The Plan

So, Tillman asked me about "the plan"- where are we going? what's our goal? First, I'm gonna say what the plan WAS, then what happened, and then I'll say what it IS now. (WARNING: this is a long entry.)

WAS
Okay, it's late 2002, about November, Jake & I have been married about 2 1/2 years- I'm teaching school (which I love), Jake's got a job he mostly likes (which is RARE, I figured out he's had about 9 jobs in the 5 years we've been married), we're leading worship at a church we like, I'm the youth director, and Jake's working with musicians. Things are going good... and SURPRISE!! I'm pregnant! and BOOM it goes bad (I start going into labor) in March of 2003 and I'm put on bedrest.... So, my principal freaks out 'cuz she's got three teachers pregnant in two years and she hires somebody to REPLACE me!!! I'd understood it was just to cover for me, but when I talk to somebody else I find out my job's pretty much gone... So, Jake's job won't pay for living in the Seattle area which is VERY expensive. He ends up deciding this is a good time for him to go back to school so that he can get a job that pays more, that he likes (more important) and that allows him to do what he was called to do- be a worship minister. We look into a lot of options and the one that ends up clearest is going to live with my parents and him going to UAF.

So the plan is for him to get a degree, any degree and then go to Southwestern, a school we both respect, where I've still got my Texas family, and has lower living expenses. He'll get an MDiv (I don't know why, but that's what he wants..), and we'd find a church that would support us through Seminary. Then... who knows where we'd end up...

THEN
So he does two years of college, gets at least a 3.5 average and finds that he really likes it and studies all sorts of new and fun things. (Jake liked school!!!, which he'd always hated before) But he finds it's hard to be a student, have a job and be a husband and Daddy. Then we find out SWBTS has really changed a lot in the last two years and not for the better. Jake ends up dropping out this last year(2005-2006), 'cuz a new baby and school and a job and church life and me... well, it doesn't mix as well as he hoped... So, he was in the middle of deciding whether to go on back to school next year and feeling like the effort is futile since it's going to take so long, when we get a new pastor. Who doesn't think anybody divorced should be in ministry. (Look up entry Jake's story to find out why this is a big deal for us) Also, doesn't think women should be in leadership roles of any kind at church.... pretty much that they should be silent... (except for his own daughter, who used to lead worship in the evening at his last church... I guess scriptures don't apply to your own family....) how'd we get this guy?????

IS
So now the New plan is for us to go to one of Golden Gate's sites, 'cuz Jake can enter as a "special student" even without his BA. He still wants a MDIV, but he'll probably start out just getting a diploma. We're trying to get hired by somebody along the I-5 corridor in Washington, Oregon or Northern California. After our last experience Jake is pretty much saying if you don't want to hire us as a team, then we don't want to come... I don't know, I'm kind of at the point of not wanting to work for a church. Instead I just want to volunteer... We'll see what happens. I am sure that God has a plan for us, that he did call us to serve and that He will get us to wherever he wants us...

My Mom and Beth are going to move down to Albany, OR where my Mom's sister and brother live. We're hoping to move this year, 2006, before September, 'cuz driving through Canada starts getting pretty dicey around then... lots of ice and snow, not so good with a moving van.... For my Mom to move and find a place to live, her house needs to sell. Which is gonna be hard. During the last 6 years, as my Dad got sicker, more bed-ridden and immobile the house pretty much went to pot. When Jake and I got here we started doing a lot of the house care, but then my Dad passed away and my Mom's income halved. Which means a lot of the stuff that needs to happen to the house is just too expensive. So we're praying for somebody to buy the house and do the work themselves, maybe as part of the house package.

SUM UP
So, I'm sure this is way more information than ANYBODY wants... But that's the plan, and I'm very sure God will make even more changes as we work through it all. :)