Tomorrow will mark exactly three years since we updated the blog. Not a stellar record, to be sure. Anyhow, it's a new year and we are looking forward to an exciting year. We thought we would re-up the blog and try to be a bit more diligent in the keeping of it.
Three years gone by... how to summarize it all...
Some of the "highlights", so to speak are:
-We hosted a foreign exchange student from Brasil for a semester. Lucas was such a blessing and we grew to love him as our own son. The pictures are of him.
-Dennis graduated with his undergraduate degree from Liberty University with a dual major in Business and Religion. He then began studying for his MDiv at SWBTS. He has since transferred back to Libery to attend their seminary, working on a more specialized Master's Degree. He is on track to graduate December 2009.
-About 2 years ago we felt God's urging to sell our house in Burleson and move to West Fort Worth. So, we put the house on the market and the house sold within a month. We were, in effect, homeless at the signing. We were graciously put up in guest housing with all of our possessions in PODS and our pets in a kennel for 2 weeks. From there, we moved to an apartment for about 7 months, awaiting the completion of our house. In March of 2007, we moved into our new home.
-In the Spring of 2007, Toni was diagnosed with PCOS - causing infertility. She underwent surgery in October of that year to correct some other physical challenges relating to the infertility. She underwent treatments until December of 2007, at which point we discontinued agressive infertility treatments.
-Dennis was ordained the weekend of Toni's surgery- and as other circumstances would have it, church service was held in our home that weekend- so he and another friend were ordained here in our house.
-As for work, Dennis is now starting his fourth year in the capacity of Assistant Director of Media Services at Southwestern Theological Seminary. This past fall, he was also an adjunct professor at Southwestern, teaching a class about Media/Technology in worship. Toni just started a new job at a new school in August of 2008. She now teaches in the Language Center at a school only 3 miles from home. (Huge blessing!!!) Last year she was a Curriculum Differentiator for Science as a part of the FWISD Curriculum Writing Initiative.
-As for ministry: it has been a topsy-turvy few years. We were at a church called Team Church which morphed into The Gathering. Sadly, that church closed in October of 2007. We continued hosting the youth (club180) until this past October when we felt God releasing us from that ministry. We have started our own non-profit ministry (e320 ministries- after Ephesians 3:20). It is our prayer that God will build a church in west Fort Worth from this ministry. We are currently praying and seeking His guidance and plan- as we started to do things our own way and came to realize what a disaster we were creating. We floundered for quite a while, looking for a church in which we could heal and also serve for several long months. We are now members at Stonewater Church in Granbury, TX - learning, growing, and serving. We are really blessed to be part of a life group that actually meets very close to home and is full of a great collection of people. As for our neighborhood ministry, we currently host a weekly Bible study in our home. We are praying about and pursuing the possible birth of a Celebrate Recovery group with a new friend. It is exciting to see how God is moving; but also difficult sometimes to remain patient and wait on his timing (since we're being honest, and all!).
-God has also blessed us with many new friendships and has brought reconciliation in old relationships as well.
Overall, these past 3 years have been marked by CHANGE and challenges- but God has been faithful to bring us through. Even in the lowest points with the infertility- He has been there loving us and growing us.
Looking forward to 2009:
This year we begin the year with great anticipation. God has really laid adoption on our hearts, particularly the adoption of children in the foster care system. We will be attending classes (30+ hours), having a home study, and (hopefully) getting licensed over the next few months. Even now, we are praying for the children (you read that right, more than one child as we are looking at sibling groups)- and praying that He will start preparing us to love them and shower them with His love. We are also praying for preparing of our hearts and minds as the children will have some unique challenges from their pasts that we will need to face as a family. With God, though, we are confident that they can experience healing and a fresh start- it will just take some time and work. Please join us in praying for this.
Three years gone by... how to summarize it all...
Some of the "highlights", so to speak are:
-We hosted a foreign exchange student from Brasil for a semester. Lucas was such a blessing and we grew to love him as our own son. The pictures are of him.-Dennis graduated with his undergraduate degree from Liberty University with a dual major in Business and Religion. He then began studying for his MDiv at SWBTS. He has since transferred back to Libery to attend their seminary, working on a more specialized Master's Degree. He is on track to graduate December 2009.
-About 2 years ago we felt God's urging to sell our house in Burleson and move to West Fort Worth. So, we put the house on the market and the house sold within a month. We were, in effect, homeless at the signing. We were graciously put up in guest housing with all of our possessions in PODS and our pets in a kennel for 2 weeks. From there, we moved to an apartment for about 7 months, awaiting the completion of our house. In March of 2007, we moved into our new home.
-In the Spring of 2007, Toni was diagnosed with PCOS - causing infertility. She underwent surgery in October of that year to correct some other physical challenges relating to the infertility. She underwent treatments until December of 2007, at which point we discontinued agressive infertility treatments.
-Dennis was ordained the weekend of Toni's surgery- and as other circumstances would have it, church service was held in our home that weekend- so he and another friend were ordained here in our house.
-As for work, Dennis is now starting his fourth year in the capacity of Assistant Director of Media Services at Southwestern Theological Seminary. This past fall, he was also an adjunct professor at Southwestern, teaching a class about Media/Technology in worship. Toni just started a new job at a new school in August of 2008. She now teaches in the Language Center at a school only 3 miles from home. (Huge blessing!!!) Last year she was a Curriculum Differentiator for Science as a part of the FWISD Curriculum Writing Initiative.
-As for ministry: it has been a topsy-turvy few years. We were at a church called Team Church which morphed into The Gathering. Sadly, that church closed in October of 2007. We continued hosting the youth (club180) until this past October when we felt God releasing us from that ministry. We have started our own non-profit ministry (e320 ministries- after Ephesians 3:20). It is our prayer that God will build a church in west Fort Worth from this ministry. We are currently praying and seeking His guidance and plan- as we started to do things our own way and came to realize what a disaster we were creating. We floundered for quite a while, looking for a church in which we could heal and also serve for several long months. We are now members at Stonewater Church in Granbury, TX - learning, growing, and serving. We are really blessed to be part of a life group that actually meets very close to home and is full of a great collection of people. As for our neighborhood ministry, we currently host a weekly Bible study in our home. We are praying about and pursuing the possible birth of a Celebrate Recovery group with a new friend. It is exciting to see how God is moving; but also difficult sometimes to remain patient and wait on his timing (since we're being honest, and all!).
-God has also blessed us with many new friendships and has brought reconciliation in old relationships as well.
Overall, these past 3 years have been marked by CHANGE and challenges- but God has been faithful to bring us through. Even in the lowest points with the infertility- He has been there loving us and growing us.
Looking forward to 2009:
This year we begin the year with great anticipation. God has really laid adoption on our hearts, particularly the adoption of children in the foster care system. We will be attending classes (30+ hours), having a home study, and (hopefully) getting licensed over the next few months. Even now, we are praying for the children (you read that right, more than one child as we are looking at sibling groups)- and praying that He will start preparing us to love them and shower them with His love. We are also praying for preparing of our hearts and minds as the children will have some unique challenges from their pasts that we will need to face as a family. With God, though, we are confident that they can experience healing and a fresh start- it will just take some time and work. Please join us in praying for this.
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