The Perfect Shirt

A couple days ago Callie was a given a shirt from her Grandma, that is Awesome! Callie has the ability to make anything she wears, or doesn't wear for that matter, look cute... adorable... you pick the adjective. Whether or not Grandma knew that Olivet's mascot was the tigers and that my college football number was 84, is still to be determined. Nonetheless, I was proud to have my little girl look like a boy as we paraded her around in her first "jersey." You can bet that the next time I get to dress Callie, that she will be showing off her daddy's number!

Laughter

The gift of laughter is probably one of the most under-rated, least talked about gifts that God has created and designed for our enjoyment and leisure on earth. I never would have even thought about it, if my daughter at 4 months old didn't just erupt in true, pure, innocent laughter. Here's what happened: Callie was sitting on her momma's lap watching her brother and daddy play ball in the living room. Owen, with all his might, as he has done many times, throws the ball straight up into the air. All of the sudden, for the first time ever, Callie bursts into laughter! Being the proud father that I was, I asked Amy to throw me her phone with the chance that Owen could get his sister to laugh again and the chance of me catching the act on film. In the first repeat attempt, Owen throws the ball at his sister, managing to hit her square in the face... even amongst the surprise and pain, Callie gave us a couple of cute chuckles. Attempts two, three and four were a success, and sweet laughter filled the room. (Fist pump) Then Callie became bored and returned to just laying in her momma's arms.

I could not have said it better...

Have you ever had a professional writer complete a bio about you? I had not until I was hired at ONU, and I am amazed at how well someone can take a couple answered questions and create a great write up of a persons past successes. The writer assigned to my bio was Laura Warfel, and major props to her and her amazing writing ability... and making my story sound so good. Click here to check it out.

The Words in My Blog

These are the words that are found in my blog, thanks to Wordle.net. The words that are larger have been used more frequently than the words that are smaller. Other than it being fun to use, it does have some educational uses as well. It has the ability to pull out the most important words of a passage, website, or message and communicate them in an colorful artistic way. Click on the small wordle below to create your own wordle.

You Know You are Spoiled When...

...when your parents allow you to bring your lawn mower with you to the store.

...when your parents let you hold your lawn mower on your lap while you are on the way to the store.

... when you are only 16 months old and you get an entire ice cream cone from PJ's to yourself.

... when you can buy five more minutes of cuddling before bed time by holding on super tight when your daddy tries to lay you down.

... when you can get your daddy to sing "The Itsy Bitsy Spider" for the thirtieth time in a row, by simply dancing around and signing, "more - more."

... when you point at daddy, then the ground, then at daddy, then at the ground, then at daddy, then at the ground.... over and over and over again until finally daddy joins you on the ground for a little bit of rough house!

... when you open the cupboard, pull down the box of nilla wafers, carry them over to daddy and gently sign "pleeeeaasse," you will get at least two every time.

... when your wife makes awesome new dinners almost every night!

... when your wife decides that she wants to bake... cookies, homemade bread (I know), brownies...

Feel free to add to the list.

Thank you!

While we were in transition from California to Illinois, we had a lot of help. Our friends and family really helped us out and worked at making it as easy as possible for us to leave. Hey, wait a second...?? Just kidding. In a time where there were many variables and unknowns, the people in our lives offered their time and services to help us in this transition and we thank you. There were friends in Illinois who catered to my coming back and forth, and back and forth, again and again over 6 months time and constantly let me stay at their house, eat their food, or gave me rides to and from the airport. A special thank you to the Stipps, the Seftons, the Sheltons, the McCormick's, and the Upchurches for their hospitality and just plain ole' helping out. Then there were the numerous friends and of course our family back home allowing us to stay at their house (Cooners), helping us move, drive the moving truck (Grandpa Earl), or supporting us financially, or offering help in babysitting, buying us helpful gifts or plane tickets (Kilpatricks), and all the other intangible things that people did behind the scenes that were done without Amy or I every knowing. There were many more people not named that were named and Amy and I publicly want to thank you and Owen and Callie also want to thank you the only way they know how. You know Owen... you have to envision him using his sign language and sporadically moving his hand back and forth quickly away from his mouth saying thank you!

