Two Years ...

I can't believe I will have lived here in Bozeman for two years within the next few weeks! Wow!  

As I have been challenged in many ways over the past couple years, I have definitely grown closer to the Lord through this time.  During a conference we simulcasted at Kirkwood, one of the speakers talked about being able to say "More than _____, Jesus is better."  More than choosing where I live near those I love, more than a comfortable job, more than any material possessions, more than worldly success, more than the approval of others, more than (fill in the blank with what you value most), He is better.  Are you able to say that in your life and surrender daily to Him?  Nothing of this world is meant to fully satisfy us.  The blessings of God always lie on the other side of the obedience line.  We can't fully experience Him unless we have a relationship with Him and surrender to His will for our life.  In Matthew 6:33 it says, "Seek first His kingdom and his righteousness ..."  When we do that, He truly provides everything we need.  The past couple years have definitely been full of many challenges, but through them, an opportunity to see and experience God in a way I wouldn't have otherwise.  He is faithful.  Please know how thankful that I am for all of your prayers and support!

The beauty of Big Sky country in April is breathtaking, especially in a big snow year ... 

View of Lone Peak on the drive up to Big Sky (April 19)

View from top of Lone Peak, 11,166 feet

View from top of Lone Peak, 11,166 feet

Top of Lone Peak

View from top of Lone Peak, 11,166 feet

View from top of Lone Peak, 11,166 feet

View from top of Lone Peak, 11,166 feet

Standing up there made me think of the lyrics to Keith and Kristyn Getty's "Creation sings the Father's song"

(Verse 1)

He calls the sun to wake the dawn
And run the course of day
Till evening falls in crimson rays
His fingerprints in flakes of snow
His breath upon this spinning globe
He charts the eagle's flight
Commands the newborn baby's cry

(Chorus)
Hallelujah
Let all creation stand and sing
Hallelujah
Fill the earth with songs of worship
Tell the wonders of creation's King ...

We had an Easter egg hunt with a lot of kids in the community the weekend before Easter at Kirwood Baptist here in Bozeman.  Last month we hosted a simulcast of the Verge Conference that is put on in Texas each year and also got a small group together on Good Friday to watch Secret Church (by David Platt) where the topic was "The Cross and Everyday Life."  It was about making Jesus apart of everything we do on a daily basis.  We are now busy gearing up for summer missions teams that will be coming from Dalton, GA and Nashville, TN.  They will be assisting sports camp, Vacation Bible School and community outreach. We are also continuing to work on our partnership with Love Inc. that we are praying provides a way to reach students in the high school across the street from the church.  Youth Pastor Andrew Lane has also been serving as interim pastor since January.  Please pray alongside of us and the leadership team as we are seeking the direction God has for the church moving forward.

School will wrap up for the year at Heritage Christian next month - it's been a busy spring of getting games and schedules ready for the fall and attending the state-wide athletic director meeting in Helena.  Additionally, I am so excited because the board at Heritage has recently approved the building of a soccer field and track out back of the school before next fall and we are also being given the chance to host the 2014 Fall MCAA State Volleyball and Soccer tournament in October.  Many in the HCS community have prayed for years and years about the soccer field and it is amazing to see how God is providing in His perfect timing.  Please pray for all the details to fall into place in the time ahead as well as for the financial provision necessary to make this endeavor possible.  I am praying that this will lead to more sports ministry opportunities here in Bozeman in the time ahead.  It is sweet to be a part of a community that desires to share Christ and encourages and challenges one another daily.

The golf course also recently opened here and I am blessed to be able to work there on the side again as well throughout this summer.  I love the chance it gives me to meet so many people in the community.

From April 25-29 my childhood best friend Grace, who now lives in Washington DC, came to Bozeman for a visit with a great friend of hers, Griha.  What an action packed few days! The visit included trips to the capitol in Helena, Buffalo Jump State Park just outside Three Forks, a day trip to Yellowstone where we ran into a couple other sweet friends, a great Sunday morning at church followed by an afternoon of riding horses and hiking on a ranch just outside of Bozeman, a trip to the snow covered golf course and the chance for them to meet so many of the people the Lord has put in my life here.  We had SO MUCH FUN!  It was a week where God's fingerprints were just everywhere and I was reminded of His faithfulness in so many tangible ways.  The Lord has put some of the sweetest people in my life here in Bozeman and I was thankful for the opportunity to introduce Grace and Griha to them.

