After the Ski Trip

Our Mega Ski Trip, as I once called it, is now a thing of the past. We had great skiing (or should I say THEY had great skiing), weather was great, no crowd. One injury, Brittany, and we think she will be OK...had a hard fall snowboarding. We looked at 2 questions...who am I? and who is God? Hopefully, those attending learned something about themselves and their God. I was reminded how tired people get after skiing, and that is probably NOT the best time to try to teach much of anything. Today I have been cleaning out my desk, preparing for the move across the street to our new building....I came across a lot of memories, pictures, notes written, all kind of junk in my desk, about 20 keys to different things that only the Lord knows what they go to....this time of year is always a time of reflection for me, where I really think back to things that have happened this year...I've been working on some things for our New Years Eve service that I hope will be meaningful for those who attend. I never know who is going to come to that, and it is always something that I really enjoy, serving the Lord's supper to the people that God has called me to minister to....they minister more to me than I think I do to them. Thanks for reading this, I pray you all are having a great Christmas season. Pray for our friends in the DR today, our friends in Waterbury, CT, and our friends and enemies here in Lexington. May God use YOUR life to reach someone for Him even today.
Keep Believing!
John

What's been going on

It's been a week now since I returned from the DR, and wow what a week this has been. As all of you know now, things are changing with our student ministry staff at LBC. Chris and Kelley Butler are going to serve at FBC in Liberty, SC where Chris will be the minister of youth and outreach. He announced this to our group this past Wednesday, and it was such a relief to have this news that I had known about for a couple of weeks out in the open. God has taught me so much through all of this, and is still teaching me. I have felt grief, sadness, all kinds of emotions about this, yet mostly JOY because I know Chris is following God's will for his life, and who am I to argue with that? As I said Wed. night, there are aspects of this I will NEVER understand, but it is so clear that this is what God wants them to do. One thing I have learned from this experience is the true character of people...so many talk a great game, but when it comes right down to what is important, their true motives will always come out....Chris and Kelley have made great sacrifices to be here with us in Lexington, sacrifices most of you will never know about....but I know God will bless their new ministry. As I prepare for 2006 and reflect on what God did in my life in the DR, one of the things that I am reminded of is the importance of being honest and real...Chris helped me learned so much about the real part, not that I have ever thought of myself as a fake person, he just helped me realize the importance of true honesty and being real with people. Today, I spent some time with 2 very special young men in Florence, SC, Mark and William, young men I have watched grow up in the Lord and are serving him now at FBC in Florence. God has used them in my life, and they say God has used me in theirs...what more can you ask for? God has been teaching me so much about material possessions, as he always does when I go to the DR...we have so much more than we need. Young people who read this, beware of the message of the world that says GETT ALL YOU CAN...beware of those who have it ALL, beware of the big houses, the big cars, the big money...it is a trap that Satan can use in your life....look for what people are really like, not at what they HAVE....because you know, it can all be gone in an instant. Look for what is real, spend time talking to people about what's going on in the hearts and minds, see how God's word is at work in people's lives.
A prayer request...next weekend 65 or so of us are going on a ski retreat, and I really want God to speak through me to everyone who goes on that trip, some of the kids I don't really know. Will you pray for me as I share, and pray for Chris as he goes on his last adventure with us. Thanks you Chris, for helping me learn more about what it means to keep it real. You and Kelley are the best and you will be missed. Everyone who reads this, remember....ANY assignment from God is an important assignment. Keep it real and always.....
Keep Believing!
John
p.s LBC students write to me, and keep looking for what is REAL, not at all the stuff of this world! Especially at this time of year, remember that the greatest gift we were given was a person, Jesus, and only HE can change our lives!

A New Month and a day I'll always remember

Today was our last day here in the Dominican Republic. It is also a day I will never forget. God spoke to me in some significant ways here today and He said some things to my heart that must remain there for now. I experienced the world that God created in some great ways today. I had the chance to speak about the importance of the name of Jesus to about 20 adults in another place that shouts out hopelessness, but somehow over the noise I was able to share about the name of Jesus. A lady there wants to know more about following Jesus, and I am thankful I could be a part of that. God reminds me of so many things when I come here...what is really important in life, the need to have friends that you can rely on, the joy that Christ brings into people's lives (especially those who have little else by our standards). I will go home to face new challenges, a new month, almost a new year, and I am thankful for this time that God has used in a significant way in my life. Thanks to those of you who prayed for us.