Thank you Pops for your Princess!

Thank you Pops for your Princess!
What an adventure it has been here in Columbia, SC! Katie and I moved to Columbia this past August as many of you heard in our previous posting. The opportunity to attend Columbia International University is what initially brought us here. But since then God has revealed his omnipotence again and again. Sure, He has blessed Katie and I with great places to work, run, and live, but so did He before we moved here. So, why did God brings us to Columbia? Well, Katie and I are quickly learning that it’s more than Seminary.
THE RELATIONSHIPS! One in particular is our church family. Shortly after coming to Columbia, an older couple from church took us under their wings as mentioned in the previous posting (Dow & Travine). I believe this relationship to be the initial/on-going hug for what God has for us here. We have also had the privilege to get to know two couples our age who attend our church and previously graduated from CIU (Robby & Lauren; Micah & Kim). And just recently, our dear friends Sven and Morgan have joined our church family as well.
Sven, originally from Norway, lived several years in Ethiopia before coming to the United States for college/graduate school. Morgan, a native of Charlotte, met Sven during their senior year of high school in Ethiopia and married him soon afterwards. Along with meeting our spouses in Ethiopia, we have so much more in common. We love what God is doing through our friendship; ha, we’ve already planned a ski trip to Snowshoe Mountain. But as much as I would love to talk about this particular friendship, it wouldn’t be fair to all the many more God has blessed us with.
Recently I’ve come to realize that God has been involved with what is currently happening way before we moved here; way before Katie and I even knew one anther. All along, God has been forming and molding us to the relationships we currently share; our God is great! But the greatest relationship that I have come to truly love is the one I share with Katie (God’s bride for me). “Truly speaking” (as my Nigerian friend John would say), God is teaching me daily how to love His bride as He loves His church. Again, God has been forming and Molding Katie and I even before we existed; however, humbly I confess that he is still molding me, but sometimes it takes a pretty big tool (use your imagination).
The greatest gift God has ever given me is Katie. One that I will never deserve, just as the salvation Christ has given me. And through Katie I receive the clearest reflection of Christ and His love for me. But only by accepting Christ’s love for me do I know how to love Katie; a love that I must learn by sitting at His feet and worshipping Him. And yes, I have been called to reach the un-reached, but there is no higher calling on my life than growing intimate with God and loving Katie as Christ loves His church. Everything else takes a distant third. So please pray that we will exemplify this in our marriage.
So, why come to Columbia to sit at His feet? I’m learning that God’s purpose for us coming here is far more than our expectations. But one thing I know for certain, His way has brought us here, where He is preparing us through the relationships that He has blessed us with and through our relationship that we have with Him. For God has made the way, He is leading us, and we’re loving it! We love our church (church), the jobs that we have (My job; Katie's Job), the trails that we run (Addis's Favorite), the place we live (Our Apartment Complex), the awesome school we attend (CIU), our family (They're everywhere), and.... Most of all, on our one year anniversary, I thank God for sharing His princess, Katie. I love her!