what's crack-a-lackin'

what i assume to be a stray cat appeared at my back door tonight. it's a female. i know that because it's also knocked up. i found myself wishing i could take it in and insure its safety though i just fed it some turkey and sent it off, hopefully to find some place warm. i'd be alright with a kitten. or i could give them all away and make other people happy. it would make life interesting for a while that's for sure. i am more of a dog person. puppies would be clutch.

enough about animals.

i hope the cat finds some place warm and safe...like my roommate's closet...

ok, enough about animals.

remember my post a while ago about potentially moving to college station? i was pretty convinced of it and i made a strong argument for college station. well, i visited it over easter and it was great. i saw friends, went to living hope, spent time with family. all in all it was a really pleasant weekend. though despite the fun and great company i realized while there that college station is no longer mine. fort worth is mine for the time being. i have a job to do here which i have to take seriously, and it would be much more difficult to do so in college station.

my job first and foremost is school. seminary has taken on a much greater importance than college ever had. college was for a career. what was i going to do with one of those? but what i'm working for now is so much greater than myself and any career i could ever pursue. i am training now to effectively bring others into the kingdom of God, to teach His word well, to disciple His church. my teacher today made the point that we should take our training as seriously as any doctor, professional athlete, professional musician, you name it. it's true. i'm sick of anti-intellectual christianity. if you do not seek God with your mind you are not seeking Him with all of your heart. people fear "academic" faith so they swing way over into the realm of experiential faith. neither are good purely in themselves, study improves upon faith just as well as experience. yes, there are ivory tower theologians, and seminary students in it for the wrong reasons, but i tell you my professors are some of the most impressive christian men i have ever met. don't be afraid to dig into the word for all it's worth.

so i will stay in fort worth for the next two and a half years, preparing in many ways for a lifetime of ministry. it's not too much to ask, there are much worse places to live. i live in luxury here; i have a bed, a couch, clothes, food, a/c, heat, blankets, friends, coffee, and books. i can live off a $7 an hour job. God has made my way easy thus far. i've grown to love the people here and my heart has drastically changed towards the seminary and its students.

i've also been given a great opportunity to serve in a house church pastored by my friend willis. essentially it's a church plant. at one point it may have been a functional baptist church but in the last few years it broke and collapsed. willis inherited a church building and twenty or so congregants. he has done well, making difficult choices for the kingdom and in the process alienating several of the few members who eventually left as well. it's just as well if they refuse to follown godly leadership. the house church is in a stagnant part of town with little to no growth. it's a mediocre area without really any church presence. the congregation is small, needing discipleship and a lot of prayer. it is entirely in the Lord's hands or at least more evidently so.

as you know if you read my blogs that i want to plant churches, so i'm even more excited of the prospect of learning first hand its difficulties.