Update #4

It is hard to believe that it has been one full year since our last post.  So much has happened over this past year, but in the meantime…
We are in the full heat of summer, and it is INCREDIBLY humid down here in Louisiana. (Fortunately we have a pool behind our apartment, so we are grateful!)

Allow us to recap several highlights that took place over this past year:

WORK:
Lindsey completed her full time work at the architecture/engineering firm and began her final two years as a full time grad student. She has one year left, and it is going to be very demanding. Lindsey also began her internship, which is a big part of earning her Marriage and Family Therapy license.

God has provided an incredible mentor at a Christian counseling center in Baton Rouge, and Lindsey is having some of the best education and guidance we could have asked for. You can check out the counseling agency where Lindsey works at this website. (CLICK HERE)

In my (Jonathan’s) world, I have been working this past year as a music teacher at an elementary school (grades 4 and 5). This past year has been a great adventure, getting to hang out with about 650 kids, and I am looking forward to this next year (which will be our last year here in Baton Rouge).

Copper Mill Elementary ( website is HERE) along with the other schools in our district (Zachary Community School District) has been named #1 in the state for the third year in a row. The principal at Copper Mill, Dewey Davis, is a great leader and a passionate Christ follower and its a blessing to work with him and learn from him.

CHURCH
We still love being at our church here in Baton Rouge. The Ring Community Church (NEW WEBSITE HERE), has been growing and maturing this past year in many. After The Ring’s first two years meeting in another church building, we are moving our services to meet at the BCM (Baptist Collegiate Ministry) building at L.S.U. This building has just had a major remodeling, and it looks great. The cool thing is that our church had been helping weekly with the building and remodeling of this new facility, and we didn’t even know that we were going to worship there. This is just another cool testimony to see how God goes before us in his ministry.
Lindsey and I have been leading a community group for the past year.  God has giving us many opportunities to connect with people here, and we are very thankful.

ARTS CENTER

We are in great anticipation as we are working hard in our preparation for the commercial arts center. (Def of commercial arts: Types of art that are currently impacting culture—modern music, recording technology, graphic/web design, photography, and film). Our plan is to move back to Nashville and begin moving full-steam ahead next June, 2009. It’s going to come so fast!! (By the way---Commercial Arts Center official name and website are soon to come! We’ll keep you posted.)

Our goal is to have our first major draft of th

e business plan to be completed by July 1. I just spent a week out in Los Angeles with a friend in the video/film industry (currently working freelance) spending a time praying and brainstorming (and a little bit of sightseeing here and there ☺).

During the summer, I will be wo

rking full time on the business plan, and Lindsey will be working part-time at the architecture firm and part-time with me with the business plan. We are VERY excited to watch God’s vision being fleshed out.

FAMILY

Last Tuesday was our 2 year anniversary!!! In the grand scheme, this is really no time at all, 

but it is just crazy to think that two years have passed. God is continually growing our

 marriage...each day is another opportunity to learn and grow together and in the midst of it we're having a ton of fun!
Our extended family has been growing, as over the past year we have added another niece and nephew (totaling seven!). We love getting to spend time with our families when we have the chance.


With all this being said, here are some things you can be praying for:

1) Pray for Lindsey as she completes her last year at seminary and her last year in her internship. Pray that God will continue to give her the excellent preparation that he is giving, and ask God to use her as she is currently meeting with clients walking with them and guiding others towards their personal healing.

2) Pray as I (Jonathan) work my last year Copper Mill...that God will use me to bring His love to my students and co-workers.

3) Pray that God will continue to go before us as we are following Him in our preparation of the Commercial Arts Center. Pray that God will continue to bless us with times of innovative planning as we aim to complete the business plan. Pray specifically for the people who God will bring to us to join our staff. Finally, pray that God will use the arts center to redefine purpose in the creative industry where artists at all levels will be empowered to foster positive world change. Pray that through this process many will be led to become passionate seekers of the heart of Christ.

4) Pray for Lindsey and I as we grow in our marriage every day. It is our goal to pursue the holiness of God while being transparent with Him and each other. Pray that God will keep on giving us opportunities to serve together.

WE LOVE YOU GUYS A WHOLE BUNCH, AND WE GREATLY ANTICIPATE THE NEXT TIME WE GET TO SEE EACH OTHER! Thanks so much for your continued willingness to partner with us and pray!

Your Brother and Sister in Him,

Jonathan and Lindsey

Update #3

Summer is here, Louisiana is steamin hot, and we have completed our first super fun crawfish season (if you dont' know about Louisiana crawfish season...just "google" it or check out this link.)

Time has passed so quick, and we feel that it's time for another update. God is so good and faithful, and we want you to be able to see His work over the past couple of months!

School:

My last semester of school finished quite smoothly. It was a busy semester, but it flew by at warp speed! And now, I have officially graduated with a Master of Arts in Christian Education, and I am still in major disbelief that I am finished. Attending seminary has been a very enriching, challenging, and rewarding experience. I know that God will use my time at seminary as I continue to serve Him in ministry.