Callie Elia Kilpatrick

I moved all my family's stuff to Illinois. As soon as it was somewhat settled I hopped on a plane to get back to my very pregnant wife. In fact, I was suppose to fly out on a Tuesday, but I left the Saturday before, just in case. When I arrived back in San Jose, I was very happy to see my beautiful wife and my son Owen! It had been about 2 weeks and it was a very happy reunion. The joy that Owen expressed when he saw me gave me that same amount of joy that only The Father can provide and the type of Joy that cannot be explained. To put it simply, it was fantastic! A couple days later I experienced the same type of joy again. I guess it was one of those joyful weekends. We were at Taco Bell one evening eating Taco's (not the inspiration of Joy) and Amy begins going into labor. Wheewwww, I am so glad that I am here with her and not in Illinois. I was kind of bummed though, it wasn't the type of labor where we threw Amy is the car and I had permission to break land speed records and break traffic laws to get to the hospital. It was the type of labor where we went back to the Cooner's house in Gilroy and hung out for a while before casually getting in the car, and casually driving to Santa Clara for the birth of our second child. Once we get to Santa Clara, instead of going inside and waiting for a few hours, we decided to walk around the hospital.... the whole hospital. We killed about 45 minutes of "labor waiting" and most likely sped up the delivery by at least an hour by walking the circumference of the whole hospital. Once we were in, the nurses confirmed that Amy was in fact in labor and gave us our room. Things were going well. Amy's anesthesiologist was really good, the doctor/midwife was good, our nurse the one who does a lot of the work... not so good. It seemed as if she was focused on all the wrong things, when all I thought the focus should be on my wife and new daughter. Anyway, without getting to detailed the delivery, it went really smooth. I'm not gonna say it was easy, or else I would be black-listed for life, but I thought it went a whole lot better then the first delivery Amy had with Owen. After the birth, Amy and I really got to take our time and bond with our new little girl. It wasn't the "floppy baby" experience we had with Owen. Again, this is where that type joy comes into play. We named her Callie Elia Kilpatrick. We decided on Callie as a reminder of our time that we shared in California. We saw Callie as being God's final gift for us during that chapter of our life. She was the icing on the cake, and even though we tried really hard to have Callie in Illinois, it was clear she was meant to be a "Callie"-fornia girl! We gave Callie the middle name Elia, (pronounced A-lee- ah). It is the girl form of the Hebrew name Eli from the story in 1 Samuel in the Bible. The name Eli means "God has answered." Over the past few years (3-4) Amy and I had been in constant prayer and in conversation about the life that God had in store for our family. It was becoming clear, that God was preparing us for something different, even though we had no idea what that was. It was finally in these last 6 months before Callie was born that God was revealing to us what he had been orchestrating all this time. We prayed for clarity, and God's answer was so very clear. So, we gave her the middle name Elia as a constant reminder in our life of how God answered prayer! We gave her the last name Kilpatrick, because it has a nice ring to it. Now six weeks later, she is an amazing little girl. She is beautiful, she is social, and her big brother loves her just as much as momma and I.

Inspired

Right when the trip across the country could not have been more boring, I run into this man. Prior to my meeting him my grandfather and I had been riding in the cab of a very bumpy, uncomfortable, loud, Uhaul for the last 12 hours. The last couple hours were spent traversing the Salt Flats of Utah at a top speed of about 55 mph. My back and hips were sore, I was tired, and then I was humbled. It was my curiosity that led me to this man. Mind you, we are literally in the middle of no where. Flat, hot, desolate desert of Utah. As I was heading to the bathroom at the rest area, I got a glimpse of a bike wheel. "Huh, that's strange, why would someone have a bike out here??" So I investigate. Leaning up against the back wall of the rest stop was this inspiring- dehydrated- sun burned person. I was amazed, I was intrigued, I felt guilty for being tired, and I had so many questions. My mind raced, I can't believe this guy is alive... I can't believe that you're allowed to ride your bicycle on Interstate 80. Isn't that against the law. Where do I start. My first question... Where did you start your ride? "Portland..." he quietly answered. Whoa, how long you been riding? "I couldn't tell you exactly." Are you riding for a cause, what's your motivation? "My motivation," he answered... "to get as far away from my wife as possible!" Whoa, that's not what I was expecting, I thought. He continued... "She took my house, my truck, my money... she left me with nothing. So I stole my bike from her, got on it and decided that I would get as far away from her as possible... after riding all day I stopped, slept on the side of the road, and then kept going the next day... I haven't stopped since." I was so impressed! I had so many questions, but I could tell he wasn't really interested in making small talk. I reached for my wallet and gave him a few bucks and wished him luck on his journey. He then said, "yeah I think I'm gonna call it a night... I'm gonna try to make it to Salt Lake tomorrow. I'll take the next day off and then keep going! I appreciate the help, he said, my wheels are missing about 7 spokes and my tires are going bald. I am hoping to find another bike at a garage sale or something when I get to town. " I was in shock! I didn't know what to say. I wanted to give him a ride, I wanted to give him my bike that was sitting just inside the Uhaul, I wanted to give him a bottle of water, I wanted to find him some aloe... I wanted to do something, but all I gave him was a few dollars. I slowly walked back to the truck thinking and pondering and doing nothing else. My reaction from that day still haunts me.

