Sunshine and Hot Temps!

We have had a beautiful Spring in West Michigan - the flowering trees and bushes are at their peak, with more blossoms this year than ever. BUT, it hasn't been very warm, temps below the usual, which can be frustrating to me. I love warm (more like hot) weather.

So, while Michiganders are still in the low 70's over the next week or two, Dennis and I will be enjoying low 90's in Florida. We head out this weekend to spend some down time in Fort Myers and then to the Wesleyan Church General Conference in Orlando (held every 4 years). I'll probably be posting some pics and keeping you updated on the happenings of General Conference, which I believe is significant this year.

Chapter 6 - A New Thing

If God were writing a story of our lives (and I like to think he is), I think he would be at Chapter 6. The story begins when Dennis and I met...32 years ago, but it really began the day we were born because we both have a story before our story. It seems we have lived five chapters of our story (full of romance, adventure, joys and sorrows, good times and hard times), now entering the sixth. When we resigned from SLWC three months ago, we were coming to the end of the fifth chapter, and we were eagerly waiting to see where the sixth chapter would begin for we sensed that God was moving us beyond the local church.

Over the past couple months we have been zeroing in on two possible options. It has been a process in both cases. While walking the Grand Haven pier this past Tuesday evening (this has not been an unusual scene in Chapter 5), we landed on a decision.

On Thursday it was approved that Dennis will be filling the role of Assistant District Superintendent for the West MI District of the Wesleyan Church along side of DS, Mark Gorveatte. Dennis' primary responsibilities will be leadership development (80%) and global focus (20%) - both play into his passions, strengths and gifts, forming a sweet spot that excites us. The position will officially begin on July 12th. Certainly this is still very involved in the life of the church, just in a very different way - in a broader scope.

We'll still try to sell the house, but don't feel a need to rush that since we can commute to and from Grand Rapids where the District office is located. Eventually, though, we would like to move to Grand Rapids. We'll see how the story goes...

So, here we are...moving on to a new chapter in our lives. New things...that thought has been on my mind lately and these scriptures have crossed my path to solidify what God has been placing on my heart.

Isaiah 43:18-19 ~ Forget the former things; do not dwell on the past. See, I am doing a new thing! Now it springs up; do you not perceive it?

Revelation 21:5 ~ I am making everything new!

God is the Author of the story of our lives. He will take all that we've experienced in the past 30 years of ministry and somehow weave it into this new chapter. He is doing a new thing! I am eager to read ahead, but the chapter isn't finished yet. That's for us to discover.

Final Sunday

Eleven years ago on May 18th Dennis preached a message as he candidated for Sr. Pastor at Spring Lake Wesleyan. This past Sunday, May 18, he shared his final message as Sr. Pastor at SLWC. The morning services were not without tears, laughter, hugs and thoughtful words.

We certainly felt loved and celebrated by the staff and the people that make up SLWC. Here are a few of the happenings of that morning:

• a lighthearted drama - a couple of "senior ladies" (Rose Grimes & Lisa DeLass) reminisced about the past 11 years
• Pete and Dave shared the top 10 lessons they learned from Dennis
  
• a heartfelt video with greetings that ranged from the Beers in Australia to our own Watermark church plant, Steve Deur
• a surprise visit from Jim and Cindy Dannenberg - wonderful prayer partners who came up from FL - it was great to hear Jim pray over us as many gathered around us at the altar
  
• a final presentation, which was a total surprise to us, was a new Yamaha scooter (we have an older one we love to bum around on)

Dennis always carries 3x5 cards in his pocket and so the congregation wrote notes to us on 3x5 cards. There are so many...we haven't finished reading them all yet.

Thank you SLWC for 11 wonderful years! We will miss you! I'll say again what I shared on Sunday morning... it has been a joy and privilege to love you, grow with you, and to serve along side of you, all because "he has rescued us from the dominion of darkness and brought us into the kingdom of the Son he loves, in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins." (Col. 1:1-13)