I am now officially a candidate

Well, I (Brad) got this email this morning, so it is official. I am a candidate for the Minister of the Word & Sacrament ordination in the CRC. For those of you who this is foreign to, it just means that I have jumped through another round of hoops and churches can officially offer me a job now, which is a good thing! Please keep Stephanie and I in your prayers as we try and figure out what to do next. You can go here to see more information about the candidates. http://www.crcna.org/pages/candidates_pending.cfm

Dear Candidates,

On behalf of the Candidacy Committee, I want to congratulate you on being approved by Synod 2008! Blessings to you in the next steps you take.

David Koll
Director of Candidacy

Well, things continue to move along here in the Vos house at a pretty fast pace. Brad is finishing up his Spring Quarter at the Hospital. One more quarter to go! He has been working really hard.
I am back in the swing of classes and internship. Two more months to go, and then I'll be completely finished! WOO-HOO!! I am really enjoying the classes I am taking this summer, though, so that helps.
You can keep us in your prayers in the near future. We have some pretty big decisions ahead of us. Brad is in the midst of the application process to plant a church in North Vancouver (WA). He has also applied for a position as the Pastor of Witness and Discipleship at a Christian Reforemd Church in Kalamazoo, MI. We are also keeping ourselves open to other possibilities that might arise. We are earnestly seeking wisdom and discernment as to where God is leading us. It is quite the adventure! We would covet your prayers in this process.
Take care everyone!

I've been tagged!!!

Amanda tagged me! Here goes... :)
Four jobs I've had:
-lifeguard
-swim instructor
-raft/rock climbing guide
-barista

Four movies I've watched more than once:
-Say Anything (good times, Amanda :) :) )
-Anne of Green Gables
-What About Bob
-Hotel Rwanda


Four places I've lived:
-Quincy, WA
-Portland, Or
-Canby, Or
-Wilsonville, OR

Four places I've been:
-the Al-Can highway (drivign from Alaska to OR)
-Harrison Hotsprings, BC (yeah, for honeymoons!)
-Mardrid/Barcelona Spain
-Kailua, HI

Four TV shows I watch:
-The Office (love that show!)
-American Idol (I agree...David Cook will take it! :) )
-My dvd's of Friends (old habits are hard to break :) )
-What Not to Wear (it gets me through my workouts :) )

Four people who email me regularly (doesn’t include blogging comments):
-Nikki
-Brad
-Shelley
-Staci

Four of my favorite foods:
-Pizza
-Holly Meredith's mint brownies
-seafood pasta
-shrimp and spinach salad

Four places I would like to visit:
-Israel
-France
-The Seychelles
-Norway

Four things I'm looking forward to in the coming year:
-BEING DONE WITH SCHOOL!!!!! :) :)
-no more homework!
-no more classes!
-reading a book for enjoyment

Three friends I'm tagging:
-Brenda Scott
-Raychel Swallow
-Koren Faust

Graduation

Here is collage of our graduation. It was a great weekend with family & friends

And there was much rejoicing!

Well, I just wrapped up my Bible Knowledge Test. I PASSED!!!!!!!

Candidacy Update

Well, Steph and I headed up to Whidbey Island last weekend. Her Aunt let us stay at her cabin for free! Got to love that price. It wasn't all fun and games though. I had a CRC Candidacy interview up in Abbotsford, B.C. on Friday. Thankfully, it went well. The committee is going to recommend me to become a candidate. This is a big step towards becoming an officially ordained pastor. My next big hurdle happens tomorrow. I have to take a 150 question Bible exam. They can ask any question about the bible. Unfortunately, it is not open book.

Easter & Save The Date

Can you believe it is Easter? This shot is from Sagrada Familia in Barcelona. I have been thinking a lot about things since I (Brad) am preaching at an interfaith service at the hospital on Wednesday. The main thing that is striking me about Christ's death on the cross right now is how liberating it is. While it is liberating because it offers me eternal life with God, it is also liberating here right now as well. I am free to embrace my entire being here on earth as well. I don't have to fear my brokenness or my hurts or my failures or my sin because I know that God loves me unconditionally via Christ's work. This gives me confidence to explore those growth areas of my life because I know that my relationship is on solid ground.On a lighter note, even though, we are only half way through March. My (Brad's eyes) are already set on April. It will be a busy month for us. I preach up in Zillah, WA on April 6. I will also move a couple of steps closer to being ordained in the CRC. I have an interview with a panel of pastors up in Abbotsford, B.C. on April 11 and have to take a Bible Knowledge test on April 16. If I pass both, candidacy & ordination here we come.But we have even BIGGER NEWS! We are set to graduate from Western Seminary on April 26, 2008! You all are invited to attend (we know that most of you can't make it, but it is fun to send out the evite)! If you are coming, you can click on this link to get more information!