Living The Dream - A Mid-Career Change to Ministry

What Am I Looking For?

2010-03-09T08:53:00.002-05:00

Why did I come to work today?

I didn't come here for a paycheck. I didn't come here because I was bored at home. I didn't come here because my previous job was boring.

I came here today because I want to make a difference in the world. I think that was the primary motivator in my career change to this ministry.

An incorrect view of vocation probably drove my career change. I believed that being in ministry is the primary difference-maker. I hadn't learned that nearly every career honors the Father -- if I can view the world as all under the Father's control. I had no sense that helping people keep their computer's running was in some way of interest to the Father. I made the right choice, but faulty thinking helped to drive it.

At the same time, I believe I am wired for this job at this moment in my life. It's the only way I could take the risk of giving up a "secure" paycheck for a life of raising personal support. I think God gave me some abilities and skills that are of benefit to this organization. At the same time, I receive so much more than I give through my interactions with my co-workers and with the values and goals of our organization. I've never believed in an organization like I do this one. I know we have flaws and shortcomings, but that's to be expected.

Why did I come to work today? Because I think God wants me here, and this is my act of worship toward Him.

Should I pray, or should I work?

2010-03-01T11:18:00.002-05:00

Interesting thing to be working for a ministry organization. I think it is implicit in the job description that prayer for the ministry, for the organization, for our staff, is really part of the job.

But, is it? I struggle with the notion of whether prayer is part of what I actually do, or if prayer is something I do on my own time after all the "work" is done.

I wonder if that shows a devalued view of prayer. It seems like that view says prayer is an add-on to my efforts. "Here, God, I did all this work today. Now, I'd like to tie it all up into some nice gift-wrapping by asking you to wave your magic wand and make it all wonderful and beautiful and glorious."

I'm not at all certain that's a legitimate view of my work. It seems much more wise to set aside daily time to pray as part of my work, because little eternal will be accomplished if it's all about me.

Of course (with apologies to those who bristle as sacred/secular designations), is that true of all vocations? Should factory workers be permitted to set aside 30 minutes of company time to pray for the organization, his or her fellow employees, the bottom line, etc.? I don't think many people would say so. It might help, but no one would advocate it.

So, I continue to ask myself ... if I set aside prayer time at work, am I robbing the organization of productivity, or am I actually boosting productivity by taking time to pray for our leaders, for our fund-raisers, for my ministry partners, and more? I wish I knew that answer.

Losing Track

2010-02-23T08:50:00.002-05:00

Well, it's been quite a while since I've updated this blog.

I've learned something about "ministry jobs" ... in many ways they are just like all the other jobs I've had. The urgent crowds out the important. The priorities you want to set get swallowed up in the tasks of the day. Outside demands take away from the things you thought you were going to accomplish.

That's what has happened here with this blog. I really wanted to write down my thoughts as I made this career change. I hope it helps others, but I realize it's quite likely I'm the only one who will read it. If so, it also needs to be my personal journal of my progress in the job.

So, I'm now 9 months into the job. It's vastly different than I expected. My role has shifted to meet the needs of the organization. Some things that seemed important at the beginning are now secondary issues to accommodate new important things.

I'm OK with that. I'm learning that this work evolves with the needs of the organization ... and those change quickly. I'm learning that being in a ministry career requires me to be just as nimble about responsibilities and goals as I was in all the other jobs I've held.

I expected it to be different, but I think I had my head in the clouds. Truth is, it's called work for a reason. It's supposed to be hard and challenging and difficult ... and it is.

But I've also found that it's incredibly rewarding to bring whatever skills I have to the task of advancing the gospel. When I remember that, I get back on track.

No Means of Escape

2009-09-22T10:28:00.003-04:00

Hebrews 2:1-3a
Therefore we must pay much closer attention to what we have heard, lest we drift away from it. For since the message declared by angels proved to be reliable, and every transgression or disobedience received a just retribution, how shall we escape if we neglect such a great salvation?

How, indeed, can we escape?

The message of salvation is for all to hear. It is there for upright, respectable business people and for winos in the gutter. It is there for peaceful G20 protesters and for those who destroy property in some misguided effort to gain attention or express anger. It is there for police officers who follow the law, and for those who cross the line and abuse people. It is there for governmental leaders who seek an earned righteousness, and for those who seek personal aggrandizement. How will they escape?

Without Jesus, they won’t.

And I write those words with such a cavalier attitude. How will they escape? Dunno. Oh well, I can’t dwell on it too much, I have too much work to do. Wow.

