Whats your title? Pastoral Intern...or Pastern...

Exactly one month ago was the date I “officially” started for Brookside Church. As you may or may not know I am not on “part time” staff as a Pastoral Intern. I put part time in quotes because I am there every day and work nearly 35-40 hours a week. Why work full time for part time money you ask? Because for the first time in my life I look forward to work! I love my job! On Sunday night when most of you are contemplating whether or not you really need the income or coming up with inventive ways to quit, I am thinking about all of the things I get to do the next day. Important word there is get. Notice its not “have” to do tomorrow. I get to work with great Brookside volunteers as well as some awesome staff members as we journey along together. Even better yet is on a daily basis I get to study the scriptures and I am literally experiencing the Bible in a new light. Now you may, or may not, believe in the Bible but certainly you can imagine my joy, as someone who believes the Bible is the expressed word and revealed will of God and its literally coming alive for me. Because my time in His word has been so deep recently my prayer life has been the best it has been in years. It is tough to not want to spend time with a God whom you spend most of your days marveling at! This month has literally made me a better person (by his grace alone) even though at times its been an opportunity fraught with challenges! Becca has noticed a significant change in my attitude lately and as I am more filled by the Lord I feel I am more ready to pour into her. Obviously a glass can only spill what it contains and in short, Perry Lake was a very dry time for me! I would imagine there are some of you reading this that are thinking I am some religious nut or maybe you even attend church every now and then and you just think I am one of those people who yell AMEN to everything [I am not…Yet]. But seriously ask your self when is the last time you ever felt the emotions I am describing about, well, anything. I recognize that I am extremely lucky to be able to what I do but the beautiful thing is we all have an opportunity to encounter the Lord in this way. Again you may think I am nuts but I bet when you are alone you will wish you were half as passionate about something as I am right now [and hopefully forever] for the Lord.

I hope to start blogging a bit more as I do have a lot of great and weighty things swirling around in my mind. I have been fairly busy lately but maybe I will make this more of a priority. Only time will tell…

If you find your self with an abundance of free time you should do yourself a favor and check out this BLOG. It about a young woman’s battle with cancer and all the things that come with having a debilitating disease while being a mommy and wife. Read it from that beginning, it’s well worth it.

Baking With The Flacks

Growing up my grandma’s apple pie was a staple at nearly every family event. They were the most amazing things and having lost her over a year and a half ago now I think the memory her apple pies memories have only grown in my families mind. They only pie I have ever had that even rivals my grandmas is Becca’s moms. She makes an array of different pies all of them are amazing! Becca and I decided to bake an apple pie for us today using her mom’s recipe and we decided to document it all along the way! Enjoy!

It may be cheating but sure beats peeling by hand!


She trusted me with the big boy knife!


Becca working with the crust


Apples ready to go


Waiting for the top crust


One of the more difficult parts was getting the top crust on with out it falling all apart!


We were real pumped!


Final Product...Little runny, great taste, and overall for the first attempt we were both very happy!

Thanks for calling Perry Lake this is Craig

I have been working since I was 15 and there has not been more than 1-2 months that I have then been unemployed during that time. I have been a bag boy, sales associate, landscaper, non-profit employee, and a leasing agent. I have done all of those at a number of different companies 7-8 at least (Andersons still is #1 in my opinion!). But since October of 2007 I have been a leasing agent at Copper Beech for two years and here at Perry Lake Village for one year. I really did not want to continue being a leasing agent when I accepted the PLV job and became full time out here however, I was getting married in two months and had to find something for Becca and I. The plan at that point was to go on Young Life staff (the non-profit I worked for) and I was even interviewing in Pennsylvania by October. It seemed all was going to plan, until Becca and I turned down the job in Penn. Then I came to the conclusion that YL was not where God was leading me. This then meant I was stuck at a job I didn’t like but with Becca still searching for a job there was nothing I could do. About March or April Kevin (my new boss/mentor) and I began to seriously discuss the possibility of me coming on staff for Brookside (Becca and I’s church) as a Pastoral Intern. A few months more passed and I had gotten the word that August 1st would be when they wanted me to start. All the mean while I worked this job where I have literally been cussed out more times than I can remember, threatened physically, cleaned up endless piles of dog crap, and apologized for more things that were not my fault more times than I can count. I’ve lost my tempter, been talked down from quitting, and evicted more families and couples whit a heartless mentality that it almost felt like that was normal behavior. All the while I have struggled to remember that PLV is where God has me at this moment and time to be his light. It is never an easy thing to keep in focus especially when you know there is something else out there however; now that I am at the end of my time here I can honestly say I am grateful for it all. I have made some great relationships with co-workers and residents and even this week several have called to thank me for everything I have done for them and wish me luck on my new job. I have had the opportunity to pour my life into this community over the past year and my life will be forever changes because of it. I will certainly not be upset if I never work leasing again in my life however, I also thought I would never work for the Church. I have learned to never say never (and not burn bridges hence my 3 week notice) and be grateful for whatever comes your way. I found a job that supported my new wife and I in the middle of a depression. So while this year has literally been a roller coaster of emotions I rejoice in it.