The First Leg of the Trip

Its 5:00am. Picture yourself in a gigantic Uhaul truck. Come on, play along, Get in the truck!... Good, now that we have you and you are aboard for the ride, we are leaving for Illinois. I say we. I mean you, myself, and my Grandpa Earl. Oh don't worry, we have plenty to talk about and we are going to try to get there in three days. And if you really get bored talking to us, you can always jump in Jessica's car, she is following close behind. She is making the same trip, so we decided to caravan. The first three hours are not bad. The excitement of the huge truck is starting to wear off, but there is still a good amount of energy in the cab. We have been riding for a while, so this would be a good time to pull over, "get some coffee for Grandpa," take a bathroom break, and switch the drivers. It just so happens that we are passing my old stomping grounds. Loomis, California. There is a Burger King there now, so I thought that would be a good place to pull in. I have had a great respect for Loomis, I spent some of my best years here. And my view of this little town just got better. As I enter into the BK I am immediately drawn to a space age soda machine, its incredible. It claims that it has over 100 different flavors of soda. Skeptical, I get in line and spend approximately $2.00 to see how this thing really works. Never before have I seen such a device. And to think that I first discovered it in Loomis! The machine was pretty intuitive, growing up in Silicon Valley I had no problem navigating the touch screen display and cyphering through the hundred options that were available. It was then that I thought about that 9 year old kid who always takes his time filling his happy meal sized cup with a little bit of soda from every option. I don't know what you called it when you were a kid, we called it a "suicide." And with 100 options, if there is ever a kid who tried it with this machine, it might as well be suicide if there is someone impatiently waiting behind him. Nonetheless, I continued and easily found the Diet Coke option. It was then that I realized the real potential of the machine. I could have have the drink with or without caffeine, or with Lime, or Cherry, or about 8 other diet coke flavors that I didn't even know existed. I was so intrigued. I shared my enthusiasm with Jessica. She was equally thrilled. My Grandpa on the other hand wasn't that interested. He got his coffee from the antique coffee maker, and was desperate to get back on the road. I wonder if we will see another soda machine like this on our journey. With about 2000 more miles to go, who knows what we might run into.

Moved

Its almost been three months since my last Web log (blog). Since my last addition... I have sold two cars, I have left all my friends and family in California, I have moved all my stuff and family across the nation, I have had a daughter, I have bought two cars, I have started a new job, my son has tripled in size and ability, I have even lectured on blogging and had my new "college students" create a blog of their own. Did you catch that I had a daughter! It's not like I haven't had things to write about. Her name is Callie! Yes, we named her after the state of California. I have about 40 posts in my head that are screaming to be captured in html. So I am hoping to start today with a mini series of cool things that have happened in the last three months. No promises here though. It might be December when I blog again, but know that I have good intentions. If it makes you feel any better, I have been neglecting my Facebook friends just as long. So, I guess all that to say, that I have moved to the lovely Village of Bourbonnais Illinois. If you need context to this move, it was expressed in earlier posts. Happy hunting.

Is God Good?

On Monday nights our college group that meets at our house has been trying to ask and answer the difficult questions that Christians are afraid of being asked. Our study has led itself down a road that is apologetic in nature. This is a video that very logically and clearly helps us answer some questions about God, His ability, and His Goodness.

