This morning I was sitting with a friend at Starbucks relaying the latest news in my life, and she said to me, “Sam, your life is a transition!”
“Yes,” I replied, “Yes it is…”
This may be a TMI blog post, but in the spirit of transparency, I’m want to share some personal thoughts on the last 4 years, specifically the last four end of summer season’s in which have found myself looking for a job!
For the record, I never planned for this to become a trend. But when I graduated in 2006 with an MBA, I just couldn’t see myself taking the full-time job I was offered – Marketing Director of a Human Resource Outsourcing company I had interned for during my last year of grad school at OU. Call it what you want, I just wasn’t ready to settle down and work the 9-5, I had a summer in Colorado to look forward to and the hope of finding something in Colorful Colorado once the camp season was over.
Instead of finding a job in CO, I stumbled upon an opportunity to continue my education, and I joined a couple friends at John Brown University to pursue a Master’s Degree in Youth and Family Ministry with an emphasis in Biblical Studies. This program was a blast and during this time I realized that I absolutely love learning and applying what I’d learn. In MBA school the knowledge I took away helped me succeed in the Business Marketing sector, and after the Youth & Family Degree, I was much more equipped to lead the 1,000+ students and staff as the Programs Director at Kanakuk Colorado (now Camp Kivu). After graduating from the program in August of 2007, I entertained an part-time offer from a church in Colorado, but felt the pressure of “business experience” and went back to Oklahoma City, where I landed in a small consulting firm as a Leadership Consultant.
During my time at Oxygen for Organizations, I was led by a fantastic man, who was my mentor/partner/friend. It was an unbelievable experience, and one in which I wish I could have steeped in a bit longer, but I felt a strong pull toward rejoining the religious sector… Now, to be honest, I wish I had took a tums and slept on my feelings of moving on… allowing God to open doors rather than my clumsy and oft-putting attempt to push doors open and slam others shut. In hindsight, I acted foolishly and came across as an immature and self-consumed frat boy. The only reason I came out of this alive and breathing is the grace bestowed on me by my mentor and friend, Michael Smith. Who wrote a reference letter to LifeChurch.tv, which led to an interview and a full-time gig as a Project Manager for their Digerati team.
The last year has been fraught with BIG project launches, missed milestones, pushed deadlines, fantastic relationships, humbling responses, and seat-of-the-pants flying… as we stormed through project after project, releasing some innovative web apps and helping to change the face of the how technology interacts with the Church. It was the fastest year of my life.
Then I got engaged.
And God clearly spoke, not in a audible voice but in the still soft voice found in peace of mind. As we began to pray about where our next step should be, Candace and I felt a great peace in a future in Iowa, rather than Oklahoma. I cannot explain the feeling exactly, as it did not make sense on a excel spreadsheet… in fact, it made little sense on any man made medium. Luckily, God operates outside of our limited understanding, and asks us to respond by faithfully putting away our measurement sticks and leaping out into the gap!
And that is what lead me to put in my letter of resignation this past month at LifeChurch.tv. A peace that supersedes all understanding, and an excitement about what God is going to do as Candace and I jump off our cliff of comfort and into the void… Not to say there isn’t anxiety and doubt (as the stress pimple on my forehead attests). There is a lot of things that from where I sit right now seem out of grasp and a bit fuzzy. But our hope is in the Lord, and we are excited to be right where He wants us… in complete and utter dependency.
[Addendum: I am applying for a Doctorate of Ministry in Global Missional Leadership from George Fox Seminary... Don't know if this will work out, but I'm getting excited about the prospect! Prayer Request: Financially Seminary makes little sense, but it seems this is where God is leading my heart, prayer for some of the financial pieces to fall into place would be very much appreciated!]
