The Next Twenty Years of Your Life Are Going to be the Most Fruitful

Those were the words spoken over me at lunch today by my new friend, Ardell Fleck. I'm still turning them over in my brain, like precious pearls plucked from an oyster. When I think about the future in ministry, it is incredibly exciting. I think about the past fifteen years, sixteen really, since I rededicated my life to Jesus in the darkened sanctuary of First Methodist in Sioux City, IA. It's incredible what He has done in my life, the experiences He has brought me through. And then even more the past year and a half.

Since that morning I got filled in my bedroom back in the Baytown house, I feel like He has turned my life upside down and set me on fire. All in a good way, of course. And to think, that the next twenty years will be even more fruitful. How terribly exciting!!

I met Ardell at a minister's meeting two weeks ago. The wives gathered together to share and encourage one another and it was just an awesome time of testimony. Ardell shared about her recent loss of her husband and the love and pain in her story tugged hard at my heartstrings. She adored her husband (I can relate!) and they did ministry hand in hand for over fifty years. I said a little prayer right then and there that Rob and I would have fifty years. Listening to her grief over the loss of her best friend just really got me, I can't imagine losing Rob and we've only been married thirteen years at this point. Anyway, she went on to share about her involvement in Teen Challenge ministries. Janet shared about what Rob and I are doing with the youth here at ct and with credentialing.

After our meeting Ardell approached me to ask if I would speak at Teen Challenge. I accepted, of course, what an opportunity!! And we emailed back and forth and set up a lunch for today. What a blessing that was. She is wise. She is humble. She is in love with Jesus. And after she prayed for me, I prayed for her. We were both blessed.

And now I am just thinking about what God is going to do next in me. In Rob. In us. Makes me so excited!!

Please remember to pray for me on Monday at 2:20pm. I will be in my credentialing interview with the sectional presbytery. I'm nervous, excited, prayed up, and ready for it to be 3pm that day for it to be a done deal! At this point, God has done so much in my heart to prepare me for ministry (especially with preaching weekly now) that this just feels like a formality, although I am very aware of the responsibility of what I am taking on. I'm humbled and blessed and in awe that God wants to use me.

Anyway, time to finish up my shiftAM lesson and get back to preparing the shiftJV message for Wednesday night.. Thanks for your prayers, I covet them!