Our First Major Bleed

The other day, God showed me something about Him and His son, when attempting to father my son...

I was doing the dishes, Amy had just left to go to a shower with her friends and family for our soon to come little girl. Anytime that someone is in the kitchen, Owen is in there as well... Either, grazing for food, playing with the tupperware, opening a closing cabinets and drawers, or playing with the dishwasher. Well, since daddy was "playing in the dishwasher," Owen also wanted to play in the dishwasher. Never before has this been a dangerous place to play. We place the knives in the back, out of his reach, and he normally keeps to the spoons and the plastics. I busily cleaning the pots and the pans when I hear a crash! Owen had managed to pull out a glass bowl and throw it on the ground. Before I could tell him "No" or get to him fast enough he had reached down and picked up a broken piece of the now shattered bowl. Afraid that he might want the piece and hold on to it tighter I carefully had him release the piece of glass with hopes that he had not cut himself. Unfortunately, blood started to spill out of his little hand. Not knowing exactly where the blood was coming from, I rinsed Owen's hand under the facet to find that his thumb had a rather large cut that was bleeding profusely. In the next couple of seconds Owen will go from being calm and curious about the bright red fluid to angrily crying and throwing himself around.

Band-Aids... Where are the band aids? I cannot remember the last time I needed one. Owen hasn't needed one yet. Last week he fell and scratched his knee, but didn't seem to need a band aid or any consoling for that matter. I am scrambling, looking for the band aids with no success. Meanwhile, blood is now covering his shirt, his head and face and is dripping all over his hand. I am trying to control the bleeding with a tissue, but Owen was fighting me furiously and did not want his hand touched. This is best illustrated by the blood that was covering the back of his shirt! Trying to hold his hand as far from me as possible. With the peircing cry, blood all over, and a very sad and angry little boy I gave up looking for the band aids and settled for tissue and blue painters tape.

First try: while talking calmly to Owen and holding his thumb, I very gingerly tried to cover the cut with tissue and wrap the tape around the thumb. Owen then yanked his hand and the tape got tangled and stuck to itself...

Second try: With a little more experience now, I was able to wrap the blue tape around the tissue, only for Owen to fling his hand and have the bloodied makeshift band-aid fly across the room.

Third try, no success

Fourth try... Fifth Try AHHHHHHhhhhh!

Frustrated and no longer calm, I called up Jason. "Dude, do you have any band-aids?" "Can you swing by with some, Owen cut his thumb and I can't find ours..." and I hung up on him.

Sixth try: Now I am frustrated and getting angry! Why isn't this working...? Owen is screaming and convulsing and doing whatever a one year old can do to keep his father from hurting him more! I was pushing and pulling and holding Owen's hand down with a lot of might! Meanwhile the sight of all the blood all over the place isn't helping. Owen didn't understand I was trying to help. I was trying to fix it. But the harder I tried, the harder he became!

It was in these moments of a small hurting thumb that I began to understand what God had to go through in order to send his son to hurt, bleed, and die. What God must have been feeling in those moments? What Jesus was feeling in those moments? I wanted nothing more but to save my son from a cut on his little thumb. God witnessed his son, being beaten, stabbed, and cut all over his body. I just wanted it to stop, Owen just wanted it to stop. Jesus, just wanted it to stop, while at the same time knew that he couldn't let it stop. The amount of love God and Jesus had to do what they did for us, is something we will never be able to fathom.

Jason stopped by with some band aids as I was cleaning up the blood from Owen's face and head. Owen's bloodied shirt and swollen red eyes from crying probably made it look as if I was beating my child. Not wanting to try the escapade all over again, I waited and saved the re-dressing of the thumb for mom and grandma. So for the next couple of hours Owen kept his thumb neatly tucked away inside of his fingers protecting it and keeping it safe.

A boy and his ball

It was time for Owen and I to go for a walk and right before we left he started pointing at his big ball and saying "ba - ba - ba." I told Owen, that it is not going to work, the ball is too big, and asked him if we could take a blanket instead. He wrinkled his forehead showing me that he didn't like that idea. He finally convinced me to take the ball when he turned with a big smile and started (signing) by rubbing his belly saying, "Pleeeaaase!" I melted and gave in, and let him hold on to his ball. I thought to myself that this was not going to last long and I am going to end up pushing this stroller around the neighborhood holding on to this gigantic ball. Can he even see anything? As we continued down the street he seemed happy holding on to his ball. I checked up on him and he was looking to side through this little sliver of a crack between the ball and the stroller...

