Well, it has been quite a long time since I have blogged so my apologies for such a long hiatus.  The main reason for my sabbatical was since I left the Technology Council in December of 2007 and started my new venture as a consultant for EduLink. When I worked for the Pittsburgh Technology Council my day-to-day job allowed me to stay on top of what was happening in the career development world and I knew the needs of industry.  It made sense for me to blog about what I experienced every day.  Now with my new focus, business development and project management, I am completely out of the loop on most career development issues for students.  Therefore the focus of this blog is about to change.
I have been trying to rationalize in my head where I was headed professionally.  Actually, I have been praying for direction and guidance.  Since I have been trying to figure out where the next chapter of my life is going to lead me I really didn’t feel I was in the position to continue blogging about the same topics.  My life no longer revolves around college students, the technology industry, the Pittsburgh economic development world, or public policy as it did for the past five years.
Here is where I am at:
Personally

• My wife and I already have one son, Noah, and now another one on the way.  Very exciting!
• We are remodeling the first floor of our home, kitchen, dining room, and living room.  I can’t wait until the work is done but if you have ever tackled a job like this you know how much work it takes even if you aren’t the one doing the actual work.
• My brother is getting married, Hallelujah!

Professionally

I have been working now for almost eight months at a small technology company in the Pittsburgh region, EduLink, helping with new business development, project management, and sales.  It has been a major change from the Tech Council, totally different pace and culture.  I like it.  Although with all things there are pros and cons to both.

Ministry

Also since January, my wife and I have moved into the role as senior high youth pastor from junior high youth pastors.  It has been exciting!  Many of the teenagers in our ministry came through our junior high group so it has been great to continue to work with them during their high school years.  2008 marked our seventh year in youth ministry.
At the end of August we have our fourth annual Amazing Race event.  It is an event we use as an outreach to bring non-youth group kids into the ministry.  Basically teams of four travel around the Pittsburgh area completing tasks we create.  We usually have about 50 kids and 50 adults who participate.  This year the Last Epic will be playing a concert the night before which is really the outreach portion of the event.  The actual race day on Saturday isn’t as evangelical in nature.

Our youth group meets on Thursday nights at the Well in Coraopolis.  I can’t tell you how nice it is the have a separate location for youth group instead of meeting in the church.  It brings a totally different atmosphere to the group.  We play ping ping, video games, pool, and even dodge ball right in our storefront.

During the actual youth group services God has blessed us with a great worship team made up primarily of the actual youth who attend youth group.  Our long time co-labor Moses is the leader of the pack.  He really try’s to help the youth in more a mentoring role which is great!  They need it!

For most of the summer we have been working our way through the book of Revelation.  The students have really taken an interest into this amazing book! One girl even had a dream about the four living creatures from chapter four.  LOL!
In addition to youth group I have felt the call of God to continue on and get masters degree so that I can be better prepared to teach in different venues.  My real passion isn’t necessarily preaching but teaching.  We can argue the difference at another time.

However, I love being in a classroom teaching the Word of God.  Give me a whiteboard and an erasable marker and I will be set!  Therefore, I have been researching graduate schools and graduate degrees in Biblical theology.  As of today I am very close to sending my enrollment packet into Global University.  GU is a distance-learning program that has evolved over the years to provide higher education to pastors and missionaries all over the world.  For my situation in life it is a perfect fit.  Check them out here.

As you can see I have a lot going on right now and non of it revolved around career development and the like.  Therefore you will begin to see some posts related to what is relevant in my life during this new chapter!