Friday began at Starbucks in Vestavia where else? Then we met the Principal at Vestavia HS who is a believer and attends Shades Mt. Baptist Church. Aside from being an Auburn Grad, he was great. We had a sweet young lady from the Ukraine show us around the school. We were very impressed.
Then we scarfed down some food at Taco Bell and went over to the Oak Mountain area. Cass has done lots of research so there are reasons why we looked at these two systems. It doesn’t mean the others are bad. It was just for our needs, we felt these are the areas and school systems we need to look at.
Following our time looking at schools we looked at houses–UGGH! Anyway we looked until 6 PM and will be going again in the morning. We hung out with our friends the Swearingens and looked at more homes via Realtor.com up until now.
We are mentally exhausted. We hope to go over to Samford sometime today since it is Homecoming. We shall see. Thanks for your prayers.
Our trip started earlier than planned. Hope got sick on Wednesday and we were afraid she wouldn’t be able to go to school on Thursday so I drove her to Columbia early on Wednesday night to stay with my parents. Then I drove straight back to Charlotte.
We got up @ 6 AM on Thursday and drove Jacob to school and stopped in Gaffney, SC for a Venti Pikes Blend at Starbucks. Yes, I got mooned by the peach again. We stopped for lunch at Arby’s in Douglasville, GA before making it to our appointment at Pizitz Middle School in Vestavia Hills. It is such a small world because one of the women in the office was a friend of mine from High School in Tuscaloosa. After Pizitz, we checked out Central Elementary. Then we drove around Vestavia while my mom and Cassandra argued with me that we needed to see a Realtor. They won.
We stopped to see a realtor and she showed us a some homes in Vestavia and near Oak Moutntain. We are going to the Oak Mountain Schools today as well as Vestavia HS.
We are staying with one of Cassandra’s life long friends Joan Bell Swearingen and her husband Burke who was the former Police Chief in Homewood.
Birmingham is a beautiful area. It is where I met Cassandra and we both went to college at Samford and UAB. I graduated from Samford and we both got degrees from UAB. I felt at home when I saw the mountains. It does feel like home.
Of course lots has to happen for us to even purchase a home. I’m still about $2K short of my goal for raising support and we have to sell our house. If you would like to help let me know. I’ll never have to raise support again since the companies I eventually serve will pay my salaray. Lots of prayer needs to go forward.
Yesterday I packed up my books and stuff at the church office. I spent the day preparing for my last lesson this Sunday. I have enjoyed my time here and hate that the finances couldn’t keep us here. I have such mixed emotions. Don has been a great friend and I know he feels the weight of the world trying to work through some rough waters. The church is going to be fine and is still growing but the finances aren’t keeping pace. But I hear that is going on everywhere right now.
As you read this I will be working my last day as a Barista in Uptown Charlotte. It has been interesting. I had a chance to share the gospel for two hours on Monday because the banks were closed and we had maybe 3 guests the entire time. He didn’t pray to receive Christ but I encouraged him to visit Elevation Church because he lives near one of their campuses. I enjoyed working there. I met lots of interesting people and I love being in the workplace. I think that is where ministry can take place. That is why I’m so excited about being a Chaplain in the workplace. The opportunities for ministry are many.
I’ve learned a lot this last year. Life doesn’t always work out the way “I” plan things. I’ve learned a lot about God and how He provides for us. I’ve learned what I do well and what I don’t do well. I’ve gotten back to the point: “Here am I, send me.” I’ve become much better on and have a renewed love for the guitar. Maybe I can volunteer at a church in Birmingham. I’ve made videos and graphics and all kinds of new trades. I’ve made so many new friends too.
I’m about $2000 short of my goal and pray that God will provide that this week. I would pay it myself but I’m only allowed to provide a certain amount of our own funds. I know God will provide. Cass and I are going to Birmingham next week to look around to prepare for a move in late December. I will be going for training in early November provided I have all of the funds raised. So please pray that happens.
Cass has been working hard getting the house ready to sell. Our AC unit bit the dust and even though it was under “warranty” we still had to pay almost $900 for labor. Jacob and Hope are doing well right now but we are concerned about the 6 weeks I’m away for training. My parents will try to help out some but it isn’t the same when dad is gone.
Well, this has been an interesting year to say the least. God has taught me so much about His will and provision. Last year “I” decided that we weren’t going to move. That decision has been met with many challenges. I rationalized it by saying I didn’t want to uproot my children, we were tired of moving, etc…. God even opened up a door for ministry right here in Charlotte. I’m grateful for being able to serve at North Point Charlotte. We have seen many people give their lives to Christ and I am grateful for Pastor Don and his friendship.
But it became apparent that the church was not going to be able to bring me on full-time, as was planned by the first of 2009. In fact, I don’t know how much longer they could financially support me at all. The church is growing, just not enough to support another full-time staff member. We believed in what God was doing so much that I took out some of my retirement money and have been working a 2nd job in order to minister here. But the strain has become too much for all involved.
My favorite ministry job was while I was planting a church in Atlanta. It was a part-time ministry as a Corporate Chaplain. I would drive all over Atlanta and minister in the workplace to employees of the companies that had signed on with the chaplain company I ministered for. I looked into going full-time with them, but unfortunately they don’t hire full-time chaplains, only part time.