...So we continued on our walk for about 20 minutes or so and to my surprise he held onto his ball the entire time. Needless to say I got a lot of looks and smiles from passerbyers who enjoyed seeing a very little boy enjoying his gigantic blue ball on a walk with his daddy...

When we finally got back home, I thought this attachment to his big ball would soon be over. Besides, it was time for his favorite activity... EATING! I set him down and started to prepare some food for him in the kitchen. Meanwhile he continued his obsession with his ball. He threw it, bounced it, hit it and hugged it. Finally, his food was prepared and I asked him if he wanted to get into his chair and eat. He immediately forgot about his ball and was put in his chair. Once he was there, it continued again... "ba-ba" followed by another "pleeeeeassse!"

I was curious how he thought this was going to work so, I brought him his ball, and let him have it in his chair. I am such a pushover! Soon his grapes and mac n cheese became very desirable, so he ditched the ball and finished his lunch!

NT Wrights Reading the Bible

Tony posted this on his blog originally... Brian liked it, and put it on his blog.... I liked it, so I put it on my blog... and I think I am going to show it at our college Bible study on Monday. Thanks Tony and Brian and NT.

A Good Worker

My little man is a hard worker. At one week after his first birthday, As I was sorting things out getting ready for the move, I showed him how to take the paper on the floor and put it in the trash. After only showing him once, he mastered the concept! Later that night he found a small piece of paper on the ground. I told him to throw it in the trash. He walked into the kitchen, threw it in the trash and then he clapped for himself! I couldn't have been more proud.

We're Moving to Illinois

The verdict is in! We are moving to Bourbonnais Il. Olivet Nazarene University is taking me back... this time as an instructor. I will be teaching EDUC 295 Instructional Technology in the School of Education. The new book in mine and my families life is beginning to be written. Right now we are waiting for a move date, insurance dates, and finding a new home in Bourbonnais. We have seen God come through over and over again. I know he has a plan. The interesting points of His plans are...

July 20 Amy can no longer fly!
Aug 15 Start date and start of new insurance at ONU
Aug 23 Amy is due with our little girl
Aug 3o Current insurance ends.

A lot is still up in the air. We are hoping to make the move in July after Darren's wedding, but that is only if Amy can get pre-natal care! If not then she will have the baby in San Jose and she and Owen will move out sometime in October! This is the last alternative though, that would mean I may miss the birth, and I would miss either a lot of my new job, or a lot of my new baby... and of course Owen!

Future Prodigy

Here is my little guy, rockin out for the first time ever! I don't know if the drums are a good idea... He has already showed us that he has pretty decent rhythm when he claps... he enjoys dancing... maybe he's a natural. They are just so loud!

My Journey into the Unknown

Preface

This is a story about God, affirmation, patience, sacrifice, desire, and anxiety. Late last year we finally answered the call from God to move a different direction. He required me to give it all up, to stop leading, to stop thinking, to resign, or at least resign in my heart, so that I could hear Him or at least not be so busy that as I took a few steps down my life's path, I would have the eyes to see the doors He has prepared for me along the way. I thought that it has been a three year preparation of me, but the more I reflect, I am learning more and more that it has been a lifelong preparation. Check out what the word of God says in Ephesians 2:10 and you might hear some of the same things I'm hearing. Nonetheless, the crossroad, the new beginning, the fresh start, the clean slate, not just a new chapter, but a new book in mine and my families life is about to be written.... and I honestly have no idea what its going to say.

Context

It began in August 2010 when I prematurely was confronted by my father and Senior Pastor to fill in as a supply pastor this next summer as he took a very much needed sabbatical. I say prematurely because although Amy and I had been relentlessly discussing our future for months, we had never really decided or knew when the right time to act would be. I suppose this was the kick in the butt that we needed to start the spiral of events in my life. The answer to supply for father was no. "Why?" Because I'm resigning as youth pastor. "Why?" Because that is what God is requiring of me. "Why for what?" I don't know, but its coming soon. "What do you think He wants you to do?" Maybe go into ministry, maybe further my education, maybe be a missionary... I don't know. It was comforting not having the right answers, because somewhere deep inside we know that when its doesn't really make much sense to the world, that God is behind it all. We took refuge in that.