MT Capitol Building in Helena

MT Capitol Building in Helena with Griha and Grace

MT Capitol Building in Helena with Grace

Buffalo Jump State Park, Three Forks MT

Buffalo Jump State Park, Three Forks, MT

Big Sky, MT

Yellowstone National Park with Griha, Grace and Sandy

Yellowstone National Park

Old Faithful, Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Yellowstone National Park

Fun on the ranch with Shelley & Grace!

Fun on the ranch!

Fun on the ranch!

Hiking on the ranch

Hiking on the ranch with Lynae, Griha, Shelley and Grace

Hiking to old wooden cabin on the ranch

Overlooking Bozeman

Overlooking Bozeman

Well, the golf course was open... And then it snowed April 28

Please pray for:
- For summer mission teams that are coming to Kirkwood to help with a sports camp and VBS and for the leadership team in following God's leading in the pastor search process.
- For the soccer field and track to be completed at Heritage before the fall and for preparations we are making to host the MCAA fall state tournament in October ... most importantly that these opportunities would enable us to be a light for Christ to the surrounding community.
- Partnerships in the community that open doors for more sports ministry opportunities here moving forward.
- That God would continue to prepare the hearts of those here in Bozeman to hear and respond to the Gospel.
- For my personal walk with the Lord - that I would be intentional in seeking Him daily and being filled and renewed so that I may go out and pour into others.

Know that I always love hearing from all of you!  

Kicking Off 2014

"Jesus Christ is the same yesterday, today and forever."

-Hebrews 13:8

"I pray that you may be active in sharing your faith, so that you will have a full understanding of every good thing we have in Christ." Philemon 6

Hope the winter is treating all of you well! Life is good in Bozeman!  The beauty of God's creation here is truly incredible.  Driving into town every morning seeing the snow covered mountains is breathtaking.  One of the benefits to the cold weather are the frozen ponds around town and I have had the opportunity to play a little pond hockey! Doing so has been a bucket list item for me since the days of roller hockey as a young kid back in San Diego.  There have also been a couple sweet powder days on the mountain amidst the busyness of work.

View from apartment

Powder day at Bridger Bowl

Bridger Bowl

Moonlight side of Big Sky resort

First on the lift

Pond hockey!

Pond hockey

At Kirkwood Baptist, Pastor James stepped down as pastor in mid-December so that he could pursue an opportunity working for a former employer back down south and to take some furthering education courses.  Him and the family left town the start of January and we all love and wish them the best.  In the interim at Kirkwood, youth pastor Andrew Lane has stepped up to preach weekly and we, along with a couple others who make up the leadership team, have been seeking the Lord's guidance about what He has in store and are excited to see what will happen in the days ahead.  Please pray along with us that we would continue to seek after how God would have us show the love of Christ to the surrounding community.  

It has been such a season of being reminded that although circumstances can seem unexpected from a worldly perspective, nothing ever comes unexpected to our God.  He goes before us and prepares the way and provides in ways beyond what we could ever ask or hope for.

At KBC, we have recently become partnered with Love Inc, an organization that works along with churches in the community to meet needs in the name of Christ. We are getting ready to host a luncheon next week as a kickoff to one of their fundraisers for later in the summer.  Through this partnership we are also working with them to reach kids for Christ in the high school located right across from the church.  Please pray for God to open doors in this area.

Kirkwood is also getting ready to host the yearly Montana SBC Pastor's Conference this coming weekend.  Senior Pastor from Judson, Gene Mims, will be the lead speaker and he will also be speaking in worship Sunday morning at KBC.  We are all excited to have him out here.  Please pray for him as he travels, for the conference and for his time at Kirkwood.