Now, Lindsey is preparing to go back to school, and she is very excited. As mentioned before, she is working on a Master of Arts in Marriage and Family Therapy (Licensed Counseling). She is very excited about her upcoming studies, and she is also excited about her future internships and practicums that are coming. Now, in her 2nd year of school, she will be able to have more "hands-on" opportunities, which is great. We are so excited to see how God is going to use her as she continues her studies.

Work:

Lindsey is still enjoying her work as an administrative assistant, and her work variety has been increasing, becoming more involved in HR, and event planning etc. God has opened a great door for Lindsey to build a friendship with a lady who started to work with Lindsey several months ago. This lady is not a Christ follower, but God is continually opening doors for her and Lindsey to have some important spiritual conversations. In spite of the fact that Lindsey is enjoying her work, she is ready for this season to pass as she takes steps to go to school full time.

God has made great provisions for Lindsey and I as I have begun to search for a place to work post-graduation. Over the past year, I have sensed God leading me to pursue a job teaching in elementary school during this season that Lindsey is attending school. In the past couple of weeks, God has brought this into fruition, and in August, I will begin to serve as a teacher at Copper Mill Elementary in Zachary, LA (which is close to Baton Rouge). It is an excellent school, and I am VERY excited to begin to serve others and serve as a missionary in this area. God is so good! Here is a picture of the school!


Working for the Years Ahead:

God has been doing great things with our planning for the Arts Center. We are still looking to plant the arts center in the Williamson County area. In the past couple of months, God has opened some doors for me to have some conversations with people who are doing similar work in different areas of the country.

One of the great things about the "public school" job is that I will not have work during the summer, which will provide a great amount of time to continue with preparation. Right now, Lindsey and I are working on the "business plan" development which is a long and challenging task, but we are excited to take this step.

In addition, we are still in the works to coordinate a one week community arts camp in Baton Rouge, for the summer of 2008. We are currently talking with the ministers at our church about the possibility of partnering this camp as a ministry of the church, and we are very excited about this possibility.


Married Life:

Lindsey and I are having a great time being married! We cannot believe that we have been married a year. At the end of May, we spent a week in Orlando for our anniversary, which was awesome! God is continually growing us closer, and he is uniting our hearts in ministry. This past semester, God has opened many doors for Lindsey and I to reach out to people in the community. For starters, this past semester we were involved in the LSU Baptist Collegiate Ministry International Coffee House, and we were able to connect with several people there. We also had some chances to go downtown and feed some people who were without homes, and we had some good conversations. Also, we have been able to have several people over for dinner, and God is continually fostering relationships with people here in Baton Rouge.

It is evident that God is doing a great work, and we are so blessed to be a part what He's doing


Here are some things you can be praying for:


1. Pray for God to continue to grow the relationship between Lindsey and her co-worker friend, pray that God's truth will permeate their conversations. We would love to see her come to Christ!

2. Pray for Lindsey as she starts school in the fall. Pray for God to continue to mold her and prepare her for her next phase in ministry.

3. Pray for us as I begin to work at Copper Mill Elementary School. Pray for the students, and families, and teachers, that I will work with, that God will open doors and bring opportunities to bring Christ to this area!

4. Pray for us as we continue to make preparations for the arts center. Pray that God will continue to open doors for us to make connections with other people who can serve as guides and mentors throughout this process. Also pray as we seek to find people to partner with in the Williamson county area, as we make plans to plant this ministry.

5. Pray for God to continue to unite our hearts in marriage. Pray that God will daily remind us to spend time in prayer together so that we can unite with Christ as we join together at His feet in prayer!

WE MISS ALL OF YOU VERY MUCH! PLEASE, drop us a note to let us know how you are doing and how we can pray for you!

God is doing so many great things, and it is so exciting to know that it will get even better!

Your brother and sister in Christ,

Jonathan and Lindsey

Update #2

The time has come for a semesterly update. God has been so good over the past couple of months.
Lindsey and I hope that as you read this information and be able to see God's hand working through
all of our daily lives.

School is Comin' To A Close:

Last semester finished quite smoothly. One thing that I have been praying for was for God to lead me
to teachers at school that can provide some guidance and leadership in my life regarding future ministry plans etc
Well, God definitely answered those prayers...I have connected with three different professors that I have either
met with or will meet with. They all bring different aspects of gifts to the table, and so I am very thankful to be
able to meet with them. God is so faithful!


Lindsey at Work

Lindsey has been busily working as a full time administrative assistant at an architectural/engineering firm.
She has enjoyed working there, but she is also excited to go back to school in August to continue her masters
work in Marriage and Family Therapy. (She has two more years of school to finish) In the meantime, she has
been working hard, and she has also taken time to build relationships with some of the co-workers. We are
praying and hoping for more opportunities for Lindsey to share her faith with these co-workers.