My father went away for the next couple weeks on vacation and I was asked to preach that Sunday. It gave me the opportunity to tell the congregation and youth about my resignation and the foundation that God has built in my ministry at Cambrian park so that I could continue in faith down this foggy path of uncertainty. The response ranged from angry and confused to happy and anxious. We dealt with the rumors as they came, and work with the volunteers to take over in the places of leadership in the church that I was vacating. We were at peace. We were released. Church was no longer a chore. We were no longer captive to Sundays, Monday Nights, Wednesday nights, and every other night the church doors were opened. Ahhhh, breathe... fresh air.

The next step in obedience to God. I need to resign from football and basketball. Gill is a good close friend, so I told earlier in the year that this basketball season would very likely be my last. My relationship that I have with him made that resignation simple. I casually and candidly told him of my resignation and my potential future and he says, "no problem, Coach Scharrenberg told me he would be interested in coaching his son... ( who will soon to be a seventh grader this next year) ... if the position were to open up." Thanks God, that was easy.

Now for football. I have been with the program for 9 years. Head coach for 3. My resignation, which in my mind is coming out of nowhere isn't going to make sense to Coach Machado. Anyhow, before I have a chance to make an appointment with him, with an official resignation letter, he calls me into his office and tells me that he is moving in a different direction and he no longer needs my service as a head coach. Wow, much to my surprise... I thought I did well this last season recovering the end of the season with 5 straight wins in the WCAL.. but he said was going to move me around... he didn't know where, or what role I would take on, but it sure made it easy for me to tell him that I was not going to be back next year. It gave me comfort to know that God was paving the way for me and affirming my thoughts about giving it all up. Thanks God, that was easy. Now all I have to do is resign from teaching and let God lead me to my next endeavor.

Two Paths

For almost a year I was praying and asking God to make it clear. To practically throw me through the open door that he had designed for me. I asked him to prepare my wife and for double the affirmation. I was greedy. I guess I was not all that faithful. If He has to hit me beside the head with a 2 by 4 to get my attention, thats not a clear reflection of strong faith. Back to August, my wife and I were in one of those discussion asking what I would still do if God had prepared us to live San Jose, but move jobs. We both agreed that if the Vice Principal position at the Elementary School were to open up that I could spend the rest of my days at Valley working closely with Gabe and be comfortable in that setting in leadership. So it was on was of those early morning basketball days that Gabe and I were down in the locker room together getting ready for another normal work day when I explained to him that if the VP position were to open up, I would be interested in working with him and applying for that position. Gabe was nice about it, but his current assistant Connie was very good and held the school together. At that time it looked to him as if Connie would be there for a very long time... I suppose God has different plans for me.

In January, I receive a text from Jason, it reads... "Connie is resigning and is moving to Colorado, it would be sweet if you took her job!" Is this the 2 by 4 I was waiting for? I immediately talked to Gabe about the opening and filled out the 15 page application, I wrote my letters and statements, and began preparing for the interview process and began to think deeply about the move into administration at an elementary school.

Meanwhile, Olivet keeps coming up in my mind. I visited the campus this last summer, the football program is in transition and they are looking for a head coach, they have a doctoral program that is very interesting... what is it about Olivet that keeps getting my attention. I continue to research the doctoral program. It is an Ed.D in Ethical Leadership. Many professors from my previous days are involved in the program and it seems to be exactly what I need to move into the next stage of my life. I had talked with Amy about it numerous time, and it wouldn't hurt to apply and check it out. So I do just that. I put some of my eggs in the "Vice Principal position" basket and I put some eggs in the "Doctoral Program" basket. Not knowing which one is for me, I decide to look into both. God will be faithful and he will lead and affirm the right path.

I go to Olivet, spend a couple days with Nick and Brian, I catch up with some old professors and interview for the doctoral program. The interview went great. It seems right. It seems like a great place to raise a family.. and the more I think about the VP and working for Valley, I do not feel that same great peace. Is this God's way of telling me that Midwest and the doctoral program at Olivet is what he has been preparing me for?

