Our new adventures: Pastoral Interview Process

Erik and I started talking about him being a pastor a while back. I can't remember when. Maybe when he started his doctorate program. I know he had discussed it a bit with our Pastor John Petty before he passed away. Once he finished his classwork we felt like it was time to start really thinking about it. He had a pastor from Dallas call him, he had received his resume from someone and was interested in interviewing him. However, it was another Children's Ministry position, and however much we liked the Pastor and the location and the church there it would be a lateral move for us. The more we prayed, thought and sought council about it we realized it was not what the Lord had for us. 

So a few months later Erik gets a call from a search committee from First Baptist Church Aspermont Texas. Again they had received his resume from one of his professors at Hardin Simmons. So we moved forward with that. We went the Sunday after Thanksgiving to a small church outside of Abilene in Hawley, TX so Erik could preach in a "neutral" place and they could see if he was someone they wanted to present to their church as a potential candidate. The search committee was awesome and we had a lunch after to talk with them a little more and they called that evening and asked us to come in "view of a call".

It's OBVIOUS that God's hand was in all of this and we are so thankful. We came in view of a call in January and received a vote in favor of us coming as the new Pastor of FBC Aspermont. 

Some of our friends threw us a "Going Away Party" 

The moving truck came February 13, 2012 and we came to Aspermont on the 15th. We are living in the parsonage right next to our church. It's 3 bedrooms, 2 bath, 2 living areas, laundry room, 2 car garage and a HUGE back yard. 

Everyone is so kind and helpful. Several people brought us meals and helped out around the house. Our refrigerator was stocked when we got here too! It's AMAZING to see how far God has brought our family. 

Mom came one weekend and helped me paint Hadleigh and Libby's room and next we will paint Isaac's room and hopefully our bedroom. I think we are getting settled in fairly well. The big kids started Pre-K at the elementary school. 5 days a week from about 7:30 am - 11 am. They are loving it and their teacher Mrs. Brown. 

Isaac has made a friend named Mason who we found out lives right behind us. They can walk out the back gate and go play. He has a trampoline and his mom invited them over anytime. 

Hadleigh says she doesn't have any friends, but there are 2 girls in here class that go to our church. Georgia and Shelby. I told here if she wasn't so bossy the girls might like her better. heeheehee

Libby just stays at home with me all day, every day. She LOVES it I think. She's adjusting well in the nursery. She's usually the only one in there.

I am probably the one having the hardest time adjusting. Two weeks after we got here the kids and I went back to Kerrville so I could shoot the schools that I had scheduled. We returned home and on Sunday morning I got so sick. I could hardly move. My body ached and I could not even get out of bed. 

Erik had to get the kids ready and take them to church by himself. I felt so bad for him. He actually ended up having to bring Isaac back home just before he  preached b/c he was acting up so bad. 

OH MY!

The next day I was told by my good friend that I should go to the doctor. So I did. Did a flu test. Not the flu. It was some kind of Bronchial infection. Took my antibiotic and cough medicine. The very next Sunday I started coughing up blood. 

OH MY!

I could not believe this. So Monday I went back to see the Doctor. He did a chest xray and some blood work to see what was going on. Blood work came back normal. Said the blood was probably from coughing so much and it was normal with bronchitis. Chest x-ray showed pneumonia. Awesome. 

The next week on Thursday I was slicing a frozen banana, the knife slipped and I stabbed myself between my pointer finger and my thumb. Erik was out with some guys "running cattle". He had never done this before so they invited him to come. They left very early in the morning. I had already taken the kids to school when this happened. Tried to get a hold of Erik and he couldn't be reached. In the meantime I passed out TWICE before finally calling one of the girls I had been working out with to come take me to the ER. She and her sister both came. One stayed with Libby and the other took me to the hospital. An hour and 2 stitches later I was home and they had gone to Erik and bring him home. 

This past Thursday ( a week later), I went to get my stitches out. YEP. That's 4 times in 4 weeks to be at the hospital/clinic in a town I've only lived in for 6 weeks. 

SOMEBODY HELP ME!

hahahaha. 

I started doing a workout with two girls from the church. We meet almost everyday during the week around 4 and do a video workout. Then we started the couch to 5K as well this past week. It's been good to finally get out of the house and do something productive.  

 Over all we are so happy here. Erik is doing well (still procrastinates a bit) preparing a sermon for Sunday morning and two bible studies for the week. We are certainly being taken care of. We found out recently that they have collected money together to buy the kids a play set for the back yard. 

AMAZING. 

God is so good. Thanks to all our friends and our family for your love and support and prayers throughout this process. We miss our friends terribly back in Kerrville, but we know that we are RIGHT where God wants us to be.