The man with the plan!

Some of you already know this, but in January Doug felt a specific call on his life into 'the ministry'. Yeah, it still feels weird to say it. :)

Can I say how proud I am of my man? Since May he's been doing three jobs. He's been working full-time at John Deere (over 40 hours a week), taking 6 hours of seminary classes (seriously, 9 is considered 'full-time student'), and coming home and being a great husband and father. He still continues to volunteer at the church every Sunday leading the parking team and every Tuesday leading our small group. I know it must be exhausting. His schedule everyday looks like this:

5am - up to either go to work or the gym
works until 4pm
arrives home at 4:30
Either cooks dinner or helps me cook dinner at 5pm
We eat and then clean up until 6
We hang out with the boys (usually outside) until 7
Studying every night from 7-10pm

That doesn't leave much gray area! I so admire how committed he is. Here's kinda' how we made our plan:

God is calling our family to do something for Him (like, full-time job-ish. We know God calls everyone to do something for Him). We're not quite sure how to get there yet so we're going to make ourselves ready. This means Doug going back to school for a degree in Evangelism and Church Planting. It also means soaking up all the info we can from books, websites, and our current church (the 2nd fastest growing church in America - hmmmm, I wonder if God put us here on purpose? :)

I keep reminding Doug of what our Pastor said not too many weeks ago. Sometimes God calls you to sacrifice something good, for something even better.

Yesterday Doug told me, "I feel like I'm working like a dog and I'm only two days ahead in school work!". He has been spending every spare second reading for this class he's in. Yeah, it's rough! But I feel like God is using the process to refine him and grow him in significant ways.

So this is my personal message to my honey - I know you're sacrificing a lot! Know that what God has planned for you is amazing. I can't wait to see what happens...













I couldn't resist adding this image to this post. I was cleaning up after lunch today and I heard Jeremy in the room where Daddy was supposed to be studying. I went in to ask him to come out and I found Doug reading one of his seminary books to Jeremy. Jeremy had asked Daddy to read to him. :)