we won't be homeless

Yay! We just signed a lease for an apartment here in Louisville. We can move in here the day after we have to move out of the apartment in Baton Rouge. We've spent the last 3 days driving all over Louisville looking at different apartments, or pulling into the complexes and pulling back out again before we even went to the leasing office.

Anyway, I'm just glad the search is over. And we have plenty of room for people to come and visit (just not everyone at once OK. let's space things out a bit). I'll send out an email later letting everyone know what our new address is.

PS. Sorry if this sounds disjointed, it's been a long few days driving up here and then driving all over the city so I'm kind of out of it.

I am now jobless

As of today I am currently unemployed. This was my last day of work. Now the pressure really sets in on this move. We head north to Louisville on Saturday to begin the process of looking for a place to live and a job. If anyone knows of any computer/technology jobs or any church jobs that are opening up in Louisville please let me know.

Today was a bittersweet day for me. I have made many close friends here that I hate saying goodbye to. But I am also glad to be leaving a church that is in turmoil. It seems that every time things seem to settle down just a little bit someone has to stir things up. Some of the people remind me of a child poking a stick in an ant bed. They don't seem to care what they are doing to other's personal lives or reputations as long as they can get them riled up and make them scurry around. I pray that people would focus on God and His will for Parkview and stop worrying about rumors and whispers of rumors before God removes His spirit from the church.

I done gradumuated

Dee Dee and I just watched my online graduation ceremony from CTU. It seems kind of silly to have an online graduation, but since it was an online degree program I guess it was only fitting.

Now the online chat reception is another story. Especially when you read the claim they made in the announcement email -- "It'll be just like being there!" No. It won't. It'll be just like sitting at a computer 1000 miles away from there. Anyway, we skipped the chat reception. Now I'm just waiting for the diploma to come in the mail. And then I get to start the whole process over again at seminary.

Oh, the power of advertising!

As we were leaving our friends' apartment tonight we saw this vehicle, proudly advertising it's owner's business.

I'll just let the picture do the talking. There's really no need for comments on this one.

World Magazine Blog: The award for ugliest dog goes to

World Magazine: The award for ugliest dog goes to

This has got to be the absolute ugliest living thing I have ever seen in my life. Be warned, this picture is not for the squemish.

This is an actual contest that is held in California every year to find the world's ugliest dog and Sam has won for three straight years. Take a look at the article and you'll understand why.

the longest/shortest week in the history of the world

Ever have one of those weeks that seem to both drag by and speed past both at the same time? Starting last Friday we have had a whirlwind of a week. The girls went to spend the night with my sister on Friday and Dee Dee and I left Owen with my mom and went shopping for a new laptop that evening. I found a great deal on one at BestBuy. Saturday we were doing some packing and then were invited to dinner at a friend's house. Sunday we had a single combined worship service (something that Parkview desperately needed) and then went to lunch at the house of one of our members. Monday the girls wanted to go swimming so we went to the pool that morning, came home and got cleaned up then went to my Mom's for a family lunch for the 4th of July. When that was over we went over to a friends house for a cookout around supper time. We made it home in time to watch some fireworks on TV (I know, I know, it's just not the same, but I wasn't going to fight the crowds to see the show down on the river here in Baton Rouge). Tuesday we were invited over to some more friends' house for dinner. Wednesday I ran around at lunch time and after work looking for some accessories I needed for the laptop, and then we ended up at my Mom's for dinner. Tonight, we had a farewell party at yet another friend's house with our Sunday School class since some of them will be out of town this weekend for a Chi Alpha reunion in Ruston, LA.

Whew, it sounds like even more when you write it all out like that. Looking back over the past 7 days at times it seems like it all passed by in a flash and at other times it seems like last Friday was months ago. And it's not over yet. Tomorrow at least we'll be able to sleep in, but then we have our last Parents' Night Out at the church. Dee Dee and I are going out to dinner with two of our best friends here in Baton Rouge. Saturday morning I have my online "graduation" from the master's program I just completed through Colorado Tech. Sunday we have Parent/Child Dedication at the church, plus it will be our last Sunday so there will be many goodbyes to be said. Monday Ashtyn leaves for GA Camp. Next Friday night we will get together with my family to say goodbye. And sometime in all of this we have to find time to pack up our belongings, close out our accounts, and prepare to move 12 1/2 hours away.

time is slipping away

I can't believe how quickly time is flying as our move to Louisville approaches. We pushed things up a bit, we are now leavingon the July 16 instead of July 24 but even taking into account the one week difference it seems awfully close. My last day at Parkview will be July 14, we will pick Ashtyn up from GA camp on the 15th, get together with all of my family that evening, and pull out on Saturday morning, the 16th. We're not actually moving our stuff up there yet, this trip will be to look for a place to live and to hopefully find a job. Then we'll be back in town for a couple days to load everything onto a truck and head up there for good.

It seems like just a couple weeks ago that we got the postcard from Southern announcing the Preview Conference that got this whole moving process started, but it has been just over 3 months. We are still trusting God to provide for us while we are there since we still don't know where we will live, where I will work, or how we are going to pay for school. But God is faithful to provide what we need. He has shown us so clearly that Southern is where He wants us to go that I cannot help but have faith that He will provide the means for us to do it.

the bears, or whatever they're called, didn't like me

When I'm feeling down and sorry for myself, there's no better cure than to listen to the logic of a child. It always cheers me up, and often sends me into an uncontrollable giggling fit. Especially if the child is sound asleep. Such was the case tonight when I went in to kiss the girls goodnight. As I was turning around to leave I heard Ashtyn say "the bears, or whatever they're called, didn't like me." When I looked, she was still out cold. I came down the stairs laughing like crazy and my night was vastly improved over what it had been before I went up.

the packing has begun

I guess it's official now. We're moving. We have actually begun packing. The living room is already looking pretty bare. All the pictures are off the walls, the knick-knacks are wrapped in bubble wrap and placed in boxes and the book case is essentially empty. It's funny how you never really notice all the little decorations in the house until they're gone. Sitting here right now looking at the bare walls with just nail heads sticking out it seems so spartan and unlived in. Once we leave this apartment the only evidence that we were ever here will be the nail holes in the walls.

I pray that something different can be said about the people that we leave behind. Dee Dee has many close friends who are heartbroken to see us leave. I know guys are different and don't show emotion the way that women do in situations like this, and I'm fine with that by the way. But I just wonder if I've made that type of connection with anyone here. I guess if I have to wonder about it, I probably haven't. I just pray that I leave behind more than scars on the walls of the lives of people I've come in contact with here in Baton Rouge.