Church

As we stated in the last update, we have plugged in at a church here known as the Ring Community Church.
This church's congregation is predominantly made up of college students, and we have really enjoyed being a part of this church while we are here living in Baton Rouge. (Not to mention, we have some super cool people in our community group including two professional rodeo riders! The picture to the left is when we went to one of the guy's rodeos.) God has continually opened doors for us to invest in the lives of college students here, and our new-found love for serving college students is growing every day! God has also opened up some doors for us to get to know some other people in the community, and we are praying for God to use us as we invest in the lives of these people. We would love to see them grow a deep love for Christ.


Marriage

WOW, time has FLOWN! Lindsey and I have been married for 8 months!! Marriage has been so great! Because we aren't going to school at the same time, we have had more time to spend with each other....this has been such a blessing for our first year of marriage. God is continually growing our marriage, and uniting our hearts to His. We are loving the opportunities God is giving us to serve Him together, investing in the lives of others.


The Day's Ahead

As I mentioned in the previous post, for the past several years, I have been thinking about and praying over the idea of developing an arts academy. The mission of this vision is to empower artists and future artists to be "salt and light" in culture. (As of now, we still have a deep love for Williamson County, TN, and we hope to bring the vision to this area.) Lindsey and I have spent many days dreaming
researching, praying and talking about the future arts ministry. God is continually affirming this passion and even expanding
the scope of the vision. We cannot begin to share how excited we are to see God's vision come into fruition. Currently, we are taking steps to learn the process of developing a business plan. We are also planning a week long progressive arts camp in Baton Rouge for 5th-8th graders, hoping for the summer of 2008.


Here are some areas you can pray for us:

1. Pray for God to grow the relationships that we have built with others here in
Baton Rouge. Pray that God will use us to bring others closer to Him.

2. Pray that God will continue to refine our personal relationships with Him...He's
teaching us so many new great things.

3. Pray that God will continue to refine our marriage as He continues to unite our hearts to His.

4. Pray for God to guide us as we balance our ministry here in Baton Rouge with the time we also
spend preparing for the ministries of the future.

The bottom line is this: GREAT THINGS ARE HAPPENING, and we know that greater things are in store.

If you are reading this, know that we love you and miss you very much!

-Jonathan and Lindsey

The Start.

If you're anything like me, even if things are going great, you may have a tendancy to always feel like the better thing is coming. Let me explain. In elementary school, things were great for me...but I couldn't wait till I was a teenager. When I was a teenager, things were pretty good, but things would be GREAT when I turned 16 with the licence... Then we wait for college, then we wait for graduating college, then we wait for marriage, then we wait for that one job that is going to be "THE JOB".

I have had these conversations with people, saying..."man I can't wait until the next thing". And, I have been constantly reminded by friends of the fact that God has given me today. They will say that I don't have to worry about tomorrow. And that really, all that matters right now... is right now.

But, even in the midst of this beauty of "now". I still feel like there will always be a sense of incompleteness with us. A desire for the greatness to come. And the bottom line is that I believe that this is o.k. God has given us a hunger for greatness, a hunger to be closer to Him, a hunger to experience His adventures...and we will always want more, and this is good.

Bottom line is this. Today is great. I can even be patient for tomorrow. But in the midst of this, I know with everything that is inside of me It will get even better. Great things are in store!

So, it is my hope that this blog can be a source of encouragement for you...it is my goal to give you pieces of my "now" whether they are going great or going not so great. I have notified you about this blog because you are important to me...so I will also put things on here that you can pray for me and Lindsey about. (Be sure to read the next post, that is below, regarding things you can already be praying about!)

Know that you are loved.

Jonathan

Update

Well, I really have no clue when the last time we talked, but I know that most of you we have been in touch at least around the time that Lindsey and I were married.


This past Winter and Summer, I was serving as an interim student pastor at Sandy Plains Baptist Church in Marietta, GA! This was an AWESOME experience, and I was able to see God work in incredible ways with these students. Here is a picture of us at MFUGE, this summer!

Now, we are in the lovely Baton Rouge where Lindsey is taking a year off from school while I finish my degree. (Just for your info sake, Lindsey is working on a Masters in Marriage and Family Therapy)I am hoping to finish with school in May, but we will most likely be here for another two years until Lindsey can finish her work.

As many of you know, I have sensed the Lord's leading me to establish a Christian Arts Academy...and as an update, this vision is still alive. God has continued to expand and refine His vision, and I will have to update you on this more at some point. In the meantime, I have been spending time doing continual research, absorbing information, preparing for the day when God officially opens the door for Lindsey and I to go full force with the Arts Academy.

We have also are planning to be a part of a church known as The Ring Community Church. This church is about one year old, and has had an incredible impact on LSU college students. Now the church is expanding to more ages, and we are very excited to be a part of this community for the season that we are here.

Here are some concrete things you can be praying for.

• 1. Pray that God will continue to make this period that I am in seminary a time where I am continually growing and being refined.

• 2. Pray for opportunities for Lindsey and I to build relationships with people in the community whether it is in our apartment complex or at Lindsey's work or whatever.

• 3. Pray that God will continually motivate us to be content in the present, as we serve here in Baton Rouge

We definitely appreciate your prayers!
Hopefully we will hear from some of you soon!

Great things are in store!

-jonathan