Recently, I was approached by another ministry called Corporate Chaplains of Americaabout becoming an Area Director. They were looking for unique individuals that met their three requirements: 1) Business degree 2) Masters in Divinity 3) Church Planting Experience. I meet all three of those requirements. They talked to me about moving West to start CCA in a frontier area. I won’t say where because I don’t want to offend anyone for not going to your city, but it was West of the South.
I met with one of the VP’s and we hit it off immediately. He is a former church planter and this Area Director position was his idea. He desires for guys to go into an area and start this ministry like they would with a church plant. He then talked with Cassandra and told her where they were talking about moving us if we felt called to this position. I could see the tears in her eyes as he talked about the position, not because she didn’t like the Corporate Chaplaincy, but because of moving, yet again.
They asked me to write out a potential launch plan in an area that I was passionate about and I was told Charlotte was not an option. I couldn’t narrow it down to one, so I chose Atlanta and Birmingham. We loved living in Atlanta and I know lots of people there. Birmingham is probably my favorite city. Cassandra and I went to college at Samford University and the University of Alabama @ Birmingham. I also grew up in nearby Tuscaloosa (Roll Tide #2 in the AP Poll). I then drove up to Wake Forest, NC for a set of interviews with the founder/president and all of the leadership of CCA. Wow, was I impressed. Just this last year with 100 full-time chaplains they have led 1600 people to Christ.
Cassandra and I prayed all week and when the VP called back a few days later and I told him that we had concerns about moving across the world and were still struggling with the decison. He provided us with one more state as an option, but this still concerned us. However, during the weekend God was working on Cassandra and by Sunday she said we needed to go to “X” city for certain reasons. We then told our son Jacob about the possibility and he took it as well as could be expected.
The next day I talked with our pastor about life and it became apparent after our conversation that it would be best for us and the financial strain on the church for me to move on. God was confirming our decision. I was not going to be Jonah anymore. I had told God we weren’t moving to Ft. Worth in 1991 and God had a way of kicking my tail and we ended up in Ft. Worth in 1992.
I called the VP later that day and told him we had prayed, made a decision and if they still wanted us, we were willing to move to “X” city and begin the ministry there. He said what if an opportunity opened up in Atlanta or Birmingham? I thought, don’t toy with me. Anyway, he called me back 2 days later and said they wanted to have us move to Birmingham as an Area Director. A few months ago (some may remember) I wrote a post where I wrote out a check to God for “Whatever.” When we are willing to do whatever God desires, He gives us the desires of our hearts.
So what will I be doing? Look at the video below
Here’s what I’m up to right now. The position will require me to raise $10K before November, CCA will raise $25K from some of their companies they presently serve. Thankfully I am up to $6K as of this posting. I need to raise $4K more in the next few weeks but will not have to ask for money again because the companies I serve will pay my salary. My ministry will involve being a chaplain to 500 employees and seeking new businesses for our ministry, to serve in Alabama. We are excited about the ministry but sad to be leaving Charlotte. Is it OK to be excited and sad at the same time?
We told our children this weekend and it was hard, but they are accepting it. Jacob and I were playing PS2 NCAA 08 football and he created his own player “Jacob Bussey”. He typed in the hometown of “Birmingham” and looked over at me and smiled. It hit me in the gut pretty good. Hope is one that internalizes everything, so we shall see how she does. I will be leaving for training in Wake Forest by Nov. 1 for 6 weeks, and that will be hard. Plus, we have to sell a home in a strange market.
I appreciate your prayers and if you know of any businesses in Alabama that might be interested in CCA, let me know. If you would like to help support me and reach the $4K I have left to raise, email me at bamabusman@yahoo.com and I’ll give you the details.
I want to say first that I am a blessed man and very grateful for God and what he has done for me. This is not a post about woe is me, so please don’t try to console me because I’m fine–or I will be. But I have always been real and transparent so why stop now.
I’m tired. I’m very tired. My mind and my body are exhausted. Spiritually I’m reading and studying my Bible but it seems like God has not made it clear what He is doing. Maybe I’m not ready to know yet. The country is hurting financially and we are in that group. I like working at a large Coffee chain because I get to be around people I would never meet. Unfortunately it doesn’t pay enough to pay the bills. Now some money is better than none so I’m grateful for what I have.
I have a new appreciation for single parents and others who work multiple jobs just to put food on the table. I haven’t worked this hard in years. It is tiring to come home from one job and have to do work for the other and help my children with their homework. Then to try to connect with my best friend Cassandra. I wonder if I’m effective at anything I do. I guess time will tell. I’ve had several opportunities to talk about God at the coffee shop so there are great things happening. I know God has a reason for all of this. I don’t have to understand now. God doesn’t owe me anything but death so I won’t complain. I’m just tired and weary. I remember Henry Blackaby saying that during the dry times God is preparing a person for something greater. I’m ready.
I’ll leave you with the words of Jesus in Matthew 11:28-30
“Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn from me, for I am gentle and humble in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy and my burden is light.”
