church talks and milestones

Hello Cyberspace,

I figured it was time for another blog, I’d like to try to post at least once every couple of weeks, ideally once a week, that way I can keep everyone well updated on my ministry. I can’t guarantee that a biweekly post will happen, but that’s my goal. It’ll be harder during the summer when I don’t have any schools to go to, but I can at least keep everyone updated on my fundraising progress.

I actually hit what I think is a neat little milestone the other day, I have a Facebook group for people that want to support me, at least in prayer and we hit the member count that if everyone in the group pledged $10 a month, by bills would al be paid. You may think it’s silly, and I know that not everyone in the group can or will pledge, but it was an encouragement for me, to know that at least that many people are thinking about my ministry and praying for me.

I have a date set for my first church talk! I’m very excited for that! One of the best ways for me to get the word out about what I’m doing is to talk in churches, in front of at least a large group of people, preferably the entire congregation. I had dinner with my pastor last night and we set up July 26th, for me to speak at my church. I would love to speak at other churches, but I need people in those churches to spearhead that happening. Several years ago, I tried to do some fundraising so I could work more full-time at the church I was attending, I contacted churches that I had relationships with, and I saw very little interest. I met with two churches in Vermont, and had maybe a total of 7 people between both churches. So, one huge way of helping me is to get me in front of your church.

I already know that I won’t get a blog out next week, because I’m heading up to Vermont, and will be out of touch with most technology. My family has a cottage there, and next week is my parents’ week, so I’ll be headed up with a friend of mine for the week, from this Saturday until next Saturday. It’ll be nice, I really love the cottage, it’s a nice little place with an awesome porch to relax on, and I’ll get to spend some time with a great friend and my family.

Time to get going, I need to get packing, I’m moving soon!

Have a great day!

Back to Reality

Hello Cyberspace,

So, I got back from a SEW on Saturday (for future reference SEW means Spiritual Emphasis Week) and I am so happy I was able to go, it was an awesome personal confirmation that that is what I’m meant to do. I took the train up to Croton-Harmon NY, and was picked up there to end up in beautiful Putnam Valley NY for a week at Hudson Valley Christian Academy. By the way, HVCA is a super fun school with a great bunch of teachers and a really fun bunch of kids. I hope to have pictures up on my website soon. We stayed with a great host family who were very generous with their hospitality. So generous, in fact, that I’m planning to spend an extra weekend with them right before we’re back at HVCA in October.

As I was going through the week last week, I was reflecting on how happy and blessed I am to be called to Coastlands and this verse popped out to me…


“Every good and perfect gift is from above, coming down from the Father of the heavenly lights, who does not change like shifting shadows.” James 1:17


I think of that verse, and I think of last week and I can’t help but thank God for the privilege of ministering for Him. It makes me realize how much more God blesses us beyond what we expect. I was expecting a good week, and I got an awesome week! I was expecting a place to stay for a few days and got some amazing new friends! I was able to spend a good chunk of time with the Pre-K class at HVCA and I loved it. I could spend all day sitting with kids reading books to them. I got to go to a Father’s Day celebration with the Kindergarteners and was blessed to see the kids play games with their dads. And I was able to share bacon and pancakes with the first graders, anyone who knows me, should know how much I love bacon.

Though now it’s back to reality. My car is still not running very well, each time I drive it, I wonder if that’ll be the time it breaks down. We know the Apostle Paul had a thorn in his flesh, and we’re not really sure what it was, but I’m pretty sure that mine’s my car. I keep having the same problem, I hope once I can get it fixed it’ll keep for a while.

I’m now working on getting my mailing together and getting the website up. I’m also working on getting a talk together that I can share with churches. Let me know if I can come to your church!

All right, I’m gonna get going.

Have a great day!

June 7, 2009

Hello Again Cyberspace,

Well, I’m sitting here while my friend is up working on my car. I hope he’ll get it finished at some point. I am extremely grateful for his assistance, and by assistance, I obviously mean, I bought the part, and he’s installing it for me. Though, with the small car that I own, it makes it pretty difficult to get the alternator off and the new one on, so I appreciate him even more for that.

I really do thank God for my friends. I have another friend who has lent me his car for almost a month at this point. I have still other friends who will be down the shore this weekend (yeah, I now I’m missing a word there, but since it’s the Jersey shore, I’m obligated to say “down the shore” as opposed to “down at the shore” or “down to the shore” I don’t understand it, I just accept it.) and I’ll be able to join them for a couple of days thanks not only to their generosity, but still another friend’s generosity is being willing to let me ride with her down. God is Good!

I’m getting even closer and closer to getting all my literature together and out. This week, I planned out my website, and that’ll hopefully get up and running in a couple of weeks. I’ll need to get a relatively simple one out to start, because my friend who is going to be my WEBMASTER, will need some time to get it out, but we’ll all be able to see a nice, spiffy site soon, I hope.

We have a spiritual emphasis week coming up next week, starting on June 15th, and I am really looking forward to it. I mean, I should, since that’ll be my full-time ministry come September and I love it, but also because I’m looking forward to going away. I love being able to minister to kids, and serve with the team members.

Well, I’m going to get going.

Have a great day!

Getting prepared...

Hello again Cyberspace…

So, I think the hardest thing about writing a blog is going to be getting over the fact that I think people don’t really care what I think. I know I’m not Brad Pitt or anything, but people are going to want to know what’s going on with me, so if I bore anyone, I’m sorry, please feel free to comment about what you’d like to hear more of.

Here goes, not much happening at the moment (maybe that’s why I have nothing to write about…) I’ve been working on getting some information together so I can send it out, the fundraising letter and the like. Today I was working on just what I want my website to have and the response cards that will go with my letter.

At some point I need to get going again on packing and sorting, but that can wait for now.

I’m really getting excited about going to Hudson Valley in 2 weeks! I just found out they’re having Spirit Week that week, different dress up days all week, pajama day, sports day, stuff like that. I’m really looking forward to that. I should also actually have some pictures to put up on the website after that.

That’s it for now, have a great day!