Thanks for the ride Perry Lake.

Craig Flack Leasing Agent Since 2007 Signing Out!

Freedom From Debt

I have always been a little OCD with it comes to money. I always know how much I have in my checking account at any given moment and have never over drafted my account. I have all my automatic payments memorized so much to the fact that I have to write them all down for Becca so she would know what was going on if something happened to me. I have written posts in the pasts about paying down debt in the form of Becca’s wedding ring. This time it’s her car that we have recently paid off. The thing is paying off debt is one of the most rewarding things we can do. It’s not easy and there will always be choices of where to take the money from but once it’s done it just feels so darn good. As of July 16th, 2010 the only debt Becca and I have is my student loans. No credit cards, car payments, or 90 day interest free purchases. Some of you may know that on August 1st I will start working for Brookside Church here in BG. I have felt a calling to this work for some time and because Becca and I have been diligent with our finances and budgeting I now have the opportunity to leave a good paying job and take a step of faith to work for Brookside (and yes they are paying me to just not as much as my current position). If we had credit cards bills or even a nicer apartment I simply would not be able to follow my calling. The point I am getting at is debt and living above your means are like GIANT HANDCUFFS! People hear the word “budget” and think that they will never be able to do anything fun or have nice things. I hear budget and I think I can golf, buy a video game, take Becca on a date and know that we can afford it and there will be no guilt spending that money. If you are up to your eye balls in debt or simply can’t be trusted with a credit card it may be time to take a serious look at your financial situation. Websites like Mint.com can be great but ultimately it comes down to making some difficult choices and having self control. I hope this post encourages you that there is a light at the end of the tunnel and know that the freedom from debt is one of the biggest weights that can be lifted!

Yes I'm Siskel, yes I'm Ebert....

It’s fun to try new things right? I think so! There for I am unveiling my first “So This Is Life” movie review. This weekend I saw the new Robin Hood with some friends. I will say I was extremely excited as one of my all time favorites was Gladiator and RH paired Russell Crowe and Ridley Scott together again. Maybe it was unfair to go in and expect that kind of awesomeness again, but I did. I was certainly let down. However, that’s not to say this wasn’t a good movie. I definitely enjoyed it. Good acting, fairly interesting story line, and good actions scenes. These are the makings for any good movie in my opinion. Overall I would give it a B and because the BG mall only charges 4.50 a person I certainly wasn’t angry I spent the money. If you are expecting another academy award winner you certainly won’t be getting that but as I said a solid B movie (On a scale from A-F).


It should be noted my favorite Robin Hood is still

We're men, we're men in tights, tight tights...

12 Months Interest Free

It was one year ago this month that I bought Becca’s engagement ring. It certainly was not cheap but in the “worlds eyes” it was probably just a drop in the bucket. This was easily the biggest purchase I had ever made and I needed to finance the ring because I obviously did not have the money to pay for it up front. Now there is something you need to know about me, I HATE debt. I never had a credit card all through college and I operated on the theory that may seem crazy but if I didn’t have the money for something I didn’t buy it. I know shocking! I just hate the idea of owing money that I don’t have. So it would seem odd that I would finance an entire engagement ring. However, in this situation the extremely generous people at Kay Jewelers are just so kind [sarcasm] that they are willing to giving you 12 months interest free! Obviously there is quite a bit of fine print in this deal. The thing most people fail to realize in a situation like this is if I missed a payment, was late on a payment, or failed to pay my minimum payment the friendly folks at Kay would then apply interest to the account at 22% and also apply the interest to principal already paid! Great deal for them because odds are a 22 year old buying a ring in the middle of a recession will slip up once over 12 months. Well luckily I never did and as of today April 15, 2010 I am no longer in debt with Kay Jewelers and because I never messed up I did not pay one cent of interest on a several thousand dollar purchase! Like I said I HATE debt but I LOVE an interest free loan even more! Sorry Kay you couldn’t make 22% off this guy but something tells me you are doing just fine.

