Gone for the Weekend

Praying friends,

I leave tomorrow for a quick overnight trip with two female staff and 5 or 6 junior high girls. Yes, our junior high youth group is a little short on guys – we don’t have any. So, I’m going to have a huge dorm room all to myself, while Julie and Meghan do the girl thing with these girls.

Yet I can see God’s hand in this. How often do girls get to hear some things just for them from a father figure? (Yes, I’m officially old enough to be their dad, though just barely.) God’s laid it on my heart and that of Shari (who spoke last night) to share with them about what it means to be the daughter of the King. I’m very excited about this, not only because of the opportunity to share some amazing truths with these girls, but also because it’s been a great reminder to me of God’s tremendous love for me, and His calling on my life as a man, husband, dad, and pastor/shepherd of these students and their families.

Please pray for the us as we head up to Flathead Lake Saturday and Sunday. Pray that God would give me wisdom in communicating with these girls, that I would be wise in how I care for them, and that Julie and Meghan, who will actually get more time with them than I, will not just connect, but connect deeply, with opportunities to speak into their lives. Pray for safety all around, as well as decent weather. Please pray for Shari and the boys, that they would have fun while I’m gone, and that Shari would continue to heal up from the surgery.

BTW – Shari’s doing quite well, thought the last few nights one of her incisions has been giving her pain. No redness, swelling, or other signs of infection, and the pain is mostly at night. She didn’t get to sleep until after 1:00 am this morning. Please pray for complete healing.

Thank you for all your prayers, battling for us as we care for students.