Life on Parks' street

Long time no see!

Life has been rockin for Pearl and I. We have been living and working in Lancaster Pa since the August after graduation. We are both on staff at a local church, which by the way is doing some freakin sweet stuff. Our roles have changed over the past 2.5 years, but now we are both on the young adult team. Pearl oversees the young adult small groups and guest services, she’s blown me away at how good she is at this, I’ve been rather jealous of her at times. I’m currently the program coordinator for the young adults. I help drive the creative and production needs of our young adult environments. I never dreamed I would be doing this but it’s seems to be working for the time. I also have been able to teach from time to time in our young adult gathering called Saturate.
Pearl and I recently signed our next 40 years away with the purchase of a home. We moved into downtown Lancaster. We have a row home form 1905; we love the house, our neighbors and town. We really wanted to live around a mixed community; a community that is diverse both ethnically but also spiritually. Besides a broken car window, the city life is amazing.
Our family has grown over the last few months. No, not children but dogs, yes-plural “dogS”. About 7 months ago a 7 year old Newfoundland kind of fell into our laps, he is a huge ball of fur and laziness, but we love him like crazy. His name is Captain Lewis, after Lewis and Clark cause they had a Newfoundland, but his name was Seaman and we didn’t think that would be the best name to be yelling as we walked down the street. And finally Zuri, which is Swahili for Beautiful, came to our home about a month ago. She is a Black and Ton Coonhound Lab mix, she’s so adorable and we love her to death, even if she’s a huge handful.
So that’s life in a nutshell,
I’m loving work, life, God, my wife, and most of the stuff in between.
Blessings
Matt

Joel

Hey guys, I'm so glad you got a chance to check out the blog. I hope you'll choose to be a part of what we're doing. Let me tell you a little bit about me and what's going on in my life right now. Gwen and I got married a little over a year ago on November 18th. Marriage is awesome! Gwen and I have had a wonderful first year together. We live in Raleigh, NC. Gwen is a pediatric nurse at a local hospital and I am the director of high school ministries at my church, Providence Baptist Church. I really enjoyed this year's college football season, especially because Georgia is #4. I am enjoying going on hot dates with my beautiful wife and watching Seinfeld and Friends with her, playing golf, reading, and my job. I am also working on my masters degree as well at Southeastern Seminary in Wake Forest, NC. I almost forgot, Gwen and I are also in the process of buying a house. What can I say? Life is good. I have learned so much over the past two and a half years and I am excited about listening, sharing, laughing, and learning with you.

welcome to milemarker6

Mile marker 6

What a name! I’m expecting some of you to be scratching your heads looking at the name of this site thinking “are they smoking something? What’s up with that name?” And others of you to be simply dismissing it as yet another lame attempt to be “cool and trendy.”

Well, I think if we’re honest, yes it is an attempt to be cool and trendy, but hopefully by the time you’re done reading this blog you’ll also see that there’s a reason behind the name too.

I am a firm believer in the “journey” mentality of life, the view of life as a journey or process. We are beings on the move and are continually growing, changing, and being shaped. Who we were 15 years ago is not who we are today, and who we are today will not be who we are 3 weeks from now. If the journey begins at mile marker 1, birth. Then today we have all made it to around mile marker 6, passing through birth, elementary, middle, and high school, then most recently college.
I believe deeply that along this journey beautiful things can take place, that seeds of redemption and restoration can be planted and bloom to transform a life from it’s broken pieces back into what it was originally designed to be. I don’t believe that life change, (or sanctification for our big-worded friends) happens overnight, but rather that it happens along the journey, a journey that each of us is on.

Everyone’s journey is different. We each have different traveling companions and friends, and our hills to climb, views to enjoy, and valleys to cross are all different. Each of our journeys are our own. We are the ones to take the steps: I cannot take yours, nor you mine. Each of our journeys will take us on different paths. Some of us will stay in vocational ministry for decades; some for only a few more weeks. Some of us will become senior pastors, while others school teachers. Each of our journeys are incredibly different, each going through different experiences, and each going to different places.

But today, while we are still at mile marker 6, our journeys are similar, and our paths still resemble each other’s. We are all at a similar time in life and love, a similar time in work, a similar time in experience.

Along this journey, I believe community makes our lives better, that we where not meant to live alone. By rubbing shoulders with each other you have added something to my life: a lesson learned, a tear cried, and a laugh shared. Just as you make my life better, there are hundreds of people around each of us who need us to be at our best, because there’s something in us that they need.

So this is why mile marker 6 is here. We are all here at a similar point in life. Each of our roads getting here and leaving here are very different, but while we are here I need you and your wisdom and your life to rub off on me. I need you to bring the best out of me, for my sake, for my family’s sake, and for the sake of those in my community.

So let this experiment begin. Is this the best way for the sharing and “rubbing off” of life to take place? Can we, from all over the country, do life together? Can we commit to be a part of conversations, sharing lessons, stories, experiences, and more? Can we create a safe, honest, and meaningful place to process life? I know I can learn from you, and hopefully there’s something I can offer to benefit you.

I am up for trying. I would love for you to avoid the mistakes I have already made, to help shape my thinking, and to remind my heart of this high calling that has been placed on each of our lives.

Can we do life together while at milemarker 6?

Matt