As we approach summer in Pittsburgh and the beginning of our second year here, we continue to experience many exciting transitions within our family. In early May, we were back in Florida to see Sarah Beth awarded her master's degree in nursing from the University of Central Florida. Sarah has worked long and hard for this honor and now faces a huge personal transition. Pending a successful board exam, she will be leaving Central Florida and heading to Houston in early September. There she will take up a year long fellowship at MD Anderson, where she will work and get further specialization training in her chosen field of pediatric oncology. By the time she is finished there, she is hopeful of being well prepared to take on her new role as a pediatric nurse practitioner. We are amazed at God's provision for Sarah and look forward to seeing how He will continue His faithful mercies to her in this next year.
Besides celebrating Sarah's achievement, we got to visit with Beth's mom and our Mississippi family, minus Andrew; so we thoroughly enjoyed having Hannah, Meredith and Lylah to help us celebrate. Our focus in that brief time was on our family, but we did get to reconnect with several friends in the Orlando and Brevard County areas--how sweet. While there, we received the news that Andrew had passed his ordination exams! - which takes us to our next trip. On June 13 we will be in Brookhaven, Mississippi for AW's ordination. Dan's mom, Granmimi, will be joining us for this special time of meeting her great granddaughter for the first time and watching her son help ordain her grandson to gospel ministry. Dan will be preaching for that service while both of us will marvel at what God has done with and for our son, his family, and Faith Church. We're also looking forward to reconnecting with our precious grandbaby and seeing all the new things she is doing to get ready to walk.
Hannah's summer will be dominated by her labors as a youth ministry assistant for Lakeside Pres in Brandon MS, where she will be spending lots of time at camps and missions trips, connecting with her students and assisting them in growing and building God's Kingdom together. We pray alot for Boo's passion for the ministries God has given her, as well as her safety in doing so, but mostly that she would glorify Jesus in all that she is for Him as she walks worthy of His high call upon her life.
When we are back home, we continue to enjoy life together and with our church family at North Park Church. Western PA has been gorgeous this Spring, so as Sharon maintains a busy workload of mathematics at the Community College of Allegheny County, she gets to study in the beautiful outdoor array of forest and flower that is our back yard. She has done quite well in her classes so far, even on her many tests, which has been one of her college concerns. The Lord provided Sharon a school break that "just happened" to coincide with Sarah's graduation. That same provision is occurring later this summer as she has a break between summer and fall terms, just in time to participate as a short term missionary at the first ever Joni and Friends Family Retreat in the Pittsburgh area. We praise God for Sharon's heart for outreach in our community!
In March we had a neat opportunity to visit Laguna Beach, Calif for a weeklong conference featuring Henry Cloud and John Townsend, two of our favorite Christian psychologists. The Ultimate Leadership week was a great time to further understand who we are at the core of our being and how that impacts our relationships and ministry. We thank the Lord and North Park church for the further equipping we received there and trust Him for what He will continue to do!
Besides celebrating Sarah's achievement, we got to visit with Beth's mom and our Mississippi family, minus Andrew; so we thoroughly enjoyed having Hannah, Meredith and Lylah to help us celebrate. Our focus in that brief time was on our family, but we did get to reconnect with several friends in the Orlando and Brevard County areas--how sweet. While there, we received the news that Andrew had passed his ordination exams! - which takes us to our next trip. On June 13 we will be in Brookhaven, Mississippi for AW's ordination. Dan's mom, Granmimi, will be joining us for this special time of meeting her great granddaughter for the first time and watching her son help ordain her grandson to gospel ministry. Dan will be preaching for that service while both of us will marvel at what God has done with and for our son, his family, and Faith Church. We're also looking forward to reconnecting with our precious grandbaby and seeing all the new things she is doing to get ready to walk.
Hannah's summer will be dominated by her labors as a youth ministry assistant for Lakeside Pres in Brandon MS, where she will be spending lots of time at camps and missions trips, connecting with her students and assisting them in growing and building God's Kingdom together. We pray alot for Boo's passion for the ministries God has given her, as well as her safety in doing so, but mostly that she would glorify Jesus in all that she is for Him as she walks worthy of His high call upon her life.
When we are back home, we continue to enjoy life together and with our church family at North Park Church. Western PA has been gorgeous this Spring, so as Sharon maintains a busy workload of mathematics at the Community College of Allegheny County, she gets to study in the beautiful outdoor array of forest and flower that is our back yard. She has done quite well in her classes so far, even on her many tests, which has been one of her college concerns. The Lord provided Sharon a school break that "just happened" to coincide with Sarah's graduation. That same provision is occurring later this summer as she has a break between summer and fall terms, just in time to participate as a short term missionary at the first ever Joni and Friends Family Retreat in the Pittsburgh area. We praise God for Sharon's heart for outreach in our community!
In March we had a neat opportunity to visit Laguna Beach, Calif for a weeklong conference featuring Henry Cloud and John Townsend, two of our favorite Christian psychologists. The Ultimate Leadership week was a great time to further understand who we are at the core of our being and how that impacts our relationships and ministry. We thank the Lord and North Park church for the further equipping we received there and trust Him for what He will continue to do!
