As I look back on my relatively short life of 28 years, there are a fewdates that pop back into my mind. The first is October 25, 1994. That wasthe day that I accepted Christ as my Savior. Another is April 27, 2002, theday that I married my wife. Another important day is the day in 1996 that Isat on the back steps of the 2nd Platoon Baaraks of Bravo Company 1st andthe 50th at Fort Benning, Georgia, and gave my life back to the Lord after Ihad tried to take it back and destroyed it. I also think of a day in lateMay of 1998 when I packed up all my stuff in my Honda Civic and moved toMichigan. I think that today will be another day to remember. As I began what is now my last year of college, I suddenly stepped backand began to look at my life from an inventory perspective. Even though ithad been my dream to someday teach in a college or university, I did notknow if I wanted to jump back into school and earn a Master's Degree. Myfear was that I would just be doing it because I did not know what else todo, which I may add, was a legitimate fear. But slowly over time, I letthat fear take control of me. I stared fear in the eye and I blinked. Iallowed a spirit of fear to overtake me and dictate to me what I was to dowith my life. I have been anxiously nervous for the past few months,wondering what I was going to do in regards to the future. In my spirit, Iwrestled with my fear of failure and the want in me to "play it safe" seemedto be what I felt was God's will. But I knew better. After much prayer andthought, I had to repent to the Lord today of allowing a spirit of fear toovertake me and control me. I made a very crucial decision today. Sometime in the next few months, Kandice and I will be relocating toCanton, Ohio. Next fall, I plan on beginning my first year of seminaryeither at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School's extension site in Akron,Ohio, or Ashland Theological Seminary in Ashland, Ohio. I will be studyingfor a Masters of Divinity degree. For too long, I fudged and weaseledtrying to excuse my fear of failure and pass it off as something legitimate,but it was not. I was letting fear control me and not the Holy Spirit. Iam still very afraid. But I believe that the difference is that I am notallowing that fear to control me. The Apostle Paul reminds us in 2 Timothy1:7ff that "...God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, andof love, and of a sound mind. 8 Be not thou therefore ashamed of thetestimony of our Lord, nor of me his prisoner: but be thou partaker of theafflictions of the gospel according to the power of God; 9 Who hath savedus, and called us with an holy calling, not according to our works, butaccording to his own purpose and grace, which was given us in Christ Jesus before the world began..." Now that this decision is made, please continue to pray that the Lordwould open up doors in regards to the intricacies of the move and slam thedoors shut of the areas that he does not want us to go in. Please also praythat God would allow me to lead my family spiritually in the correct duringthis time of transition.In His Grip,Dave M.