Exciting, Inspiring, Beautiful, and Fulfilling!
- Phil Styles
- Nov 1, 2024
- 3 min read
Hello Dear Friends!
We appreciate you so much! We know that you have your own cares and needs but we so value that fact that you take time to stay connected with us. If I may be so bold, could you take a moment and wrap your arms around yourself? Trust me. On 3, I invite you to squeeze yourself, like a hug. Ready? 1…2…3…. Ahhhhhh, it was good for me too! Thanks for being our friends!
Our last update was in July, so here are some quick updates:
David: We are so excited for David! He is 8 years old. This summer his house league soccer team was undefeated! This Fall he made a U10 “A” level travel team. He finds great delight in running his little heart out to engage the older boys. He is a leader, a quick learner, competitive, and hungry to be better. Pray with us that David will grow in the God-given skills of leadership, humility, and encouragement!
Jonathan: Jonathan is 10 years old. He has a heart of gold! His love of our kitten is intense. His love of Jesus is sincere. His care for others is inspiring! In October he helped raise $1905 for the Ride for Refuge fundraiser for Matthew House Ministries
Jonathan had tonsil surgery in September and has recovered splendidly! He helps me in the church services with various roles and is preparing a God-talk to our children’s outreach ministry in November. He is also a gifted swimmer for his age and goes earlier on some mornings to swim lengths at the Boys and Girls Club pool. Pray with us that Jonathan will use his tender heart to share the love and compassion of Jesus to many people…and animals.
Melanie: Melanie celebrated her 46 birthday in July! She grows
more and more beautiful as the years go by! In August we were grateful that she settled her legal case from the car accident in 2015. She still has debilitating migraines and structural pains in her body from the accident, but she gives God and the family her best day by day.
One of Melanie's special abilities is to open our home and we have been hosting Benjamin from Spain for this school year. He is 15 years old and is adapting to Canadian life very well. Pray with us for Melanie to experience God’s divine healing graces as we trust and wait on Him.
Phil: Life is full and fulfilling. I coached David and Jonathan’s soccer teams in the summer. Now I am enjoying playing Pickleball in the early mornings and swimming lanes with Jonathan once a week. Melanie and I used to have weekly date nights that have transformed into a weekly date lunch with a family date night on Fridays. I thank God for my family. Since mom’s passing in February, I also have had more dates with Dad Styles and enjoy spending time together at church music services, or over a lunch, or in taking a casual drive to observe the Fall leaves. Again, I thank God for my family.
Since July, the highlights of church life include a delightful wedding, encouraging baptisms, a mortgage burning service, a meaningful men’s group, and a marvelous children’s outreach ministry! We recently invited seniors to join the children for a “Grandma/pa Hunt.” The seniors concealed themselves around the church property and had riddles for the children when they were found. I could see the children beaming with joy and many seniors smiling as we came back together. It was a whisper of Heaven!
Lastly, Phil has had the privilege to help facilitate a monthly strategic dialogue for our Niagara-Hamilton Baptist Association. I may be biased, but they seem to be Spirit anointed. Pray with us for God to fill Phil with divine compassion and wisdom to serve his family, church, and wider community.
We thank you again for your friendship and support! I am convinced that when we all get to Heaven there will be great rejoicing and celebrating for the unseen kindnesses of people who have prayed for one another and God used to transform lives for the better! If you want to hug yourself again, go ahead! We endorse it!
Until we connect again, dear Friend,
Phil, Melanie, Jonathan, David (and Benjamin)
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