Well, we’ve moved in and unpacked all our boxes.  Kim deserves all the credit for unpacking every box within a week of moving in.  Unfortunately, a big rain storm came through Murfreesboro on Tuesday, and some water flooded in our brand-new apartment!  Thankfully, the maintenance people here are very helpful and were on the case immediately.  We just had to live with a huge fan blowing in our living room for a few days.

I attended a new teacher training seminar from Wednesday through Friday.  It was great to meet some new teachers at Blackman High and hear from the two featured speakers.   I’ve spent a few hours each day at Blackman and have met a few of my students.  Everyone has been very friendly and welcoming.  I’m looking forward to band camp, but I’m thankful there is still a week before we begin.

I finished the final Harry Potter book on Monday.  (Don’t worry, no spoilers here)  I felt very satisfied with the ending.  I’m big on having effective conclusions to stories.  There are few things more frustrating than following a story over a span of years and being denied an absolute ending.  I’m mainly thinking of the Matrix movies.  That trilogy had such a great start, but the third episode ruined the entire series for me.  Thankfully, Harry Potter’s ending leaves no stone unturned and brings a full resolution to the story.

With the move less than a week away, Kim and I have started boxing our few belongings.  (And when I say “Kim and I,” I’m mainly refering to Kim.)  Its amazing that we really don’t have many more items to pack.  At this pace we’ll meet our goal of being fully packed before Saturday.  Hopefully we’ll be able to load the truck in under an hour if we have enough help.

In other news, we purchased tickets to see the Tennessee Titans play the Jacksonville Jaguars.  This will be my second NFL game and Kim’s first.  I’m looking forward to being in the midst of Titans mania!  Even though the Bengals are just over an hour away from Lexington, I’ve never felt an attachment with the recently successful NFL franchise across the Ohio River.  Living in Bowling Green when the Titans moved to Nashville really solidified my NFL allegiance to the Titans.  Watching that incredible playoff run in 1999 which included the Music City Miracle and the Super Bowl appearance was the first time I felt like a real NFL fan.

1. Just got back from camp. It was a great week (like always), but the week went by so much faster than in previous years. I suppose the seemingly quick pace was due to the fact that Kim and I had much more responsibility this year. We were constantly practicing a skit, prepping a night activity, or thinking up a punishment for latecomers to flag raising. Not to mention we also had the normal duties of being counselors.

2. I love my wife. I’m very thankful that Kim enjoys camp as much as I do. I wouldn’t be able to have as great of a week if Kim wasn’t on board with the whole camp idea. Its just nice that I can have somebody to flirt with.

3. I’m finding myself having less and less patience for church garbage. I am tired of hearing stories of churches kicking people out for reading a certain book, church leadership unable to make a decision because they’re paralyzed by fear, or ministry staff being misled by their leadership. It seems like all of these actions are a result of preservation. Leaders are more concerned with keeping unnecessary traditions alive, and holding to a pattern their grandparents and parents lived with. In my eyes, there isn’t a greater waste of time than preserving a church. Trying to preserve a church is a sign that you don’t believe God can work in infinite ways and that you’d rather be in control rather than allow God to guide your path.

4. After talking about church leadership last week, I’ve tried to develop my expectations for church leaders:

Church leaders will pray, listen to the Holy Spirit, and set a clear vision for the church. This vision will dictate the direction of the church, what qualities are needed in a ministry staff, and the responsibilities of the church’s members. Church leaders will be bold, confident, and courageous, while displaying humility, servant-leadership, and compassion.

As I write this statement I noticed its easy to write in a negative sense. Such as “Church leaders will not…” But I believe it is important to act primarily out of purpose, and rarely act out of a reaction to something one deems negative. I guess what I’m trying to say is that sometimes I wish to act in an opposite way of negative leadership. I say things to myself like, “I wouldn’t do that,” or “Thats the wrong way to do it.” But I need know my intentions before I act in order to follow the vision God has for me.

Hilarious…

So one thing troubles me as Kim and I are about to move Murfreesboro. As we move further south, I’m worried about finding a church that wants to be relevant to today’s people, has a bold leadership that is confident in the direction God wants to move the church, and isn’t concerned with creating a church culture. I’m very thankful for being a part of Crossroads Christian Church for the past year because they possess all those qualities, and today further proved that statement.

