Welcome to the City of Pell City...

“Founded in 1890, Pell City today is a prosperous community of 9,600 that is booming with new business and residential growth. Birmingham is less than an hour away, while Atlanta, Chattanooga, Huntsville, and Montgomery are within a two hour drive. Pell City residents enjoy boating, fishing and other sports since Logan Martin Lake is literally in many backyards. Away from the lake, Pell City centers around more than 30 churches and a city school system with an excellent reputation statewide. Within 50 miles of Pell City are 11 colleges and universities and 7 vocational-technical schools.”

-Official Pell City website

A snap shot of what's happening in Pell City and St. Clair County (demographics, etc).

St. Clair county has been the fastest growing county or one of the fastest growing counties in the state of Alabama for the past 5 years or so. It was noted that there are 30,000 people who live within a 15 minute drive of church and 120,000 who live within 30 minutes of church. It is a growing community to say the least. Logan Martin Lake attracts a lot of people.

In recent days, Pell City has experienced a period of rapid residential and commercial growth (estimated population around 16,000, excluding the unincorporated residential areas just south of the city along the lakefront) spurred, partly, by the opening of the Honda Plant in nearby Lincoln, Alabama a new industrial park on its northeastern border and by a new retail area on the north side of I-20 anchored by a super Wal-Mart, Home Depot, Cracker Barrel (yeah!) and a movie theater, being constructed. Additional retail and entertainment development is expected in the near future.

After a period of growth in the 1980s Pell City voted to split its school system off from the county system, becoming independent. The system has over 4500 students spread across Pell City High School Duran Junior High School, Duran South, Iola Roberts Elementary, Walter M. Kennedy Elementary, Coosa Valley Elementary, and Eden Elementary. In addition, a new 5-6 grade school is under construction, eventually bringing the number of campuses in the Pell City School System to eight.

more soon.... maybe

My Plans Foiled...The Business of Heaven...Unstoppable

...Why spend money on what is not bread
and your labor on what does not satisfy?
Listen, listen to me, and eat what is good,
and your soul will delight in the richest of fare....

I have just experienced the most amazing summer of my life. Wow. Life cannot be more satisfying than seeing God at work in the lives of His people and somehow being privileged to be a part of His work. Was it necessary for me to be there? Absolutely not. Was I called there? Without a doubt, yes.

The thing that has wounded me this summer is the disappointment of fellow family and friends of whom I have let down in following God to Clinton, Mississippi. Sure all of them may not have verbalized it, yet you can hear it in their voice... feel it in their decorum. For you see I had planned to graduate just like all the other good graduates in the spring of the year. However, my plan was foiled about a week before commencement. Reluctantly, and at great cost I attempted to take the class during the summer semester while working camp at Mississippi College. I would have a week off during the summer at which time I would hopefully be able to schedule taking boards for the state of Alabama and be back on track...

And the end of this story is that I still did not meet testing requirements to graduate. Disappointing, I know. More I believe for those who in the last five to six years have poured into me immensely than for myself. I have seen grimmer days. It has the appearance of a sad story none the less.

I have to consider the fact that while I could have studied harder before and during camp, or I could have chosen to not have worked camp to devote all my resources to passing this test during the summer, I choose to follow God. I am not wise on many counts; nevertheless, I know that following God even when it doesn't make since is always the best choice.

It hurts.... without a doubt. It had not crossed my mind that I would not have passed the test during my summer semester. Yet I know that must trust in Him. Sure my nursing "career"...(not a passionate pursuit of mine) , may have to wait a few more months, yet the treasures that I have found during this set apart time of service to my Lord is far greater to me than the cost of a few months of uncertainty, shame, and scolding for not measuring up to this society's idea of success.

And who knows.... perhaps the Lord has prevented me from passing my test for a time to teach me something or to begin something that I would not have done otherwise. Only the days ahead can tell. =)