The Long Drive ?Home?

Today, Sarah officially moved away from Greenville. During church this morning, Ben, one of our elders, prayed over the two of us, and, of course, Sarah started to cry. That's not a bad thing. There have been so many people here at Crossroads who have touched our lives, and hopefully we have touched the lives of many also.
The drive down was easy, but very boring. We had to take both cars, so we drove separately, and talked on walkie-talkies, which Sarah got a kick out of.
When we got to Surfside, our great friends, Will and Diana, were finishing up cooking an awesome meal for us. Then, we got to relax, and I got to play the Wii for the first time. It was pretty fun.

All in all, it was a very tiring day, but not a bad day at all.

Sarah's Last Day

Today was Sarah's last day in the office at Crossroads. It was a very emotional day for her. She even posted a picture of her empty office chair on her blog.

She has officially closed this chapter of our lives at Crossroads. My chapter here still has a few more pages, since I won't be able to head to Myrtle Beach until early August. As these pages begin to turn, I'm reminded of a ling from Semisonic's Closing Time:
"Closing time - every new beginning comes from some other beginning's end."

This is the end of the beginning of this part of our lives. But there's a new beginning on the horizon. It includes both of us working new jobs in new areas, contributing to our world in new and exciting ways.

Just like most things in life, this end of a beginning is filled with joy and sorrow.

Thanks, Crossroads Staff!

Today, the Crossroads staff all went out to Wasabi as a "send-off" for me and Sarah. It was a great time to just get to hang out and break bread together.

The Truth and Grace of the Gospel

Jim Stevenson, Pastor of Horizon Church here in Greenville, preached at Crossroads this morning. Here's one thing he said:

Truth: I am more flawed and sinful than I ever dared believe.
Grace: I am more loved and accepted than I ever dared hope.

Without Truth, Grace leads to Hedonism. Without Grace, Truth leads to legalism. The Gospel is in the middle, full of both Truth and Grace.

The Decision Has Been Made

As you may know, Sarah and I have been praying about moving to Surfside Beach (just south of Myrtle Beach, SC) for quite some time now. Last week, we finally made our final decision, and we have total peace about it. We will be moving to the Surfside area, although we're not totally sure exactly where. Sarah will be taking the position of Area Marketing Director for Myrtle Beach Chick-Fil-A, and I'll (hopefully) be working for the Horry County School District, although I do not yet have a job. Like I said, we have total peace about this, even though I don't have a job yet.
If you've been following my blog for a long time, you may remember one of my original posts, entitled Vision vs. Provision. In it I talked about how sometimes God doesn't provide everything when He calls us somewhere. Sometimes He calls us, and then waits until we get there to give us what we need. In my life, I have struggled with lots of things in my faith, but I have never doubted that God will provide what I need. I think this gets under Sarah's skin because I seldom worry about things.
Anyway, that's that. Sarah and I are excited about moving, although we will miss our friends and especially our families, all of which are in the upstate. We're excited about getting to do something different, and to rely completely on God and each other for everything. This chapter of our lives will be a great time of growth for our marriage and our spiritual walks. It's going to be great, even though it's going to be difficult.

So, today I was packing some books, and came across one of my old journals. In it, at some point, I was taking notes on either a message or book by Erwin McManus (I have never been one to write all of the particulars about a speaker or author, so I'm not sure where the notes came from, but they're in my journal in my handwriting, so I know I took them). Here are a few excerpts from my notes:
"It's not the one who qualifies, but the one who takes the chance."
"When we take initiative, God intersects our lives with His activity."
"If your life is absolutely boring, don't blame God."
"There comes a time when we have to get to the point of no return and take real risks."
"Faith = Risk; Faith = Trust"
and finally
"If you don't have the courage to live your dream, then your dream doesn't matter."