The problem is neglect, not active rejection. Neglect of the gospel is my sin. So great salvation is offered … and so little effort is expended to extend the offer to others.

I ask myself why? Why do I neglect the gospel? Why do I neglect to share the gospel with others? Why do I not speak of the gospel with my family? Why don’t I feel the same passion for the gospel that I feel for politics? Why can I reorder my entire Saturday to watch Ohio State and Akron play football, but never purposefully order my day to share the greatest victory ever played out on earthly soil?

The first step for me to stop neglecting the gospel is to let that question of Why? permeate my thoughts. May it be so today.

One-Year Anniversary - A Nightmare of Freedom

2009-08-28T08:48:00.002-04:00

One year ago today, we were called into a conference room and told that our training department at CMU had been eliminated. No warning. two people lost their jobs, four of us stayed on, but in new assignments.

That was probably the darkest day of my career. I had a job I loved. My boss, Corrine, was the kind of leader for whom you would walk through fire. I wasn't an employee, I was a partner in something we both cared about passionately -- helping others to become more effective in their use of technology.

It was a confusing day, the first of many more confusing days to follow. I went from loving going to work to hating it. I was angry at myself, at CMU, and at God. Why would He give me a job I love and then take it away 7 months later?

One year later ...

I am in a new career with a new company. I can't wait to get to the office, and feel a little sad when the day is over.
I'm doing ministry work, something I've wanted to do for years.
I'm healthier spiritually than at any other point in my life.
I'm richer emotionally than I've ever been.
My friendships have been tried by fire, and were found to be solid and stable.
Our marriage didn't just survive, it thrived. Our family is united in our desire to move ministry forward.

It's almost like there was a plan -- a purpose behind all of the circumstances that is discernible only with hindsight.

The pain of that day one year ago has turned out to be God's gift.

Encouragement for those who Struggle

2009-08-24T08:04:00.003-04:00

Heard this song this morning on Pandora.com. Wonderful thoughts.

Ginny Owens - If you want me to
Album: Without Condition

The pathway is broken
And The signs are unclear
And I don't know the reason why You brought me here
But just because You love me the way that You do
I'm gonna walk through the valley
If You want me to

Chorus:
Cause I'm not who I was
When I took my first step
And I'm clinging to the promise You're not through with me yet
so if all of these trials bring me closer to you
Then I will walk through the fire
If You want me to

It may not be the way I would have chosen
When you lead me through a world that's not my home
But You never said it would be easy
You only said I'd never go alone

So when the whole world turns against me
And I'm all by myself
And I can't hear You answer my cries for help
I'll remember the suffering that Your love put You through
And I will walk through the darkness
If You want me to

Cuz when I cross over Jordan
Gonna sing, gonna shout,
Gonna look into Your eyes and see You never let me down
So take me on the pathway that leads me home to You
And I will walk though the valley
If You want me to

Yes, I will walk through the valley
If You want me to

4 Lessons from Turbulent Times

2009-08-19T15:19:00.001-04:00

Notes and thoughts from Bill Hybels’ presentation at the 2009 Leadership Summit

“Leading In A New Reality”

We live in chaotic times. How does it change how leaders lead?

4 Lessons from Turbulent Times

1) Be the church, no matter what

Don’t lose sight of your mission

2) Kingdom economics

Hybels said that kingdom economics don’t always make sense from an earthly view. However, he did advocate having healthy cash reserves because they buy time to make financial decisions. He revealed Willow Creek’s Financial Dream for financial allocations:

50% of budget to staff expenses (means making more commitment to volunteer action)
15% to ministries
15% for general expenses and administration
10% for “Winds of the Spirit” – unexpected opportunities
10% to give away

3) Create an environment where fully-yielded people can thrive

Hab. 3:2 – Do great things in our time
2 Chron 16:9 – God is looking for those fully-yielded people

4) Replenish Yourself

Romans 8:6 – The Spirit leads to life and peace

Leaders must reinvent adequate replenishment strategies for the new reality. The best thing a leader can bring to the job in a crisis situation is a filled-up personal bucket. Change routines, do whatever is necessary to replenish your soul.

Do your followers see someone who is filled up, or exhausted and fearful?

My Takeaway

I thought the strongest point was the last one about personal replenishment. Prolonged times of crisis can drain even the most engaged leader. If what you are doing to restore your soul is no longer working, find something else that works.

Hybels also made reference to a Jim Collins book – How the Mighty Fall, which just came out. May be worth a look.