*Though I poke fun at the people at Kay they actually have been amazing to work with and the people in their store are really awesome! Sure they work on commission but just learn to say no thanks to what you do not need and you’ll have a great experience.

Here is a picture of both of our rings from our wedding both furnished by Kay. Mine was a bit cheaper!



Photo by Love is Greater Photo

I only make $1,500 a week...Part 2

I must say that if you have not read part 1 on this story you will be a bit lost.

At that we continue…

When we arrive at the apartment the young women and I enter and began to talk about the different features of the apartment and I began to discuss the application and approval process. She began say that the reason she works where she does is so that she can take care of her two kids during the week. I asked another personal question as to whether she was receiving any child support for either child (as that would factor into the approval process for the apartment). She responded that both of this children had “deadbeat dads” and she was on her own to take care of her children. She then said that because she stripped and only worked the weekends it allowed her act as a stay at home mom and spend tons of time with her two children. This is where I really began to see this young woman in a different light. She was asking all of the same kinds of questions that any other mom would such as school district, safety, and noise at night. She was just another person who is doing her best to take care of her kids. I then realized that she was a mom that happened to be a stripper and not a stripper that had a couple of kids. She was doing her best to give her kids everything they needed and for her dancing for men was how she was managing to do that now. It was at this point where I was able to treat this young woman no different than any other person who walked in my door. It did certainly break my heart that this woman had to dance for a bunch of horney dudes to feed her family and I couldn’t imagine the way that must play on the way she views herself. But she was doing what she had to do. As we left the apartment into the snow storm I had a new respect for my prospective tenant and we entered my car talking about our childhoods and growing up in Toledo. My back window was snow covered but because we were just on property I did not think anything of it and I believed there was no car behind me. I backed out slowly and bumped into the car behind me. As the kids are saying “fail”. The young women concerned asked if what I wanted her to do and I told her to sit tight to check for damage (fortunately a 1MPH crash causes no damage). We made our way up to the office and chatted a bit more as she waited for her ride to come get her. I couldn’t help but want to get her a job doing anything else but I knew that this was the choice she had made and one she was obviously committed to. I told her good luck and have not seen her again.

This whole story has made me really reflect on what we put weight on in our culture. That a woman can make my monthly salary in a weekend for taking off her clothes at a bachelor party. That she was forced to make this choice as it was either feed her children or let them go hungry. And finally I realized that I will never have a snap judgment of a woman like this again as there are so many things that I am not aware of and have no right to ever look down on someone for the way they provide for their family. I do hope this woman can find some other way to do but it is not my place to worry or suggest. I am here to just be a smile and offer answers about the apartment community…

The whole experience brought an old song to mind.

Check it out, I think you know where I am going with this.

I only make $1,500 a week... PART 1

Me: Baby I backed into a car today at work and umm I kinda had a stripper in the car...
Becca: Haha quit lying!
Me: [silence]...I should probable explain huh?
Becca: I think so...

