Hello Everyone.
If you follow this blog you know that their has been a bit of a lag in posts compared to the frequency with which I generally create posts. If you are not aware, I am a choir director at my church. This is the third year that I am assisting my wife with the Children's Choir program in addition to working with our Worship Minister to create original arrangements for our adult program and help ensure that the vocal side of things is solid. I would be lying if I said it wasn't taxing however, it is a blessing to serve God and point others to him in this way. So this has engulfed our world in addition to the rest of life this holiday season.
So I am taking a bit of a sabaticle probably until the New Year. I am still working on posts but will likely not finalize or post anymore until at least January outside of this one and maybe a Merry Christmas one.
I would like to take this opportunity during this Thanksgiving season to express my gratitude for all that God has done in my life this year. First and foremost, I am so very thankful to my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, who has taken me on an unexpected journey this last year. A journey of spiritual growth and maturity in which God worked on my heart. This work has not only improved(though he certainly isn't finished) my functionality as a father and husband but has helped me to realize a much more solid sense of the direction in which he is taking me.
This year has seen the birth of this blog which many have said is a blessing to them and has certainly been a blessing to me. I have grown so much in my knowledge base and my ability to express the convictions of my heart through the exercise of this blog. I also delivered a message to the Sunday night congregation at my church this year. Definitely something I would not have thought of myself. This year has also seen God move me behind the piano to accompany the praise and worship instrumentally along with my worship leader. The resolve to do this also was unexpected. I still have a long way to go Lord willing but, he has taken me farther than I thought possible in such a short period of time.
If this year has taught me nothing else, it has taught me to not plan to far into the future. It has taught me to trust God and rest in the sovereignty of His plan while still working out my salvation with fear and trembling. And it has taught me to trust God with the spiritual growth of my family while still striving to be responsible as the spiritual leader, husband, and father in our household.
Outside of my relationship with God, my relationship with family, most especially my wife and chldren, is what I am most thankful for. My beautiful, sweet, faithful wife. Considering the reasons that people get divorced in this day and age my wife and I could have gone that route any number of times. Anyone who thinks marriage is supposed to be easy is kidding themselves. I am so grateful for my life partner, best friend, and confidant. She does not like change and has little confidence in herself at times but she always rises to the occasion. She has absolutely no valid reason not to believe in herself at this point in life. She is a super talented, creative, loving woman and I am blessed to have her. We have also seen unexpected transition in the family this year as a result of God blessing my wife with a job. She is an assistant teacher for Guilford County Schools and she is perfect for it. She has already made a name for herself in the brief period of time that she has been on the job.
Now for my children. Two handsome, loving, rambunctious boys ages 8 and 4. As always, outside of God and each other, these two children are the reason my wife and I wake up in the morning. They are such a blessing to us. Adorable, super smart, talented, ambitious, well liked by everyone and the list goes on. We couldn't ask for anything better than these two.
Yep, it's been a challenging year in many ways and a blessed year in many ways. But that's what makes life interesting isn't it. Praise God that he is faithful. As we strive to put him first in our family more and more I know that His grace will abound and the opportunities he will present to serve him faithfully are endless.
Last but not least I want to thank everyone who has supported this blog. I had no idea what I was doing when I started and some might say I still don't :-) But learning is half of the adventure. I would like to encourage everyone this holiday season whether you are a professing Christian or not to say a prayer before you go shopping. Whether it be for black Friday or at any other time, ask God to give you the grace to resist the tempation to allow selfishness to bring out the worst in you. If you are a Christian especially you have a responsibility to let your light shine. To show the love of God and the character of Christ to everyone you meet. Try not to look at everyone else as someone you are competing with. Rather, see them as a potential lost soul in need of God's grace.
As the saying goes, Jesus is the reason for the season. So let's show our love for Him in the way that we represent him during this holiday season that should be ALL ABOUT HIM!
Much Love and HAPPY THANKSGIVING!
In Jesus name,
Josh
