Pastoral Corner

Our scripture this month is about how there is a time for everything under the sun and a reason for each season. Ecclesiastes 3 really talks about how God has to be the center of our life or “It’s all VANITY!” When we decided to interview as Pastors here at Peace, we didn’t know what God was doing; we just knew it was a new season. We knew God had said, "leave what you’re familiar with and go to a new thing that I’ve prepared in advance for you." Don’t get me wrong, there were many times we wondered if we were really hearing God or if we had truly heard God and if we should just stay where we were comfortable. Shawn was a very successful director of Safety and Facilites at a mega church, and I was going to school while staying at home with Samuel as Casey liked his private school. The thing is, Shawn had a passion for cooking, baking, building and being a stay at home dad; I (on the other hand) wanted to work for God. We didn’t know what that meant, but Shawn put in his resignation and I applied for about 300 positions in Minnesota (most of them where Children or Youth Pastors). Originally, when I applied to be a Pastor at Peace, it was part time shared with St Paul's. I’m going to be very transparent here: both my husband and I thought it was an Associate Pastor position, and I felt mildly qualified and very excited for a new start. On the second day visiting Minnesota Lake, it was brought to our attention it was not a Co-Pastor position but Lead Pastor. Shawn and I looked at each other and knew that was only God’s doing because I would have never applied for a lead Pastor position (we can talk about that at a later time). As Shawn and I slept in the beautiful home, in the beautiful town, we knew this would be home. We knew God was doing something new, but when we stratched ourselves out of the comfortable and into the new, God was magnified. We are so grateful for our new home; we are thankful to the Council; we are thankful for the welcome; but most of all we are thankful for God’s plan! We finish these next two weeks in Ecclesiastes 3:1-11 discussing how we can spend out talents and treasures for God’s glory. He makes all things beautiful in its time! We can’t wait to see you at church!