Thankful...

I want to thank God for his love for us, especially his love demonstrated though Jesus Christ.  That even in my rebellious sin, he saved me. Not because of any thing that I had done or by any worth on my own, but because of his love and mercy. Through Jesus Christ my sins are forgiven because he paid the penalty of my sin by dying on the cross, and through Jesus Christ, I can stand before God as righteous because he has applied the righteousness of Christ to me.

I want to thank God for my wonderful wife who loves and cares for me and our family. She is an example of a godly woman, full of grace, love, and hospitality.  She is one of the hardest workers I know. She both encourages me and challenges me.  She sees my faults and loves me anyway. She is my partner in ministry. She laughs at my jokes (most of the time). She is my best friend.  Thank you, Laurie. You are an image of Christ to me.

I want to thank God for my four beautiful boys.  J1, J2, J3 & J4.  I cannot imagine what my life would be like without them. (Well, quieter and calmer, I suppose, but certainly not as fun!) I am thankful that they are my sons, but also thankful that I am their dad. Fatherhood is a responsibility that consistently stares back at me challenging me to be a better man, and I'm thankful for that.

I want to thank God for giving me the ministry of being a pastor. I am thankful for Evangel Baptist Church in Taylor, MI, where I first knew God was leading me to be a pastor and for the opportunities to experiment with my gifts for ministry. (Thank you Bud, I miss you my friend.) I am thankful for First Baptist of Flat Rock where a handful of teens called me pastor for the first time. I am thankful for Ridgewood Baptist in Wadsworth OH, where Laurie and I first served side by side as a married couple. I am thankful for South Baptist in Flint, where for 10 years God gave me a fruitful ministry to teens, where I grew through ups and downs, where I fell in love with wilderness, where our family tripled in size, where I forged deep friendships in the trenches, and where God prepared me to be where I am today. I am thankful for Solid Rock, where I have seen the power of the Gospel of Jesus Christ take root and begin to open eyes and change hearts, where I have had to rely on God more than ever, where daily I feel the weight of responsibility of being a shepherd, where my faith has grown, where I get to boldly proclaim the Word of God every week, where I'm beginning to find my own voice and style in preaching, where I'm ever-encouraged by the support and participation in new ideas (Good Friday Service, wilderness, Lake Ann, Biblical Counseling, etc.), and where I know God has great things in store for our future.

I am thankful for many other things and people as well, but I'll save that for another time.

James 1:17

Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.