Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas to you all! It is Christmas eve, which means Christmas day in Australia. We are getting ready for our Christmas Eve service here at the church. This morning we got to hang out together and give each other our gifts.

Clint finished up the semester well. It's so great to know that he only has one semester to go and then he will be done! Yeah! We can hardly wait. Clint starts working full time at the church January 1st and will be speaking Sunday morning, January 2nd on prayer. This is exciting for us and will be even better in May when he can focus fully on Student Ministry! But God is at work in the midst of it all.

Work is going well for me. My office is closed the week between Christmas and New Years so that is a huge blessing - the family will be together and I didn't even have to ask for that time off! The week I go back I will be getting 5 families of my "own" and then I will get more each week from there. I am very excited and a bit nervous. It is interesting talking to parents about being parents when I am not one myself... but the important thing is that I am there to listen to the families and be their encourager and advocate. Many of them have no one to believe in them. So I pray I can be that person.

Highlights of the last two weeks...

• Clint got his long awaited bass! I'll have Clint post about that with a picture or two. He is extremely excited and sometimes just looks at it for periods of time (I'm trying not to be jealous!).
• Alex, one of our high school students, works for the Pacers (For the Australians - that's the NBA basketball team for Indiana). He got us 6th row tickets, center court! It was AMAZING! We will put pictures of that on too... unbelievable. Clint is now fully a Pacer's and Colt's fan!

Tonight we go up to Michigan to be with the Jackson's for Christmas. Josh & Kari are back from Sydney to spend time with friends and family over the holiday season, so we're totally pumped to see them... We are looking forward to having a week away to relax and spend quality time together. It's been snowing so hopefully the roads aren't too bad tonight. Anyway...

Have a great New Year! We hope your holidays are relaxing and wonderful!

Clint and Jamie

A little late...

Well, this was my second week at my new job, so I wasn't on top of posting straight away. The job is going really well, though. I am meeting a lot of new people and loving everything I learn. I will most likely start picking up clients after Christmas and New Years. Currently I am just getting all the curriculum and training that I need to do the job well. Thanks for your prayers!

Clint is finishing up final projects and exams this week and next Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. He has done such an amazing job of balancing life, but we will be so happy that he can focus on only one during Christmas break (and then, of course, once he graduates)! God continues to give Clint vision and desire to have students strong in the Lord.

I don't think I mentioned this before, but "we" started a young adults group about 5 weeks ago. Clint is not involved until he is done with school, but a couple of guys from our church and I get together each week with a core group. God is moving and it has been great to get something going since it seems to be a lost age at our church currently. We went through 2 Timothy and now will start another book.

Please continue to pray for Clint and I - especially as it has to do with the Kingdom (here and around the world). I was just talking last night with one of the student leaders in high school about prayer. It is so crucial. I am reminded again that I must be free from the enemies bondage and lies, and be abiding in Christ to have the life He offers. The life of abundance, love, fruit, joy, peace, etc. that Christ offers is possible! May we claim that in prayer and desire nothing less.

Have a great weekend!
Clint and Jamie