INTRODUCING A CAST OF CHARACTERS | pt.1 ABE & NANCY

There's something about knowing your place in the world that is so tangible, so real.

Everything has a beginning. This is the beginning of AbrahamBates.com - a site where I write in order to help you find your place. 

In order to beginning this blog, I thought I start by walking you through the cast of characters you will get to know as I write. These are the relationships and entities who fill my everyday life. These are the people and teams I have the privilege of spending most of my time with. Many of my stories will come out of these life experiences, so here's a brief guide to understanding whose who and what's what. 

ABRAHAM: Writer and originator of this blog. 

I write because I can't help it. I write because I have to; I'm compelled. It's not an option. In some ways it's like a disease, really. I went to seminary to study the Bible. I attended Regent College in Vancouver, BC and finished with a masters. Before, during, and after seminary I worked
a whole lot a' jobs. I worked for churches, church plants, non-profit organizations, an online real estate company in Phoenix (yeah, Dad!), so many restaurants, cafes and coffee shops (I stopped counting when I ran through both sets of my fingers, twice), and other places I never expected I'd end up...like caregiving at an HIV/AIDS home in Washington or working at a lumber mill in Montana or serving retired tourists visiting Mt. McKinley in Alaska or teaching a college course in New Testament here in Oregon.  

Nancy and I were talking about this recently, and it seems like - at least so far - I've always chosen the hardest possible way to get things done. I've taken the longest route, not the shortest; I've launched off the highest cliff, not the smallest; I've bitten the biggest piece of work schedule and conflict managing nightmarish ideas that I could have chosen. I don't know exactly why this is, but it's lead to a pretty crazy life. In all of this, God has moved. He continues to forgive me and give me a second chance. He gives me his grace to lead my family and the people he's called me to pastor. In all that he's brought me through, "God is the one whose made my crooked line straight (Ecclesiastes 1:15)." 

NANCY: Wife to Abraham and site photographer.

Nancy is my beautiful bride. She has been alongside me for over a decade. She is sweet and amazing. She is also tired of being pregnant. She is pregnant with our last baby and it has been almost ten straight years of pure pregnancy, which is insane. Nancy has these eyes that shine like blue stars. They are still drop dead gorgeous even after all these years. She has this incredible smile that lights up a room with her joy. She is God's gift to me.



Nancy recently started a photography blog. You can check out her work (here).

(to be continued) (part 1 of 3)

AB.

*written by Abraham Bates - photos by Nancy Bates - Copyright AbrahamBates.com