Midtown

I really wish that I could somehow put into words all that God is doing in Columbia right now. Even though things are just beginning to take shape with Midtown Fellowship, we have already seen him working in many different ways. Now if you know me well you know that I very rarely put the “god stamp” on things. However, there is simply no other way to explain all that is going on.

First of all, there have been some amazing circumstantial and logistical things that have happened. Jobs, places to live, etc. have all been working out not necessarily in our preferred timing, but in ways that both make us trust him and strengthen our faith at the same time.

Second, all of us who have been involved in this leap of faith have been in such unison of heart and mind. Most of our crew are like me in that they are pretty opinionated and strong willed about how things should be done. Normally this can be a recipe for disaster, but in our case we have been in total agreement on so many things. Pretty frequently someone says something like, “you know, I was thinking about…..” and then 2 or 3 others of us burst out with, “are you kidding? I have been thinking about the same thing!!”

Finally and most amazing, God is moving in other people in Columbia who we dont even know. Many of the people that we have come in contact with in Columbia begin to tell us about what God is doing in their lives and what He has put on their hearts, and it is exactly the same things that our small group of people from Anderson have been discussing for the past 9 months!!! It is so encouraging to know that this thing called Midtown Fellowship is not solely dependant on our thoughts and efforts; God is already moving in Columbia and we get to be a part of it!

The Search

I have discovered that its a pain trying to find a place to live in another city when you are not there yet. You cant just drive around in the evenings and look for things that might be interesting. You have to look at a bunch of listings online, (with tiny little pictures) decide which ones you might be interested in, and schedule appointments just to look at a few. The worst part is, some of the ones that look decent online are absolutely no good at all in person.

After a few weeks of looking, I am not much closer to having a place to live than when I started. I have looked at everything from some sweet loft apartments to condominiums, to old downtown houses, to fixer-uppers. The coolest place by far is an old mill that was converted to loft apartments. The units have 20-foot ceilings, hardwood floors, etc. Check them out here. If I had a roommate, I would jump on one of those in a heartbeat, but they are a little too pricey for me to swing by myself. Anyway, back to looking at tiny little pictures….

Death Valley

Saturday was one of the best college football games I have ever been to. (Clemson-FSU ‘92 was another) A close game that looked like it was slipping away was revived by another 4th quarter comeback and a spectacular overtime- what more could a fan want? (oh yeah- that final score thing) Kudos to the players and coaches for a great game- we look more like a real football team than we have in many years.

Death Valley and our fans were deafening. I have been to many years of big games in the Valley but none of them were even close to as loud as it was on Saturday. The student section and the hill were jumping up and down most of the 4th quarter! Clemson fans- remember Saturday. Cheer loud for the Tigers. And when they come up short, give our players and coaches the respect they deserve. The louder we are and the more we truly support our team, the more memorial stadium will truly be Death Valley!!!

Changes

Yes, all of the rumors are true.

1. I am moving to Columbia: I will soon be moving to Columbia with an incredible group of friends (whom many of you know – Dustin, Renie, Allen, Courtney, Chris, Beth, Michael, and LB) to start a church in the downtown area called Midtown Fellowship. God is doing so much with this I cannot begin to describe it. We have been repeatedly amazed in the past few months at how he has confirmed, arranged, and encouraged us through circumstances and people. Please pray that God will use us for nothing more than to share his love with others.

2. My job will soon be ending: Centex homes has decided to pull out of the Greenville market. I will have a job through March 31, but do not have a clue what I will be doing after that. WIll be looking for a job in Columbia in the near future. One cool thing- Centex has agreed to let me finish my job from Columbia so I will be able to go ahead and move to help out with the church!

3. I am dating someone: Yes, you read that correctly. Several weeks ago at Dave Thomas’ wedding, I met a very cool girl named Kelly Trogdon. She lives in Greensboro, and we have been talking on the phone a lot and hanging out on weekends when possible. This is my first long distance relationship, and so far that part is not fun. It stinks to have to wait a week or 2 to hang out with someone that you like and want to spend time with.

Well, that was a quick update- if any of you are actually still reading this I will try to post a little more frequently. Please keep Midtown Fellowship in Columbia in your prayers!!