An Inactive God

2009-07-27T14:35:00.000-04:00

Sometimes, it is what God does not do that blesses us.

He could have killed Adam and Eve and started again. (Interestingly, He also could have made it impossible for Adam and Eve to sin.)

He could have let Noah drown with the rest.

He could have answered my prayers for a different career path the past 25 years.

He could have held me to account for irrational promises made in times of crisis.

Jesus could have come down from the cross at any time.

Sometimes, an Inactive God is exactly what we need.

Allie's Story

2009-06-29T09:59:00.002-04:00

Jesus changes people's lives.

That is one of our core values at the CCO, and this morning we saw that process in action.

We just finished a training session with Allie Mollenkof, who directs our recruiting process at the CCO. She related her college story to us, and it was quite moving.

Allie grew up in a good family that loved her, but had no real interest in Jesus or faith. Through a set of circumstances, she ended up at Gannon University in Erie, Pa., where she encountered a group of Christians who lived on the same floor of her dorm.

Allie told us how the Christians were friendly with her, made her feel welcome, and really piqued her curiosity about Christianity.

In her sophomore year, a new CCO staff member came to Gannon. She and Allie hit it off and, through a long series of conversations, Allie chose to put her faith in Christ -- changing the trajectory of her life forever.

I've been a Christian a loooooooong time, and it's easy to forget that God really does take people who are indifferent toward Him, or even defiant toward Him, and changes their lives forever.

That's why I, and so many others, have made this career change.

Surprised by Doubt

2009-06-24T00:04:00.000-04:00

C.S. Lewis wrote an intriguing spiritual autobiography - Surprised by Joy.

In it, he recounts how the experience of joy in things like nature ultimately led him to faith in Christ. It was his pursuit of this unexplainable longing for joy that led him to God.

If I wrote an autobiography of my first month in vocational ministry, the title would be structurally similar but diametrically opposed -- Surprised by Doubt.

As I have begun navigating what are truly uncharted waters for both me and the CCO (I hold a newly-created position), the exhilaration of "I can't believe I get to do this for a living!" is often replaced with "why on earth am I doing this for a living?"

The questions pound away like a tsunami -- Am I where God has called me? Do I even believe there is a call? How can I know? Is God obligated to resource my decision just because it was a so-called step of faith?

What I have learned is that I should not necessarily be troubled by these doubts, and I shouldn't be quick to affix blame for the doubt -- The Devil Made Me Do It!

Doubt is sometimes my best friend. Without it, I lose my desperation for God. When I doubt, it is an opportunity for God's Spirit to remind me that I am utterly dependent upon Him for success.

Doubt for me is the spiritual equivalent of the protective goodness of the pain I experience when I touch a hot stove. It quickly reminds me that there is great pain ahead if I continue to walk down a road of self-dependence.

Tony, thanks for making me think

2009-06-19T08:55:00.000-04:00

I'm thinking a lot about money these days ... mostly about how to generate more of it. ;-)

I'm probably in danger of violating Jesus' teaching about serving either God or money, but not both. Money, and the pursuit of it, is becoming a huge, anxiety-producing part of my life. Interestingly, this all happened when I left "industry" and joined a non-profit. My salary is roughly the same, but money has become the predominant thought in my life. I didn't anticipate that.

I came across 2 Cor. 9:11 recently in my reading, and this phrase struck me -- You will be enriched in every way to be generous in every way (ESV).

It reminded me of something Tony Campolo wrote.

(Rabbit Trail - I'm an extremely conservative guy, and people ask me why I would read something by Tony Campolo. He is usually a lightning rod for people of my ilk. I read Campolo because he makes me think. Do I always agree? No. Has he ever changed my mind on an issue? Absolutely. I think he's a fascinating guy, a brother in Christ, who calls me on my propensity to drift from biblical teaching to cultural Pharisaism. End of rabbit trail.)

Here is a summary of his line of thinking.

Why do we buy cars? At its essence, we buy a car to take us from one place to the next ... safely. That's all cars and trucks do. They transport us, and our stuff, from one place to the next.

This is Campolo's question -- If you can get something to safely take you and your stuff from here to there for, say, $25,000 -- then why spend $40,000 on a vehicle?

Could it be because we love the prestige of the logo? Could it be because we bought the car more for what it says about us than for safe transportation? If so, have we violated Jesus' teaching by loving the car for purposes intended not for cars, but God?

