How Did I Get To TKU?

Here's my week 1 discussion board introduction about how I got to TKU!

What brought me to TKU? Nothing short of the mighty hand of God. As I just started walking with the Lord in February of 2023, I'll give you a *clears throat* somewhat quick recap of my last year. I was living in Phoenix working for a small nonprofit when I got sick. Inexplicably, every time I started getting better, I'd get worse again. Out of 2 months, I was able to work about 2 weeks. And even during those 2 weeks, I wasn't very productive. Being 25% of the workforce at my organization, my absence was a significant burden to everyone else. Without knowing when I'd be healthy enough to return to work, I decided it would be in the best interest of everyone else if I stepped away and allowed them to replace me. It was during this time of illness that I found God. Shortly thereafter, God told me I was called to be a Pastor. After a bit of wrestling, I finally accepted that my Creator might know what I was designed to be. 

About 5 months prior, my brother and his family had moved from the Atlanta metro to the DFW area. He was kind enough to offer his home for me to stay while I figured out my next steps. I started going to Gateway Frisco. Going through Growth Path, I prayed and asked to be baptized in the Holy Spirit. I literally felt it hit my head and cascade throughout my body down to my toes. It was that same GP session where they tell you to ask God what He's saying to you. I still have the booklet where I wrote the answer I received: "You were called to be here!"

As I was still looking for work after my move, a friend suggested I look to see if the church was hiring. As a 2-month-old baby Christian, I didn't see much that I felt qualified to do. I saw a security position and decided maybe I could do that. After all, I knew I needed to be at church and surround myself with a community that would keep me on the right path. I didn't get the full-time position I applied for. But insistent on working at the church, I told the operations director that I would peel potatoes if that was the only job he had for me. He asked if I was willing to work part-time. I reluctantly said yes, not knowing how part-time work would sustain me financially. At the time, I didn't understand that the Lord is my provider.

I saw a pre-service video that advertised the Gateway Ministry Experience (GME) program. I had a feeling it was exactly what I needed, because I had no idea how I was supposed to get from a lifetime of not going to church or reading the Bible to becoming the leader within the church that I was designated to be. I pulled up the website to apply to GME, and saw the deadline had already passed. As I was voicing my disappointment with my boss, he shared with me that he had gone through GME the previous semester. He also shared with me that he had applied late, and was accepted a week before his class started. That was enough for me to know that all I had to do was apply, and if it was God's will for me, He would work it out.

The day I was accepted to GME, my mom told me her friends wanted to pay for it. A man and wife each individually received a word from God that this is what they were supposed to do. They came into agreement instantly, and paid my tuition in full. As I was in GME, our class days at TKU every Thursday became my favorite day of the week. This absolutely blew my mind. Even though I've always loved learning, I've never enjoyed school.

Intrigued, I decided to look at what programs TKU offered. I couldn't shake the thought of pursuing Biblical Counseling. As I continued thinking about it, I would bring it up to my friends. Being the good and faithful guide that the Holy Spirit is, He kept giving me a nudge whenever I would talk about going for this Biblical Counseling program. I couldn't even say why, but I decided I was only about 90% sure that I was ready to apply to TKU. Then after attending the pizza party TKU held during Gateway Conference, I received a follow-up email. The headling was You were called to something more. Yeah, that was the icing on the cake. I shouldn't have needed any further confirmation, but God is so good, so kind, so loving, so patient, so merciful, and so graceful, that He gave me exactly what I needed to continue along the path that He had set forth for me since before I was even born.