Seven or Eight

Seven or eight (or more?) campers this Monday.  Amazing!  We are so thankful for your praying with us and that God is pleased to answer yes!

Richard Pratt, Genesis 12, and What Else Would You Be Doing?

Years ago--maybe 2007 or 2008--Richard Pratt came to Faith Pres in Birmingham for our Missions/Outreach Conference.  I believe it was Saturday night's sermon when he preached on Genesis 12.

(Genesis 12:1-4 ESV, emphasis mine)

[12:1] Now the LORD said to Abram, “Go from your country and your kindred and your father's house to the land that I will show you. [2] And I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you and make your name great, so that you will be a blessing. [3] I will bless those who bless you, and him who dishonors you I will curse, and in you all the families of the earth shall be blessed.”

[4] So Abram went, as the LORD had told him...

I was sitting on the back row with a child for some reason, away from Brian and away from anyone who might notice the tears streaming down my face.  We had been talking about going for years, along with all that Dr. Pratt fleshed out that it means to leave, but it was during this very compelling sermon that I knew that WE were leaving it all and going to an undisclosed place that God would one day show us.

Fast forward to a few weeks ago.  Dr. Pratt was in St. Louis for some reason tied to the seminary, and Brian had opportunity to go eat lunch with him and a handful of other men.  They all shared parts of their stories, and Brian told him that it was during that sermon in B'ham that I knew we'd end up doing this.  His response?  He tucked his chin and chuckled, shook his head, and said, sarcastically, "Oh, I'm so sorry."  And then he said, "But what else would you be doing?"

Do you know Richard Pratt?  How funny he is?  How he calls a spade a spade and pushes hard against stereotypes?  Because that answer was stinkin' hilarious.  Really.  What else would we be doing?

Absolutely nothing nearly as good as this!

Posts To Come?

The other night I wrote out some blog posts I'd like to work on:

Richard Pratt, Genesis 12, and What Else Would You Be Doing?
October Fear
Graduation vs. Katie Herzig and Matthew Perryman Jones
Coffee and Cider
1 Year in Pics--Graduation to Graduation
When Words Don't Work-->Music-->Dance
Free Concert Season Review
Brian Is A Risk Taker.  Always Has Been.  Seriously??  Yes.
Attractions to Living In The City-City
Abandonment Issues

So, you see there is more to come.  And it's spring break this week.  (LOVING spring break, btw)  So maybe I can get some of my thoughts down.

Good News

I promise there is more to life here than what is happening with this boot camp, but I feel a good, healthy obligation to share a quick update. You are a huge part of my good news.  My other post ideas will take a little longer to write...but they're coming too...

Anyway, I got a text last Friday from 2 former campers who are coming back next week.  Then this morning I received 2 emails from my website that there are 2 new campers I don't know who just registered.  I also "happened" to run into a former camper a couple of weeks ago in the grocery store who I haven't seen in over a year, and she said and a friend are intending to come too.

I am so encouraged!  And so thankful that God is pleased to answer yes to all of our prayers.  Thank you, thank you, for praying.  Really, God is so good.  All the time.  And I am thankful too for having this month off, even if it's a financial strain.  It's a bigger rest than strain in the grander picture, actually.  All the time, God is good!

Please keep praying...

Zip, Zilch, Nada

No one is in this camp, so this time God answered no.  Please keep praying.  The corporate people who do Adventure Bootcamp are re-vamping the logo and making all kinds of updates, so there is reason to promote it as "all new" next time around.  Maybe even a justified press release?

I am disappointed but not too upset.  I get to sleep!  But we are still counting on this working for us through next May.  So, like I said, please keep praying.

Just thought you'd like to know what happened this time around.

FAQ-an interview with myself

I'm assuming there have to be people who are reading this blog because it's linked to a friend of theirs, who don't know a thing about what's going on with me or what any of the last few posts mean...so this is my attempt to explain some of our story.

1.  Why are you in STL?  We moved here for my husband to pursue his Masters of Divinity at Covenant Theological Seminary.

2.  How much longer does he have?  We graduate in May 2013.

3.  You say "we" graduate.  Are you taking classes?  Ironically no, I'm not.  Ironically because before I met Brian, I was headed to CTS to learn more about the Bible.  And now, although I could take classes for free, I don't have the time.  I say "we" because this is an all-family endeavor--the six of us and extended and church families too.

