we are officially official. I am the new pastor of Bethel Lutheran in Encino. My start date in December 1st and i will preach my first Sunday there on the 14h of December. Heather and i will attend this Sunday morning as well since it is the beginning of advent.
as i lay in my bed typing this tonight, my mind is calm, and we look forward with great anticipation to all that is ahead. I am old enough in the ministry to know and understand that much of what is to come will not be easy. there will be rough roads and glorious roads, yet we long to walk them alongside this beautiful and diverse community.
The last year and 5 months have truly flown by. we have grown to know and love our great grandparents (heather's side) and have built cherished relationships with her family. laurie has been an inspiration to us and a beacon of hope in an ocean of monotony. marcie and paul have given us fabulous moments of fun and relaxation, and grammy has given us her consistent love. this is just the beginning of the depth of new relationships we have been blessed to experience. There is also my wonderful family and friends who have been constantly supportive, challenging, refreshing and beautiful during our time in orange county.
please be in prayer for us as we begin to look for a place to rent. as we finish out the semester of school and as we press on with our new community. (God, it feels so good to say those words!)
continued peace and hope.
