Family & Faithfulness - November 2018 Update
- Phil Styles
- Nov 14, 2018
- 3 min read
Hi Dear Prayer Partner Friend!
I want to give you some of our bi-monthly updates, but first I want to invite you to linger in my devotions today. I was reading from Psalm 111 which begins like this: "Praise the LORD. I will extol the LORD with all my heart ... Great are the works of the LORD; they are pondered by all who delight in them. Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever." And all God's people say, "Amen!" Here are a few 'glorious' updates:
Family: We are so grateful for family! The boys and Melanie got to enjoy a weekend at the farm with Grandma and Grandpa Forster in late October. They boys so love the farm! Phil's parents visited us over Thanksgiving and the boys enjoyed many special moments with them - including Grandma and Papa praying for them at bed time! Melanie's mom is presently in India doing women's ministry and the boys are looking forward to Grandma and Grandpa Forster spending Christmas with us! Many people around our world do not have the luxury of relaxing and laughing with their family, and we are so grateful for the LORD's kindness in this season of our life! Could you please whisper a prayer of protection over our parents? We want to make the most of the time we have with them. Jonathan and David are thrilled to spent time with our families! Thank you Jesus, for family!
Faithfulness: On Thursday November 22, 2018, I will be celebrating Melanie's faithfulness to her studies as she walks across the Convocation stage at McMaster University (Hamilton) with her Masters of Social Work in Critical Leadership! We are so proud of her! Thank you Jesus for the gift of knowledge and the discipline to apply what we learn. You have been kind to us!
Phil also launched his Doctor of Ministry research in mid October and will gather the completed research the week of November 25! One participant said privately, "I read through the whole research and I want you to know it helped me so much!" My research question is, "What Role does Prayer and Visualization Play in Fostering a Secure Attachment to God?" Pray for me to discern the research outcomes and the wisdom to know how to unleash the research potential. Jesus, grant Phil eyes to see the wonderful things you wish to reveal in your relational laws of life!
Church Life: This coming Sunday I am wrapping up a sermon series about our Vision, Mission, and Core Values as a church family. It was exciting when God unified our leadership teams about our mission and vision. It was truly amazing! They were also unified in defining our Core Values that clarify how we will behave in the journey. Now we are in that season of sharing and living out the realities. Our Vision is to be "A caring church making a Kingdom impact." In the last two months, our Mission Team has helped us live out that reality by gathering over 770 pounds of food for our local Food Source. We've sent 550 glasses and 4000 knitted beanies to Ghana with a medical team. And we are presently gathering boxes for Operation Christmas Child. People are crying out for care in our world, and though we are about 60-80 people on a Sunday, we want to care for people in a way that will have a Kingdom impact! God is giving us unusual strength and generosity to accomplish His will. There is excitement when a scarcity mentality transforms into witnessing God's glorious and majestic deeds! Pray that we may be faithful to God's call on our lives and church! Lead on, oh King Eternal!
So you made it this far! Well done! You are kind to us! We will send out another quick note near Christmas, but thank you so much for journeying with us and sharing your heart and time in whispering prayers of protection, love, and grace over us! We value your support and care. Grace and peace be upon you and your family!
Phil, Melanie, Jonathan, and David Styles
Lindsay, Ontario, Canada
Comments