JOY TO THE WORLD....
THE LORD HAS COME!
He rules the world with truth and grace.
And makes the nations prove
The glories of His righteousness
And wonders of His love
And wonders of His love
And wonders, wonders, of His love.
There are SO many wonders to see, feel, know.
* The wonder of a new born baby. YES - we have a new grandson, born in November. He is precious and wonderfully loved so much already.
* The wonder of the fog and mist over the lake early in the cool crisp cold mornings.
* The wonder of life itself - even in memory loss and failing health.
* The wonder of death - the hope we can have in it.
* And the wonders of God's love. That one is hard to put words, thoughts or feelings around because it's so much undeserved, unearned love that we cannot comprehend, but as believers - we trust in it, accept it, live in it - the wonder and mystery of it all.
I ran across this advent devotional about The Wonders of God's love. Check it out...
In November, we welcomed into our family a new little nugget. Walker Andrew Green. It's been 10 years since we've had a baby so you can only image the joy the little one brings. The wonder of him. We are so thankful and excited to see his unfolding life. This is Andy and Sarah's first - so continued prayers for the new parents as they adjust to this new adventure!
One of Jim's jobs along with Chris (on-site staff) is to clean the chapel. Each Friday morning they meet to pray and talk, catch up, then clean it. It's a pleasure to prepare this place for our guests who come seeking time alone with God.
(more pictures on Facebook if you haven't already viewed them!)
Ministry Update
We are entering our 10th month as Operations Managers / Missionaries at The Springs in the little town of Oldenburg, IN. Oh what a joy it has been and continues to be. Life is slower and quieter even in the busy, as we are preparing a place for God's workers to come and rest.
We both continue to be busy, welcoming guests & preparing their space. Jim is busy doing maintenance on all the equipment as he puts them 'to bed' so to speak for the winter months. He enjoys having the time to not have to rush through those tasks, making sure they are done thoroughly and well. There are still horses, chickens and cats to feed and care for, laundry to keep up with, wood to keep stocked (YES!, we're loving our wood stove)...on and on. Tasks that honor God and bring glory to even the most mundane tasks feels good and right.
In our past blogs, we have shared a favorite spot or a bench, so we'll continue with that.
We've talked about 'reflection' and 'vision' benches. Another favorite place for us both is in the chapel.
It's a sacred place tucked into the meadows where you can sit and really feel God's presence.
"Come with Me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest for your soul" Mark 6:31 - is the sign outside the chapel entrance. Invites us in to be with Him as He is with us. Emmanuel. God with us.
We continue to welcome many guests here even in the cold winter months. The hiking and spaces here are just as good as when as when warmer weather. I was walking one day with Sibyl Towner and we were chatting about the quietness. She said "you've not heard quiet yet". WHAT?!? Already it is quieter without the birds singing and toads croaking; but more? She shared, when the ground is covered with snow there is NO sound. It's breathless. Even though for me (Karen), I'm not a cold weather person, I look forward to the snow covered meadows, the even more quiet and stillness of creation. This place is amazing.
Here is another of my favorite benches. This word is near and dear to my heart, as it was a word from the Lord for a year to focus on while I was with BLOC Ministries and Redeemed Home. "ROOTED" is the word at this bench. It's tucked under a tree in the upper meadow. Teddy and I took a walk today (December 9) and got caught in the rain, so we paused on this bench and the memories came back flooding my soul.
Rooted: Then Christ will make His home in your hearts as you trust in Him. Your 'roots' will grow down into God's love and keep you strong. Ephesians 3:17
As you walk the grounds here at The Springs - there is a bench guide with some great questions to ponder. For the "rooted" bench - think about these things...
Notice how Christ longs to be at home in you. Can you trust the goodness of God for you?
Feeling both resistance or openness can indicate God is near.
How are you nurturing yourself in the strength of the Lord?
More on us...
We do get out from time to time, catching a soccer game, baseball game and now wrestling matches, supporting our grandsons. Being grandparents is just the best! We enjoy visits with friends, meeting for lunch or dinner or just for fun. But this place is now home and it's always good to return. Jim always says on our drive back "home" - here we are back in the woods again, and we laugh and say...again... how did this happen?
We would love to have you visit if you haven't been here yet, or come again if you have! Its a place to experience - words don't do it justice. So COME VISIT! Come explore these benches we write about. Plus, it's a lovely drive through the woods just to get out here :)
If you would like to be added to The Springs email distribution list, to stay up-to-date with the happenings here, email us and let us know and we'll add you! They send out a quarterly news-letter and during December they have an advent mailing. green.jimkaren@gmail.com
We love each of you and are beyond thankful for your continue love, prayers & financial support. If you would like to become a part of our support team, we would LOVE to chat. Reach us here, text us, email us, Facebook us.
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