Gotta love conversations around the dinner table! This happens to be one Becca and I had back in mid February. I guess I should probably clear up this conversation before you get the wrong idea just as my wife did. I work at an apartment complex and had a women come in for a tour on one of the days where it just snowed and snowed. As with most people I ask them if they are working or in school this particular young lady responded with work. I then asked where she was working. After a few moments of silence I got “I work for a company…” I could tell there was something up so I responded with “I work for a company to, what do you do for this company”. She looked at me and must have been deciding whether she should be honest or not and responded with “well this company kinda sends dancers to parties to well uhhh strip…” This literally had about a thousand of thoughts in my head instantly but the one that came through most was do not let this young women think you are judging her [she was obviously worried about that otherwise she would have just come out and said she strips for a living]. I said “ok so do you make pretty good money?” She then responded with “well I only work Saturday and Sunday so I only make around 1,500 a weekend.” The key word there is ONLY! I informed her she would most certainly quality income wise and we proceeds to discuss her different apartment options. As we went to head out of the office into the blizzard like conditions I informed her she could follow me over to the model apartment and that I was in the gold Buick. It is important to note that I NEVER take people in my car with my on tours. It is actually against our company policy and if they do not have a car we are supposed to walk to the model unit [it can be a long walk as we have a 32 acre property]. Today though I was not going to walk in the middle of this weather and asked the women if she would be comfortable riding with me to which she responded “of course” and she ran and jumped in my front seat. At that we began our drive over to the apartment in the silent car.

This is where the story gets interesting!

I will continue with what happened once we got to the model apartment alone, the car crash and my other thoughts in a blog post to follow later. Don’t tell me you are not interested at this point!

Lost a lease...Saved a marriage...Or Not...

Divorce is a touchy subject in America. With some rates estimating that 1 in every 2 marriages ending in divorce is easy to see why. Every one of us knows at least one person affected by divorce. Maybe they were the child of divorced parents or even have been divorced themselves. I remember laughing with my mom not too long ago about an episode of “Leave it to Beaver”. Beaver had a friend who spent the night but was dropped off by his uncle. When the parents of Beaver asked the young boy why his uncle dropped him off the boy responded “I live with them now, you see my parents are divorced.” This then created to awkward situation of how to explain to their children the idea of divorce. I remember just laughing and joking with my mom “Will you explain divorce to me mom?”. You see my parents are still married but I was just like everyone else growing up having best friends with divorced parents. This idea seems odd that divorce would need to be explained to anyone anymore. Odd and very sad. The reason I write about this topic is because I had a recent experience at work with a women who was leaving her husband. She was literally crying as she read the lease and was explaining to me that once she signed this it for sure meant that she was done with him as she would be finally moving away [read: uncomfortable moment for the 22 year old newly married leasing agent aka … me]. I just simply said if she was comfortable signing the lease and had any doubt certainly do not sign it. She read on and eventually told me she could not sign it and she had to call and talk with her husband one last time to make sure that this was not going to work. I was thinking I would gladly loose a lease and a commission if it saved yet another married on the rocks. I encouraged her to talk with her husband and take any means necessary to reconcile. She left and I felt strongly that for some reason her marriage might work out. Unfortunately I will for sure be moving in that same young women tomorrow. I obviously did not ask for details but apparently that conversation did not go well. It really broke my heart. Here is a woman who obviously still has strong feelings for this man [other wise she would not have had so much anguish over signing the lease] but yet she is still leaving him. I know I have only been married for 4 months now. I claim to be no expert and I realize Becca and I are really just getting into marriage. But I still don’t understand divorce. This post is more just about my heart breaking over the issue. There are so many men and women that have massive amounts of hurt and anger as well as baggage that they are forced to take with them from relationship to relationship because of divorce. This blog has no answer to divorce and I am not going to sit here on a high horse and claim no divorce is warranted. I just had to write it down my thoughs as I have not been able to stop thinking about the women who sat and cried in my office because she was now leaving her husband. Because of this my heart breaks...

I dont wanna grow up I wanna be a toy-r-us kid!

Life has been…well… uneventful lately. I am a person who through college was constantly doing something. Even going back to high school I was involved in everything I could be [read: sucked at sports so I had nothing else to do]. Life has really calmed down for me lately. My weeks used to be filled by several different meetings or hanging out with a different friend and I guess there was some school in there to. Now my life pretty much consists of the same old routine. Get up go to work, come home eat dinner, spend time with Becca, watch TV, go to bed. Then the next day it starts all over! It is a pretty tough transition the “adult” life style. And it should be noted if this is the only life style and adult can live you can count on me never fully becoming an “adult”. For the most part to be completely honest I am bored! Now don’t get me wrong I love hanging out with Becca and really enjoy our time together. But I am now living a life that looks really different from the one I used to live! In this environment I am constantly coming up with new idea on what I might want to do with my life. One day its work for a church and the next its being a property manager for the company I currently work for. To be honest if I could leave it all now and do what I wanted I would take Becca and move somewhere and work for a young but strong church in whatever role they would have me. The problem is that is not really an option as I do not have churches beating down my door asking to employee me. So for not I will enjoy this time in life where Becca and I learn more about each other, marriage, and how to be a better partner. I thank God for the job I have and try and be content in the fact that this is where he has the Flacks for now. I stress the for now part of that last sentence. Some people look forward to this life style after college but I am not one of them. So for now I will certainly enjoy it and make the best of it. But that is because I know eventually I will break out of this routine and on that day rest assured you will get a nice new blog post!


