Sometimes I am amazed at how we are always asked by people at church about our status there. Our reply a always is "WHO KNOWS, You're guess is as good as ours." Why is it that so many people love us and want us to stay, yet we have NO indication from anyone that we are even a consideration. In fact, its often quite the opposite. We often feel like we are intentionally left out of the loop. Today, for example there was a luncheon, to which all the staff (we understand) were invited to attend...but nothing was said to us. Or like the guy who is over the youth Praise team who approached Tom asking him for help because he said "THEY" (whoever they is) had asked him to lead youth choir! Go figure! This is a college student who doesn't know anything about leading a youth choir...just playing guitar for a praise band...Which is a perfect segue to my next issue. The preacher also made a comment today about knowing and being certain of what our mission and calling are at the church. OBVIOUSLY, Tom and I both feel confident of our mission and calling, yet we are so baffled as to how we are to fulfill it. I even told the preacher afterward that the issue about Paradigm change and our calling is so conflicting. I mean, we know and are convinced of what we are to do, yet the change seems to prevail because of the lack of ministry opportunities throughout the country. It is amazing to us that each day as we check the various ministry classifieds that there are fewer and fewerrr openings for our type of calling. It seems everyone is wanting those who are straight contemporary...'Stand up to a mic with a guitar', 'Lead the congration from the keyboard' and even one which read 'No degree required, just ability'. What a slap in the face for those of us who have spent so much of our time and money to develop the calling and career. So, where does that leave us? Do we compromise our calling and try to work in these other venues? Somehow I don't think so. I have to believe that somewhere out there, a church is about to retire a minister of music, or God is about to call someone out from the very place where he desires for us to serve. I pray that God will continue to guide us minute by minute and provide for us exactly in the way he chooses.

Oh God, we wait!
We wait in confusion.
We wait anxiously.
We wait in anticipation.
We wait for your confidence.
We wait for your assurance.
We wait
wait
wait