That next week Gabe calls... he says, "Lance, there are some parts of my job that I don't like and that are not very easy..." I say, Gabe, before you say anything, let me make this easy for you. I am withdrawing my name from the Vice Principal position.

My mind is going crazy at this point. Why did God put me in that position. Why did I go through all that work and desire that position in the first place to only turn around and turn it down. Why... I don't get it? Is this God's way of affirming the Midwest? Is this God's way of showing me that my best case scenario in San Jose is not the right fit? God must have a different plan and this is His crooked was of affirming that He has prepared me and my family for a new life and lifestyle, new ideals, in the snowy, and windy midwest. I get a letter in the mail. I have been accepted into the doctoral program at Olivet the first class will start in May. My wife walks in the living room one day and casually says... "If we were to move to the Midwest, I am at peace with it." "It will be hard without my family, my support of my friends, but I am at peace with it" I also receive a call from my good friend Brian, him and his wife are thinking about moving. Its possible that in the next year he moves farther south closer to Olivet... interesting. Okay God, it becoming pretty clear to me that this is Your direction for me, what's next?

Pregnant

Meanwhile, as the paths for our lives seem to be going in circles, my wife and I are going to have a little girl! She is due in August! Great timing huh God! Just when you thought our lives could not become more difficult with a change of a career path, a new school, moving to a different state, in a new town, with a new church, new insurance (hopefully), with no family and few contacts, the level of females in my family is going to double... yeaaaah!!! I know that there is quite a bit a sarcasm in the last couple sentences, but I am very happy and I am very proud of my little girl. God was nice... he could of given us twins!

The Phone Call

Very rarely in a persons life does an employer contact a potential employee and ask them to apply for a position that that person is not even aware that it exist. One evening right after dinner, I received a phone call from Dr. Upchurch. Dr. Upchurch is the Dean of the School of Education at Olivet. He was sitting in on my interview for the doctoral program. At some point in my interview he connected with my story and where I was at. Perhaps God had something to do with this. Anyway, the teaching position to teach EDUC 295 Instructional Technology will be opening this next school year and he would like me to consider applying for that position. Wow, was this the 2 by 4 I was asking. In the very same month that I was looking for a job, in Illinois, in education, this position not only opens up, but the guy in charge is asking me if I will apply for the position. Oh, and the man that I will be taking over for, was once my boss when I was a student at ONU. Oh, and if I am chosen they will pay for my moving expenses... Oh also, if I am chosen they will pay for me to receive my doctoral degree. Lastly, the teaching position is the same information that I received my Masters Degree in. But, that is all probably just a coincidence...

Over the next couple weeks I had a couple phone interviews with Upchurch and then set up a trip back to Illinois for the formal interview, to teach a college class, and to meet with the other professors in the School of Education. Its not a sure deal, there were many applicants for the position. Many of them already have the doctorate degrees and many of them have college teaching experience. Doctor Upchurch tells me that they picked three applicants to go through the same process. To make a long story about my three days meeting people, interviewing and walking around Olivet, short, I nailed it! The time I spent with each person seemed to be very valuable. It seems as if I am a perfect fit for this position and that I would have a lot to offer to the school of Ed. Currently I am in a holding pattern waiting to hear back to see if this is what God has prepared me for?

The Great What If!

Surprisingly, the people who have been following our story have very rarely asked the great what if question... Obviously, we are hoping that this position at Olivet is the right fit for me and for the University. But, what if I am not hired to teach at Olivet. What if it doesn't work out the way it should. Then, what are we going to do? I won't have insurance, I won't have a job, I will be looking at paying $50,000 dollars for a doctorate that I have no idea what I am going to do with? In the same way that God affirmed that the VP position at Valley was not the right direction for my life, then what if He is doing the same about this one? Well, I don't know... Maybe this was the wake up call that I needed. Maybe God has bigger better plans for me then what we can see in present time. Whatever the situation ends up being, I trust Him and the direction he has for my family and I. Nonetheless, whether it is at Olivet, or with the doctoral program or something totally different, the crossroad, the new beginning, the fresh start, the clean slate, not just a new chapter, but a new book in mine and my families life is about to be written.... and I honestly have no idea what its going to say.

Stay tuned, in two weeks the first chapter of that new book will begin to be written!