Day 1 of Unemployement

You ever seen a fish out of water? Well, that's me today. Karie took the day off from school and stayed home... the girls went to school and Karie and I went to get me a phone (by the way, my cell number will remain the same). We went for lunch and then went to see Karie's doctor and my great friend... Bill. We just stopped by to tell him thanks for being there for us during the past few months... no pregnancy news for those who might attempt to read between the lines.

But here I am... yesterday at Metro was more than I could have ever imagined. The people of my home church for the past twelve years were incredible. Their words of encouragement, their gifts, their support all gave me hope in the church. Karie and I had a day with a full range of emotions... sadness, joy, excitement, heartache, peace, and did I mention joy? I believe that is what you experience when you just know that your in God's hands. That's where we are at... in His hands.

I don't do well when I don't have a goal or something to strive toward so today was a little bit awkward for me. No job... no prize to run toward. Fortunately I will be busy for the remainder of the week.

I leave in two days for "Man-Cation" with my two friends Darrell & Elliot. We are going fishing in FL and I can hardly wait. What else can you do as an unemployed, 35-year old man? Go fishing... the job and ministry stuff are all shaking out but for this week... I'm taking a break and catching my breath. Keep us in your prayers.

And mom... I assure you that my long term plan is not to remain unemployed... and yes, you did raise me better than that.

Seizing the moment...

Prayerful Paranoia

Disclaimer: I am not crazy. I am not OCD. I am not losing it.

Every morning I pray with Karie, Olivia and Ella. We gather at the front door just before they go off to school and hold hands and I pray over them. They get into the van and drive off. I stand on the front porch until the van drives out of sight… at which point I say a prayer again that usually goes something like this… “Keep them in Your hands today, Amen.”

Throughout the day, I also pray for them. There are times when I just sense it is time to pray for them and I do. I don’t have this eerie feeling or anything but just whisper a small prayer for them.

Then there are the personal prayers… the ones I pray for myself. I ask for forgiveness about 30-40 times a day (even when I know I haven’t sinned) and maybe they are intended to cover anything I may have missed throughout the day. I pray for God to lead me at least once or twice an hour (even when I’m not doing anything at all). Even today, as I climbed a ladder to clean off the top of my shop in my backyard… I prayed for protection as I worked. Most days… are all like this. There’s a routine of prayer that seems constant.

I have had a recurring thought about prayer-obsessive compulsiveness… is that what I have or does that even exist… OR am I just “praying without ceasing”? I know the value of talking with my heavenly Father. I have had some great conversations with Him over the years. I am constantly reminded of the verse that says something like… “you have not because you ask not.” Maybe I am just trying to cover all of the bases and ask for everything just in case.

I guess I write this today to see if there is anyone else out there that has ever had a similar experience? If so… let me know. Until I hear from you, I’ll just keep whispering my daily regimen of prayers for you, me, and everything else I can think of.

Jesus & the IRS

Yesterday was tax day for me. (A bit of Andrews family trivia: I drive 2 hours to Sulligent, AL to have my taxes done by Wanda. She is the same person who has done my taxes for 12 years. She is also the same person who has done my dad's taxes for almost 30 years. I remember sitting in her driveway as a little boy... we "kids" couldn't go in because we would destroy the place). Anyway, as you can imagine, two hours by myself and the think tank begins.

I guess I'm one of those guys who with certain aspects of my life... I simply try to follow the rules, do what is required, and don't ask too many questions. That's the way I have been about my income taxes. I know I have to pay them (or be seen on Fox 6 news being followed to the state pen by a bus load of previous congregants as I sevre out my 18 month sentence), I know that my taxes support many things in my ordinary life (schools, roads, welfare... even though I am not totally sure how sales taxes, property taxes and income taxes all factor in I have a general idea of how it all works) and it simply stated is one of those areas of life that I just am content with to "go with the flow".

As I thought about that yesterday I quickly began to analyze it against the way too many people approach Jesus. For some, they have a general idea of how it all works. They pay their dues (attend church, don't cuss or drink too much, put a little in the offering each week, and from time to time watch a little Christian TV) and live a "good life". Some never ask any questions. Some never investigate what the real meaning is... maybe there are even some that go to the same church for 12 years that their parents have gone to for almost 30 years and they think nothing about it.

