Isaiah and Calli English: Life Blog

I had my first (and only, thus far) panic attack in April of 2022. Easter break had passed. My friend's brother had taken his life, and though in Glory as of his departure, it wasn't the way the Shepard intended his sheep to meet him. I had been under a lot of work stress at a Christian school, and when I'd ask off for the day my friend's brother was on life support to go and comfort her, I was refused bluntly. He died shortly after. At work that year, there were many written expectations that not all followed, but I did; there were also many unwritten expectations both made by authority and made by me; as a natural rule follower who yearns to do right, I obeyed all . As my friend was grieving and I strived to comfort, I had gotten and recovered from Covid many times over. I felt and was shown through tone that my workplace was irritated at my sickness though they still demanded I not come to work unwell (2020-2022 was a confusing time), and when I woke up sick again (o

The more time I spend at the Boardwalk Chapel, the more I realize that each individual's journey here is, in many ways, entirely different despite the common housing, training, and dinner devotions. It is true that for me, a non-staff-member/wife who seeks to serve with balance, it is quite different due to a lack of official title and plan, but the truth is it's actually different for everyone. Firstly, we all serve in different roles and on different teams. Evangelism, Domestics, Music, and Drama team are quite different from one another, and though all of the teams are trained in Evangelism (the true focus of the ministry), not all of them are equally expected to go out each night in the same way. Music and Drama teams have a heavy focus on the nightly programs which draw people in from the Wildwood Boardwalk, and so, the priority is that. Domestics focuses on getting a healthy and delicious dinner on the table as well as on helping keep the kitchen tidy, and though often th

Lately, I've been thinking about times of transition, both the chaos of these seasons and the signs of God's faithfulness in the midst of the crazy. There is this grand, sacred intermingling of these two in the most surprising ways. Often the faithfulness comes in the help given by friends and family, the books seemingly chosen for such a time as this, and the Lord bringing surprise guests at the most unexpected moments. It is sweet to live as God's sheep, and perhaps that sweetness becomes all the more unctous when one is in disarray and lacking in the stable. We serve a God who has always valued wonderers, journeyers, immigrants, desert-dwellers, tent-makers; it's little wonder His faithfulness is more apparent in these seasons--oasis's in the tumult of the storm. Speaking of storm... Last Wednesday, Elijah & Ashley (with Baby Logan in tow) English, Paul and Matt English, Gary Bailia from church, and my grandma (we call her Mam-Maw) came and helped Isaiah and