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This blog of mine is definitely a place where I focus on important discussions on morality, spirituality, religion, culture, and politics. However, more than anything else this blog is a place for me to discuss life. The topics I just listed are certainly a big part of life, but so are jobs, moves, family, friendships, personal growth, and new experiences. This particular post will touch more on the later list than the former.
My life over the last 6 years has been complex, to say the least. During those years my family has lived in 2 different cities, 4 different neighborhoods, and 5 different houses. I have had 5 different jobs in 4 different careers. All through these past 6 years God has sustained us. He has confronted our decisions with encouragement and reproof. He has allowed us to go through times of plenty and want. He has confronted us with financial, relational, and physical challenges that have tested the faith by which we relate with Him. There is still much work to do in our family, but we are encouraged by the presence of God in our lives and are hopeful for the future.
This past year has been a great blessing and challenge to me. I was finally given my first opportunity to teach in an undergraduate classroom last fall. For the last two semesters I have felt more fulfilled in an occupation than I ever have before. My experiences of teaching at both a private Christian college and a public community college were both very informative and stretching. I am blessed to have had both those opportunities. One of the classes I teach at Bryan College (Dayton, TN) is called Christian Worldview. It is a very interesting class that is best described as a complex mixture of comparative religions, ethics, philosophy, sociology, psychology, and theology. In short, it is right down my alley. Bryan’s mission and vision is very intimately tied to the idea of a Christian Worldview, so much so that they have a whole department called the Worldview Formation department within a broader Spiritual Formation department. This Worldview Formation department is the purpose for me writing this post.
I have been offered, and I have accepted, the position of Assistant Director of Worldview Formation/Instructor of Christian Thought at Bryan College. There isn’t currently a Director of Worldview Formation, so at this point I will be acting director until a time down the road when one is hired. This is the greatest occupational blessing of my life. I am very excited about the opportunities this position will afford me to both teach Christian Worldview and Ethics as well as help cultivate the school’s Christian Worldview focus.
I cannot say enough about the community at Bryan College. They have welcomed me and my family with open arms and have treated us with genuine care and concern. They have been honest and encouraging, prayerful and thoughtful, and patient and exacting with us. I want to communicate special thanks to Paul Boling of the Christian Thought department and Matt Benson of the Spiritual Formation department. Paul took what can only be described as a chance (or a special assignment from God) by hiring me to teach last fall, and Matt peered into my very soul and amazingly decided that I was still sane enough for the job. I would have to list an enormous amount of names in order to give due appreciation to everyone, but the Spiritual Formation and Christian Thought teams both encouraged me in ways that I feel I needed during this time of transition in my life.
I do not know what wonderful and challenging experiences the future holds for me and my family, but we trust the Lord and we are excited to be where we are. My family and I could use a bit of a rest, and we feel like the Bryan College community and Dayton, TN will help foster a healthy and restful atmosphere. I step into my new position on July 2 and we will be seeking to move up to Dayton late this summer. Please continue to be in prayer for us during this time of transition and challenge. Please pray that God will provide our family with a home that we can nurture our family in and offer hospitality to others in. We’ll keep you posted on what God is doing in and through our lives on this leg of the journey. May God bless and keep each one of you in His loving grace.
Please visit the Worldview Formation informational page at http://www.bryan.edu:
Thoughts from the Glen 