But here is my thought on it all. Jesus was and is way more than a good man who taught some pretty good lessons on how to live a full life. He was/is the living Son of God. The same God who created the universe with all of its meticulous details, with its inter-connectedness, with an unfathomable love for people who haphazardly seek Him. The God who is the King of all Kings... How in the world can we approach Him with anything less than awe and respect and honor and meekness? He sent Jesus to pay the ultimate price for me... He paid my sin tax, the debt that I assume almost daily... paid in full. And you want to talk about a refund in the end... how about eternal life with the Most High?

Yes, there are "requirements". But forget the tax analogies for a moment and just remember this. Jesus loves me, this I know. For the Bible tells me so, little one's to Him belong, they are weak but He is strong. There is a simplicity about Jesus that maybe, just maybe, we complicate. Maybe in all of our finite wisdom we overthink and under-live His grace, His mercy, His desire to see us walk in communion with Him daily.

Try this one on for size: As you prepare your taxes this year, remember... Yes, Jesus loves me.

The Wait

Well, officially I have been a thing of the past at Metro for about nine days. Already it seems like an eternity. It has been so long since I looked for employment that I don't even remember it. Actually, when I was hired here at Metro it was an evolving process so I really never even "interviewed" unless you consider dinner with Kevin Kelley at Wings an interview. Not to mention the fact that I have been interviewing with "outside the church" organizations and companies. It's all new to me.

However, the people at Metro have been wonderful. So many conversations have ended... "just know we are praying for you and we support you." It has been quite suprising. I have received so many words of encouragement from people that I barely even know. I have tried to listen intently to every word. I want to soak them in and save them up because we are on a journey of which we have never been before.

Anyway, the anticipation from interview to interview and job offer to job offer have been a piece of the mix that I am not well equipped to deal with. It seems that no one gets in a real hurry to hire you these days. In fact, there have been moments of great anxiety about where my next paycheck will come from and when. But here's the cool part... just as those anxious moments occur, the Holy Spirit reminds me that He is leading this adventure and for me to relax. Just this week I was having one of my anxious peaks and I was reminded of a prayer that I prayed about 1 1/2 years ago. God was working on me about asking specifically. He sort of reminded me that "I have not because I ask not." So in my peak moment earlier this week, I began to ask God specifically for a job... the right job, the move that Karie and I need to plan for our future, the job that will enable me to step into new and developing ministries. After my small tyrade with the Lord God Almighty... I received a call less than two hours later asking me to "interview" with another organization. Who knows what God is up to but I will say this, there was a great peace knowing that doors are able to be opened at His will and in His timing.

So, where are we? Simply put... in His hands.

Our Next Chapter

February 6, 2008

Dear Metro Family,

I am writing this letter to inform you that for the last several months I have been prayerfully considering my next steps in ministry. Karie and I have sought God; we have spoken with Godly counsel and have searched our own hearts about our future decisions. We feel that we are at a turning point in both our personal lives and our ministry lives. We sense a leading from God to step out and trust Him as he leads our hearts into the next chapter of our story. We sense that there is something more “out there” for us and we have to be willing to pursue it.

It is with great peace and assurance that we offer our resignation as Student Pastors at the Metropolitan Church of God. Our church has become a part of our extended family. We love and appreciate so many of you. We leave Metro with a grateful heart and thankful spirit that God has allowed us twelve years of service.

It is important for you as our Metro family to know that our decision in no way should be a direct reflection of the recent happenings and developments within our church body. In fact, this journey began for us in the fall of 2006. Unaware of what it all meant, Karie and I began to feel a restlessness about our future ministry. I knew I could not be a youth pastor forever and God began to deal with us about that. To some extent we dealt with that issue and moved on. Then in May 2007 we felt a restlessness again about our personal future and the direction of our ministry. In early October of 2007 we began to sense that all of this was connected and that God was preparing us for the next chapter of our lives. The tough part of thinking in those “next chapter” terms is that in order to open the next chapter, we first have to close the previous chapter. It is also difficult since we are not completely sure what the next chapter looks like because we have yet to explore it. Simply stated, we are pursuing God and what’s next for our lives.

We have ministry dreams that God has given to our family. We sense that we are on the edge of a brand new adventure. As you might imagine, this is all new to us and the dreams and plans are still unfolding. We are planning on living in Birmingham where I will pursue employment. This will allow us to walk out the ministry dreams and ambitions that God has placed in our hearts. We are not leaving the ministry but rather God is redirecting our ministry. Our desire is that each new ministry endeavor we pursue will be an extension of Metro Church.

