A new year, a new chapter.
We look ahead with big plans. What can we do better? How can we be more healthy? What changes can we make? What do we finally finish? What do we finally start?
A new year is a blank page, the beginning.
What will you allow God to do in you and through in the new year? What will be written this year about your life? About mine?
God's thoughts for us and His plans for us are beyond what we can imagine. Our willingness, our obedience, our trust is needed. May God be with us!
My holiday time in Ohio was short but sweet. I love my family so much and I love Christmas time. Thanks so much for those of you who helped me get home and for your continued love and prayers for me and my family.
My return to Ethiopia in early January was for many reasons. I still had classes going on at one of my schools. My work permit-residence visa was expiring and I had to get back before the expiration date. And January was overloaded with weddings and an intensive class and others starting... so I had to come back quickly.
As my plane circled to land in Addis, I thought am I ready for this return? And my stomach churned a bit and I thought... I'm not ready. I was excited to be with my students and the people I love here so much. But at the same time I thought ... there's too much to do. January is too busy. How will I make it? God be my strength...
Well my first week back I felt like I had a rough landing. In the first few days- it felt like all of the dust in Addis went into my body and for several days I felt sick- with a cold and just overall I didn't feel well. The sun was hot and it was very windy. The mornings and nights were cold. My body struggled to figure out what day it was, what time, and what year. (it's only 2011 here... ha ha). So, it was hard. And homework collected from my students in two days ... was jaw dropping and almost laughable at the size. I laughed at it all at times... then sometimes just stared at the piles ... overwhelmed. I don't have time to grade those.
I'm not sure what your "new year" has been like so far. Maybe you're in a new place. A new job. A new home. Maybe you're in a new relationship. Maybe you've already hit your new year plan and have had success- maybe in the gym or in spending with family, or getting in church.
Or maybe you've returned to a hard place. A place where a door hasn't opened for your exit. Maybe it's a desert place. Or a mountain. Or a valley. A weird place. A dark place. A place of struggle. And maybe you already have a headache.
Maybe like me, the "return" to work has already held challenges. Maybe illness or co-workers have already rattled your new perspective. Maybe you've already eaten a gallon of icecream because of stress, breaking a new diet plan.
Life has all those kinds of moments. Ups and downs. Ins and outs. Valleys and Mountaintops.
What God has been reminding me so far is ... it's a blessing to RETURN, to have a part at all in God's family and God's story. He continues to be with us. And thanks to Jesus- we can overcome. We can persevere. When we fall down, we can get up. When we go down wrong roads, He can still get us back to the right path. He can restore us. He can make all things new. He can use us in big ways. In our weakness, He proves strong.
Wherever you are, whether a new place, a good place. Or an old place, a hard place. If God has answered your prayers or not, it doesn't change the fact that God is good. He is for us, not against us. He's given us His best, His only Son, Jesus. To help us, to give us a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A merciful high priest. A good shepherd. We have God's Spirit and His Word to guide us, to back us. Our past doesn't define the future. Our setbacks can be setups for incredible comebacks... (Mike Bowie- former Ginghamsburg Pastor... I think these were his words). God has our back. Our forward, our lives. We can enjoy the journey. This world is not our home, we're only passing through. But we can honor God with how we live, what we do.
May this new year be one of HOPE. JOY. PEACE for you. IMPACT for God. GROWTH-MATURITY in Jesus. May our struggles make us stronger. May our pain help us to help others. May we TRUST God in bigger ways and do bigger things for Him.
Life is a gift. To return to a place, a position, a family, a team, a church, a job, ... are gifts and opportunities for God to still use us in these places for Him, to grow us in His plan and family. What a blessing!
Let's make this new year, 2019, our best year yet for God. Praying that for you and please pray that for me as well.
Onward for our Great God!
Blessings from Ethiopia
Happy New Year- 2019!
Prayer Requests
-Those piles of homework in the pics above- I still need to grade those and we will have final exams soon at Hope. Pray for a good end to the semester and that I can get everything done.
-This coming Monday- I will begin a two week intensive class at ETC- Intro to Youth Ministry. Pray for this Monday-Saturday class, that God will bless the students to have passion for the youth in this country and in their churches.
-Please pray for three classes I have starting at the end of this month at ETC- Cross Cultural Communication; Communicating the Gospel to Youth; and Church and Sport- that God will use me in these courses to help equip the church here.
-Please pray for my new work permit - residence visa that is processing now... that the process will be smooth.
-Please pray blessed weddings for some of my key students this month
-Please pray for good health and big impact for God. May He be honored by my life!
Thanks so Much! Again, please let me know how I can pray for you as well!
