10 years is a long time. I’m reckoning with that more and more as I think back to starting college 10 years ago right around this time. The more I’ve thought about it, and the more I’ve thought about where I am now, I thought it might be helpful to retrace my steps a bit.
I do a lot of thinking.
This time in 2003, I was leaving Tennessee to move to Florida to go to Word of Life Bible Institute for a year with my friend Steven.[ref]If only I had known that this move would be followed by a move every August or September until 2013, I might not have been so eager to uproot from Tennessee[/ref] Though it was a pretty significant and eventually life altering decision, I don’t actually remember at what point during the early part of 2003 I actually decided it would be a good idea. I had graduated high school back in May of 2002 and after saving up for the summer, bought a whole bunch of recording equipment, a new drum set, and proceeded to turn my attic into a recording studio.[ref]Just wait, I’ll post a picture later[/ref]
Though academically I could go to college anywhere in Tennessee for free, I wasn’t particularly ambitious to start, so I was taking a year off to think things through (some things haven’t changed). Eventually, the plan ended up being I would go to Word of Life for a year to get some biblical foundations, and then I would take advantage of free college and go to MTSU and major in recording engineering.
We all know how that turned out.
Well, actually, I guess we all might not. I know how that turned out, and you know where I’m at now, but you might not know all the twists and turns. I could use a refresher myself to keep the ole memory from getting rusty, so I’ve been thinking I’d start a Monday series of reflections on what it’s been like taking the road less traveled.
It all started with a road trip down I-75.[ref]Which I probably didn’t know would be the first of about 30 trips I’ve made up and down that 650+ mile stretch of road[/ref]
And now 10 years later I live here in Florida again. It was during my first stint in Florida that I felt God’s call to full time ministry. Now in my second stint, I’m actually living that out, but not quite in the way I expected, and I’m not even really sure “this is it.”
While I’m trying to figure that out, I’d like to re-live and re-think some memories from my journey and so I’m hoping you’re willing to indulge me for several weeks while I do it. Even if you’re not, that’s ok. I’m gonna do it anyways.