If my standing with Christ is the basis for my identity, then anything else I use to build my identity is an idol. I'm guilty of the same sin of idolatry that I so easily condemn the Israelites for in the Old Testament. The new car, big house, the designer names, the flat-screen TV, the new computer ... all have the potential to be idols.

Please, don't try to persuade me with the "quality investment" argument -- I agree that we should buy reliable vehicles, reasonable quality clothes, etc. But why are we so quick to run to that argument before we really consider what Campolo is saying?

Look at that verse again ... "we are enriched ... to be generous". How much generosity have I missed out in my life because I overspend on things?

I can look back at things I've bought and realize that my idolatry caused me to waste my resources.

I bought a car once to impress a woman (she eventually became my wife, but I don't think the car had anything to do with it). I wasted thousands of dollars trying to buy prestige and sex appeal via a plush interior and a moon roof.

I bought a $150 watch because it looked cool in GQ, and because I wanted to impress women. (Didn't work -- but does there seem to be a pattern here!) A decent Timex is probably $30 and tells me the time. That represents $120 in lost generosity because I wanted a watch to make me look cool and sophisticated.

That is idolatry.

Thank you, Tony, for calling me out on my materialism. It is a good and godly rebuke that I need to heed more often.

I Need a Helmet

2009-06-16T08:55:00.002-04:00

I loved the old Frank Peretti novels about spiritual warfare - especially This Present Darkness. In them, Peretti paints a picture of demons and angels engaged in actual warfare over the lives of Christians.

I have no idea how accurate these books might be, and I don't think Peretti set out to write a theological treatise on the tactics of angels and demons. They were just thought-provoking, well-written novels that were hard to put down.

I came across this passage while reading 2 Corinthians 10 ... For the weapons of our warfare are not of the flesh but have divine power to destroy strongholds. We destroy arguments and every lofty opinion raised against the knowledge of God, and take every thought captive to obey Christ (vs. 4-5)

What are the strongholds that Paul says he is attacking? They are arguments, opinions, and thoughts.

It struck me once again that so much of our spiritual struggle takes place between our ears. It is great that we have social ministries and fellowship times and so forth -- I don't denigrate them. But, this was a good reminder that the warfare for which we must prepare has to do with thoughts and opinions and worldviews. That is the real battleground from which all these other tactics must flow.

This passage calls me to take up arms against my own thoughts that try to escape the boundaries of rationality so they can live in the delusion of self-control. The control is not mine; control belongs to God. Submission belongs to me. Training belongs to me. Taking action belongs to me. Success comes from God -- who also enables me to submit, to train, to take action.

Any sense of self-control is irrational because it denies the reality of the sovereignty of God.

Admittedly an undeveloped thought -- but one for me to chew on in the days ahead as I attempt to fight in the real battle.

The Thrill is Gone

2009-06-14T08:59:00.006-04:00

I'm reading through 2 Corinthians right now.

Paul seemed to have tremendous mood swings.

He makes these statements of being in great pain and distress (2 Cor 1:8-9a -- We do not want you to be uninformed, brothers, about the hardships we suffered in the province of Asia. We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death.).

But, at other times, he makes bold statements of faith and confidence in God (2 Cor 1:9b-10 -- But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us).

Now, I recognize that he's just dealing with the reality of life -- things are often hard, but God prevails. But still, he said he "despaired even of life". I understand to mean "I wished I could die".

It reminds me of the ebb and flow of life -- and that I'm right in the middle of it.

One thing I've learned quickly -- taking a ministry job doesn't mean endless days of joy and excitement. Everything isn't always lollipops and puppy dogs.

Right now, I'm in an ebb. The thrill is gone. Reality has set in. I'm doing ministry ... but it is, after all, still a job.

Recognizing that is a good thing.

It reminds me not to expect that all my hopes and dreams are going to be fulfilled at work - even in a ministry position. I have to remember that I can't define myself by my job.

The base of my self-definition must come from my connection to the Father. The job flows from that, and it's incredibly satisfying to be working here. But that can not be the core of my being. If it is, then my sense of worth will ebb and flow with how things go at work each day.

No job, even one like mine, is a substitute from building my life on Christ.

Google Earth Leadership

2009-06-11T11:44:00.002-04:00

One of my favorite time-wasters (never done on company time, of course!) is Google Earth. I am endlessly fascinated with looking up places (Football stadiums, architectural landmarks, Civil War battlefields) with the God-Cam view for which Google Earth is famous.

At times, Google Earth is wonderfully productive. I have become an expert of sorts at mapping out detailed driving directions, down to the tenth-of-a-mile and which lanes to be in when I need to exit.

