“There is none like You among the gods, O Lord, nor are there any works like Yours...For You are great and do wondrous things; You alone are God.” Psalm 86:8,10 ESV
How are we to choose one verse to praise the Lord? The Psalms alone provide a hymnal of thanksgivings and adorations, not to speak of the rest of Scripture. However you choose to glorify God, may it be with a raised voice and bursting heart.
Our God truly is great, and He gives us countless reasons to be thankful, the best being His character and the amazing gift of a relationship with Him. Yet, as if these are not glorious enough, His love abounds through His work for, in and through us. I pray we will forever be baffled by the fact that God Almighty chose us and uses us for His glory.
As I reflected on 2023 and all God did in such a short time, I struggled to pinpoint what to share in this update. After all, if God cannot be captured in the living Word, how can a bulleted list suffice? Therefore, the following is only what I can remember, knowing there are endless more I can’t recall or wasn’t aware of, plus those witnessed by His other children.
Spiritual rebirth for a young woman and the incredible gift of walking with her as the Spirit worked in her. From our initial spiritual conversations to seeing her go all in, few gifts are sweeter than this!
New friends from different backgrounds, cities, states and even continents, as well as deepened friendships with young adults, co-laborers and TJC supporters.
Spiritual conversations with clients at Snap Fitness, clients, visitors and volunteers at the Pregnancy Help Center and the youth I teach in Sunday school. It’s remarkable the kinds of conversations you can have when you slow down, listen and allow yourself to be used by God.
A young adult who feels called to more than “doing church.” This stirring by the Spirit has led to good conversations, plus bold obedience by her to pursue His calling for her.
Strength, healing and hope for those who lost loved ones, battled cancer and other health problems, faced a potential deployment, changed jobs, received difficult diagnoses for their children and endured seemingly constant trials.
Attending the Ignite Retreat with Cat. Thank you again to the Missionary Church for paying for the trip and the MC East Central Region for continuing to pay for my Ignite training.
Witnessing a body of older believers yearn for the next generation, seek God’s direction and eagerly pursue it.
Serving with a group of passionate people on the MC’s Next Generation Team and the ECR’s Ministry Advancement Team.
Connecting a couple who supports TJC with a young adult for them to pray for her on a regular basis.
Again, this is just some of what the Lord did in 2023. Not only was it a blessing to experience each of these in real-time, but it has particularly lifted my heart to reflect on them. And to think, this journey officially started just three years ago. My, what God has done, all of it exceeding my imagination and comprehension.
As we head into 2024, I hope you, too, will rejoice in the Lord, and wait with eager expectation of what He will do. May this year be one where we exclaim along with the psalmist, “Teach me Your way, O LORD, that I may walk in Your truth; unite my heart to fear Your name” (Psalm 86:11)!
References:
English Standard Version Bible. (2001). Crossway Bibles.