Adios College Station

My last day at College Station has passed. In a few minutes, I'm getting ready to pack up and leave for Fort Worth. On Monday, I start at the new branch. Crazy.

We still haven't sold the trailer, or arranged to move it. We don't have a place to put if we did. We don't have a place nailed down if we sell it. That's all in the Lord's hands right now. Thanks be to Him that His hands are big enough to hold it.

Am I sad? Not as much as I had anticipated. I keep trying to conjure up those..."So I'm leaving College Station" feelings, but so far...I'm just excited. It's an adventure. I can't say I'm stoked about the no place yet to live part, but since we get to stay with Sarah's mom...well, I don't have to sweat that too much.

So...goodbye College Station. It's been a great nine and a half years.

Division is Subtraction

A co-worker asked me not long ago why there are so many denominations in Christianity. I thought about it for a moment and answered, basically, that they were divided upon certain theological arguments. I'm no expert on the different denominations here in America, so that was the best answer I could give him. I mean, aside from a few that preach false gospels, the rest believe pretty much the same thing. Don't they? I know that there are a couple that claim that they are the "true" Church, and all others are pretenders. It's also my understanding that these few are also the ones that teach falsely. But if that's the case, I still have to wonder about the rest of them.

I got to reading in 1 Corinthians today. And I've read this passage before, and thought pretty much the same thing. So I guess I'm throwing it out here and see if I can get any body else's view on it.

1 Corinthians 1:10-13 says, "I appeal to you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, that all of you agree with one another so that there may be no divisions among you and that you may be perfectly united in mind and thought. My brothers, some from Chloe's household have informed me that there are quarrels among you. What I mean is this: One of you says, 'I follow Paul; another, 'I follow Apollos'; another, 'I follow Cephas (or Peter)'; still another, 'I will follow Christ.' Is Christ divided? Was Paul crucified for you? Were you baptized into the name of Paul? "

See, normally when I hear division mentioned, and I think of fighting amongst believers, I tend to think of bickering and quarrelling that family members often do. You know, squabbling over trivial things, being mad and not getting over it, etc. etc. But in this case, Paul says that the division is coming about over who they were following. Right? Is that what happens today? I mean Lutherans are named after Luther, Methodists are followers of John Wesley. Some folks are Calvenists, some folks are not.

These guys were all great men, just like Paul, Peter, and the other apostles were. But if first century believers were exhorted not to claim to be followers of men, why do we do it today? No doubt that Wesley, Luther, and Calvin were great theologians. I guess I don't understand all that much how they differed. Didn't they all agree that it was Christ who was crucified for us? That He is the only way to be reconciled with God? That it is only through a faith relationship with Him that we can be saved?

And now we have denominations. Makes me think of math. All of the true denominations should have a common denominator, Christ, right? But what the world sees is a bunch of different people arguing over who is right. They see that we can't agree with one another and be united in like mind. To me, that's a huge subtraction to our witness in this world.

I should be doing something Constructive

I'm sitting here at the computer while my son naps and my wife, daughter, and mother-in-law have gone to the store to buy our sleeping child a birthday cake. I should be doing something constructive. I should be either looking for places to live in Decatur, or I should be using one of my God given talents and writing something that may actually make some money some day. But what am I doing? I keep playing this stupid rogue game that I can't ever get anywhere on. It's a complete waste of my time. Why is it lately that things that are, if not a complete waste of time, at the very least not at all good stewardship of time, are the things that I attempt to consume most of my time?

You know, I could even be using this time for quiet time. Imagine that. I console myself with the fact that I'm at listening to Christian music right now.

But the truth is, I don't even feel like playing my stupid game right now. See, I'm blogging instead. I just feel so...blah...for want of a better expression. I've been sick, which is still really no excuse.

And now I'm wasting even more time, because I'm not saying anything relevant or important or even spiritual. Not that anyone ever really reads what I have here. Heh. That was a self pity remark if I ever heard one. And I'll leave it. Why? Well...aren't I supposed to be honest here?

So I don't have anything else to say. A bunch of random things are clanging around in my head, but I think I'm going to go to Crosswalk.com and at least make an attempt to add something worthwhile to my day.

Moving On

I'm leaving. On a midnight train to...Decatur.

Okay...so it isn't exactly a midnight train, but we are leaving pretty quick. March 30 is my last day at the branch I work at now. April 2 is my first day at the branch in Decatur.
Why am leaving? Why am I going to Decatur? ("Where's that?" some of you may ask.)
I'm not getting a promotion, and I will probably not see an increase in pay. I will remain a teller for Citibank. So why am I leaving? Why am I uprooting my family and leaving a wonderful church to go to Decatur, TX of all places?

Family. My mother lives in Oklahoma City. My sister lives in Pampa. (Another "where's that?" I'm sure. It's in the Texas Panhandle...currently an over eight hour drive.) Sarah's mom lives in Fort Worth, three of her sisters live in the Mansfield area. When we move to Decatur, we will live a little less than three hours from my mom, four hours from my sister, and around 45 minutes to an hour and a half away from Sarah's side.

We see Sarah's family somewhat often...not near as often as we like, but definitely more often than we see my side. We're lucky if we see my family twice a year. That's just not acceptable. I hate that it's like this big production every time we leave, or they leave. I hate that we have completely rearrange our schedules, ask days off of work, just to go see my family. My kids need their grandparents. And more importantly, they need us.

Sarah's big question was: How are we able to minister to our family from here? Phone calls once or twice a week just isn't enough. About a year and a half ago, my stepdad had surgery to have his hip replaced. No big deal normally. But there was a point where he'd lost a lot of blood, and it was touch and go for a bit. I couldn't go because we lived so far away. My mom's getting older, so is Dave. Sarah's sister Becky is about to have another baby. Sarah's mom has had surgery recently...We need to be closer.

Am I sad? I mean...I lived in this area for almost 10 years now. Moved down here January of 98. We have an awesome church family, great friends. I'm established. I can't go to the store now without running into someone I know. And College Station isn't huge...but Decatur is itty-bitty.

I don't know how I feel right now. Part of me is relieved in some sense. I do like change. We have been way busy as of late, and it may be nice not to have a zillion things to do every week.
But I am probably sad. I love this town. I love the trees. I love the smell when you drive into the area after being up in the Panhandle. It just smells green here. I love the people that have come into our lives. I love the people who have been family to us here, the people my children love almost as much as they love us. I love our pastor. I love the men and women I've gotten to serve with. I love the concept of Hope Groups and what a blessing they have been to us over the years.

My eyes water up saying this. I hope it's all worth it. Sarah has always felt like we weren't meant to live her indefinitely...well, obviously, but you know what I mean. Like, Living Hope was just a training ground...I don't know. As long as we can find people as full of love as the people we go to church with now, who love Christ, and live by His Word, we'll be alright. Everything else is pretty much secondary.