Pastor Andrew's daughters Ellee and Johannah

At Heritage Christian where I serve as Athletic Director, we are nearing the end of basketball season so most nights have been spent in the gym for practices and games.  Please pray that all of our athletes would continue to honor the Lord in how they practice and compete throughout the remainder of the season.  Working at the school has provided many opportunities for discipleship and has also opened the door to build relationships with some of the families there which has been such a huge blessing and tangible reminder of God's faithfulness in my life.

Cheering on the HCS varsity boys team at the State Tournament

I had the opportunity from Feb 6-10 to travel back to Nashville, Tennessee to attend the missions conference at Judson Baptist Church.  After not having been back to Nashville in over a year, it was such a sweet time to see so many from my home church family as well as to meet some of the other mission partners they now work with from all over the world.  It was great to be able to share what the Lord has been doing in Bozeman as well as hear about what is going on elsewhere.  It is awesome to be apart of a body of believers that are serious about fulfilling the Great Commission.  I also had the opportunity to speak at Chapel to the children at Foundation Christian Academy where I worked for two years before coming to Bozeman. I can't believe how big all the kiddos are getting!  I am so thankful that God's love bridges time and distance and for the ability to keep in touch with so many there, while knowing I am following where God wants me to be in this season.

FCA kiddos

FCA kiddos

FCA kiddos

Being in Nashville was a reminder to me of the power of God and the fact that His blessings always lie on the other side of the obedience line.  It was also a time to be challenged and reminded that we must choose daily to live differently so that His light will shine through us and reach the lost.

In the book Against the Wind: Finishing Well in a World of Compromise by K.P. Yohannan he says:

"The road marked out before us is steep and narrow. It is a road of suffering, yet one that leads to 'joy unspeakable and full of glory (1 Peter 1:8).' All along the way, there will be voices calling out from each side of us to forsake the narrow road and walk an easier path, one of less resistance and less self discipline.  That is where we must hear again the words of Paul - but for you, be different... Choose to be different.  Remember the goal before you and discipline yourself so as to run in a way to reach the goal (p. 65)."  

May Jesus be our sole passion and may our eyes remain fixed on Him in every season.  On the days where it feels easier to just say 'no' may we continue on persevering and seeking what He has for us.  May we finish well daily because that will lead to a life of fulfilling His call on our lives and the ability to see His power displayed in unmistakable ways.  In seasons of blessing and seasons of trial, may we be reminded that He is the same yesterday, today and forever.  And no matter what, may we keep on keepin' on until He returns or calls us home.

Thank you all for your love and support!

Winter Wonderland

On December 7 wind chills in parts of Montana reached -50 degrees and were recorded as the coldest on earth at the time (note - it does help that Antarctica is in the middle of summer!) ... The coldest it got here in Bozeman that I saw was -26, feels like -45 degrees, so needless to say the past couple days where it made it back up into the 30's here have felt like a heat wave!

It was November 2011 when I first came on a site visit to Bozeman and God said "welcome home."  After preparations to leave Nashville I arrived in Montana in May 2012.  I can hardly believe it is already eighteen months later.

Stepping out of our comfort zone and what is familiar to us is an opportunity for God to grow us in ways beyond what we could imagine.  We can't truly understand the promise that the Lord is with us wherever we go until we are willing to leave where we are.  That doesn't always involve a physical move, but it does require a willingness to surrender our hearts to Him and allow Him to reveal anything we may be holding on to that is hindering what He wants to do in and through us.  It is allowing Him to prepare our hearts to say "yes" to Him before we even know what the question is.

God tells us in His word that "where our treasure is there our heart will be also (Matthew 6:21)."  Just as the greatest gifts in each season can never be bought, it is a reminder that the Greatest Gift in life also did not come wrapped in a box under the tree but through a baby lying in the manger - Jesus, who came to earth, lived a perfect life, died on the cross, and three days later rose from the dead ... Immanuel - God with us.  We are all sinners in need of a Savior.  And just as with any gift, we have to choose to accept it or it just sits there, useless.  Romans 10:9-10 says, "If you confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart God raised Him from the dead you will be saved."  I learned more this year about the fact that we are not called to a religion or a lifestyle of busyness or a to do list, but first and foremost to a relationship with Him. The ability to love and serve others comes out of the overflow of the relationship we have with Him. The Gospel is the Good News and if He truly is our greatest treasure we should be more excited to share the eternal hope we have in Him with others than anything else!

