change

friends...

i'm so sorry that i've been quiet. There actually has been so much going on this past month with sickness and about our future in this vocational area of our life that to write you would be a daily occurrence. it felt too overwhelming to write/blog. seriously, just when i think the day is done, something else will bring forth new information and prayer (last night at 11:15p to be exact!). this past week and evening provided more info and prayer than i think ever in our life (or at least in my most recent memory).

last update: we were considering santa maria (the harbor church), tujunga (sunland neigboorhood church) and apu (PhD program). in and amongst this all was also the strong consideration of leaving biola this year after 9 years of serving the students of hart hall. here are some decisions that have been made so far and a small insight into that choice. again, i'll try to summarize (if you want all the juicy details let's do coffee, i'd love to tell you!)

last week we made the decision to say no to APU. after several significant conversations with wise counsel, the lord and just observing what was in front of us (the choice between higher ed or the church), ry felt called to the church, not the classroom. (again, a nutshell) we emailed apu and feel such a peace about this choice.

as well as saying no to APU, we also said no in our hearts to staying here another year at biola. after a week long prayer in this decision, asking for movement to stay, we both are one in the decision to leave hart this year after nine years of living amongst college students. this is a huge leap. last year we felt like we were going to go (heck, for a few years we felt like we wanted to go! but the Lord kept us, which in staying showed us the 'why' God kept us here for so long), but in deciding to stay, the Lord made is sooooo apparent-in making the choice to now leave, we feel confirmed by so many others in our life, as well as just in our own prayer time together. we are going to take the leap to go. we both feel so 'one' in this decision and we are at peace even though the reality of saying this out loud today is hitting us, we both still feel one. thank you lord. (if you wanna help us move in june, let us know! we'll need it!)

santa maria is a no. after further talks, prayer and discernment, we are saying no to santa maria. they want a youth pastor and a worship director. no matter how much they want to change the position, this is what they need. it would not be a good move for our family even though they are wonderful people, it's not a good fit (financially, theologically, philosophically...etc...)

so the 'yes's' in our life-

i still have a job (although part time) that I LOVE here at isf/talbot. that (as far as i know) won't change unless we move far away.

we thought we were going to keep william in preschool but after many meetings with teachers and school psychologists, we are moving him onto kindergarten!! i can't believe i'll have a kindergartener and a 1st grader!!! i'm soooo proud of them!!

ryan wants to be a senior pastor. after taking some time to dream, pray, journal and pray some more, and gathering wisdom from others in life, this feels like such a great fit for him. we doubted this last year, but that doubt took him on a journey into fears and anxiety that the Lord really brought the truth of himself into. i think now, in all honesty, the fear is "lord, now that we've made these decisions, will you bridge the gap and move us on" we trust his provision (there is soooo much to look back on and trust in this!) and therefore move forward looking for senior pastor positions.

sunland has brought another offer to the table and we are seriously considering it. it's an assoc. pastor position, but the senior pastor is part time and ry would really be acting in much of a senior pastor roll-just not teaching week in and week out. we are one of two folks they are looking at. we LOVE the senior pastor and feel like he and ry would get along so well. we have a meeting in which we both will be going to april 19th to meet the board as a couple, and dinner with Duke sometime in between then as well.

some checks of continued prayer and discernment that we are praying about (and ask for your wisdom and if you feel so led, a response):

do we feel called to minister in LA? can we see growing our family here? do we need to open our hearts (although i feel as though they are open to where the Lord leads) more? we LOVE duke (the pastor) and the men who are elders and serve along side Duke, but do we love this church? Sunday night brought a HUGE conversation into this area that we are weighing/discerning/praying etc...about. please ask questions, please offer wisdom...we are in the info gathering stage and covet your voice in our life. we don't want to take the job because it's the only thing out there if we leave biola. BUT, we don't want to be irresponsible. but is taking the leap to say no to sunland the leap of faith we need to take to see what the lord has for us?

there is much much more, but short of writing 10 pages, i'll end here. there is a dream out there that we are laying before the lord and we are praying that he'll open the doors to this...but in the meantime, we wait patiently upon the lord as he hears our cries (ps 40!) and watch expectantly each day as he continues to show us how is our foundation, our rock and our provider.

i love you all...thanks for hanging in there with our job updates...
aly