New year, new chances, new life

Yes, we really have started a new year. And we are determined to make sure that we pay attention to the new opportunities and chances that we can have. We want to focus on the reality of walking with Jesus each and every day. That is what matters more than anything else. So, although I have let my exercise slip - even before the year began - and have not been eating as I might wish, I will continue to keep God’s word in my heart every day and look to how to serve Him daily. 

Normally we would be planning a singing workshop for sometime in the Spring. And to be honest, although singing has been one of the major things to have been cancelled in these times, I feel like I have been singing more than ever. In December I was able to finish up work on four more lyric video’s of songs for the church. At the same time, we have been updating our songbook at the church and that has taken a good bit of work as well: fixing comma’s, checking layout, printing and putting the books together. 

In January I sat with a friend to try and translate some songs we want to learn in the church, but in Dutch. They are beautiful hymns, but figuring out how to fit Dutch sentences into the rhythms created for an English sentence is a real challenge. We were able to finish off all three songs which are now ready to be recorded at some time in the coming months. 

In the last few weeks, songs from Listen Up! have been added to the mix. For those of you who know Listen Up! - the a capella singing group with which we traveled much of Europe preaching through song - we stopped singing together in 2011, but have always wanted our songs to be an encouragement to any and all. Now all members have allowed me to make lyric videos of our songs. If you are interested in hearing them again, or singing along, visit the playlist: 

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLFXofVK3dvg8eiLBFkCqsHGpeTQWFhv0b

January is also the time that we meet to officially plan our Bible camp season. We are not sure what the summer will look like with corona rules, but we are planning for the summer in any case. We were so very thankful for the chance to hold our camp weeks in 2020 and look forward to being able to help our young people grow in faith this coming summer. Shirley and I will be working with the Benjamins and I will continue on for another week, helping to train some new leaders in both weeks. 

In our normal, everyday life, we have also been excited by new changes and chances. A new sister has joined us in Maastricht. She has moved from up north and will be trying to make her life down in the south. We are thankful that she has found her way to us and look forward to how God can help us in helping each other and serving Him. 

We also have met another very new sister in the faith. She gave her life to Christ in the summer and is learning quickly every day what it means to be a follower of Jesus Christ. We are meeting with her weekly to help her grow in faith and in knowledge of the word - starting with getting to know Jesus better. Keep her in your prayers as she grows and learns. We were excited to welcome her to the worship time this past Sunday. 

Another new situation is the brothers meeting that was moved from a Friday morning slot to a Monday evening slot. The hope is to help young brothers learn from older brothers, to give space for leaders to grow. We want to have a place where questions can be asked and answered in an encouraging atmosphere. We have had our first evening and I am looking forward to the second coming up in February. 

Some things stay the same. We are thankful that we still have mornings and evenings walking with Chester (our Cocker Spaniel). He is showing his age, but still loves chasing after cats when he gets the chance. And we still get to talk to our boys and daughters-in-love almost every week. Isn’t technology great at times! And we enjoy sitting together, sometimes playing a game of Trivial Pursuit, watching a film together or having a good conversation. 

Thank you, Father, for new days, new opportunities and the certainty of Your everlasting love and grace in our walk with You.