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| South Carolina!!! |
Eight and a half years ago, we began our life as newly weds here in Pensacola. We lived in our little one bedroom apartment and pretty much had a kitchen table, 2 couches and mattress! Jeremy was in seminary and teaching music lessons and I was beginning my teaching career. As I reflect on these past 8 years, tears well up in my eyes...a foreign city has become home, a community where I knew no one has now become family, a home that was tiny and sparse is now filled to the rim with babies, furniture, toys and lots of memories!!! After moving here, the Lord soon opened up the opportunity for Jeremy to serve at Olive Baptist as the Middle School Minister. The Lord stretched him and grew him in so many ways...preaching, teaching, leading worship and "pastoring" the 120+ middle school students. Over the years, we grew so close to those precious students. Countless sleepovers, weeks at camp, pizza dinners, lock-ins, beach trips, mission trips.....lesson after lesson and Bible study after Bible study...we became attached very quickly. In 2008, the Lord opened up the door for Jeremy to step in as the high school minister. Such a neat privilege to be able to walk through high school with the students we started with in 6th grade. =) We walked through some of the toughest times of our marriage while leading those students...as we experienced the 2 miscarriages. And, we were able to share in the most exciting times of our lives as we introduced baby Bella and then a few years later baby Jackson to the students! Throughout our time at Olive, the Lord has given Jeremy such amazing opportunities through leading students but also outside of student ministry. He's had the opportunity to preach on Sunday mornings, lead worship services in our church and beyond. All through the years, we continued to love our church family and truly ceased every opportunity to invest where the Lord had planted us. Over the past several months, the Lord began stirring in our hearts...we weren't quite sure where or what the Lord may call us to...but we prayed that we would be diligent where we were serving here...until the Lord led us elsewhere.
About 2 months ago, Jeremy received a call from a church outside of Columbia, South Carolina. This pastor had "accidentally" stumbled upon Jeremy's brother's name while pursuing to fill a Worship Pastor position. Jeremy's brother did not feel God leading him from his church but just mentioned that Jeremy loves music and leads worship while serving in ministry. So, that pastor contacted Jeremy. Things have moved quickly since that first phone conversation...many skype dates, phone interviews and 2 plane trips later...Jeremy accepted the position as the Worship Pastor at Gateway Baptist Church in Irmo, South Carolina! God's timing in our lives could not have been more perfect. They have been without a Worship Pastor for nearly 2 years now BUT if they had contacted us earlier, we would not have been at the place in our lives to be able to leave. With Jeremy's dad passing away last fall and my pregnancy, the timing would not have worked. We continue to be amazed at the Lord's perfect, sovereign hand who is working in the details of our every day life. He is a great God! The Lord has continued to confirm His calling to South Carolina in our lives through His Word, our prayers and through the Godly people He has surrounded us with the past few months. So...in 3 weeks a chapter in our lives will close and new chapter will begin!
I'm sure there will be more blogging about our new adventure...but for now I just wanted to share the news! =)
