A Great Day For Me
 

We worked very hard over the time we were in Dale to develop a church, sadly, this did not happen the way we desired. However, there is a bright spot that has come from it.

The family we worked with the longest has remained in contact with us, and we consider them special friends. In fact, they are coming to see us here in Tennessee. TODAY!

Our kids went to school together, and of course, they are excited! We spent a lot of time with them, and miss them. When they called and wanted to come visit, it was a no brainer. So, today, I welcome the Bobby Pulley Family to my little slice of heaven in Tennessee!

I didn't realize that you are in Greenfield. How long have you been down here? And are you pastoring?

I have been here since Feb., our church in Indiana closed officially in December 2006.

I am the assistant Pastor at First UPC in Greenfield...right off of 45, you can see it to the right if you are driving north.

I'm not good with east, west, north, and south. Isn't Greenfield on the other side of Milan if coming from the Jackson direction? I think you're only a little over an hour and a half from where I live.

If you are coming from Jackson, go past Milan and Bradford, and when you get in to Greenfield, start watching on your right. You will see the church, can't miss it.

If coming from Martin, of course, the church will be on the left.

I have been to Barnhills a couple of times since we have been here. Our next stop in Jackson is Casey Jones! :D

I'm sure I've seen the church. I've been to Greenfield for ballgames back when my girls were in High School.

Do you know Wayne Spencer? He pastors in Martin.

I have met him. Don't know him well. We just went to a rally at his church.

I was married to his nephew for 19 years. His sister was my mother-in-law. Wayne and his wife are great folks.

They seem like great people. I have been so busy here, either with work or back in Indiana, twice now for lengthy periods, so I have not really had a chance to do much. Been here since Feb. and only attended one rally and the sectional crusade. I have not been to any other meetings, didn't go to sectional ministers conference. I know very few of the area pastors.

LOL! Now I know where you are. BWAHHAHAHAH!

Have a wonderful day Bro. Webby sir! :)

So how did you wind up in Greenfield, TN of all places? It's not like it's a big city or something. You've got to be going there on purpose - and why would you? :search

Our pastor was my wife's pastor when she was 10, I think. We have known the family for years. In December, he asked us to consider coming to assist, but I was not ready to make a long term commitment at that time. We looked here and a couple of other places. I thought we would end up somewhere else long term, I really did. However, the Lord had other plans, faster than I thought, too.

LOL. God has a way of messing with our thinking, huh? How many times have I thought something would happen a certain way, but God had other plans.......:lol

The sun rises in the east. Face that direction. To your left will be North. To your right will be South. To your back will be West. :)

Alright smarty! I just don't know my directions when I'm in a car.....:club

I have a great sense of direction. Like a bird.... it's magnetic.

I get lost in a parking lot. Thank God for panic buttons on a remote! :toofunny

I hope you have a great day and wish you well in Greenfield. When one door closes, another opens. I'm glad you don't seem the list bit discouraged about the church in Dale. God knows what we need better than we do. I hope you and your family have a terrific day with your friends!

Wow, I never knew your wife was from Po-dunk-ville? Most boring day of my life was spent waiting for a wedding there many years ago.

If I recall, there was an IGA, a department store that later closed, A 76 station and a Burger King. Oh, and two stoplights.

Truth to tell, while I don't let it show, I am very discouraged about the situation.

That's why I said, you have to be going there on purpose! Kinda like my town!!

Well, a person can't tell what another is thinking or going through just from the posts on this forum. However, if you did your best while you were there, then that is all you could do. Sometimes even with our doing our best, God moves us other places.

Proverbs 13:12 tells us -
Hope deferred maketh the heart sick: but when the desire cometh, it is a tree of life.

God can give you the desires of your heart....You and your wife are still young....You never know how much good you will do where you are now. Pastors always need good helpers. I'll be praying for you and your family.

Good point....People are NEVER a failure if they continue living for God.

Amen. :highfive

Things happen.

He knows exactly where you are, since He's still with you.

Look expectantly unto the hills for your help comes from the Lord... Keep moving on, soldier. Don't dwell in the past.

The Lord has job assignments and yours was completed Brother.We have been in the same boat.You are just in a temp zone for now.We went to a place that we would not have chosen for a year and a half after we closed the work in Kaplan.Now we are in a whole different state.God knows what he has in store.

Burger King didn't come to this town until after we were married. This was in Indiana, not Maine.

Thank you to those of you who pm'd encouragement to me.

Look folks, I do not post these things looking for sympathy. We tried, we failed...simple. Folks who think they are experts on me tell one story, but those who helped me make the decision to close know right where we are at, and what the score is.

We simply could not keep footing the bill by ourselves. It does not take a degree in rocket science to understand that. No one lost anymore than myself or Bro. Enmen. We are ok with each other. He helped me move here, even drove the UHAUL. Will be coming here soon to look over our store operation. We consulted with him in early December, and closed. I didn't decide to come here until early Feb. I did not "run away". Though I feel I should have fought somehow. How I do not know. When you are out of finance, it is pretty hard to continue.

Regrets? Plenty. Wish I could haves? Oh yeah. Zigs when we should have zagged? Indeed. I wonder how many would like to have traded places with me? Monday Morning Quarterbacks abound.

It will take time, and effort, but we will recover. I thank God for those who have tried to understand. I thank God for those who have been there before, even went through some of the same embarrassing things, that have been supportive. Having a good base of support is a blessing...and teaches us not to return evil by saying negative things about people and situations. Any who have been watching our situation should by now clearly see that I refuse to look at the negative, and reach out to the positive. Did I make mistakes? Yes. I take all the blame willingly. For all I have done and didn't do.

Hey! I'm from Maine. Was that an insult?

BTW, Burger King has closed a bunch of stores in my area recently.

Which area of Maine are you from sis? (If you don't mind me asking)

Portland.

I was born up north in Fort Kent, but we moved here when I was young.

Did you grow up in church? Did you attend UPC in Ft. Kent?

No insult at all. It was a reference to the fact that I think BOOM had mistaken where my wife was.

I dont' remember my time in Fort Kent, we left when I was 3 or 4. I grew up in the Catholic church. I rejected God when I was about 15 and became an atheist.

I was saved in England. It took a year before I found a church that taught Oneness but during that time, I had repented, been baptized in Jesus name by a Baptist chaplain, and was filled with the Holy Ghost with the evidience of tongues in my flat. The church was a UPC fellowship in Oxford. I had a wonderful first pastor.

Thank you, and I did! Our friends from Dale came in on their Honda Goldwing, complete with sidecar! We had a time! We worked with them the longest at Dale. They started attending almost right after we started the church. We started at the Santa Claus campgrounds, and then moved into our living room for services. Then after a couple of weeks doing that and filling it up, we rented a store front, and then they started attending there. They were with us almost the entire time. And they stand behind us and our decision to close with complete understanding .

Thanks for being transparent. I knew you as Webby from the other forum, but didn't know any of your comings and goings since NFCF opened and I quit posting on the other FCF. I knew you pastored in IN and I had read that you weren't any longer, but I didn't know any details. When you said Greenfield, it naturally caught my attention, being close to home.

I pray that God continues to bless you and your wife and your ministry continues to grow through this experience.