Becca and I love this picture. It makes me think that we are looking out at the world and we have no idea whats going to happen but were ready to go together.

"Lift with the knees boys!"

“Hey man can you help me move?” It’s the one sentence that sends shivers down everyone’s spine. No one likes to life heavy boxes, pack delicate dishes, and walk backwards down the steps holding a 1000 pound entertainment center. The reason I am thinking about this is I helped a good buddies parents move yesterday. “Parents, it wasn’t even your friend” you say. Nope I have never met these people before in my life and odds are I won’t ever see them again. What I did know that this friend had some folks that were in a bind and needed some big strong men [obviously why I was personally requested…wait that didn’t happen]. Me and three other men volunteered our Tuesday night to help out a buddy out and as lifting is fairly mindless work I began to think [warning]. The reason we volunteered to help this friend out is he is a brother. He goes to our church and he is the type of man that would be there to help you if you needed anything and we all knew that. When his mother was thanking us for helping her and her husband out we all did the normal “Not a problem I don’t do much” , “Ill do anything for a sloppy Joe”, and “I love a good work out”. Though these statements work in the situation though reality is that we all love this friend and we love Christ and it is that love propels us to help him. It comes back to Christ [most situations always do]. This is a practical was of living out the gospel. Instead of grumbling and griping about helping move, helping with a smile and for the simple fact that you want to love another human in an extremely practice way. To me this is why I follow Christ. Because a friend can put out a request and people actually respond. He did no arm twisting just simply asked. I am a guy who likes to think about big theological issues. I love getting in 3 hour conversations where there is no way to find out the answer we are wrestling over. But on nights like yesterday it reminds me that sometimes following Christ is as simple as picking up a box and doing it with a smile.

Merry Christmas folks remember this is a time that we celebrate the fact that “The Word became flesh and moved into the neighborhood” so to speak.

John 8:7

Love you neighbor as yourself. It is an interesting command that Jesus gives us and is probably one of the more difficult ones. Tiger Woods has been all over the news and we all know the story by now. It is as though the media is all of a sudden shocked that people LIE and celebrities sleep around. The thing is to cover our own asses we will lie boldly and often. I will be the first to admit that I have lied many times, let be real who hasn’t? In fact being married and attempting to be completely honest and open with Becca has been a fairly revolutionary change to make but more fun and freeing then I imagined. What would it be like if we took responsibility for ourselves? Typically you call someone out on something and it is excuse after excuse. In a bible study I used to attend with the BG men we used to talk about changing our life style to “QUIT JUSTIFYING”. What would it be like if people realized that mistakes are not the end of the world? An honest confession of wrong doing can go a long way I have found. We are not perfect and sometimes it is really hard to admit that not only to our selves but others. The challenge is to really stop justifying and accept the mistake or issue and then correct it. Tiger has made a mistake. We all have. Would you like it if your worst mistake was covered 24-7 on cable “NEWS” networks? If I see Nancy Grace asking one more lawyer If Tigers wife can sue him if she gets and STD because he had unprotected sex with other women I may vomit. Get a grip people Tiger has admitted his wrong doing and is moving on. Can’t we? Did you really look up to a pro athlete as a role model in your life? Tell you what, if it makes you feel better just don’t buy Gatorade or Nike for a while. Other than that can we all realize were all far from perfect, and move on! There are bigger things in life.

