It is finished

The City inspector came by yesterday....for the LAST time. He took some digital pictures of the painting I had done, and that was it. He got back into his natural gas vehicle and drove off. No fireworks, no accolades, no high five.

Painting the dilapidated exterior of Swissaire has been my life since June. Especially these past two weeks as we approached the deadline. Between the painting and the many many air conditioning repairs this summer I have not had much time for just about anything else. I often wonder why this is happening to me. There are moments when I love what I am doing, see the potential for future stability and profits, and think that this could be my life. But then I think about why we came to Dallas in the first place, so I could study theology, and I think what the heck? Who runs a small business while they are getting their ThM?

I don't doubt that I am doing what God has for me to do. I just want to make sense of it. Especially how will what I am doing now play into my future..(fully realizing that I could die tomorrow and that what I have done until now is all that I was created to do). I have several options that I am considering in no particular order:

In the next 10 years I will...

1. Pursue a PhD, become a professor of theology, speak and write books.

2. Purchase a small apartment complex in California, 1-10 units, live off the money generated from operating the apartments, plant a church with a group of friends.

3. Apply for ministry positions and take a job anywhere USA (ok, on the coasts, who am I kidding). Preferably, associate, head or executive pastor...this is probably least likely as I have a track record of not fitting into systems without attempting to alter them significantly.

4. Purchase a small apartment complex in California, 1- 10 units, use the proceeds to purchase other properties, build a small real estate empire that will ensure financial stability for my family, find a great local church, become an elder or member in good standing and take whatever volunteer ministry positions I can.

Maybe I will end up doing one of these, none of them, or I will die this week and will have done all that I will ever do. Either way I hope to not only fulfill the purpose for which I was created, but to have a damn good time doing it, while helping as many people as possible, and enjoying the gift of life to its fullest. Also before I die I hope to vacation with Whitney on the Croatian coast.