We look ahead with big plans. What can we do better? How can we be more healthy? What changes can we make? What do we finally finish? What do we finally start?
A new year is a blank page, the beginning.
What will you allow God to do in you and through in the new year? What will be written this year about your life? About mine?
God's thoughts for us and His plans for us are beyond what we can imagine. Our willingness, our obedience, our trust is needed. May God be with us!
My holiday time in Ohio was short but sweet. I love my family so much and I love Christmas time. Thanks so much for those of you who helped me get home and for your continued love and prayers for me and my family.
My return to Ethiopia in early January was for many reasons. I still had classes going on at one of my schools. My work permit-residence visa was expiring and I had to get back before the expiration date. And January was overloaded with weddings and an intensive class and others starting... so I had to come back quickly.
As my plane circled to land in Addis, I thought am I ready for this return? And my stomach churned a bit and I thought... I'm not ready. I was excited to be with my students and the people I love here so much. But at the same time I thought ... there's too much to do. January is too busy. How will I make it? God be my strength...
Well my first week back I felt like I had a rough landing. In the first few days- it felt like all of the dust in Addis went into my body and for several days I felt sick- with a cold and just overall I didn't feel well. The sun was hot and it was very windy. The mornings and nights were cold. My body struggled to figure out what day it was, what time, and what year. (it's only 2011 here... ha ha). So, it was hard. And homework collected from my students in two days ... was jaw dropping and almost laughable at the size. I laughed at it all at times... then sometimes just stared at the piles ... overwhelmed. I don't have time to grade those.
I'm not sure what your "new year" has been like so far. Maybe you're in a new place. A new job. A new home. Maybe you're in a new relationship. Maybe you've already hit your new year plan and have had success- maybe in the gym or in spending with family, or getting in church.
Or maybe you've returned to a hard place. A place where a door hasn't opened for your exit. Maybe it's a desert place. Or a mountain. Or a valley. A weird place. A dark place. A place of struggle. And maybe you already have a headache.
Maybe like me, the "return" to work has already held challenges. Maybe illness or co-workers have already rattled your new perspective. Maybe you've already eaten a gallon of icecream because of stress, breaking a new diet plan.
Life has all those kinds of moments. Ups and downs. Ins and outs. Valleys and Mountaintops.
What God has been reminding me so far is ... it's a blessing to RETURN, to have a part at all in God's family and God's story. He continues to be with us. And thanks to Jesus- we can overcome. We can persevere. When we fall down, we can get up. When we go down wrong roads, He can still get us back to the right path. He can restore us. He can make all things new. He can use us in big ways. In our weakness, He proves strong.
Wherever you are, whether a new place, a good place. Or an old place, a hard place. If God has answered your prayers or not, it doesn't change the fact that God is good. He is for us, not against us. He's given us His best, His only Son, Jesus. To help us, to give us a friend who sticks closer than a brother. A merciful high priest. A good shepherd. We have God's Spirit and His Word to guide us, to back us. Our past doesn't define the future. Our setbacks can be setups for incredible comebacks... (Mike Bowie- former Ginghamsburg Pastor... I think these were his words). God has our back. Our forward, our lives. We can enjoy the journey. This world is not our home, we're only passing through. But we can honor God with how we live, what we do.
May this new year be one of HOPE. JOY. PEACE for you. IMPACT for God. GROWTH-MATURITY in Jesus. May our struggles make us stronger. May our pain help us to help others. May we TRUST God in bigger ways and do bigger things for Him.
Life is a gift. To return to a place, a position, a family, a team, a church, a job, ... are gifts and opportunities for God to still use us in these places for Him, to grow us in His plan and family. What a blessing!
Let's make this new year, 2019, our best year yet for God. Praying that for you and please pray that for me as well.
Onward for our Great God!
Blessings from Ethiopia
Happy New Year- 2019!
Prayer Requests
-Those piles of homework in the pics above- I still need to grade those and we will have final exams soon at Hope. Pray for a good end to the semester and that I can get everything done.
-This coming Monday- I will begin a two week intensive class at ETC- Intro to Youth Ministry. Pray for this Monday-Saturday class, that God will bless the students to have passion for the youth in this country and in their churches.
-Please pray for three classes I have starting at the end of this month at ETC- Cross Cultural Communication; Communicating the Gospel to Youth; and Church and Sport- that God will use me in these courses to help equip the church here.
-Please pray for my new work permit - residence visa that is processing now... that the process will be smooth.
-Please pray blessed weddings for some of my key students this month
-Please pray for good health and big impact for God. May He be honored by my life!
Thanks so Much! Again, please let me know how I can pray for you as well!
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