At other times, Google Earth is mindless entertainment. I can jump from Cleveland Browns stadium to an air base in Nevada to the Vatican in a matter of 1-2 minutes. Interesting places to look at -- but nothing more.

One of my work projects is to determine our leadership competencies. There is a Google Earth temptation to look at every leadership website and every book review and every magazine article I can find. There is so much out there, and much of it is excellent.

The challenge I'm facing is to sift these resources and develop a list of what it takes to be a successful leader at The CCO. It's not necessarily the same skills it takes to be a leader in other industries.

I've been down this road before. I worked in radio for several years, and thought I was pretty good as some aspects of the job. When I left radio to work for a newspaper while I finished college, I found that some skills transferred (ability to work on deadline, ability to describe what I'm seeing) and some did not. Ditto for when I went into public relations work, and again when I made the move to the technical support industry.

So, that's my own self-leadership challenge ... to make my Google Earth-style leadership resource search lead me to a destination instead of becoming a globe-hopping excursion into non-productivity.

Why I Blog

2009-06-10T07:08:00.002-04:00

I blog because maybe, someday, someone will read these writings ... someone who, like me, is in the midst of a career change to ministry. I write because perhaps my "affliction" of doubt will encourage and comfort someone else, as this passage indicates:

2 Corinthians 1:3-4
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.

"Blessed be ... the Father of mercies and God of all comfort!"

I count upon God's compassion, comfort and encouragement desperately these days.

I’m at a low point spiritually and emotionally, wondering how I’m going to make it. Did I make the right decision? Did I really hear God’s call? Did I just run away from an unhappy work situation?

Those questions haunt me, and right now they oppress me. I want to be the guy who is firm and resolute in his calling and ministry - the guy who has no questions.

I’m not that guy.

I’m the guy who lives in the tension between doubt and faith. I want to believe that God will provide for me, but I don’t always believe it. I want to believe I’m listening to God … but I wonder if I’ve deceived myself.

Today, I don’t know. Today, I doubt.

I keep calling to mind the verse that has become my “life verse” during this career change – “I do believe. Help me to overcome my unbelief.” (Mark 9:24).

There is a part of me that believes that God will provide for needs when He calls someone. But then I hear about the guy in Atlanta (who works for a different, but similar, organization) who is positive he’s called to the ministry he’s doing, but has raised only 50% of his support need.

I do believe. Help me to overcome my unbelief.

So, why do I blog? Not because I’m perfect, that’s for sure.

I write because I want to be sure. I write because I’m convinced God lives in the middle of my doubt.

I write because when I get it down on paper, it reminds me that life is a process. I write to remember that nothing that happens today will come as a surprise to God.

I write because it helps me find strength. I write because when I do, I nudge a little closer to the Father … and hope that what I write also helps someone else nudge closer.

I do believe. Help me to overcome my unbelief.

The Realization

2009-06-08T12:40:00.002-04:00

(For context, see previous posts beginning June 2)

As I was going through this low point of my career and my spiritual life, I came across an article based on this passage:

2 Corinthians 1:8b-11a

We were under great pressure, far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. Indeed, in our hearts we felt the sentence of death. But this happened that we might not rely on ourselves but on God, who raises the dead. He has delivered us from such a deadly peril, and he will deliver us. On him we have set our hope that he will continue to deliver us, as you help us by your prayers.

I don't remember who wrote the article, but I remember the main point -- the happy little bromide that "God never gives you more than you can handle" isn't necessarily true.

It is true of temptation, but not of life in general. In this passage, Paul reports just the opposite -- he says what he was going through was more than he could bear. In fact, he thought it would kill him.

Paul's realization was my realization. The deeper message in my over-reaction to my job situation was that I was (and am, unfortunately) very self-reliant. I give lip service to God, but the truth is that I really count on myself for success in life. (Side note: I get all the stuff about how we still have a responsibility to "do our part" ... not going to go into that here.)

What I realized was that I was counting on my job, my paycheck, the prestige, the nice words of feedback -- that was what propped me up each day. God was a part of my life, but not at the center. I marginalized God. He was left to the outer fringes of my life unless I encountered a crisis of some sort.

The pain I went through was the wake-up call I needed.

I reached the point where I had to surrender to God. I could not just acquiesce to His will. I needed to accept it. It didn't mean I had to abandon all attempts to better my circumstances. I did mean that I had to live in the reality that God has a better plan for me than I could ever have for myself.

