This is so telling.

I guess I really need to update, because a lot of people probably really have no idea what i'm up to these days.

I'm still doing the 8 to 5 at the same place.

Andrew graduates in May. Yes, this coming May. He will be done with school forever (unless he some day goes back to get his Doctorate, which is not on the agenda at all). He will have his Masters of Divinity from RTS. We are both really excited.

Last semester was his last "full load" semester. The coming semester that starts in Feb., he only is required to take 1-3 classes , but he'll be really busy with other things. Hes also taking more classes than he has to, so he can learn more, etc.

About fourmonths or so ago, Andrew started the "job hunt" process. We are looking at nearly all PCA churches throughout the U.S. who have openings we believe Andrew is suited for: senior pastor, associate pastor, or some other type of ministry position with teaching in the church/sheperding/caring for older people in the church, etc. The specific types of positions we are not intersted in are "youth ministry" positions. We aren't being too picky about churches we're applying to (I saw we because it is such a joint effort to look at the churches and think if we could belong there, etc), because we want to keep our options open, and it is really hard to find such a position right out of school.This is a very very long and slow and detailed process, so we don't really know much now. I'll try to keep everyone posted if we have any churches that are "seriously seriously" looking at him.

We are gone almost every Sunday these days, driving out of Jackson either one hour to four hours (each way) away to visit churches/preach at them. Some of these churches are churches we've applied to, and they want to have Andrew preach and meet us, etc, and many of the churches are just churches Andrew preaches at on a monthly (or so) rotation that can't afford a full time preacher that just need the pulpit filled every Sunday with someone.

This has been made "more interesting" lately with the fact that we are nearly "out of comission" on the car front. That is, my car is completely non-driveable, and we are currently trying to sell it. (That is, if we can sell it, because it may or may not cost more than the car is worth to fix it...depending on who you talk to/who you trust.) This was the "good car" mind you. We are now down to only one car, Andrew's car, which is a rinky dink, close your eyes and say your prayers, on its last leg, if you step too hard on the floorboard, you may LITERALLY bust through and find yourself Flintstoning it, vehicle. It is completely unreliable, and we can't drive it long distances at all. When we have to drive more than an hour or so away, we will probably have to borrow Buddy's Jeep.

Which brings me to a blessing -- that they allow us to do this, because really, we don't have another option. We borrowed the Jeep a couple of Sundays ago for the first time to drive a couple hours+ away (each way). We will have to borrow it again this weekend, as we're driving four hours (each way) to a new place in Northern MS. where Andrew has applied. If the Grahams keep letting us, we'll probably borrow their jeep much more in the coming months as we continue to job hunt and just travel to preach in general.

If you are a believer and follower of God, reading this post, then I would request that you keep us in your prayers. Life is good, and we are blessed, but it is a season of much hardship for us/me (I feel it more than Andrew does.) We have bills coming out our ears, I don't know whats going to happen on the job front, we "need" a car, and we really don't have any money. And we recently started having to pay back $40K worth of student loans, with interest.

We both work very hard at our paying jobs (Andrew works literally every day of the week, something like 4 or 5 PT jobs) , but we really don't make enough for where we need to be financially. The cost of living + the cost of seminary + now thousands of dollars of loans = we don't make NEAR that much. Now, I say that, but I also know that we haven't starved or gone without shelter, etc etc, and that the Lord has always and will always provide.

I feel embittered because our church won't/has never helped with seminary costs (which is really kind of rare), and pays "a joke" for the work interns do at the church (Andrew is a "paid (haha right)" intern at our church, and I feel kind of abandoned by them because I think the Church has a responsibility to care for her own, for the advancement of the Kingdom. Thats a whole other issue, I know, that I don't care to delve into here, and probably shouldn't.


Thats whats up with me, lately.