Saturday, July 18, 2009

What's Happening?

Tomorrow morning I'm teaching both morning services at Calvary Chapel Santee. Next Sunday I'll be sharing at CC Hidden Valley in Escondido. In between, I'm flying out to Albuquerque, NM for some Shepherd's Staff meetings for a couple of days. Appreciate your prayer for our ministry as it is growing. Seems like new missionaries are hooking up with us every week.

Forgive me for not posting more frequently. I think I just needed to get thru the last couple of weeks - the anniversaries of my Joyce's passing on the 5th, our wedding anniv. on the 7th and the anniv. of her memorial service on the 14th. 

Now there's much ahead - what a journey!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Tuesday, July 7, 2009

2 Years +

36 years ago today I married the gift of a lifetime! What a wonderful life we had together! 2 years ago this past Sunday, the Lord brought Joyce to heaven. Life without her has been surreal to say the least. Yet life and time continues on and the good memories begin to overtake the traumatic ones, as my daughter told me this evening.  My son and daughter-in-law have a new fresh relationship with the Lord, the grandkids are growing so fast - and are so much fun. The family is holding together and still loving each other - we're blessed! That's not to say that challenges and difficulties have ceased to exist - that wouldn't be reality. But we are working thru those bumps in the road and pressing on!

Thanks for all the kind and thoughtful notes and calls. Thanks for remembering!

In His Arm's,

Pat

Friday, July 3, 2009

July Newsletter

Hi Folks, Just wanted to post my latest newsletter here for those of you interested.

Dear Support Team!

I pray you are all falling deeper in Love with Jesus today! And as you grow in His love and the knowledge of His Word, I pray you are letting your light shine before everyone you meet. As we grow in our love for the Lord, His heart for the lost and hurting becomes our heart and we reach out to those who desperately need Him. I believe this is the central motivator for missions. Our God is a "Missionary God" - For God so loved the world...

With that reality in mind, I again want to thank you all for your encouragement, prayer, and support of my ministry to missionaries around the world - and their sending churches. When I go out a part of you goes out too! This past month was really crammed with travel and several conferences. June started off with the Calvary Chapel Senior Pastor's Conference in Murrieta, followed by a great mission's conference at Calvary Chapel Downey. The month wrapped up with a trip to the Eastern European Pastors and Leaders 'Foundations' conference in Vajta, Hungary. At each of these conferences I represented Shepherd's Staff and was able to meet personally many of the missionaries served by our ministry. I was also blessed to talk with dozens of pastors from Calvary's across the nation and around the world!

This month I have several local teaching opportunities. This Sunday, I'll be teaching the 9:30 service at Crossroads Christian Fellowship in Oceanside. The following weekend I'll be meeting with missions folks from a church north of LA. On the 19th I'll be sharing at both morning services at Calvary Chapel Santee, and on the 26th I'll be teaching at Calvary Chapel Hidden Valley here in Escondido. I also have a short trip to Albuquerque, NM for meetings and planning at our Shepherd's Staff offices.

And to my health issues: mucho better! Around the middle of May, I felt I was finally turning the corner on the severe pain from my surgeries the past couple of years. Again, I'm so grateful for your prayer in that regard - please don't stop. This Sunday (7/5) it will also be two years since my Joyce was taken home to glory. God has been so faithful in giving my family and I His comfort, peace and strength as we have had to press on without her. It has been difficult but not impossible; painful but not unbearable; lonely but never out of our Lord's caring arm's.

So that's about it for now. Stay in touch if you can but more importantly, stay in prayer. 

In His Arm's,

Pat