Jesus + nothing = everything
Everything - Jesus = nothing

I want to thank each of you who have spoken His truth in to my life and so often provide tangible reminders of His faithfulness. We are meant to grow in community and I am so thankful nothing can ever separate us from His love. May we rejoice throughout this season and give Him all the glory.

Wishing you a Merry Christmas!

"Go tell it on the mountains, over the hills and everywhere. Go tell it on the mountain that Jesus Christ is born!"

Glow in the Dark

“You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a bowl. Instead they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.” Matthew 6:14-16

A year ago, at the school where I now serve as the Athletic Director in Bozeman, just a few days before school was to begin, an arsonist set a fire the destroyed the school gym and some of the surrounding classrooms.  Throughout the last year we were graciously reminded that the school is not a building, but the families God has brought together. What man meant for evil, God truly used for good and the body of Christ that makes up Heritage Christian was given a platform to give glory to God through the trial.  The lyrics to the song “We Won’t Be Shaken” by Building 429 paint a picture of what we can say in all circumstances when our foundation is on the solid rock of Jesus Christ alone. 

“Whatever will come our way

Through fire or pouring rain

We won’t be shaken

No we won’t be shaken

Whatever tomorrow brings

Together we’ll rise and sing

That we won’t be shaken

No we won’t be shaken

We will trust in You

We will not be moved

We will trust in You

We won’t be shaken.”

The new gym and surrounding facility was finished just in time to kick off this school year and a couple days after school began we had a glow in the dark pep rally. It gave us an opportunity to unveil the new gym to students and introduce the fall sports teams.  Our theme was “glow in the dark because you are the light of the world.”  The world around us might not always be physically dark, but we are surrounded by those living in spiritual darkness, and it is our job to be the light of Jesus in those dark places, speaking boldly of the eternal hope we have in Him. What a blessing it is to be a part of a community that desires to make Him known everywhere they go.

This fall, in addition to organizing and overseeing everything in relation to athletics and teaching a couple PE classes at school, I also had the privilege of being an assistant coach for the 7^th-8^th grade girls’ volleyball team. The team went 9-1 in the regular season and earned the number one seed at the end of season tournament.  I also had the privilege of accompanying our varsity teams to the fall MCAA State Tournament in Kalispell.  Our varsity boys soccer team finished third, matching the best finish in school history and the varsity girls volleyball team also qualified for state this season, a school first.  It is such a joy to be around families and student-athletes who have a desire to honor the Lord and use sports as a platform to share the Gospel with those who are watching.  Basketball season is now getting underway. Whewww!

7-8 Volleyball

Soccer Game Day! :)

State Team Send Off Pep Rally

At Kirkwood Baptist Church, there have been new faces most Sundays along with some children visiting in Life Groups and Children’s Church.  We had our annual church hayride this past weekend where around 50 people attended and we have Trunk or Treat coming up Halloween night at the church. We are getting ready for winter events, including a Christmas Bible Study in a local apartment complex, participating in Operation Christmas Child and also a partnership with Love INC, a ministry that helps meet needs in His name throughout the community.  We are also kicking off a college/young adult age home group Sunday evenings so please pray that God would use each of those for His glory.

Hayride

Every day I am so humbly reminded that God’s plans are so much better than anything we could ever imagine.  He uses everything to prepare us for what He will call us to do next and I am so thankful for the doors He has opened here in Bozeman. 

October in Bozeman!

My uncle Bill came up for a visit
over my birthday weekend in October

Please pray for:

-       -Upcoming ministry opportunities at Kirkwood – that His name would be lifted high and people in the community would see their need for a Savior.  Also, that Pastor James, our Youth Pastor Andrew, and myself would continue to be united in the work and prayerfully seek Him as we plan.

-       -For Heritage Christian School – staff, families and students to be a light for Christ here in Bozeman and be intentional in using the platforms God has given us to share the eternal hope we have in Him.

-       -Personally, for the ability to juggle the many responsibilities I have here, for the ability to continue to develop relationships in this community, and most importantly that I would continue to pursue Jesus every day.