Looking ahead...

Here it is, the last blog that I will write from my office here at West Hills Community Church. For those of you who have not heard, the elders have asked me to leave our church. This is not one of those crazy I got caught messing around with a youth group girl situations, it's just that our church is sinking, and I was a full-time youth pastor in a church of 50 or so people. Still, this is hard. As I packed my office today, I actually felt like crying as I though about all of the great memories I've had at the church and all of the struggles that I've gone through with people here. Moving on is rough, especially when you don't get to make that choice for yourself. So I went for some pick-me-up music, Dashboard Confessional. Those of you who are a bit older might not understand the irony of that statement, but it's just really emotional music. Writing this is a part of my closure. I don't think it really hit me until this morning as I sat in my awesome chair and just thought about the last three years. I sure have changed a lot in three years. When I started here, I was just a college kid, Katie and I were just friends, and I had experienced little emotional pain in my life. I was the light-hearted you can't phase me type of person. God has made me realize that reality is quite different than that picture I had painted of myself. But you know what? It feels good to feel, and to have other people's feeling affect me, and to mourn loss. Katie and I are obviously more than friends, and I am no longer that happy-go-lucky delusional college kid. I have grown, I have changed, and I have learned so much about who God is as I have walked with Him through this experience.

Funny that I would say I'm no longer that college kid, because I'm now in grad. school full-time. It's strange being with all of the people who came there straight out of undergraduate school. I feel like I can't connect with them on the same level. Most of my friends there are in their 30s, 40s, and 50s. Ministry ages people quickly I think. I am going to be working part-time as a contractor (construction, not killing people) for a man from my old church, and I'm really excited to have the chance to do this. Keep us in your prayers, as we are both keenly aware that the journey through this pain is nowhere near over. Thanks everyone!