The holding pattern appears to have been altered somewhat. And now I enter a time of preparation. As mentioned in previous posts, Michelle has been interviewing with some companies, and has accepted a job offer. It's an exciting opportunity for her - one that suits her very well and represents growth in her career. I'm proud of her. Sadly, I'll have to say goodbye to her very soon. Her new job is out of state, and she'll start in just a few weeks. I will join her in our new hometown at the end of the year, or the beginning of '05. I'll get more detailed about the where and why and how later, but we still have some important people to inform about all of this first. Until then, I will continue working at as fast a pace as I can on our landscaping project here, in order to prep our house for renting.

This change will bring to a close my church planting efforts here in SoCal. It does not change my passion for the Kingdom or starting new communities of faith, and I fully expect to continue in this sort of a role in our new home. Winding things down here is bittersweet. I haven't really begun processing my thoughts and feelings yet. In one sense, I represent a statistic of "failed" attempts at church planting. I'm o.k. with that - I knew it was a tough thing when I started. I don't count myself a failure, though. I definitely don't regret having made the effort. Sure there are things I'd do differently if I could go back, but who wouldn't? The point is, I'm secure in my role in God's Kingdom - I'm still passionate about announcing that His Kingdom is a near and present reality, available to all.

As the next several weeks unfold, I'll write more as I have freedom. Especially without my favorite person around to help me think, I'll need the space this blog provides. Perhaps the few who still follow this blog will help me develop some directions and challenge me to keep pushing forward.