Never Doing Again What I'd Swore I'd, What Again, Doing Never

So last week I signed up for the Grand Rapids Marathon. It had been a few years since my last attempted (and completed) Marathon. My last experience was in good. In Chicago there are around 40,000 people all trying to run the downtown streets, when you add in aid stations and spectators, it makes for a pretty packed house. Since everyone is running at a different pace, this results in a lot a weaving and bobbing to get through the crowd; a movement my leg muscles were not ready for. The other major problem was a 14 min. stop when I picked the wrong line for a port-a-potty. Not only did I loose a lot of time, my legs were not the same after that. I was great to be running with my Dad, and I may not have made it without him. Afterwards, I said to myself, "The River Bank Run" is a long enough distance, I don't need to do these marathons." And here I am, signed up for another one.

But this one has a cap of only 2,000 people. It runs an out and back course plus I have the experience of one marathon under my belt. Even so, there are fears lurking in the back of my head, thighs and calf muscles. So if you're not doing anything on October 29 (who knows what I'll be doing? I still don't have a job lined up.) come down and cheer me (and my Dad) (and 1,998) other runners on to success.

Update/Graduation Pics

So, its been about a month, but I'm still here. Since my last posting I've graduated, took classis exams, moved to a new apartment, celebrated 5 years of marriage, got a Playstation 2, and played it. But now that things have settled down I've got time to post some pictures of me graduating. I think I look very academic.














As far as "what's next?" for me...hum...a good question. I get asked this A LOT. Along with the ambigous question of "So then, are you looking for a call?" I have never been totally comfortable with the language of "call." Maybe it's my own hang-ups, maybe its that I feel people are "called" to do things, both inside and outside formal church settings.

So, to actually attempt to answer the question "what's next?" would be to say that I'm looking for something that is unique, challenging, that would allow me to write, read, and continue to learn, both formally and informally. I am looking at various associate pastor positions as well as things in the field of publishing/editing. At this point I am not entertaining ideas of "taking a church" (as they say in the vernacular) and being a Solo/Senior/Executive Pastor. There are things that come with this, certain expectations, that I don't feel prepared to handle.

Caryn and I would prefer to stay around western Michigan near our families, but we would rather that I find I job that I really enjoy that is farther away than to take one I may be only half-hearted about, just to be near family. I'm not going to give any details about what specific jobs I've applied for (or been rejected by) because then people ask about them and you have to tell them that you didn't get it, or that there's nothing to report. (Believe me, when I get a job, you'll all know.)

It's hard to wait for a job to come along. Patience is never something I "have." Its more like being happy with the life around you right now. So that's what I'm trying to do. That's easier when you've just gotten Tetris Worlds for your new Playstation 2.