January 2012
Dear Friends,
Yesterday was the funeral for the father of one of the children that come to the center. This boy, Nicholas, is only in third grade and now for the rest of his life he’ll have to go on without a dad. This strikes me as particularly sad. However, something else struck me while praying for little Nicholas and his family. There are at least six or seven other children at the center whose fathers have passed away. There are a dozen or so more whose fathers have abandoned their families in some way. I was reminded of how vulnerable this makes a family. I was also reminded of God’s promise that He is and will be the Father to the fatherless. Please pray for Nicholas and his family.
This past fall we helped the teenagers that come to the center make concrete goals for themselves for the first semester of the school year. We’ll be evaluating those goals with them in January and then helping them to again set goals for the second semester. This time around, however, we staff members will be joining them in goal setting.
We want to set some short-term, personal goals from January to June. We want to think about all the main parts of our lives – spiritual, emotional, physical, mental, and social. I know lots of folks will be making resolutions this month for the coming year. Well, we’re breaking the year up into three parts. We’re setting goals now for this semester. We’ll revisit those goals for the summer and set some new ones. Then we’ll do it all over again for the fall semester.
I say all this because I want to invite you to join us in goal setting. How would it be for you to set some short-term goals, just until summer? Have you ever realized that God doesn’t only care about our spiritual health, but also the health of those other areas mentioned above? I invite you take some time and pray about what the Lord might be leading you into this coming semester. Then, along with Him, set some goals. I would love to hear about them, too, if you want to share.
Thank you again for your continuing prayers. Please pray for the children and for us as we begin this new semester. January and February always seem like the longest months of the year. Pray that this will be a time of hearing God’s voice and being obedient. Please pray for the teens as they set new goals. Pray that these goals will help to direct their lives toward Jesus and living for Him.
Love,
Paul and Ana