That plan includes my career. That plan led me to the CCO. More on that in a later post.

Mopping the Kitchen Floor with Myself

2009-06-04T15:05:00.001-04:00

(See previous posts, starting with June 2, for context)

My world began to turn around when I found myself face down on the kitchen floor.

I was home alone. I was praying and whining and complaining -- but genuinely seeking the face of God.

Eventually I became so physically overwhelmed with the emotional pain and with the pure crying out to God simply for His presence that I just ended up prostrate on the floor. It wasn't intentional; it just happened.

At that point, I prayed a prayer of submission, and I meant it. I told God that if He wanted me to stay in the Help Center forever, I would. I couldn't promise I would be happy, but I would do my best to not be unhappy. I meant it ... at least at the time.

I had reached the point where arguing with God was doing nothing but weighing me down. I was lucid enough to realize I wasn't going to win. God had his plan, I was in it, and I could either fight it or deal with it. I wasn't ready to accept it, but I was willing to resign myself to it.

OK, so that's not exactly a spiritual victory, but it was a start! ☺

I can't say this made all the pain go away. I was still depressed, still confused, and still dreaded driving to work every morning. It wasn't my co-workers and it wasn't the location -- I just wanted to be doing something I was passionate about once again.

During this time, I was talking to friends, asking them "what kind of work do you think I should be doing?"

They kept saying "ministry", and I kept saying "it will never happen".

All of this led to The Realization.

More on that in the next post.

Hi. I'm Matt, and I'm a blasphemer

2009-06-03T13:35:00.003-04:00

"God, you are a fraud! You claim to love me, but you don't!"

"You use your power at your own whim, just to show me you can make me miserable. Well, it worked. Are you happy now??"

"Is this how you get your kicks? You give me a job I love, then take it away after six months? Six months? What's the matter, was a year too much joy for you to allow me to experience???"

And those are the nice things I had to say to God after Black Thursday (see the June 2 post for details). Not a stellar moment for me.

It was a long, hard, difficult, discouraging road I traveled on my way to my current job. I wanted to quit life almost every day.

I doubted God. I doubted myself.

I took advice from people who told me to just suck it up. I tried, but found it difficult to accept a life of unfilling, uninteresting employment.

I took advice from people who reminded me I still had a job and that I should quit whining. I agreed with them, but that didn't work for me either. I was still miserable.

I tried to play the spiritual game. I tried to have faith. Truth is, I didn't trust God. In fact, I find that difficult to do even in the good times. Trusting God is not easy for me. That is my reality.

Looking back, I realize that despite all my insolence, which obviously progressed beyond an honest expression of emotion to sinful communication on some level -- God stayed faithful to me. He didn't abandon me when I turned my back on him. I am forever grateful for that. I didn't deserve His love, but He never withdrew it.

There were two turning points that got me to where I am today.

One was The Kitchen Floor Experience. The other was The Realization.

More on those in a later post.

Puzzling Over God's Will - Black Thursday

2009-06-02T11:56:00.003-04:00

I want to take a couple of posts to describe my career-change path. It may provide some good context, and even encourage someone who is in the same boat.

I was overseeing the daily operations of a Help Desk at a local university while finishing my master's degree in Public Management. An opportunity arose in February 2008 for me to leave that job (which I had long ago grown sick of doing) to teach computer classes. It was a dream job for me. I actually reached the point where I couldn't wait to get to work in the morning. It was the most I had ever enjoyed a job.

Then came Black Thursday. August 28, 2008. With no warning, we walked into a meeting under false pretenses and learned our department had been eliminated. My boss, who I absolutely adored, had been terminated, and I was sent back to the Help Desk.

It was not a pretty time. It felt like physically being punched in the stomach. I was mad at everyone and everything, especially God. I blamed him.

It was a rough start to a happy ending.

It's a New World

2009-06-01T12:24:00.003-04:00

After years of thinking about it, but never acting on it, I finally made the career change to a ministry-oriented job on May 11. I joined the CCO (Coalition for Christian Outreach) as the Coordinator of Leadership Development (www.ccojubilee.org)

Although I've been working in the non-profit field (higher education) for the past 18 years, I've already found a vast difference in the way ministry works. I hope to write about my transition to a ministry career in this blog, along with whatever else enters my mind. My hope is that this blog will be an inspiration to others who are considering a mid-career change, and allow you to learn from my experiences.

I also envision this blog being a way my financial supporters can keep up with my work activities.

Ah, yes -- financial support. There's a HUGE difference. ;-)
More on that in a future post.