To those of you who keep up with us via this blog - my apologies. The past couple of months have been so slam-packed with stuff, that to be quite honest, I didn't even really think about blogging.
A couple of months ago, I (Gary) finally got myself on Facebook. It's a remarkable world. I've connected with people from High School, college and adult life, who I never thought I would find. It's kind of easy to get sucked in to the Facebook vortex, so I have to pace myself and dedicate only small bits of time here and there to perusing, finding old friends and new, and catching up with what's happening in their worlds.
Just to let you know what's been happening lately:
- Our support level is still on the increase
- Our car died, so we had to replace it
- Molly turned 21!
- We made a trip to Columbus, GA to visit one of our supporting churches, Calvary Chapel Columbus. Had a great time visiting with Pastor Mark and his family, leading worship, reconnecting with old friends and gaining some new friends.
We're gearing up for Christmas, planning for Thanksgiving with our family and friends, working on our church's website and raising support.
Keep us in your prayers and let us know how we may be praying for you!
Nov 20, 2008
Oct 31, 2008
Success in the face of adversity
One of my mantras over the years to encourage people has been, "Don't focus on your circumstances; focus on the Lord." I must admit that it has always been far easier to say than to do. We want to feel in control, don't we?
We have been at this support raising thing for some time now. For those of you just joining us, we have been somewhat in maintenance mode for a couple of years, taking trips to Ireland to get our ministry started.
So right about the time we decide it's time to focus our efforts on raising the remainder of our monthly financial support to enable us to move to Ireland and continue our work full-time, the economy sinks to an all-time low. "Consumer confidence" is suffering, previously elastic products and services (those that are in demand, no matter the price, such as cable TV, etc.) are suddenly being considered luxuries, charitable giving is down by up to 25%. Everyone is holding their breath to see what the results of and reaction to the upcoming election will be.
Here's the kicker. We've seen a greater increase in our support level in the past three months than we have seen since we started the process. This tells us a couple of things...
1 - There are still people who place their confidence in the Lord over confidence in their circumstances.
2 - God must be in it. This must be His timing.
I believe in miracles and I believe we are witnessing one right before our eyes!
We have been at this support raising thing for some time now. For those of you just joining us, we have been somewhat in maintenance mode for a couple of years, taking trips to Ireland to get our ministry started.
So right about the time we decide it's time to focus our efforts on raising the remainder of our monthly financial support to enable us to move to Ireland and continue our work full-time, the economy sinks to an all-time low. "Consumer confidence" is suffering, previously elastic products and services (those that are in demand, no matter the price, such as cable TV, etc.) are suddenly being considered luxuries, charitable giving is down by up to 25%. Everyone is holding their breath to see what the results of and reaction to the upcoming election will be.
Here's the kicker. We've seen a greater increase in our support level in the past three months than we have seen since we started the process. This tells us a couple of things...
1 - There are still people who place their confidence in the Lord over confidence in their circumstances.
2 - God must be in it. This must be His timing.
I believe in miracles and I believe we are witnessing one right before our eyes!
Oct 30, 2008
The truth hurts...
I have to thank our good friend and colleague, Phil Kingsley for this quote from comedian / satirist, Mort Sahl, which seems sooo apropos right now:
"There were four million people in the American Colonies and we had Jefferson and Franklin.
Now we have over 200 million and the two top guys are Clinton and Dole. What can you draw from this?
Darwin was wrong!"
"There were four million people in the American Colonies and we had Jefferson and Franklin.
Now we have over 200 million and the two top guys are Clinton and Dole. What can you draw from this?
Darwin was wrong!"
Oct 18, 2008
This should be interesting...
You know how it is returning to a former school or place of work and the mix of emotions it stirs? You tend to become nostalgic, yet it often seems like you are seeing this once familiar place through someone else's eyes.
I resigned from Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze 4 years ago. It doesn't seem it's been that long and at the same time it seems an eternity. So much has happened in the ensuing years and now we find ourselves preparing to move overseas for the next chapter in our lives.
This weekend marks 25 years of ministry for Calvary Chapel. We were there 15 of those years. Beth and I were invited by Pastor John to join in a homecoming celebration Sunday morning and share a song with the congregation. We are having a hard time deciding which of two songs we should do. May have to flip a coin.
I'm really looking forward to it, although I know it will also be rather strange. Pastor John is a gifted teacher and it will be good to hear him again. It will be great to see old friends and to lead them in a worship song. At the same time there will be a large percentage of the congregation who will have no idea who we are.
Should be a really good experience overall, but it is going to be quite interesting...
I resigned from Calvary Chapel Gulf Breeze 4 years ago. It doesn't seem it's been that long and at the same time it seems an eternity. So much has happened in the ensuing years and now we find ourselves preparing to move overseas for the next chapter in our lives.
This weekend marks 25 years of ministry for Calvary Chapel. We were there 15 of those years. Beth and I were invited by Pastor John to join in a homecoming celebration Sunday morning and share a song with the congregation. We are having a hard time deciding which of two songs we should do. May have to flip a coin.
I'm really looking forward to it, although I know it will also be rather strange. Pastor John is a gifted teacher and it will be good to hear him again. It will be great to see old friends and to lead them in a worship song. At the same time there will be a large percentage of the congregation who will have no idea who we are.
Should be a really good experience overall, but it is going to be quite interesting...
Oct 9, 2008
Sticker Shock
Imagine our surprise when, as we were driving to band rehearsal this evening, we noticed that gas was at $3.17. Woo Hoo!
Then on the drive home, we were shocked to see that it had gone to $3.11! Crazy!
However, I remember 3 1/2 years ago seeing the price jump to $3.20. We were totally in shock and thought it was the end of the world as we knew it.
Last time we were in Ireland we were paying around €1.40 per liter. Doesn't seem too bad until you start to do the math and realize that's almost $8 per gallon!
Interesting what a little perspective can do for your outlook.
Then on the drive home, we were shocked to see that it had gone to $3.11! Crazy!
However, I remember 3 1/2 years ago seeing the price jump to $3.20. We were totally in shock and thought it was the end of the world as we knew it.
Last time we were in Ireland we were paying around €1.40 per liter. Doesn't seem too bad until you start to do the math and realize that's almost $8 per gallon!
Interesting what a little perspective can do for your outlook.
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