The Flacks

Mrs. Flack. For so long when I heard that I thought of my mom. Obviously this is a normal reaction. As of a couple days ago it is officially Becca’s name now to. Yesterday Becca got her new SS card and today we went and got her a new license and finally got a joint bank account and such. Becca’s maiden name was Laskowski so she is definitely getting an easier name in a lot of ways but it is still interesting this whole name change thing. There are a lot of women who don’t change their name and I can understand that. I can say that I did want Becca to take my name but I really did not know why. It certainly would not have been a deal breaker for me if she wouldn’t have taken it but there definitely was something in me that wanted it. After a good conversation with my soon to be brother-in-law (exactly one week actually) DJ I really realized the name does help create a real since of family. Becca and I are now the Flacks. We are one and yet still two people. I think this name change really does help to create a bit more of that feeling of oneness. So now Becca and I move forward after another step of married life. I cant lie, I like knowing were the Flacks.

On a side note Becca and I had a great Thanksgiving with her family! I do love me some turkey! I don't think this is the one we ate but he looks just as delicious.

White or Dark...That is the question...

Ahh Thanksgiving. It really might be my favorite holiday. Sitting around chatting, eating, and football I mean whats not to love? In my humble opinion it really does not get any better. This year the Flacks are heading to Newark OH to be with Becca’s family. This is certainly a transition for me as I have never not been with my family on major holidays. Don’t get me wrong I love being around Becca family and we have not seen them since the wedding so it is a much welcomed visit. This is just another transition of marriage I suppose. Hope everyone enjoys their turkey day and takes a nice long nap! I will certainly be trying to squeeze one in!

ARP 11/`11/09

Ashton Richard Point as born on November 11th, 2009 and 12:59 AM. This is my first nephew and I could not be happier. He is a healthy little guy and I can’t help but hope he has more athletic genes then the Flack men usually come equipped with. Cori and Greg are great parents and this will certainly add a little spice with my little niece running around at 19 months old not to mention a off the wall Golden Retriever. The real miracle is really just the fact that Ashton is here. I am talking in the spiritual since that there is no way Ashton is a cosmic accident. Maybe you do not believe in a God or a higher power but I really find it tough to believe that you can look at a child and not believe is something bigger than us. This child was grown in my sister and started out microscopic. He will grow to be a man and this is still astonishes me. To see life so new and raw I cannot help but see God’s hand. You may think that we started as single cell organisms and are now what we are but I just cannot buy it. Ashton is to perfect, we are to complex. Think about it…





If your thinking "Craig you let you wife hold a new born beautiful baby. Dont you know what you have done????"

My answer is yes I know, I know.

Drum Roll Please.....

Lets be honest, no one likes to make decisions. When they are major life changing ones they are even harder to make. However, Becca and I did not have a choice. We would have to decide whether we would pack it up and go to PA or stick around BG for a couple more months. Becca and I got back from PA on 11/1 and took about a week to pray and consider out options. We decided [insert drum roll in your head] to stick around BG. There are a few main reasons why. First we both really felt that our heart was not in the position in PA and that it obviously did not make since for us to move if neither of us were overly excited about moving to the area. Also we are so new in our marriage and really just trying to figure out how to live as a married couple we did not think it was the greatest timing for us to up root and move. Finally, and perhaps the biggest reason, Becca and I are really trying to figure out the call on our lives. Right now it would seem that I have a huge heart for the local church and working with it. This is a huge change of pace being that for the longest time the church was the thing I hated most. Over time what I have come to realize is you cannot Love Christ and hate his Bride [read: the church]. Don’t get me wrong it is easy to pick out all of the bad and focus on it when looking at the local church, but there is still such a beauty and radiance that can really capture you. This being said Becca and I are really going to investigate seminary are see where that takes us. This was not an easy choice to make but Becca and I have found a peace in it. We know that this is where God has us for now and we are going to be as obedient to that as possible. As for what this means with me and YL I honestly do not know. I will not say that staff is not an option in the future and I am certainly still in love with the mission but staff just seems to not be the place for us right now. So as for now Becca and I will be around the BG for a while. Its been a wild couple of months for me personally and I am looking forward to a bit of a calm!

