Sorry football fans, I've never been much of a fan, but my pastor used football as an example to make a point, which describes my life perfectly right now and its the only way I can describe what's going on... so here goes...

All year long, there has been a lot of controversy surrounding the last week of July and the first week of August...  whether to do camp or the alternate activities that my church planned, moving since my lease ended, potential change in career since I have been trying to become a teacher, etc.  Big decisions, tough decisions.  With som much potential for chaos lining up around the same time in my life, I have been proclaiming that God was fixing to do something huge, something absolutely awesome!  I was never prepared for what happened though...

I went to camp, a week that I look forward to all year long, and I had the most challenging group of campers ever, they were attacked with sickness and injuries all week long, and God didn't show up in services like he has in years past... that's not to say He didn't do what He needed to do there, but my expectations were not for fulfilled.  Then I get back home from a discouraging week at camp on Friday, go to sleep at 8pm (this never happens but I was tired), and am awakened at 5:15 am by a phone call from my dad that my grandmother passed away...  it was her 79th birthday too and I was going to call and wish her a Happy Birthday...  so I unpacked from camp, and repacked for home and the funeral and hit the road.  It was so hard being with family under these circumstances because I knew everybody else was torn up so I knew I had to be strong and grieve later.  Being away and supporting family kept me from following up on teaching jobs or looking for a new place to live...  These two weeks that I had been proclaiming all year long that God was going to do something awesome couldn't have been worse.

So I come back to TN and have to teach the kids Sunday, which was the last thing I wanted to do since I was finally able to begin my own grieving process, but I got a CD of the service and it couldn't describe my life more appropriately.  Pastor Danny was talking about Navigational Keys to surviving the storms of life.  He said that if God has spoken something to you that has not been fuflfilled that you still have purpose... for me that thing is teaching...  and that we can do everything humanly possible to make that thing happen (I have) so much so that the only thing that is going to make it happen is crying out to Jesus (I have and even continued praising God throughout all of this mess and proclaiming that He still sits on the throne and is in control).  He then said that before a breakthrough we will face the exact opposite of what we have been belieiving for and preparing for.  Yep, this is my life!  He then compared it to fourth down at the 5 yard line and how the ground near the end zone is that more precious that anywhere else on the field because you are about to score!  For the same reason, the opponent is going to fight you that much harder and the oppenent definitely has.  I am at the 5 on 4th down and ready for a breakthrough!

So now, a high school actually wants to hire me!  La Vergne High School wants me to teach Physical Science (4 sections of Honors and one regular) and the county office has everything but one form from the university and the only person who can grant it is on vacation until Friday, so I am in a holding pattern.  I am using the time to prepare for what I believe will be my breakthrough.  There may be some complication surrounding this form, so please keep me in your prayers because this form is all that is standing between me and what God spoke to me.  Also be praying for a smooth move as I decided to move in with some friends.

Take faith my friends if you too are facing your giants at the 5.

~Brooks