Imperishable Inheritance

Well, every once-in-a-while it's nice to just write about what's going on with me. After all, isn't that what "blogging" is all about? Of the 187 posts I've done so far maybe around a dozen are truly personal posts. So many essays, sermons, theological rants, etc. I guess that's why I'm a "God Blogger."

Anyway, beyond that worthless introduction. I am still very sick, and I have been for the last week. On Tuesday I couldn't get out of bed until three, and needless-to-say I didn't make it into work on Wednesday. It was a miserable week, and today I didn't make it to church because I felt so terrible. I'm really tired of being sick. Hopefully this cloud is coming to an end.

I have spent the last three weeks looking diligently for a job. I have had all these "career counseling" meetings with important people in the WPAFB IT scene. They all basically tell me that they don't have a job for me, but they would love to have me on board. What is tying their hands is that right now the DoD is in a hiring freeze for the next four years. I guarantee that jobs in the federal government is going to boom in the next 5-15 years. The large majority of workers that I'm around are all baby boomers, and the situation is the same throughout at least the DoD (and I'm sure the same throughout the Fed). So look out for good government jobs, but right now that it isn't helping me too much.

I've applied for a few industry jobs; tomorrow I'm going to apply for LexisNexis, but I have so little confidence right now that I'm going to find an IT job in the Dayton area right now. It's a shame, because moving in with Matt was something that I was excited about. It's not too late, but it's certainly not looking good right now. Many of my MIS friends are graduating and rolling over into graduate school which really is a terrible decision. They're (1) educating themselves out of a job, and (2) those that graduated with a business undergraduate and getting an M.B.A. are hurting themselves, because M.B.A.'s aren't meant for business undergrads. It would be cool to do career counseling. I've worked so hard in this respect over the last four years, and I have gained so much insight into the processes that fuel this.

Next topic. I'm really enjoying my discipleship times. I work individually with Andy Miller and Robbie Meyers both freshman. It is such a joy to see them grow. This is what Matt must've saw in me. The older guys in Crusade also started group discipleship to get to more of the younger guys. There are so many freshman this year (and sophomores) that we decided to expose them to discipleship in a group setting. Matt/Bobby, Chris/Jason, and Evan/I each lead a group. We're going to do a "spiritual boot camp" for the guys we've been working with, but those details are secret. In fact, pretend I didn't say that.

Bridges had our first Bible study, and the only person that showed up was Alecia and her partner. It seems like this class is going to need a different approach. I still have people who need conversation partners so let me know if you're interested! I still keep meeting with Jim Duddleston of Apex to figure out how Bridges and Apex can work together. Last time we spent the whole time discussing my objections to the "house church" philosophy at Apex when that was not what I went there for. It's looking like nothing is happening quickly. Goals I still want to accomplish with Bridges this year:

1. International Friendship Affair
2. Register as an organization
3. Prepare new leaders
4. Write our strategic plan (in process)
5. Get conversation partners for the rest of the Chinese students.
6. Work out something with Apex
7. Lead an international Real Life

Perry, Bobby, and I are also going to lead an introduction to apologetics seminar in early spring quarter. I will lead an introduction to soteriology seminar (hopefully with Jim Knapp or Matt). I think that's the last of my goals for collegiate ministry. It's been a busy two years. I am lucky that I was ready and able to take on such a load of ministry right after conversion, but that's the nature of collegiate ministry: "win, build, and send."

Well, lastly I want to say that Chris Rice rocks, the penguins from Madagascar are hilarious, and Holy People, Holy Land has been a great read. Seriously, I watched Madagascar like three times this weekend just laugh at those penguins over and over again.