And it’s still February!

For February to be the shortest month of the year, it seems to have an adverse effect by lasting a whole season! Maybe it’s the Olympics. (Are they done yet?)

You can’t go through February without being slammed in the face by Valentine’s Day, and as a merchandiser for a greeting card company, I get pummeled during all holiday seasons. In addition to replenishing product, I get to respond to customers who like to share their views with you…

What I Say	What I Want to Say
“No, sir, I don’t know why the cards are so expensive.”	“Why are you shopping the day of? The cheap-o cards have been gone for weeks.”
“I’m sorry, but these are the only two Valentine’s cards FROM THE DOG that we carry.”	“Let me jump on my printing press in the back room and churn out another one that better fits your situation.”

#whenyouprayforinteractions

Anyway, many papercuts and envelope restocks later, I survived.

In the midst of that hoopla, Clint went to a NW church planter training in Seattle. He came back with an exhaustive list of to-dos that seem overwhelming but in a good way.

Clint also had the privilege of marrying a wonderful couple at our church. The wedding brought great opportunity to tell others about the new church…and there was a nacho bar. A+++++

On Wednesdays we have started our separate men’s and women’s studies to get people ready for small groups down the road and as an opportunity to invite other people to our church in a more intimate yet informal setting. The guys are doing Manhood Restored and the ladies are doing The Broken Way by Ann Voskamp (love her!). I got so much good spiritual meat from her book the last time I read it, so I am really looking forward to going through her study as we embrace our brokenness that God wants to use to bring true abundance through giving and sacrifice. (The book is listed on my Recommendations page which has recently been updated.)

Our kids have been busy with homeschool co-op, speech, and exploring our new hometown. We’ve picked up geocaching again since this area is chock full of caches–and it’s free. A+++++++++++++++++

It’s snowing again. As Forrest Gump said, “That’s all I have to say about that.”

With that, please pray for us:

• One thing on that aforementioned to-do list is to create a brochure of our start-up/replant that we will then send out to potential prayer and financial partners. Please pray this brings a harvest of support that helps our little church grow and provides resources for ministry.
• For our new studies to be inviting, safe heart-shelters for the curious. Give our people boldness to invite.
• We are also working on our new members packet and outlining the process of membership. Honestly, just pray for completion. We just need to get it done.
• A house–our forever home (here on earth)! For anyone who knows us, we are simple people that treasure experiences over stuff, so a fixer upper is more than fine for us. Inventory is low AND expensive! Clint and I have moved 11 times in our 14 years of marriage. Carter alone has moved eight times in his nine years of life. Saying this has worn on us is a huge understatement. We want our home to be a refuge, a resting place for a family busy in ministry but also can easily switch to a haven of hospitality.
• Our kids. The enemy is on the prowl. Ask for their resilience and patience to see the big picture of the gospel in each of their own age-appropriate ways. One of our family mottoes is: Because we only fear our God, we are a dangerous family. We can go anywhere and talk to anyone because our God is with us! Let us internalize that truth, proclaim it, and live by it.

Finally, we have all heard about the passing of Billy Graham. From everything I’ve read over the years, he was a true warrior of the faith while emphasizing the importance of humble servanthood. So many are now wondering who will be the next Billy. In this crazy, fallen world, who will bring revival to broken hearts far from Jesus?

Listen (or read) carefully–If you are a believer, the God who lives in you enables you to do greater things than Billy Graham.

Jesus tells His disciples in John 14 that they will do greater things than even He did. He then goes on to tell them of the amazing gift to come, the Holy Spirit.

God lives in us. Ask for sensitivity of the Spirit in a world more and more bombarded by distraction. Let go of fear that is mostly concocted up, fabricated, and a favorite weapon of the enemy. Remember that we are more than conquerors simply because of who we belong to.

Until next time, onward!