to receive this gift.

Road Trip America
After the stress of going through the process of resigning and accepting a new job, we needed a vacation. We just needed time as a family together, and what better way to do that than spending two weeks driving across America? So we set out early March headed east. Our main stops were planned for Denver (to visit our great friends, the Smiths), St. Louis (to see the Arch), Decatur, Alabama (to visit Jen’s Dad & Grandma), Birmingham (to visit another great family, the Peacock’s), Mobile (to visit my Aunt & Uncle), New Orleans (do you need a reason to visit?), Grapevine, Texas, where we met up with Jen’s parents who flew out to go with us to Great Wolf resort, then onto Amarillo, Albuquerque, New Mexico, Flagstaff, Arizona, and finally back home. We had the most amazing time together – it was one of those trips of a lifetime. Read more about the Road Trip here.

Saying Goodbye
This year we said goodbye to both of Jen’s Grandmas, her Grandma Rudy in February, and her Grandma Legere in December. We were extremely blessed to have lived so close to Grandma Rudy, who we saw weekly, if not daily right up until she passed. And we know it was God’s timing that allowed us to bring the kids out to Alabama this year to spend time with their Great-Grandma Legere.

Macy
This year Macy turned three years old. She’s a total girl, except when she’s trying to do whatever her brother does. She loves playing with her dolls and can often be found pushing them around in a stroller, putting them to bed, or feeding them. She’s taken up riding a bike and can pretty much outride her brother. She loves her Grandparents, aunts & uncles, and especially her cousin, Daisy which she talks about all the time. This was also her first year of preschool, which she loves. We love her so much, and are so thankful for this special little girl.

Miles
Miles began First Grade this year, which he loves. He’s doing so well and growing up so quickly! Miles loves reading, role-playing “Star Wars” (most days you can catch him with a light saber jumping from couch to couch), playing Wii, and his favorite thing? Drawing pictures. He’s also a “Senior Blue Belt” in Taekwondo (that’s 6 belts down and 5 from a Black Belt). Miles is definitely making the transformation from a cute little boy to that scruffy “boy”, boy – whatever that means, it’s happening (he currently has 4 loose teeth). Miles is a great big brother and helps around the house now. We love Miles so much and he is such a blessing to our family.

Back to School
One of the benefits of being a part of Rancho Community is that I have the opportunity to attend their “School of Ministry”, which is a four year, accredited college. I am currently in my second semester of my first year. This is an amazing program where I get to be a part of a cohort of students who spend four years together building relationships & community as we study the Bible and discuss practical ways to apply to ministry today. Of course there’s a lot of paper writing and projects, which makes life interesting right now, but it’s nice to be learning and growing.

Another New Job
My job was (and is) a little unorthodox. I work for both Rancho Community Church, and Rancho Christian Schools, which means I really live in two different worlds – splitting my time as best as I can 50/50. In November, I was approached by our leadership with a new position that would give me the platform to lead and be more of a change agent at the school. The new position is “Director of Admissions & Family Relations”, which makes me a school administrator, and a team leader on the campus. I still hold a position on the ministry staff of the church, but my main focus is with the school, and I am excited to say the least. Read more about the job change here.

And the Big News
This letter would not be complete without more “Big News” from 2009 – we’re expecting another child! We’re all super-excited about having a new baby and adding to our family. Miles and Macy are especially excited to have a little brother or sister. We’ll keep you all updated as the date gets closer, until then, we would appreciate your prayers for Jen & the new baby over the next few months.

So that was 2009 – oh yeah, we spent pretty much the entire year “unplugged”. No phone, TV, or internet at home. It’s been a little weird, but we’ve spent more time together doing “other than digital” things. Here’s looking forward to what God has in store for 2010!