Thank You for Letting God Use You

Happy New Year!!!!

Welcome to 2012! New Year’s is always an interesting holiday for me. Growing up it was always a time to invite all our friends over to our house for a party. We would stay up late and cheer when it turned midnight. Then we would simply say good-night to people and they would all go home. People often make a big deal about looking back and looking forward. People dissect their last year and how they have grown or failed and then decide that they will be better next year. In reality though, life is no different. People still wake up and go to school or back to work, they still eat the same breakfast, and drink the same cup of coffee. They continue to read the newspaper and download apps to their phone. All of us still eat at the same restaurants and hang out with same people. So what is the big deal about New Year’s?

I think New Year’s is a big deal for different reasons for different people. For me it isn’t really a big deal. I am not one to have some big resolution or anything, but I am one to take a moment to look back. I am a guy who is constantly looking forward to know how to be better, but I am not good at taking a moment to thank God for all the things that He has done this past year to prove to me and my family that He is still on the throne and in control. So on New Year’s I like to take a deep breath and consider those things. I thought it would be fun for me to write them down this year so you too could be encouraged by the things our God has done. So I invite you to take me a moment to drink in God’s goodness.

January 2011

· I started the year healthy

· I began my last semester as a 33 year old college senior

· God took us safely to New Orleans for the first visit to Communitas (Safe but not void of a traffic ticket J) God is still Just!

February 2011

· God began really drawing our hearts to New Orleans

· We enjoyed a real deepness and encouragement from a group of Godly people who came to our house every Tuesday to pray and eat

· We celebrated the 2^nd birthday of our wonderful daughter Myah

March 2011

· We celebrated Mardi Gras at our house for the first time with lots of friends

· Our discipleship groups with the youth began to experience real community and authentic discussion of how to follow Jesus

· We were able to bring the whole family to visit NOLA and God answered many prayers we were praying:

o Our kids told us they wanted to live here

o God gave us a clear peace and calmness about moving to NOLA

o God gave us favor as we began telling our pastor and close friends about our new plans

o We received a new desire and passion to live among and love lost people

· I was pulled over again on this trip but saw God’s grace as we did not get a ticket

April 2011

· God gave me the opportunity to teach in the schools and was able to share with them my passion for Christ

· God allowed us to have peace in the ending of the discipleship groups we had started three years before

May 2011

· I GRADUATED!!!!

· God gave us peace and boldness as we, as a family, stood in front of our wonderful church family and through tears told them that we would be leaving in July

· I was able to watch many dear youth graduate and begin their transition to college and a new chapter in their lives

· We had a positive affirming visit from Chad, a member of the team we would be joining in the Fall

June 2011

· God began giving us our first supporters and prayer warriors for our new adventure of being missionaries

· God opened many doors to have very intentional conversations with many youth who were struggling through the idea that we would no longer be there to lead them on the journey of faith

July 2011

· God used 55 youth and adults from Campbellsville Baptist Church to minister and learn from Grace Centers of Hope as we together loved and served the homeless in Detroit, MI

· God allowed me to finish well as the youth pastor and allowed us to have some very precious final days in Campbellsville with all the people we love and miss so much

· We were able to move out of our lovely little home with lots of friends helping and making lunch

· God gave us an overwhelmingly awesome final day in C-ville as youth and friends and families spent time sitting on our empty living room floor encouraging us and praying for and with us as we began our new adventure

August 2011

· God gave us the most amazing time with my family in California as we stayed with them for almost 5 weeks

· God answered our begging and pleading for support as we started our first 2 weeks at 2% funded and that changed over night to 14%

· God allowed us to have some God ordered meetings with countless people who we have known in the past. And as they prepared meals for us and listened as we told them about our new adventure, God gave us favor as we saw our support go from 14% to 22% funded

September 2011

· We loaded our U-Haul truck and were able to fit everything in

· We had traveling mercies and were able to land in NOLA safely and easily

· We saw God work in allowing our kids to fit in and transition quickly and easily

· We were able to be a part of a beautiful wedding of two of our new community members - Beth and Taylor

· God quickly opened doors for us to build relationships with the neighbors on our street and neighborhood

· I had the blessing of finding a job right away doing construction

October 2011

· God continued to open doors with people who had decided to support us financially as we found ourselves at 40% funded

· We had the joy of visitors from Kentucky! Yep Jen’s parents and a nephew came to stay for a long weekend and to encourage us

· We continued to meet new people in our neighborhood like Steve at Midway Pizza and Warren and Laurie at Village Coffee and Tea

· We also saw individuals and Sunday School classes from Campbellsville Baptist Church sponsor us every month for the next year to go to Midway and Village Coffee and Tea so we could continue to build relationships and be around those who are lost

November 2011

· We continued to enjoy God’s blessings of His people supporting us as we found ourselves at 43% funded

· We had the opportunity to meet and have some really great spiritual conversations with a guy named Nick and met some new neighbors on our street

· We had the opportunity to dress up once again like pilgrims and share the Thanksgiving meal with close to forty neighbors, friends, and team members

December 2011

· Again we experienced unending joy as we saw new supporters join our team and we found ourselves 48% funded for the year

· We had the opportunity to spend Christmas with my mom and dad who came to visit for 9 days

· We also were blessed and encouraged by a group of friends who came to visit us for three days from Kentucky. Their presence reminded us how much we miss Campbellsville and also how much we are more than friends, we are family.

· We have been reminded of God’s grace and how important the fellowship of believers really is

So here we are… it’s 2012 and time to get back to the rhythms of life of going back to waking up and going to work, but in the midst of all that, I will do it with confidence that the Lord is still good and wants the best for us. If the New Year begins, I know one thing for sure…. If God is as good to us as He was last year, we have a lot to look forward to. We pray God blesses you as you continue to love and follow Him this next year.

Thank you to all who have given of your time and finances to make this past year a true testimony to how great God is. We love and miss all of you greatly. Continue to pray for us and plead with God that we may share Christ’s love with all who we encounter.