19 Days and Counting...

Until our wedding!

We have a few things to get done before then. :)

If you have talked to either Jared or me in the past couple of weeks, you know that a lot has been going on in our lives outside of our upcoming marriage. Most people don't know the whole story though, and it is just too incredible not to share with you!

Back in January, Jared submitted his resume to Millers Creek Baptist Church in Wilkesboro. They were looking for a Children's and Discipleship pastor, which are both things that Jared has had experience with - especially the children's part. We were so excited to see the opening because it seemed as though the job was created just for Jared. While on a family vacation in March, he received a questionnaire to fill out from the church concerning his beliefs: a sign that he was still in the running for the position! After that questionnaire, things slowly unfolded. Calls were made to Jared from the personnel committee, candidates were narrowed, and eventually, the whole process was down to Jared and one other prospective employee.

Jared travelled to Millers Creek one Saturday morning for his interview. He called me after he spent a few hours with the church members and was so excited about the time they had spent together. He said the people were amazing, the pastor was so friendly, and he felt like he really fit in with the church and community. He told me that he had other news that I would go crazy over and he laughed a lot, saying he was going to wait to tell me in person. I begged him to tell me then because there was no way I could wait.
Before the interview started, the pastor of the church asked Jared, "What grade is it that Beth teaches?"
Jared told him that I teach fourth grade.
"Oh," said the pastor, "the fourth grade teacher at our Christian school may be resigning."

Did you get chills? Because I did. Crazy!

Not long after the interview, Jared got the call: Millers Creek was going to go forward with him as the possible Children's and Discipleship pastor!

We found ourselves in Millers Creek just a couple weeks later for a Sunday spent with the church family. Jared did a great job sharing his testimony during both of the morning services, we ate lunch and fellowshipped with the pastors and their families, and we spent the evening in Q&A sessions with the church members. We couldn't get over how welcoming everyone was. Pastor Shannon mentioned that Jared and I would need a place to live if the vote worked out. No lie, at least 9 or 10 folks came to us while we ate to share with us housing possibilities!

The vote happened the following Sunday. 98.4% of the church voted to bring Jared on as the new pastor of children and discipleship. Needless to say, hugs and squeals (mainly by me...not so much a squealing Jared) were exchanged, and a happy Jared accepted the job!

a screen shot from Millers Creek's website!

Rewind to the Wednesday before the vote happened. The principal at Millers Creek Christian School called me that morning to tell me that their fourth grade teacher had, in fact, moved on, leaving the position open for me. "You're my only applicant!" she told me excitedly, and we set up an interview right away. The Tuesday after the vote, Jared and I took another trip up 421 for my interview. It went splendidly, and I got a tour of the school to boot. The principal and I each prayed about the job opportunity that night, and I accepted the job on the morning of July 4th. :) I am thrilled to teach 8 wonderful fourth grade students this year, and even more thrilled that I get to teach them about the Bible!

Back when Millers Creek became a possibility, the few people that knew about it asked if I was concerned about finding a job. I truthfully wasn't. Jared and I knew that if God provided a job for Jared there, that meant I would find a job there. I think that job actually found me. God is good!

And where are we going to live? That would be in the house that fell in to our laps! Some of those sweet church members did some digging on a house that had been recently bought in their neighborhood. Turns out, the owners bought the house with the intent to rent...who better to rent it to than me and Jared? Its a cute little starter house. It will be even cuter once we get the seventies wall paper down and do a little bit of painting :) And its 5 minutes from the church, where Jared and I will both be spending our days in ministry!

yay little house!

And in the midst of all of this, our wedding is somehow still being planned! Jared is now in Millers Creek for the majority of his weeks, staying in a house that is owned by a church member, but that no one is currently living in. Their sweet family offered it to Jared (and me, if we need it after we get married!) to live in. For free. Amazing. We're both working hard on things for the wedding, for our home, for our jobs, for our lives that are almost together. So exciting!

If you are still reading this, thanks for sticking through to the end of my mini-novel haha. I just felt that I needed to share the way that God has been working in our lives. It is more incredible than I can even say to see His will unfold like this, and hopefully you've been blessed by seeing how God still works so clearly in His children's lives. I have never ever seen things fall in to place as they have with this opportunity, and it brings us so much comfort and peace that it all worked out so easily. Thanks for everybody that has been praying for us throughout this process! We are so blessed and we love you all. :)