Remember when we thought we were moving to Waco? Me neither :) Well, God shut several doors for us and we knew that it would not be an option for us.
We questioned. We wrestled.
We knew we were supposed to leave, but where? Slowly we began searching out churches in Arkansas for Jeff to serve while he did extension seminary out of Little Rock. Finally, we thought, we had an answer of the "where." Well, God closed and shut doors all over the state, and frankly looking back I am so in awe of God's care for us during that time. Things were not going our way, yet God knew where we were going and
had to humble us to get us there.
Finally, we decided that we would go ahead and move to Fort Worth for Jeff to do full time seminary at Southwestern. I applied for a job at Tarrant County College, and the next day I was called for an interview. There was no doubt that this is where He wanted us all along. We moved in June, right after his contract was up with Ouachita. I started work two days later.
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| In front of our first home |
All of that was a lot for one year, right?
Well, Jeff took two classes this summer, and it was very evident that he wasn't happy with the teaching he was receiving. He received a solid education at Ouachita, and for five more years and $20,000 it just didn't seem worth it.
At the same time, we had been regularly attending The Paradox in downtown Fort Worth. It was an Acts 29 church plant, much like the one I was a member at in College Station. Quickly, we were building authentic community by living out family with one another and reaching the city around us. We knew this was a place that we could serve at and are continually amazed at what God is doing through this Body.
During the announcements this summer, Pastor Jim kept marketing a theological training that the church would be participating in with other Acts 29 churches in the area. We kept talking about how great this training seemed - what Jeff was really desiring through seminary. Porterbrook is completely Gospel centered and couples the theological with the practical. It's the church that is raising up it's own leaders, both lay and future church planters. With the leading of the Holy Spirit, we finally asked, why not? He wasn't happy at Southwestern and it was a lot of money to waste just because you thought you were "supposed" to do it.
So, Jeff quit seminary.
Exhausted yet? Me too. Now that you're caught up, stay tuned for the exciting details of what's going on now!