Crossroads invited Craig Gross of xxxchurch.com to bring their Porn and Pancakes tour to Lexington. Craig humbly presented the power pornography to control our lives and desires to unmask this sin. If pornography is uncovered, according to Craig, it loses its power. I believe Craig is right, and how ironic is that pornography almost seems like a curse in some churches. I realize porn can be scary because it is so powerful. It can quietly and consistently lead people down a dark path which they almost unknowingly follow. But instead of leading the charge to take away its power, the church-at-large almost seems to be frozen in fear of pornography.

Therefore I’m thankful that Craig and churches like Crossroads will be bold and acknowledge that pornography is present, but God’s power is stronger.

More on this later…

Last weekend, Kim and I signed a lease for our new apartment in Murfreesboro. The apartment is brand new, which means we’ll be the first people to live in it.

Here is a view of the model apartment’s living room. One thing I really like is that every room has a giant window to provide lots of natural light.  Our floorplan includes two bedrooms and two bathrooms.  Overall, the apartment feels more like a home rather than a cookie-cutter apartment.  Plus, its close enough to Blackman that I can practically walk to work.

This week I’ve been rather bored.  I’ve been working out about every other day and hanging out with friends at the pool.  Its so easy to become a sluggard and lose hours in front of the television, but I’m trying to be proactive and give my body and mind some challenges.  I didn’t believe that my job search would be over so soon into the summer.  I fully expected to be driving to interviews all over KY and TN during these June weeks.

Today, I have enjoyed my annual guilty pleasure of watching the National Spelling Bee.  Part of me is intrigued by the dedication and discipline shown by the contestants (err… “champion spellers”).  The other part of me feels like I’m watching an SNL skit based upon ESPN’s coverage.  Who came up with the idea to have Stuart Scott, who has made a living introducing new forms of grammar, as a sideline reporter.  Add to that, Mike and Mike (of ESPN radio) are giving their periodic commentary.  The really funny part is that most of these kids have no recognition of these ESPN personalities.

It might just be me, but I find it incredibly funny seeing Stuart Scott discuss alternate spellings in the same manner he discusses Michael Vick’s dog fighting ring.  But seriously, its great that academic success gets a little bit of the ESPN spotlight.

>>> By the way, Mike and Mike just discussed one of the contestants, Matt Phillips, who has a disorder which causes his bones to be extremely brittle and break easily.  He is confined to a wheel chair and can’t play sports, but he has an extremely positive and God-like attitude about his situation.  And obviously he is highly intelligent.
Despite his disabilities, he tries to live as independently as possible.  When asked why he rides the school bus instead of riding with his mom he said, “If I ride with my mom I have to wait for her to get ready.  If I ride the bus I just myself ready and get on the bus when it arrives.”

He also stated, “If they find a cure for my disease I won’t use it because my life is really easy right now and I don’t want to change.”  Wow, for an 11 year old boy he sure has accepted the life God has given him.  Here is more on Matt’s story.

Currently he has joined Mike and Mike as commentators.

One reason for a lack of posts lately is due to my job search.  I felt like its inappropriate to talk about my job search on a blog so I decided to not mention too many details on here.  Unfortunately this search has taken my entire focus for the past few months so I haven’t had much material to blog.

But now I can announce that I have been offered and accepted the position of Assistant Director of Bands at Blackman High School in Murfreesboro, TN.  I am in awe of how God has made this decision so easy for me and Kim.  There are so many details that have perfectly fit together to make this opportunity possible.  I feel like I couldn’t have asked for a better position.

The school is only seven years old, but the band program has grown so rapidly that a new band room is currently being built.  I toured the new facility on Wednesday, and I was almost speechless at how impressive the facilities will be.  Honestly, its almost absurd to consider how spacious and luxurious the rehearsal area will be.

The marching band is non-competitive and travels with the football team to all their games.  This is the reason I actually applied for the job.  My education philosophy does not believe in building a program around marching band competitions.  But it seems that the band program at Blackman is more focused on real music education and supporting the athletic teams.

Basically, I feel like I believe in the philosophy of the band program and the school as a whole.  I can’t imagine walking into a better situation as a first year teacher.  God has blessed Kim and I beyond reason, and I am very thankful for his generosity.