Hello my friends :)
What can I say? First off: Thank you! To you who are newly joining my campus missions support team - I'm so grateful to have you side-by-side with me on campus as we love a new group of college students :) What an honor!
Our baby due date was this past weekend but our doctor told us to be expecting labor to begin at any point this week. We are excited! Wow...these last 9 months have flown by so quickly. I sometimes feel that the 9 months of pregnancy are just as much for the parents to acclimate as they are for the growing & developing baby on the inside :)
We are excited to meet baby Anaya and we can't wait to share photos with you!
This year is going to be an interesting one! By the grace of God I want to be the best father I can be to my daughter & best husband I can be to Sloan. I also want to serve the campus and connect with as many students as I possibly can.
I turned 35 years old a few weeks ago and I can already feel that campus ministry at 35 years old has a qualitative difference when comparing it to campus ministry at 25 years old! This difference is hard to put into words. In a way, ministry is sweeter & more meaningful. I'm less concerned with making a name for myself & less concerned with impressing those around me.
I am, however, more concerned with staying tuned in and connected to God as he leads me (Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path, Psalm 119:105). I'm less concerned with managing & telling my team what to do and am more concerned with making sure they are balanced & also connected with God in their week to week ministry life.
Paul has a line in 1 Thessalonians 2:8 where he says:
"Just as a nursing mother cares for her children, so we cared for you. Because we loved you so much, we were delighted to share with you not only the gospel of God but our lives as well." (1 Thessalonians 2:7-8)
My prayer for my ministry & my leadership this year is that God would give me courage to lead in a way that allows me to share my life with students & my team as the Gospel is proclaimed. I want to be open with what I'm newly learning. I want to be insightful and give glory to God as he teaches me through the obstacles and roadblocks in my life! To me, that is what spiritual leadership is all about! Lord be with me!
I still don't have it all figured out. I am very aware of how little I know. But, I am very excited for this new season. If God has shown me anything since COVID it is that: nothing stays the same but Him!
In the midst of all the change and transition - I feel blessed to have you all consistently month to month supporting me as we walk this journey together.
Not as many photos this time around - but I'm sure that will change as my blog update may or may not be filled with pictures of baby Anaya :) Love you guys!
 |
| Our weekly Wednesday afternoon "Richland FOCUS Boys Club"! This was such an encouraging time for us to spend time together each week. |
 |
| I love our Richland students :) I'm excited for this year! |
 |
| I've enjoyed our weekly Summer FOCUS meetings! It has been encouraging to connect with the different students from the other campuses. I think we're going to have a great year this year! |
 |
| What a fun group this year! Claire (taking the selfie) will be transitioning off our Richland ministry team at the end of September. Be praying for her as she enters the market place and looks for work in her field (she has a Bachelor's degree in Supply Chain Management). |
