Josh's new job

We just celebrated our 4-year wedding anniversary at the end of April. We purchased the laptop I'm using to blog this as our anniversary present (something tells me that 4 years isn't the "laptop anniversary" but oh well). Hard to believe it has been that long being married. Jamie and I look back at our wedding pictures and I can't believe how much we've changed. I for one am a few pounds heavier. I find that my jeans and khakis don't fit as well as they used to. I'm hoping that my second job will help take care of this "reshaping."

Two weeks ago I began working with DeLon's Carpentry, which is really a fancy way of saying I work with DeLon. It's been a fairly easy first two weeks...I think God knew I would need to ease my way in to hard labor when I'm used to sitting behind a computer and seeing people all week long. I've already learned quite a bit, like how to hook a two-ton dump trailer onto a truck, how to remove mushrooms growing inside your apartment building's wet carpet (yes, we found 5 mushrooms growing in an empty apartment room that had water leak in), how to prep a driveway for sealing, how to get a sunburn (I actually already knew that), and how to eat lunch at the bar (in a Wisconsin town of less than 1,000, three bars is all you get).

It's been good. My dad will call and he gets excited that I am doing construction work since that's what he does and that's been his dream for me ever since I fell down the stairs in my baby walker. And DeLon is someone I can work with and still be friends with. He allows me to try things and learn by making mistakes and yet also tells me enough of what I need to know so I'm not standing around all day. He and I can share the tough stuff from church and I can trust him to keep it to himself.

It's also been tough. I come home tired some nights and don't feel like doing ministry stuff whatsoever. I only work for him three days a week, so the other days are good for ministry. Yet there is so much to "work on" that I feel guilty for not working those evenings. I was reminded by a pastor friend just a few days ago that this is not my church; it's is Christ's and He will provide the growth. I'm trying to let go of the pressure to succeed and the emotions that come with "success" and "failure." I'm trying to see this church the way Jesus sees it. It's a process and I have a long way to go.

Thanks for your continued prayers and blog comments. One final note...Jamie and I today made a list of things that need to happen for us to stay at this church/for it to stay open. Some things that need to happen in the next 30 days, 60 days and 90 days. I won't post them here, but I would ask that you pray that God's will be done and that if we're supposed to stay, God would confirm that by setting those things in motion.