We love Metro and cherish the memories we have from our years of service. Our students and leaders that have been with us for many wonderful years will continue to bear the fruit of what God has done through us for more than a decade. We love this place!

It is our desire that Sunday, February 24th, serve as our last Sunday as members of the Metro Church staff. We greatly appreciate the leadership, concern, and compassion that Pastor Mark Schrade has shown to us. Metro has a great history of graceful pastors and we know that Metro is in good hands. We support Pastor Mark and believe that great days are ahead of Metro under his leadership. We wish Metro and its wonderful Pastoral Staff many years of God’s blessing.

Sincerely,


Micah & Karie Andrews,
Olivia & Ella

Happy Birthday Karie

Some men are blessed to have a wonderful lady in their life... me, I've got three. No matter how lousy my day may have been... when I get home each day and see these hot mammas... everything else just fades away.

Not only is today Ground Hogs day but it is also Karie's thrity__________ birthday. Our family loves celebrating birthdays on odd days. My birthday is December 7 (Pearl Harbor Day), Olivia's is October 31 (Halloween) and Ella's is December 31 (New Years Eve). I guess we're just a little weird like that. Anyway, today has been a great day where K got to go do a little shopping, looking for books, visit the library and even get a few groceries all the while I stayed at home with girls, washed clothes, cooked three delicious treats in the Easy Bake oven, and fought off a bout of the flu. I must admit, my "special day" is always a little different from Karie's. On my birthday I treated myself to a three day duck hunting trip... I told you my wife was amazing.

Anyway, I hope she has had a wonderful birthday. She deserves the very best (and by the way, we did take her to one of her favorite restaurants last night... Dreamland).

Thinking Green?

Nope, not talking about money but rather the environment. I love Colorado as much as anybody but I'm not 'going granola' nor can I be deemed a 'tree hugger' but I am a little more enlightened by the media of today as it pertains to the ecosystem that I am a member of. My biggest questions is "Who do you believe?" I mean Gore has me scared to drive an SUV and the other side makes me feel like if I just simply do nothing that'll be fine... we'll let the next group worry about the mess that we've left them.

I was recently reading about the next 25 years on earth. I was a little freaked out to realize that teleportation is much more a reality than just a mode of travel on Star Trek. In fact, in some crazy, remote scientific lab with some wild-eyed nerdy types... our world's brightest are already "transporting light" from one place to another. Imagine five to ten years from now how this will affect FedEx... You simply order an item from Ebay and within moments it magically appears on your desk. Or what about your family beach vacation. The thing I dread most about family vacations is the drive home... but that dreaded journey back to my day to day reality could become instantaneous. No more 280 traffic and who needs an elevated highway when you don't even need a highway? Who knows if this will ever be but it does make you think a little about what the next 25 years will be like.

Back to the environment... if the entire world is changing (and whether you like it, acknowledge it, or are even a part of it... it still is happening) what will happen to our beloved ozone layer and what about the weather and what about global climates and all of that stuff? I mean who wants NYC to become glacier-like other than on the big screens of Hollywood? I mean think about how difficult in Alabama it already is to actually determine the seasonal changes. I know the weather guys say it is winter but who can tell? So, if CO2 emissions are an issue, please somebody in layman terms let me know everything that I own and/or use that creates such emissions so I can "cut back". I want to breath clean air as long as I can. I like drinking water and swimming, and washing dishes, and bathing so I want my world's water supply to last a little longer. And even though I enjoy the heat of summer... I really don't want 95 degree temps and 100% humidity year round.

Anyway, until I know what to believe and who to listen to I guess I'll just turn my regular old standard light bulbs off whenever I walk out of the room and I'll continue to use that little grey trash can thingy to recycle my paper and plastics. Maybe somehow that will help the emissions which directly affect the temperature which directly affect the ozone and weather patterns which affect the hurricanes which affect everything else and maybe it all never stops... who knows.

Until I have more answers/suggestions... I'm going to go with a lighter shade of green.

Side Note: If you want to think about issues that you can not fix, influence, or solve... do as I have been doing recently and read Glenn Beck's newest book... "An Inconvenient Book".