The Latest from Commander Bill

It’s been quiet…. too quiet.

You may wonder what happened to Commander Bill. Here is a brief update.

First let me say that I am well. The last two months have been interesting. In April I drove across the country in the Summit Social Media SUV as I worked to promote the national event for high school students using the Awana Journey material. We left April 6th, returning home on Easter (April 21st). It was a great road trip but upon my return, I now had to begin getting back into the “normal routine” with the FT job, leading children’s ministry in my local church, my various other ministries, etc.

Then on April 25th, a few days after returning home, I got a phone call informing me that my brother’s widow had died. She never remarried and she was caring for her intellectually and developmentally disabled (IDD) daughter. Several years ago, my wife and I agreed to care for their daughter should they pass away. That time had now come.

We quickly packed up my home office (pictured on the right), the worldwide headquarters of Commander Bill and Small Church Kidmin, to convert the room into a bedroom for our 36 year old IDD niece. The bedroom is complete and she has moved in, and we are slowly working to re-establish the home office in the unfinished basement.

The transition is going well for all of us. We are still learning about the services she had and working to “transfer” them from one state to another. Most of that is taken care of, or “in the works”, but there are a few things still to take care of and understand.

One of the hardest things for me is to find the proper balance of things. Yes, I know that there never is true balance when it comes to schedules, but there are basic routines and rhythms. My wife is home with our niece all day and so I am more conscientious of spending time with her, and with my niece, and I do not spend the time I normally would on other things, like commanderbill.net. I am working on finding those routines again, but I request that you be patient as I settle back into this new routine.

My plans for commanderbill.net are unchanged. I plan to develop verse cards by the end of June (and confirming as soon as the Discovery of Grace handbooks are available) and then the quiz guide for Discovery of Grace by early fall. I am currently scheduled for (6) Awana Ministry Conferences in the fall. If you will be attending one of these conferences then you might meet my niece. All of this while working my FT job and serving in the local church – and building Small Church Kidmin. Yes it is an ambitious endeavor, but one I am used to embracing.

I would ask that you keep my wife and I in prayer as we continue to work through this transition, re-establish my home office, and settle in on this new routine.

Thank you for you friendship, understanding, patience, and support as I work through this transition to my “new normal”.