Metallica or Trans-Siberian Orchestra

Becca birthday was October 14th. This was just four short days after are wedding and I had her fairly convinced that she was not going to be getting any presents this year. Instead I decided to surprise her with Trans-Siberian Orchestra tickets (I know, what a husband!). Last night was the show and Becca and I were not disappointed. First off they played about 2 and ½ hours worth of music. The special effects of the entire show were unreal and obviously the music rocked. There were lasers, fire, snow, tv screens, smoke, and strobe lights everywhere. The term sensory overload certainly applies here. My parents had seen the earlier show and my Mom commented that at some points it felt like a rock concert. I thought she would be exaggerating a little bit but after seeing the show I really have to agree! It was awesome and certainly worth the ticket price for the experience. If you have a chance to go see them I would highly recommend it. As for the rest of life look for some more posts this week as the Point family [read: sister and brother-in-law] are expecting their second child tomorrow. Also Becca and I have made our decision on the YL job in Penn. I know you’re sitting on the edge of your seat.

Not my picture but gives you an idea of what I am talking about!

The Flacks Go to Pennsylvania

As I blogged a bit about before Becca and I took a interview for YL staff out in Pennsylvania. It went well and the committee and Solanco community were really welcoming to Becca and I during our time there. We are still really trying to figure out what is in our future and whether that future is in Penn, Ohio, or wherever. It is interesting because when working for a youth ministry like YL is really a process of trying to determine ones calling. When I say calling I mean a pull or bend that God has put on their heart for a particular activity, job, people, or just about anything. Obviously this is not the easiest thing to determine all the time. So for now Becca and I wait. We continue to ask God for wisdom in the situation and discuss the possibilities that really seem pretty endless at some points. I will say that the coolest thing in all of this is getting to go through this situation with Becca. She knows me so well and can really put things into context for me. I feel a real joy going through this process because whether we end up in Penn or Ohio it has really and will continue to bring Becca and I closer together. Sometimes life can seem too big and the options in front of us so vast! However, going through it with your best friend and wife really helps. Look for an update in the next couple weeks as we decide what to do.

Long over due

It has been far too long since I update the ole’ blog. Not that I really think anyone reads this, but not giving any updates is a death sentence certainly. Since I last wrote a lot has gone on in my life and really all of the craziness is impart the reason I have not written lately. What has gone on in my life you ask? Well let’s see….My car was stolen, totaled, and towed away (No I did not get insurance money, liability only). I went on a job interview for YL in Pennsylvania on October 7th and 8th. Then I came back and got married on the 10th. I went on a honeymoon after that and then when Becca [read: new wife] and I got back we had to move all of our wedding present and all of my stuff into our apartment. Ideally I would have moved almost completely before we got married but when my car was stolen I suddenly became a 15 year old again whose parents had to drive him around. As it stands now I am heading into my third week of marriage and its about every emotion you can imagine. Becca and I are figuring out not only how to love each other better but to live together and share everything. Obviously this is a huge transition for both of us and will certainly be a growing and learning process for the next several ummm months, years, till death do us part? If this was it life would certainly be a lot calmer now but Becca and I are still currently in the process of interviewing for YL staff [first interview obviously went well]. We are leaving this Friday the 30th to fly out to the area and spend the entire weekend with the committee and area director interested in bringing Becca and I on board. This is a huge transition for me as well. Not only the idea of moving but the idea that from now on any major decision in life is one that Becca and I will be making together. That even though I would be the one technically employed by YL it really would be Becca and I taking this job together [that whole 2 become 1 in marriage thing applies here]. Needless to say this has been the cause of a lot of discussion, prayer, excitement, worry, and a whole other range of emotions. Working for a non-profit like YL is not just saying yes to a job but saying yes to a calling put on one’s life. I believe that if a person takes a job like YL and is not called to it, it will become a dumpster fire fairly quickly. So these are the things swirling around in my head at the moment. Life has been a bit of a roller coaster lately and there will certainly be more blog post about all of this transformation and life changing events in the future. But as my buddy Peter told me in a recent conversation the key to a good blog is short and sweet. I hope that this post and many in the future will fall more into this category!

Me And The Boys


Cool Over Head Pic



More pictures to come!

Slacking

I have not written any thing in a couple of week. The ironic thing is I am already slacking on this blog and its only been like a month. O well such is life. Anyways life is good right now and I am getting married in a month from tomorrow. Thats kinda crazy but I am really looking forward to that because Becca and I are doing this long distance thing now and that is not fun at all. The new job is also going well. I have been a Leasing Specialist at Perry Lake Village for a little under a month and I am really starting to get the job. Though I must say slacking is title that works for the blog and my work production right now. More to come later.