4.  How did you decide to go to seminary?  We've always been in ministry as a couple, and going to seminary was a topic of conversation from the time we were dating, 12 years ago.  Five years ago we came up here to visit.  Then May 2009 he decided we were coming in August.  We had worked part-time for our home church for 7 years doing the Sr. High youth.  After that job ended, the full-time accounting was too much for him to endure, and his calling to full-time vocational ministry was certain.

5.  So what does he want to do when you graduate?  He believes he is called to pastoral ministry.  That means he will one day, Lord willing, pastor a congregation.  Think typical preacher job.  We're not headed to a foreign mission field or a college campus or off to plant a new church.  His personality, spiritual gifts, and background fit well likely as an Associate Pastor right out of seminary, with the hopes of being a Senior Pastor one day.

6.  How does a Presbyterian minister get a job?  Applying for a PCA pastor job looks a lot like applying for a job in any other field of work.  We're not placed in churches, as some denominations are.   We'll hear about or read of an opening and send in his resume.  We may get an interview with a search committee, which reports to the session, who sets up another interview and maybe a visit or two, then maybe an offer is made.  So I hear...we'll experience that first-hand next year.

7.  Where do y'all want to work?  That's a loaded question.  We'd like to head back to the Southeast, but we recognize God may have other plans and therefore won't rule much of anything out right now. Brian feels a call to minister to the people and culture who we understand best and have street cred with already.

8.  What do you think about being a pastor's wife?  It makes me laugh to think that's what I'll be.  Of course it also makes me laugh when I see a mother with 4 young kids and realize that's what I look like to others.  Anyway... I've been blessed to be friends with and mentored by some amazingly phenomenal pastor's and professor's wives up here.  I'm not so naive to think it's going to be a walk in the park, or so proud to think I can handle whatever comes.  We're promised we'll struggle, but we're also promised it is good!

9.  How did you decide to start blogging?  I had some first-year seminary wives over for coffee during our first Christmas season, and we were sharing our stories in order to get to know each other better.  Someone suggested I start a blog because I was willing to say honestly and candidly how hard it was, which was encouraging to them.  So I did.  I hope it is encouraging whomever reads this.  It's also helpful for me to have to process ideas and land somewhere with my thoughts.

9.  If people want to know more, would you say any questions are off-limits?  I hesitate to give a blanket invitation, but I don't think there's anything that a thoughtful person would ask that I'd not be willing to answer.  So--if you've read this far--and you have any more questions about what we're doing or what I think about something, feel free to ask.

Boot Camp Blog Post

New Boot Camp Blog Post

Don't faint just because it's been since August that I've blogged over there.  But check it out.  It helps my feelings.

And we know it's all about me.  And my feelings.  Don't laugh, MMA.

Update

No one has signed up yet, which means there is one person who is coming back for her second camp but hasn't registered online (which is fine and to be expected) and the possibility that one former "regular" will come (but that is not really to be expected).

The girl who is coming emailed to see if I'd still do the camp, if it's worth my time.  ABSOLUTELY!  And how else can they come if I'm not having the camp?

Keep praying, folks.  It's not over yet, by any means!

We Need Your Prayers

For those of you who still read this--

Brian and I are asking for an army of saints to petition the Lord to provide for us financially through the bootcamp.  Our primary "regulars" are no longer coming, and it's going to be interesting what happens next.  The vast majority of my campers have come because they found us on the web, so we are asking God to drum up new people to come.

My teaching/aide job will end in May for the summer, as well as my nanny job for good (they're moving).  We need more income as it is to pay our monthly bills (which does not include B's tuition), and this bootcamp is already in place and certainly adequate to provide for our needs should people actually come.  And people go to these things.  My best regular (she's leaving after 2 years with me) goes on and on wondering why this hasn't taken off, acknowledging that God must be teaching us some very specific things by keeping us needy.  She's definitely right about that.  She's also speculating that once she leaves it will take off.  I hope she's right about that.

So will you please pray with us?  Ask God to bring us campers.  To provide through this business that is already in place in the community and in our day-to-day lives.  That we won't have to go and figure out what more to do to make money.  That bootcamp will be how we make it.

And if you'll commit to praying daily with us for this week (3/3-3/10), would you please encourage me by commenting here that you'll pray?  We have seen before how God moves when people pray for us, and we're expectantly hoping that he will answer yes this time too.

Thank you all so much!